Dog FIGHTTTT!!!!!

Ok, so it wasn't exactly a 'dog fight', but I will say this much.... there was about 500 pounds of extra dog in my yard, broken fence boards, and Tex has a nasty bite. 

I came home from work and took care of the dogs as usual, which means I fed Bailey in the backyard, and let Tex and Sophie out in the front yard. Then we come in and Tex eats his dinner. After that, he has to drink water and go potty again but he can go in the back yard because Bailey is already finished eating. I hear both Bailey and Tex barking, which is not totally uncommon, but something about this time was definitely different. I open the door to let Tex in, mostly because I don't want to bother the neighbors with the barking, I know how annoying that can be! Bailey bade a beeline for the door, darted in, and straight to her kennel. While this is not totally out of the norm, she was all 'puffed' up. You know how dogs make the hair on their back stand up when they feel threatened or are trying to threaten somebody else? She was WAY puffed up! 

Tex wasn't coming to me at the back door, even though usually he comes as soon as he hears it open. I called and called his name, but no Texas. I walked around to the side of the house and that is when I saw it. Two fence boards down, a huge mastiff halfway through to our yard, and Tex looking like he was ready to pounce. Of course, I ran back to the door and began calling him to come to me super frantically, but he was not going to budge. I am totally scared to go back out there because I figure Tex would become protective of me and that would really escalate the situation, and while I am pregnant and did not want to get in the middle of it, I would have stayed away even if I wasn't pregnant. There are THREE mastiffs on the other side of that fence! I take another peek around the corner, and see that the mastiff is still only halfway through the fence, which makes me come to the conclusion that he was stuck in the fence. I go inside to call Tim to let him, know what is going on (I am basically hyperventilating at this time, in total panic mode), and I was hoping he could tell me what to do. 

I make the decision to walk over to the neighbor's house, to see if he can help or is even home, but take one more peek outside. I see Tex in the middle of the yard, looking like he weighs 50 more pounds than he really does (because he was standing so tall and dominant looking), and one of the mastiffs running around the yard. His owner finally saw what was going on and called his dogs over (I now am under the strong impression that one of their names is 'Killer'....), and Tex would finally come inside. 

I take a look over his body, and wipe off all of the mastiff slobber. While doing this, I notice a bite mark on his hip. The top part was more or less just a scrape, and the bottom part looked like a little bit deeper scrape with the smallest amount of blood trickling out. I clean it up, and think, "Whew! We got off easy!"....

Later in the evening, Tex is laying on the floor, but not in the usual relaxed laying position, he is more crouching like a lion or tiger. Laying like this showed me how bad the cut really was. The way he was laying pulled the cut open. It is about an inch to an inch and a half long, and about a quarter to a half inch deep. Now that he stretched it open, even when he stands up it remains open. It really resembles more of a hole than anything because you can see so deep inside. We have been cleaning it with peroxide and slathering on neosporin, but it seems best to leave it alone because when we mess with it, he licks it. 

You can see the top part of the bite at the top of this picture. Not
too bad...

This is 5 days of healing time, lots of peroxide and neosporin.

He very much could have benefitted from stitches, but before he laid down and stretched it open it was pretty sealed up. The top part of the bite is visible in the top image, and it really is nothing.... so I thought the bottom scrape was the same. 

That is basically the end of it, it has been about 5 days, and it is starting to heal, but there will definitely be a scar on him now. Poor baby. 

Project Nursery: Day 2

Tim and I had already discussed what color the room was going to be the baby was a boy, so when we found out, we were both ready to go! We are using Thistle Blue by Martha Stuart. We LOVE this color, and get so many compliments on it! It is what we have in our master bedroom. I actually love pretty much all Martha Stuart paints, and I used a different color in my 'craft room' (would be girl's room if thats what we were having). I went to one Home Depot, and they said they were out of Martha Stuart flat paint, but didn't bother to tell me why. I just left because if we were going to need to touch up our master bedroom, I wanted to formulas to match the best that they could. I went to another Home Depot the next day, and they told me that I was getting the last 2 out of 3 cans that they had left, and he explained that they are getting rid of Martha Stuart paint. I love the colors, though! He said they will still have the colors, but mix them with Behr paints. People love the colors, but don't want to pay almost $30 per gallon. He said they were on sale, and he thought they were $17 per gallon, which is fine, but when I got to the register they were only $12 per gallon! Score!

We wanted to paint it over the Christmas holiday, so that it would be done. I have off work, but since I can't help paint, that does no good! Instead, while Tim was painting last night, I went through all of my unused/leftover craft items. I am really bad about starting a project and not finishing, so I had this huge gathering of Hobby Lobby bags. Each one contained bits and pieces of projects past. I was able to get a bag together of things to donate, while still keeping what I thought I could use.

Here is what I worked on..... In then end I used about 20 gallon sized ziplocks, each
sorted and labeled! Then I went through and picked out what I knew I wouldn't use
again.... and then through a second time, and picked out what though I probably
wouldn't use again! This will all get donated to my dad's store!

Tim worked on painting, but sadly..... didn't finish. I woke up this morning to see that the majority of the walls are done, basically what you can do with a roller. He started the trim work, but his paintbrush was a little messed up so it made it difficult. I will buy another brush ASAP and hope he gets back to work at the same pace, lol! Not that I am upset that it's not finished, but its kind of annoying walking into a room and seeing SOME paint, but obviously not finished paint!

Here is a picture of Project Nursery: Day 2

Starting to paint! The color is Thistle Blue by Martha Stuart. They are discontinuing
Martha Stuart paint, so I go this at 12 bucks a gallon! We've had this color picked
for months!

In the meantime, Tex wanted to be in BOTH of our rooms, so we moved this tiny rubbermaid bucket to block him in. The great things about Great Danes is that they don't usually like to test 'natural barriers', so he never thought about jumping, or for that matter.... walking, over the bucket. He just felt defeated and slept on the other side of it!

This little blockade was enough to keep him out!

Hopefully I can report a fully painted room very soon! After the paint comes crown moulding!

Canine Inspiration

Dog Silhouettes

I have been reading a blog called Epoch Elly, and she recently talked all about how vintage inspired silhouettes are making a come-back in today's design. I am not a designer, and barely manage to have 75% of my house decorated, but when I see an idea that I like and that I think I can recreate..... well, darn it, I re-create it!!!

Here is how I made my dog silhouette art:

1. Find a picture and make a silhouette out of it. You can use one of your own, or search online like I did. I found a silhouette of each breed of dog that I own, and projected it on paper in my classroom. Then I traced it.

2. Next you cut out that tracing so that you have a tracer to work with on the color of paper that you ultimately want to use.

3. Trace this silhouette on the color of cardstock/scrapbook paper that you will want to use in the end. I went back and forth on the idea of having the decorative paper as the actual silhouette, or the decorative paper as the 'matting' around the silhouette. I even bought extra paper so I could try both. I ended up wanting the actual silhouette itself to be darker and defined. I went with a rich chocolately brown which can be found all over my house.

4. Cut out the background paper to fit the frame window. I used an 8 X 10 frame that I found at my 2nd home.... oops, I mean Hobby Lobby!!

5. Place the silhouette on the background, and then put it all in the frame. You are done!! All in all, it took me about an hour. Not bad!

Here is a finished product! This one is Bailey, my basset hound mix.

At the top, you can see all three of my puppies' silhouettes, Texas a Great Dane, Bailey the Basset mix, and Sophie the chihuahua. I will hang them all together somewhere.....

Welcoming Blog

Hey y'all! I have finally caved and joined the blogging world!! I have always liked the idea, and have actually tried one once (a loooong time ago!!), but I only posted once and kinda just quit. Boo. Anyways, I am trying again, and I think this time it will stick because I discovered some super cute backgrounds and am hoping to change them with the seasons!


I seriously hope I don't scare anyone off with my very first blog, but this is supposed to be like a diary, right? Well, this is my life.... at least it was my life today, when the stench greeted me at the front door....



That's right. My beloved dog, the one that I am obsessed with, went to the bathroom in his ginormous kennel. (I am a kindergarten teacher, and I speak the kindergarten language even when I get home, oops). So, yes, he went to the bathroom, in his kennel, in the office, which is on carpet. His wire kennel. Are you getting a visual? Yeah, so I was on the phone with Tim, saying how I was excited that I was getting home early because I was starving so I could just go in and make a little something and then take care of the dogs, and as I walk in the door I am greeted by a horrid stench. As I am cleaning out his massive kennel I see that the bulk of it is not in the kennel, but on the wall and carpet BEHIND his kennel. On the carpet that is right up against the wood baseboards. Yeah, fun. So, anywhoo, after a long day of teaching my kindergarteners, I have to clean this up, all on a day when I have already told my mom that I am going to ride her horse.



Boo.


Here is a picture of my dog, Texas, that I still love, but this is a picture of us when I love him just a tiny bit more that I loved him when I got home... ;)