Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Lexi thinks Stella is crazy



Stella is trying on her new raincoat and Lexi is checking it out for the first time. Stella stayed frozen in the same spot for at least 10 minutes. Even when I fed treats to Lexi 8 feet away, she wouldn't move! Eventually she got used to the coat and the rustling noises when she walked.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

This is Stella's best look



Hopefully it will only take a couple of months for her fur to grow back out to this length.

Stella's new look

BEFORE



AFTER



ONE WEEK LATER

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Not sure about this one but it could be cute



And another!

DIY




OK, this is a little ridiculous!

There are even patterns to make your own dog costumes!

Another cow option




Here's another cow costume. Who knew they were out there?

Stella wants to be a cow for Halloween




I found this costume at Petsmart.com but I'm going to keep looking around. Unfortunately, I'll be out of town for the Havaween meet-up. Yes, there is a Havanese meet-up group and yes, they're having a costume party on 10/25.

It's really raining!



I'm shopping today for rain gear for Stella. Along the way, I found a USC t-shirt that Joseph would probably love.

I'm not sure how to take Stella for a walk in the rain. Do you just play inside with your dog on rainy days? Go for it in the park and dry her off when we get home? She just had a bath on Sunday!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Decorating the great room at The Sea Ranch house

How would painted wooden chairs look with a table similar to this one? One chair is a bit fussy and traditional and the other a bit kitchen-y but I think the look is still something to think about.





Both chairs are from Pottery Barn but don't hold that against them.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Big Reveal

My reveal is not quite as dramatic as on HGTV, but I'm pleased with the result. Feedback from Jeri Dansky and her readers was helpful and I saw my space through fresh eyes via the comments of others and by viewing photos of the space. Open shelving looks like open shelving and everything is on display. Since I'm committed to the shelves and like the look when the space is neat and tidy, I decided to make peace with my laundry room through a combination of clean up and attitude adjustment.

Although I had dreamed of matching white containers lined up on the shelves with lots of empty space around them and a clean catalog look, I learned that I like my striped bins and didn't want to part with them. They work, they're paid for and I think they're cute. Therefore, my "after" is really just a clean up and a hybrid of the comments I received. I accepted that the shelves are open and unless I buy all new matching containers and get rid of my striped bins or screen off the area, it's going to be an eclectic look.

My little, handled bins from the old cabinet did not work on the new shelves so I swapped them out for four white bins that do work and cleaned things up. While working on the shelves, I realized that the shelves needed to be adjusted so that they could accommodate a roll of paper towels. Your utility area isn't really working if you can't store extra paper towels there.

I cleaned up the mess on the floor under the shelves and moved the blue striped crunch can to a high shelf. It's holding reusable grocery bags and another crunch can so it's nice and light and easy to pull down when I need those things. The reusable grocery bags used to hang in my pantry. Since I don't use them very often, this is a better home for them. Also, I think the blue striped crunch can looks nice with the striped bins and even helps the large blue plastic tote relate to the space better. The large blue plastic tote still looks out of scale and out of place but it bothers me a lot less now. In the future, I'll go through its contents again more carefully, purge and consolidate those items in smaller, white containers. Right now, I'm using my time, energy and money in other ways and I'm happy those things have a home and that the large blue tote doesn't scream out at me like it did before.

I went through the extra paper bags stored in the paper bag holder on the left side and recycled some and neatened up the remaining bags. Now that the bags are lined up and not bulging out of the holder, I don't notice them unless I'm reaching for a bag or putting one away.

The room works much better now and looks neat and organized to me.

Now, it's time to tackle the other side of the room!

If I can go through the contents of the white plastic drawers this week and get rid of those things or find new homes for them, I'm going to look for a small table at the Alameda flea market on Sunday.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Getting help for the laundry room

I upgraded to a front-loading washer and dryer a few months ago and replaced a cabinet with doors with open shelving in the process. The end result looks pretty sloppy to me. I never finished the job and was stumped so I asked an organizer/blogger for assistance.

Here's a link to the post on Jeri Dansky's blog:

Jeri's Organizing & Decluttering News: Reader Question: Laundry Room Re-do

Jeri had great questions for me that pointed me in the right direction and lots of her organizer friends provided feedback, too. I'm still working on the space this week but it's coming together. Stay tuned!


Wednesday, June 3, 2009

New stool from West Elm arrived today!

Here's Lexi checking the clearance under the desk. That can't be comfortable!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

At a crossroads in life...

It seems that a blogger I follow has sent readers my way and I'm considering it a direct challenge to get some new posts up ASAP. Now might be a good time to explain my changing status. I've worked part-time and been a stay-at-home-NOT-mom on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a little over three years. Work has gotten harder and harder for me and today the wheels were set in motion for my retirement. Yes, retirement. At the ripe old age of 37. Before my mom, dad, stepfather, etc. I've made several broad, sweeping statements to my husband that really have little to do with the situation but they're how I'm creeping up to it and trying to think about it in my own mind. Tonight I declared that I won't wear stretchy pants (my term for yoga pants, sweats or, on a really bad day, pajamas) every day. I've also spent a lot of time thinking about the temperature in our condo and the fact that we don't have air conditioning. We live in San Francisco. It's not really about the stretchy pants or the lack of A/C in our place. I'm trying to understand a difficult situation, unmedicated, and the understanding comes slowly in fits and spurts. Sometimes it doesn't come at all. It's another increment and a loss that probably happened some time ago (seen one of my cover letters lately? how about a spreadsheet?) but I'm mourning it now and it's bringing up everything I've lost. I miss marathon shopping sessions with my mom. I miss driving 90 mph in my TT up and down 280. Oddly enough, I miss working overtime all weekend and then blowing the money on a new purse or boots.

I like where I am now and who I am now but it's really hard letting go of what used to be.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Where've you been?

I have to admit that I've gotten sucked into Facebook and pretty much left my blog to silently mold over by itself.

To make it up to my loyal reader (you know who you are), I'm posting this video of Stella and Lexi wrestling. I've been holding onto this one hoping it will turn into one of those videos people send to all their work friends who like funny animal videos and one day someone will send it to me not realizing I started it all. Well, Stella and Lexi started it all, I suppose. And yes, that is poop on the floor.

Enjoy!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Stella's first trip to the garden center

Stella took her first trip to Sloat Garden Center on Saturday. She rode in the cart and everyone asked about her.

Outfits for all moods & occasions

Do I think so because I'm her mom or is Stella actually the cutest puppy in the world?

All shots are done! Yesterday was Stella's first day as a free woman!





First crop in the Earthbox: lettuce

The green planter contains all the extra plants I over-bought because I didn't read the directions first. We're going to see if they grow for a while and then eat them. In the meantime, it's a test between the Earthbox and my method of stuffing in as much as I can.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Stella in the garden



Nap time!

Advice on selecting fluffy pets

As you probably know, we have two fluffy pets. Lexi, our indoor cat who won't even step over a puddle during her rare trips outside is self-cleaning and BROWN. Stella, our fluffy dog who loves to go outside and dances in puddles, requires baths and blow-drying. She's WHITE. This is not the ideal situation. Anyone considering a fluffy pet, think about this.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Good move!

Obama overturns Bush policy on stem cells
By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – Reversing Bush policy, President Barack Obama on Monday cleared the way for a significant increase in federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research and promised no scientific data will be 'distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda.'

Obama signed the executive order on the divisive stem cell issue and a memo addressing what he called scientific integrity before an East Room audience packed with scientists. He laced his remarks with several jabs at the way science was handled by former President George W. Bush.

'Promoting science isn't just about providing resources, it is also about protecting free and open inquiry,' Obama said. 'It is about letting scientists like those here today do their jobs, free from manipulation or coercion, and listening to what they tell us, even when it's inconvenient especially when it's inconvenient. It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology.'

A new ride for Stella

Stella's pink and black carrier is really cool and well designed but it's sized for adult Stella, not the 3.8 lb. puppy I'm taking everywhere whose feet can't touch the ground.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Stella's first trip to the beach

We took Stella to the beach for the first time today. Apparently, the salt water kills viruses so you can take little puppies to the wet sand and play with less risk. She really liked it and had fun running around in the wind.

Friday, March 6, 2009

The intersection of house breaking and gardening

Stella and I spend a lot of time outside in the garden sniffing around and thinking about peeing. The other night, we came back in and I noticed that Stella had slugs all over her nose. Yuck! I keep trying to remember to grab my pruning shears on the way out of the house so I can prune the lavender bush while I'm waiting for Stella to pee or poop.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Intense mental health day

I had back to back appointments with my psychologist and psychiatrist today. They're in the same building and the appointments fell on the same day so we ran with it. I spent 90 minutes talking about my frustration with my neurologist and how he's handling my possible thyroid problem. The psychologist gave me a pep talk and some steps to regain control of the situation and the psychiatrist is going to call the neurologist and try to get to the bottom of things. Yea! Some background information: my neurologist tested my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) in December and it was high (5.26) so he re-tested in January and it was still high (4.92). He then sent me back for more tests: TSH again, T3, T4 and thyroid antibodies. Is he an endocrinologist or does he just play one on TV?

Comfy den inside our home: check

Stella's crate is in the kitchen and will some day feature a custom crate pad. We'll put in the order with RDA Tailoring once potty training looks promising and effective.

Description: Midwest Metals I-1524DD 24 Inch iCrate Double Door Home Training Crate.
Designed completely around the safety, security and comfort of your dog. The Midwest Metals I-1524DD 24 Inch iCrate Double Door Home Training Crate comes to you equipped with every feature you can think of; two doors for easy access to your pet inside either thru the traditional front door or from the side with the second door, the double door also affords you more opportunities to fit larger crates easily in your existing rooms or vehicles, a composite plastic pan for easy cleanup in the event of an accident, two plastic carrying handles to move the dog crate from one location to another comfortably, safe and secure slide bolt latches for the safety and security of the pet inside and the furniture on the outside, and most importantly a free divider panel for use while your puppy is still growing up.

Cute, airline approved carrier: check

Stella will ride in style to her first vet appointment on March 2nd.

Description: Each PETote carrier is superbly designed, meticulously hand sewn and painstakingly handmade here in the US with an uncompromising dedication to quality. Optimum safety and security for the pet. Strong, durable hi-impact shell and platform construction. Multiple zipped access openeings. Multiple fresh air ventilation system. Roll-down privacy flaps. Light weight and balanced for effortless carrying. Handle or padded shoulder strap carriage. Designed to fit body contour for easy carrying.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

ANOTHER pair of prescription glasses!




This time I got prescription SUNglasses. I'm working out a theory connecting my worst vestibular problems to wearing my contacts so a pair of prescription sunglasses seems like just the thing for the trip to Mexico. I don't understand the contacts/vestibular connection and I'm testing out different conditions now to see when it's better or worse. In the past week while I've been wearing glasses, I've had some great days with no swimming head or spinning. It's so strange but I'm just happy something feels better rather than worse.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The search for a lounge chair for the garden returns to the favorite from last year.

My cousin checked out the Ikea candidates yesterday and reported back that they don't look too cheap and flimsy in person but might not be the best choice for sitting back, kicking up my feet and reading. I contacted CB2 about the chair I liked last summer and heard good news back today. Yea!!! Last summer I waited and waited for the CB2 store to open in SF in the hopes that this chair would be available in the store and that it would be on sale by then. It did go on sale but it was still an on-line only item so I skipped it. This year I might just do it.

Thank you for your email.

It looks like the Grasshopper Chair will be back this spring and summer. Although we are not certain, all indications are that the chairs will be available at our stores as well as online and through the catalogue. Look for them to be available at the end of March or in April. We appreciate your interest in CB2.

Feel free to call us at 800-606-6252 or email us if we can be of further service. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Sandra
CB2 Customer Service

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Do you think Stella can tell the difference?

Her outdoor bed is a seat cushion from Target so mom and dad saved lots of money which they used to buy toys.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I know I said no clothes for Stella...

but the rain today makes me think she needs a little slicker. The hat isn't that great but the coat is cute.

Pet Rain Jacket from Lands' End

Monday, February 9, 2009

Friday, February 6, 2009

The case for Marvin grows: a boy dog might be better for Lexi

Inter-species introductions follow the same basic rules of adoption as same species, i.e., choose a dog that is younger and of the opposite sex of your cat.

Introducing a new dog to a cat