Our new "Blog" Dog

This is our new doggie, Pepper:

We lost our precious Zula, last spring.   She was the PERFECT dog for us.  

She was sweet and calm, but also big and black and scary to strangers.  She really barked and protected us.  She also played and took care of our little Pookie.  

 We called her the "babysitter".  When we brought Pookie home as a puppy, Zula adoped him right away.  He slept with her, played with her and she would even let him steal a treat right out of her mouth.  Zula was perfect.  She can't be replaced.

But, we do need a big dog.  We live in the country and I just feel safer with an outside dog watching over us and our place.  Ever since last spring, we talked and talked about getting a new dog.  We even went to the pound to get one, but they had this crazy policy that just wouldn't work for us.  You choose the dog you want and then you show up on a certain day and they do a lottery for the dog with anyone and everyone who is interested in that dog.  We did this one time and did not get the dog.  Who has time to go down over and over hoping to get a dog?  So, we just gave up.

Then a couple weeks ago, I was looking at my favorite blogs and while I was on Donna's blog, anenchantedcottage, she had a button on the right that said "adopt a dog".  I clicked on it and found the animal shelter in my county with lots of pictures.  The animal shelter I went to before is in the next county over where I spend most of my time.  I decided to try the one here in my own area and we found Pepper on the first visit.   We had to wait a few days to pick her up, but she was ours the minute we made the committment!

That was easy!

Turns out, she is a really sweet dog.  She is 7 months, so still a puppy.  She thinks that Pookie is a toy and he liked playing with her at first, but now it's a bit much for him.  I saw her grab his harness by the mouth and swing him around....fun for her...for him...not so much!  

And, now, she has a "crate":

We got it yesterday and already, she is already comfortable with it.  What a good doggie.  

She cries a little and then stops.  

This is my daughter with Pepper.  She lets Pepper and her dog, Foxy run in the fenced in garden.  They are a really good match and it's fun to watch them go.  Can you see Foxy hiding up the stairs?

We are so happy to have Pepper.  And, she is one lucky dog.  This place where we live, is truly dog Heaven!  

A special thank you to Donna, this wouldn't have happened without you!!  You are Pepper's fairy godmother!

It's coming.....OWOH 2011

I'm so excited...it's almost time for One World One Heart.  This will be my 3rd year to participate and it will also be the final year.  It's a wild time of visiting blogs all around the world.  Each blog that participates has a giveaway.  Usually the giveaway is a hand made art or craft.  I have several treasures from OWOH that are so special to me.  I still don't know what I am going to give away, but I want to make it something really great.  

You can read all about it by clicking on the picture above.  Get ready, it's going to be a wild ride!

2011....all things are possible!

It's a brand new year and I am making a brand new start.  I am clearing out 2010 and putting it behind me.  There were many wonderful things that happened in 2010. The biggest for me was being in the band.  It started out as something small and grew into a very large part of my life.  I even have a blog dedicated to it:  stephaniesbandblog.blogspot.com .  I learned a lot and had so much fun.  There were so many fun shows that it's hard to point to a favorite.  We played for 2 county fairs and 1 festival.  We played for many wineries and out door venues like "music in the park".  We also played for private parties and those are always fun.  Of course there are the restaurant/bar/pub shows that are also a blast.  We are looking forward to an even better year and it's already shaping up!

Another big thing is that my son moved to Seattle.   It was a really hard and harsh reality for him and he learned so much.  He changed a lot and all of it for the better.  He is smarter and stronger and in a really good place right now.  I'm so happy for him.  

My home based Isagenix business has been a steady source of income and I am so grateful for that.  I look forward to putting even more effort in to that in 2011.  And, of course, the Isagenix program has kept me healthy and happy all year....I can't even imagine life without it.  It has given me the energy and health that has allowed me to do all the things that I wanted to do.  

I finished out 2010 with a surgery that I was not expecting.  I had to have my gallbladder removed.  I was super sad because I had to miss our New Year's show that I was soooo looking forward to, but it could not be helped.  Darn.  The surgery was a week ago today and I am feeling pretty close to normal.  Wow.  That's amazing.  I am grateful for modern medicine and all those wonderful medical professionals that are there to take care of us when we need them.  And, I am grateful for Isagenix, which I am certain had a big part in my speedy recovery.  

So, now, it's time to look forward.  I have put together my new vision board and I'm still adding to it.  It sits on the wall opposite my desk, so I can see it all the time.  It has really changed my thinking.  It's pretty much my mission statement in "images".  

I have lots of goals for 2010 and I have a feeling it's going to be a really great year.   

How about you?

a few of my favorite things....

I love Christmas!  It's such a wonderful time.  And, I love all the decorations too.  I thought I would share a few of my favorite Christmas items with you. 

This is something new that I added this year.  I love having a table runner and I found this PERFECT one at a thrift store for just a couple bucks!  The best part is the bullion fringe...which of course you can't see because it's hanging down.....but "I" know it's there!

I have lots and lots of favorite things here...including my Christmas dishes, of course!

This beautiful Waterford crystal bowl was a gift from a company that worked for many years ago.  They sometimes gave some 'lame' gifts and sometimes they gave fabulous ones...this one is one of my favorites!

These candlesticks are my Mother in Laws.  She gave them to me to put out for Christmas dinner a few years ago and we have used them every year since.  

I don't know what it is about this box.  I loved it the minute I saw it in an art gallery.  Hubby went back and got it for me and it's been one of my treasures ever since.  And, I can change it to match any decor by putting something else inside it.

This little birdie is new.  A gift from a friend.  This is something that I would not have bought for myself.  It's a little teapot and she knows that I like teapots.   Even though it doesn't look like something I would pick out....I have really fallen in love with it.  It just goes with EVERYTHING.  Thanks to my dear friend. 

Tom & Jerry.  This was just like one my Grandma had.  Every Christmas they served Tom & Jerry drinks in cups like these.  I loved that drink!  When I went to visit as an adult and they gave me my drink...something was horribly wrong with it!!  I never knew that it was a booze drink!!  As a kid, we had just the sweet mix.  The booze ruined it....ha ha.  I had my Grandma's Egg Nog bowl and cups, but the bowl somehow got broken.  I still have the cups and I'm always looking for the exact bowl to match.  

My baby....he's 23 now...made these in kindergarten.  I don't save all my kids art projects, but I always liked these lights.  So, they go up in the same place every year.  

This ornament in the middle was a gift from a friend.  It's so pretty that it has to be one of my favorites!

Of course the fireplace is one of my favorites all year!

I always put out these 3 nutcrakers in the same place every year.  Way back when my kids were little, we decided that tv was a bad influence and when the lightning took out our antenna that was at the top of a tall pine tree (that is how we did it way out here in the country!!  before satellite!)...we just didn't have tv at all.  So, they missed out on all the latest shows and....the commercials.  When I asked my little boy what he wanted for Christmas, he would only say a "nutcracker".  No toys, nothing.  I used to have to show him a Sears catalog so he would see what was out there!  Of course, we got him Nutcracracker, it's the one in the middle.  The arm is broken and it's been played with a lot!  The other two were the next couple of years until he grew out of it.  Seeing these always takes me back to those innocent days. 

When I started switching out all my decor for Christmas, I found I was missing all my family pictures.  So, last year I found all of our Christmas card pictures.  We used to take one every year with our kids. I framed them and you can see them all grow up in an instant right here.

This little violin was something we added when our son brought his family home for Christmas after missing it for a few years.  I remember our granddaughters just loving it!!  When you tap the strings with the bow, it plays a Christmas song.  They were so excited to find out that they could play the violin!! He he.

These towels are a gift from my BFF.  Whenever we visit each other, we bring a gift.  All of the gifts that she has given me are my favorite things!!  I just love these towels!  They really perk up this corner of my kitchen!  And, she chose them just for this spot!

Whew.  Time to rest!  This is really Pookie's spot.  Sparky just took over and they are both willing to put up with each other for a place on Dad's lap. 

Are you ready for Christmas?

Thanksgiving...then Christmas

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  My Dear Daughter prepared the turkey and pretty much most of the meal at her house.  It smelled WONDERUL in there!!  

I did my part.  I made yummy sweet potato casserole.  I'm not the best cook.  I would rather set the table!

And when it was all over, it was time for the transition to Christmas!!  One year as I was putting away my Christmas decorations, it just seemed so bare.  All I did when I decorated for Christmas was to add a few little knick knacks here and there and when I put them away, it just seemed so blah.  Sooooo.....

I had the idea of packing away all my normal decorations and only put out Christmas ones.  It's a chore, but it's worth it to me.  And, hubby.  One year, I told him I wasn't going to go "all out" with the Christmas decorations and he got all "sad" on me.  So, now I know who I'm decorating for!

And, he helps!  We keep all this stuff in the attic.  I unpack Christmas and pack the everyday stuff in those same boxes.

And there are a LOT of them!

I figured out that I should always save the boxes that things come in for packing and storing.

 I always wanted Christmas dishes.  I got these a few years ago from Kmart.  They were super affordable and I just love them.  After Christmas that year I went back and bought more at a huge discount.  So, now I have extra in the cupboard and at Christmas dinner I don't have to take these down to eat on!

And of course the fireplace.  All ready for Santa!

That's it for now....more to come!!  Are you all ready for Christmas?

Here's another one...

Yep..another giveaway!  This pretty reindeer will be given out on Dec 10th.  Go to Lulus Lovlies to enter:

http://luluslovlies.blogspot.com/2010/11/happy-pink-saturday-and-100th-follower.html

Great Giveaway!

I just came across these lovely earrings that she is giving away!  I want to wish you well in the contest...but I also would like to win these pretty earrings for myself.  Oh, what the heck.....GOOD LUCK!  Click here:  http://graciejewellery.blogspot.com/2010/11/november-27-pink-saturday-give-away.htm