Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Lighten Up!

Today's Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Ways to Lighten Your Mood...

1. Spend time with your furbabies - definitely my go-to mood lightener... My dogs are an unlimited source of uncondtional love and laughs! 

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My 4 favorite butts
2. Knit - or whatever hobby you love.  Knitting is (usually) a stress reliever and a great way to express my creative side.  Plus, knitting for family and friends makes me smile (again, usually).

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3. Read - if your knitting/hobby is causing you to curse or throw things, you might want to switch to reading...

4. Get out and do something seasonal - my favorite time of the year is quickly approaching... I love all things fall and like to get out to the fairs and festivals as much as I can.

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5. Eat comfort food - whether it's a slice of pizza or pie, comfort food is great for the mood!  I'm looking forward to the fall comforts... hot apple cider, pie, cider donuts, soup in bread bowls, etc.

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6. Lunch with a friend - I had the pleasure of meeting a great friend for lunch yesterday and what a fantastic break from the daily grind that was!

7. Go for a walk/hike/drive - get out and enjoy the fresh air or the open road... take the furbabies if you can!

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Smell that fresh air!
8. Watch a comedy - be it a movie, sitcom or even funny videos on You Tube... watch and LOL!

9. Smile - it's amazing what this little action can do for your mood... go ahead, try it!

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10. Go online - email a friend, chat online, find new patterns on Ravelry,  Facebook, Tweet... whatever site you prefer, I'm sure you'll find something to take your mind off things!

Monday, August 30, 2010

A Little of This, A Little of That

Happy Monday... or rather, happy let's-get-this-week-over-and-done-with and onto-the-long-weekend day!  Time for a little of this and a little of that...

I had lunch this afternoon with Tango's Mom and was able to give her some gifts that I can now show off to you.  The first was "Lil Tango," as his creators Karen & Cyndi named him.... 

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Lil Tango & Newman
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Lil Tango & Newman side view
Karen and Cyndi make these adorable stuffed pups and earlier this year, they had gifted me with "Newman" (on the right) in honor of Ryan Newman and his US Army paint scheme.  He was so cute, I just had to ask if there was anything they could do for this special circumstance ... and I can't thank them enough!  Although Tango is mainly a black beauty, they got to thinking and creating...  The result is Lil Tango, who I truly hope will bring Tanya some comfort when she needs it, as I know the days are still tough....
 
TangoNecklaceI also got her this beautiful engraved pebble necklace from sjENGRAVING.  I thought it was something unique that she could either choose to wear or hang in a special place, depending on her mood.  The polished pebble also reminds me of a "worry stone" and I love that she can hold it in her hand and use it in that manner as well.  I highly recommend their Etsy shop to anyone looking for any engraved stone items.  The stone truly is simply beautiful...



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The kids are glad Mom made a new friend at Zuke's!  Before she left the daily grind behind (although really, how hard could it be to work at such a great company?) to take off on a cross country adventure, Andrea sent us a big 'ole box of  some of their favorite treats, as well as 2 awesome Zuke's tees for Mama Lapdog!  Thank you Andrea, we luvs it all!

Thanks to some wonderful ladies across the US, we just donated another 63 preemie/infant hats, 4 pairs of booties and 1 blanket to the Special Care Nursey from Friends of Emma!  Special thanks to my Mom for delivering them in person.  She informed me that the nurses had to take each and every hat out of the box to look at and even one of the doctors came out to thank us for them.

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4 pairs of booties & 1 blanket
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63 hats donated to SCN!


Friday, August 27, 2010

REVIEW: The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion

The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion
by Janet Bristow & Victoria A. Cole-Galo
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Taunton Press (September 7, 2010)

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The term "prayer shawl" has come to mean many different things to many different people.  To some it's tied to prayer, to others simply about good healing vibes.  It is not necessarily about any particular religious believes, but about the concept of comforting someone in need with a shawl that has been knit or crocheted with love (and those good vibes or prayers, whichever you choose).  Crafters are known to be a generous bunch and shawls are just an extension of that fact.  Chances are if you know someone who is in need of a little comfort, the first thing you do is whip out your needles or hook and some beautiful, soft yarn.

Janet Bristow and Victoria A. Cole-Galo, the founds of The Prayer Shawl Ministry, continue to carry on those sentiments and touch the lives of many through their latest release, The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion.  In this follow up to their 2008 best-seller, The Prayer Shawl Companion, Janet and Victoria have once again brought crafters of different faiths and cultures together to showcase 37 beautiful shawl patterns and some heartwarming stories.  The patterns have been designed by everyday crocheters, as well as some celebrity knitwear designers including Nicky Epstein, Mary Beth Temple, Kristen TenDyke, Amy Shelton and Doris Chan. 

A wide range of styles and patterns are offered, ensuring there's a shawl fit for every need.  The majority of the 37 patterns are labeled "easy" with a few advanced beginner and intermediate ones as well.  Instructions are written clearly and the photographs throughout show great detail of the projects.

My personal favorites include:
  • Genevieve's Journey Shawl, a lacy open shawl that really reminds me of the ocean
  • Special Occasion Shawl, a lovely shawl perfect for fall, it even includes two small pockets
  • Gossamer Blossoms Shawl, another lacy shawl crocheted in a mohair blend that gives the fish-net like pattern a little "oompf"
  • Cheer and Victory Shawl, a comforting shawl sure to put a smile on anyone's face, it is edged with daisies
If you enjoying crocheting shawls, you should certainly consider adding The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion to your collection!

About the Authors: Janet Bristow and Victoria A. Cole-Galo are authors of the bestselling Prayer Shawl Companion and founders of the Prayer Shawl Ministry. They travel nationwide to conduct shawl ministry workshops. Both women are graduates of the Hartford Seminary’s Women’s Leadership Institute.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Sophie's Wish

Happy Dogs on Thursday!  I had planned a Wapiti Labs elk antler review today, but time has gotten the best of me... so please stay tuned!  We'll have that, as well as quite a few other great reviews (and some giveaways!) coming soon, including Huggle Hounds toys, Mrs. Beasley's new Kelp Krunchies treats, Halo Pets dog food, Weruva canned dog food and SmartPup dog smoothie treats.  I'll have some knitting related reviews too...

Some random shots for today...

The hot, humid weather is the only time I get "smiling" Sophie photos...

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Zeus being Zeus and on the lookout for critters with his little sister...

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Lola and Teutul... showing a little sibling love!

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Sophie says hang tight... the weekend is almost here and she's wishing for a great one!

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Iz wishen fer da wekendz!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Vicktory Dogs update

Stay tuned for a review of The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption.  I started reading it over the weekend and if you thought I had a great hatred towards Vick before, well...

In the meantime, check out this wonderful new video from Best Friends, updating on Meryl and Georgia!  It's eleven minutes long, but a must watch... especially if you want to smile!  The girls are doing so well!


Thursday, August 19, 2010

Hey, that's MY couch

Happy Dogs on Thursday!  Have you ever wondered why the smallest dog always takes over the largest spot on the couch (and all the pillows)?  Sophie has a habit of taking over an entire couch...

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Stretch....
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Who me?
 
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Lola's got her corner
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Zeus claims the loveseat




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Tut decides he'll just wait until one of his hoomans
sits and then he'll climb in their lap

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Miss You

Happy Wordless Wednesday.  Today would have been my Nana's birthday...

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Christmas Eve 1999
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I adore this photo

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For Nana

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

REVIEW: Annie Adams Knitting Notions

Annie Adams Knitting Notions
Where to Find: Annie Adams

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Annie Adams creates a beautiful line of fiber-related jewelry and notions.  Whether you knit, crochet, or even sew, Annie's creations are perfect to accent your personal style!

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"Willow Square" Shawl Pin

Annie's adornment line is Made in the USA of lead free pewter and includes stitch marker necklaces, shawl pins & sticks, zipper pulls, buckles, buttons and other accent pieces.  Each one is hand-picked and designed by the award-winning design studio that made Annie Adams Jewelry a huge success in Buffalo, NY and across the country.

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I had the pleasure of receiving both a shawl pin and a large button in the new Willow Square design for review. Each piece is simplistically beautiful, yet stunning at the same time.  The pieces are designed to accentuate your beautiful handknits, not deter from them as some overally ornate shawl pins do.  The details in Annie's pieces shine right along side of your hard work.    

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The Willow Square shawl pin is perfectly sized at 2" square with a 4" pin and retails for $38.  If you are used to wooden or plastic shawl pins, Annie's pewter ones are of course, slightly heavier.  The Willow Square large button is slightly larger than 1 1/4" round and comes singularly packaged for $12.

If you are looking for some fabulous accessories for your knitting, be sure to check out Annie Adams amazing line... you won't be disappointed!  They make excellent gifts for the crafters on your holiday gift list as well (no, it's never too early to start shopping)!  As for the non-crafters on those gift lists, check out the Annie Adams Jewelry line

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The Lapdog Sniff of Approval

Monday, August 16, 2010

CONTEST WINNER! Bright Bites prize package

Thank you to everyone who entered to win the Bright Bites prize package!!

The winner has been selected by random number generator...

Here are your random integers: 8
Timestamp: 2010-08-16

Congratulations to Kathy and her gang over at Gypsyknits! The Lapdogs all think Mr. Bettis and his siblings will gladly open their mouths for these dental treats!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

You Can Take the Girl off of the Island, But...

Happy Dogs on ThursdayYou can take the girl out off of the Island, but you can't take the Island out of the girl... or something like that!  Yes, I'm an other Cape girl - born and raised - so I was really excited when I stumbled upon these Lobster Bisque-its while shopping at our local feed store.

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Lobster has officially gone to the dogs!  They all love these treats just as much as their Mama loves lobster-anything (boiled, fried, stuffed, in pasta, on pizza, in a taco, in a hot dog bun ... you name it, I love it)!

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Sophie Smiles for Lobster!

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Lobster makes Lola a Happy Dog!



 Yes, they do have an ocean smell ... but no one seems to mind!

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mmm... smells like Gloucester!
I scream, we all scream for lobster!  Four smiling, happy pooches who say enjoy the rest of your day... and send more lobster!

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