Dog Poop Happens! Listen up for a Sneak Preview of a new subscription service!

Hi my furiends, it’s Dakota  and boy oh boy am I ever excited to bark some news out at you!

I was contacted the other day by a wonderful woman who sent me information about a new subscription service, and she asked if I would help her BARK out the news!   I told her I am ALWAYS up for a BARK about SOMETHING! Especially something that I think will have you or your human barking with joy!

Doggies, you know how when you take a walk with your human and you stop to use the facilities, it oftentimes is accompanied by all sorts of barking curse words from your human? Why? THEY FORGOT TO BRING A BAG TO PICK UP THE POOP!!!

 

That is the most frustrating thing for our humans! I am ashamed to say I have seen my Mom grab giant leaves (yes, you heard me correctly!) from bushes and use THOSE to pick up my poop because she was too lazy to go back upstairs to get a bag.

My Dad is guilty too. If he doesn’t have a bag, he will often LEAVE THE POOP until he makes a trip back outside!

Well, you know how THAT goes! The ONE time that you don’t have a bag and you leave the poop, you get a crotchety neighbor with nothing to do but dial phones and report renegade poop (key Wicked Witch of the West music from the Wizard of Oz here)   she almost steps in aforementioned poop, and then, you get a note chastising you about proper poop disposal. YES! Dad DOES go back out and pick up the poop but sometimes not fast enough!

Did you know?

“Scientists have been able to trace dangerous bacteria in water back to dog waste. By offering people an affordable, fun and convenient way to keep a constant supply of waste bags, PoopBuddy aims to help reduce the spread of water pollution by the 72M strong dog owning community.”

Let’s not forget the current uproar about plastic bags being harmful to the environment. Soon, they might be a thing of the past. Imagine having eco-friendly, super-cool looking waste pick-up bags automatically mailed to your house! Your humans will be so happy that they will become never ending treat dispensers!

I want to give you a peek at a new product called:

Click on the logo to visit their website!

PoopBuddy™

An Eco-Chic Poop Bag Delivery Service

“The service addresses the increasing demand for eco-friendly alternatives to plastic bags and the want for fun and stylish dog accessories. PoopBuddy aims to motivate the 40% of dog owners who opt out of dog waste cleanup to form new habits.”

Are these too cool or what? Remember, I told you this is just a “sneak peek.” PoopBuddy is shipping me a bag (I hope more than one bag but we will see!), so that I can tell you what I think of these,  and then I will give you more information about how the subscription service works.

If you can’t wait, you can always  visit their website give them a bark-out on Facebook  in the meantime!!

ABOUT PoopBuddy: Based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, PoopBuddy is a subsidiary of OnePet.co. Founded in 2013 by a group of entrepreneurial-minded dog lovers who believe that people can love their pup, love their planet and look like a million bucks.

Stay tuned for my review of the product when it arrives, I received no compensation for this post. I will receive a PoopBuddy bag.

Barks and licks and love,

Dakota

Advertisement

Candle Give-away from Terri’s Candles!

Hi everyone and Happy Monday!

I am excited to tell you about a give-away today that is super special.

Back in May I entered a give-away that was being held in honor of one of my favorite puppies:

Bullet having a cozy nap with his Mama

The ADORABLE Bullet!

BULLET!!!!

Bullet is the doggy of C.Richman from the blog:

CRichman Freebies

In honor of Bullet’s birthday, she was giving away a candle from Terri’s Candles  that not only featured Bullet on the front, but the candle scent is called Precious Puppy in honor of Bullet!

And I won!!

Here is what I received:

If you look closely you can see Bullet’s adorable face on the candle on the left, that was the candle I won for the give-away.  Terri was a sweet heart and gave me another candle for featuring her candles on Dakota’s blog. She also gave me the most incredible vanilla scented tarts that you burn in a tart warmer (but I didn’t take a photo of those!)

When it comes to candles I am obsessed. I can never have enough of them, and I am super critical when it comes to the brands/scents that I will buy for my home. Terri’s Candles completely surpassed my expectations, and in my opinion smell BETTER than many candles that you would buy in a brick and mortar store. I cannot begin to tell you how much in love I am with these candles!

From Terri’s website:

Hi my name is Terri and I started making soy candles as a hobby, but as each candle became better than the last one, I grew more & more passionate in the quest to create the perfect candle.  Over time, Terri became Terri’s Candles.

  We truly believe that you will be pleasantly surprised with each candle or melt that you order.  We take great pride in producing maximum scented, clean burning candles.

  We hand pour each candle at the time of order.  We use the finest quality 100% soy wax, along with 100% pure fragrance oil and all of our wicks are cotton….no lead.

Why Soy?……Buying & burning candles isn’t the most eco-egregious thing you can do out there.  They’re relaxing, they smell good & they make for interesting home decor. 

But yes, those rumors you’ve heard about soy wax are indeed correct.  They are better than the standard wax varieties.

 Other candle wax is made from the petroleum byproduct paraffin.  Burning a paraffin candle is like inviting a diesel truck into your home to let off some exhaust…the soot from both the diesel and the paraffin, contains a noxious mix of carcinogenic petro-carbon nastiness that can mess with your health & emit toxic chemicals like benzene & toluene.  And as you know, petroleum isn’t exactly renewable.  Soy is!  And if you or someone in your family suffers from either allergies or asthma, burning a paraffin candle can contribute to the onset of allergy attacks and headaches.

 

What I am also excited about is Terri is interested in using her candles for fundraising for animals.  If anyone knows of any local organizations that you would like to help out, you can contact Terri at sandprints239 at aol.com  The candles would be made in the Precious Puppy scent with labels on the jars.  You can contact Terri for more details.

In the meantime, Terri has most generously offered ONE OF MY READERS that resides in the U.S. the opportunity of winning the same candle that I received, shown below:

 

The scent is  PRECIOUS PUPPY which is:

“A very special aroma of pink grapefruit, Valencia orange and key lime as top notes.  Pink jasmine blossoms, rose petals and a fruity fusion of ripe apricot for middle notes and then bing cherry and ripe plums, round out the fragrance as base notes.”

 

It is a $14.00 VALUE!

 

HOW TO ENTER:

Visit Terri’s website and check out the various candle scents. Leave a comment telling me which scent interests you the most!

EXTRA ENTRY: Like Terri on Facebook and tell her that Dakota sent you! Come back and leave a comment telling me that you did this.

THE GIVE-AWAY IS OPEN NOW (18 and over who reside in the U.S. only please) and will END ON MONDAY, JULY 8TH AT 5PM EST. THE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY WWW.RANDOM.ORG AND WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 10th.

Good luck!

 

In full disclosure I was not compensated for this post. I received two candles and some tarts. One candle was won in a give-away, the other and the tarts were a thank you for featuring Terri’s Candles on Dakota’s blog. All opinions are my own.

 

 

ChalkboardDogs! ™ Your reminders never looked so good! Enter to win!

Hi everyone and boy am I excited to share something really cool with you today! When I was first contacted to see if I wanted to review

ChalkboardDogs! ™

I admit that I was skeptical….my first question was, “Just exactly what ARE ChalkboardDogs!  ?

Photo courtesy of http://www.steadfastfriends.com
Click on the photo to visit their website!

From steadfastfriends.com, ChalkboardDogs!:

are large, repositionable chalkboard canine silhouettes that can be mounted on any flat surface such as a wall, door or refrigerator. You can write on them with regular chalk or with Chalk Ink®.

There are over 50 dog breeds to choose from!

The material that is used for ChalkboardDogs! is eco-friendly, it is a chalkboard film coated with  REPOSITIONABLE,  removable adhesive.

When mine arrived, it was rolled up and my first thought was “Uh-oh, will I rip this when I attempt to remove the silhouette from the backing?” Not a chance! I am all paws when it comes to these things (and this is Dakota’s MOM talking), and if I can do it, YOU CAN DO IT!

I picked a Shetland Sheepdog (what else?) as my silhouette and removing it from the poly sleeve backing couldn’t have been easier!

To apply, simply remove the silhouette from the poly sleeve and peel off the white backing.  Carefully apply the silhouette to a clean, dry, flat surface taking care to be sure that any small bubbles or folds are flattened. That’s it!

Here is how mine looks after I wrote on it. If you can’t read it, it says “Everyone loves Shelties” and there is a reminder from Dakota to “BUY BONES!”

The size varies between breeds due to the orientation of the silhouette, but on average, the  ChalkboardDogs! are 22″ long and anywhere from 15″ to 30″ high.

Mine works perfectly in our kitchen, but as I mentioned above, should I wish to move it to another room I can! Once again, the message can be wiped clean with an eraser, damp cloth or sponge and you can write on it with chalk or special

Chalk Ink® 

If you use your imagination there are countless things you can write on your ChalkboardDogs! silhouette! Everything from:

• Grocery lists
• Reminders
• Have the kids draw on it
• Vet Appointments
• Just DOODLE!
• Phone Numbers
• Special Holidays
• Just to say “I Love You”
• These would make GREAT graduation gifts for students heading off to college in the fall! They can have a reminder of their canine friend in any room that they choose!

The options are endless!

Another thing I absolutely love about www.steadfastfriends.com is that:

Every time you purchase something from their website they will donate 10% of your purchase price to one of their Charity Partners, and importantly, they are going to let you choose which charity gets the donation.

I could not be happier with my ChalkboardDogs! silhouette and I am certain that you will be too!

ENTER TO WIN! The kind people at http://www.steadfastfriends.com have offered ONE of our readers who resides in the USA the chance to win a ChalkboardDogs! silhouette and Chalk Ink®  of their own! (an almost $50 value!)

HOW TO ENTER: Just LEAVE A COMMENT telling me what breed you would select for your silhouette if you are the lucky winner AND be sure I have an email address for you should you be the lucky winner! COMMENTS THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

THE GIVE-AWAY IS OPEN NOW and will end at 5pm EST on June 24th. The winner will be chosen by http://www.random.org and will be announced on WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26th.

If you can’t wait to see if you are the winner, visit http://www.steadfastfriends.com NOW to order yours! THIS JUST IN! The kind folks at steadfastfriends.com are offering a 20% DISCOUNT to my readers! How cool is that? Just use the DISCOUNT CODE STEADFAST20%: 

Good luck to all who enter!

In full disclosure: I was not compensated for this review/give-away. I was given a Shetland Sheepdog ChalkboardDogs! silhouette and Chalk Ink. All opinions are my own!

Friday Find! ModaPet Pet Bowls!

Hi all! Dakota’s Mom here and today’s “Friday Find” is courtesy of Pepper Pomeranian from the popular blog Pepper’s Paws. I would NEVER have learned about the fabulous ModaPet Pet Bowls if I hadn’t read a review on Pepper’s blog. Pepper also had a give-away and I was the LUCKY WINNER!

I can’t tell you enough how impressed and happy I am with the quality of this bowl, both visually and the sturdiness with which it is made. ModaPet bowls are BPA free and are made with food grade plastics (meaning they are safe for your pet!)

this is the bowl that I won, that I use as one of Dakota’s food bowls. The color is even richer and more beautiful in person! I LOVE the weight of this bowl, it isn’t flimsy, you can tell immediately upon touching it that this is a high-quality bowl. I couldn’t be happier!

The stylish design of these bowls prevents tipping and slipping around the floor with TPE bottoms and solid construction as shown above and in the video below. The products are designed to integrate form and function, all at affordable pricing!

The ModaPet Bowl is:

• BPA Free
• Made from Food Grade Materials
• Dishwasher Safe
• Highly Durable
• Skid Resistant
• Tip Resistant
• Fade Resistant

I have to say that this is now my favorite bowl that Dakota owns. I  am thinking of getting another in the 5 cup size that will better fit his feeder but I am thrilled with this one  regardless!

Thank you Pepper for hosting such a great give-away!

 

 

 

BlogPaws Bliss thanks to Nutrish®-Thankful Thursday

Before I write another word, I want to make it clear that this is NOT a commercial.  At the heart of this blog post is the belief in a brand, as well as the person behind it.

click on the logo to visit the Nutrish website for more deliciousness!

Long before I had Dakota’s blog, he was eating  Nutrish^®. Why? Because I have been a fan of Rachael Ray’s from the time her first 30 Minute Meal shows aired on The Food Network. In those first shows she wasn’t the star that she is today. She was, by her own admission, a “home cook” NOT a chef. Her first shows were a tad awkward, she seemed tentative and reserved, a far cry from the bubbly, talk show host, magazine magnate and household word in the kitchen that she is today. What I saw in her then, and what I see and relate to now, was that she was and is REAL. She seems approachable, she drops food  “it isn’t a party until the food falls on the floor” and she burns toast. Yes, she burns toast. Just like you and me.

I knew that she used to test recipes on her first dog, a pit bull named Boo,  in her cozy cabin kitchen in the Adirondacks. She COOKED for her first  dog, she cooks for her current dog, Isaboo,  she cooks for her family. She is a home cook, like ME and like  many of YOU.

I own the majority of her cookbooks, I subscribe to her magazine, I watched nearly every episode of every show she has been on, beginning with  The Food Network and beyond.

Dakota became a part of our family in 2007, Rachael Ray began her dog food company, Nutrish^®, in 2008.  As soon as  Nutrish^® was available in Michigan, it was served to Dakota. He has eaten it ever since, long before his blog began in 2011.  It is the ONLY dog food that he is served.

Did you know that sales of  Nutrish^® goes towards Rachael’s Rescue? Rachael’s Rescue was created for “forgotten pets”, for those that have no one to love them. 

There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING better than being given the opportunity of representing a brand that you LEGITIMATELY USE,  that you LEGITIMATELY BUY, you BELIEVE IN THE BRAND, AS WELL AS THEIR PRODUCTS.  Yes! I  AM yelling! I will shout it from the rooftops! Writing blog posts about a brand and products that you love  are not  a chore, you aren’t nervous about what you are going to say, or what the brand will think, why? Because you legitimately LOVE THE PRODUCT. When you love and believe in a product, the rest is gravy, whatever you have to say will come naturally, it comes from the heart, it comes from actually being a regular consumer of the product.

BlogPaws is another love that I first discovered in the fall of 2009. Without BlogPaws I wouldn’t know a thing about blogging. When I first discovered BlogPaws it was to me, a gift from the Gods!

Imagine my excitement when a brand that I LOVE approached me to be a “brand influencer”, and offered to sponsor my trip to BlogPaws 2013. I felt as if I had come full circle. I was ecstatic. It was a dream come true. I jumped on that opportunity the way Dakota jumps on his Rachael Ray Nutrish soup bones. If I had a tail it would have wagged. I wasn’t just on an airplane flying to BlogPaws, I was floating on air!

I took this from the plane!

Meeting the Nutrish^®team at BlogPaws was a true delight! They are just as warm and personable as the wonderful woman behind the brand that we are representing.  Having dinner with them and my fellow blogging friends who were also sponsored,  the night before the official kickoff of BlogPaws, was a treat whose flavor will stay in my mouth forever!  Especially due to the delicious Tiramisu we had for dessert!

Without Nutrish^® I wouldn’t have met and connected with other bloggers who were sponsored by Nutrish^®for BlogPaws. Without Nutrish^®I wouldn’t have FINALLY met fellow dog bloggers,  Jodi Stone of Heart Like a Dog, Sugar The Golden Retriever’s Mom, Rosalyn,  Jen from My Brown Newfies,  Carrie from Tales & Tails, Aimee and Chuy from Irresistible Pets,  the list goes on and on, and I apologize for not mentioning everyone!

Chuy of Irresistible Pets

Without Nutrish^®I wouldn’t have experienced all that there is to experience at BlogPaws from the Professional Product Review session presented by Rose Hamilton (Pet360). Carol Bryant (of  BlogPaws and Pet360) and Jeff Davis.  Nor would I have been able to learn from, and enjoy the  down-to-earth and wise Kimanzi Constable who presented his workshop,  The Key to Marketing with Social Media, which I enjoyed immensely.

Jeff Davis, Carol Bryant and Rose Hamilton

For those who have stuck around to read this blog-post-turned-into-a-tome, I thank you! If there is a brand that you would love to work with, I am here to tell you it is NOT all about the numbers. It is EVERYTHING about “doing more than is expected” (as I learned in the Professional Product Review session and was thrilled to learn that it  was something that I was already doing), and about partnering with a brand that you truly believe in, that you would use NO MATTER WHAT.

Thank you Nutrish^® for your wholesome food, treats, and bones, for making my Sheltie smile, and thank YOU for the honor of representing you at BlogPaws and beyond! YOU ROCK!

Tommy Bahama® comes to PetSmart® !! Put your paws up and relax in style!

 

For many of us the weather is getting warmer and our thoughts are turning to romping in the park, spending time at the beach and just putting our paws up and relaxing!

logo courtesy of http://www.tommybahama.com/

Now, doggies can do it in style because  Tommy Bahama® (the Seattle-based manufacturer of men and women’s sportswear, active-wear, denim, swimwear etc.) has just kicked off a new line….FOR PETS!! 

It is Tommy Bahama® Pets – a new collection of apparel and toys now available exclusively at PetSmart® through August!!!

Is this exciting or what?

 

Whether pets are headed to a relaxing travel destination this summer or to the backyard for some fun in the sun, the collection captures the island and coastal spirit and features Tommy Bahama’s well-known hibiscus flowers, palm trees and camp shirts.

And since every pet deserves the paradise of a happy home, five percent of the purchase price for each limited-edition item will be donated to PetSmart Charities® in the United States and Canada to help save homeless pets.

Here are a few of our faves from the new line!

I can think of a few doggies

that would look super sharp

in this shirt!

Tommy Bahama® Fishchips

click on the photo to read more about it!

Tommy Bahama® Straw Hat

Click on the photo to read more about it!

Mom is just DYING to get this hat for me! I would be stylin’ for sure!

And look at this great toy!

Tommy Bahama® Hibiscus Ball Crab

Click on the photo to read more about it!

I would have hours of fun playing with this crabby guy and you will too!

To check out some more super cool items in this line visit: www.PetSmart.com/tommybahamapets

Barks and licks and love,

Dakota

 

In full disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I am sharing information that was sent to bloggers who are a part of the BlogPaws Community

 

 

Winner of Personalized Paw Print Dog Lover Necklace (#BlogPaws Jewelry!) from For Love of a Dog!

Happy Wednesday everybody!!

This is one EXCITING DAY!

Today I am announcing the WINNER OF THE:

Personalized Paw Print Dog Lover Necklace (#BlogPaws Jewelry!) from For Love of a Dog!

To visit For Love Of A Dog click on photo!

THANK YOU THANK YOU

TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

If you are not the lucky winner, guess what?

There will be another give-away

FROM FOR LOVE OF A DOG

on CODY’S BLOG  (CAT CHAT) THIS FRIDAY!!!

I wish EVERYONE COULD HAVE WON!

But…we have ONE WINNER

(as chosen by http://www.random.org)

AND THAT IS….

NELLIE!!!!!

FROM:

 

Click on the photo to visit Nellie’s blog!

 

CONGRATULATIONS NELLIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nellie’s comment was: 

On April 1, 2013 at 12:11 pm catfromhell said: 

Wowzers! Those is so beautiful ME would wears the too! Me LOVES the colors and the paw prints and the charms!!! Super! Me has to goes and look at her jewelry!
Mes Follwed the blog, liked on Facebook! Mes would LOVES to wins!
Kisses
Nellie

Nellie happens to live with doggies too!

Enjoy your necklace!!

AND A HUGE SHELTIE THANK YOU

TO FOR LOVE OF A DOG

FOR SUCH A GENEROUS GIVE-AWAY!!!

REMEMBER THIS NECKLACE IS ON SALE!

Necklace measures 18″ or with extender chain, 21″. 

The REGULAR PRICE of this necklace would be $85 but Sue has put the necklace ON SALE for my readers for at least 2 weeks! The sale price is $50 which is a bargain for meticulously handcrafted, personalized, original jewelry that you CANNOT find anywhere else!  If you would like to order the necklace NOW, just click here

Barks and licks and love, Dakota

 

Enter to win! Personalized Paw Print Dog Lover Necklace (#BlogPaws Jewelry!) from For Love of a Dog!

Didn’t I tell all of you that I had a GREAT give-away up my sleeve? And….this is NOT an April Fool’s joke, it’s the real deal! You can enter to win a “Personalized Paw Print Dog Lover Necklace” (BlogPaws Jewelry) from:

This all came about a few weeks ago when Sue Kottwitz,  (the owner/creator of For Love Of A Dog Jewelry) and I were communicating back and forth via email, and Sue had the idea of making jewelry that would not only be ideal for those of us attending the BlogPaws Conference in May, but would also be suitable for those who are not members of BlogPaws (or bloggers), but would still love to purchase (or win!!) the necklace for themselves!

I thought that was a fantastic idea!

When I went to the BlogPaws conference  in 2011,  I brought way too much jewelry to “represent” both my dog AND my cat!   blogs. Packing was a nightmare, I had so many chains around my neck that I looked like “Mr.T!!”

Well Sue came up with the PERFECT solution for that problem!

 Sue sent me a necklace that covered ALL of my “bases!”

 Here is a photo of my necklace!

The colors are perfect, and my dog, cat blogs,  AND BlogPaws are all “represented” on one necklace! That means, I will ONLY need to wear this necklace for the entire conference and I will just bring a pair of earrings with me. One packing challenge solved!

Being the incredibly kind, caring and giving person that Sue is, she offered to have a give-away on not just one of my blogs but BOTH of them! (The give-away on Cat Chat will be held on April 8th!)

From For Love Of A Dog:

Dog Blogger Lampwork Necklace

This hand crafted necklace is a special tribute to the annual Blog Paws Conference event.  Sweet artisan lampwork black and white paw print beads and black agate gemstone beads are hand wire wrapped with silver jeweler’s wire.

 

The centerpiece consists of 3 separate hand stamped detachable charms.

1. Silver paw print proclaiming BLOG PAWS accented with a ruby-red crystal rondel.
2. Silver dog bone proclaiming BLOGGER, also accented with a ruby-red crystal rondel.
3. Puffy red hand-made lampwork glass heart

Charms attach/detach with tiny lobster claw findings for easy on and off.  Wear charms solo or in any combination you desire.

 

Necklace measures 18″ or with extender chain, 21″. 

The REGULAR PRICE of this necklace would be $85 but Sue has put the necklace ON SALE for my readers for at least 2 weeks! The sale price is $50 which is a bargain for meticulously handcrafted, personalized, original jewelry that you CANNOT find anywhere else!  If you would like to order the necklace NOW, just click here

You can also ENTER TO WIN!

Note:  Winner may choose different personalization for the hand stamped paw and/or dog bone charms/  PLUS the winner may also substitute any of the charms on this necklace for the cat lampwork bead and/or dog bone lampwork bead that is on MY necklace as shown in the first photo.

The GIVE-AWAY is open to those living in the U.S. and/or CANADA!

The give-away starts NOW and will close on MONDAY, APRIL 8TH AT 5PM EST. The winner will be chosen by www.random.org and will be announced on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10TH!

TO ENTER:

MANDATORY:Leave a comment telling me WHAT IT IS YOU LOVE about this necklace!

WANT EXTRA ENTRIES? Do any of the following, all worth ONE ENTRY EACH, LEAVE A COMMENT TELLING ME WHICH OF THESE YOU COMPLETED.

Follow For Love Of A Dog on Twitter

Like on Facebook

Subscribe to the newsletter:  www.ForLoveofaDog.com

Follow the blog: www.Talking-dogs.com

Good Luck!

In full disclosure: 

As I mentioned on the last blog post where I featured For Love Of A Dog jewelry, I have BOUGHT a number of  pieces of Sue’s jewelry, and I couldn’t be happier. When I  mention the superb quality, value, creativity, uniqueness,  and appearance of Sue’s jewelry, I am saying that as a CUSTOMER, NOT as a person given an item for free to review. I BOUGHT Sue’s jewelry long before I ever won a bracelet, from her blog, and before I was sent my necklace for the purpose of a review/give-away.

All opinions are my own!

 

Thankful Thursday: For Love Of A Dog

Throughout the nearly four years I have blogged, I have seen many products and met, albeit in many cases” virtually”, many different people.

There are  products and people who come and go, and there are some you just know will be around forever. Some products thrive and remain popular due to their superior quality and the meticulous care that goes into making them, and there are some people who sparkle and shine both inside AND out, just like their products.

One of these people and her products, is Sue Kottwitz from For Love Of A Dog.

Click photo to visit Sue’s website and blog!

I have featured Sue a few times  on Dakota’s blog, and I am tickled to feature her again!  This  time I was the  lucky recipient of a gorgeous bracelet of Sue’s that came from a give-away that Sue had in honor of her cherished  mother’s birthday. (Sue’s mother passed earlier in February of 2013. What an incredible woman she had to have been to have raised a daughter who has a heart bursting with goodness, as Sue does.) 

Here  are photos of what I won:

From For Love Of A Dog: “This is a one of kind piece of dog lover jewelry that I created specially for this celebration.

The focal is a hand crafted purple porcelain dog bone with DOG MOM hand inscribed.  The dog bone is surrounded by a variety of chubby artisan lampwork beads in shades of purple and lavender.  Pale lavender core with purple raised dots, a looping scroll design, and a drum rondelle.”

From For Love Of A Dog: “The clasp is a silver heart with paw print lobster claw.  To finish things just right, I added an artisan lampwork heart that is nicely fat and scarlet red.   This bracelet is a $75 value!”

I wish you could see this bracelet in person, it is even more exquisite than it is in the photos. Here are some photos that I took:

Sue’s creations are always packaged with love, and focus on presentation

 

I squealed with delight when I opened my PRIZE!!

Did you notice the beautiful presentation of the package?  A couple of years ago, I ordered pieces from Sue and some jewelry from another place, the jewelry all arrived at the same time. I felt bad for the “other” person, because her jewelry was wrapped in a haphazard manner, and then there was Sue’s? Who do YOU think I still purchase jewelry from?

The bracelet is simply GORGEOUS and as I mentioned before this is not the only piece of Sue’s jewelry that I own. I also bought some pieces myself, here is my beloved Sheltie necklace that I BOUGHT!

Yep I bought this breed specific necklace (along with some cat items but THIS is a DOG blog!) I wore this necklace to BlogPaws 2011!

Are you drooling by now? I thought so! It wouldn’t be fair of me to show you these wonderful items and not tell you that we have an upcoming GIVE-AWAY that will be on Dakota’s blog THIS MONDAY APRIL 1st (and THAT is no joke!) You will have to come back Monday to see what you can enter to win if you live in the U.S. AND CANADA! (it is TOTALLY different than what is featured here today!)

In the meantime you can follow Sue every which way possible and count the minutes til you can enter on MONDAY!

 The Website: www.ForLoveofaDog.com 

>The Blog:  www.Talking-dogs.com
>Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/ForLoveofaDogJewelry
>Google+ : www.gplus.to/ForLoveofaDog
>Twitter:  www.twitter.com/ForLoveofaDog
>Pinterest:  www.Pinterest.com/Forloveofadog

THANK YOU SUE FOR MY GORGEOUS BRACELET!!

 

 

Fun Dog Plate by Three Sisters Plates: Enter to win your own customized plate!

I am a firm believer in Synchronicity.  

Synchronicity: from Wikipedia: is the experience of two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated or unlikely to occur together by chance, yet are experienced as occurring together in a meaningful manner.

click on photo to visit the Etsy Shop!

Some months back  I was shopping at my local market and noticed a man wearing a Cleveland Browns cap. I live in Michigan and Cleveland happens to be my home town.  Always one to strike up a conversation with a stranger, whether they like it or not,  I approached the man and asked if he was from Cleveland. He told me no, but that his daughter lived there. I asked her name, which sounded familiar and the kind gentleman proceeded to phone her. I got on the phone and explained how I had just met her Dad, pleasantries were exchanged. It turned out she didn’t know who I thought she knew and that was that. I thanked the gentleman for calling her and we went on our way. Just a fun coincidence in a local grocery store,  nothing more. Or so I thought.

A month or so later I received this keepsake   for my birthday from my niece who has a knack of knowing the perfect gift to give to anyone for whatever occasion! It came from an Etsy shop called:Three Sisters Plates.

I couldn’t have been more delighted!  I spent so much time going through every photo,  each one stirring up memories of my deeply loved and greatly missed home town. I couldn’t wait to display this keepsake with  pride in my home.

I derived so much joy from this plate that it got me to thinking,  I wondered if the shop owner also did plates that featured dogs and I began searching. YES! She did!

I promptly ordered one for myself (along with a custom cat plate, which will be displayed on Cat Chat on March 22nd, along with another give-away!). At the same time I ordered, I contacted the shop owner (Sandie) and asked if she would be interested in holding a give-away for my readers. Through our conversation I learned that she was from Cleveland which of course, led me to start my interrogation. When she mentioned her last name, I asked some other questions and then came the SHOCKER. She said “Are you the same lady who met my Dad at the market some months ago?” I nearly DIED! Synchronicity at work! What were the odds of THIS happening?

It was  meant to be that I met Sandie’s father in the market, it was meant to be that I received one of her gorgeous, unique, handmade plates,  so that I may share these marvelous plates with you!

Here is the Personalized Plate that I ordered (and yes I BOUGHT it, along with the cat plate!) If you wish to purchase the Fun Dog Plate that is NOT personalized, click here

There are all sorts of dogs on this plate and if you look closely you will see some photos of Dakota in the mix! I just love it!! Here is a photo of it displayed in my home:

How incredible are these plates? (The plate stand is sold separately and is super inexpensive).  These make the PERFECT and most UNIQUE GIFTS and with over 130 themes you are sure to find one that would be perfect for you, or the lucky recipient!

From Three Sisters Plates:

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To add one of your photos to a plate click here

To add up to 5 of your photos to a plate click here

To visit the Three Sisters Plates website click here

All plates are hand crafted. Yes, each picture is individually cut and glued.
They are meant to be looked at, laughed at and talked about!
Since all the work is done under the glass they can be used, but do not put them in the dishwasher. Most people put cookies, cracker and wrapped candy on them

Also please visit my vintage shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/SandiesVintage

Isn’t Synchronicity the best??!

By meeting Sandie’s Dad at a random market in Michigan, and receiving MY Cleveland Browns sports plate as a birthday gift, I decided to purchase a dog and cat plate, which led to my asking if Sandie would agree to having a give-away for YOU, and she agreed! As she said in an email:  “after all, we’re practically related!”

GIVE-AWAY! ONE LUCKY PERSON LIVING IN THE U.S. will win their own PERSONALIZED DOG PLATE with 5 of your own photos added to it (a $45 value plus shipping). The give-away starts NOW and will end on THURSDAY, MARCH 14TH AT NOON. WINNER WILL BE SELECTED BY http://www.random.org and WILL BE ANNOUNCED SATURDAY, MARCH 16TH.

To enter, visit the Three Sisters Etsy shop and leave a comment on this blog post telling me what your favorite plate is!

Good luck!

Oh and pay attention when you are at your local market, you never know WHO you will meet!