what is it about beer and coffee?

Besides the fact that they are two of MY favorite things....what is it about beer and coffee that makes dogs go to any length to get a taste?!

If we spill anything in our house, the dogs are on top of it - but there appears to be some supernatural draw to coffee and beer that leave the floor cleaner than it started following a spill.

When Suvi was little, I brought her to kickball. When my team was out in the field, she strategically spilled the beers sitting on the bench, one by one, and licked up the puddles off the ground. She was out like a light by the time we drove home...I'm convinced she was drunk!

Liebster Award.

The Liebster Award. I was so sure that I should be honored to receive this lovely award from Jen over at The Elka Almanac. I just wasn't sure why. So, like any good nerd, I Googled, and decided, I am in fact honored. Thanks, Jen!

So, for the rest of you wondering what the heck it is - here are the details on the Liebster Award:

The award is given to bloggers who have less than 200 followers and deserve recognition. The rules are as follows:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog award presenter(s) on your blog - DONE. Happily!
2. Link back to the blogger (s) who awarded you - DONE. Happily!
3. Give your top 5 picks for the award
4. Inform your top 5 by leaving a comment on their blog
5. Post the award on your blog

Without further ado, my 5 awards, in no particular order:

The World According to Garth Riley :  Written from Garth's point of view, this blog is adorable! Though I'm not sure how Garth would feel about being called adorable....check him out pretending to be a cow. (Bonus, Garth is also a Therapy Dog. How cool is that?!)

Wordless Wednesday April 25, 2012

Comments (captions) welcome below!

Wordless Wednesday April 20, 2012

Getting on the Wordless Wednesday bandwagon. Nevermind that it's Friday, I'll get on track next week.

Feel free to suggest a caption via the Comments section below!

Proud of the Pit Bull

There was a time I wondered whether Suvi would ever be able to handle a brother or sister. NOT because she is aggressive (oh gosh, let's not perpetuate the pit bull stereotype), but rather because she never really learned to take cues from other dogs...she's a bit socially awkward, perhaps.

Now, I've had dogs throughout a large part of my life before Suvi, and I never really paid much attention to how they learn from one another. Maybe my other dogs were more naturally socially savvy, or maybe I was too young to catch the behaviors happening, or to understand.

In the past, when another dog growled or snapped at Suvi, telling her she was playing too rough, she didn't learn to back off. I'm not sure why - I am sure I could have done something differently to help her learn. She went to daycare, socialized with other dogs, did play dates, etc, etc - but I think I probably didn't choose the right daycares, or the right dogs or settings in which to socialize her.

Then came Ramsey.

Jones the Foster Dog

It sorta sounds like a super hero name, doesn't it?  Jones, the Foster Dog! Da-da-da-DA-da-daaaAAA!

Ok, maybe not. He IS pretty super though. And he's our new foster dog through Secondhand Hounds, in Minnesota.

Here's what we know about Jones:


He's about 2 years old, and weighs about 10 lbs. (think two Pablos put together!)
He's the most beautiful brindle I've ever seen. No joke.
He's a chihuahua mixed with....we have no idea. We've been brainstorming for days. I'm convinced he's part hyena (because of his face, not his personality).

i dress up the dogs

I do. I dress up the dogs. All of them. I'm THAT dog lady, and in spite of it, they all still love me (Chad included).

When I adopted Suvi, I said, to everyone that would listen, "I will NEVER dress up my dog. Ever." And then one week, when Suvi was about 3 months, I took her to watch me play kickball. It's good socialization, people and dogs everywhere. I wanted her to stay occupied though, so I stopped to get her a bully stick from Petco.

And there, hanging near the register, was the teeniest, cutest, yellow shirt that perfectly matched my kickball uniform. It was on clearance, for $.97. NINETY SEVEN CENTS. Soooooooo.....I bought it. Just this one.

a purse full of babies

We've got to keep up our stock of babies for Pablo....and Ikea had these for $.50 each! He was sooooo excited when we got home!

Came home with a purse full of babies. 

Yes, we paid for them, just chose not to waste a bag :)

Pablo's first choice was the orange moose.

And he was not interested in sharing with Chad...

He also got some new polar bears, and some little green snakes!  Happy Easter!

suvi, up close and personal

I did a little photo shoot outside with the pups yesterday, to get some more practice using my fancy camera, and capturing *sparkle* in their eyes. The pups all have such dark-colored eyes, that they tend to get lost without the right lighting. While I did get some fabulous practice with lighting and eyes, this was actually my favorite shot of the evening.

I especially love this one because those tiny little hairs on her lips are visible - and I so rarely get to see them without her tongue quickly getting in the way...if I'm anywhere near that close, it's a sure thing I'm getting kisses...

Happy Wednesday!

Comments (and critiques) welcome below...

having a Pittie Party

MN Pit Bull Rescue hosts a Pittie Party fundraiser every year, complete with a silent auction. Being that Suvi was adopted from MN Pit Bull, we love to do what we can to support them!  (oh, and could there possibly be a better name for this party?!)

Here are some fun pics from last year's event:

Having a drink while enjoying the magic show (really!) at the Pittie Party. The magician bent a quarter with his bare hands.

Oooooh, he's going to be MAD at me for sharing our silly photos! Who can turn down a photo booth opportunity, though. Fun!