Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Ten on Tuesday - Let's EAT!

417420_10150568762112372_42693447371_9103379_1110884628_nHappy Ten on Tuesday!  Today's topic is 10 Favorite Superbowl Party Foods, so here we go... 

1. Chicken Wings... a party just isn't complete without wings!

2. Seven Layer Dip... but hold the hot sauce, this girl doesn't do spicy.
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3. Brownies... another party staple.  Extra points for those who cut them into footballs.

4. Meatball Subs... an easy party food, toss 'em in the slow cooker and let everyone make their own mess.
Nic_912105. Cheesy Bread Sticks... everyone loves bread, everyone loves cheese... it's a win-win.

6. Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies... you know, the kind made with the mini muffin pans, cookie "cups" with a miniature Reese's peanut butter cup stuffed inside.  I think I might have to make a batch this year.

321237_10150348142677372_42693447371_8239155_1117568877_n7. Vegetables and Dip... because you need something "healthy" on the menu.

8. Bacon Wrapped Scallops... this is New England, we need seafood on the menu.  Bonus points if you also have shrimp cocktail.

9. Texas Caviar... another fabulous dip.  Don't forget the Tostitos Scoops.

10. Beer... party + food + football = need a refreshing iced cold beverage.

Here we Go PATRIOTS, Here We Go!!!  Are you ready for the big game?

Monday, January 30, 2012

REVIEW: Sweet Shawlettes

Sweet Shawlettes
25 Irresistible Patters for Knitting Cowls, Capelets, and More
by Jean Moss
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Taunton Press (January 3, 2012)

shawlettes

Nearly everyone I know is knitting shawlettes lately.  There's no question that these fashion accessories are growing in popularity and knitters have taken notice - besides being stylish, they are a quick knit and make great gifts!

In Sweet Shawlettes: 25 Irresistible Patterns for Knitting Cowls, Capelets, and More, designer Jean Moss offers a beautiful collection of knitwear patterns that are sure to acquire lots of ooohhs and aaahhs.  The designs are arranged into 4 chapters:
  • Country, looking to nature for inspiration, the designs use a combination of intarsia, lace, cables and applique
  • Couture, pure style with bold color and vivid entrelac
  • Folk, explores knitting traditions such as fair isle, cables, lace, plaid and patchwork
  • Vintage, an ode to fabulous fashion through the ages, including Elizabethan neck ruffs and the extravagant glitz and glamour of the 1950's screen goddesses. 
There's definitely a little something for every lady on your to-knit-for list, including yourself!

The photography in Sweet Shawlettes is stunning, the directions are clear and all of the necessary illustrations, charts and schematics are included.  The patterns feature gorgeous yarns of all kinds - wool, silk, cotton and blends - and allow the knitter the opportunity to work with some luxurious yarns without the expense and commitment that larger pieces would take.  Change up the yarn on some of the patterns and you'll create an all knew look.  The endless variations will keep knitters of all skill levels inspired.

Add a copy of Sweet Shawlettes to your knitting library today - you won't be disappointed!

About the Author: One of Britain's leading designers, Jean Moss is known worldwide for her distinctive couture knits.  A writer, gardener, and musician living in York, England, she has created her own collections of handknits for more than 25 years.  She's also designed for Rowan Yarns and many international fashion houses, including Ralph Lauren, Laura Ashley and Benetton.  She hosts knitter's tours and teaches widely in Europe and North America.  Visit Jean's website here.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Filling In

Happy Friday!  It's time for a little Fill-Ins... and yes, this is what my lap looks like right now, only the furry head is much larger.

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1. It's time to move ahead to bigger and better things.

2. Bring me some Shabby Chic cupcakes please ... and don't forget the chocolates!

3. I'm trying to to accomplish a lot today.

4. "Let's all go out to dinner and hang out" that was the last funny comment I received.

5. Please send good job search vibes.

6. Settle on in boys and girls, cause I'm in it for the long haul.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a new episode of Fringe, tomorrow my plans include some quality knitting time on hats for Project 16 ::: The Littlest Warriors and Sunday, I want to see Team Chara win the NHL All Star game!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Rallying Right Along

Happy Dogs on Thursday / Thorsday / Thankful Thursday / Little Friday!  Today I'm thankful for all of the dogs in my life, including my very extended family of fosters.  Jack was one of those who just needed an overnight place to crash until his forever family could pick him up the next day.  Even though Jack was only with us a short time, he was extra special due to his incredibly strong resemblance to Teutul (not that his charming personality wasn't enough!).

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As Jack gets older, I think that resemblance to Tut just gets stronger.  The other night Matt said it's as if Tut is Jack's crazy uncle!  Crazy, yes... because Jack is so much more well behaved than Tut could ever dream of being.  In fact, after Jack excelled in Obedience classes, he went on to steal the show in Rally.

Jackat1stRally-1

Don't you just love how intent he is looking at his Mom in that shot?  It melts my heart.  Jack seems to have been quite a natural with Rally and has also been enjoying Cross Country skiing with his Mom.  He's definitely an active, outdoors man!

Jack has been making lots of wonderful furry friends along the way as well...

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As you all know, getting updates and photos from my fosters' forever families means the world to me.  There's nothing quite like opening your email to find photos of a happy, loved pooch after a bad day... instant pick me up!  Thank you to Jack's Mom for always being in touch about her baby boy!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Monday, January 23, 2012

REVIEW: Dog, Inc.

Dog, Inc.
How a Collection of Visionaries, Rebels, Eccentrics, and Their Pets Launched the Commercial Dog Cloning Industry
by John Woestendiek
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Avery Trade(January 3, 2012)

DogInc

Dog, Inc. is not your average puppy story.  Dog, Inc. chronicles the unique lengths some dog owners go to duplicate their beloved pets.  Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, John Woestendiek, unravels the controversial scientific conundrum that has captured the attention of dog owners and scientists alike by revealing remarkably true stories of cloning adventures and misfires and the awkwardly ambitious humans behind them.

I will admit that I personally have not read any of Dog, Inc. yet and am not sure if I will or will not.  My dogs mean the world to me... they each have their own personalities and quirks that make them so very special and unique and I'd love to have them in my life forever, but I'm not sure cloning is the answer.... or is it?  What are your thoughts on the possibility of cloning your beloved furbabies?

The following is an excerpt from Dog, Inc.

Prologue

You might as well know it all right now. Lassie will not be meetin’ you after school anymore.
 - Lassie Come Home (film)

HOUSTON, TEXAS

1967
It didn’t matter if she was in a movie or a TV show; if the obstacles were raging river, forest fire, mountain range, or angry bear: Lassie always came home.
One day Tippy didn’t.
On my birthday, in 1958, Tippy was my gift, a collie named for the white spot at the end of his tail—not a mirror image of the famous (to baby boomers, anyway) TV dog, but close enough for a five-year-old.

Unlike Lassie—the collie whose courage and loyalty were reincarnated in seven movies before starting a twenty-year run as an American TV show—Tippy never saved anyone stuck in a well. But, when he wasn’t roaming the neighborhood, he did help my brother and me through childhood, frequent relocation, and our parents’ divorce.  When Dad left, Tippy stayed. When President Kennedy was shot and killed, Tippy was there to lean and cry on. An assassinated president may have served as my first long-distance lesson in mortality.  But the demise of Tippy, my first dog, a few years later, brought death home.

That’s one of the things dogs do for us. Often, as children, we learn through them that there’s a limit to life—in their case, a very short one. What we’re often slower to learn is how to accept that and fully celebrate them during the ten or fifteen years they’re around.  They come and go with class, while we—sometimes visibly, sometimes invisibly—fall apart at the seams.
When Tippy died, there were no such things as dog-loss support groups or dog bereavement counseling; people would have laughed at the very idea. There were few books on how to cope with your dog’s death, few alternatives for disposing of the corpse, no websites on which to pay tribute to a dog that had passed. There were no agencies to guide one through the grief, and few companies, at the time, seeking to exploit it.
In the 1960s, when your dog died, you shed your tears in private and moved on, or at least pretended to.

Reprinted from Dog, INC. by John Woestendiek by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., Copyright © 2012 by John Woestendiek.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Snow Day

Happy Friday!  It's a snow day here in New Hampshire, which has been a bit of an unusual thing this winter.  We've gone from 50 degree days to icy conditions the next, but we haven't had much snow since our wicked white Halloween.  Today's snow is still fluffy and white, unlike the bit we got last week which quickly turned to a crusty coating of ice.

Time for some snowbunnylapdoggy photos...

Zeus the Snow Moose...

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Zeus_11312b Zeus_11312

Ice Queen Lola...

Lola_11312 Lola_12012c

Lola_11312c Lola_12012

Teutul the Snow Prince...

Tut_11312 Tut_11312b

Tut_12012 Tut_12012b

Princess Snow-phie...

Sophie_11312c Sophie_11312

Sophie_11312b Sophie_11312d

Enjoy your weekend.... GO PATRIOTS!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

May The Bark Be With You

Happy Dogs on Thursday / Thorsday / Thankful Thursday / Little Friday! 
Have you seen the most amazing VW commercial yet? The Lapdog household happened to catch it on TV for the first time last night and everyone - humans and canine - was mesmerized.  This is just brilliant!



Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Help Save Snoopy!!!

Dog lovers, parents and friends... would you please take just two minutes of your time to sign this petition and help SAVE SNOOPY

If you haven't heard the story, watch the video here Campaign To Save Deltona Dog Goes Viral - Video - WESH Orlando, but to sum things up, Snoopy was attacked by an unleashed Jack Russell who got away from it's owner.  Of course Snoopy reacted to protect himself and his owner... and now Snoopy is the one sitting on death row while the aggressive Jack Russell is home with it's owners.  This is wrong on so many levels.

Thoughts on Wednesday

Happy Wordless Wednesday!  A couple picture thoughts...


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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Too Cold to Go Outside?

Zeus22010It's Ten On Tuesday and today's topic is rather appropriate for me right now... 10 Things to Do When It's Too Cold to Go Outside.

1. Knit. I think this one is a given for many of my readers.  It also kind of goes hand-in-hand with #2, 4 and 7 below. 

Sophie_129112. Cuddle with a furry friend... or four.  The Lapdogs love to cuddle up on the couch with the humans, especially when it's chilly.

3. Read. Something I need to do more often.  My Nook has been collecting dust for several months and I really need to change that.

4. Catch up on TV shows. Whether it's shows I've got on the DVR or the Food Network, I can usually find something to catch up with.

Cricket
5. Teach myself how to weave. I plan to finish putting my Cricket loom together and get to doing that very soon.

6. Job hunt. Not something I recommend or wish on anyone, but it is my unfortunate situation at this time.

7. Enjoy a warm beverage.  Hot cocoa, coffee, tea... maybe even bake some cookies to go along with said beverage.

TurkeySoup_1109
8. Cook... something delicious and hearty.  Soups and stews top that list.

9. Catch up with friends online... Facebook, AOL chat, Ravelry, Blogs...

10. Clean/Organize. It seems like I'll have some time on my hands to finally get to the unpopular task.

Friday, January 13, 2012

In the Mood to Shop?

Have you checked out my Etsy shop lately?  As a result of becoming unemployed from my day job, I will be once again focusing on crossing my fingers that I can make some extra money to pay bills being creative.  Stay tuned for lots of new items coming soon!


Thursday, January 12, 2012

Sophie Sees Snow!

Happy Dogs on Thursday/Thorsday/Thankful Thursday/Little Friday... Snow Day!  Yup, that's right... the white stuff is falling outside.  Sophie was quite pleased that her wish came true...

2012-01-12_07.58.47

Sophie's wondering how her mini-me Harper is handling her first taste of snow.  Hopefully, she's loving it!  Speaking of the little cutie, Harper's Mom just sent us some adorable new photos and we thought we'd share a couple...

harper_with_tree harper_and_paper_3 harper_on_table

We hope you all stay warm and enjoy a nice hot cup of coca today!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Hello Down There!

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

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Photos © Lapdog Creations, Taken at Lazy 5 Ranch

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Whole Lotta Rosie

Remember the itty bitty who stole our hearts over the summer?  The reason why I feel for a little dog?  Her name is Rosie and she's the petite girl with big eyes...

Rosie_82011c Rosie_82111d

Of course you remember her... but you may or may not recall that she came back for a week long stay at the Lapdog B&B in August while her new parents were away.  Since I'm playing catch up on photos, now is a better time than ever to share some from that fun summer week, right?

First let me refresh your memory on how tiny she was when she first came to us in June...

Rosie_62511c Sophie_Rosie_62511b Rosie_62511b Lola_Rosie_62511m

It's no wonder I feel for her... is she not stinking cute or what?  Anyway... back to her August visit...

Rosie_81611b ZeusRosie_82111

She made herself (back) at home right away...

Rosie_82111 SophieRosie_82111

This is my absolute favorite shot from Rosie's vacation with us.  She and Sophie were enjoying the morning sun.

SophieRosie_82011

It was wonderful to have Rosie back at our house for the week.  She was a bundle of energy, puppy kisses and cuddles.  When she first got to our house, she was all wiggly and excited to see us, which made me smile.  At the end of the week, we met her Mama and big sister Rascal at the dog park and she was all wiggly and excited to see them... and that really made me smile!  I know she was in her perfect forever home.

Here is Rosie with big sis Rascal at the dog park.  It totally looks they're sharing a little secret in the last one, doesn't it?

DogPark_RosieRascal_82111 DogPark_Rascal_82111

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Lola and Rosie enjoying the park... big smiles and all!

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Old Lady Lola quickly transforms from playing to relaxing at the park..

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Rosie wanted to make friends with the biggest doggies at the park, while Lola and Rascal both kept an eye on the little tyke...

DogPark_Rosie_82111 DogPark_LolaRascal_82111

Here are some newer shots of the growing girl that her Mama recently sent over.  The first one makes me LOL.  It was taken shortly after she was spayed and was on some of the goody-pills, ha ha!

Rosie_1111 Rosie1812

RosieRascal_1111

Rosie_1211 Rosie_1211b

It's wonderful to see Rosie living the good life!  Hopefully we'll have a chance to visit soon!
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