The Spoiled Princess

It's been almost a year since Lucy came into our lives, and she has become the princess of the house. I have no daughters so I can see why she gets to reap the rewards of being the only girl in a house of testosterone!

When we lost Buster I wasn't so sure that getting another dog would fill the void in our hearts, but I was so wrong! Lucy has nothing but pure love to spread and made us all smile again. So why wouldn't we spoil her rotten? She deserves it!

I know the family that moved away and had to make that heart-wrenching decision to leave her with us must miss her dearly but I can't thank you enough for giving our family sweet, sweet Lucy!

A lab and a bottle of hot sauce

Custom order card
Originally uploaded by smashgirl

When Corri from Puppy Dogs N Polka Dots sent me a convo the other day, asking if I could make a custom card for her I told Lucy to get her beauty rest! The next day after buying my hot sauce ...remember I live in California and we drink hot sauce so we were out...I opened up the cookie jar and the photo shoot began!
Lucy is a natural for the camera, she did a fabulous job...take a look!

I've been featured on Rare Bird Finds!

My "I love you more than pancakes" card featuring my late dog Buster was picked by Amanda of Rare Bird Finds and featured on her blog! Thanks Amanda, this picture of Buster pining for the pancake is one of my favorite photos. I like to think that Buster is in doggie heaven eating as many pancakes as he can !
Be sure to check out Rare Bird Finds blog, it's filled with so many cool things to buy, and her Etsy shop, Little Pies for homemade organic dog treats!

The Girls get Pampered

My friend Jenny and I decided that our white dogs were looking a little dingy so we made plans to take them on a "spa" day to the local doggie shop. Pet Treasures in San Clemente has a U-Wash area for your dogs. Giant tubs that would fit any size dog, nice warm water, shampoo, conditioner, brushes, towels, blowdryer, ear cleaner, doggie colonge and treats...plus they do all the clean up!

A couple of dirty dogs in need of a bath, first...a stop at Starbucks!

Did you say "bath"???

Clean again!

Best friends!

She's a Calendar Girl!

She's a Calendar Girl!
Originally uploaded by smashgirl

Lucy will be featured in the 2009 Lucky Fiona Calendar!!! We were so excited to hear the news and have already ordered our calendar. Lucky Fiona on Etsy is only making 20 of these calendars, so if you'd like one...these would make a great gift for those dog lovers...go quick and order one now! Proceeds from this calendar sale will benefit the animal shelter in central Illinois where they adopted Fiona from too!

Which collar should Lucy choose?

Talk about a "lucky dog", Lucy just got picked as this week's official "Friend of Fiona" and won a new custom collar from LuckyFiona on Etsy. I am having a hard time choosing which collar to pick...they all are so cute! We need your help!
Take a look around in her shop and then leave your comment below and next week I'll tally up the votes! Don't miss Lucy's 15 minutes of fame at http://www.luckyfiona.blogspot.com/!

We love Cindy!

Lucy
Originally uploaded by smashgirl

Lucy and I are big fans of Cindy Alexander. She's an amazing Indie Artist. About 5 years ago, I went to see the Bacon Brothers...Kevin and his brother Michael have a band. The opening act was Cindy Alexander. I loved her voice and her songs so I bought a CD that night. My Mom had recently passed away and Cindy's music became like therapy for me. Her songs made me cry, they made me laugh and I became an instant fan. In fact when I am working on my art you'll find that Cindy's songs are my music of choice. She's inspirational! If you'd like to hear her music go to www.cindyalexander.com, one of my favorite songs is Idiot Child.

I Love Lucy!

Meet Lucy, our newest family member! Adorable, sweet and loving she has brought so much joy into our house. After the loss of Buster, we really knew the kids needed another dog. Our house was too quiet, lonely, and sad. We missed the click-clack of doggy nails coming to greet us at the door, and the wet doggy kisses.

Lucy is a great dog with such a loving personality! Her family made a tough decision to find a new home for her when they decided to make a cross country move. We were the lucky ones to become her new family. Thanks to Dawn and her family for giving us a new best friend and companion!
WE love Lucy!

It's Hard To Say Goodbye

I knew this day would come, but it still didn't make it any easier. We had to say goodbye to our best friend Buster. I miss him like crazy!
He was my third furry son. I really think Buster thought I was his Mom. The first year of his puppy hood was crazy! Buster was as stubborn as an ox and had as much energy as a teenage boy on Monster energy drinks. Then he grew, and grew, and grew until his body caught up with his enormous paws. I really could write a book about all of the crazy "Marley-like" antics he did...if you are a Labrador owner then you know what I'm talking about!

The thing I'll miss most is his loyalty and companionship. He was always by my side and watched over my kids like a celebrity bodyguard. Love, kisses, and a "I'll do anything for you" attitude all rolled into 115 pounds of beautiful brown furriness. These are the memories I try to keep, it helps to ease the pain. Buster, I hope you are having the best life ever in doggie heaven, chasing cats, playing with your friend Paki, and eating tortillas...we miss you but will never forget you. Buster Brown, the best dog ever!

Dog Blog

The weather this week was so nice that I had to spend some good quality time with my dog enjoying the sunshine! Buster and his gal pal Nikko enjoyed it too!
We made a stop at Buster's favorite spot where he could sniff the wonderful park smells. Buster is an older gentlemen (he's turning eight soon) and Nikko is still a young pup. He adores her!

I almost joined the gym this month, but I've decided that it's not for me. Why do I want to work out in a sweaty, crowded building when I can walk my dog and enjoy the beautiful ocean views!
I didn't start any new projects this week, but I have lots of fresh ideas. Hmmm...could Buster be the inspiration for what's coming next? Stay tuned to find out!
"Hey Buster, how do you keep your teeth so white?"