REVIEW: HuggleHounds Long and Lovely Lion

HuggleHounds Long and Lovely Lion 
Where to Find: HuggleHounds
 

How adoroable is the HuggleHounds Long and Lovely Lion?  I know that you can't help but smile when you see his bright colored polka dot body and floppy lime green mane.  With five - yes five! - squeakers inside his body, your dog will be smiling too.

HuggleHounds are snuggly, durable and fun - not to mention some of the Lapdogs' most favorite toys (Lola is infatuated with the seatbelt spider and Sophie loves the bottle monkey)!

HuggleHounds was started in 2009 by Bob Flynn and Julie Krauss, who combined have over 40 years experience in the pet industry. They built their company on two simple philosophies; to be easy to do business with and to bring unique, innovative and quality pet products to the marketplace. Every product is designed for HuggleHounds by HuggleHounds.

HuggleHounds are made for dogs who like to have fun - like Bob and Julie's own pets, Buddy and Salem. 

Buddy is a 120 pound Goldendoodle who loves to test every product. He is strong and dedicated to trying to destroy every toy they give him.

Salem is a retired black Labrador Retriever who loves to wake up every morning with a smile on her face and immediately put a toy in her mouth (sounds like Lola). She works in the office everyday reviewing HuggleHounds product quality.

HuggleHounds uses a special patent pending Tuffut Technology for their toys.  Their slogan?  "Go Ahead... Chew Me... Dare You!"  With 4 tough chewers in our household, toys that last are certainly important.  The Tuffut Technology uses three special bonded layers that essentially provide body armour to protect the toy.  An outside, middle and inside layer are stitched together with a specially developed heavy duty thread, using up to 65% more stitches per inch to form a tight seal.  Reinforced strees point seams add additional toughness - external seams can not be easily opened by aggressive chewers!  Tuffut Technology has been tested to withstand over 100 pounds of tugging and pulling. 

The Lapdogs now have five HuggleHounds toys in their collection, two of which are the Long and Lovely Lions.  Not one of them has been torn, ripped or destuffed in any way!  They have been playing, tugging and cuddling with two seatbelt spiders for at least 8 months, a bottle monkey for 3 months and the two Long and Lovely Lions for 2 months.  Not one shows any signs of destruction, with the exception of a dead squeaker or two.  The Lapdogs love to play with their HuggleHounds and I love that the toys are standing up to all 4 of them!

The Long and Lovely Lion is just one of the many plush toys available from HuggleHounds.  Convenient for dogs of all sizes, Long and Lovely Lion is available in a Mini (15"), as well as an Extra Large (26") version.  They are machine washable.

CONTEST! Is your furbaby craving a Long and Lovely Lion to tug or cuddle with?  We have 2 to giveaway, one in each size! To enter:

1) Follow Lapdog Creations publicly (see "Followers" on the right hand side bar).
2) Leave a comment here telling me how tough your 4-legged chewer is.  Also, please indicate which size (mini or extra large) you would like if you win.

To get an extra entry, send your friends here to enter and be sure to have them mention your name.... blog, Tweet, Facebook and text away!!!
Winner will be selected by random number generator and must be a public follower of Lapdog Creations in order to win.
Deadline for entries is Thursday, October 7 at midnight.


Zeus hopes You win!

A Tangled Web Was Woven

Happy Wordless Wednesday!  This web was tangled in my favorite Maple at home... and has since been removed.

REVIEW: Brave New Knits

Brave New Knits: 26 Projects and Personalities from the Knitting Blogosphere
by Julie Turjoman
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Rodale Books (August 31, 2010)

Brave New Knits: 26 Projects and Personalities from the Knitting Blogosphere is like a Who's Who Book of popular personalities from the sizzling online fiber world.  Julie Turjoman has brought together these 26 talents in the first ever collection of original patterns from blogland, each complete with an indepth interview. 

In this technology age, most knitters look to the internet first for knitting information, inspiration and patterns.  I am certainly no exception and will be the first to admit I have a long list of favorite designer-bloggers who I stalk on a regular basis.  I also spend hours perusing Ravelry for new projects, as well as pattern and yarn information - especially for feedback from those who've already tried them.  Ravelry is such a big part of the knitting community that it's cofounder, Jessica Marshall Forbes, was asked to write the foreword of Brave New Knits. 

Brave New Knits is comprised of 26 must-have patterns organized into 2 categories, Garments and Accessories.  The patterns really come to life and shine through the detailed photographs by knitting celebrity Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed. Contributors range from established designers like Norah Gaughan, Wendy Bernard, Jordana Paige and knitgrrl Shannon Okey, to rising stars such as Melissa Wehrle, Connie Chang Chinchio, and Hilary Smith Callis.  I was happy to see Ysolda Teague, one of my personal new favorites, included. 

Brave New Knits isn't just about the patterns however, each one is preceded by an interview with the designer.  These 3 - 4 page biographies are one of my favorite parts of the book, as they reveal a lot about their design philosophy and passions.  Thought you already knew everything there was to know your favorite knitting personality?  Think again!

As for the patterns, Brave New Knits spans the spectrum from shapely sweaters, delicate shawls and fun jackets to fingerless gloves, stylish hats and must-knit socks.  Detailed directions and charts inspire both beginners and experienced knitters alike.  Some of my favorites:

• Milk Madien Pullover by Teresa Gregorio (aka CanaryKnits) ~ a sexy little sweater inspired by 16th Century Dutch artist
• Button Tunic by Julie Weisenberger ~ designed to fit 1 - 6 year olds, this top-down tunic is knit in the round and showcases some fabulous buttons that you may've collected over the years
• Woodsmoke Scarf by Jared Floods ~ when I first flipped thru the book, this was the first pattern to catch my eye, it looks great dressed up or down and is on my short-term "to knit" list
• Sockstravaganza by Kirsten Kapur ~ the cover photo socks... need I say more?
• Lubov Scarf by Kathy Veeza (aka Grumperina) ~ Lubov means "love" in Russian and I Lubov this scarf!  Great for your single skeins of luxury fiber, the scarf features a gorgeous diamond motif.

The internet has truly added a whole new deminsion to the knitting world and Brave New Knits is an extension of this.  Our circle of knitting friends used to be made up of those from our hometowns and surrounding communities, but now our friends span all across the globe.  We can connect through blogs, forums, KALs, photos, FO reports and more.... all with a quick click of the mouse!  Join in the fun and get yourself a copy of Brave New Knits today!  My only gripe?  The thin glossy paper it was printed on... it quickly shows wear from lots of touching, something we all do with pretty knitting books.

About the Author:  Julie Turjoman was in search of a new hobby when she wandered into a yarn shop 20 years ago.  Hundreds of skeins later, her original hand-knit designs have been published in Interweave Knits and Twist Collective magazines, as well as the book Vampire Knits. She writes, designs, and blogs from a room filled with yarn in her home in the San Francisco Bay area.

CONTEST! Would you like to win a copy of Brave New Knits: 26 Projects and Personalities from the Knitting Blogosphere? To enter:

1) Follow Lapdog Creations publicly (see "Followers" on the right hand side bar).

2) Leave a comment here telling me who your favorite knitting blogosphere personalities are and what is it that you love about them.

To get an extra entry, send your friends here to enter and be sure to have them mention your name.... blog, Tweet, Facebook and text away

Winner will be selected by random number generator and must be a public follower of Lapdog Creations in order to win.

Deadline for entries is Tuesday, October 5 at midnight.

Errata for Patterns: The Orchid Thief Shawlette by Ysolda Teague

Vote for the Lapdogs' Tongues

Did your 4-legged babies enter the "Show Us Your Tongue" contest over on Twinkie Tiny Dog's blog?  The Lapdogs sure know how to show theirs and they wanted you to know that the voting is officially underway!  Hop on over to see all of the wonderful entries here and take a few seconds to vote.  (Voting is on the right hand side and yes, you may vote for multiple tongues at once)

The entries are somewhat in alphabetical order, but if you're searching for the Lapdogs, you'll find them as:  Sophie is #93 ~Teutul is #100 ~ Zeus is #107.  For some unknown reason, Lola's photo didn't make the show...

The polls close on Sunday, October 3 at 10:00 am PST, so don't wait... go check out all the lapping tongues today!

CONTEST WINNER! Mrs. Beasley's K.C.'s Kelp Krunchies

Thank you to everyone who entered to win a bag of Mrs. Beasley's K.C.'s Kelp Krunchies!

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

Here are your random integers: 7

Timestamp: 2010-09-24

Congratulations to Hound Girl - the Lapdogs know that Haylie & Fred are going to love these yummies!

For those of you who didn't win, remeber that you can get 10% off of your entire order by entering the coupon code KCKELP during checkout at Mrs. Beasley's online store!

Tut's Big Day

Happy First Day of Fall (finally!) / Dogs on Thursday / Little Friday / Fringe season premiere day!  Is anyone else as excited as I am that Season 3 of Fringe starts tonight?!?!?

It's also unhappy allergy season.  Teutul suffers right along with me, so a couple weeks ago I took him to see Auntie Tanya at her shop for a medicated bath.  It was his first ever grooming shop B-A-T-H experience and of course, I chronicled it...

Happy Dog going for a R-I-D-E, having no idea what's in store.

Um, Mom... what the heck is going on here?



Think anyone will notice if I jump?

My name is not ET!











He wouldn't look at us all the way home

As you can see, Tut survived and got a rockin' flame bandana... not to mention all the treats Auntie Tanya gave him while he was there!



Yea, I got treats... and a RIDE...





His siblings were quite jealous when we got back home and by that time I think Tut decided the B-A-T-H wasn't really so bad after all... 

and a cool bandana!



Happy Dog once again!







 

I smell pretty, oh so pretty...



Enjoy your First Day of my-favorite-time-of-the-year ... and don't forget to enter to win a bag of Mrs. Beasley's K.C.'s Kelp Krunchies if you haven't already.  But hurry, you have until midnight tonight!

Wicked Wednesday

 Happy Wordless Wednesday!  Wicked is back in Boston...

Boston Opera House meets Emerald City

10 Ways to Have a Happy Birthday

Today's Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Ways to Have a Happy Birthday.  Given that there just might be quite a few October birthdays in our family and friends circle, this is an appropriate topic.

1. Have your cake and eat it too... just don't forget to share!

2. Don't be afraid to get a little frosting on your face...

3. Spend it with Family and Friends...

4. Stop and Smell the Roses... hopefully someone special brings you some.

 

5. Visit Someplace that You Love... whether it's for a vacation, a day trip or even 10 minutes!

6. Get Yourself a New Toy... Yes, you can buy yourself a present!

7. Get some R & R... nap if you please!

8. or Go Out & Play... if that's what you prefer!

 

9. Enjoy a Special Dinner...

10. Smile & Say Thank You...  it's great to have friends & family who remember your special day!

 

Show Your Tongue

Happy National Dog Week!  In honor of this fabulous week (because really now, what is better than dogs and the first official day of fall?), Twinkie is having a contest.  All you have to do is Show Your Tongue!  So, without fruther ado, here we go...

Teutul and his "Gene Simmons" tongue are up first...

 

Lola says she can stick her tongue out too... that is, if she's not busy licking something.

 

Zeus isn't afraid to show off his blue tongue or his disgust for Vick...

 

Sophie is much more lady-like and rarely shows off her tongue...

 

To make up for their little sister's daintiness, Lola and Tut thought they'd share another...