Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Fostering

In case you missed it, the husband and I are fostering a pup named Wags.  She has been with us since September 13 (that Friday the 13th was her lucky day).  This is our first time to foster an animal.

How do I feel about fostering?

"That's not me."

No, Wags, it's not you...not anymore.


When I look at pictures like this, I feel pretty darn fantastic about fostering.  That picture on the left was taken almost exactly one year ago when Wags was picked up by BARC, the Houston animal shelter.  The picture on the right was taken in my backyard about one month ago.  It is hard to believe this is the same dog.  Pictures like this are why I have always wanted to be a doggie foster mom.


Fostering a dog is not always easy.  In fact, it is a lot of work.  I used to own one Kong toy and every now and then put a milk bone in it.  Now I own 4 that I stuff each evening with kibble and peanut butter and stash in the freezer so that I have projects to hand out to the pups.  Is that a lot of work?  No, not really.  What is a lot of work is being consistent all the time (or at least as much as possible).


When you bring home a new pup that has never lived in a home before it doesn't matter whether they are an adult dog or not; they require training just as a brand new puppy would.  Essentially you are bringing home a very large puppy.  In this case a 45 pound puppy.  Consistency is very important when you are training a puppy and it is a full time deal.  Even when you are not having a training session, you are still training them which is why consistency is so important.  That part can be very exhausting.  The reward?  Seeing the pup do the things you want them to do on cue.  That part is awesome.


The emotional side of fostering is a pretty big deal too.  I love this dog.  It makes me sad when people tell me I need to keep her.  I understand why people say that to you, but if I do keep her I am not able to save another dog like her.  I want to save another dog like her.  I want to save a lot more dogs like her.


Wags is a great dog.  She will be a wonderful addition to someone's family.  My biggest fear for when she finds her home is that she feels like she was abandoned.  I hate that thought.  That she would feel like we no longer wanted her.  I know she is a dog and her feelings are not as robust as mine, but I do know dogs feel.  I know this dog loves me, sometimes I call her Velcro dog since a lot of times she is literally attached to me.  I hate thinking she might miss me.  I know I will miss her.  The payoff of her having a forever home and family out weighs my feelings.  Completely.


If you are thinking about fostering, I recommend it.  It is hard work though, so don't expect it to be all snuggling and playing fetch.  It is rewarding work.  It is fantastic work.


You will feel thanked.

Wags is a rescue of Red Collar Rescue here in Houston.  If you think you would want to meet her you can contact them via email at info@redcollar.org.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Weekend Recap

I was very busy in my house this weekend.  I cleaned out the closet and did lots of rearranging.  I'm so happy with how everything turned out.  I absolutely love how much of a difference you can make in a space by rearranging things you already have.  The majority of my work centered around the bedroom.

Even after posting the Bedroom Before and After blog I was never super happy with how I had our room accessorized.  I want one of those fantastic, cozy retreats that you see all over Pinterest.

(source)

You know the ones I pin from the Better Homes and Gardens website all the time?  You can stalk me on Pinterest if you want to see all those fun pins.  Anyway, I think I might be getting a little closer to my cozy retreat.  I started with the chest.  I removed some of the picture frames, this chest was like picture frame overload.


I put a couple of pictures away and relocated a couple of birdhouses from the dresser.  I would like to replace the boring candle holder I have up there, but still an improvement.

It was easy to decide to pull the birdhouses off the dresser.  I was not wild about them or the antique wooden box there.  I felt like it didn't belong.


The dresser turned into this:


I would apologize for the TV glare in the picture, but I was watching football while I worked and I cannot apologize for watching football, so you will have to pretend it is not there.  I want to replace the candle holder here as well, but I do like this much better.  I used a couple of pictures from the chest and one from our hot air balloon adventure in Arizona that had been in my office.  I love that picture.

I was particularly unhappy with my dressing table and my bedside table because I felt like they were just thrown together.  Items that didn't work anywhere else, or items I had from when I was younger kind of landed there together randomly.


On the bedside table, especially the bottom shelf, had random books, a treat jar for my pups, and a glass jar with change in it.  All kind of random and not that wonderful to look at.


I simplified that with two pretty hard back books, a silver pitcher that was hiding in my dining room, and a bird I relocated from my breakfast room shelves.

The dressing table is the location where the husband empties his pockets so I wanted something there to corral those items.  I also wanted to trade out the painted wooden boxes where my frequently worn jewelry lands. 


I grabbed an antique bowl from the living room for the husband's things to land in.  I moved out the wooden boxes and replaced them with a silver bowl from the breakfast room.  These are very subtle changes, but big ones to me.

I moved the painted wooden boxes and the pups' treat jar to the shelves of my TV stand.  That is the tiny space in my room where all my silliness comes together.

I do like the silliness.

I realize these are shelves you would never see on Pinterest or on the Better Homes and Garden website, but that is partly because no one else posts their shelves of silliness.  I know there are others out there who have them.

The antique wooden box that was on my dresser took up residence in the living room in the space the blue bowl left behind, along with a tiny bowl that had been on the chest in the bedroom with all the picture frames.

Very happy with this.

My final project of the weekend was to frame and hang the prints we bought in Italy (finally) on the blank wall in the breakfast room.  It had been waiting to be filled for a while.

Lonely little blank wall.

Happily Printed

I was so exhausted on Sunday after working so hard all day, but I am so happy I did it.  What did you do this weekend?


Linking Up:


still being [molly]

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Whoa Nelly!

I have missed the blogosphere!  Life gets busy sometimes, doesn't it!?  Is that a good thing or a bad thing?  Discuss.  :)

We have some lovely crisp weather here in Houston.  I am loving fall and looking forward to decorating for Christmas.


The crazy pups are doing great.  Fall weather makes them very happy and excited too.  They are full of energy right now.

Wags and Sammy

Look at Wags; she's so cute.  You want to meet her don't you?  I know you do.  Email Red Collar Rescue now for details: info@redcollar.org.

Who is already putting a dent in their holiday shopping?  I am usually close to finished by now, but this year I haven't even started.  I am behind.  Last year I even had all my presents wrapped right after Thanksgiving.  I am a little stressed out about my lack of organization this year.  I haven't even ordered my Christmas cards.  I want to do a little picture collage of Italy this year.  Here are some of the pictures I am considering.

Along the Arno in Florence

In Pisa

In Rome

And I love this gondola selfie, I am thinking it definitely gets included somehow.


Now I just need to get it together and order so they will be here in enough time to mail before Christmas!!!  Sigh.

Have you started your holiday preparations?

Hope you are doing great!!