Little red bow.

My Giz-aboo.

The bow lasted about 10 minutes. Then she tried to eat it.

Gizzie

Be prepared to be inundated with puppy pictures.

That is, if I can get her to stay still for TWO seconds. And perhaps, if I can get her to stop charging me and the camera every time I try and take a picture...then, I might get at least one cute shot.

I've named her "Gizzie." I can't take credit for the name, as a friend thought of it. It started out as "Gizmo" and soon evolved into Gizzie. After what seemed like a year's wait, I picked my pup up from the breeder this evening. Much to my relief, the lil one slept the entire drive home. And that's over a 1.5 hour drive. She was such a good girl.

Today marks the day that nothing will ever be the same. Today marks the day that everything will change. My little Gizaboo.

Love her already.

Carol of the bells (and mercury)

I'm so excited for Christmas in Pottery Barn this year! It's my favorite time of year, as well as my favorite time to be working in the store. It turns into a winter wonderland. We get such beautiful product and this year, we're getting a lot of Mercury decorations (one of my favorites).

My tree is a champagne gold color. It's soft and muted. Not bright yellow or metallic as most may envision. It's truly beautiful. I'm not one to gravitate towards what is considered the "norm" or traditional. My ornaments are all silver, gold, mercury, and bronze, so the store's new ornaments will be the perfect addition (just a few, this year).

Dog days are over [but not for me]

All I can say is holy cuteness. I visited the litter of the breeder I chose a few weeks ago. Momma had six in her litter, which is a rare occurrence with Yorkshire Terriers. Five of them were girls, so I had many to chose from. I spent over an hour with them. At such a young age though (just over 3 weeks), it's impossible to really get a sense of their temperament and personalities. My sister says at that age they look like little beans. Of course, they were cute- they're puppies! I've narrowed my decision down to two- the two in the third picture. The one on the right is the smallest in the litter. I hope to visit again in a week or two and make my final decision. I've already put a deposit down, so it's official! December 5th will be the big day I bring her home. She will be 12 weeks at that time. I have a lot to do to prepare for my new houseguest and am extremely lucky and thankful my mom will be visiting for 5 weeks during the holidays. She will be able to help me with her new "grandbaby."

Penny

Penny and Rain Drops

Doing what puppies do best- sleep

I could have taken her home in my purse (you think he would have noticed?)

"Feets"

ruff-ruff.

This summer, I made the decision that I wanted a puppy. This wasn't a new or sudden revelation. I had to leave my yorkie, Chloe, in Florida with my parents. She is 14 years old, and I knew her soul couldn't take the move. I miss her everyday. With my move away from home, I knew I wanted to get a dog soon after I settled in my new place. My sister suggested I wait 6 months. By then, I would have a fairly regular schedule, which is important for puppies-routines and consistency. I agreed. A year passed, and still, no puppy. The delay was mainly due to my parents not supporting the idea of me getting a puppy. In their mind, I wasn't ready, for a number of reasons. After a great deal of thought and ongoing research, I decided that since I would be the one to take care of the puppy, I was going to determine when I would get the puppy. After all, I will be responsible for her, emotionally, physically, and financially (including the initial cost of the puppy). So I took the plunge. For the past month and a half, I have been reading about puppies, surfing the web, and researching breeders in the Jersey and Pennsylvania area. I plan to get a female, yorkshire terrier. It will be harder than I thought though. As it turns out, (of course) female puppies are more difficult to find as litters usually consist of more males. I hope to have the puppy by the end of December, just in time for a visit from my parents for the Christmas holidays. Dad is coming for a week, and my mom will be staying with me for about a month. Mom is looking forward to filling the role of "nanny" (as she says) to my puppy. The puppy will be a "winter puppy" so sweaters and fur-lined boots for in the snow will be a necessity. I haven't even found her yet, and she already is a fashionista in the making.

Chloe's first trip to the beach, 2009

Loveliness.

Some lovely vintage inspired pieces. I found them here and here. The sites are two of my favorite places to peruse for inspiration and wonderful fashion and accessories. I would die for these blue suede [nearly] knee-high boots. I've always liked purses constructed like rosettes and rosebuds. I love rosettes in fashion...on shoes, in a grouping on a dress, on blouses.

Hypnotized, mesmerized by what my eyes have seen.

I came across these artists while browsing the pages of craftgawker. What a great website with countless avenues for inspiration. Jeff and Dale make these wonderfully unique collage art bottles. They have an etsy site as well. Here are a few of my favorites. I would love to own one. They are such a cool addition to anyone's place.

I love the pops of aqua.

It's pale pink. How pretty.

Prepare for cuteness.

I stumbled across this amazing photographer's blog, Sharon Montrose. She photographs animals and babies, mostly. When I first saw these pictures, I thought they were paintings. This dog is precious, precious. Looks like a teddy bear.

Be still my heart.

These streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you.

I feel I'm such a city girl, despite the fact that I've never lived in the city. I wanted to live in the heart of Philadelphia when I moved up here, but it just wasn't in the cards for me. For now, being able to see the city skyline out my 7th floor apartment window will have to suffice. Next move, I hope to be in a city, even if it means living in an apartment the size of a closet. Even in spite of my love for the city, I still love to visit small and quaint towns. I can see myself possibly living in a place like St. Augustine (one of my favorite places to visit in Florida) post-retirement. I also dream of living somewhere in Europe one day too and there is no shortage of charming towns with cobblestone streets and outdoor cafes overseas.

Mom, dad, and I went to St. Augustine during my last visit home. We stayed in a hotel that overlooked the main street. I love the shopping there and always manage to find unique treasures at the boutiques and antique stores that line their streets. The restaurants are great too. The dinners we enjoyed were some of the best meals I've ever had. I have an appreciation for fine dining and can thank my parents for that. I stopped ordering off the kids menu when I was 6- no mac and cheese and hot dogs for me! Instead, I ordered filet mignon, salmon, and swordfish. And thanks to my mom and dad, growing up I was afforded delicious meals out (one of many perks of going home and traveling with the 'rents). I tried duck for the first time while on this trip and it was delicious! Although, my parents cautioned that I be very selective where I order duck. This restaurant was voted best in the area, so I felt safe in my choice.

Eating outside at one of my favorite restaurants. Reminded my mom of California.

My parents. I think of them often, now that I'm away.

A beautiful church. There are a lot of those in St. Augustine.

No Fourth of July has ever burned so brightly.

I was invited to spend this 4th of July with a dear friend of mine in her hometown in Maryland. It was a small town, with a lot of charm. I had the opportunity to meet her family and friends from high school. It was a relaxing 2 days- floating in the pool, Maryland crabs for lunch, a barbeque, fireworks show from the dock, Kahlua, ice cream from the corner store, and good laughs.

Me and Erika

Erika's wonderful mom and step dad.

One of her mom's pups- she has 3 daschunds.

I had NO idea eating crabs would be so much work. They were good, but I think I'll stick to snow crabs in the future.

Dog at the beach.

During my visit home, earlier this summer, my parents and I took Chloe-bear to the beach. It was her second trip to the beach and this time was very different from the first. Last time, it was quite with very few dog encounters. This time, we went to a different beach and the beach was filled with dogs! Mostly big dogs, but all very friendly (with the exception of a yappy yorkie, go figure). We almost acquired an old retriever who thought he was our lap dog. It was the sweetest thing. He kept coming over to us to "visit." His owner had to practically drag him away.

Our new friend.

Chloe's favorite place, on a towel and NOT in the water. Just like her "sissy."

Our lil rat.

With her daddy.

Z Gallerie loves

I love Z Gallerie. It is one of my favorite home decor stores. Everything is always so striking and dramatic. Their product definitely makes a statement. I miss having one locally...

I know, a little weird. But I love to include the unexpected in design/decor. This would work great incorporated in one of my groupings in my bedroom or living room.

I'm in love with this light (oyster shells). I've wanted something like this for a long time.

A great end table and works well for small places, like my apartment.

April in Paris. This would go well in my bedroom. And it's not the ubiquitous black and white eiffel tower picture...it's unique.