The Birthday Girl

I can't believe it but my little baby Riley Belle is 6 human years old today! It seems like just the other day I bought her as a puppy with my traded in school book money. I don't know how I could have gotten thru the past few years without her. She's my buddy, and as much as her hair and constant need for being touched annoys me, I couldn't make it through daily life without her. Here are a few images of our adventures together over the last 6 years!

This was taken a few years ago with her former roomie Ruby, the bagel. I've always thought that Riley thinks Ruby was her own baby puppy...she'd let Ruby pull and tug at her ears all day without so much as a growl or snap. I think she misses the Roo.

Here she is mortified and overall unsure about her new life jacket. Girls ready to go out on the boat!

Here she is being a good girl and sitting in her new bed so mom can take a picture. It was the first and last time her tail touched that bed...oh well, more beds for baby brother Axel.

Here she is enjoying a weekend retreat at grandma and grandpa's...girlfriend loves her some snow!



Happy Birthday Ms. Belle (even though you are blissfully unaware of birthdays much less your own)!! Momma and Bubby love you!


Just a Blonde's Take

ReVisit

I thought I would revisit an old picture I took of one of my favorite subjects...my main man, Axel. Between my home and office you can find this picture in no less than 3 places. It's one of my favorites! And as I was playing around with the colors on it the other day, I somehow managed to make the new edited version my new favorite picture! It kind of has that cool old 70's vibe...which I'm finding to be a new favorite aesthetic.

Just a Blonde's Take

THE AXEL YEAR: A SHORT LIFE IN REVIEW

Well, after posting about my lovely golden girl Riley, I had to dedicate a post to my man Axel. Bubby, as I like to call him, came into our lives last year in early June. I can't believe we've almost had him for a year! We adopted him from our local animal shelter, The Central Oklahoma Humane Society. They have a wonderful group of volunteers and I must say our experience adopting through them was wonderful.


Last year the drummer and I had been looking at adopting a Great Dane. The drummer really wanted a huge dog (bigger than our now 94lb. Golden) so we started looking at different adoption websites and even put in an application for one. Well, as you can tell that didn't pan out, and we ended up with Axel Bubby! He's a Great Pyrenees-Daschund-Rhodesian Ridgeback-Rottweiler-Airedale Terrier-German Shepard!! Wow, we were surprised when we got those DNA results in let me tell ya! Although, the German Shepard and Ridgeback are definitely noticeable...not too many other breeds sport permanent eye liner and beauty marks!




From day one Axel has been a joy (now don't get me wrong, there have been plenty of times that I wanted to kill him. Let's not forget the guest room, or Pottery Barn duvet dramas). When we first brought him home he was very timid and shy. He would cower and tinkle anytime someone new came over. He had definitely been abused and neglected. However that all soon changed. He came out of his shell with the help of his sister Riley and some tender loving care and attention. He's still continuing to learn his manners, but overall he's doing great for a 1 year old!






Some of my favorite things about Axel are:







1. Pouncing-this 85lb. dog pounces like he's a freaking garden cat! He has his favorite black ball (that came out of a toy he destroyed) that he plays with and there's almost always some pouncing going on when he does. He's so cute! I don't think a picture could do it justice, something you've got to see for yourself. It always makes me smile and laugh when he does it!

2. Pretending like he doesn't have the use of his legs-he's so clumsy. I think he's still growing...dear God, looks like we have a 100lb. plus dog in our future...and his legs are just so long and mess him up sometimes.

3. His ability to get me with his nose on my face no matter what I do to hide from him-I will be laying in bed and he'll come put his paws on the side of the bed and just start nosing me in the face. I try to hide with the use of the covers, but he always manages to get his little nose in there and get me.

4. His crotch/bare butt obsession-I actually find this pretty annoying, but I can't help but laugh sometimes. Every time I'm wearing a skirt or dress or robe, that dog is able to get his whole wet nose up underneath it and either get me in the crotch or hinney or BOTH! He's so fast and just flicks the material up enough so he can get in there. He doesn't lick or anything he just wants to goose ya!

5. The way he lays down-he lays down with both legs spread eagle on the floor. It's so funny looking to me.

Even though our history together is short and just starting, I don't know what the drummer and I would do if we lost him. He's such apart of our family now I can't image our household without him. He definitely spices our lives up! And as the drummer would say "He's a boy-ee".

**Please note that this green pillow no longer exists due to a certain boy-ee. RIP antique green pillow.**

Just a Blonde's Take

The Golden Years: A life in Review

I recently read a post by FC, a favorite blog of mine, and it really hit home. Her friends lost their precious Golden Retriever to cancer and it came quite suddenly. It seems as though the ugly disease will take us all. The post reminded me of how little time we really have with our pets. Riley's graying muzzle constantly reminds me of how much she has grown up. She's five now and when I look back at my life 5 years ago, I am amazed at how much my life has changed. I am so different (I guess grown up) and Riley had so much to do with that. She's my buddy and I hate to imagine life without her. She has weathered the storm with me, helped heal my heart after breakups and boyfriends. She has been my snuggle partner during sad movies, scary nights, and lazy weekends. She's lived in seven different homes with me (if only I could get her trained to help me pack). Like her mom, she's had several roommates: Lucy, Desi, Gracie, Nixie, Ruby, Atticus, Millie, Sketch, Rossta, Bruce, Chief and now her brother Axel). She's been the pain in my side, many times (we won't discuss the wall chewing days)! She been my loyal friend.

*Riley being bossy with her former roomie, Ruby (the Bagel)

I remember when I got her...I had just sold all my college school books for the semester. Instead of saving the money for next terms books, which would have been the responsible thing to do, I bought myself the love of my life...Riley Belle. Whoever said money can't buy love was utterly wrong in this instance. That little ball of fur was love at first sight. I can still see her sitting at the foot of my bed at 3 in the morning staring and barking at me with that cute little puppy bark for me pay attention to her, feed her, let her out...I'm not really sure. I felt like a new mom with her baby, not really sure what the thing wanted, but that it was disturbing my sleep and it wouldn't stop "crying" no matter what I did.

Riley was fond of car rides from day one. It was about a 30-40 minute drive to take her home when I first picked her up. She just laid down in the passenger seat and fell asleep. Now she's a pro. She hops up in her spot and awaits our destination. She also, loves going out on our boat and enjoying the lake. However, she does not enjoy her life jacket. I got her one last summer, because I'm always afraid something will happen and she'll go over board while we're cruising around. She's allowed to take it off once we are docked. She loves swimming and getting lots of attention from the other lake rats.

Riley is also, in love with...socks, mail, any form of treat (unfortunately she's really smart and knows the word treat, so if we are ever talking about them we have to spell it out or she starts barking bossy even more to try and get one..."Honey, she wants a T-R-E-A-T", I just hope she doesn't figure out how to spell), peanut butter, stripping sticks of their bark, barking at everything outside, getting wet and dirty, being pet, getting attention, getting the ball away from her brother Axel, going on walks, and most of all me.

Here's a cute email I received a while back, I'm not sure who the author is, about pets. One of those random emails that you're not sure who started them:

To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - nose height.

Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years…canine or feline attendance is not required.The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough! To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:

1. They live here. You don't.

2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)

3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.

4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.
Remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

1. Eat less

2. Don't ask for money all the time

3. Are easier to train

4. Normally come when called

5. Never ask to drive the car

6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends

7. Don't smoke or drink

8. Don't have to buy the latest fashions

9. Don't want to wear your clothes

10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and...

11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

Give your pets a big hug and a T-R-E-A-T!

Just a Blonde's Take

AHHHHH...HE STRIKES AGAIN!!!

OK, I'm completely and utterly convinced that Pottery Barn puts some kind of magical substance in all of their bedding! My "Angel" Axel has made a meal out of another Pottery Barn Clearance buy. This time his appetite drove him to indulge himself in our master bedroom black and white crewel duvet. He helped his little self to one of the corners. Now don't get me wrong, we can probably live with the corner he chewed, but dang...I know that it's there and for this perfectionist that's utter torture! So I hopped on good old eBay again and searched for another duvet...ARE YOU KIDDING ME! They're like $200 bucks! Again I got mine on clearance and with a GC, so it was like $70 bucks or something ridiculous like that! So I guess I'm going to have to bear and grin it and live with this nasty chewed corner. I think I'll write the folks at Pottery Barn and ask them to please stop putting this tempting ingredient in all their fabrics. For my sanity and the sanity of all who have animals that can't refuse their deliciousness.

Just a Blonde's Take

HERE A SHAM, THERE A SHAM, EVERYWHERE A SHAM SHAM

I believe I have previously mentioned that one of my best friends is coming to stay with us from Paris, France at the end of the month; and that I've been busy (in between plumbing issues) getting her room ready (our guestroom). Well, back in December the Drummer and I purchased some bedding from good old Pottery Barn. Well, this bedding that we'll call Ogee (that's the style name given by the folks at PB) was on clearance when we bought it. Now it resides on our guest bed. Well, as can be expected with most clearance items that there is a limited supply and they were already sold out online; with no future plans of bringing this Ogee pattern back. Well, this weekend when the Drummer and I were in the shower, our little "Angel" Axel chewed a corner off of one! REALLY?? Are you JFKing me? Apparently there's something that tastes so good in Pottery Barn's organic cotton bedding that it just makes my otherwise "Angel" Axel, become the devil reincarnate and eat a corner off!! So instead of murdering him (too many witnesses) I hopped on ever faithful eBay to see if anyone was selling just the sham. Thank God someone was. So now, I have a standard and Euro sham on it's way to the house (sold as a set I guess, now we have to buy another Euro pillow), and of course since it's sold out everywhere else I had to shell out $54 bucks for a sham I already purchased for $10! I love our dogs, but sometimes I wish they would get jobs and start paying for their own way.

Just a Blonde's Take

Bridget