So...the to-do list remains the same length...

Did a favor for some friends and watched their beautiful baby girl for the morning. Did a mini photo shoot (pics coming soon...) & got nothing I had planned for the day done! But...it was totally worth it. : ) Just reaffirms the need to get this baby business going ASAP before there is a real baby to tend to...

Rusty boy proved he is NOT ready for siblings...as there was far too much jealous whining, licking & a half eaten diaper...not nice...he spent most of the morning on the back porch staring in. Warning: he licks baby toes.

nonono that did not just happen...

i am...so depressed. finally found the perfect piece at the pottery barn outlet to begin the right mess of junk on top of my entertainment unit...i was just starting to test stuff up there...thought i would take a picture since the family has been asking...was testing light on my camera & realized i needed to shut the unit's doors...took this picture & went to SHUT the doors...

[gasp] and off rolled the perfect piece...

least someone feels my pain...

getting busy w/ superglue and some joint fasteners on the back...cross your fingers. it will be affixed to the wall if i can get the puzzle back together...[tears]

what i stare at all day

he's my main distraction. the hog of all my playful energy throughout the day. also the most loyal & loving & snuggly little buddy you could ask for. if he cant make ya smile, nothin' can!

I'm alive! Promise!

Oh my what a month it has been! I have to get painting our bedroom but since so many of you have been kind enough to ask how things are going I am going to do a short picture blog--more pictures than words! Short update: Made it to Texas, moved stuff into storage, stayed with a friend for three weeks since house wasn't ready, I went to Germany, made it back, moved stuff out of storage & into house & now we are getting settled! Tommy officially starts tomorrow so here we go!!!!

[favorite part of front exterior: carriage style shutters, complete with polka dots & stripes!]

[living room, basic beige selected. Ralph Lauren paint, color matched to Behr Gallery Taupe since I hate Behr paint! Curtain sample draped over entertainment unit, will cover all windows on first floor living area/kitchen. See a few posts back for the inspiration, dark orange pillows & one orange wall to come]

[ugh...slowly but surely. I can only reach the first two shelves in each cabinet so that stupid step stool will be a permanent fixture. Paneling visible on back of cabinets will be replaced since it isn't the right color, chandelier has been replaced by my wonderful hubby! Love my sparkly new fridge!!]

[back splash view. so glad we did this upgrade, I love it!!! all outlets will be replaced with black covers so they dont stick out so bad!]

[loft area, getting ready for a ceiling fan. walls will be darker sagey green]

[Rusty, so glad to be home from three weeks of daycare, is mesmerized by our new LG Tromm steam washer & dryer! He keeps staring at them go round & round and gets extra confused when they play their song at the end of each cycle!]

L O V E

SO... I really am not going to begin many creative projects since I fear making a horrible mess in our super-clean-ready-to-show-at-any-second home. So I am going to spend the next couple of months diving into my new photography hobby. I want to learn as much as I can before my European extravaganza so I figure most of what will be to come on here has to do with what I see through a lens. I am really into artsy photography [see previous post] but some moments are just those you have to catch without being artsy. This was one of those occasions! I try to foster a home full o' love. Apparently it is working!

[Oh, my babies all love each other. I'm feeling like an accomplished furbaby mama!]

[and NO, he is NOT supposed to be on the bed!!!!!]

Rusty update...

I cant believe it has been this long!!! Our home went on the market this week so we have been feverishly working to make it sparkling and perfect. Mission accomplished! Please send us some real estate luck so we can get this place sold!

[I snapped this after we had a good cry together. I was so worried about him and he knew it. Can't you just see it in his eyes?]

I wanted to give those of you, who are kind enough to care, an update on Rusty. We hooked him up to a holter monitor, which is a 24 hour monitoring of his heart (basically a 24 hour EKG). We were looking for PVC (premature ventricular contractions) that were the evidence of an arrhythmia. As a breed, normal boxers usually have about 50 per day. Those with severe boxer cardiomyopathy have PVCs in the thousands and tens of thousands per day. Thankfully, Rusty only threw 32 during the time he was monitored, putting him in the normal range. [for those of you with medical minds who read this...all were singlets and in rhythm, which is super encouraging] When you have more than one of these extra contractions in a row is where you really run into trouble. So...for now our directive is to treat our little boy as normal. There are a few studies that have been conducted using fish oil and with some pretty decent results that show the number of PVCs are reduced with high enough supplementation in the daily diet. So Rusty drools for his two capsules each night and chews them like candy. He is back to doggie daycare and has no idea anything was ever wrong!

[Rusty wired like a suicide bomber. Poor little guy!!! This was off his daddy's cell phone camera, so excuse the quality! He tolerated the vest without the cone, thank goodness!]

Rusty Update

Rusty was diagnosed with Boxer Cardiomyopathy, a common heart defect in the breed. We are treating him with beta blockers and anti-arrhythmia drugs, but there is no guarantee that they will prevent sudden heart failure.

Learn more about the Cardiomyopathy here.

Please say a prayer for our little boy. We are heart broken.

[credit: Photography by Kim]

CPR for DOGS

Well this weekend we had a huge wakeup call. About 2 am Saturday morning, our beloved boxer, Rusty, stopped breathing. My [almost] doctor husband reacted quickly to my panicked screams and sprung into action using his people medical skills to save our dog. After a day of testing we still do not know what is wrong. My husband detected an arrhythmia immediately following the episode and the vet suspects Rusty has a heart condition which is a common problem in boxers. We will know more after he has an EKG.

If I didnt have my husband and his medical knowledge Rusty would probably not have made it becasue I wouldnt have known what to do. I am taking it upon myself to implore you to learn the animal CPR and HEIMLICH if you are a pet owner. You never think you need to know it until you have an emergency; then you wish you did. I will make it easy for you. Please, please, please follow the links below to teach yourself this knowledge. You may just save your four-legged friend's life.

DOG CPR

DOG HEIMLICH

The following books can be purchased from the American Red Cross and are specific to DOGS or CATS.

Flickr Love...

So when my sister in law, Kim, introduced me to Flickr, she neglected to tell me how addictive it is! Household projects (not fun enough to post) have been keeping me busy as we prepare our home to be put on the market. I have managed some photography here & there...

wanna play?

[This one got a large amount of love on Flickr]

sunbathing

[this one got some love, but I am particularly proud of it]

Merry Christmas Eve!

My creative projects will be on the back burner for a little while as I learn how to use my new fancy camera. I am still using it on auto mode but am learning more everyday! Hopefully soon I will graduate onto the next level. I have four little critters as available subjects...here is a taste from the first couple days with my new toy:

This is Missy, one of my three siamese-ish cats. She is the sweet one and has some creepy bright eyes. I didn't touch them when editing, they are really that crazy:

This is my favorite "beginners" shot. I haven't quite mastered the quick focus. This, however, is a great representation of my nosy puppy. Anything his mom does, he must be a part of:

I gave in...

So I was near Pottery Barn Yesterday and dropped in...only to find a great sale happening. I said I wasnt going to do PB pillow covers again but I found some that I had been eyeing for a while on clearance for dirt cheap. I didnt notice how bad my old covers really looked until I put the new ones on. My goodness, it was time! There are two new covers that I used, one is envelope style, with a big button in espresso and the other is a french knot style called maple, but is more of a peachy neutral. Rusty, my boxer baby, doesnt seem to want to let go if my old ones. Notorious for clearing the couch of all pillows before he naps, he sought out the only one that remained covered in the old fabric and claimed it as his headrest. :) He's so darn cute.

And, today I finally got a good new picture of me...my look changes often and my haircolor is really never the same. I am a natural blonde but prefer to be darker...and auburn is my new hue. Well, not really new, but...this was us today!