exit, pursued by bear

as if I needed another reason to learn how to sew ...

Just came across this fabric, cleverly called "Le French Bulldog Fabric"

{fabric from Sew Bettie, via not martha}

At first glance, it actually looks a bit more Boston Terrier-ish, but I think it's the angle of the head and ears that gives that impression (FB's heads have more of a rounded, less angular look than BT's).

Oh, and if the English are more your speed, check out Good Boy Gatsby:

{Bulldog fabric also from Sew Bettie}

Now, what on earth I would use this fabric for is anyone's guess ...

stealth mode: engaged.

Norman: stealth camouflage mode.
Originally uploaded by LNsBeatles

:: narrated in hushed tones ::

Here we see the mostly domesticated "Bouledogue Français" or "Canis Spottedus Stinkyus," attempting to camouflage himself amongst the warm hills and valleys of "Dwell Studio Duvet."

This current habitat is surely most foreign to the "Canis Spottedus Stinkyus," as he typically hibernates in tiny, squashed spaces - frequently called a "dog bed" in the local dialect - and usually found only in lower altitudes. We can only speculate that recent colder temperatures drove this furry beast to seek warmth and shelter at a higher elevation.

Hopefully the locals were not too startled or disturbed by the appearance of such a strange creature - he is known for his unmelodious vocalizations and his tendency to emit noxious fumes. Although, given the size and girth of "Canis Spottedus Stinkyus," surely he required some assistance to ascend to such great heights?

We may never know for sure ... Tune in again, for more insights and background into this fascinating creature!

merriest wishes.

"The gift of love. The gift of peace. The gift of happiness. May all these be yours at Christmas."

And, if possible, the gift of snuggly puppy kisses.

Merry Christmas!

cookies for Santa.

I really wish I had the patience (and talent!) to make these:

{"Holiday Cookie Cutter Set" from Martha Stewart for Macy's via the Holiday Gift Guide}

That Santa cookie cutter is especially cute. (I can't find these anywhere -- has anyone seen them?)

{"Decorated Santa Cookies" from Martha. More details here.}

Need a good sugar cookie recipe for cut outs? (Who doesn't?!) Here are a few I've come across over the past few days:

- Martha's recipe, used in the episode for decorated Santa cookies
- Essential Recipe No. 2: Sugar Cookies (article from Blueprint ... sniff.) and recipe.
- Perfect Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing (also from Martha).
- Recipe: Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (from TheKitchn -- note this makes a large quantity).
- "My Favorite Christmas Cookies From Childhood and Beyond" from The Pioneer Woman Cooks (with "non-sweet egg yolk glaze")

Hopefully this might help get some home baked cookies out to Santa this year! :o)

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

Christmas query ...

So I've seen LOTS o' blogs offering up cute, free, downloadable gift tags for their readers ... has anyone come across any cute, free, downloadable address labels? Looking for something to use for our much-delayed Christmas cards.

I did find these, which I think I'll use for our French Bulldog holiday card exchange this year  (don't ask ...) -- aren't they cute??

{"Santa Claus Address Labels" from On a Limb Paper via VintageGlam Blog. Download here.}

But I'd like something different for our regular Christmas cards. Bonus points if you can find return address lables, too -- ooh, matching return address labels, even??

A girl can dream ...

and so it begins ...

{Amy Butler's home from the November/December 2007 issue of Blueprint}

Oh how I long to be at home, curled up with on the sofa with my husband (and a Frenchie or two). The holidays turn me into a total homebody, more so than usual. And now I'm anxious to get fully into the holiday spirt (something I rigidly put off until the start of December: I like my holidays appropriately separated).

After a lovely Thanksgiving, we hosted a party for family and a few out of town guests on Saturday -- two dozen people crowded into our little house, filling it with lots of love and laughter. Our dogs were in heaven -- being passed from lap to lap, snoozing under the dining room table that held a buffet full of goodies, angling for dropped morsels, scampering about. A lot of time and effort went into getting the house ready for company and preparing the food, but it was worth it: we had a wonderful evening.

And just as we had shuffled everyone out the door, the doorbell rang again -- and we found four lovely friends standing on our doorstep. More wine was poured and leftovers were happily eaten. So helpful when one is trying to clear out the fridge ;o)

Welcome, winter!

chill chills.

The combination of plummeting temperatures, the sadly lacking insulation in our old house and my somewhat sadistic desire to keep the thermostat at about 63°, has let to some serious bundling up while at home. This usually results in me sitting on the couch wearing 18 layers, wrapped in a blanket and "fighting" with my husband over who gets to sit closest/huddle next to the body heat dispersion factory of one or both of our dogs. We always want the chunkier one: Norm has more mass to produce more heat. Poor Lou, he's like the little consolation prize.

Oh, and my husband has started to refuse to take off his coat once he enters the house, heh. We make a ridiculous looking pair.

Last weekend, we took advantage of some of the insane sales that you can find in stores now, and purchased this "Pom Pom" Throw, from Macy's:

{Martha Stewart Collection "Pom Pom" Throw, 70x50" - $80 $39.99}

I opted for the turquoise-y "stream" color. I know you're shocked. The other night, I realized that I was wearing turquoise fuzzy slipper socks, turquoise sweat pants, a teal fleece pullover -- wrapped in a turquoise blanket.

I've had my eye on this particular throw for some time, as I had an older throw in a similar color that I was looking to replace (it was getting very worn and shabby looking). The color looks good on our tan-ish sofa, and goes nicely with some of our other living room accessories. But, there was no way that I was going to pay $80 for this thing, something that will endure stains and spills and dog hair.

On Saturday, however -- I was pleased to see that it was on sale. AND of course there was an extra % off if you had a coupon or were paying with your Macy's card, so it ended up being quite the deal.

It's a nice weight -- and the size is perfect (70x50") -- good for sharing and snuggling. It's warm and retains heat nicely, but it's not a super heat trapper that you have to kick off, like fleece or down can be. I like this better for a throw, because I feel like it helps you regulate your own temperature better.

Plus, acrylic or cotton is nice for a more "all season" type throw -- I may be a curmudgeon about the heat, but I adore air conditioning in the summer. It's pretty much chilly in our house year 'round -- so I imagine this throw will work well in the hotter months, too -- when my feet get chilly from all those blasts of frigid air ;o)

Like I could resist those pom poms anyway!

overdue decor.

Just pretend these pictures are:

1. timely
2. composed properly/obeying proper rules of photography and good taste
3. in focus
4. not depressingly irrelevant at this point

{mantle with haunted house, fab Dauphine candlesticks (lovely wedding gift, thanks Erin!) with darling white mini pumpkins, faux pumpkin, cobwebby goodness, etc.}

{side table decor with faux pumpkin (lights up!), framed e-pic (awww.) and seasonal sprig in vase with candy corns (seemed like a good idea at the time)}

{possibly depressing, sad little faux pumpkins sitting in the corner, at the bottom of stairs - why have I banished them?}

{no place is safe ... from my decorating frenzy.}

{up close, and personal (it is the bathroom, after all)}

{buffet in dining room with bowl o' gourds, and other methods of decorating that involve filling containers with assorted objects}

{my genius knows no bounds ... much like my ability to take fuzzy photos}

{pumpkin guy atop entry table}

{front steps, jack o' lantern, dogs at door and 8 of our 13 pumpkins}

Phew. Let's hope any other photos taken this month appear in a more timely fashion ;o)

frog dog(s).

{Frog dog wearing frog costume. It's all very meta.}

So very disappointed that this photo came out fuzzy! That's what I get for laughing while photographing. Louis is actually sporting the Halloween costume I bought for Norman.

Oh, and that is my cute husband holding a Lou up to the camera. He's wearing an orange argyle sweater, in a snazzy/preppy nod to the holiday. Love him! ;o)

But I had to have both of our furry boys try on the costume. Here's Norm frogging it:

{"it's exhausting being this cute."}

It's the best kind of dog costume -- it's basically a hoodie with googly eyes on top. One chilly night, Norm wore it for hours, without complaint. Warm, comfortable, and amusing to all ;o)

watchful.

{Norm, on lookout detail}

Norm loves, loves, loves looking out the door -- so we often open our front door and keep the storm door locked so he can keep an eye on things. What does he see? What does he think about, gazing out towards the street? These are things we ponder.

On Halloween, he stood there, eagerly awaiting the approach of little trick-or-treaters. We wondered if he was thinking, "hey kids! up here! we've got candy!" He LOVES little kids, I guess because they're sized more appropriately for his short stature. He seems fascinated by them. Footed pumpkin guy kept him company, and kept the candy close at hand ... er, paw.