Holly in the Heartland

5 Rescue Rules for Bringing Home a New Dog

2011-11-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

There has been an epidemic of dogs coming back to rescues only days, sometimes HOURS after being adopted. This is obviously a failure on the part of the RESCUE to explain how to properly introduce dogs to a new environment. Here are some ideas on the most common hurdles that a new dog must clear. Please set your foster dog up to WIN, not fail, by communicating the following ideas.

Do not bring the dog inside a new house for a half-hour to an hour after arrival. Ideally, you would tire the dog out with hours of play before bringing it inside. You MUST spend time in the yard, that is the dog’s new bathroom, and the bathroom is most important place for the dog to know, before it knows where it will eat, sleep, etc. Give the dog plenty of water and plenty of time to eliminate that same water. Dogs who are nervous get diarrhea and ruined carpet has gotten more than one dog returned in less than an hour.
In this same line of thinking, do not give the dog free reign to run the house immediately. Close off all rooms, introduce one room at a time. Over a course of several hours. Let the dog discover everything it is going to try to destroy, and get it up and out of the way. Ideally you would do this before the dog comes home, but it is always the items you least expect: just-removed shoes, chair legs, cords, throw pillows. Vigilance is key, a dog will go after tantalizing things when it gets comfortable and the honeymoon period is over. Don’t think that just because a dog leaves shoes alone the first week, that they won’t destroy one on day 8.
Explain the importance of food consistency, and insist on it. Give a food sample to the adopter. Enough to tide the dog over for 3 days. Explain the importance of maintaining the same food for awhile after adoption. Even switching to a “better” food will upset a dog’s stomach. Giving samples of the dog's favorite way to "work its jaws" is a good thing, too, to prevent that chewing.
Barking. A new dog is going to want to let everyone know that s/he is there and a force to be reckoned. Have your new dog meet all of your neighbors. Be super friendly. Take cookies. Explain that your dog is new and may bark because dogs bark at unfamiliar surroundings. Assure your neighbors that you will do your best to not let the dog bark. This small step could make the difference in a neighbor becoming your trusty back-up to let your dog out when you have car trouble, or that same person being the frustrated neighbor from hell who throws rat poison over your fence.
Introduce all family members ahead of time. On neutral territory. And be vigilant about it being a calm, organized affair. A calm dog needs to have met each and every calm family member, including college-age kids who might come home to do laundry on the weekend, down to pet guinea pigs. If everyone in the family can depend on the dog not biting them, everyone is going to be happy with the newest addition. Dogs have predatory senses, and sometimes it can be to a new adopter’s advantage, as seen here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/13/dog-chases-away-burglar_n_1090893.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl8|sec3_lnk2|112259

Hurt Puppy Millers and Breeders where it counts—THE WALLET!

2011-11-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

It is already Christmas season early in November, and many breeders are technologically savvy—they have a web page and they know that people who want to buy a dog for Christmas are going to check online to see what dogs are available and where to locate them. We can make their lives miserable by clicking on their online ads.

Say what?

Google Adwords, Facebook ads, Yellowbook and other online search engines and websites are run on algorithms that feed you news and topics that they think you will like. Type in search terms that will get you to the breeders. For example, type in:

Buy Iowa Toy Dog

Iowa Dog Breeder Info

Buy Iowa Puppy

Buy Yorkie Dog

Buy Poodle Iowa

Iowa Pet Store

Get creative, you can think of LOTS more! Type these things into your search engine and see what ads show up at the top and sidebar of your search engine. I’m sure you can think of lots of combinations. When you see an ad for a business that is obviously a breeder (not a shelter or a rescue!!!)_CLICK IT! They will be charged a sum for each click that takes the searcher through to their website. It doesn’t matter how long you stay or if you buy anything from the site (don’t!!!)

I don’t get it, how does this hurt them?

Google Adwords and Facebook ads work two ways: 1, a breeder buys up a certain number of clicks and once those clicks are gone, their ad no longer shows up. And 2, less savvy breeders will give a credit card number and allow themselves to be charged every single time that their ad is clicked—this can result in THOUSANDS of dollars in charges. If they don’t check their credit card and stop the flow of money, they could EASILY spend 10,000 in adword clicks per month. My legitimate company spends a capped $5,000 on Adwords EACH AND EVERY MONTH. If we didn’t have a cap, we could spend 30,000 PER MONTH. That is how Google, Facebook, etc can be “free” --they make money off online ads.

Won’t breeders just do this back to rescues?

Yes, they probably already do! So, let’s fight them, cost them some money and drive down their web traffic! It is an accumulative effect, we need LOTS of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses working on this effort. If breeders can no longer afford to advertise, that will drive down the number of buyers of dogs, they will quit having litters of puppies and we will have less work to do in the long run!

I'm having a BAD day...

2011-06-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today I am having a bad day. Woke up to a dog puking, headache, almost fell backwards into the bathtub, dog peed about a gallon on the floor, terrible traffic.

But THEN I remember that The Barkley Foundation is having a WORSE day. They are a good group that has the best of intentions.

Yes, I know all of the facts, and I know all of the arguments and I know all of the details. I can't get into them here, there's just too many. The bottom line is: they owe $22,000 to their vet. And they have dogs that still aren’t quite out of the woods, health-wise. And they have people behaving badly to them on Facebook, bullying them and smearing their names and talking behind their backs like fifth graders. This, on top of everything else going on in their private lives, which aren’t exactly cake, either.

My life is easy by comparison. My problems can be solved with Advil, Planet Urine, with slowing down, and telling people to back off. Right now, I’m telling everyone to back off TBF. They are a good group that has the best of intentions. They are innocent of wrong-doing, the only thing they are guilty of is biting off more than they can chew. And anyone who has ever bitten off more than they can chew knows that eventually, you’ll get it all straightened out, if you are contrite and you ask for help, EARLY.

It’s impossible to predict what will happen from day to day in animal rescue. It is impossible to know what dogs have been exposed to, because DOGS CAN’T TALK. It is impossible to trust everyone when we’re stressed, over-worked and fighting a constant stream of millers, abusers and idiots who “just want to have one litter”. And you are under tight deadlines, budgetary restrictions, and so are the people you are working with. Everyone is broke and full, everywhere, and with all of these natural disasters and the economy still in the toilet, it’s JUST GETTING WORSE.

Harder and even less predictable: you have to answer to public opinion. And to “lawmakers” who have never saved a life. You have to set people straight about LIES. You have to deal with media scrutiny. These are all distractions, from something MUCH more important--you are staring into the eyes filled with pain in a little furry face.

It’s so easy to attack, it’s easier than jumping in and doing WORK. It’s easier to say “no, I won’t help you” and judge. American Idol gave us Simon Cowell. Some people are trying to be the Simon Cowell of the rescue world. Cowell is an exaggeration, not someone to model your comments on when you are discussing REAL people doing REAL WORK.

Yeah, TBF got in over their head. There was a break down in communication. But at the end of the day they can hold their heads high and say “We did right by each individual animal” and at the end of the day, at the end of this life, that is HONORABLE.

This is my opinion. If you don’t like my little essay, you have two choices. You can un-friend me or, you can ignore me. Either way, if you've EVER had a bad day, why don't you go give a dollar to The Barkley Foundation?

Who am I? I’m ONE person walking the rescue walk at my own pace. I transport a LOT, and I do mid-week transports and long hauls to Minnesota. I network dogs to rescues and find fosters. I post dogs on Facebook and Twitter. I look for ways to HELP, I get a crew together, and I GO DO IT. This week I had four dogs released from a puppy mill to find homes for, and they stayed at my house. They have all been placed now and my vet bill will only be $200 for the neuters. I got LUCKY.

2010 Failure

2010-12-31T11:35:00.001-08:00

Today, a total bitch challenged me on how I personally help animals.

Now, she doesn't know me. She is an ugly, washed-up, talking-head hag who is protecting her shitty company and their shitty policies. She doesn't know that I helped to start The Pet Project Midwest (sorry for swearing in a post about you, I know you won't like it) and I left to do the magazine, which is 100% adoption focused, and to work on direct care. In monetary terms, I donated a ton of kitty litter and dog food to TPPM, I bought a $400 dog house from Pet Project Midwest as a fundraiser. I also helped to build a wall at Heinz 57's Pit Stop, and am planning to help them build another wall really soon. I went to two Petland protests. I wrote at least 8 letters to elected officials on the Iowa Puppy Mill Bill that passed in March. I wrote and designed and sold ad space for the magazine and I personally recruited at least 15 non-profit rescues to be part of a fundraiser through the magazine. I really hope it comes back strong in 2011. I went to a court hearing of a puppy miller, to support the rescues that took his abused and neglected dogs. I also did some other things that I can't talk about. But if you read this, and you were a part of it-- you'll know.

But she struck a nerve. She hurt my feelings. She pushed me over the edge, because I am sitting here on the last day of 2010 feeling like a FAILURE. Because I had a goal at the beginning of 2010, and I didn't make it. My goal was to directly help 100 dogs in 2010.

Direct Help, to me, includes:

1. Directly transporting in my car.

2. Directly fostering in my home.

3. Finding a foster home for a dog.

4. Cross-posting in a way that leads to an adoption or a foster home

AND MAYBE: 5. Giving money to help an individual dog's situation--health bills come to mind. I did this 6 times, in increments from $5-$20. So, 6 dogs, if we count this.

So, how many others did I help?

5 Bassets over Christmas 2009 had to be re-transported in early 2010

2 mill poodles to Columbus, OH, on my way to BlogPaws 2010

1 Pregnant Pyr

1 Foster, transport, foster home for Stewie Basset was also in-home for a total of three nights

1 Foster--Solomon

1 Foster--Jimmy (adopted by Tim and Vicky)

1 Charlie (originally Bailey) (adopted by Tim and Vicky)

2 Yorkies--found foster home with Kelly and Andy

4 Recruited Molly Nagel to take Scooter, who needed surgery. Scootie was adopted, he was going to be put down because he growled when he played. Molly fostered Bailey and Nina from Joplin, Missouri, and foster-failed Bailey. (YAAY!) Molly began her own efforts, and I believe helped over 50 animals this year?? I also helped her by going to Red-something Iowa to retrieve Dallas, a dog that had gone astray. I'm counting that!

1 Puppy Mill Survivor "Little Red"

1 The Weeg, the Basset the Fernandez family adopted.

19 dogs total

Transports --according to my mileage log for taxes, I helped with a few transports this year.

20 dog transport--helped to load/unload, overnight, walk and tag. Does this count? I think it does, because I spent over 4 hours doing it.

12 dog transport

6 dog transport

5 dog transport

7 dog transport

4 dog transport

8 dog transport

2 mill dogs to Williamsburg

4 dogs needed rides to Pella, Iowa

77 dogs transported

( I was asked to do 14 weekend transports, and I did 9 of them, the others were special trips)

SUBTOTAL: 97 dogs. Does money toward vet bills count? Because then it is TOTAL 103 dogs helped.

SO, technically, I barely made my goal of helping 100 dogs. So, looking at my failure, how am I going to change in the New Year? First of all, on January 1, I am transporting. I am taking two dogs between Des Moines and Williamsburg, IA. I am going to keep transporting, as much as I can, every weekend I can. Because I personally could have done more.

Recruiting. I am going to recruit and train fosters and drivers. I think I only recruited about 6 people to help

Posting. I am going to post more on Facebook and Twitter about dogs that need help.

Engaging other communities. Earlier this year, I had a thought about helping get dogs adopted in Northern Minnesota. I think I want to pursue that...

What are you going to do?

Cookies!

2010-12-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

Thanks to www.RecipeGirl.com I discovered the wonderful tastiness that is this recipe last night

VANILLA COOKIE DOUGH
½ cup (2 ounces) powdered sugar
¾ cup (1½ sticks, 6 ounces) unsalted butter
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups (6¼ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

Cream the sugar, butter and vanilla. Add flour. Mix and roll til it's dough, then press into forms or cookie pan. Bake on 350

It makes the most lovely short-bready-flaky cookie bordering on biscuit. I highly recommend, and I'll be making these for my neighborhood cookie exchange next week!

The recipe yields about 20 cookies in the shaped cookie pan I was using.

Little Red

2010-12-05T16:36:00.000-08:00

Last week, a puppy mill in Eastern Iowa begrudgingly gave up all of their breeding stock, because they lost their USDA license. They were encouraged by the USDA to euthanize the "stock", rather than giving them up to rescues. Luckily, they wanted to give their stock up to other breeders, and somehow A Heinz 57 Rescue got into the loop, and prevented this from happening. See, millers HATE rescue. We give dogs away for free, compared to them (Usually $75-175, depending on vetting compared to $400-1,400 for a purebred puppy) and we drive down the cost and the demand for breeds.

The mill consisted of mostly mutts--"designer" dogs-- malti-poos, yorkie-poos, shih-tsu-poos (shit-poo?) and beautiful, friendly, social Golden Retrievers. It was obvious that the millers were only really interested in Goldens, the other dogs were an afterthought--a way to make fast money.

When the transport arrived, it was late at night, freezing cold, and the Heinz 57 staff weren't even sure what all they HAD in the van, they simply accepted absolutely everyone that the breeder was giving away. No health records, no names, no breeds were explained. They were simply man-handled over to the rescue, who had been called only the day before. They were originally to hand over 20-ish, dogs, they turned over 42. Because of the larger number than originally planned, not all of the dogs had a place to go for the evening...when the staff pulled out a red and white Cocker Spaniel, and lamented that she had no place to go, I knew I couldn't say no.

So, P and I are working to rehabilitate a puppy mill dog. And I am incredibly proud of the progress she's making. In a week's time:

She does not run away from us when we walk around the house. At first, she would run laps, run away from where we were, constantly check the perimeter of the first floor. She was always panting. You would, too, if you were always running. Now, she follows us from room to room, she is curious about what we are doing, and wants to be near us.

Stairs. She can now go up and down, she was terrified of them when she arrived. Most mill dogs don't have a clue how to do stairs, they never have occasion.

Recognizing her name. We named her Prudie, as a joke, because she kept presenting herself to Copper, our dominant male. The name didn't stick, she comes to "Little Red" when called. She will come up and allow you to stroke her head and ears. She will also take food from your hand, as well.

Housetraining. She understands we wish for her to do her business outside. Her lack of training has not been a problem, because we are crate training, we are always supervising her food and water, and we let her and the other dogs out to do their business on a consistent basis.

Walking on a leash. She has been for a few walks, and is beginning to make progress being on a leash. Things we take for granted, scare her. Like mailboxes. And shadows.

I attribute all of this progress to a few factors. First, dogs. We have her in a house with 3 other dogs. She has someone to show her the ropes, to model how to act--to take her to the yard, the food, the water and most importantly, show her how to RELAX.

Second, Noise. There is a LOT of noise and activity at our house. I clean almost every day, we watch tv, the dogs bark, the phone and doorbell ring, we entertain friends. There are a lot of noises and a dog gets used to a home with commotion quickly. We go for car rides, and we meet strangers. This is all part of socializing a dog, and giving them confidence that strangeness will not hurt them.

Third, No expectations. We don't take it personally that she wanted nothing to do with us at first. That she has yet to consistently wag her tail. That she may not be potty trained. That she has to learn things we take for granted in our hounds and Sophie.

Eventually, we will be looking for the right home for Little Red. We love her, but we are well-equipped to help other dogs, and we want to have room in our home for more dogs to be helped. Little Red will need a home with other dogs to show her the ropes. She will need a fenced backyard, and an owner who will recognize that she can easily revert to mill ways--being frightened, being skittish, trying to bolt when she sees a chance to escape. With the progress she is making right now, she might be ready to go to a new home as soon as January!

Great Iowa Pet Expo -- Volunteers Needed!

2010-10-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

Seems like I never use this blog anymore, but there's a really good reason, and I need more than 140 characters to get the instructions across!

The Great Iowa Pet Expo will be held this coming Saturday and Sunday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. I need a few volunteers to help introduce some dogs to potential adopters. We have a few coming to Des Moines ESPECIALLY to be shown off at the Expo, and what they need most is a friendly, understanding, leash-holding marketer!

The volunteers will get to enjoy the show for a few hours, take in the sights, listen to the speakers and will walk one of three adoptable dogs around, to meet and greet potential adopters or fosters. The dogs will wear "Adopt Me" bandannas and you will have fliers or business cards to give to genuinely interested parties. You'll tell people the dog's story, make sure they have water and bathroom breaks and generally care for them for a few hours. The dogs are a male baby Beagle, a young female Beagle and a young female terrier mix, no one is over 30 lbs and they are all dog and children-friendly, as well as up-to-date on shots.

We'll collect interested names and phone numbers, too, and follow up with a formal application to adopt/foster and a home visit!

In exchange, you will get free admission to the Expo and I will buy you lunch or a snack for your time. You can also feel good that you helped out a homeless dog! Please contact me ASAP!

Garage Sale!

2010-06-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a looong time since getting the new job, but here's a list and some photos of what I'm selling at Mah Garage Sale! @ me on Twitter if you need my address, and what you want, so I can set it aside for you!

LADIES CLOTHES

Ladies Shoes

Purses -- MAAAANY purses!

WEDDING items--BOOKScandles, faux flowers, leftover material, table cloths CUPCAKE STAND

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS--lots of books! Every topic from self improvement to travel to history
Cords, cables, etc.
Picture frames and decorative art
CRAFT SUPPLIES GALORE--scrap booking stuff, tools, pens, markers, etc
Teenage girl stuff
Comic Books
DVDs of popular movie titles

The Godfather BluRay Coppola edition

The Matrix DVDs

Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2 Combined Special Edition

6 Feet Under seasons
Small, painted furniture

Desk

Small book shelves (2 shelves each) good as nightstands!

Large, wooden decorative apple. Perfect for a teacher!

SMALL kitchen APPLIANCES

A Hotdish Hot-dish!

Electric Griddle

Old Fashioned Stove-top popcorn popper

Kitchen items --gadgets, potholders, glasses, bowls, utensils, pots and pans
Antiques and collectors items--manily home decor --PINK WWII AIRPLANES
PAINT--some great colors leftover from buying too much

Peacock placecard holders

Vases--clear

Drinking Game "19th Hole"

Bathroom stuff--towel bar, soapdish, bathmats, shower curtains

Small plastic fishtank--Perfect for kids or clutzes!

Bagel Slicer--NEVER USED

Closet Makeover!

2010-02-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

Our house has a crazy little bedroom, that belonged to the previous owner's two littlest girls. It is now my office, and its color scheme equally inspires and enrages me.

It could best be described as "Preppy goes to the Circus--pink and green stripes vertical stripes on top, mint green and blue stripe at the bottom half.

The room is totally full and disorganized, despite plenty of small organization I watch the television show Hoarders on A & E and have noticed that many of them have the same problems: lack of lighting, lack of proper furniture (or access to it) and mainly: lack of vertical storage.

This was my problem in my office. No place to store and show off all of the fun items I have collected over the years that were supposed to organize my markers, my hobby supplies, my papers. I started looking around at the "pretty organization" submissions on Flickr and decided I could do as well.

My lovely husband P removed the existing "closet" accoutrement and patch the walls. I didn't even take a "before" picture, because there's nothing to show--it was white walls with two white powder-coated racks. We measured the empty space and I went to Home Depot* to get shelving, brackets and drywall screws and most importantly, PAINT!

For the inside of the closet, I wanted something darker, something bold, something with fast, thick, luxurious coverage. The only way to go is Behr* paint with primer already added. It's like smearing real butter on fresh bread--goes on smooth and thick with minimal effort. It dries quickly and I haven't been able to detect any vicious VOCs--and I'm fairly sensitive to them! I picked up two quarts of a peacock blue color that we used in our wedding.

*Note: Home Depot and Behr haven't paid me for blogging about their products. If they want to send me money for the good publicity, I'd love to be reimbursed!

Click to Help Scooter!

2010-02-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

UnFollow

2010-01-31T18:44:00.000-08:00

Edited, to be "nicer" and less crazy-inducing.

Most of the people I removed (today) were for their abuse of Foursquare, a game of sorts, that when un-customized sends a boring message whenever the enrolled phone encounters the GPS of a site that is listed. I think it's stupid and it's dangerous to tell strangers you are away from home or exactly where you are…and it’s stupid for businesses to put much time or energy into it. It’s kinda like 2 years ago, when everyone was pushing for people to follow their RSS feed—it’s a TOOL, a marketing component, not a business plan. And you wouldn’t use a hammer when you need a screw-driver.

Unfollowing or de-friending is tricky. It is what our friend Cory calls "the new cruelty" because people get offended by your unfollowing or de-friending. I feel it's uncharted territory, all of a sudden we’re inviting all sorts of strangers into our stream of consciousness. Is this a good idea? We don't know them, and yet, we're allowing them to influence us with their moods, their habits, their likes and dislikes. What if they don't have our best interests in mind? What if their addictions or their depression is contagious? Sure, they have potential to be good influences, too, but that's not what this particular blog post is about.

Sometimes the un-follow is for THEIR sake, you know you aren't good for them to be following--like, you cause them to be argumentative, or you just don't see eye to eye, but they won't unfollow you first...it's merciful to let people be free of you, I think. Also, I won’t let certain people follow me in the first place. If you don’t need to know, you don’t need to follow. As the week goes on, I am planning to do more removal of people. If I haven’t met you, you don’t live in-state, and you really actually like following me, please re-follow, and connect. I’m not really interested in having fans, so much as having friends.

Concluding thought, also courtesy of Cory: at the end of the day, you’re just 60x60 pixels to me.

Birthday Party

2010-01-22T12:23:00.001-08:00

So, I'm 30, and in honor of this, I'm making a party for my friends, and having them bring donations for The Pet Project Midwest's Pet Pantry. I think about 30 friends are coming, I'm looking forward to introducing my old friends to some newer ones.

Of course the bar in the man cave is stocked and the house is clean....what on earth am I making for food!? This has been plaguing me all week. I want to use ingredients I already own, as our pantry is in a crazy state of over-stock...

1. Cream cheese stuffed mushrooms (hot)

2. Bacon-wrapped pineapple chunks (hot)

3. Spinach-artichoke dip (hot)

4. Crudite and dill dip (cold)

5. Cheezeburger dip (hot)

6. Cheese and 6 kinds of crackers (cold)

7. Chocolate dipped pretzel sticks and marshmallows

8. Cake. Obviously.

What else? Am I missing anything else? Is what I'm making too pedestrian? Do I need something with fruit? Let me know!

30

2010-01-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone for your birthday wishes. I love you!

Clarke County Animal Shelter

2010-01-20T01:51:00.000-08:00

Let's HELP Clarke County Animal Shelter. I read the KCCI news story like all of you, and was heartbroken, I immediately called and made an appointment to go to Clarke County to help them with what I can do--which was take pics and videos of all of the remaining animals and post them on a new Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clarke-County-Animal-Shelter-Clarke-County-Iowa/259296843611 also started a Twitter account for them, it is @ClarkeAnimals, and I invite you to follow that feed and tell others about it.

Clarke is a relatively nice shelter, compared to many I've been in, we're starting from a very promising jumping-off point. The shelter director, Sarah is a very nice person. She is young, and she's been shouldering all of this stress with extreme grace. Most importantly: I found her to be completely open to new ideas, new projects, new ways of thinking that SAVE LIVES.

Let's get together, let's create some GREAT new programs and committees to fulfill them: Spay/Neuter, Transport, Fostering and Rescue release/transfer, Adoption Events, Food Bank, Trap-Neuter-Return...I am sure you can think of more! When do you all want to get together, would evening or a weekend day work better to meet up and create these committees? Does anyone have access to a large space where 282+ people can meet? Let's talk!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clarke-County-Animal-Shelter-Clarke-County-Iowa/259296843611?ref=mf

http://twitter.com/ClarkeAnimals

Hoar Frost

2010-01-16T06:58:00.001-08:00

The frost this morning was amazing to examine up-close.

According to the internet:

Hoar frost forms when water vapor condenses and immediately freezes on the surface of an object that has been chilled below 32°F. If the object's surface temperature is above 32°F, the vapor will condense as dew.

Dirt Lust

2010-01-15T13:07:00.000-08:00

Today I went to Home Depot for some CHEAP TUBS. $3.60-ish for peacock blue, chartreuse or brown. I went for a combo of mostly blue, with some green. I thought that stacked on the white melamine shelves in our garage, it would look neat to have the occasional green box in a wall of bright blue. I want the garage to look more uniform, and cheerier, I think this will do the trick!

While I was perusing the plastic, I noted $1.00 plants on the indoor plant clearance table. I felt like having a plant fix--I

have missed the smell of potting soil and dying plant matter and leaves...and I just happened to have two Cocker Spaniel-shaped planters that need small plants!

Question for you all about knick-knacks...what do you do with your tiny treasures? I have a ton of these tiny porcelain figurines, and two ugly brown thimble boxes to house them. I think I'll paint the boxes white this next summer, and put them on display somewhere. Until then, do these go into storage? It's tough getting rid of inherited knick-knacks, but I was there when all of these were purchased...clockwise from the top, the Iowa bird is from the 1983 Rose Bowl, the whale and the dolphin were gifts my Grandma picked up in Hawaii, the raccoon and the skunk are both from run-ins my Grandparents had with wildlife...my Grandma got 3 skunk figurines as gifts from the time that she and her dog startled one in the woods! I still remember the smell of skunk, the phone call when she asked my Mom to get her more cans of tomato juice, the sight of a LOT of tomato juice in a kiddie pool for bathing the dog, and the feeling of sun-warmed, dry grass under my feet, walking over to their house across the street from my childhood home. I can remember all of these things, but I really remember these things when I handle the figurines. One generation away, I feel like I really still have a connection to these items, but what about my kids? There's basically no way I can share these memories with them. Do I try? Or do I not worry about that? Thoughts?

Wedding Photos--How many is too many?

2010-01-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

How many wedding pictures is too many to use in home decor?

I framed this grouping of 5X7 items last night, I feel like this finished product displays some of the most expensive parts of our wedding and reception--the photographer, the dress, the announcements, the invitations--and allows me to get rid of other memento clutter.

But, back to my question--I have a photo collage from our wedding in the family room, a formal picture in the dining room, this in the kitchen, a two-some in the stairwell and Patrick has 3 pictures in his office, one in the man cave and one in his man-cave bathroom. That may be a lot, but we do have a lot of blank wall space! I suppose that once we have a child, pictures of that child will grace the walls. In home-staging, the experts like Sabrina Soto say that personal pictures are a no-no, but our house isn't for sale, so I suppose we display to our heart's content.

Fighting left-over clutter from the wedding is something that everyone needs to do, but the wedding process is so long and your brain is trained to keep and retain anything information that might ward off or help mitigate bad luck on the wedding day. I have left wedding mode and have moved on to other things, so I'm ready to get rid of the stuff I don't need anymore. First, I have these books for sale:

The Knot Book of Wedding Lists by Carly Roney

Wedding Readings by Eleanor Munro

Wedding Blessings by June Cotner

The Knot Guide to wedding vows and traditions by Carly Roney

The Conscious Bride by Nissenen

Wedding Speeches and Toasts by Darren Noel

Here Comes the Bride by Jaclyn Geller

Entryway Decor

2010-01-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

So, what do you think?

New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-20T15:23:00.000-08:00

Last year, around this time I made New Year's Resolutions. They aren't typical resolutions, they were designed to be specific, incremential behavior changes that could be boiled down to near-maxims. I don't know if people can really make habit changes straight away, especially when January weather, winter daylight hours and general unavailability of resources. And people don't grow the person they are with the typical resolutions of exercising, saving money and quitting smoking--just their quality of external life. I wanted to improve internal quality in 2009.

Some of these were created by me, some were other people's suggestions, blog post topics, etc. It's been a year, so I can't properly attribute anything, I apologize! I do know that Gretchen Rubin of "The Happiness Project" is an influence, and so is Penelope Trunk of Brazen Careerist. So was a local gal, 52 Resolutions.

For my improvement and your consideration:

1. Take care of issues, don't defer maintenance

Meaning: don't put off what will get worse with time or wear, and don't play the "time" game by holding back bill money till it's due. Deferring maintenance also applies to accounts--I promised myself that I would not have one late payment this year. This hasn't been a problem for me, but I planned ahead to be vigilant during a year of distractions, especially since I was joining my credit to my husband's perfect, spotless credit. Many people espouse the idea that you should hold on to your own money as long as you can. I believe for that reason, people should get their taxes done early, but not in the case of any other accounts, especially not revolving credit.

2. People are most important. Reach out.

Sometimes I don't reach out when I should, and I get shy, despite my outgoing personality. It's because I fear rejection.

I joined Twitter at the end of last year and have found it is safe and easy to venture out in 140 increments. But because of my use of Twitter, I HAVE had more opportunities to help relative strangers over the past year and it made my heart feel good every time.

3. Add value. Do my share and more.

I think I tried to do this, but I can still improve. I did this by trying to "put icing" on whatever I did--going over what was expected of me, and doing

4. Don't care about the little crappy piddly stuff, especially if it promotes inferiority.

I don't know if I made any progress in this area. I did get away from the organization that seemed

to be the universe's source of piddly inferiority, but small things, small ideas and small people still bother me.

5. Failure is my friend, Perfectionism is not.

I failed a LOT in 2009. I burned a lot of food, I had a lot of emails go out without attachments on the first try, I said the wrong thing at the wrong time. But at least I cooked, emailed, and spoke. And I was more okay with the failures, at least I attempted, right? I still struggle with perfectionism that stalls me, but I ventured out a LOT more and tried to let perfect not be the enemy of good.

6. Don't flake out: Keep the committments, or don't make the commitment.

I didn't cancel much this year. And I never stood anyone up. Not that I had a problem with that, but I didn't beg off as much as I have in past years. In fact, I kept a lunch date that was rather painful a week ago! It was worth it, I got a lot of closure out of meeting with that person.

7. Money will shake itself out. Forget it.

I did. And you know what? We're NOT better off than we were last year, but we're still in our house, we still eat well, we still have money in savings/investments and we still have money coming in. Maybe we can't take another vacation for awhile, and maybe we'll put off buying a quieter dishwasher this year, but we're happy and we got everything else we wanted this year, including a fancy snowblower.

8. Trust instincts with people, trust rules with things.

I did. I WAS RIGHT. And I feel vindicated.

9. Is Not your business.

10. Mantra: "We come into this world with nothing, and we leave with nothing. But while we're here we have to be stewards of something"

I'm really proud of my friends and I for embarking on. I'm proud of our partnerships and friendships, with both the big and small dogs in town. There's room for everyone, room for every project that helps keep pets in their homes, and our mission is clear: we will make the world a better place through kindness to animals.

How did I do? Well. I kept a lot of them. I worked on others. And I accomplished #10, which I feel is the most important! I give the year a good solid B+. I still haven't written my resolutions for 2010 yet. Let me know what some of your non-traditional resolutions are!

Look familiar??

2009-12-02T18:06:00.000-08:00

http://gazetteonline.com/local-news/featured-local-news/2009/11/30/rescued-basset-hounds-moving-on-to-new-lives

Rescued Basset hounds moving on to new lives

Posted on Nov 30, 2009 Cedar Rapids Gazette ( I apologize if I'm not supposed to re-print this, I don't really know the rules about that)

On a perfect Saturday morning for a long walk, there were 18 Basset hounds in Iowa City that had never even been introduced to leashes, much less to walks.

The dogs, which had been rescued from puppy mills, cannot even coexist easily with humans.

“They are like babies,” said volunteer Tammara Baker of Pet Central Station. “They’ve never had the opportunity to be outside or walk on grass.”

Barbara Crandell, with Hounds Haven Bassett Rescue, said, “Some of them are scared to death to be touched.”

Crandell, Baker and other volunteers were carefully preparing the dogs, from just five months to 12 years old, for a trip to New York rescue shelter. There they will be taught to enjoy everyday life with people.

Just getting the dogs to trust a person long enough so they could be carried to the vehicle that will transport them was itself difficult for the volunteers.

Baker said Iowa and Missouri are “two of the top puppy mill states” in the nation, and that the rescued dogs were in a condition common to parents of puppies sold in many pet stores. Some were gaunt, and others were overfed.

A pair of rescued Shetland sheepdogs was a case in point.

“They came in loaded with fleas,” Baker said, “and they were yellow from years of sitting in urine.”

They will stay in Iowa for their rehabilitation.

Like the sheepdogs, many of the Basset hounds had spent their lives in a cage. The volunteers’ goal Saturday was to make the animals’ 1,000-mile trip to New York their last time being confined.

Baker said that even such unfortunate animals can be trained to become domestic pets. The underlying spirit of a dog — something as basic as feeling joy and expressing it with a wagging tail — can be recaptured.

“Even the dog that has been caged has the ability to come out of its shell,” Baker said.

A few minutes later, the final cage was closed, and the dogs headed east to their new lives.

– Chris Earl, KCRG-TV9

My Christmas Wish List 2009

2009-11-29T12:31:00.000-08:00

This last Sunday of the last weekend in November is the beginning of the Christmas season. I've been listening to Christmas music, vacuuming and cleaning, and preparing to bake rhubarb crisp. I've been giving thought to what I'd like for Christmas, as we have most of what we need. People ARE going to buy us gifts, and I'd like them to be ones we can use.

A friend of mine, @jezebelcapture mentioned that she wanted to see people's Christmas lists. Hers includes: "#giftlist Stop by more. Have dinner parties (to which I'm invited). Tell me you love me.

Send more pictures. Invite L for slumber parties."

In this economy, and considering what most people's families are like, maybe spending time IS the more important thing this year. But, there's also the opinion that my friend @sculfy has: "I've tried not doing list, people buy stuff anyway. I'd rather they spend their money on something I might actually use".

I feel that there's a place for lists and a place for altruistic wishes. So, here's my mash-up of what I want for Christmas 2009.

Missouri to ban the use of the gas chamber for unwanted animals.
100 More foster homes for Safe Haven.
Verizon MiFi 2200
A great Birthday Party in January with all my friends there
A fun BBQ with the new charcoal grill this summer.
A new deck. IBissel Pet Hair Eraser OR Dyson Ball I lean toward the Dyson--more expensive, yes, but no extra pieces to constantly replace. I hate HEPA filters and belts, which at $9 and $5 per purchase, add on $40-60 per year in costs. The Dyson doesn't have these things and comes with a 5-year warranty
A copier that scans photos and negatives.
A push mower
A rain catcher

Fight the Good Fight: Volunteer

2009-11-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

The day before Thanksgiving, I helped Hounds Haven move two Bassets from Jewell to Iowa City. Jewell is about 20 minutes north of Ames, in SE Hamilton County. The great rescue/vet hospital there is South Hamilton Animal Alliance and Jewell Animal Hospital The vet there, is fighting the good fight, against 2 puppy millers in the same town.

The Basset drop to Mix'n'Match Rescue was uneventful, but I was so happy that I could incorporate doing good on behalf of animals into my usual drive. Sometimes I stop at Safe Haven to walk or tend to the dogs there. Someday, I will foster for them. Right now, I have still have Buford at home.

Please take a moment to read the blog of Lisa Hindle Deppe, DMV. She's fighting an uphill battle, with people who view animals as property to be casual with--not fixing their pets, shopping instead of adopting, and the general small-town poverty-malaise that happens when people don't want to upset their neighbors, so they don't do the right thing for suffering animals. Bottom line: Jewell needs volunteers. If you are headed North, consider stopping in and helping out with the animals there. Call ahead to check hours, but any amount of time you could donate helps. If you know anyone in Ames, Webster City, or otherwise, please let them know about Jewell, and encourage them to volunteer as well.

I OFFERED to help Joplin: W. T. F!?

2009-11-17T17:53:00.000-08:00

Update 7:24 AM Thursday, November 18, 2009

I sent THIS to Joplin, and this was their response.

I'm not forwarding the email to her. I emailed the person who sent it to me and I'm DONE with it. Gossip or not, they DO have a gas chamber.

The Email that Broke My Heart:

If you can help, please contact Alma asap at: MidwestWheatenRescue@Yahoo.com (@Yahoo.com)

Joplin is a small town in South MO. They have a gassing shelter. Sheila was hired as a manager, and in just 2 months she has worked with rescues and made a huge difference in lowering the kill rate. Sadly, yesterday, Sheila was let go. The shelter gassed 30 animals the same day.

Seeing this happen is heartbreaking. These poor dogs think they’re being led out, hoping they are going for a walk. They perk up, get excited, their tails wag, they are glad. But instead of a walk, they are led into the gassing chamber. There they die a slow, agonizing death as they struggle for every breath. It is a terribly inhumane way for any creature to die.

Sandi, who lives in KC but has helped transport the Joplin dogs, had pulled a few of them out, she couldn’t stand to have them gassed. These dogs are very nice. Sandi was hoping to find rescue commitments, but with time running out, Sheila being fired, and the shelter ‘cleaning up’ which means actively gassing dogs, they can be taken in and gassed anytime. We don’t know exactly how long before they gas them, but they will unless a rescue angel steps up to save them. Please see their pictures and if you can help them, please, please, let me know asap. We don’t have much time.

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=15054797&mtf=1

Dilan likes other dogs and is only 1 year old.

Dilan is up-to-date with routine shots and spayed/neutered. Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever [Mix]

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=15014012&mtf=1

Gracie's owner brought her to a shelter because her landlord was going to kick her out but she said that she took Gracie in from an abusive situation when she was 5 months old. She had been drop kicked and slammed into the wall. She had a displaced hip from this that doesn't seem to bother her now. She is now 3 years old. She said that Gracie is the best dog she has ever had, she goes to the door when she wants to go outside to potty and she LOVES people. This is one sweet dog.

Gracie is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered. Golden Retriever [Mix]

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=15013641&mtf=1

Timber is a very calm and quiet boy that likes other dogs and people. Timber is up-to-date with routine shots and spayed/neutered. Golden Retriever, Husky [Mix]

Another Golden Mix, Sandi says it is very young and so very sweet.

5. http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=15013947&mtf=1

Starla is a young pretty girl that likes other dogs and is very affectionate and well behaved. Aren't you ready for a companion? Starla is!

Starla is up-to-date with routine shots and spayed/neutered.

We Don't Need a Stinkin' Dunkin!

2009-11-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

Seriously people? Seriously!!!????

Des Moines has been BETRAYED !!

Someone NOT from Des Moines started an Actly initiative to bring a Dunkin' Donuts chain to Des Moines. And Des Moines Tweeps are voting it up!

Please help bring a @DunkinDonuts Location to Iowa! Show your support! http://act.ly/1 RT to sign #dunkiniowa (I intentionally broke this link, if you want to vote for it, you go do your own search to find out where.)

First of all: Shame on you! Y'all preach and preach about local DES MOINES business, then what do you do!? You support a National CHAIN. Looking at you who have signed this thing own or work at local businesses who would FREAK if national chains came in and were doing what you do...quite possibly better, cheaper?

Second of all: We already have all of coffee we need RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. Tweeps who I PERSONALLY HAVE SEEN ENJOYING FREE WIFI AT LOCAL SHOPS are tweeting that they want one! TRAITORS!

We NEED local shops like:

Being There Coffee, Village Bean, Frederich's Java Joe's, Mars Cafe, Zanzibar, Kup o Kryptonite, Ritual Cafe and Grounds for Celebration!

DID I MISS ANY? LET ME KNOW!

So, Des Moines Tweeps, the next time you mindlessly sign some twit-brained poll, why don't you think about how YOU will look STUPID the next time you flap your gums about "how great Des Moines is" and "how much you love living here" when the local shops go out of business. Lots of problems come with empty real estate and don't think that a national chain will weap ONE TEAR for closing its doors. Starbucks opened and walked away from several Des Moines Metro properties earlier this year and NOTHING has replaced them.

OTHER TALKING POINTS:

Don't forget there's chains--LOCAL chains! Kum & Go, Hy-Vee, Dahl's, CASEYS are BASED here in town, employ LOTS of people in their stores and at the Corporate level. You can get donuts to plaster right on your ass there.

There isn't even evidence that it would be good for DD to come here. They have analysts, they know what we want and don't want. There is only ONE Krispy Kreme in town, and it looks pretty desolate every time I look over while I'm getting my oil changed!

The Dunkin Donuts I am acquainted with are in large cities. There's no place to sit down, the people working there look strung out on drugs and could care less. Somewhere on my laptop there's a picture of a homeless guy taking a leak on a Dunkin doorstep, and I'm too lazy to find it.

We pour thousands and thousands of dollars into the local Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Having another sugar-factory in town is flying in the face of all of their efforts!

Junior League of Des Moines (might I add that *I* was the one who advocated for this particular focus) has changed its focus from literacy to CHILDHOOD OBESITY. What does DD do for that community initiative?

ADDED: My Twitter friend and Buying Local advocate @dlayphoto recommends: http://www.the350project.net/home.html

2 more dogs in need of Fosters or HOMES!

2009-11-16T15:42:00.000-08:00

From: paws_4_fun@msn.com
Subject: Volunteer Assistance Needed for Dogs
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:59:21 -0600

Clarke County Animal Control is in urgent need of fosters and/or adopters for some long time residents in their facility, specifically Frenchie
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14404273

Mr. Red
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14394348

They are looking to partner with RVAS for adoption opportunities. The Animal Control Unit would like to try and bring more exposure to their organization to increase their adoptions, rather than surrendering them to other shelters for euthanasia.

Please spread the word, that they have some great dogs that are in urgent need of adoption and/or foster homes. Connections need to be made no later than Wednesday to save lives.

Clarke County is willing to have fosters to help them as well.

Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary & Rescue
Ph: 515.577-1745
Fax: 515.432-1970
www.raccoonvalley.com

900 Greyhounds Need Homes By 2010!

2009-11-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

Joanne Kehoe
P: 312.559.0887
Dairyland Race Track Adoption Center direct at (262) 612-8256

Dairyland Greyhound Racetrack in Kenosha, Wisconsin will be closing on December 31, 2009.

900 Greyhounds will need to be adopted otherwise they will be euthanized, now is a great time to consider adopting a Greyhound. They are very loving and laid back. They don’t need the space people think they need. They are great for an active family because they have been crated almost all their lives and they sleep about 18 out of the 24 hours a day. They are just looking for someone to love them and supply them with a warm bed!

They test the dogs to see if they are cat friendly and or small dog friendly. They also know if a dog should be a single dog or if they would be great in a 2, 3, or 4 dog house!

Please help me get the word out; we only have 6 weeks to get this task done.

My Hawkeyes: Used

2009-11-03T04:05:00.000-08:00

While watching this week's Gossip Girl, I noted that Prairie Meadows "Racetrack and Casino" is using a little snippit of a guy wearing an Iowa Hawkeyes t-shirt in their ad.

First: I hate gambling. It's a tax on STUPID people. Case in point: I used to have a neighbor who admitted to me that he has lost over $28,000 at Prairie Meadows over the years. Sure, he won some, too, but he's nearly 60 years old and has NO retirement savings. He has to work until he dies.

I just got back from Las Vegas where I can proudly claim that for 4 days, despite having to walk through casino to get anywhere, I didn't spend one penny on gambling. It's for idiots, the odds are against you, we're STILL in a recession and unemployment is STILL over 10% no matter what the news wants to report about 3rd Quarter gains. Now, if you like to play poker with friends, that's one thing, but gambling against a "house" is totally another. Second: I hate horse racing. Get the facts here. It's cruel, and something this website doesn't point out is that the successful racehorses are bred once retired. Over and over and over. Then, their young are taken from them and given to another mare to nurse. That other mare's milk has to come from somewhere--she had her own "inferior" foal that was either taken away and shot, or left to starve. All so that the racing baby could nurse. Cruel. AND I haven't even started on how the racing industry exploits illegal immigrants!

Second: I graduated from Iowa. I have a lot of fond memories from my time there. Just like any big school, sometimes you get rotten apples on the sports teams, like nutjob/rapist Pierre Pierce, but for the most part Iowa has teams full of hardworking, honest student athletes. I want to see my University get all the money it can, especially if it can wring it out of the hands of those who prey on the gambling oafs. So, I'll be calling the licensing office today and pointing this out to them. Hopefully they already know about Prairie Meadows' little Iowa tie-in and are getting money for the tiger-hawk cameo.

Iowa: you're welcome. Prairie Meadows: cram it with walnuts.

Heartbreaking.

2009-11-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

Got this email earlier today....

Guys – can you send this to everyone……Poor boy is scared of everything, loud noises, grass, cameras :0( He is completely vetted other than neutering, which I will get him into Pella for that! He is going to need a foster home that has the time to work with him extensively. Karin said his tail does wag, but it is glued to between his legs. He is with Karin who has 7 puppies and he is terrified of them.. so a quiet place would be nice.

His story… he was purchased from a breeder we have been trying to shut down with little success. His owner has been mentally and physically unstable. We tried to get the dog a year ago with little success eventhough his doctor recommended that the dog be allowed to go to rescue. The owner was keeping the dog in the bathroom at that time. Now the owner is even more unstable and the doctor has signed over the dog to us. The dog has spent the last 3 months of his life in a closet. YES in a CLOSET. He is only 18 months old – he has seldom gone outside and is afraid to even eat but is VERY SWEET.

Can you help foster him?

Buford!

2009-10-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is our latest foster dog, Buford. He is a sweetheart! He's polite and affectionate and just wants to lay across your lap, he's very easy to love.

He's a smaller dog in stature and right now he's very skinny, due to an esophagus problem that causes him to throw up if he isn't held upright for 5 minutes after eating. He can't eat hard food, but he loves rawhide chewies. He's very motivated by food, I'm hoping that feeding him small meals around the clock will stop him from feeling frantic about food. I have a recipe for food that I'm making for him. It's called "Satin Balls" and he LOVES it. Apparently, it helps dogs to put on weight quickly.

Buford was likely given up by his owner because of his health problems, and the poor baby bounced all over the state. According to paperwork that I have, he's traveled all the way from Iowa City to Waterloo to Waverly to Ames and here to our house in Urbandale. He can stay here until he finds his forever home! He gets along fabulously with Sophie and has had a few snarly moments with Copper, but Copper is a notorious jerk. He's housebroken and hasn't had any problems since he arrived. He's oddly afraid of crossing the threshold from the kitchen out onto the deck, not sure what that's about, but he can easily be bribed with food.

RECIPE for SATIN BALLS

10 lbs of cheap hamburger meat

1 large box Total(tm) cereal

1 large box uncooked oatmeal

15 oz jar of wheat germ

10 eggs

10 small pkgs knox unflavored geletin2

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup unflavored molasses

Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in large (or larger) bowl.

2. Place in freezer bags, appoximately 1 lb per bag.

3. Place in freezer, thaw as needed.

4. Feed raw.

Pinch off the amount you want to feed and roll into a ball. Place on top of regular food. This recipe is good for putting weight on a dog. Be careful though, it will put weight on the dog in a matter of a few days. A lot of weight in a matter of a few weeks! Total cereal because it contains all the vitamins and minerals necessary as a supplement. Knox gelatin not only holds the stuff together (molasses does a good job of that) but it is a protein builder.

Recipe from:

Sandi Wittenberg

Red Bay Bassets

Barcelona Market!

2009-10-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

For our honeymoon, we went to Spain. It was visually amazing at times, especially in Barcelona. These pictures are from La Rambla, a touristy street with street performers, animals, flowers, art and touristy junk.

Identity Thieves and Life Thieves

2009-10-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

Out of context with my usual posts about dogs and crap in my house, I have a few things to say about Identity Theft and a new opportunity for malevolence--Life As You Know It Thieves.

Everyone knows that they need to shred papers with personal information. Maybe that's not even enough--thieves have time on their hands and can tape things back together. Thieves are savvy, patient about aggregating files on potential scam-ees. Everyone knows to install a firewall and patches on their computers, to password protect sensitive items. A locking desk is a good place to store all of your bills, checkbooks, cash, etc. Stopping your mail when you're going out of town, even for a long weekend can be done over the internet. I do these things, and I can walk away when I have contractors at the house and feel totally confident that they'll not be tempted into trouble. The more physical and electronic elements I protect, the less likely an identity thief is to be able to piece enough of me together to apply for lines of credit, or buy things with my name. Because thieves are good at Excel, too.

But this post isn't about ID theft, what we're missing here is the opportunity for the theft of Life As You Know It by people you consider to be "friends" through Social Media.

It's super easy to get to know complete strangers via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, specifically. Each of these allows you to get to know the parts of people that they want you to see...and provides a portal for them to watch You, study You, learn-up on You...and perhaps get jealous of You? What if they decide that you have it pretty good, and wouldn't it be fun to watch you take a tumble?

As this article points out, you can set up fancy filters to block certain groups of people from each other, from your information... but why let them in AT ALL? Facebook fails all the time, what if your settings were lost and all of your info was open to anyone? What is the purpose of having a high follower count? To look connected? You can't possibly be sincerely connected to and invested in all of those people. I'd rather not have any connections, than people I barely know aware of my every job, every vacation, every move. And what is the point of all of that, anyway? To get attention? Seth Godin said in a recent blog about internet infamy, it's better to be trusted, to be purchased from, to be a teacher, etc, than to vie for attention from the masses. The masses are pretty dumb, and if you doubt this? Look at Twitter's Trending topics. #Itoldyouso.

When you link everyone you've ever met, from Elementary School teacher to college drinking buddies, you open yourself up to, as my friend Jon fears most, your "worlds colliding". For some people, that is okay. It's likely that your story checks out, that you're consistently the same person with everyone...and that you lead an extremely boring life.

BUT. What happens when people you know through Social Media get together, get drunk, start gossiping and decide to play pranks on people not there? Or what if someone alone and unhappy with their lot in life decides you'd make an easy target for some mischief? People can turn into mobs pretty quickly, and it's easy to be a bully when all you're looking at is a screen.

What if they contact your husband because they saw you having lunch with a male client and decided it *must* be a scandalous affair? (this didn't happen to me, dummy, it's just an example)

What happens when people you know decide to tell stories about stuff you did in college, and your Mom finds out what REALLY happened to her car that night of drunken folly? Awkward! (this didn't happen to me, dummy, it's just another example)

Or, what if (and this is paraphrased to protect the guilty and the innocent) people get together, get drunk and decide that a less-than-flattering item from your past means you need your life ruined NOW...so they contact someone you work with via Facebook and long story short, YOU LOSE YOUR JOB. (This DID happen to a friend of mine, I recently found out about it, and it feels as awful as if it happened to ME.)

There is no recourse for any of this, as 1. Iowa is an at-will state (and a no-fault divorce state) and either party can leave for no particular reason at any time. 2. The information was public and could be accessed by anyone. 3. The person wronged in the last example isn't vindictive. In fact, she's one of the nicest people I know.

My Facebook got a thorough cleaning this past weekend and eliminated anyone who I had a shadow of doubt about being able to trust. I feel much safer now. And I've thought through what I would do, if something like this were to happen to me. I feel like it's High School. I don't know who I can trust, and who will try to cash me in as a chip to be "more popular" some night when they're drinking and being reckless with people's lives and livelihood. Seth Godin (who I don't usually read, but am going to start) wrote about it today: http://ow.ly/uV04 and he knocked it out of the park. I'm not as short-sighted as High School. I know who I can and cannot trust, and the people who have done it before won't have a chance to mess with me and my Life as I Know It.

Facebook Folly

2009-10-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Giving Facebook a serious look on how it does (and mostly does not) enrich my life. Recently, I have become aware of several instances where Social Media has caused major set-backs in people's lives. It has messed with relationships, it has cost people their jobs.

In my own life, sharing my opinions has already killed off three friendships--albeit, relationships that were questionable in the first place, due to their online nature--but I am not sure if I want to continue this pattern.

I don't know if Facebook really serves any purpose other than to give people my Rolodex, and a means for potentially meddling in my life. The more that I think and write about it, the more I realize that I need to tighten up what I share, make my life more private, work on the relationships that are reciprocally meaningful, and shed the extraneous.

I don't want to offend anyone, but I also can't leave my virtual door open to pernicious attacks. Weighing the options between mildly hurting some people's feelings versus the potential damage that giving open access to people I don't know that well… I think we all know where I would rather err.

I'm sorry, I'm cutting just about everyone who I don't feel I know well enough. It has to just be friends I've made (not friends of friends) friends from real life, people I've known more than 3 years, family, and people whose character I really think I know. I'm sorry I have to pass this judgement, but my life is just too valuable.

Puppy Love in Spain!

2009-10-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

I saw these two dogs in Spain, waiting for their owner outside a Dia store--totally without leashes and without need for supervision. This would never happen in most of the US, let alone Des Moines, where people drive everywhere and dogs are treated like livestock...

Ruby

2009-09-23T10:41:00.001-07:00

Ruby is my current foster dog. She is a 9 year old female Basset Hound. She's a sweetie, all she wants to do is go for rides, walks and take naps on soft spots in the sun. Tomorrow we're going on Macsworldlive with Michael Libbie! Very exciting!

Garden Sculptures

2009-09-13T16:53:00.001-07:00

My mom and I visited an private iris garden in Cedar Rapids. I was particularly taken with this sculpture of the Noch Ness Monster. The owner mentioned that each piece weighs over 200 lbs!

New and Promising Project

2009-08-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Today I'm preparing to send out a mass email with the following, to let friends and family know what's been going on with me lately. It's a big deal, because it's a big project with lofty goals and I don't want to fail publicly. It's also going to be difficult because so many people say "oh, I thought you were doing XYZ" and XYZ is old news. It's a failed project or XYZ is something I'm not proud of, and don't want to be known for any longer.

People like to not pay attention, to pigeon-hole, to easily explain away what's going on with their relative, friend, aquaintance. People don't want to have to spend time thinking about others, which is sad. Easy answers which are neatly compartamentalized and don't need thought-tending.

I have had so many projects in the last few years that I don't expect everyone to keep up with what I'm doing. However, If you spend any time with me, I always ask "what have you been doing, lately" to everyone I talk to for more than 2 minutes. It helps me keep up with their side projects. I wish everyone would be that thoughtful.

In the last few months I have cleaned out all of my extra activities and extraneous absorptions of time. It's not that these activities weren't important in their own way, but I haven't felt fulfilled in my work or volunteer activities for a very long time. I took this summer to watch, rather than act, I haven't fought for anything that wasn't readily forthcoming, trusting that if I was open, the opportunity I am supposed to chase would present itself. It would be something I'd feel passionately about. It would come with people and personalities who wanted to see it succeed, circumstances that felt right and complimentary events and learning opportunities. It would MATTER.

And it is all happening!

A home for Lola Bassett!

2009-08-15T10:53:00.001-07:00

Here is Lola with her new Mama, Elanni, and her new sister, Stella! We're going through the proper channels for adoption and Lola will hang out with us for a few more days while the papers are processed and home visits are made. It makes my heart feel light and tears come up behind my eyes to think: this dog would be dead. Without the work of the Hounds Haven Bassett Rescue , Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary and Animal Rescue League of Iowa working together, this poor baby on the left would not be here today. Please think about this and consider adopting rather than breeding, fostering instead of having a cold home, and whenever you open your wallet to pay for something, think of who is benefitting.

The Many Moods of Lola

2009-08-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

The Many Moods of Lola...2

2009-08-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

Her name was Lola, she was a Bassett....

2009-08-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

With crazy spots in her fur and long ears way down to there.

I decided to help out a Bassett Hound in need of rescue from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

So far, my first afternoon with Lola has been good. She and Sophie have adjusted to each other, Lola has had a bath, a bowl of food, a trip to PetSmart, and and now we're just hanging out and trying to get her to relax and adjust to doing nothing.

The first full-size tomato of the summer!

2009-07-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

Served on focacia with grilled chicken breast, deck-grown butter lettuce and basil mayo!

Yum!

Like Doom, but with Stylish Cleaning Gloves, rather than a gun!

2009-07-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

Much Mulch!

2009-07-25T17:35:00.000-07:00

My Mom is crazy about mulch. She believes in piling it high and deep so it doesn't have to be replaced often. Here's some of the craziness that happened today in the back yard.

As my friend @susanlu says: Mulchalicious!

Clockwise, from top left: Just one Bush! The corner bed, the side bed and all of the mess underneath the deck, and the bed under the deck.

In total, we purchased 20 bags of mulch. We placed all 20 and I still need to purchase more! We discovered a great way to use the bags: as liner to prevent weeds. I will never have to weed some of these beds. Ever.

Front Bed Expansion 89% Complete!

2009-07-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

Late yesterday Before:
Tonight, After:

I'm in love with it, but we'll see how drainage works. I hope it looks okay in the winter, when there are two fangs out front!

2009-07-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share this pic from the farm. Incredible day!

New Kitchen Faucet!

2009-07-24T20:54:00.001-07:00

I'm too ashamed of how the Before Picture looked, so here is the "After" Note that ugly back-splash tile? I'm hoping to bring back tile from our honeymoon in Spain to replace it!

New Hostages!

2009-07-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

Picked up these lovelies at the Valley Junction Farmer's Market. They are a gorgeous dark green, compared to my lime and chartreuse varieties, I can't wait to put them in the ground tomrrow!

Today, the neighbor boys widened the front flower bed to make it double the width. I am really excited for how it will look when it's done!

Before, After coming tomorrow afternoon!

Deck Makeover Needed!

2009-07-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

This morning I decided our back deck needs, as Delysia Lafosse would put it, a "Fixie". I've done some re-arranging, but I just think something has to happen in general to vary the heights of the plants, to better use the small space, and to accommodate:

1. A Large table which is somewhat cumbersome to move.
2. Deck stairs which face the wrong way for our needs.
3. The grill, which we use often.
4. Umbrella and stand to provide relief from the Noon sun.
5. Antique garden cart containing planting supplies.
6. Disasterous, but necessary storage space underneath.

As building on to the deck isn't an options, I do believe I will look for a smaller table as they begin to go on clearance. I'm also interested in adding or moving the steps, as the current configuration doesn't allow for easy access to the water spigot.

Do you know of anyone who specializes in making decks less ugly? Suggestions on how I could make mine more appealing?

Chocolate Mint

2009-07-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

My Mom and I have been picking on my Chocolate Mint plant every time we walk by tonight. This one has been voracious all summer, it needs constant drenching due to the metal envelope and all of the wind our deck receives. It seems to be thriving, despite the major fluxes between drought and flood. I'm glad it's working out, because it's delicious!

BLT...the L is for Lust

2009-07-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

Made BLTs for dinner...I don't care for lettuce on them, so much as I like to add basil to the bacon while it's cooking, and crush it into the mayo with a mortar/pestle. The smell of bacon cooking with fresh basil wilting is enough to make you faint!

Beetle Mania!

2009-07-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Japanese Beetles are eating my Sweet Leaf Basil. I am not happy about this. I didn't know anything about this evil bug, or what to do about it. So, I Twittered it. Thank you to everyone who had suggestions about ridding myself of these destructive creatures.

For future questions about wing-ed pests, the bug-boys at ISU have an interesing site that you can upload pics to, to help identify strange bugs and beetles:

http://bugguide.net/node/view/6/bgimage

What a difference a year makes!

2009-07-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

This was a common sight from our back deck last year!

Horsin' Around

2009-07-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

I've kinda been digging equine decor of late. I grew up loving the book "Black Beauty", and I think every child should read it, to gain empathy for animals, especially creatures of burden, which are hard to relate to if you are brought up in an urban setting.

Our dining room overlooks a farm that has four horses, and I have seen several fox in the last year. I have been collecting equestrian-themed items, but I'm not sure anyone appreciates this but me. Thoughts on my hunt for this dashing theme?

Dutch Blue and White Organization

2009-07-08T19:26:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of this collected set displayed in a blue and white kitchen! Great font, too!

Stained Glass Peacocks

2009-07-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

I'm in love with Stained glass peacocks. Who am I kidding, I love peacocks in general, so much so that we had their feathers on our wedding announcements! I'm going back for these later this summer, I hope they're still there! I would keep peafowl and chickens, if I wasn't petrified of birdies. And if I wasn't afraid of attracting coyotes into my yard. I'll stick to the colorful, glass variety.

I also like this for a small window, found on Etsy.

Simplicity

2009-07-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

Saw this in rural Minnesota. Oh, to have everything I needed in a small space. Super cute, I love the window box!

Troll under my deck

2009-07-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

Grrr!

So, this lovely 3-level compost bin has been collecting my plant scraps for about a month now. I love the idea of composting, but I am a little bit scared of what's going on in there. So, I looked up composting and found out I'm doing several things incorrectly. Compost needs:

1. Sunlight

2. Turning/churning

3. Mix of brown and green

4. Addition of dirt

So, apparently, I just have a rot pile going on, not a compost bin. I'm going to try to do better by adding more "brown" and dirt and I've moved it to a part of the yard that gets more sun than under the deck. I'm concerned with the number of drown grubs that I found in the bin, I think I better have our yard treated for grubs. Our neighbors have problems with raccoons (they have had 18 removed humanely) which tear up their sod to eat the grubs underneath. I have never seen a raccoon in our yard, but that's the last thing we need! As for churn, I am not sure if I want to attempt to do that. I am not very coordinated.

The White Line Forms Here:

2009-07-08T16:58:00.001-07:00

Taking into account my Twitter-sourcing advise, I have decided to space things out a bit more, to allow for plant growth. There will still be some overlapping happening, but it won't be as pronouced as it could have been. In what is likely to be the most time-efficient thing I do all summer, I spraypainted where the sod is to be cut. I also put some dots in for approximately the middle of where I should dig each hole for the plants. But looking at the picture on the screen, plants will most likely be a bit closer to the white line.

The butterfly bush, which needed a bit more space, according to my flowergirl, @kateschneider Who is well versed in flowers, but actually did throw rose petals at my wedding! : )

More Space?

2009-07-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Here's how I've laid out the plants in the back yard. I am wondering if I need to space them out more, or if they will look good layered into each other? The pattern is repeated on either side of the Butterfly bush in the center: hosta, sage, hosta, hosta, sage, daisy.

The overall effect would be the two side beds and a curved middle bed.

And a Sophie Pic for Good Measure...

Slug Bug!

2009-07-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Found a tomato hitchhiker today. I really thought slugs were something for the East, South and Great Britain. I've never really seen one in Iowa.

Note my dirty finger nails, lakeside manicure ruined in a matter of minutes.

A not pretty page, but comprehensive:

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/slugs.html

Apparently, I need to clean up my act

The Plantening

2009-07-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

Last Night, I came home to a jungle on the back porch. @PatzillaYo did a fantastic job of watering while I was away, my peppers and tomatoes are flourishing.

However, the tomatoes were taking over. I've been having trouble with them for weeks--they had yellow branches here and there. I couldn't figure out if I was over-watering, over-feeding. I read some of the pages at Tomato Casual and talked to my friend @Susanlu and realized that my plants needed to be pruned. I grew up with a garden where the tomatoes were left alone to become insane bushes, and not necessarily "optimized" for food production.

But I've spent far too much money on my deck garden NOT to optimize food production. Pots, dirt, fertilizers, bug deterrents...time. I hate to estimate how much each tomato will truly cost. I keep reminding myself that next year I will already have all of the items I need, and will just add heirloom plants from Farmers Markets.

All of the branches that weren't producing flowers needed to go....so they did. It was quite the butcher-session, I felt bad, but it's ultimately in the best interest of getting fruit.

Things look a lot better this morning!

Kayaking

2009-07-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Too Perfect Weather

2009-07-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

The party down the way, when GB Leighton was playing.

The view UP from my chair

Jet skis making noise.

From the dock this morning, before a lot of boat traffic

Of the dock. These pics are not re-touched. In.cred.ible.

Happy Fourth of July! More from Egg Fam Vacation

2009-07-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

The sunset was gorgeous last night!

It was really bumpy, but here's an idea of all of the boats trying to go under this bridge at once.

Egg kids are subjected to all sorts of torture. Tonight it is bright lights and wind.

Notice what was the favorite toy yesterday-- it's a bobber, for fishing.

Somehow, in the picking up process, this ended up in my bag. Sophie found it this morning and it's become a great source of entertainment.

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-04T04:38:00.000-07:00

A beautiful, bright morning on the lake!

I would like this bike, Santa!

God Bless America. Thank you to our current military men and women, and to our veterans. My gratitude is deep, I see your sacrifice and I thank you for protecting our people, our democracy and our right to eat cotton candy.

Egg Family Vacation -- Part 3

2009-07-02T19:20:00.002-07:00

This morning we had coma-inducing pancakes, my dad and I went for a walk down to the landing and had a nice discussion about entrepreneurship. Then I took a nap for 2 hours. Then we went on the pontoon for a luncheon feast. The highlight of the boat trip was baiting the seagulls, which Sophie enjoyed immensely, being a bird dog.

Sophie, on guard. Grandpa and the Poodle. He's had 3 of these in a row: Bimbo, Bitsie and now, Bee-Jay.

It was a really beautiful day today! And the sunset tonight is beautiful. The lake is quiet. Some hack out of Iowa City reported today that Northern Minnesota tourism is down 20%. I can't say I don't like the peace and quiet!

Sunset Photos

2009-07-01T18:58:00.001-07:00

Here's the view of the sunset from the front lawn.

Here's where we're spending part of the day tomorrow: On the Pontoon!

Addiction Runs in the Family

2009-07-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I said "My name is @HollyEgg and I have a hosta problem. Yeah, well, addiction runs in the family. My mother has a gorgeous yard, here are some pics.

What IS this? I want some in my yard! They look like a YoYo the Muppet's nose! ( I only know his name because of Google)

Egg Family Vacation -- Part 1

2009-07-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

Lake Big Trout, Whitefish Chain
This week I've left my husband of 1 month behind to vacation with my crazy family "Up North" in (essentially) Cross Lake, Minnesota with my Mom, Dad, Grandpa and 3 dogs. I've been Tweeting about it quite a bit, in my usual zany, crass style. Here are some pictures to help narrate my journey...because it wasn't quite as hellish as I'd have you think.

Being There Coffee in Altoona was the second fun thing on my agenda. Kara, the owner has renovated this former "dive" into a cutie-pie coffee place with beans and equipment rivaling $tarbucks or other chains.

So what was the first fun thing? This little baby!
Red Helvetica Moleskine!

Adler, Sophie's Boyfriend and Jon, his owner, my very dear friend. He is single + adorable, he gave me away at my elopement!

Sophie Boo-Bear Egg
is a well-behaved dog riding in the car. When I was little, we had a dog that would violently lunge at every Semi we passed. I purchased Soph this really comfortable dog bed that I actually took a little porch-nap on this afternoon. Ha!

More Before and After-- front flower bed

2009-06-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

Before...

Here's one of our flower beds, in its Before state, actually prior to our front porch railing replacement. The bed (and the porch) was a complete disaster, ground cover plants and dandelions had taken over. I decided to wait until June to do something about it, so that all of the plants would have a chance to come up. I wasn't disappointed, I found a few 'volunteers' or
remnants of plants that had been placed there by past owners.

After...

All of the rocks for the border came from the yard, I have been collecting more to complete and will be filling in with lake rocks that I'll collect on vacation in Minnesota next week.

I put down mulch today, and time will take care of washing away the dirt. It was quite a bit of work to remove the ground cover plants, they were well-entrenched! I thought about trying to salvage some of them to give to a friend in need of such things, but it would have been too much work to keep them alive until he was able to collect them.

I chose the perennials and their arrangement/placement based on their height at maturity. I am hoping that the effect is a sublime waving effect when one drives by the house.

Incidentally, cedar mulch is about the best smelling thing on earth!

Michael Jackson tribute in my yard?

2009-06-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

Got this beautiful Ladys Mantle variety called "Thriller" on the day MJ died. I didn't actually know this was that variety until today, so it's not really anything but an amazing coincidence.

Project for Sunday

2009-06-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

I'm making an almost identical bed on the other side of the yard. I'm hoping it will cut down on the amount of time P spends weed-eating. OR, should it be totally identical? Tell me what you think!

First Tomatoes!

2009-06-27T17:11:00.001-07:00

I was also very excited to discover my first regular-sized tomatoes of the year!

Saturday's Work

2009-06-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here's what I did today:

And then here's what the neighbors were doing. There's no way I can keep up with the Joneses.

Ring Around the Symbolism

2009-06-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

I am wondering: what is your take on wreathes? I liked this one down at the East Village Flower Power event this spring.

Are wreaths too Martha Stewart, sorta remniscent of granny panties and pot pourri, or are they hep? My Mom got me a berry-twig wreath with a mustard yellow ribbon, with the best of intentions, trying to pull together the paint in our new house, prior to us having the place re-painted in tones that agree with us. Ummm, it's been removed and will travel back to Cedar Rapids soon!

Additionally, looking into symbolism of wreaths made me wonder: How many people actually decorate with items that are symbolic of elements they wish to bring into their lives? Or do we select things because they "match", they reflect a style/era/genre, because we see them in cherished back-issues of House & Garden ? How much Law of Attraction or Feng Shui do you apply to your decor...or do you just throw whatever matches at Gordman's or Target on your walls?

Ugh, don't do that! Go out to Etsy.com where you can find...

Summer Mix Wreath

The thing that bugs me most about wreaths is that they fall apart. Perhaps this one, hung strategically in the kitchen might make my Italian dishes even more tasty?

Edward Scissorhands?

2009-06-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

This might be a funny present to give to an Arizona Snowbird summering in Iowa. I have several Yews that I would like to manipulate like this, once they have been in the ground and have gotten over the shock of being in MY yard.

Kitchen for Entertaining

2009-06-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

Here's my friends @amandazinger and @robbyg , partaking of food/festivities in my kitchen. Looking beyond their beauty, check out the cabinets. Do you think they would look better painted white? If I painted them white, how would a black and white checkered backsplash look? Thoughts?

Hot Pink, Pale Orange, Lime and Maroon

2009-06-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

I would like to decorate one of my bedrooms, based on this color scheme.
I saw these on display at the Flower Power event in the East Village!

Front Yard Before and After

2009-06-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

Before. (Cue: fog horn)

After! (Cue: trumpet fanfare)

Here's what I've been working on doing over the last month. The previous owners were okay with just a bunch of Giant Mums
I wanted a variety of colors, textures and heights. Maybe it's not perfect, but it makes me very happy!

I didn't pay full retail price on anything, and I looked for the best deals around town. Overall, K-Mart on Hickman Road had the best deals on small shrubs and bushes. Some of my plants are transplants from a private home near Des Moines North High School. And a few more are from the Home Depot. All in all, it was an investment near $200, but everything is perennial, so I look at it as an investment in landscaping I won't have to deal with in the future.

Does anyone else giggle when they hear the words "Giant Mums"? It sounds like a STD!

Monochromatic Fall

2009-06-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of pics of Sophers in the park by the Des Moines Art Center. Maybe I will do a photo set of these for the front room, as everyone knows, I worship my dog, black and white, and I've inherited fall-ish decor from my mother. Pics of Soph in fall fit right in!

(I was really glad I didn't discover any hidden poo under these leaves!)

Fat Pinstripes

2009-06-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, @sewzinski , mentioned that she thought pinstripes would look good. And I remembered that I liked this pic, which was originally in Domino, and I've seen it on several blogs since. I think I would love to have this in the bathroom! The neutral color they're painting should set a good pallette for similar, slimmer stripes!

Hot as Hades!

2009-06-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Taking a break to water the plants at lunchtime, I snapped this pic of my front stooporch.
I am sure I will have red-headed devil children.
But these are my children for now.

Family Room -- Good Grief!

2009-06-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

So, here's the Family Room, which is connected to the kitchen. And the Florida Seminoles colors just arent' doing it for me. What's really gross? The master bathroom is the same color as this "red" accent wall. Blehhh!

God, WHAT were they thinking!? Well...I wish I had taken still shots of the "art" that was on this wall when we were touring. It had eyes, and it was scary.

A rose, by any other name is Moderate White

2009-06-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

The reason I like the SW color "Moderate White" so well is that it seems to mimic the color of my first rose of the year.

Aster

2009-06-22T10:16:00.001-07:00

I follow this great blog called Kiss My Aster which cracks me up. Here's my first Aster of the summer! I love this light blue-purple color, it used to be my accent color, but now my accent color tends to be more of the deep blue found in the Kaven painting below.

Powder Room from 80's hell

2009-06-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Ug!
Eeek!
So here's a little glimpse into the powder room. It's not My Gay's powder room with marble floors and faucet handles by Sherle Wagner but it will suffice. 3 walls will be Moderate White, and the back wall will be Macadamia. Thoughts?

Dennis Kaven "Nebulus"

2009-06-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

This is my Dennis Kaven painting. All paint has to make it look GOOD!

COLORS

2009-06-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

Steve, my Certapro guy came by and we talked colors. We are going with a mono-chromatic scheme, as I tend to like decorating in neutrals. Black, white, darrrrk brown, and my favorite decorating material? Lucite!

Colors we'll be using:

Moderate White -- SW 6140

Macadamia -- SW 6142

Basket Beige -- SW 6143

Disclosure for my friend @Dlayphoto : I am not being paid by Sherwin Williams, Certapro or anyone else to paint my place. However, if anyone from those companies wants to kick a lil something in for this exposure, I'm all for it! : )

2009-06-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

My Gay just announced this: Accent walls were a Real Estate boom time fad. one that has quickly fallen out of fashion.

Really? Agree or disagree? It's not like I'm committing to this:
http://inventorspot.com/accent_walls

2009-06-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

The problem here is that the front living room wraps into the stairway. I don't know if I like the idea of two dark walls next to each other here, what do you think?

2009-06-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Several questions here. We are in the hallway, the front door is to the left, the passage to the kitchen is to the right.
1. Should that little triangular wall be a light or a dark color? Should it be the same color as the wall?
2. Should the alcove above be the same color as the triangle below? Light or dark?

Entry Way: Welcome to the House of Golden Oak.

2009-06-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

I'm wondering what you think of the current accent walls--should I use them again, or change them up?

Painting Day 1!

2009-06-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

Twitter is my constant companion, and I love the various hidden expertise that can be found just by asking simple questions. This morning, I realized that I have painters here to do my bidding, but I don't know what that bidding is, other than colors. We're going with my typical choice of monochromatic tones...that is, unless you step in and give me a different opinion!

So, take a look around at our first floor. While John, the foreman is taping things off and removing electrical plates, enjoy pics of the tragic decorating choices of the previous owners!

We are using Cashmere level of paint by Sherwin Williams.