Everybody's fine...

We're all fine (the golden's too)... just taking a break from the blog. It was a busy spring, then I changed jobs and in the midst of it all, got farther and farther away from posting on the blog. 

I hope to get things rolling here again in the fall. I'm going to disable the comments for now as the spam bots have been busy dropping comments on my site (which are now removed).

For the golden lovers, that's Marley and Brooklyn above. Brooklyn was a foster pup who now is in her forever home. She was such a holy terror during playtime but when she ran out of steam she loved to cuddle.

In the meantime, I've still been pinning occasionally, so check out my Pinterest boards to see where I've been around the web.

No Posts? Must be a Foster Puppy!

It's been over a week since I've posted last. Usually that type of absence means a new foster puppy has arrived in my care.

This little golden bundle arrived the day after Christmas. She is 4 months old and the photo above shows you the speed she travels at.... fast!

Her name is Brooklyn and she is quite a sweet puppy. Except when it comes to my 2 year-old golden, Marley. He is a saint, putting up with her chasing, biting and climbing.



The sweetest moment is at the end of the day, when she is tired and happy to cuddle. She'll make someone a great family dog. In the meantime, we'll care for her, begin her training and get her ready for her forever home!

Puppies and Presents {Vintage Christmas Card}

Here's a sweet vintage Christmas card from my collection featuring two puppies decked out in holly!

I love the sweet faces on the pups and the rich hues of the reds and greens. Somehow I'm thinking my foster puppy Rory, would not be so gentle around presents under the tree. He has found a forever home (so fast!) and will hopefully be with them on Thanksgiving.

Meet my {Golden } Foster Puppy.... Rory!

I've been absent from the blog the last week... I got a call last Saturday from the golden retriever rescue group I work with, asking if I would foster a puppy. Um.... who could say no?

Of course you can see where my time has gone... this little guy runs on two speeds, full on and sleeping.

Meet Rory.

I did manage to get to the flea market this morning and picked up some beautiful vintage Christmas cards and ornaments. More on those later in the week... puppy is calling!

Golden Days at the Lake House

Is there anything more fabulous to a pair of goldens than a lake on a summer day?

Swimming, chasing a ball or a Frisbee, chewing on a stick... those are their favorite things.

Breeze

 These two dogs hit the jackpot when I adopted them. Walks every day, a family who loves them and a trip to the lake every now and then. A far cry from their beginnings in life. Both dogs were adopted through As Good As Gold (AGAG), a golden retriever rescue group. Breeze came to us at age 5 months, healthy, but left outside with her two siblings in the cold Chicago winter weather. Marley was quite sick, his owners could no longer afford to care for him. Both dogs are healthy and happy, thanks to the efforts of AGAG to help them find their forever home.

Marley

Life is good. And you can bet, they were very tired at the end of the day. Bliss.... Marley & Breeze style!

A Golden Afternoon at the Dog Days of Summer

I took Marley to a local event, Dog Days of Summer yesterday. Our golden retriever rescue group, As Good As Gold, had a booth there. It's always fun to gather with other goldens and their owners and help the cause. 

Here's another picture of Marley. Breeze doesn't always get along with other dogs so I don't bring her to these events. She got a nice long solo walk later in the evening.

One squeal from this visiting pig and all the goldens were set off. Noses in the air, they gathered around this little guy. I know this was Marley's first encounter with a pig. All in all, it was a fun day out!

Hello Peacock {Goodbye Jack-O-Lantern}

For some reason, I always seem to take down the Halloween decor really quickly. I have reverted back to basic fall touches in a few key spots in my home. This beautiful armoire is one of my favorite spots to decorate. For the next few weeks, it will sport "late fall slash peacock" style. I have been enamored with Peacock inspiration this fall; I have a Pinterest board devoted to it.

I think it's a nice addition to my fall decorations. The colors are so rich--a nice contrast to the warm oranges and yellows of fall.

A peacock feather added to my vase of pussy willows is so easy {with a new copper glittered fern giving nod to the coming holidays}. A clip-on bird in the same color family was another fun add on.

A clock from Home Goods that I've had for ages to add that essential bit of black that I love.
 

I've added a sprig of leaves for the touch of fall. The pretty ruffled knit throw was put there out of necessity when not being used. The goldens are way too interested in it and it's much safer up here.

 

They do look like little angels here but they do have their moments. One of their favorite indoor games is tug of war with an old baby blanket that Marley arrived with. Besides, I like how the throw looks up there!

Enjoying the {Halloween} Backyard View

I have a little table on top of my backyard deck. It's a favorite spot to sit and enjoy the yard, but I also enjoy decorating it for the seasons with something simple.

This year it's a clay jack-o-lantern all dressed up with a new coat of paint. It used to be a bronze color, but it became chipped and definitely needed a makeover. I used the same process I use on much of my furniture, a quick sanding on the rough spots, a coat of primer and some ivory paint with tobacco glaze to shab it up a bit. A coat of satin polyurethane should help this new finish withstand the weather.

It's just a simple addition to brighten up my view from the kitchen for Halloween. Do you ever decorate in the back yard?

As usual, Marley is wary of any newcomers, including clay pumpkins!



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Vintage Halloween Decorations {Surprise}

Vintage Halloween Decor... it can be cute, scary, or even... weird. I think this little retro witch is all of those.  A few weeks ago I happened to hit Goodwill on the opening day of their Halloween Shop. It wasn't planned.

 
If you remember, I picked up a few little trick or treat buckets, one of which was a lovely Empire Plastics kitty. I mentioned that a few larger items made their way into my cart as well....

 

and here they are. Although this witch was the one that caught my eye, the second figure was even better. It's an Empire Plastics figure. The clue was in the face... modern Jacks don't have the same wide-eyed skinny smile.

His second half is just a silly ghost with a goofy smile.

But together... the pair is  pretty cute. Not too spooky, not even weird... like the witch. It was a very good day at the Goodwill.

These light up figures are large, hard to store and don't appeal to everyone. I like them... I guess that's all that matters. I have a little neighbor girl who loves all the light up Jack-o-Lanterns in my windows each year. Won't she be surprised to see what I have added to the decor this year!

P.S... not everyone in the house is thrilled with the new decorations. Hopefully Marley's attitude will change before they go out October 1. 

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