Puppy Love!

If you need to know one thing about me it is this: I am OBSESSED with puppies...especially Boston Terriers and French Bulldogs with their squashed little faces!

My main man, Mr. Gus, a "Frenchton"FYI...French Bulldog + Boston Terrier = Frenchton

I do love a man in glasses....with a wet nose :-)

Streeeeeeeeetchin'

Such sweet little faces

Gus does his stretches just like this, every morning

You talkin' to me?

Guard dog sleeping with one eye open

Gus sleeps like this too, always wedged right between Ryan and I

I would be THE happiest girl in the world if all of these were mine!

O.M.Geeeeeeeeee!

Gus and I

My dad tells me that I am obsessed with Gus, I think he's right

Thankful!

It is my personal belief that we need to be thankful for everything in our life, big and small.  If we only give thanks for the big things, we are going to overlook the everyday miracles that come our way.  So, in light of Thanksgiving and the holidays I thought I would dedicate this post to things I am thankful for!


*I am thankful for my crazy and dysfunctional family and how they always make me laugh
*I am thankful for friends who have held my hand through both the good and bad
*I am thankful for a boyfriend who has somehow managed to love and accept me, good and bad, just the way I am and make me feel more loved than I ever thought was possible
*I am thankful for a dog who is funny as hell and always puts a smile on my face
*I am thankful for my health and the health of those I love
*I am thankful for my education and the opportunity to have one
*I am thankful for those I have lost and the opportunity to have known and loved such amazing people
*I am thankful for the men and women serving our country and how they are willing to risk everything to protect people they will never even meet


Instead of focusing on what we don't have, lets show a little love for all that we do have. 

"The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings"

-Henry Ward Beecher

Lost Favorite

I love poetry. I managed to get English as a second major in college, purely do to the obscene amount of poetry classes that I took.  I was fortunate enough to work side by side with some wonderful poets, both in and out of lecture, and this is a gift that I am extremely grateful for.  Anyways, the reason for this post is that I stumbled across one of my favorite poems that I had forgotten all about. I wish I could take credit for this, but in fact I cannot, praise goes to Robert Frost.  This excerpt is from "Black Cottage" and speaks to, what I feel to be, an amazing universal truth.  The poem is amazing, but this bit is exceptionally amazing, I hope it strikes you all in the way that it struck me so many years ago

For, dear me, why abandon a belief

Merely because it ceases to be true.

Cling to it long enough, and not a doubt

It will turn true again, for so it goes.

Most of the change we think we see in life

Is due to truths being in and out of favour.

...indeed

Fall Time

I like Fall for many reasons, but here are my top few
 Reason #1: I don't melt on the way to my car
 Reason #2: Wearing pants/leggings means you don't have to shave your legs every day 
 Reason #3: Dark nail polish is a-ok
 Reason #4: Extra layers allow you to indulge in that extra cookie
 Reason #5: I LOVE Fall clothes.... leggings and sweaters and boots, oh my!


Here are a few of my favorite Fall things, as well as some things that I am looking forward to!
1. I love my Burberry quilted jacket, it goes with everything and it is super cozy
2. My leather boots that my mom got while studying abroad in Italy in the 1970s
3. Cozy and colorful scarfs
4.My vintage Chanel purses, from my wonderful uncle!
5. Over-sized sweaters to wear with my undersized, not-so-skinny "skinny" jeans

... i need to cook dinner, more to come

Gus is 1!

My sweet little monster turned 1 yesterday, and in true mommy fashion I went a little over the top.  I looked up puppy-friendly treat recipes online and made a bunch of them for his friends, as well as crafting a cake in the shape of  a "1" and topping it with peanut butter.  No birthday celebration is complete without an obnoxious candle, so I made sure to pick up one of those as well.  I can't believe Gus is 1, hopefully this means that he starts calming down sometime soon. I doubt I will be that lucky!

Blowing out the B-Day candle!

Monster loves peanut butter

An Ode to Apple Cider Vinegar

I am newly obsessed with Pinterest.com, it has the most random assortment of everything and I dig it.  Anywho, I recently "pinned" a link on all of the amazing uses for apple cider vinegar and I thought I would share.  I have began drinking one of it's concoctions and using it as a facial toner and I have started noticing the results. I kid you not.  Here is what the blurb says 

"The only vinegar that can, and SHOULD, be consumed daily. Benefits: Helps clear acne when taken orally and applied topically. If applied topically you dilute it with water, dab it on a breakout and rinse after 15 minutes. Promotes digestion. A blocked digestive tract can lead to all kinds of skin problems. It is also a natural cure for constipation. Super high in minerals and potassium which can help slow down the aging of your skin. Helps reduce sinus infections and sore throats. Encourages the growth of healthy bacteria within your body. Can help ease menstrual cramps. It has been used for centuries as a natural weight loss remedy. When purchasing apple cider vinegar make sure that its says "Raw" and "Unfiltered." This is very important. 1-2 tablespoons per glass mixed with water daily! Add a tablespoon of organic honey or stevia if it tastes too bitter for you."  

I like Bragg's  apple cider vinegar, it is easy to find (found it at my local grocery) and cheap (paid less than $3 for a 20 ounce container). The website lists numerous benefits such as:

Internal Benefits

-rich in enzymes & potassium

-supports healthy immune system

-helps control weight (who wouldn’t like that!)

-promote digestion and ph balance

-soothe dry throat

-maintain healthy skin

-soothe irritated skin

-relieves muscle pain after exercise