Daisy Janie

seeing | white on white..... on brown?

Oh no you didn't. Oh yes I did. Did what? Did where? What's she going on about? I'll tell ya...

The dogs had just been fed, and as I let them out afterward, I peeked over at the white crocus sprouts. They emerged on an unseasonably warm day last week, only to be blanketed in snow yesterday morning. By the late afternoon (when dogs went bounding outside), the snow had melted enough to reveal the sprouts again...and the fading afternoon light was hitting them just so. Kodak Nikon moment!

That light moves faaaast, so I double-timed it up to my studio, grabbed my camera and ran outside. (Any guesses what the dogs were doing in that span of time?) 

The ground was saturated from said-melting snow, and I knelt precariously on a branch on the ground to keep my knees from getting wet. But as the light was moving rapidly, I considered my jeans and how this was about day 7 or 8 that I had worn them - and if the knees got soaked to expedite the photo-taking, so be it...they had to be washed anyway! Watch out - she's wreckless now!

As I moved in and around the pretty crocuses, happily snapping with my soaked knees, I forgot to look where I was kneeling. Til something stank. I looked down at my how-now-brown knee, and it was pretty apparent what the dogs had been up to while I was running to get my camera. Ew. But those flowers sure are pretty - really love the seeing the white on white with a bit of green pop!

Edited: A nice commenter let me know that these are not crocus flowers. They are snowdrops (galanthus). The name suits them so perfectly!! Thank you, Suzy McQ!

seeing | my scalawag assistants.

Scout | Scoutie Girl | Devil of Doom | Thunderin' Tarnation | Masked Marauder

If anyone finds a way to fit a dog with opposable thumbs, lemme know. I need these 2 ne'er-do-wells to do more than laze about all day. Well, for Scout, maybe I could fit her with a whole new leg that includes a sort of chimp hand at the bottom. That would be sublime!

I'm certain she's asute enough to tackle a few things on my list! Wouldn't even have to waste time training her b/c usually eye contact is enough for her to know exactly what I'm thinking! Loyalty to her employer? Unwavering. Work ethic? Unsurpassed. Steps in poop? Never - approved for fabric handling.

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George | Georgie Porgie | Big Galute | Speckled Egg | Goober Brain

Then there's George. Maybe we can start by fitting him with a brain without so many rocks in it, then we can move onto thumbs. Poor fella - he tries and tries and tries, and his cuteness is all that prevails in his attempts! Enthusiasm for ______ (anything)? Exceptional. Attitude? Exceedingly pleasant. Steps in poop? I plead the 5th on his adorable behalf (not approved for fabric handling).

dogs + treats + slo-mo video = big time :)

Just spotted this video seconds ago on The Blah, Blah, Blahg.

You know I'm a walking freakfest for my 2 canine pals - esp the 3-legged Scoutie Girl - and this video in super slo-mo video had me a-cacklin' out loud (didn't mean to wake anyone ~).

Even if you don't love doggies, you will appreciate the beauty and creativity of the footage captured and how it's edited.

digging deep.

This one digs holes.

This one digs for moles.

This one digs for courage and speed to get away from the houndoon behind him who's trying to bite his back legs. (So much for that sweet nursery rhyme!)

P.S. George kinda looks like he's pretending to be a 3-legged dog like Scoutie Girl. He doesn't realize mockery will just make her angrier.

seeing | what terrifies george the dog at 5:30 am.

This morning in the dark, George's hackles were raised high like a bad mohawk as he circled wiiiiiide around this basketball about 4 times, giving it a good sideways stare. He sidled closer with each pass, giving some gruff half-barks to warn that imposing basketball that he was there and he meant business. The ball didn't move. Phew, that was a close one!

We now add basketball to the list of threatening objects from which George has courageously saved us. Others include small children, a backpack, a robe, a lawnchair, a garbage bag and a blanket.

Here's George, in case you're unfamiliar with this gooberbrain.

seeing | legs and snow a-flyin'

The novelty of running laps at breakneck speeds in our backyard never wears off for George, despite the fact that he goes running 4-5 times a week off-leash in a forest. He never tires and he never sits (we just realized this the other day after 2-1/2 years)...he's either moving, desperately following my husband around or crashed out. Such is the life of a sweet-tempered, silly-billy, big oaf of dog so-aptly-named George. I wish I had a hundredth of his energy and zest for life! Oh, the things I could do!

What Scoutie Girl lacks in the leg department with her meager 3 instead of 4, George more than makes up for with the dozen or so he sprouts as he bounds with abandon around his makeshift snowy velodrome.

how to say thank you a la peanutman

From this...

To this...

To this...

How do your kids say thank you?

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I saw some funny things along the way. 

This guy...

And these guys...

And this guy...

fabric sighting: pillow in bloom (and a puppy)

photo credit: lisa kelley

Awwwwwwww....a puppy dog! (did you just say it, too?) This cutie patootie is Lola, the newest family member of my friend Lisa {milkshake}'s house. Lisa was also one of my very first fabric customers in 2008, when she purchased bloom and audrey. This pillow in bloom looks great in this setting, as it really brings together the rich reds and mod neutrals in the space. Lisa has great taste, and one of my fave features in her house are sheer, jewel-toned drapes she has hung & tied back in the very high archways between rooms. Makes it feel very romantic and cozy....sort of a Moroccan vibe, too.

Lisa's links: milkshake | sweet inspiration

For anyone who needs a dose of puppy like I always need a dose, here's Lola up close - I want to reach through my screen and nuzzle her up! Lisa says she has a lot, a lot, a lot of energy - guess that's why she needs soft, scrumpy places she can rest her baby bones to rejuvenate herself! Good girl Lola!!

Extreme crafting update:
I did indeed crack a rib on my back when I fell last week. About 2" from my spine. I'm considering myself an extreme crafter who's extremely lucky I landed just as I did b/c it could have been much worse. Nothing one can do other to let time heal it up. My push-up and pull-up goals for my 40th bday in a month will have to wait. Alissa from Mew Paper Arts said her mom calls carrying everything in 1 trip when you should be making 3 trips the "lazy man's load" - LOL!

the color purple & a clockwork orange

Pretty, rich shades of purple on my eyelid, aren't they? Too bad it's not eye shadow. Maybelline could use this palette in their next collection...looks sultry if not downright sexy! I don't love the bruise, but I appreciate those black & blue hues!

This is what happens in our house when you bend over to roll up your wet pant legs, and you have a spazzola, uncoordinated 90-lb dog nearby, moving at a speed close to his weight and legs going every which way on the hardwood floors. I have no recollection of George coming near me - I recall rolling up my pants and then a very sudden, sharp, bone-on-bone blow, which was the top of his unbrained, bucket of rocks head meeting my eye orbital. A primal howl came out of me, and then I cried like a baby. Can't remember the last time I cried from physical pain. The tears flowed, and Scoutie Girl stayed near me - nervously at-attention and ready for service. George continued to bound around the house, with toys in his droopy jowls and totally unaware that he had been scratched off my play list for the next 6 mos. Freak of nature. Betz White and her family visited this past Monday, and they can verify George's social ineptitude.

And how about the completely creepy Clockwork Orange likeness? A little early for Halloween (and way out of my comfort zone).

dogs' days of summer

This is an overdue update on Big Mama Scout, and an equally overdue *thank you, thank you, thank you* to everyone who sent sweet notes about her via email, comments and tweets last May when she had her amputation surgery. All were very much appreciated! Dog/animal people always know just what to say!

As you can see in a glance below, she's doing remarkably well (just as you all assured me she would)! For the first month, when she was in severe pain, this decision felt very selfish - and I was a wreck. As she began to resume her normal routines, her crying subsided and she became more mobile, the uncertainty of our choice fell by the wayside; relief and gratitude took over! I wanted to wait til her hair was fully grown back before I posted pics of my best girl, which took all summer. She has a permanent sort of whirly-burly curly-q that sticks out where the major part of her incision was - everyday I ask her, "What happened to your leg Scoutie Girl?" - she just burrows her head into me as if to avoid my trite inquiry for the 1000th time.

Today, we were romping in the backyard, when along came you-know-who to ruin all the fun. George is cute and all, but he is totally like a bratty little brother who always has to be included and barges in like big baby for attention. My BFF calls this T.G. - 'Tention Getter.

Above: The Stand-Off, Scout wins, she flaunts her trophy and flops to annoy George.
Below: He can't take the taunting, so he begins divet-making velodrome laps - doing fly-bys on Scout to get her to drop the ball and chase him. 100 lbs of skinny, speckled crazy legs is a sight to behold!

Above: She looks up to see what his ploy is this time. George gets the ball and dashes off!
Below: Scout stays centrally located in the yard; she bites George's back legs everytime he goes by (this is how her breed herds cattle, btw). George does the infamous doggy butt-tuck to roars of laughter from the crowd!!

Above: George deeks & dodges to avoid La Diabla waiting in the wings to get a nibble of him as he goes by.
Below: The crowd has grown by now - we all begin cheering for poor George as Scout closes in - he loves to be chased, and she is relentless.

Above: "Lookout George, she's right behind you!"
Below: Scout feigned interest momentarily, George dropped the ball - whoosh...she swooped in, grabbed it and now stands stoutly victorious as George makes one last feeble attempt. Nope, she gave him the business...

Below: ...and the melodramatic panting begins. Good boy, Georgie Porgie Pumpkin Pie - maybe next time the 3-legged Diva of Doom will let you win! And this, my bloggie friends, is how we now Scout is going to be just fine!