Allison's Bachelorette! {Allie & Amy}

Allie's Bachelorette Party happened at the beginning of this month, over the fourth of July weekend. I {Amy} kissed my fiance and my dog good bye and hopped on a plane midday on the fourth getting to Portland in the late afternoon. And then the weekend officially began.

Due to some traffic problems, the first evening was just three of us, Allie, Jeff and myself. We went to the Baowry in St. Johns for dinner and had a lovely bit of catching up. I hadn't seen Jeff in forever.

The Baowry was gorgeous with food that was beyond delicious - but we'll talk about that in another post.

Friday was when the actual festivities occured. We all went out for dinner and drinks and talked about all manner of inappropriate things. I think one of the oddest part of the evening was going to a public house with a bar cat.

The Saturday was a recovery day. We spent the morning watching girly movies, eating thai food and some healthier snacks and drinking delicious tea.

Saturday afternoon was a day at the beach - literally. We piled in a car and drove out to Kelly Point Park where Henry got in his fill of running around like a crazy dog, chasing his ball, and making friends with a much larger Newfoundland!



And then Sunday morning rolled around and it was time for us all to break apart. I had a flight to get to, and the others had places to be as well. We made a brief and delicious stop at Gravy, and then it was all over... until the wedding!

Design Inspiration {Allie}

Inspiration for design can come from anywhere. This month, I wanted to embrace the classic summer dream for interior design inspiration.

This photo of the perfect beach has warmth, texture and jewel tones that evoke a casual care free atmosphere.

These interiors evoke that same easy breezy fun that I feel at a beach. The warm tones, patterns and pops of color in these spaces feel like summer fun without screaming "kitschy beach".

Mixing color and pattern is a great way to bring visual interest into a space. If you use a neutral base in the more permanent elements like the flooring, counters, natural rugs etc., you can then bring color and pattern into your space with paint, curtains, accent rugs, pillows and ares like a focal tile wall or backsplash (like the turquoise geometric above). 

This summer beach inspiration mixes texture and patterns that evoke warmth and breezy fun. If we used only one of these patterns, the style and energy of the space would be bland and too static. Always find a common color thread within your mixed patterns so that they feel cohesive. I have mixed organic patterns in with the strong geometric patterns, which helps bring softness and a more relaxed energy to the overall look. If you use only geometric patterns, the hard lines would take on a coldness that our beach inspiration doesn't have.

Lastly, look for things that speak to you. If you find one piece you love, use that as your inspiration and build your space around it. My beach inspiration photo had beautiful colors and textures that inspired my ff&e (furniture, fixtures, & equipment in Interior Designer Lingo) and most importantly, would make me think about the beach in the summer time every I was in this space.

July Snapshot

{Amy}

Even though, July isn't over yet, I can tell you it's been one of the busiest of the year so far. I took my second trip to Oregon in less than three weeks, I published a novella and finalized my second round of edits on the follow up novel before sending it off to my mother. Allie and I started this blog and - as usual - I drank a TON of tea. 

The only thing I know for certain after all the craziness of July... is August is going to be twice as crazy! {But totally in a good way}

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{Allie}

July has been a whirl wind of fun, friends and change. A new chapter is starting soon, but I am glad I was able to look back on July and relish in all the amazing things I did this month; reconnecting and celebrating with my dear friends and family, moving, exploring new things, traveling, Henry's first boat trip and much much more. August will go by in a flash and before you know it, I will be married and teaching at my new job. I would have never guessed I would have done all these things in one short month, but life is funny that way!

{What a beautiful month it has been!}

Canning Jam: My first try!

One of my goals over the next few years is to learn how to can anything and everything. I want to be able to can vegetables, sauces & salsas, berries, local fish (you will never buy store bought canned tuna again!) and anything else I can muster, so we don't have to buy things from the store. Knowing where the food came from (our garden, a neighbors yield, u-pick farms etc.) and knowing how it was made is exciting and something Jeff and I appreciate. 

For our wedding we decided to have home canned jams & pickled beets for a wedding favor and I used this opportunity to learn one style of canning from my soon-to-be mother-in-law.

Here are some process photos!!

Step 1: acquire desired fruit! We used rhubarb from the neighbors, strawberries from the farmers market and huckleberries we picked last summer. So all in all, we made Strawberry rhubarb and Strawberry huckleberry jam.

Step 2: boil the berries and mix in all the goodies and pour into hot clean jars!

Step 3: put the boiled clean lids on and wait for them to pop!! 

P.S. don't touch the lids before they pop, apparently this is a not a good thing to do! ;)

So fun and yummy!!! 

I will be canning tuna hopefully in a month or so, so look for a post on that soon!!

Art in Progress: Watercolors {Amy}

Aside from a brief stint in grade school, I hadn’t spent much time with watercolors. Most of the painting I’ve done in the last twelve or so years has been with oils. {I like the way they can be manipulated and the smell of linseed oil.} But recently, I’ve taken to watercolors again. Oddly enough, the reason I like them is because they tend to have a mind of their own.

One of the subjects that I immediately took to was pets. Oddly, Pets and flowers have been my main focus so far. Here’s a look at some of the work I’ve been doing of late.

{Some of my drawings beforehand are more detailed than others}

{My mongrel and a Tulip}

  {Detail of my mom's dog}

{Half way through a friend's cat}

{Please tell me I'm not the only one who sees Elvis in this half finished rose}



Living Simply - Blogs {Allie}

Anyone that knows me well will tell you I'm a nut for things like:
- Sustainability
- Living with less
- Healthy cooking
- Self sufficiency: making things by hand & growing my own food
- Getting in touch with nature
All in the pursuit to {Live more simply}.
I am constantly looking for great resources & advice from others who strive for the same things to help me on my journey towards a more joyful existence and each month I will share them with you.

 This month I have been inspired by blogs that share others attempts at living more simply. Here are a few of my favorites I have come across this month!

Blogs:
Little Eco Footprints-
A family who is trying to live closer to nature; having space to grow food; having a little ecological footprint; and being part of a community.
Smallish Blog-
A blog about living small, with a small budget and small eco-footprint. Adorable!
Goins, writer-
Over all a great read for inspiration and lovely nuggets of thought, but this specific post spoke to me during all the changes in my life this past month!
Roost-
Obsessed!! I am completely in love with this blog! Adorable style and amazing posts that are so inspiring!

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What are your favorite blogs about {Living simply}?

Small Space Creativity: Gallery Walls {Amy}

When I moved down town three years ago, I knew I would be downsizing. {A LOT.}

But one of the things I didn't want to part with was any of my small art collection. So, I realized that I needed to maximise how much art I put on a wall in order to still be able to display it. Thus, the galery walls were born.

When I say we own a lot of art, I'm not kidding. between the things Earl and I have painted, the photographs I've taken and the airt we've purchased from people we know and artists we love, we've got more than an 800sqft apartment really should be required to deal with

So, we started looking for ways to get them up on the wall, but that kept them from looking TOO cluttered.
I think we did pretty well.

(These walls are opposite eahchother)

These are just two walls in the space, we had art all over that apartment.

This is how we dealt with an enormous art collection (for the space), have you had the same problem?

Chatter Reviews: Pitch Perfect / Bachelorette / Under the Tuscan Sun

Over the Fourth of July weekend, we got together with Allie’s bridesmaids for her bachelorette weekend. It was a ton of fun, and on Saturday {aka Recovery day} we spent half the day lounging around watching movies. Here’s what we thought about three of them – this is an edited transcript of chat conversations we had about said flicks.

Pitch Perfect:

{Allie} I thought this was the most fun to watch with you guys. The giggling became infectious and I am not sure if it would have been as funny if we had all watched it alone. I very much enjoyed the ultimate-nerdy roommate Benji, played by Ben Platt & of course Rebel Wilson - whose never-ending stream of jokes made me laugh constantly.

The musician side of me however seems to go a little crazy over the "instant, on the spot" perfect a cappella songs they pull out of........somewhere (in the swimming pool scene as well as the girl that has her nodes removed and then can sing as low as the best male bass singers.) {Allie}

{Amy} It was definitely a movie that is a little better for the people you watch it with! I can tell you, I’ve been humming that Cups song ever since. Rebel definitely was a treat, and I really enjoyed the fact that this one didn’t take itself too seriously. Especially with the injection of the a cappella commentators (Elizabeth Banks &  John Michael Higgins) who kind of felt like the audience view point.

With all movies, there were a few problems, but they weren’t huge things. Character motivation-wise, I don’t know why the main Bella took so long to understand that no one wanted to hear the same song over and over again. It was more than a little ridiculous to me. But that was probably my only issue with it (excepting the “everyone-knows-this-song-perfectly” syndrome of any musical). {Amy}

{Allie} (which is just a "teacher-qualm" I have) I agree that it didn't take itself too seriously which was refreshing! One of my favorite moments is when they are holding auditions for this year’s a cappella groups using Kelly Clarkson's "Since you've been gone" - that montage is hilarious! The quirky character Lilly played by Hana Mae Lee was adorably creepy at times and during the montage is barely audible. She continued to make me laugh and feel strange at the same time throughout the movie, but blew me away when she started to beat box - she rocked-my-socks! {Allie}

Bachelorette:

{Allie} Bachelorette was definitely not what we were all expecting. I think we chose to watch it next because Rebel Wilson was in it but we could not have chosen two more opposite movies. First, after watching the entire thing, I will say I think it was trying to do something different than the thousands of other movies that everyone calls "chick flicks" (a term I am not a fan of). But, what it did have to say wasn't anything I was interested in at the time. I think you said it best when we were about 5 minutes into the movie, "Am I suppose to hate them all?" {Allie}

{Amy}

I did say that, didn’t I? And I still think that was the overwhelming feeling at the beginning and end of the movie. The three main characters just weren’t likable. Sure, Isla Fisher’s character was cute at times, but the over the top ditz with a fashion-rain-man quality was almost cloying.
That being said, I do think I could have appreciated the movie… if I’d gone into it not expecting a comedy along the lines of Bridesmaids (which was one of the big problems, I’m sure, when it was released in theaters). There were some moments that I really enjoyed, but they were sadly few and far between. I do think I’ll watch it again, with Earl, to try to figure out if the reason it was SO bad at the time was because we’d watched it so closely to Pitch Perfect. It’s like when you eat something really sweet and something else tastes bitter because of the sugar already on your tongue.

I am still really surprised it was written and directed by a woman. Since while we watched it, I kept feeling like it was what a man thought would happen at a bachelorette. {Amy}

{Allie} It is really interesting to find out that it was a play before it was a movie. Now, after the fact, I see it being an infinitely better story when told as a stage production vs. the hollywoodized movie we watched. {Allie}

Under the Tuscan Sun:

{Allie} Under the Tuscan Sun is an old favorite of mine. I think I romanticize the idea of moving to Europe, buying a beautifully aged home, fixing it up and living completely raw and natural with people you love. Of course her reason for going there is not ideal, but I think her situation is something I have been through on a small temporary scale and her journey of putting herself back together is beautiful and uplifting. {Allie}

{Amy} There’s just something perfectly ideal about moving abroad (even if it is to get away from horrible life drama). And there’s something wonderful about the correlation of the house and her life coming together gradually. Sure there are bumps along the way. Sure there are some minor cave-ins and thunderstorms, but eventually everything works itself out and she wouldn’t have appreciated the outcome if she hadn’t had to deal with the bad things.

I do really want to read the memoir this is based off of. {Amy}

{Allie}Ya, I was just looking at the webpage for the author and her memoir because I wanted to see what the similarities and differences are between the book and the movie but I think I better just read it and find out for myself. The other thing I love about this film is that every time I watch it, it reminds me how many amazing people there are that you shouldn't be afraid to meet. She fully embraces new people into her life, cooking for them, helping the neighbors pick their olive trees, becomes friends with the mysterious and intriguing blonde woman she sees everywhere etc. and I think we don't do this enough these days. I need to get out more! {Allie}

Caramel & Apple Butter Ice Cream {Amy}

It is hot in Phoenix right now -  just look at the picture if you don't believe me. in the time it took to scoop out that ice cream, stick my shortbread in it and take the picture, it had already started to melt!

When it's hot there's nothing better than a sweet frozen treat, and I've been having a hankering for homemade ice cream. Talking to a friend about caramel apples made the decision to go with a caramel/apple butter ice cream a no-brainer.

It's really rich, so if you're like me and have a ginormous sweet tooth, you won't be disappointed.

Obviously you'll need some sort of an ice cream maker for this. I use the kitchen aid Stand Mixer ice cream "attachment."

You can either buy your Apple Butter ahead of time, or you can make it from this recipe like I did.

You can buy your Caramel, but it's frighteningly easy to make on your own, and it comes out tasting like liquid Worthers.

{Caramel}

1 C Sugar
1 1/4 C Heavy Cream
1/2 t Vanilla Extract
1/2 t Sea Salt

Heat sugar in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir with fork to make sure it heats evenly. When you see the sugar starting to melt, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan occasionally to make sure the sugar melts evenly.
When the sugar melts and reaches a dark amber color, add the cream. It will sputter a little, and the sugar will seize up, but that's okay. Keep cooking it, stirring with a whisk until all of the sugar has dissolved. Transfer caramel to a bowl and stir in the vanilla and salt.

Set your caramel aside and get it to room temperature.

{Ice Cream Base}

1/4 C Sugar
1 C Heavy Cream
1 c Whole Milk
3 Large Eggs

Combine your first three ingredients in a small pot or sauce pan. Stirring occasionally bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat.
Separately, whisk eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Add half of your cream mixture, slowly pouring and whisking constantly (so your eggs don't scramble). Add the egg mixture back into your pot and cook over medium heat to achieve a lumpy custard consistency. Strain custard through a fine mesh sieve.
Stir in cooled caramel and apple butter and then toss your "batter" into the fridge for at least 6 hours. {No one ever said this was going to be quick.}

You'll want to stir this occasionally.

{Six hours later}

Set up your ice cream maker. Stir your batter one final time, then add it to your machine and follow the instructions.

Makes about 1 quart.

Gardening: Current & Dream {Allie}

Gardens. I love them & yet over the past 3 years, I have been forced to find alternative ways to bring a little more "garden" into my life. Apartment dwelling in Portland keeps plant lovers like me on my toes with challenges like:
No Windows - Our current abode has one window in the bedroom and solar tubes in the kitchen that do not let in adequate sunlight for plants. My dragon tree and I found this out the hard way.
No Space - We are so lucky right now to have a patio, but in our previous apartments we had no outdoor space at all. I always claimed every window ledge, book case or area of the floor that got any sunlight for the plants.
An Indoor Cat - I love our cat. And she loves our plants. She chews on the leaves, digs in the pots for fun and even uproots and drags off little succulents from time to time. I don't blame her, I am sure they are tasty herbs and fun to chew on, but the plants did not appreciate it.

This is my current garden that I planted by hand (bag of dirt is in the shot!) The succulents are starts from my Grandmother's house in Coos Bay and the Fig Tree and Huckleberry bush were finds at a local gardening store called City Farm.

This is my dream garden - 

My dream garden is wild, natural and vibrant. I really want to be able to produce enough vegetables, herbs and flowers to sustain us through each season and share with family and friends. My style of garden is not one that is overly manicured or perfect. I like it when a garden feels like you stumbled upon it in the woods; an untouched pocket of nature. I am also an advocate of no-lawn gardening. In Portland, many people opt out of lawns in exchange for indigenous plants that need less care and water to survive. This is a very sustainable choice as well as one that gives you that "wild" feel that I love so much.

Here is a list of my {must haves} - 

- Raised beds for the produce

- Lavender bushes: dry them in bundles and use in a multitude of ways {like these}

- Wild flowers that grow from reseeding each year

- Succulents, succulents succulents

- Wood Fences

- Hydrangea bushes that were grown from starts off my Grandmother's bushes

- A cute garden shed that Jeff and I build by hand

- A trellis wrapped in any beautiful climbing flower

- Chickens!

Someday my {Dream Garden} will be real. But for now, my little parts and pieces that I plant and take with us from apartment to apartment will do, and in the near future, Jeff and I will finally get to lay down some {roots}.

Style 1x3: Tea Party! {Allie, Natalie, & Amy}

ALLISON

I love tea. Simple as that. But I'm a solo tea drinker most of the time. I find it relaxing and inspiring, and love grabbing a cup to accompany me while I ponder life, write in my journal or cozy up to watch a movie. Tea is my favorite companion for those things. But, when I get the chance to mix tea with some of my favorite people, at a party, what a lovely time that is going to be.

Each of these pieces has a story. I love that about old clothes and hand-me-down items. My cup and necklace are from my Grandmother - my shoes and bracelet are vintage shop finds in Portland - my dress a thrift store steal! This combo makes me nostalgic for tea time with friends!

{I believe I am ready for a tea party}

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Dress: Thrift store in Hood River, OR | Shoes: Vintage heels | Bracelet: Vintage find @ Sabi & Friends Vintage in St. Johns - Portland | Necklace: An heirloom from my Grandmother
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NATALIE

Pretty dresses, best friends, and a great cup of tea. These are a few of my favorite things, and they all get combined when it’s time for a Tea Party!

Bows are one of my favorite accessories, and you’ll see plenty of bow details in my chosen outfit. This dress has always reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, which made it my go-to choice for Tea Party attire. My “Just Brew It” teapot necklace was a piece I saw and had to have, not only for myself but also for Amy, because of our mutual love of all things tea. I finished off the outfit with my “Girly Girl” gloves and bow flats, just to keep everything ladylike and whimsical.

I also included one of my teacups from my growing teacup collection. This cup is special to me since it is from Amy, and it worked very nicely with this outfit because it’s lovely teal color tied in beautifully with my pale blue dress and green necklace.
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Dress: Victoria’s Secret | Shoes: Soda via Zappos.com | Necklace and Gloves: Modcloth | Teacup: Loveramics A Gift via Amy
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AMY
The setting for my pictures just felt right - since I spend most or the time at the tea parties I throw running in and out of my kitchen! (also, it's been way too hot to do much outside now.)

Anyone who knows me knows of my unending love affair with tea. It can be 112 outside (It often is here in the summer) and I'll still start my day with a cup of tea, or five. And back before my tea friends moved away (One further than the other) I'd have tea parties approximately twice a year.

There's just something lovely about dressing up in a pretty dress and getting together with your girlfriends for a spot of tea, some delicious food and wonderful conversation. This dress is one of my new favorites and I'm pretty sure you'll be seeing it again. I especially love that it has pockets! The necklace and shoes were both gifts, the former from Natalie, and the latter from Earl's mom. They're both such sweethearts!

Please note that Zombies will always make thier way into every aspect of my life... even tea parties.
This tea cup is my favorite. I found it in an antique store in Winchester Bay, OR in early 2005 and snatched it up for a paltry $4 and have loved it ever since! Right now, it is 224 years old. Made in 1789! 
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Dress: Emily and Fin via Modcloth | Shoes: Rocket Dog via Macy's | Bracelet: Spiffing Jewelery | Necklace: A Gift from Natalie via Modcloth

No Cost Redesign: Storage that Says Something! {Amy}

We have a lot of movies, guys. I would be willing to call the amount "ridiculous" but the male half of my household seems to think the sheer number in our collection is not at all something to be worried about.

And to house them we've enlisted the help of som standard IKEA shelving systems with doors. By themselves, they're kind of blah.

See what I mean?
I've been thinking about what to do with them for a LONG time. A lot of people with the morebo doors use fabric to change up from the plain black or white option, but I didn't want to put that much $$$ into it. So for this no cost redesign, I raided my desk drawer and found a handy dandy silver sharpie. And I raided the movies themselves for quotes... then I got to writing.

I chose to do the silver sharpie on the black side of the backer, but you could totally go to town with colorful markers on the other side... I might just do that when I get tired of this!

I think the thing I love about it, is that it reminds me so much of a year book, or a graffiti wall.I think, when people who come to visit, I'll get them to write their favorite movie quote too. I'll hand them a sharpie and say "Pick a space!"

And it cost me nothing but my time.

Tip: If you do this, Super simple way to fix any mistakes is with a quick swipe of a nail polish remover-soaked cotton ball!

Color Twist: Mint/Coral {Amy & Allie}

MINT! 

Mint has quickly become one of my favorite colors. But I've realized lately there is nowhere near enough of it in my life. Here's a little ode to my mint-love.

(The three pieces in the middle are mine!)

I checked. I have one dress, and one shirt that are "mint" and they're two different shades, and then this lovely little pitcher and saucer that I have no idea where I found. I love them all, but I definitely need to find more ways to infuse the color into my life.
 {Amy}



~Color Twist~

~Color Twist~


CORAL!

Coral is my summer color crush this year. I think it is beautiful, warm, vibrant and makes you feel girly without over doing it. I want to bring it into my life year round, so here are a few "coral" inspirations!

{Did I mention it is one of my wedding colors??}
{Allie}


Do you love mint and coral as much as we do? Have any pieces in either color you simply cannot live without?

Fab Farmers Market: Portland Oregon {Allie}

One of my favorite things about Portland is {food}. Fresh food. And there is no better place than the Portland Farmers Market to find the best produce, flowers and homemade goods local farmers & artisans have to offer. So, on sunny Saturdays, Jeff and I grab our cloth bags and shopping list and hit the park blocks down town.

First things first, we head on over to Spunky Monkey's mobile shop for some americanos. We love our {coffee}. Next, we scope out what all the stands have to offer and compare prices for out list items (my mother's influence is showing!). Everywhere you look, brilliant colors and textures are to be found; purple and green artichokes, fresh speckled brown eggs, warm baked breads {even gluten free!!} that smell delicious, crafted beers and ciders and my favorite - artisan cheeses!!

We made out with a wide array of fresh produce and a few splurge items that we couldn't pass up after taste testing, that we have fun plans for!!
- Our carrots will be combined with ginger, apples and kale for juicing through out the week
- These zucchinis will make a few loaves of gluten free zucchini bread
- The berries will top morning yogurt or will just disappear in handfuls... :)
- The beats and goat cheese (well worth splurge) will be used in this recipe:  Summer Beet Stacks
- The Pineapple Gazpacho Soup.....one word: {bliss}
This soup surved cold or frozen is to die for and I have been looking up recipes ever since to be able to make it all summer!

The Farmers Market is one of my favorite things about summer here in Portland. People come from all over the oregon because they love & celebrate the beauty in all things fresh, local, and handmade and I am happy to be a part of that circle!

Go find a farmers market near you and try one of these summer recipes that are on my {to try} list:
- Pineapple Gazpacho Soup
- Hum Sun Tea
- Citrus Fennel Salad
- Cucumber & Peach Salad

Allison

Magpie DIY: Crouching Sparrow, Drunken Birdhouse {Amy}

My mother lives in Wine Country… well, in Oregon wine country, that is. And she and my stepfather enjoy the availability of local wineries for tastings and things of that nature. So when I decided to give into my passion for crafting, I started saving corks with the intention of doing something with them for her… though I was never quite sure what. And then I saw this birdhouse on Pinterest that was made of corks. And I knew I needed to do something similar.

One of the big problems with this idea, though, is that I live in a studio apartment with limited outdoor space. So constructing the birdhouse itself was not going to be ideal - though I suppose I could have done it. Instead, I took a trip down to the local craft store and found a birdhouse I liked among their wood working supplies. I assume these are meant for painting more than anything else, but it served my purpose.

So, once you’ve saved up enough corks, and found a birdhouse you like all you need is an exacto knife and wood glue… oh, and one finishing nail if you want to use a champagne cork for the chimney.

Slice your corks in half length-wise and cut them down where necessary for the angles of your house and for the opening for the hole. Be sure to use a piece of cardboard or a cutting board to keep from messing up the surface you’re working on.

I used wood glue, applied it to the wood and then pressed the corks in. I also let each side dry before I moved on to the next.

When you’ve got the sides covered, slice the cork into little half moons to shingle the roof. A Champagne cork is a fun way to add a chimney, but a regular cork would work just as well. And Voila!

Animal Archives: Introducing... Lucy & Henry {Amy & Allie}

Lucy is not the name I would have chosen. Perhaps that’s why I don’t call her that very often. She is my Lubella, Musa, Footprint, Snuffleface, Snoochie, Burrito Dog, and occasionally Lady Lu Supreme Snarfflegast and Protector of the Food Bowl.

Lu is a mutt, though all her paperwork and her vets tell me she’s a Shih-Tzu/lhasa Apso mix, so that’s what she is to me. Picked up of the mean streets of Seoul South Korea, she spent the first several months of her life at an Air Force base Veterinary office, and her name was Cookie.  Three owners (who don’t understand that a puppy can’t regulate her bladder) and a name change later, and she was Lucy. A friend who’s husband was stationed there adopted her and when they were reassigned, Lu got the longest – and probably only – plane ride of her life.

We even have the customs paperwork to prove she only has one head. It’s written half in English and half in Korean. But when said friend had her son, she found out he was allergic to dogs and had to find new homes for a then four year old Lu, and a black lab puppy. And that is How Lu came to live with us, and we wouldn’t trade her for the world.

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Henry Gilbert VanBassett is a corgi. A Pembroke Welsh Corgi to be precise. His ancestors lived in Wales and helped the farmers out by herding cattle. Henry definitely has the personality and brains to take on a job like that and we find it just delightful.
Henry was named after our Grandfathers; Jeff's late Grandfather Henry (Hank) Potts and my Grandfather Gilbert (Sandy) Braulick. Henry, like Lucy has many other names too; Henry, Hen, Corn Beef, Beef, Boo, Fluffy Butt, Fluffers, Little Demon, Angel, and so on.......and we use them depending on his corgi mood. Corgis are funny creatures. They are very vocal and loyal but are not big cuddlers. Henry will grumble if you disturb his slumber and often will get up and move somewhere else to sleep in peace. He is a determined and happy boy the rest of the time though, hiking, play time on the beach, a new antler chewer, and little pieces of veggie are among his favorite things in life. His other goals is to always know what is going on at all times, procure food by doing tricks without being asked, hoping someone will be swept away by his amazing skills and throw him a piece, and sleep in as many positions as possible. Henry is the best. I wouldn't trade him for anything. His little fluffy butt, perky ears and neurotic personality are simply perfect.