Ever since my first $5 velvet tiger bought at a flea market when I was 12, I've been a fan of animal art. My mother, whose taste runs more to lighthouses and anything by Thomas Kincaid, was flummoxed but tolerant, as long as I kept it all in my room and away from her floral landscapes. People who come to my house these days are unsurprised at the amount of animal art we have. Sure, it's not the only thing we have on our walls, but in the grand scheme of things one could easily deduce we like ... Read more »
art
A few of my favorite things, part 2
Before we head off into the ale-spattered sunset that is St. Patrick's Day weekend, I wanted to share the second half of my very, most favorite things I saw at Global Pet Expo. There was much and more there that I loved to pieces, but I wanted to focus on some of the more unusual products, since it's the unexpected surprises that often delight me the most. Arte House Vintage Prints You all know how much I love art, right? And I'm really picky about the aesthetics of what I put on my walls. ... Read more »
Giveaway Tuesday: Eye Charts for Dogs and Cats from Local Paper Studio
Eye exams for animals are a little different than they are for people. Sure, you can examine the physical structures of the eye and evaluate its anatomic vigor, but figuring out just how well your pet sees is a little more tricky. We can't exactly sit them in front of one of those big eyeglass flippy things (I'm sure they have a name, but I never bothered to ask) and get the dog to tell us which is better: This, or....THIS? Nonetheless, the ubiquitous eye chart is synonymous with the ... Read more »
That’s my Girl
Last week, my daughter's Girl Scout troop was decorating t-shirts for Halloween. Now, ever since we've gotten back from Africa the only thing my little Jane Goodall can talk about is all the animals we saw, and when can we go on another safari, and can she please come. She even made me a picture book of drawings of all the animals we showed her. She was not even scared when I told her we came across a giraffe that had been eaten by a lion on the side of the road. She is, for sure, my ... Read more »
Good art challenges you
My daughter had a dance recital this weekend. Instead of flowers, the in-laws thought to get her something a little more long-lasting and picked up a Fur Real stuffed dog thing she has been wanting. She was very happy about this. A day later, she was upstairs, playing with some friends politely and quietly. This usually means trouble, so I popped in to check on them. The first clue something was amiss was the pungent odor of nail polish, which is supposed to be one of those "only under adult ... Read more »
Giveaway Tuesday: Papergirl designs
Congratulations to the winner, Kelly Ann T! Ever receive a beautifully wrapped present that was so adorable you don't even remember what was inside? It doesn't even matter what's inside. The packaging sets up such a great expectation for the contents that you just know it is going to be wonderful. Same goes for getting a really, really cute card. Even if the sentiment is "Sorry about the layoff, man," you're just too busy being happy about the card to worry too much about the ... Read more »
Love and Dogs at Comic-Con
So yesterday, in an attempt to pull me out of the glums, my husband surprised me with a one day pass to Comic-Con, which if you are not aware is an event where 125,000 people descend on the city in ill-fitting Transformers costumes and pack the convention center in a celebration of pretty much everything pop culture. It is massive, but getting in these days is like getting a Golden Ticket. So of course I had to go. First, I tried to get into the Game of Thrones panel, since the book's author ... Read more »
