8 posts I loved this month

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I vowed to post every day in the month of January.  I’m pleasantly surprised to report that I did so (with the exception of one day for the SOPA blackout – and I’m pretty sure that one counts as an excused absence).

I don’t know if I’ll continue to post daily – it was a lot of pressure!  However, I thought today would be the perfect opportunity to take a look back at the month and share a few posts that I thought were really fantastic.

In no particular order, here are eight posts that I really enjoyed this month.  I hope you’ll swing by and read them.

  1. Homeland Security Systems from Tales & Tails – If you’re troubled by trespassers, Tales & Tails has a solution for you.
  2. A is for Adoption (yay!) from Peggy’s Pet Place – A great post about adoption (yay!) that just made me smile.
  3. 5 Ways Dogs Save the World – From the Sublime to the Ridiculous from Something Wagging This Way Comes – “So give your pooch a smooch. And thank her for protecting us from a postapocalyptic hell the likes of which have never been seen on earth.”  With a line like that, it had to make the list!
  4. When we don’t see eye to eye from Love and a Six-Foot Leash – Before you judge, read this post.  Seriously.
  5. Positive Advertising with a Dash of Newf from Rescued Insanity – This video is guaranteed to make you smile.
  6. If You Could Ask One Thing from Rescued Insanity – If you could ask your dog one question, what would it be?  (I couldn’t decide between this one and #5, so they both made the list.)
  7. Porcupines, Fawns and Turkeys – A Winter Woodland Celebration from This One Wild Life – The conclusion to a trio of posts that celebrate nature in all its glory, read this post when you need that moment of Zen.
  8. Saturday’s Dog: Celebrating the Wins by Bringing Up Bella – Need a reason to smile?  Check out these dogs that found their forever homes.
Obviously, I’m a linkaholic.  I also wanted to note that I enjoyed way more than eight posts this month, and you can find links to many of those in my regular Friday posts. 

What posts did you love this month?  Share them in the comments!

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Adorable adoptables in Northern Virginia: Janai & Tasha

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Every week, I’ll be featuring adoptable pets from local rescue groups.  This week, I’m sharing adorable adoptables from Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) and A Forever Home Rescue Foundation (A Forever Home).  Ready to meet this week’s featured pups, Janai & Tasha? Here we go…

First up, meet Janai!  This lovely lady is approximately 4 years old, weighs about 40 pounds, and is a Plott Hound mix.  I actually had the pleasure of meeting her when I visited FOHA for dog walking training last weekend.  She and I enjoyed a lovely walk together – Janai is an absolute sweetheart.  Here’s her bio from FOHA:

“Janai was given up by her owner when she had a litter of puppies. The owner simply couldnt take care of her anymore and was overwhelmed by all the new dogs on her property. A lady was contacted who held onto the dogs until they all got rescued. The puppies went to a rescue organization in Richmond, but unfortunately they didnt have room for the Momma Dog. Friends was contacted and we did have space for her!!

Janai loves to play with other dogs. She is a medium-high energy dog who would love to run around in the dog park or just go on some nice hikes. She was a little nervous when she came in, but is coming around nicely! She is not very comfortable riding in the car, but thats probably because every time she enters it, her world is turned upside down (being surrendered by her owner, going to the vet, going to a shelter, etc). She would probably learn to not be afraid once she gets taken to the dog park! Janai would probably do well with an active family who doesnt have cats!”

 

Have you been looking for a lady like Janai?  If so, visit the FOHA website for more information, or email doginfo@foha.org.  To view the other pets available for adoption at FOHA, click here.


Up next, meet Tasha!  This Anatolian Shepherd mix is approximately 5 years old. Here’s her bio from A Forever Home:

“Tasha was originally given up because her family relocated to California. She is housebroken, crate trained and leash trained. She is good with other dogs but due to her size she would be best with a medium or large playmate. She has been through obedience training and has her canine good citizenship certificate. She is still growing and very strong. Tasha needs an experienced large breed dog owner. She will not be placed with young children as she does not realize how large she is. Tasha is somewhat shy when you first meet her but warms up quickly.“

If you think you have the perfect home for Tasha, visit A Forever Home for more information or email Info@aforeverhome.org.  To view the other pets available for adoption at A Forever Home, click here.

A Forever Home also has a weekly adoption event at the PetCo in Chantilly.  For the address and to find out more info, click here. 
(If you have your eye on a specific pet, please email for information
first – not all pets will be at the weekly event.  However, there are a
lot of awesome pets in need of homes, so if you’re in the neighborhood,
stop by and meet some of them!)

Do you have room in your home (and your heart) for one of these cute canines?  Then contact FOHA or A Forever Home.  If you know someone else who might be in the market for an awesome companion, please share this post.  Let’s find some homes for Janai and Tasha!


Bios and photos from the FOHA and AFH websites.
 

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Revenge of the nerds… and the nerdy cats

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It’s Friday… time for some linkage to send you into the weekend with a smile!

  1. Your punny pet names are for a turtle and dog duo: Shelldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Howler.  (Continuing on the nerdy theme, you could also get a bird and name it Stephen Hawking – no punnification required.)
  2. Speaking of Mayim Bialik, did you ever watch Blossom?  If so, enjoy this story about Jenna von Oy (a/k/a Six) and her pug.
  3. Do you ever watch The Soup?  If so: (a) we should hang out; and (b) you will likely enjoy this Cat Soup parody.
  4. That last clip was a bit irreverent.  This koala was shocked.
  5. You know I love a good shelter photography story. This awesome collection of adorable adoptables is no exception.  
  6. This slideshow of pets on furniture is too cute.  (This one is my favorite.)
  7. Have you ever wanted to attend Hogwarts?  Well, I can’t get you in there (I’ve already called in all of my favors), but perhaps you should check out the Hovawart School of Witchcraft & Wizardry instead. I hear the Care of Magical Creatures class is fantastic.  (Also, I can’t resist a Harry Potter pun.)
  8. You know, I always wondered what made the Angry Birds so darn angry. Now we know.
Anyway, today’s video is cat-related (it’s been a cat kind of week, apparently). Honestly though, my first thought was that this is exactly what it would be like if Stephen Hawking were a cat instead of a human (hence #1 above).
(via Best Week Ever)

As a cat, he’d still be smarter than any of us (and we probably would have already welcomed those feline overlords I keep hearing about).

That’s all for today.  Have a great weekend, nerds!  (I consider that a term of endearment – I’m kind of nerdy myself, after all.)

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I say a little prayer for mew…

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Best training montage ever?  You be the judge.  (Bonus points for the perfectly chosen soundtrack.)

(via Jezebel)

Speaking of the soundtrack, I obviously had to mess with the lyrics (just a little).  I can’t help myself!  I did stop myself from posting the whole song, so there’s that…

I Say A Little Prayer for Mew

The moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup
I say a little prayer for mew.
There’s a purr in the air, now,
As well as a lot of cat hair, now,
I say a little prayer for mew.
Forever, forever, you’ll stay in my heart
And I will love you
Forever, forever, we never will part
Oh, how I’ll love you
Together, together, that’s how it must be
To live without mew
Would only be heartbreak for me.
I’ve got more of these in the works, including a few special requests.  If you have a song you’d like to see parodied on the blog, feel free to leave your request below…
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Updated: The red carpet? It’s covered in dog hair.

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This brave confession over at Something Wagging has inspired me to come clean as well – I’m an awards slacker.  When it comes to blogging awards, I’m deeply appreciative but supremely lazy.  That ends today.

I have two awards (from three four sources) to pass along today.  I decided to give myself a bit of a challenge, and imposed a rule of my own on the proceedings.  If I’ve ever given you an award in the past (this includes instances in which I cheated and just turned the spotlight on those fantastic bloggers who gave me an award), I decided to deem you ineligible for this particular round of awards. I thought it would be fun to shine the spotlight on some new faces and spaces.

Ready?  Here we go…

First up, the Kreativ Blogger award, which I received from my pals at Kol’s Notes, Bringing Up Bella and A Filly’s Best Friend.  A huge thank you to allof them for passing this award along to me – they’re all absolutely fantastic and I encourage you to pay them a visit and say so.  (Go.  Don’t make me “encourage” you with a baseball bat to the virtual kneecap.  Seriously. Don’t get on my bad side.)

Anyway, the rules of this award require me to share a few things about myself.  According to Kol’s Notes, I should share 7 things, and according to Bringing Up Bella and A Filly’s Best Friend, I should share 10.  (I long ago accepted that the evolution of blog awards is akin to a game of telephone.)  I’m splitting the difference and will share 8.5 things about myself:

  1. I cringed multiple times when typing Kreativ.  I can’t help it.  I’m a nerd and misspelled words bug me even when they’re misspelled on purpose.
  2. When I was a kid, I desperately wanted to be an archaeologist when I grew up.  That did not pan out.
  3. I own a blanket with a photo of Bella on it.  She’s gigantic.  I could imagine it scaring small children, but I love it.  (It was a gift from the in-laws, who indulge my love of puppies.)
  4. My favorite food is grilled cheese, and I often dream of a world where this restaurant has a location near my house.  (That place is delicious.)
  5. I love puzzles and am currently addicted to the latest Professor Layton game for Nintendo DS.  (If you are a puzzle-holic like me, you should definitely check this series out.)
  6. According to my iPod, the most played song is “Bloodstream” by Stateless.
  7. That song is the most played because I listened to it way too much after it appeared on The Vampire Diaries in 2010.  (The fact that it remains in the top spot on my iPod almost two years later should give you an idea of just how much I played it back then.)
  8. Contrary to what numbers 4 through 7 may suggest, I am not a teenager, nor was I one in 2010.  I haven’t been a teenager in a long time.  (Bonus half fact: I’m officially old enough to star in Thirtysomething, a show that I have never actually watched.)
Now, the fun part –  I get to pass the award along to other bloggers.  I’m passing it along to 8 creative bloggers that I truly enjoy. They’re all creative in different ways.  I hope you’ll pay them a visit and discover how.  You won’t regret it.

Up next, I’m going to pass on the Pawsome Blog Award, courtesy of Roxy the Traveling Dog.  A huge thank you for sharing this award with me!

(Also, that earlier virtual kneecap threat applies… get on over there, buddy.)

The one seems to be light on the rules, other than to give it to blogs you love.  With that in mind, I’m passing it on to these eight blogs:

There’s truly something special about each and every one of those blogs – I hope you’ll take the time to visit and discover the awesomeness.

Whew. I’m all out of awards, so I shall take my leave of you now.  (Anyone else start singing “I’m all out of love… I’m so lost without you” after reading the first clause of that sentence?  No? Um, neither did I.)  Until tomorrow, my friends…

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Hello, is it parody you’re looking for?

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My Lionel Richie obsession is well-documented.  It should come as no surprise that when the video below landed in my inbox (courtesy of Pamela from Something Wagging), I was very excited.

Well, first I laughed so hard that I missed half the video, paused it, finished laughing, started it again from the beginning, and then was very excited.


(Hello from ant1mat3rie on Vimeo)

Maybe I really do need to join Lionel Richie Fans Anonymous.  It’s an addiction. (Pamela, that may make you my Lionel Richie dealer or just an enabler… either way, thanks for sending this my way!)

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Adorable adoptables in northern Virginia: Handsome & Coaster

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Every week, I’ll be featuring adoptable pets from local rescue groups.  This week, I’m sharing adorable adoptables from the Humane Society of Fairfax County (HSFC) and A Forever Home Rescue Foundation (A Forever Home).  Ready to meet this week’s featured pups, Handsome & Coaster? Here we go…

First up, , meet Handsome!  This Shepherd/Hound mix weighs approximately 35 pounds and is looking for a new friend.  Here’s his bio from HSFC:

“Handsome is a cutie pie. He is a gorgeous boy and not quite a year old. He has some sad stories to share and may take a while to tell you all about his past. He was a stray for many months and is very shy. He needs some special TLC with someone who will be patient with him while he learns to trust again. He is gentle and great with other dogs, but he is slower to show his wonderful spirit and fun side with humans. If you really want to help a special dog, come and meet Handsome. He has already shown great improvement, however, being with a family who will love him will make his progress go so much faster.

Attributes: Needs a special friend!”

 

Have you been waiting for a friend like Handsome?  If so, visit the HSFC website for more information.  To view the other pets available for adoption at HSFC, click here.


Up next, meet Coaster!  This lovely Cocker Spaniel is approximately 10 years old.   Here’s her bio from A Forever Home:

“Hi my name is Coaster. I am a healthy Cocker looking for a new home. I have a sad story to tell: you see my human mom died unexpectedly and my sister and I got dumped at our Vet’s office. I am very confused and don’t know what is going on. I know I need a new home. I am very sweet and would love to find someone to love me like my mom loved me. In typical cocker fashion, I love to play with toys and I love to snuggle next to you (or on you). Some nice lady is letting me stay with her until I find my own forever home. If you want she will let you come over and meet me.“

If you think you have the perfect home for Coaster, visit A Forever Home for more information or email Info@aforeverhome.org.  To view the other pets available for adoption at A Forever Home, click here.

A Forever Home also has a weekly adoption event at the PetCo in Chantilly.  For the address and to find out more info, click here. 
(If you have your eye on a specific pet, please email for information
first – not all pets will be at the weekly event.  However, there are a
lot of awesome pets in need of homes, so if you’re in the neighborhood,
stop by and meet some of them!)

Do you have room in your home (and your heart) for one of these cute canines?  Then contact HSFC or A Forever Home.  If you know someone else who might be in the market for an awesome companion, please share this post.  Let’s find some homes for Handsome and Coaster!


Bios and photos used with permission from HSFC and A Forever Home.
 

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