New Year is Almost Here!

Around the studio, we're prepping for an exciting 2010. The New Year is just ahead and we are anticipating all of our new projects and the creative juices are flowing.

Myself, I've decided to become more useful and less of a random dog this year. What I mean is that this dog is learning a few new tricks and plans on changing the blog just a smidge. Sure the overall look has changed, but the content is about to take a turn for the better too. No worries, I'll still post about my adventures in the neighborhood and let you in on Mocha's resolutions.

For 2010, it's time to be more productive with the blog. Stay tuned for what's in store.

From our home to yours, we wish you a very Happy New Year!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-P

Merry Christmas!

From our doggie home to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Woof woof!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Moose the MaltiPoo

Moose is such a doll! I especially love the "growl" and that nifty "roll." Way to go.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-P

Just in Time for Christmas

Check out this cool blog called Snootypaws. They have a cute list of Christmas Pet Gifts which are sure to please your furry friends.

On their blog, I found this little cutie-pie:



What a ball full of cuteness! That little hedgehog has about the cutest ears ever.

Merry Christmas to all and too all a belly rub!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-P

Website Revamped!

Well, you can finally see what M & M have been working on over at our website. It's taken a bit of time, a few sleepless nights, and a lot of coffee, but the website is launched!

I hope you enjoy the new look!

In other news, we've been busy getting ready for the holidays. The rain has made for some muddy paws and cold nights. This year's Geminids have been hard to view due to cloud coverage and freezing weather (ok, freezing in terms of California). I've been all snuggled up in my blankets with a hot cup of coffee to sip.

Here's to a wonderful Christmas ahead!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Sweet November

It appears November has almost come and gone faster than anticipated.

This dog has been busy with multiple projects and has had all four paws clicking away.

Recently Mocha and I have been busy in the studio as muses for M and M. I've even taken a liking to charcoal again and made a few smudges here and there. Matt stopped by last week and took me for a walk down at Balboa. I got a frozen banana on a stick and I must say--yum! Matt will be here for Thanksgiving and says he has a big surprise for me! I'm so excited.

In the backyard, the cat we call Marmalade hasn't been around much. We're pretty sure she's not too fond of having me sit and watch her from the family room as she rests under MY lemon tree. Mocha says not to worry. I've decided to just stare at her and that has paid off, lol. I think I'm winning so far. But I'm pretty sure she's the one leaving me half eaten lemons at the back door. Woof!

Since the holidays are coming...

Please try and remember the shelter dog and cats. Drop by a county animal shelter and give a few pets to the animals for five minutes. Those five minutes don't take much time. Plus, the time you give to a shelter dog or cat helps them in ways you'll never know. I know, I was in a shelter once and everyone who took the time to scratch under my chin made the moments behind the cold bars a little less scary. Even if you never plan on adopting an animal, the time you take out of your day to spend a few minutes with them will be priceless for the both of you. Please give the gift of five minutes during the busy holidays.

That's all for now.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Happy Halloween!

Happy Howloween to all!

I'm off to get dressed up as a...wait for it...werewolf! I've got the fur, the fangs, and the fake blood. I'm all set to go. M will be my "Little Red Riding Hood." Muhahahaha. Trick-or-Treat!

Have a safe and sane Howloween!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-P

Apple Mail Password Problem

Grrrowl!



Have you received the dreaded "Enter Password for account..." in Apple Mail? Well, I have and I've tried just about everything to fix the problem. I browsed the Apple Forums for solutions. I tried clicking the "cancel" button, only to have the same problem. I've entered my mail passwords, only to have them "disappear" or not save. I've deleted keychain passwords. I've repaired and verified the keychain. Nothing worked. I repaired the keychain with Mail active and inactive. Still nothing. I restarted after repairing the keychain. Nothing, and the frustration is building.

I may have had a slight breakthrough though. Today, I went to my mail server and changed my password for two of my POP email accounts. I didn't really change the password, I just entered the same password that I had entered before. It appears the password wasn't the same (the number of ***'s didn't match the number of letters and numbers in my password).

When I opened Mail. the POP mail didn't ask for a password this time on those two accounts! :-)

So, let's hope I can fix two more POP mail accounts the same way.

I'm keeping my paws crossed.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Southern California Heat Wave

Today begins what will hopefully be a short heat wave here in So.Cal.. So, how can you and your pets beat the heat?

Keep hydrated by drinking water

Make sure your pets are drinking fresh clean water

Try popsicles to stay cool

Try making small ice chips for dogs to chew on

Mist your bird if you see signs of overheating

Wear sunscreen

Stay in the shade

Wear light loose clothing

If your dog gets hot, put paws in cool water for a refresher

Above all, stay cool and please don't leave any animal in a vehicle during hot weather.


Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

A Moment of Silence on 9/11

God Bless America.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Peek-a-Boo!

Now that is what I call a cool fence! I love knotholes because I can stick my nose in the knothole and sniff the other side of the fence. But this window would sure be fun to have! Hey, I'd love a couple of these around the whole perimeter. That would be a lot of fun!

Read more about the Pet Peek here.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

World's Oldest Dog Dies: R.I.P. Chanel

The oldest dog in the world has died. Chanel lived 21 years! Now that is impressive. Not only did Chanel love butter (Really? Just butter? Or butter on baked potatoes or butter on crunchy english muffins? Yum.) but also had another unhealthy habit--chocolate. Go figure, 21 years with butter and chocolate! I bet lots of love and belly rubs made for a happy long doggie life.

Read more about Chanel here.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Hot Weather + Dog = Hot Dog!

Yes, it's been hot here in Southern California. I've been sleeping on cold marble tile, sipping ice cold water, and eating ice chips to stay cool. Needless to say, I am covered in fur and do not appreciate the hot 100ºF weather right now.

My paws! Mocha and I don't like the sidewalks when it's so hot. Have you felt how burning hot cement gets? Well, try four paws on the sidewalk griddle. It hurts, I tell ya.

My favorite napping place, beneath the lemon tree, is too hot right now. Even the visiting bunnies and cream cat we've nicknamed Marmalade, won't rest there right now.

Popsicles wear my tongue out! I lick and lick the lemonade frozen yumminess on a stick, and I'm dog tired afterwards.

So, for now, Mocha and I are sticking to the grass for our walks, drinking lots of cold water, and taking an afternoon swim with Matt.

Stay cool and drink lots of water!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Oops, Where'd the Time Go?

I haven't updated in the longest time ever! I'm a bad doggie.

This summer we've got a ton of projects online and offline which are keeping me, well, dog tired. Rest assured, I won't go this long between posts anymore (paws crossed).

M & M have been keeping me cool with the hot weather that's hit Southern California. I've come to love cool tile floors and ice chips. In fact, M makes me homemade dog lollipops (frozen dog treats encased in ice, yum!). Mocha has invited me over each day for an afternoon swim so I can work on my dog paddle too.

Recently, we've been up late trying to catch a glimpse of the Perseids Meteor Shower. The first night, August 11th-12th, was absolutely spectacular. Since then we've had cloud coverage and missed the light show above in the heavens. But, we keep trying with cups of coffee in hand between 2:00am and 4:00am.

Needless to say, I'm about to take a dog nap since Matt is coming over to see the Perseids tonight. Here's to no cloud coverage (cross those paws).

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Rusty, the Talking Dog

Is this not the cutest conversation between a dog and his Dad?

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog

Happy 4th of July

We went to the beach and watched fireworks. M & M, Mocha, Matt, Griff, Hunter, and the twins. There was laughter and a sky which took our breath away.

The sky had so many neat colors. Red bursts and orange bursts of light which illuminated the sky and reflected off the waves as they rolled by. Some of the fireworks appeared to be shooting stars which fell from the sky, only to then wash ashore onto the sand.

A beautiful day to celebrate our country's birthday!

God Bless America!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Ouch Day on Saturday

My best buddy, Mocha, stepped on a thorn this past Saturday. We were walking around the neighborhood and Mrs. Julia happened to be pruning her beautiful Queen Anne roses. The roses, which form a winding walkway to her maple doors, were about six feet tall prior to the pruning. Of course, since it's June, Mocha and I weren't expecting rose branches to be scattered across our path as we raced by as we were playing "Indy 500" as usual. But Mrs. Julia hadn't gotten around to the roses in March since her nephew had been in town and staying with her (he's a swell boy who loved teaching Mocha and I how to play frisbee). Needless to say, Mocha hit the skids just as his back paw landed on a doozy of a branch. The thorn had gone in...deep. The howl I heard made me drop to the ground with my belly hugging the sidewalk in fear.

Mrs. Julia got a hold of Mocha and with these ghastly tweezers (yikes!) pulled a one inch thorn from Mocha's paw. I felt so bad for Mocha. His whimpers made me shiver. Mrs. Julia walked him home and told me to scoot on home myself.

Mocha's Dad called M to let me know he's all bandaged and had a warm meal in his tummy. Sunday turned out to be us watching horror flicks (The Invasion and Diary of the Dead) while Mocha got "couch" treatment which included gourmet meals, sips of coffee, and belly rubs. His recovery is going great.

I'm going to make a homemade "Get Well Soon" card. After all, glitter and glue have a way of cheering up a dog.

I even heard Mrs. Julia sent over a plate of homemade peanut butter doggie biscuits (in the shape of flowers, lol).

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Sleepy Bear?

This little puppy is plum-tuckered:



I love the look on his/her face when the puppy wakes up for a moment. So cute!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Pool + Bulldog = HAPPY!

Since the weather is hot outside, how about a little doggie pool fun?



Now this is my kinda furry friend! I love water this much too.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog

P.S. I had posted the "snoring duck" video by accident. The video is now the correct one of Gus the Bulldog. :-)

Squeeky Sleeping

There's just something so cute about a bird sleeping.




I like how Squeeky holds onto his/her feather while sleeping. So precious.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Ever Heard a Duck Snore?

Warning: This video is out of focus, but turn up the volume and listen. The sound and bobbing of the head are too cute!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Hoagy the Hero

Have you heard about Hoagy? He's a Shepherd mix dog who saved his owner and is now recovering from a mountain lion attack. On the news his eyes looked like he was aching and he had on an e-collar because of his stitches. What a hero!

Here's the actual footage of Hoagy coming home from the vet:



You can read more about this super dog hero here.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Wedding Bells?

Nothing makes my heart skip a beat than a beautiful wedding.
When I think of weddings I can't help but picture Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella with birds helping to tie the ribbons on a gorgeous dress.

What could be better than a pair of birds "tying the knot" as a wedding cake topper?

Check out this vector inspired art by M:



Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Happy as a Hedgehog

I can't say for sure, but I'm pretty sure hedgehogs are happy. After all, they have cute little faces and roll up into little balls that, though spine-filled, are surely meant to be cuddled.

M loves hedgehogs too and recently made another hedgehog brooch:





Now, I'm pretty sure this little fuzzy eared fella is a happy friend indeed. Check him out in the Etsy store!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

The Birds are Chirping

I love waking up to the sound of bird chirping outside. This Sunday morning was no exception. I found myself stretching my paws and waking up to the sound of a pair of doves cooing and red bellied finches twittering away outside the back bay window. What a glorious way to welcome the day ahead.

Today M is working on more brooches and some vector art.
Here's a sample of one of her bird brooches inspired by the backyard "choir" we all enjoy:












If I had room on my doggie collar I'd certainly be wearing a little bird brooch.


Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Spring Projects

We have a lot of spring projects going on around the studio. It's been hectic and a lot of fun. One day M is working on robot icons, the next day she's picking out vintage fabrics for new brooches for our Etsy shop. The sporatic nature of inspiration comes at all hours of the day around here.

Some of the places M finds inspiration:

FFFFound
Drawn

and of course, watching me snore on the studio floor. :-)

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Saturday and Snoozers

Mocha came over for a play date and now we're taking an afternoon snooze in the studio.

The day began with a brisk walk around the 'hood where we saw some new tulips growing in the McCarthy garden. These tulips had just poked their heads out a week or so ago and now full yellow and orange buds are opening up like teacups for the sky. We pondered about whether they'd be as tasty as the ones from The Chocolate Factory, but alas, we knew better than to try. After all, Widow McCarthy always saves us a peanut butter cookie or two for our evening stroll.

After our walk we decided to forage through the backyard and dig for the snipes. We can't seem to find them, but our muddy paws, noses, and tails are proof of how hard we tried to find those critters. Needless to say, you can guess what came next. We got warm water rinsed and fluffy warm towels from the dryer to snuggle into as we dried off.

At noon, M surprised us with BBQ chicken doggie treats. Mmm mm. Fresh off the grill. Now our tummies are warm and full and baby pink with yummy goodies inside.

All this typing makes me sleepier. Type for a little nap and then we're going to play tug-o-war with a ropey.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

13 Things I Love About Friday the 13th

The superstition surrounding a "Friday the 13th" has always been interesting to me. Since some of my best friends happen to be black cats (shout out to Charcoal, Jason, and Midnight), I thought I'd list the things I absolutely love about the day.

1. Depending on how you look at the day, a Friday the 13th can be either good or bad luck. This makes for some fun pranks! :-)
2. Watch the news. Suddenly, just like on a full moon, weird things happen.
3. Horror movies, such as, I don't know, the "Friday the 13th" horror movie anthology, will most likely have at least one episode on television (chanting can be heard "ki ki ki, ma ma ma")
4. Someone will wish you a "Happy Friday the 13th" and in doing so cause your alert level to rise.
5. The number 13 will suddenly appear to be everywhere. You start adding dates and license numbers, and Jim Carey's character in that movie doesn't seem to nuts anymore.
6. Since "bad luck" is hanging overhead, the "Final Destination" movie scenarios begin replaying in your head and you realize everywhere there is a "sign" that you might be missing.
7. Even "American Idol" avoids the number 13.
8. Regarding elevators, have you ever been on a 13th floor?
9. Some people don't fly on this day. Can you blame them?
10. The room 13, how many have you seen, really?
11. The fear of this day is called paraskavedekatriaphobia. Now that's a tricky word to say.
12. A bakers dozen is just another way of saying 13. :-)
12.5. Some people, airlines, hospitals, and homes avoid the number 13 at all costs.

and the final reason I love Friday the 13th...

13. The next Friday the 13th is only a few months away!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Things Got Hectic!

Yes, I'm still here. Woof!

I can't believe I let a month go by without making my paws type a post on here. Shame on me. This is the longest I've gone without blogging in a...well, a long time.

I have been busy curled up on a doggie bed and playing with lots of ropes, stuffed animal pigs, and a treat puzzle ball while M and M have been creating icons, painting huge canvas paintings. and learning how to Twit on Twitter. :-)

Needless to say, when I get to the beach for my weekly shore walks with M and Matt, I'm loving every minute of it even if it's pouring rain at Newport Beach. I also found a new Mockingbird friend in the neighborhood who sings for my evening walks. Lovely symphony. Mocha and I are quite fond of the little fella.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Groundhog's Day

Happy Groundhog's Day!

The little guy, aptly named Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow. That means we're in store for six more weeks of winter weather.
This event began on Fenruary 2, 1887. If Phil hadn't seen his shadow, that would mean that winter has come to an end.

Don't pack up those winter warmies yet!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Doggie Look # 43: Pwease

You know you're going to have to give in to this little guy when he gives you this look. You know it's inevitable, right? The little piece of cod left on the plate, well, sorry to say, but that morsel is his. The last sip of mocha coffee, again, don't fight the urge to give in. The "look" always wins.

And you thought those night classes in "How to Perfect "The Look" in 10 Easy Stares" was a waste of hard earned money.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Have You Got What it Takes to Be a Ninja Warrior?

Oh, my, I can't believe I haven't posted in a long while (over a week). Yikes!

To catch you up: M & M have been working on numerous art projects. They've been knitting, painting, tending to wounded hands from a fall (ouch), and working on paper sculptures (tweet tweet). How's that for starting the year out with a bang?

Me, well I've been watching too much television. I admit it, I'm addicted to "Sasuke: Ninja Warrior" on the G4 Channel. If you haven't seen this show, you're missing out. I don't know if I like the funny subtitles (which are often back handed insults that are too funny to take seriously) or the "warrior" athletes. I am in awe at their abilities. I've watched enough episodes to have my favorite, the ever popular Makoto Nagamo. He has such good sportsmanship and is always there supporting the other participants. I always find "Octopus Man" a fun guy to watch and the Olympic trampoline brothers are sooo good too. Boy, I didn't realize how much I've gotten captivated by this show until I realize I don't have many more episodes to watch until they'll be reruns for this little doggie.

Check it out below!



Bark at you later,
Pj the dog blogging dog :-)

Happy New Year!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)