yorkies – Page 7 – Karla's Cottage

How I spent my summer vacation

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, Sugarwings, Travel, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / June 15, 2010

Bringing puppies with us on the trip was such a good idea. I went back and forth up to the last minute on whether or not I should take them. I talked to a friend about babysitting them, I wrote everyone who had shown an interest to see if they wanted to buy one CHEAP before I went out of town, I fretted and fussed and worried about them getting too hot in the car or peeing everywhere in my sis's home.

Sissy said she'd be disappointed if I didn't bring them, and I hated the thought of missing the last bit of time with them before they were moving on to new families, so I decided to pack them up.

It was the right decision. We spent a lot of time outside enjoying Sissy's lovely garden and patio, and the pups could run and play with Sugarwings.

And since I had litter box trained them (smartest thing I've EVER done!!) they were safe to leave at home, penned up with their box nearby while we went out and explored.

We took our fairy girl to the June Jamboree in Pendleton, IN. It was an event I impatiently waited for all year when I was growing up there. I really thought she'd love it too. And yes, she had fun and rode some rides, but my little nature girl was much more interested in the park and waterfall we walked through to get to the rides. Walking along the creek and watching the waterfall was mesmerizing her so much that we had to convince her to come along to the flashing lights and carnival music up ahead.

Smart kid.

She is realizing at a young age that true happiness comes from the simple things.

We also spent time in Mounds State Park. When I was a kid, we were taught in the Indiana history books that it was an Indian burial grounds. Now they know that the mounds were built for some equinox reason.

Its been 30 years or more since I've been there, and I'd forgotten what a beautiful place it was. Sugarwing's Daddy, Mr. Zen Master really loved it there.

Leave it to my family to go hiking in white clothes and barefoot. But aren't they pretty that way?

Yes, very pretty. What a sweet, happy couple these two are.

White didn't work out so well for me. My sisses and I went to Sephora while out shopping and I leaned up against a sample lipstick display and ended up with a series of pale pink through plum polka dots along my skirt.

Any hints on how to remove lipstick from white cotton?

That is, if there are any of you left out there to answer after making you look at all my family vacation photos. I promise, next post will have some arty or old stuff in it.

Lucky charms

antiques/junking, collections, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, flowers, Sugarwings, Travel, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / June 14, 2010

We had a great trip to Indiana! Traveling with 3 puppies and one 3 year old made the drive challenging, but unique. Instead of stopping for typical roadside breaks, we needed to find spots for all the little ones to stretch and play. Lunch was a quick trip to Trader Joe's in St Louis to pick up a picnic, then take it to a city park to eat it and play for an hour or so.

And for one break, we found a giant field of clovers to run in.

Adam's loved one has magical four leaf clover hunting skills. I've spent a life time trying to find just ONE. She says its all in the way you look at them. I consider myself a lucky person, and I have sharp eyes, but I can't find a lucky clover for anything. And I search!!

Its been a quest of mine since I was a little girl. Other goals, I've had to leave behind. Like trying to go one full mile on a pogo stick. I spent an entire summer when I was about 8 years old on that one, and had to give it up. Or the summer I tried to learn how to do a back flip into the pool. My body just doesn't do those and I gave up that dream too.

I'm not giving up on the clover search, and now I have a Clover Master to teach me her skills.

My poor little car was filled to the brim on the way there, and we had to half unload it every time we got the pups out.

But it was not too full to add some purchases along the way! My hat whispering skills were in fine form and I found so many (cheap!) along I70, that I am almost embarrassed to tell you about it.

These are just a few that I have unpacked so far. The rest are in my suitcase with all the dirty laundry and I am avoiding that. Its hard enough to admit a vacation is over, doing up the laundry and unpacking is just too much to face.

(The wallpaper covered box is full of old corsages. I got a bag filled with them for $11.)

So, I maybe my lucky charm isn't a four leaf clover its a millinery flower?

All the puppies are settled into their new homes now. We are down to Agnes Rose, who I am calling Rosebud instead of Rose now. She is just too little to be a big flower, she's just a bud.

I'm adjusting to the fact that we actually KEPT one. A couple days ago, she was one of the pups, now she is MY dog.

Well, that point is debatable. Someone else claims Agnes Rosebud.

They kept each other company for most of the drive home.

Who is the Dork?

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, family, Sugarwings, Travel, vintage paper/collage art, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / June 8, 2010

We are heading out of town again, this time to see my sisses in Indiana where I grew up. I've decided to take the pups with me, Sissy is being brave about a house full of little Stench Monkeys, as we call them sometimes. I should be packing, especially gathering up the dog paraphernalia and stuff to entertain Sugarwings on a 9 hour drive.

Instead, I'm playing in the studio. This photo of Sugarwings at the water park was just calling out to me, I had to turn it into a fairy collage for my photo album.

Especially after Beth pointed out that this water spray looks like a dorky! I printed the picture and drew over it, following the dog shape in the water, then cut out the puppy.Okay, so now you know what you suspected, I am totally dog crazed. Maybe I am the dork, not the dogs. But Beth saw it first, so its not just me.

Between playing with the dogs and imagining dog shapes in water fountains, I listed some new things in the Boutique.

But since I'll be away, I can't mail any purchases till Monday. Thanks for your patience!

All the pups are spoken for now. I decided not to sell ANY of them after all!! Each is going to family or friends. I'm delivering one to Indiana to my niece, and another will go to my MIL in Utah. This will most likely be our last litter ever, so I wanted to keep them as "family". I just got too attached.

Between listing and gluing this morning, I also made some puppy pillows. I had a pair of rose patterned flannel PJ bottoms that had ripped, and I couldn't bear to toss them. So, I cut the legs into squares and stitched up little pillows, then tossed them in with all the pups. I'm hoping that when the pups go to their new homes, taking a pillow that smells like their siblings will help with the transition.When Teresa picked up her Lily a couple weeks ago, I sent a rosy pillow home with them too. I'm NOT a good sewer, and the pillows are simple as can be. But I think they are a cute idea for the babies.

Twinkle and the other big dogs will stay behind on this trip, with Ryan to watch them. Its great to have a grown son around to dog sit! Plus my dogs have a fenced in yard with a doggy door to let themselves out whenever they want. Ryan only has to fill their bowls once a day and say hi to them.
He lives in an apartment above my studio, so when I am away, the house is not empty.

Well, as much as I dread packing, it can't be put off much longer. I'd better start wedging stuff into my poor little car. I have 3 adults, a preschooler, 3 puppies, luggage, puppy gear, toys, and a cooler to fit into a Scion. My car is roomy for a small car, but this could be pushing the limits!

How much fun can you fit into one day?

antiques/junking, celebrations, collections, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, family, I do tend to run on, don't I?, parties, Sugarwings, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / June 7, 2010

Omaha was great, we had such a nice trip! Don't I have the world's sweetest husband, to chose a weekend at the zoo and the Holiday Inn's water park with all the kids as his 50th birthday celebration?

We LOVE this little water park in Omaha, its in a newer Holiday Inn that has great service, and free meals for kids. The indoor pool area is meant for smaller children and has never been crowded or busy while we are there.

Plus, the hotel is located near the Old Town area, with great food and shopping. While the kids napped between swimming in the morning and zoo time in the afternoon, I escaped to 2nd Chance. Where I found a pile of floral hats for under $7 each.

Plus a pile of Victorian scrap and old photos. I'm planning on making some fairy ornaments (hopefully a make and take at Silver Bella in November.) Have you ever noticed how hard it is to find just the right photos to make into fairies? You need to make sure you get both feet, a standing or sitting position that works well when the person is cut out of the photo, and no fingers to have to cut around.

Well, you don't want the person to be fingerless- you just don't want the fingers to be splayed and beyond the edges of the girl's dress. Its just easier to not have to cut out each tiny finger.

Normally, when I am on a family trip like this, I don't get in much shopping. This time I also got to stop at Rusty Chandelier in St. Joe on the drive home. It was a quick trip, to stretch legs and for my husband to fill up the car while Sugarwings and I looked around antique mall.

But I just knew that I had to stop, and I was right, my hat whispering skills had led me to a couple more hats that were waiting there for me.

How PERFECT is this sequin top hat???? Silver Bella's theme this fall will be hats and Teresa has been using a cute top hat as the symbol of the event this year. I found not only this hat, but this bit of Victorian scrap with this little girl wearing a top hat herself. There are some possibilities for that rolling around in my head right now!

So much for my theory that pictures for fairies need feet. I can see her as a little sprite, can't you? She might be the foundation for my design for the make and take for vendor night.

And there are a few pictures of Sugarwings that I might make into a fairy for my photo album.

We had lucky weather while in Omaha, there was sunshine and a light breeze at the zoo. Sugarwing's Daddy and his new family (well some of them, not all the kids could make it) came along for the trip and I discovered that its even more fun to have extra grand kids to spoil and play with!

Before the trip, I bought the girls matching dresses, and a coordinating red shirt for the little guy. Corny? Yep, but I thought it was adorable, plus it made them so easy to keep track of all day. We knew that the red blurs running up ahead were ours.

Our hotel was around the corner from the Qwest Center, where Barnum and Baily Circus happened to be for the weekend. We hadn't planned on attending, but the kids had never been, so when the zoo closed at 6, we swung by for the next performance at 7.

The morning started at the pool, then napping, then zoo, then circus, then ended at the pool again. Whew! That was one jam packed day.

But, my husband and I decided at the last minute to play hooky and just buy tickets to the circus for the rest of the group. He and I snuck over to Old Town and had a romantic dinner, then walked around holding hands and enjoying the evening.

As ideal as the kids were all day, sweet, polite, and fun- it was nice to have a night out with just the two of us. When we got back to the hotel, we joined the kids at the water park, where I taught them how to play shark tag, and let the parents go have their own little get away dinner.

I think my handsome husband had a fantastic birthday, I hope he enjoyed the trip as much as I did! He's a great guy and deserves a good celebration!

Still, its nice to be back home with our puppies again.

my Rose Room

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), flowers, Hand Painted Furniture, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / June 5, 2010

I'll be away for a couple of days to celebrate my husband's birthday. Ryan will be here with the big dogs and the pups will stay with their dad's family, where they can visit their spotted brother who has gone to live there with them.

So, I won't be able to answer comments, but I will enjoy reading them when I get back. And each is entered into the June Giveaway.

When I was getting ready for friends to come for the Creative Cottage Girls Weekend, I decided that my guest room needed a redo. It was inspired by this 1940s bedspread that I picked up at a local flea mkt. I already had the floral curtains, they came from a dumpster a few years back. The shutter that I hung over the bed was out in my shed, and all of the tins and rose pieces were scattered around the house.

The shutters on each side of the window were some that I painted for a client who never came to get them. So, I guess they are mine after a couple of years, huh?

This isn't exactly zero dollar decorating, since I bought the bedspread. But everything else that I used was pulled from another room, or out of my storage shed.

I've been collecting porcelain roses for years, but have been trying to use more neutral colors downstairs, so it was a perfect fit to bring all of the roses upstairs to my new guest room, and call it the Rose Room.

This chest of drawers is another item never claimed by a client. She had it in lay-a-way for years, and never showed for it. Should that make me feel like a loser, with both of these unwanted, hand painted pieces left behind?

Actually, I'm kind of glad that this was never claimed. I just don't paint furniture any more like I used to, and now am glad to have a piece to keep for myself. It was always one of my favorites, even while it was taking up space in the garage for 3 years waiting for the person to come and get it!!!

The De Longpre roses are from a garage sale for 50 cents. I've had all these things in my studio for a few years, and as much as I liked them, they just never matched all the other things out there. So, I was glad to move them into the Rose Room.

This is a room we added in the attic when we bought the 800 square foot farmhouse 19 years ago. Its been through many transformations, both boys used it as their bedroom at one time or another, for a while it was my studio, before we built the addition. A brother moved in for a few months, and later on a niece. Then, Sugarwing's Daddy has used it off and on in the last few years. Each time, it got a make over.

But of all of the redos, I like this one best. To me, it says Cottage B&B. I hope my guests feel that when they come to stay.

Upstairs in the old part of the house, I have Sugarwing's room, the Rose Room, and the Library. My fairy grand baby and I love to curl up in that big, soft chair with a good book to share. This room is a bit of a hodge podge. Doesn't every house have a catch all room with all the left over pieces in it?

While my house was actually cleaned up (that happens so rarely) I got photos of all of it. I'll show a few more next week.

For now, I'll leave you with another puppy video. You didn't think I'd do a puppy-less post did you???

Taking better pet photos

Books, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), how to's, vintage paper/collage art, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / June 3, 2010

Here is another little video of Sugarwings and a puppy. When I ask her which puppy she has, you can't hear the answer very well, but she says "This one". Well, dur, Grams.

There is an ad in the paper to sell two of the remaining 3 pups. (the last one will go to Beth, she says any of them are fine with her) Here is Dorothy, who will be bigger than the others, and is chocked full of personality. Her tail is in constant motion, she can't contain her happiness.

This little guy, has an explorer's view of the world, he is the one who is always off deep in the bushes looking for something exciting.

And this fella has a darker face, his coloring is a bit different than the rest of the group. He is a snuggler.

Of course, this little beauty isn't for sale, I'm keeping Miss Aggie Rose. She is modeling one of the items I just listed in the Boutique, a vintage rhinestone bracelet. I have a feeling that Agnes will be every bit the camera hog that her mom is.

Thanks for all the compliments on the puppy pics. I do love my camera, a Cannon Rebel XSi, even though I've never learned how to use all the bells, whistles, tricks and doodads on it. I'm afraid I'll always be a point and shoot kind of photographer.

I use my pocket sized Cannon for some of the pictures too, and I think it does very well also.

For me, the trick to good animal (or child) photos, is to get down on their level. With the 1 pound baby dogs who have 3" long legs, that can be a hard to do. Sometimes, I am laying on my belly in the gravel trying to get the right angle. Then, the other pups tackle me and try to play tug of war with the camera strap.

Also, have a good background. Don't just snap a picture of Fido (does anyone really name their dog Fido anymore?) in front of Dad's Lazyboy, or the kitchen trash can, or a garish dog blanket. The photo might be of your PET, but the background is a big part of it!

I don't always clean up the yard before pictures, so you'll see a garden hose, or some of Sugarwing's toys sometimes. But, I do try to angle the camera away from clutter, or kick some of it out of the way.

Pose your pet. It takes practice for the animal, and LOTS of snaps of the camera to get one good picture. I set them where I want them to be, pet and love on them a bit so they are comfortable, then take about 20 or so pictures to get one good one. And remember to still bend down to their level with the camera! A straight on shot is so much better than one looking down at the animal.

EDITING! I use Picassa and Picknik and adore them both. Both are simple and easy and make a huge difference in your pictures. Crop, crop, crop, cut out all the extras and bring the focus to the pet.

I crop and tune on Picassa, then upload to Picknik. On that site, I do the auto-fix, and sharpen. Then hit the creative area and play with all the buttons. It sounds complicated and time consuming, but I promise it is not. I never spend more than a couple minutes per picture.

I'll leave you with some photos of what's new in the Boutique.

A vintage paper covered mini birdhouse/fairy house.

A mini collage sampler book.

It was Beth's idea to call it a "sampler" because it didn't really have a theme, beyond coordinating colors.

It was also Beth's idea to make these. She brought cabinet cards to share with everyone at my Creative Cottage Girls Weekend, and showed us how to turn an old photo holder into a book.

I kept the photo theme going with mine by using old pictures on the inside and outside of the covers. The rest is watercolor paper, blank and ready for its new owner to use it as a scrapbook, photo album, or art journal.

Oh! Before I forget, here is something fun! Lisa is having a challenge. I'll be playing along and hope you will too.

How much is that puppy in the window?

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), yorkies

By Karla Nathan / June 3, 2010

All pups have homes now, thanks!

More Puppy Pics and a lost and forgotten giveaway

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, give away, jewelry, Sugarwings, vintage paper/collage art, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / June 1, 2010

We had such a nice holiday weekend. Of course, any weekend when we get some Sugarwings time is a good weekend.

Add in some pups, and there couldn't be a better way to spend some time.

Then, today was craft day and we took a few puppy breaks outside to enjoy the day. This little tiny girl is the one we have decided to keep. She was going by Glinda, which we like, but since we won't have a whole passle of pups any more, we won't really need to stick with the Oz theme, so we might change it.

I've kind of liked the name Agnes. That was my Grandma's name, and my cousin suggested it for the Name the Puppies contest. I had told her that I loved the name but would save it for a baby we keep some day, not one that was for sale. At that time, we didn't realize we were keeping one.

Since Twinkle got so ill, I simply had to keep one. We might never have pups again! I'd kick myself for not snagging one for myself if there were not any more coming in the future. I also decided that Beth needed one. Her birthday is coming up but I just couldn't wait til then to surprise her, I had to tell her today.

We are going to have a blast taking the two pups with us everywhere. Can't you picture us pushing our flea market carts with the dogs in them when we go to Sparks and White Cloud to shop? Its going to be so much fun to have the puppies play together under our work tables while we cut and glue.

Beth is not ready to take one home yet, her husband has a trip planned and they want to wait till he gets home to be a part of settling in the new baby.

Its so fun to have a houseful of them, I'm glad I get to have Beth's pup around for a while too. The other two are for sale now and it will be too quiet around here when they leave.

They are so funny right now, running and fighting and wrassling. Quite a few of my photos were just blurs, since these guys move so fast.

Not everyone around here is as impressed with the babies as I am, though. Our old tom cat has eaten rabbits bigger than these guys. He can completely ignore how cute they are when they try to get his attention.

Not me. I'm smitten. You might have noticed by my blog becoming a Dog Blog. Sorry guys, bad news if you are sick of puppy pics, they are still coming. And by adopting Agnes Rose (or Agnes Fae?) into our lives, that means we'll have a never ending supply of fuzz ball photos.

See what I mean?

It might seem like it, but I don't spend ALL my time giggling in the garden with Dorky Babies and Fairies. I've gotten quite a bit of new things made lately. This is the May Giveaway Prize. Kind of late to announce, it, huh? If I was trying to drive my readership by offering giveaways, this is not the way to do it. Announcing it after the giveaway was over would be pointless.

But I do them because I enjoy them and I have tons of crap, I mean- cool stuff- in my studio to share.

So this little mini book goes to:

Joanne

There is new stuff in the Boutique too. I took a few hours to list a ton of it the other day.

A few of the vintage paper pieces that I made, but not all. I'll add more of them later.

Quite a few pair of earrings that I made from vintage pieces.

And some junk jewel bags for you to make something with.

Some junkier than others.

By the way, there is a JUNE GIVEAWAY starting now. All comments, all month count. I'll come up with a prize and let you know. Hopefully not after the fact again, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

Happy Memorial Weekend!

celebrations, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, Sugarwings, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / May 28, 2010

Have a lovely Memorial Day weekend! We started celebrating early by taking today off to play with Sugarwings and take the box-o-pups to her school for all the kids to see.

We plan on movies, boating, and BBQs for the rest of the weekend. I hope yours is a fun one too!

My new Flip Camera has been a blast! So easy to use, and I think I've figured out how to add a video to my blog. If you can't see it here, you can go to Youtube to watch it. Its of the pups and the fairy grand baby playing in the Fairy Tree house.

Sugarwings is wearing a Cinderella gown that I bought at a garage sale for 50 cents Saturday morning. She is snacking on mulberries that grow along the Fairy Berry Trail, so by the time we were done playing in the woods, her dress was purple polka dotted.

She is also asking me if "they came back" when I said ALL the puppies came. I didn't realize what she was asking me until I watched it back. She is worried about the two pups that went to a new home.

Peonies and puppies

Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), fairies, flowers, vintage paper/collage art, yorkies

By Karla Nathan / May 27, 2010

Here are a couple of little videos of the pups on You Tube. Each is a minute or so, really short.

Springtime is my favorite time of year. I love seeing the ground wake up and turn green, and plants take off blooming. While I don't have the greenest thumb around (sometimes, I think I should just plant dollar bills, I wouldn't be any worse off) I have learned about gardening by experience.

And after 19 years at this old farmstead, my yard has come to be a place that I look forward to spending time in every Spring. After all these years, most of the big, hard labor jobs are done. I've moved tons of rock with wheelbarrows, I've planted dozens of trees, hundreds of flowers, built sidewalks with stones I've dug up from the side of the road.

This is the year to really enjoy all the previous years of hard work. There is still a lot of maintenance to do, and weeds to pull, but the major projects are finished and now I can take time to sit in the garden swing with my little buddies and soak up Spring.

Nothing around here is very polished or perfect. Its homey. Its home.

When something really insists on growing somewhere, like the violets in this planter, I just let them go. Instead of weeding them out, I just added a couple of coleus for color.

I've learned that this big old yard will never be well manicured, that some plants live and some plants don't. That a favorite area one year might not do well ever again, and to enjoy that area while it is thriving.

And that any garden looks better with puppies playing in it!

The little guys have taken over our world here, they are underfoot every step I take. We've been spending a lot of time outdoors lately. But tiny pups need naps, so while they sleep, I've gotten a little work done. I've added wings to the Charlotte on my bird house.

And now have got all these Charlotte fairy projects done and ready to mail to Somerset Life.

This is the bottom of the pocket watch with the fairy in it. Its one of the images from Mary's class. She has tons of images that she has included for the glue books, and I just had to use this one somewhere.

During the dorkies' nap time yesterday, I made up a couple of these little books (less than 4" square). They are filled with watercolor paper and the inside of the covers are lined with rose wallpaper.

I've added one of the books, and some of these fun vintage doggies to my Boutique.

Sounds like nap time is over and there is a basket full of furry babies calling out to me. I'd better get them outside to potty!