The next phase...

A lot has happened since I last posted. I lost both of my precious Italian greyhound children, Valentino in April 2015 at almost 17 years old and Vinnie in January 2016 just a month shy of his 15th birthday. These loses have affected me in ways I would have never imagined and my heart will never be the same. I'm not sure I will have dogs again....something I really need to come to terms with.
We still have the 3 rescued pups, all seniors, and Tom's boy, Benny the yorkie. Mugzy 2.0.
I remain immersed in my business, it's all I can do to keep up and am so grateful that so many people enjoy my functional pet fashions. Someday I'll expand, I imagine....but right now it's not the time.

I've lost nearly 40 pounds since January, struggling for some sort of normalcy amidst working non-stop, a health scare or two, menopause, loss and inevitable change.
I've been cooking a lot more, finding ways to stay healthy in the next phase of life with sensible diet and lifestyle changes. We really do take our health for granted...something I am just learning in this "over 50" stage. I enjoy sharing my meal pics and recipes on Facebook and have converted more than a few people into healthier eating! I've removed dairy and gluten from my diet and most sugar except for an occasional tiramisu!

Someday I will pursue my love of photography and there's that book I've been dying to write. "Maybe next year" has turned into 5 years and I need to work on that! Life is too short for what ifs.




Tuna-Guac, my own recipe. Tuna, avocado, lemon, cilantro

Sew what.....

What has happened in the 4 years since my last entry is hard for ME to even understand. We moved into our lovely home in May '10 and by July I was so busy sewing my Spoiled Bratzwear line of custom made pet wear that blogging (and anything not-business-related) went to the wayside. As I struggled to maintain some semblance of a "normal" life, my business has morphed into something I would have never anticipated from my humble beginnings with a few fleece dog hats.
As it now stands, I'm only open til the 15th of each month so the last 2 weeks I am fully concentrating on sewing and not manning the computer, Facebook or fielding customer questions. It works well for me and I still sneak in 2-3 yoga classes a week to keep my back in good working condition!
So in the last 4 years I've turned 50, lost 4 beloved pets (Tink, Panda, Mugzy & Jack) and my birth father, who I didn't really know anyway. My niece got married, nephew bought his first home and I'm wondering where did the years go?
I feel like 2015 will be a year of big changes, trying to figure out if I want to expand (hire help) or do something completely different. Time will tell.....meanwhile I'm almost 52, not famous OR rich and just trying to stay afloat in a sea of fleece and senior dogs who demand my undivided attention.
Life is funny......

Flagstaff is burning :(

We left just a month ago and Flagstaff has been hit with three big fires this weekend. We can see the plume from the backyard of our new home, 100 miles south. From the massive snowfalls of this past winter to devistating fires....pretty weird year.

I hope everyone will be OK up there...I've heard from some rescue friends and they have evacuated both animal shelters, Coconino Humane and Second Chance Center for Animals and moving the homeless animals to the fairgrounds...not sure how that will work out and I'm rather sad I'm not there to help in some small way.

If you were ever thinking about adopting a pet in Flagstaff, AZ now would be a GREAT time. Or contact either of these organizations and see how you can help.

Fires are always a threat in the summer months, living in the middle of the largest Ponderosa pine forest on the continent....but it's never easy to watch......especially from afar.

Be safe friends.

Movin' On

After almost 5 years living at the top of Arizona, we've decided to move down the hill a little for Tom's health and more room for the dogs, of course. We've had a rough couple of months with Tom ending up in the ICU over the holidays with a pneumonia that went into his heart.

We've found the most adorable rancher on 2.5 fenced acres, just outside of Prescott, AZ on county land. Let the barking commence! We are SO excited for this new adventure and are moving within the month. I will have lots of room for my sewing business and hope to expand in the 2nd half of 2010.

Jack is STILL with us...almost 2 years in foster care and most of them here with me. He did spend some time in Las Vegas, but was sadly returned. We NEED to find this boy a nice home. Monti keeps biting him :(

So medical bills, moving, caring for 7 dogs and two ancient cats and working on my Spoiled Bratzwear stuff doesn't allow me much time to blog. I'll try to be better at it because I really do enjoy it. I can't believe it's been 6 months since my last entry.............

Jack one year later ~ Senior Italian Greyhound

We are running a Fundable for sweet Jack who has been with us for almost a year and in rescue for 16 months. He desperately needs a dental and to have his hemangioma's removed, which are little lesions that grow all over his belly and can turn cancerous if not tended to.

He had all of this done last June when he first came in which was funded by generous Silver Hounds supporters but he's in need again.

One lucky donator will win a $100 Gift Card to use in my ArtFire studio or in the Silver Hounds store which offers lovely sterling IG themed jewelry. Please do what you can.

http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2009-09-20.7763599831

And the winner is......PETE

With half of the votes, Pete walks off with the big prize. Congrats to GrandPrairieWoodworks and adorable Pete. Thanks to EVERYONE who participated. Your dogs are ALL winners in my book.

Cutest Dog Contest on ArtFire~ Win a $50 gift card

Aren't these just the CUTEST dogs? All of these furry faces belong to the talented artisans on ArtFire.
Vote for your favorite over the Labor Day weekend. The dog with the most votes by 3pm (AZ time) Monday Sept. 7th will win a $50 gift certificate to Spoiled Bratwear on Artfire. Please vote in the comment section with the number or letter of your fav picture.
GOOD LUCK! And Happy Labor Day!

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