And they're here! (Stitched from the heart)

Here's a little preview of the next badge/brooch that we'll have in the shop this week. M and M have been enjoying making "wearable art." It's been a fun crazy week of picking out cloth and thread and trying designs out. Being that I'm all paws, I couldn't help out. They said my little doggie paws might get stuck by a needle (apparently that's a big ouchie and that answers some of the strange sounds escaping from under the studio doors these past few weeks).

And so we have the start of:

PeachPoP art you can wear close to your heart!

What inspired M and M? Well, old fashioned little animals stitched on clothing. They are very hard to find now-a-days. But, apparently, back in the day, the little hand stitched animals were added to home made clothing. So cute and dainty. Just brings a touch of nostalgia to this fast paced world.

Plus, M couldn't resist the vintage sewing machine. This in turn led to hand stitching. And there's always something magical about stitching and losing yourself in the thread and cloth as you "paint" with your thread and needle.

We have to keep the lost arts alive and kicking.

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

There's a Hum in the Air

There's a new roof being installed down the block. The sound of the automatic nailers echoes down the street and through the window. As I nap under the window, on my doggie chenille bed, the rhythm sounds like the wings of mourning doves as they light upon the bird feeder in the morning. I flick an ear up and angle the furry radar dish until I can catch the sound bouncing off the walls. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the flapping ends.

It's strange what I imagine the sounds are and what they turn out to be.

Speaking of strange, I've been hearing peculiar sounds for the past week or so. Perhaps I have doggie super hearing. Or maybe, just maybe, M and M are up to something around the studio.

I'm tapping my paws and awaiting what's going to be revealed soon...

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

Fluffy White Clouds on a Sunday

Sometimes it's fun to jump into a pile of maple leaves, flip on my back, and watch the sky.

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

10 Things I Love About Today

1. The smell of toffee butterscotch coffee brewing just as I stretch my paws and wake up.
2. M gave me a belly rub.
3. I saw a beautiful smokey colored flycatcher sitting on the tip top of the pine tree.
4. During my morning stroll around the neighborhood, I got to butterfly kiss a new kitten named Noodle.
5. The taste of toffee butterscotch coffee.
6. Junk mail. Fun to read, but far more exciting to shred!
7. Found a green and blue marble in the garden (did not eat, but placed on welcome mat--got a "Good Doggie" pat).
8. Having my ears rubbed.
9. Sitting in M's lap while she drank her coffee.
10. Sitting in the other M's lap while she drank her coffee. :-)

Have a wonderful day ahead!

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

Hello Monday

I just love finding a pretty flower to sniff. Sometimes a flower smells like sweet honey, or a wave crashing at the beach. But today, this flower smelled like a Monday. Sweet, fresh and full of promise. A little like lavender potpourri.

Have a wonderful day!

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

Groundhog Weekend

Have you ever felt like you're waking up to the same day over and over?

Well, this past weekend it sure seems like it's been Thursday over and over and over again. I went for the same walk, saw the same three dogs, two cats, fourteen birds (Ok, technically, some flew by) and spoke with the same four humans about the same thing (What's the coffee that was served at such-and-such a party? Had I seen the new dog that lives down the block? and the inevitable, Did you just get a haircut liddle doggie? [Yes, I know little is spelled with two t's, but this person turns them into d's and scruffs up my head when she says this, lol.])

And that my friends is what I call the "Please Be Kind, Rewind" kinda weekend. Plus the fact that I can't get a song out of my head (Note to self: Watching the musical episode of Buffy can be dangerous to the brain cells due to songs (I've Got a Theory) being so catchy).

I shall now go and prepare to go wild off leash in the yard. Wooooooof!

Bark at ya'll later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

We Remember 9/11 (silent post)

I Think I'm Melting

It's over 101ºF here. I'm panting, eating ice chips and tolerating the A/C (I don't like the little red and green lights, grrr argh grrr).

I do not like hot weather. I am a dog. I wear a permanent fur coat all year long. The sidewalk is hot, the grass is hot, even the shady area under my favorite lemon tree is hot.

Grrr. Argh.

Ok, so it could be worse. I'm grateful that I have ice chips, that M and M feed me ice cold water every 15 minutes, and that I have A/C. But, for just a few seconds today, I wished I'd been a hairless chihuahua living at the North Pole.

Bark at you later,
PJ the HOT dog blogging dog ;-P

Painting Tip #3: Hot Paints

Ok, so if you paint with acrylics and the weather is hot outside (like, say, oh 98ºF today), there can be a bit of a problem.  First, the paints will dry much faster.  Second, the ability to blend colors will be hindered.  Even if the A/C is at full blast, the humidity levels may be all wonky.  This can cause paint-on-canvas adhering problems.

The solution is simply.  Either add moisture to the air via a humidifier.  Or use a light misting bottle around the area where you are painting.   You can even mist your paint to keep the moisture level balanced.

Anyhoo, I hope this helps.  Hot weather and doggie fur are absolutely no fun! 

Bark at you later,

PJ the HOT dog blogging dog :-P

Hot Weather Reminder

Please remember that us dogs have little sensitive dog pads on our paws.  The cement and asphalt can burn us on hot days.

And please keep fresh water on hand for any animal in this weather. 

Bark at you later,

PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

A Haiku on Thursday

:::

sidewalk feels like sun

I breathe the summer embers

fall will soon arrive

:::

Smoodge is Born

Smoodge says "Beep Beep."

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

P.S. Ok, sometimes it's just fun to be enigmatic. Plus, my mouf ith full ov charios and mulk. Wuff.

Painting Tip #2: The Bat Signal

Yes, I said it. The secret is out. Acrylic paint bottles like to be treated like inanimate bats. Sounds a little crazy, eh? Well, as I was pawing around M's art journal, I found a neat list of secret tips and tricks that she's discovered through trial and error over the years. Shh, she'd make me eat canned dog food if she knew I was sharing them! :-P

Ok, so back to the paint. If you've ever stored paints for a few weeks, then you know what can happen. A gummy residue builds up around the inner lip of the container. If this happens because you haven't used the color for some time, the opening actually becomes smaller.

So, what to do? We look to the bat theory. This really began with the idea of how one is supposed to store cottage cheese or yogurt in the fridge. That's right, upside down. Something about creating an air pocket at the opposite end....yada yada yada.
It works. That's what is important.

And so the bat theory took form. Store the paints upside down and ta da, less build-up and longer lasting paints. But, first make sure those lids are on securely, or you'll be looking at a whole new theory called KABLAMMO. Colorful, but not fun to clean up.

Hope this helps!

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

A Haiku on Wednesday

:::::::

little dog am I
running through waves of summer
catching tomorrow

:::::::

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

Surprise Smiles

So, here's how one can be surprised online.

I had multiple windows open as I was reading the online newspaper, checking out a new flash game (horrible addiction to those "Escape this room" games), and I also had a window on that was loading Etsy.

As I was flipping through the windows, I almost fell off my chair (luckily I have strong doggie claws) when I saw this:



I am so honored thtat M and M had an art piece chosen for a treasury by munieca (She has fabulous paper bird charms, etc. that are just adorable). This treasury then got chosen for the front page of Etsy for today!

Thank-you Munieca and thank-you Etsy! :-) This totally made my day!

And that is how a surprise smile brightens the hottest of days.

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

Wildwood's Cactus Thorn ~ An Amazing Dog!

Little Wildwood's Cactus Thorn is such a cute dog. Not only has he been saved from being euthanized, he has a wonderful "seeing eye" human (Bob Gabbard) to help him around. The two are just magical together.

If you'd like to start your day with a smile, check out the link.

We salute you Bob Gabbard and Wildwood's Cactus Thorn!

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

Painting Tip #1: Easy Squeezy

As an artistic dog, I observe a lot that goes on around the studio. One thing that used to occur, were tubes of paint which would go unused due to their lids adhering to the tubes with super inhuman strength!

So, one of my favorite painting tips I'd like to share:

Use chapstick (or you can use an old candle) on the screw top tubes of paint to keep the lids from becoming stuck. Simply apply a small amount of chapstick (and/or wax by rubbing the candle gently onto the threaded opening) onto the threaded part of the tube and then screw the lid back on. In most cases, your lids will not stick quite as tight when paint adheres to the tube or when the tube hasn't been opened for some time.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of..." paint!

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

The Planet

Some observations (and unanswered questions) that freak this dog out:

Where have all the butterflies gone? I chased Monarchs around the yard every spring and late summer. Now, I'm lucky to see one all year in Southern California. I miss seeing them on a regular basis.

Birds keep turning up with bad feet. A lot of crows have something wrong that's causing them to have one foot that is badly deformed. I would see these crows all the time. Sadly, even the mutated foot crows are becoming scarce.

Polar bears are becoming extinct? I may have never seen one, but this is surely a bad sign.

Gorillas are becoming extinct? Well, this is mainly due to poaching and the destruction of the rain forest. But it's still a scary thought that someday there won't be any gorillas.

The oceans are becoming so contaminated that people are having strange rashes when surfing. It's not just on sewage run-off days either.

We have to watch out for mosquitos and then, in turn, stay away from dead birds because they may have died due to West Nile from a mosquito.

If the west nile virus doesn't get the bird, the bird flu might. So, now chicken is a 50/50 gamble.

And beef is a 50/50 gamble and I mean, who doesn't love a good cheeseburger? But these days, Mad cow disease is possible and so is E-coli.

So, you avoid birds, mosquitos, eating chicken and beef. What's left? Well, watch that tuna because the mercury levels are dangerously high. And don't BBQ any meat (what's left?) because overcooking it can cause cancer-causing carbon.

Dog food isn't even safe! And, again, what's left? Vegetables. Watch out, bagged spinach and onions might contain harmful E-coli or salmonella.

Looks like dehydrated organic strawberries in some filtered water (Have you read about bottled water sources?) is the only choice left.

And now you know why I drink coffee and have insomnia. These are the things this dog thinks about. And you wonder why my paws twitch when I'm sleeping?

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

:: Beep Beep ::

You know how sometimes you might get a song stuck in your head? Like, say, umm, Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World"? Jeremiah was a bull frog/Was a good friend of mine/I never understood a single word he said...

Ok, well that's how M gets when she has a series of images stuck in her mind. She's been obsessed (err, is that the right word?) about zombies and robots. There's something a little freaky and a little funny about the both of them.

So, everything lately has been a robot this or a zombie that or even better, an animated zombie robot.

Let's just hope she doesn't call me "Brainnnnz" and I'll be ok, I think.

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

Ode to Smelly Dog

-----Ode to a Smelly Dog-----

There once was a dog so smelly
got lathered from tail to belly
bubbles popped and tickled his nose
they even got between his toes

The cascading suds tasted a lot like bacon
but the dog could have been mistaken
however, as the bubbles began to multiply
the dog tipped his head, he realized why

A good grip and he readied to dash
from the tub erupted an enormous SPLASH
the once smelly dog had gotten free
and went straight to the couch with much glee

And so I stood dripping wet
not sure what to do as of yet
I wondered where it was that I'd gone wrong
...turns out the bath was for me all along!

(a little original poem by MKS, 2007)


In case you can't tell, I saw a certain episode
of "Friends" and well, I couldn't let the cats
have all the glory! Woof!

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