National Grammar Day has gone to the dogs (and cats)

Today is National Grammar Day. I wanted to acknowledge this important day, but I really had trouble choosing a video. So, you get two.

First, I’d like to introduce you to a cat who really loves grammar.

Next, enjoy a crash course in apostrophes from a grammar-obsessed dog.

I hope to see more videos featuring the dapper Charles. I’ll be keeping an eye on his Twitter account.

Happy National Grammar Day!

Share

Seuss-obsessed blogger on the loose (plus… cats in hats!)

February has passed, and March has slid into its place. The first signs of spring are slowly showing their face. Today is the first day of this glorious time, but do you know why tomorrow has inspired me to rhyme?

If you’re a studious scholar of literary renown, it’s likely this riddle will not cause you to frown. It just so happens that many years ago on that day, a man named Theodor Geisel joined our great mortal play. That’s right – tomorrow’s the birthday of the fab Dr. Seuss, so now you know that my rhyming has a fantastic excuse. I became similarly rhythmic at the same time last year, so I hope that this format will not cause you to jeer.

  1. First up, I present you with a new punny pet name. Last year, Fleaodor Seuss Geisel was my entry of fame. Repeating myself would be cheating a tad, so instead I introduce you to Ms. Feral Ladd.
  2. Fun flights of fancy seem quite fitting today, so enjoy these whimsical paintings without further delay.
  3. Do you find the alphabet much, much too tame? Use the Seussabet instead – you’ll not again feel the same.
  4. Dr. Seuss is remembered for the Grinch, green ham, and a cat, but his body of work is far more extensive than that. Before all the Sneetches or an elephant caper, Seuss was in the same business as one Mr. Don Draper.
  5. Speaking of hats, it seems the good doctor had quite a flair, for finding charming haberdashery to cover his hair.
  6. I think that this story is worth sharing, so go take a quick look. I wish that someone named Martha Graham Cracker was here to read me a book.
  7. Here’s the answer to a question you likely did not ponder: it’s Star Wars redone in shades of Seussian wonder.
  8. Although the Lorax is often quite busy speaking for trees, he still inspires fantastical parties with the greatest of ease. (Yet if you may permit me one quibble with that adorable scheme, the use of all that paper might somewhat contradict the book’s theme? I’m probably being a picky old grouch, but if I’d kept my mouth shut, I’d have felt like a slouch. In my mind, I’ll just hope that this use was excusable, and that these cute decorations will prove to be quite reusable.)
  9. This story is old, but some might find it surprising. Who knew that Yertle the Turtle posed the danger of a grade school uprising?
  10. If you’re not anti-Yertle and hosting a Seussian soiree, put these dishes on your menu to simply blow guests away.
  11. We’re not the only blog paying tribute to this brilliant writer. This poem from Cat Chat is another one to help make your day brighter.
  12. Oh, and in case a product rep is here doing some reading, I have some advice that might help if you think of proceeding. Before you request a humble blogger work for free, I suggest you take a moment – or perhaps even three – to read this cautionary missive that will help in gauging, just why your unsolicited email could prove to be mildly enraging.

Now it’s time to abandon the numerical form. I end with a video (as is often the norm):

How will you celebrate this prince of the book? Perhaps channeling his characters with your next fashionable look?

If I can make one final request of you at this time… if you’re going to comment, maybe do it in rhyme? Rhyming comments would fill me with utter delight. Then I’ll know that this post did not lead to mass reader flight.

(I hope that this format did make you feel glee, but regardless, dear reader, the choice was not up to me. For you see, I’m not only a great Seussian fan, I happen to share the day of my birth with the man. Now that my motives have been fully explained, I’m sure you’ll agree that my whimsy was no doubt preordained.)

Share

If dogs could send Valentines…

Honestly, someone should cut off my access to any and all pop culture, punny and/or topical Valentine’s Day cards on the Internet. I can’t get enough.

Yesterday alone (in honor of Galentine’s Day), I saw a ton of great ones and kept sharing them on Facebook and Twitter. Among them? DC-themed Valentines (I lost it at Total Ellipse of the Heart), good stuff from the Bluth family, Valentines for the history lovers out there (#6 is my favorite), and tributes to my Hunger Games Valentines. There’s something for everyone.

Anyway… I figured I might as well join in the fun. Without further ado, I present six Valentine’s Day sentiments from the dog:
Dog Valentine #1

Dog Valentine #2

Dog Valentine #3

Dog Valentine #4 

Dog Valentine #5

Dog Valentine #6

If your dog could send you a Valentine, what would it say?

Share

Animal odd couples are the best kind of couples

It’s time for another No Frown Friday. (I also hope that this post heralds the return of regular posting. I’ve been down with the count due to allergies this week. Allergies in February. What is this world coming to?)

  1. First up, your punny pet names are Grammy-inspired: TayRoar Swift, Hairy Underwood, and LL Drool J.
  2. The Grammy performances occasionally include some surprising duos… so, today’s theme is odd couples. We can learn so much from these unconventional pairings.
  3. Let’s kick it off with a dog and a kangaroo. Maybe I’ll give some of them a celebrity couple name too, like Brangelina. I’ll call these two… Dogaroo. (Not to be confused with the Lemaroo, of course.)
  4. Speaking of Brangelina, this Swiss Shepherd took a cue from Angelina and adopted some tiger cubs. Squee.
  5. Now this… this is friendship.
  6. Is this video an example of what they call sitting in the catbird seat?
  7. I heard that this cat and rabbit (Cabbit) are wearing matching BFF necklaces. (I wonder if kids these days still wear those.)
  8. The owl and the pussycat are on Facebook. Everyone’s getting into the social media game. They shall dance by the light of the computer monitor.
  9. A dog hanging out with a lamb? There’s mutton weird about that. (Groan.)
  10. It’s like a Disney classic come to life. Behold, the fox… and the cat?
  11. This clip of a leopard and a baby baboon (Leopaboon) is sweet, yet rather sad (especially considering the backstory). Insert tissue warning here.
  12. Quoth the raven, “Why is this crow feeding a cat and a dog?”

The dog below is a true hero. The look he gives the camera reminds me of the look Bella gives me when she’s putting up Tavish.

Adorbs. You just know that those kittens are going to be this cat when they grow up. It’s all in good fun, right?

Share

Moonwalking down memory lane…

I’m feeling nostalgic today (and every day, but let’s set that problem aside for now). Maybe this weekend I’ll bust out my jelly shoes and play with my Brenda Walsh paper doll.

Oh, wait. I own neither of those things. Tragic.

  1. First up, your punny pet name: Henona Ryder (or Winona Flyder).
  2. On a pun-related note, these reworked movie posters are killing me. Seriously, how did I never come up with Abraham Lynxin?
  3. Continuing on the poster theme, these minimalist posters of children’s classics are pretty neat.
  4. Seriously though, I’m beginning to question my pun-slinging skills. I also wish that I had come up with Ernest Lemingway.
  5. Given that I mentioned both Winona and good ol’ Brenda Walsh above, do you love the movie Heathers? If not, might I ask… what is your damage?
  6. Speaking of damage, this article about Jem and the Holograms may have broken my brain.
  7. Now I’m going to be singing this all day.

You know, this cat can moonwalk better than I ever could:

Thanks for joining me on this (moon)walk down memory lane!

(Don’t forget – the #SuperDogPics Twitter party is this Sunday. Have you RSVP’d?)

Share

The 7 habits of highly irritating dog walkers

Do you want to be an irritating dog walker? The kind that others see on the street and are immediately annoyed by? If so, today is your lucky day!

For one day only, I’m offering a free primer on how to be an annoying dog walker. By employing these seven simple tips, you too can be the bane of your neighborhood! (Keep in mind, to really be the most irritating person on the block, you should use all of these tips in combination with each other. One or two just won’t be effective enough.)

Before we start, I’d like to introduce you to today’s instructor: Continue reading

Share

Twilight: Barking Dawn?

Well, I’ve already offered you the punny names of Robert Cattison and Edward Seagullen, but I’ve never actually done a Twilight-themed link roundup. The last movie just came out, so I guess there’s no time like the present:

  1. First up, your punny pet names: Kristen Chewart and Taylor Pawtner.
  2. Anyone dressing up to go see the movie? If so, here’s an option you probably should not consider.
  3. Do your dogs ever play vampire-style? If so, they’d better watch out, or the Dogturi might come get them!
  4. I love a celeb with a cute dog.
  5. I’m not even sure what to do with this one. (While I’m at it… fake spoiler alert!)
  6. Thinking about vampires always makes me want to go reread Bunnicula. I can’t help it. (Speaking of, I think I just uncovered the secret behind my obsession with that series. It apparently continues, and it includes books in which Bunnicula meets Edgar Allen Crow and a trip to the Howliday Inn. That author just gets me.)
  7. Oooh… sparkly!
  8. In addition to sparkly vampires, Twilight also involves wolves. Speaking of wolves, here’s a great question I can’t believe I never thought to ask.
  9. Continuing down that trail, have you ever wondered what it would be like to live among the wolves?

Finally, I could totally get behind this movie:

So. Much. Yes.

So, are you going to see the movie? I’ll be taking it in with a few girlfriends in two weeks, once the opening night madness has calmed down a bit.

Share

Read this book: What the Dog Ate

I love it when one of my favorite bloggers publishes a book. Why, you might ask? Aside from the fact that it gives me hope that I may one day achieve my own meager publishing dreams, it also means that I get to read even more awesome stuff from the blogger in question. Sometimes, those daily snippets just aren’t enough…

Today, I’m thrilled to tell you about a book written by Jackie Bouchard, the brilliant blogger behind Pooch Smooches. The book is called What the Dog Ate, and it’s the tale of a woman named Maggie who reinvents her life after a vet visit reveals some unwelcome news. You’ll find out what the dog ate in the first chapter, so I don’t think I need to give a spoiler alert here… the dog ate a pair of underwear. However, the underwear didn’t belong to Maggie or to her husband, but to another woman.

The book made me laugh, and it made me cry. I picked it up and couldn’t put it down – in fact, I finished it in less than two days. So, needless to say, I think you should go read this book. In case you’re not convinced (although I can’t imagine you’d need more encouragement than my ringing endorsement), here are five more reasons:

  • The introduction is clever and immediately grabs your attention. (Also, I identified with Maggie right away. I’ve often wondered why my dogs would prefer to get sick on the carpet when there’s an easy-to-clean tile floor mere steps away, and I also spell certain words to keep the dogs from going crazy.)
  • Maggie is a successful, smart woman. It’s a nice change of pace from the oft-irresponsible heroine you see in romantic comedies.
  • Jackie has a knack for colorful descriptions. One of my personal favorites was when she described something as having “more gray area than the mosh pit at a Neil Diamond concert.”
  • Throughout the book, Maggie often looks to her dog for inspiration. I love that idea, and I love the fact that Jackie worked in a “dogtrine” pun.
  • Maggie is such an interesting character. We all know a Maggie. Inside of each of us is a Maggie. (When she attends an event in a Target dress, she compares the store’s bullseye to the Scarlet Letter. Who hasn’t felt that way?)

So, what are you waiting for? Go read this book!

What the Dog Ate is available for Kindle here, or you can purchase the print version here. (Jackie plans to donate 10% of the profits on print sales to Best Friends Animal Society. She really is the coolest.)

Dog-loving disclosure: Author Jackie Bouchard gave me a free Kindle version of the book to review. Otherwise, I was not compensated in any way for this post, and the opinions here are all mine.

Share

The Secret Around-the-World Adventures of Owney, the Postal Dog

Have you ever heard the tale of Owney the Postal Dog? In the 1890s, the US Postal Service adopted a mailbag-loving mutt from Albany as its unofficial mascot and allowed him to travel wherever he chose by hopping on trains with the mail. Owney the Postal Dog journeyed across the country, collecting souvenir tags everywhere he went, and eventually even made a trip around the world.

Today, St. Louis artist David Montgomery and writer Marcelo Vital are trying to bring this cute pooch’s globetrotting adventures to life in a new graphic novel, “The Secret Around-the-World Adventures of Owney, the Postal Dog.”

The pair has set a Kickstarter goal campaign to cover production costs for the all-ages, 110-page full color book. (Check out some of the illustrations – they’re utterly charming.) They are also offering creative incentives to backers for various pledge levels – like autographed and limited edition copies of the book, personalized dog tags, original custom drawings and even having your pets appear as characters in the story alongside Owney!

Intrigued? Check out the video below, and then visit the Kickstarter page for more info.

Dog-Loving Disclaimer: The duo contacted me about sharing this project on my blog. However, I received nothing in return for sharing this campaign – I just think it’s cute and worth sharing with you guys! 

Share