me likey dat: my still life

Yippee! A new happy doxie painting for tiny chumley's collection arrived from myfavoritethingsartstudio in the mail this past week.  A piece of art I found on Etsy that is an almost exact match to the look we often get when the little kielbasa yearns for a snackie or just wants to know when things will get more interesting, so he can decide whether or not he should hunker down for a nice snooze in the sun.


I suspect this won't be the last painting we receive from this Etsy artist.  A fellow dacshund owner, myfavoritethingsartstudio also does custom work, and so I have been racking my brains thinking about which picture I might well commission her to turn into acrylic and canvas gold.  Decisions decisions. 

Of course, from tiny chumley's perspective, the answer is very clear. why not have her paint me with a half finished giant rawhide, mom?  and of course since we do not have any giant rawhide bones i guess u will have to get me one and when i am half done i will let u know and u can take a picture of me, okay? but i think i need a practice bone first.  just to make sure i get it right, so let's go to the store today and get a couple three or four or more. i can even help u carry them. :)

me likey dat: for mom and dad

pssst, can u keep a secret?


















checky checky what duk duk and  i got my mom n dad for valentine's day!! yep, fresh from old navy - some super cute jammie bottoms and  a super swell water bottle!

we only had enough money to get one of each so i hope they don't mind sharing. duk duk thinks maybe dad can wear the bottoms to work in the daytime then mom can wear them to bed at night. that would work, right? and the water bottle, well, we'll all be sharing it when we go on walkies!
















well, i should probably go now so duk duk i can start wrapping our gifts. cuz bein without thumbs n all makes cutting the paper and tape a total dog and duk team effort.

toodley-doo, and i hope u got some super goodies for your valentine too! :)

me likey dat: my snackie plate

hey, what's that?

is that what i think it is?

santa forgot to eat the snackie i left for him.

how awful that he missed out on such a delicious snackie.
u don't think he didn't want to eat it cuz i took a tiny nibbleypoo, do u?
i had to make sure it tasted good.

hmm, maybe i should mail it to him.

but maybe he didn't really want it
and he lives so far away.

and my tumbly is feeling a little rumbly...

nommy nom nom.
oh santa won't miss just this one little snackie, will he?
next christmas i promise to leave out a whole plate full.

(tee hee, thank u madeline for making me my very own personalized snackie plate for christmas! luv, b.)

me likey dat: haflinger doxie slippers

dear diary,
even though i got some really cool things from santa this christmas, checky checky what my aunt robin and cousin henry gave to my mom. yep, super cool boiled wool doxie slippers from my ancestral homeland of germany!
they looked so cozy, i just had to try them out after my romps in the snow. and let me tell u, they're so nice i totally wish they made them in my size too. but for now, mom says we can share wearing them so long as i don't get all wolfy on them. which i think i can do because really, i can catch what i need to out back now. wait, did i tell u about that yet? guess i will have to save it for another day, cuz i hear the snow is melting and i so need to get back out there and do some more hunting before it is all gone.

keep my - uh, mom's - slippers warm for me, will ya?

toodley-doo!
b.



ps - did u know that they were on sale right at Sahalie now AND there is a 20% off code to use? It's 14093 - good until 12/31/10. Or else, u can use free shipping code 13977, which miss Bludog says is actually the better code to use if buying only the slippers. Thanks miss Bludog for all the coupon info!!

secret me likey dat: tiny chumley's birthday present

Since having left the dual income world, and having become an occasional exhibitor at craft shows, I now find myself mostly cured of the craft show shopping bug. What I lack in abundance of funding, I have in surplus of time. I see so many things I figure I could make, or should make. And of course, I have so many things already.

Yet there are still artful wonders out there, artistic styles that don't come naturally for me. There is art I still must buy, in appreciation to the artist for their crafty viewpoint, and to fuel my own inspiration.

Today, a peekypoo at the little kielbasa's birthday present, a swell score from Blue Hen Pottery at last Sunday's show. In search of a large coffee mug, I hadn't really planned on buying the little chum anything, yet there it was, a sweet little dog bowl with the kind of drawing I would think Baxter draw if only he weren't limited by his stubby little thumbless paws.

I stood in Blue Hen's booth, torn at first, feeling sentimental about replacing Baxter's wally world avocado green melamine bowl, and yet feeling very excited by the coolness before me. And I reminded myself that he has a fair amount of bowls already, having also inherited two bowls from Kep and Padua, that now serve as water bowls both upstairs and downstairs. Three bowls. Did we really need a fourth? Happily, I decided the answer was yes.


So how many dog bowls do I think one little Dachshund possibly have? Let's just say that come December 12th, I am certain the answer will be somewhere between four and infinity. :)

me likey dat: my new snackie toy

Some treats for tiny chumley in the mail this week, a box of goodies ordered from ihelppets.com in exchange for use of a couple of the little kielbasa's photos for an upcoming book, proceeds of which go to helping animals in need. A serendipitous event, considering I had already made up my mind to splurge on Nina Ottosson's Pyramid toy anyway, and a few others that I had planned to originally get at the pet store anyway for Christmas.

With a little bit of excess energy to burn, it seemed only fair to give tiny chumley an early Christmas. Much to tiny chumley's delight, I filled the pyramid toy with snackies, put it on the floor, and watched the little kielbasa assess his new toy. The verdict? Looky looky! :)

me likey dat: doxie greeting cards from target

dear diary,
so mom n dad were all excited about these doxie cards they found at target this past weekend, but i don't get it. especially cuz, boo hoo, they don't taste very good. i know, because i tried! u think maybe the people that r gettin these cards put like peanut butter on them or sumptin?

whoops - i'm late! gotta pedal up the convertible and take duk duk to the pool. duk duk's gonna swim laps and i'm gonna tummy tan!

toodles!
b.

mister freezy bones

A late start to our morning meant only one thing when it came to dyeing fabric in the garage. It was gonna be hot. But try and explain that to my little shadow, who happily trotted out with me when I opened the door to the garage, his nose all a twitch and ready to take on the spiders and bugs that had come the day before to seek solace from the heat.

If you are going to be out here, then I am going to be out here, his eyes stated in no uncertain terms. And hypnotized as I was by the little kielbasa's gently wagging tail, I relented, worried still that the heat might be more than this little furball should withstand, even if we were only going to be out here for a few minutes.

And then it hit me. The vitamin packed freezy bones pupsicle treat that his little buddies Puddles, Whitney, and Albert sent a while back in his wooty package. A perfect time and place to try them out, just in case things got stainy or sticky or who knows what

The verdict? Four very enthusiastic paws and one pink tongue up. No stains, no sticks, no who knows what. And bonus points for coming in a reusable bone shaped freezer tray! Yum and future yum!!

me likey dat: doxie wall art

A cute n happy score from TJMaxx/Homegoods, who has been steadily expanding their selection of doggie related items. Not exactly a one of a kind original, but all the same, a doxie treasure of tomorrow. :)

me likey dat: sheepskin rug

It's uncanny, how tiny chumley always manages to find the cushiest seat in the house and make it his. A down throw, carelessly left on the floor by my desk? Rest assured Baxter will be there, nestled in the center of it, while I am typing away. In the family room watching tv? Expect to find a toasty rounded wiener under cover of purple blankie, on the center seat of our sofa. And yes, at night, smack dab in the middle of our bed, sometimes with head peeking out and resting on one of our pillows, lies our comfort seeking little red prince.

When all these options aren't available to him, and when the sun hasn't lured him away from keeping me company, I often find Baxter here, on his kitty perch, nestled deeply in his perfectly sized IKEA sheepskin rug. I had no idea, really, how well Baxter would take to my purchase when I bought it over a year ago. Would his eyes turn into giant moon sized discs when presented with his new rug, awed and amazed as he stood before what he might consider his to be biggest toyfriend ever, and would he then immediately commence shredding operations? Or worse yet, would he just not care about it at all, not realize how warm it could keep him when old man winter came knocking at our door as he so often did this past season?

Baxter, of course, took to the rug like it was his own furry stepmom, taking comfort in it while he waited for his humans to do something more interesting, or at least til a squirrel came wandering by. And occasional brush, a shake and a fluff, and his sheepskin rug is as wonderful as the day he bonded with it.

Even now, with temps reaching into the 90s and telling me it is time to exchange our down blankies for summery cotton quilts and bring down the fans from the attic, I find the litle kielbasa enjoying his rug same as the days when winter was upon us and the world was a much less greener place. One less thing to put away for summer, one more reason why Baxter is happy to call our place home.

arfzel tov!

dear diary,
hee - guess what! u know how i woke up naked and thought i lost - uh, misplaced - my dog collar? well i found it but then i thought i lost it again yesterday night but it turns out mom had it and looky - we celebrated my woof mitzvah early on account of my gettin pollen all over my old one and mom findin those gray hairs on my chin . how cool is that?

now that i am no longer a puppy, i am still not sure yet what the perks are with being a dog. duk duk said he thinks it means i might have to sleep in my own bed and not sleep with mom n dad anymore but i think he was just teasin, or at least i hope so. i really like sleepin with mom and dad, even if it they do get in the way and i have to push on them so i can have more space in the middle of the bed.

well, i am off now to play with my grandma and granddad, who are visting this weekend. yippee!

toodles,
b.

me likey dat: mega beanbag convertible chair

Who knew beanbag chairs came in extra mega, and also convert into a bed? Tiny chumley would have most certainly camped out here during our stay with Jasper's family, had chumley's first aro-aroo experience not happened on the beanbag next to it the first night we were there. As it was, Baxter still managed to swipe some time in one of these cushy fellas whenever he felt confident enough to do so, like when Jasper was nowhere to be found, and after they became better buds. Thank goodness we have no more floor space, else you can be certain one of these things would be on order.

Gimungous beanbag chair for my little boy? Me likey dat!

five card draw

There are some things in life that I am certain Baxter should never try were he actually able to do them. Like climbing Mt Everest because he hates the cold, or working at a rawhide factory because he'd eat way more than he would ever get paid.

And then there's playing poker, a card game of skill that also requires a mastery of the art of bluffing. Whether he's hiding his rawhide or himself in plain view, I'm just not sure our little pup has what it takes to fake his way through anything.

Such was the case when I came home with our nifty new old peanut pup from the flea market and thought I'd take advantage of the light for a photo op before our evening walkies. We're done now, he quickly proclaimed, only a few shots into our session. Here ya go, here's that peanut thingy. Now let's go walkies.



Yep, what you see is what you get with our little boy, and that suits me just fine.

adventures in harness making: chloe

Sometimes I get asked about Baxter's duds by folks interested in one for their doxie, and I am hesitant to say I make them because I am a stickler for fit. In this age of instant gratification, surely nobody would be willing to put up with my futzing. Nobody would get the work involved in creating a well built, fitted harness and nobody would be willing to let me have free reign once the primary fabric is chosen. And realistically, I figure everyone would be willing and able to sew their own, right? Secretly I thought it would be fun to make duds for other doxies, but I had a million reasons why the pursuit wouldn't work.

Enter my new friend Chloe and her mom, brave souls with a super doxie blog, willing to trade a piece of her cool doxie art for a snazzy new harness. With preliminary measurements in hand, I made a prototype and sent it to Chloe's mom for markup and pictures so I could see how the vest fit. Baxter was all the none wiser that such activity was going on, until a few days later when the prototype came back.

Baxter was entranced by what he could tell was Eau de Chloe.



Little did our tiny wolf know at first sniff that his involvement would be even greater. As the only wiener dog available in the house, Baxter was the obvious choice when it came time to see how the finished product fit. Chloe's mom had chosen a sweet retro corduroy, perfect for her little black and tan girl, but hardly a manly print for oversized fit model Baxter. "Do I have to?", his eyes seem to plead. "Duk duk might see me."



Baxter was right. The floral duds totally look better on Chloe.

Our adventure in custom harness making ended with the arrival this past weekend of our own happy package, courtesy of Chloe and her mom. Words aren't enough to say how happy we are to add this to our growing collection of doxie art, but here is Baxter, mugging it up as if to say, "Hey, check this out", and matching the pose from Chloe's mom's artwork.



Oh yea, me love-y de arty. Thanks Chloe & Chloe's mom!!!

me likey dat: thirty-five buck chuck

With their intricate handwoven patterns and wonderfully rich colors, Persian carpets have been a recent fascination for me. I used to think they were too busy, too fragile, too expensive to have in a house with doxies that might mistake them as chew toys or use them as wee wee pads. Now I can't believe our house has been almost twenty years without them.

For me, the trick in striking the right balance between doxie and rug lies with standards, or having a lack thereof. Fine examples of persian rugs are great for museums, but not for houses where tiny chupacabras under cover of night can chomp a hole in a rug just as easily as they can a hole in their toyfriends. Once I figured out that life is more interesting when it ain't perfect and started loving all the unique flaws that life has to offer, an ebay world of inexpensive, maybe mis-identified and definitely un-collector worthy cool rugs opened up to warm our home.

That's how Thirty-Five Buck Chuck ended up at our doorstep yesterday evening, delivered by Mr UPS amidst a chorus of barking that is Baxter the doorbell. The rug arrived tightly wrapped in a plastic bag and Baxter's nose started sniffing furiously as the smell of wool escaped with each cut of my scissors. By the time Chuck was rolled out for better viewing, our little kielbasa had claimed first rights to enjoyment and immediately started digging into the rug, deeply inhaling the smells of a faraway land, and rolling to acquire these newfound scents. I am always amazed at how wonderful Baxter looks on the things we choose for our home, and Baxter stretched out on Chuck, almost in recognition of that very notion.

Having gotten the full Baxter seal of approval, the rug will stay. I have no idea where we will put Chuck, but Baxter thinks it'll do nicely right where it is, in the middle of the floor, another fifteen square feet of space that he can call his own.

stuff: happy dog doormat

Lovin the new doormat I scored yesterday at Pier One. It's so happy!!

101 dachshunds

Yay, today is Friday AND it's our 101st post! Special thanks to all who have visited and left comments. It's pure blogging fuel.

Warm hugs to one of my sewing friends for including this extra goody of fabric in the package I received last week. Her work is so cheerful! I especially love the dumpling wristlet, so pleasingly plump like a doxie's rump. It'd be perfect for a stylish walk on the town with a doxie.

i like monday

i like mondays because because they are just like every other day, full of naps and belly rubs and playing with my blue ball. i don't understand why people don't like monday. maybe if they all had a blue ballie, they'd feel better about it. i certainly do.

my name is baxter and this is my essay for today. how was your monday?

backseat snoozer

I am convinced that if Baxter could marry the piece of inanimate foam and faux fur that is his car seat, he would do so in a heartbeat. From the moment we snap him in to his elevated mistress, he curls up and enters a zen like state, snoozing and soaking up the sun as the car's gentle motions lull him to sleep. As we have a veterinarian that comes to the house for routine care, the seat is never bad to him and never takes him anywhere he doesn't want to go. In his mind, his seat is a source of security, a source of wonder. The seat takes him to places where he can lick food off the floor and meet new friends. The seat cuddles him and lets him watch the world go by. The seat never cleans his ears or trims his nails.

I used to think having a booster car seat for a dog was a sign of overindulgence. Now I just realize that life is much better with a doxie by your side, whenever, however. Even if it means your dog has a mistress.

ode to my kong toy

o rubber kong toy,
you make my tummy happy,
filled with peanut goo.


- Baxter, 2.5 years old