The Many Moods of Arwen

 Today we will explore the many moods of Arwen the Wonder Dog. She is my ever-changing, ever-shedding, ever-barking, wonderful, loving dog. My buddy, my bestest furry friend. Above, she is sleepy. She does sleepy well. Her head sloooowly starts to droop, her eyes close, then open, then close slowly, then open slowly, until they just seem too heavy to open and then finally stay closed, though the exhausted sigh is optional.

 Here she is watchful, guarding her dino. An old photo to be sure, she has managed to tear all the stuffing out of it and it is now in the middle of her toy box, half inside out. She likes her toys this way. We recently bought her a "stuffed" wolf toy, that had no stuffing to begin with. She carries it everywhere. She loves to play "keep-away" with her toys, wagging her tail furiously while trying to walk surreptitiously away from us, like we won't notice a 53 pound dog with a 2 foot long floppy wolf in her mouth, wagging her tail (and sometimes her butt, when she is really trying to blend into the background), and walking around any corner and stopping to see if we follower her. If we do, she play growls or talks around whatever is in her mouth, giving a pretty hilarious sound from a pretty hilarious dog.

Her cute "Please feed me whatever it is you're eating 'cause it looks really, really tasty" pose, tongue licking optional. Carrots, cheese and yogurt are her favorites, though not necessarily in that order. She also loves her natural treats. And chicken. And oatmeal. And potatoes. You get the picture. The funny thing is, we don't really feed her "human food" at all, just the occasional, "Oops, it fell on the floor....Arwen have!" sort of thing. Except for carrots. But she still tries. And with a face like this, who can really deny her? She looks so cute and fuzzy. Only the thought of doggy dental work or weight reduction diets keep us from giving in. It's hard though :)

 Here is her cute, watchful, "Give me that squeaky toy" look. She wants to play! She is quite good at playing, particularly the "death shake" where she shakes the heck out of whatever is in her mouth. Usually reserved for very hyper playtime, and usually accompanied by bouncing up the hallway and back again, barking optional. Her bounce is hilarious. She doesn't really run, unless she's trying to chase something far away. She bounces. Think Tigger, but in a black and white, lab/border collie/husky mix dog.

Sitting pretty. My wonderful, cute, loving, friendly, happy dog. She really is always happy (except during thunderstorms, but that is ok). Even when she's not doing something like eating or sleeping or chasing toys, she is just happy to hang out and be one of the humans (don't tell her she's not, she won't believe you), with a special barking ability.

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Can you tell I love my dog? I think she knows it too ;-)

Until next time,

Christmas Prep

I love the photo above - Arwen loves her stuffed toys, even if they don't stay that way for long! She brings this pepper everywhere with her, even if it no longer has its stuffing since this was taken. I love this photo because it looks like she brought the pepper to look out the window with her while she does - too cute!
Today, though I am pretty sore and tired, I will tidy the house some more (yesterday was a house clean-athon), and hopefully start to put up some decorations for Christmas.
I'm also going to try and get at least one of the new jewel bags I have been planning on making for a while...I am learning to sew and I made some cushion covers last week to try my hand at using a machine...I'll get some pics of those today, maybe with the dog because she makes everything look good :)
I also have to plan my Christmas baking and get the house ready for my mom who is coming for a week long visit next week. I am so excited - we plan visits together a few times per year where we can catch up and have some fun - she really is my best friend :)
I'll post pics of the jewel bags when they are done also, as well as a new necklace for my friend that I made.
Busy busy! Have a safe weekend everyone, don't get mad at holiday traffic! And remember, it truly is the THOUGHT that counts with Christmas (or any) gifts - something small and handmade that requires a lot of thought is better than any gift, no matter how expensive (ok, maybe a really nice engagement ring, or a pair of killer Jimmy Choo's, but those are dream items, lol).
Take care!
Meghann

Sometimes It Works...

~Spices~

Sometimes inspiration comes from the weirdest places. Sometimes the photograph just seems to take itself. This was one of those times when I was waiting most impatiently for the coffee to finish and the sun was coming through the window, right into my eyes. I was sore, half asleep and didn't want to have the sun in my eyes, so I happened to look to my left, away from the sun, and saw the most remarkable sight: my spice jars, only they weren't just spice jars, they looked like bottles of colourful spices in one of those middle-eastern markets where the spices are all laid out for you, begging you to touch them. There they were - warm, inviting, and the lighting made them look almost surreal. The camera obliged by thankfully believing me that the flash would ruin it (I can turn it off, but only if the camera agrees, and we fight about it sometimes, lol), and I got a really cool shot.
I also got a neat one of the pepper grinder, but the cabinets left a shadow behind it, so I'll have to try and get it again, but you can see it here:

~Pepper~

Pretty cool for being half asleep :)
Meghann