Random

I've been working on a few projects and here's the latest:

A doggie pillow for Tess!



It has a removable cover that velcros on the back. It wasn't really hard except I completely finished it and then realized that I had forgotten the piping and had to rip out the seams and start over. Grrrr!

Here's Caitlin's Halloween costume. In case you're not sure...yes, she's a hippie and yes, I made it! It was a little more challenging than the pillow but it was totally worth it. She loved it and she's been telling her friends what a great mom I am. *grin*

Too cute not to share!

My younger daughter, Caitlin, is 8 years old. At school they have been discussing the upcoming elections. She was asked to write a paragraph in response to the following question:

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities that a person running for President of the United States should have?

Her answer:

"These are the qualities a President should have...He should be loyal and brave. He should be really responsible and truthful, smart and faithful. He also should know how to keep peace and keep clean. I think McCain-Palin has ALL of these qualities. Go McCain-Palin!"

My job here is done...the brainwashing is complete! I really love the part about being clean. Does it sound like she gets lectured about that occasionally?!

Another list

I'm sorry that I haven't been a good blogger lately. I've had a lot on my mind and I'm having trouble organizing my thoughts. I recently saw this on my friend Meredith's blog and thought it looked like fun. I don' think she'll mind if I borrow it (especially since she borrowed it from a friend too!) I just love lists!

1. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall? In the past I would have said Fall because I love when the skies are bluer (yes, Amber, I think that's a word!) and the humidity is low. But at this stage of my life, my kids are so stinkin' busy in the fall! So I'm going to say Summer because I love sun, and being lazy. I also love the evening sounds of crickets and tree frogs.

2. Who is your favorite Disney princess? Ariel. At least I think she would be considered a princess. Wasn't her father the King of the Sea?

3. What's the last book you've read? Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Myers. The end of the Twilight Series...I'm so sad!!

4. What book are you reading right now? Living Simply by Joanne Heim. I feel so inadequate!

5. Name one "presidential" memory (an election you remember as a child, first time voting, etc.) I remember the election of '76 when Jimmy Carter beat Gerald Ford. I was six and a strong supporter of Ford. Yes, I know that's weird, especially since my parents didn't care about politics at all! When Carter won, I refused to stay in the room any time he was on TV. My dad thought it was hilarious. So even as a 6 year-old I knew I was a conservative and a Republican.

6. What are three things that scare you/freak you out?

1. Snakes
2. Spiders
3. Liberals

7. If you were running for office, what would your campaign slogan be? Life. Liberty. Opportunity. My platform would be pro-life, pro-capitalism, pro-gun rights, pro-small government.

8. Favorite football team(s)? Auburn Tigers. War Eagle!

9. How are they doing this season? I don't want to talk about it.

10. Do you have anything in particular you're looking forward to this fall? The end of the election.

11. Are you craving anything right now? Nope. That's amazing!

12. What's the last thing that really made you laugh out loud? Glenn Beck's program.

Tasty!

So I've been inspired by my entrepeneur friends to start selling stuff. Funny thing though, you have to have a product that people actually want. I've been thinking about things I love that other people might love too and came up with dogs and fabric. I know you're thinking I'm going to say I'm making dog clothes. Yuck! I think it is animal cruelty to put clothing on animals. However, what dog wouldn't love a stylish collar?! You've already seen the prototype.

The real story is that the collars were really an afterthought. My original plan was to make Organic Dog Treats. I bought this really neat dog cookbook last year mainly because I thought it was pretty and would look nice in my kitchen. I did make a chocolate(carob) birthday cake with cream cheese and honey icing for my big dogs' 1st and 2nd birthdays. I know...nutty.

Well, it turns out that making and selling dog treats is way more complicated than you would think. There's a lot of licensing and labeling requirements. So I don't know if it's gonna work out or not. Still looking into it. However, I did make my first batch of "cookies" today, much to Tess' delight. I call them Shelby Dog Barkery's Bacon Cheesies.

Here's the head chef and chief taste-tester, Tess, waiting anxiously for the oven timer:

And here's the finished product!



They are quite yummy, if you're a dog. If you're a person, they need salt. How would I know that, you ask? Why, because I ate one too!

Voila'!

Look at this beautiful fabric that I ordered from ruralfabric.com.





It came all tied up in this neat little package:



I just love neat packages. It's so nice when you get something that you can tell the seller took great care with.

So...you're wondering what I am doing with this fabric, right? Voila'!



A very stylish dog collar!


This is the victim of my adventures in canine fashion. Obviously, I need a model with short hair!