Snoop Doggy Blog

Erik came up with the name of the name of this blog. And he was very excited about it. So I decided to stick with it! HAHA

Well when I get something new I want to know all about it. So when we decided to get a Mini Australian Shepherd I bought several books about the breed and I am trying to learn all about them. ( I can only imagine what I am going to do when I have an actual baby. I will probably buy every parenting book there is. But I don’t plan on having to worry about that for quite some time!)

Dogs have different metabolisms than people so some human foods can cause serious problems for pups. Giving the dog the wrong types of food can cause anything from a mild upset stomach to death. As we all know, dogs will pretty much eat anything. So it is up to their owners to make sure they stay away from certain harmful foods. Here is a list of foods that you should keep your dog away from:

*Alcoholic beverages- I have been to plenty of fraternity parties and seen plenty of boys give their dog beer. They think it is cute so they pour some on the floor and let their dog lap it up. This can actually cause really serious problems for the animal. It has been known to cause intoxication, coma, and sometimes even death.

*Bones- from fish, poultry, or other meat sources. The most important thing that you need to know when you give your dog a bone is that there are both good bones and some bad bones. While it seems that your dog can actually reap quite a few benefits from eating bones, there are some bones that may cause some problems. Cooked bones can be extremely hazardous for dogs. This is because the bones become brittle when they are cooked which causes them to splinter when they are broken. The splinters have sharp edges and have been known to become stuck in teeth, cause choking, or a rupture or puncture of the stomach lining or intestinal tract.  Some bones can cause obstruction or laceration of the digestive system. Small bones such as pork chops or chicken wings can fracture and get lodged in your dog’s throat. The worst bones for a dog are turkey and chicken legs, ham, pork chop, and veal.

*Cat food- while not fatal, cat food is high in protein and fat and particularly appetizing for pups. Too much can cause intestinal upset, vomiting, diarrhea, and unnecessary weight gain.

*Chocolate- in large quantities, can be harmful to dogs. The ingredient theobromine can be toxic; it is derived from the same family as caffeine. It takes a fairly large amount to be toxic to the dog, 100-150 mg/kg. There are signs you need to watch out for if your dog eats chocolate:

Hyper-excitability, Hyper-irritability,Increased heart rate , Restlessness, Increased urination, Muscle tremors, Vomiting and Diarrhea

It also makes a difference with which type of chocolate they eat.  With milk chocolate being the least harmful and dark chocolate or “cocoa” being the worst. So basically, if your dog eats chocolate, most likely he will vomit (a good thing) and possibly have diarrhea, with noticeable hyper-excitability! But a large amount can cause an increase in the dog’s heart rate and breathing, resulting in serious illness and death.

*Grapes and raisins- these contain an unknown toxin that can damage a dog’s kidneys.

*Mushrooms- these contain toxins that vary depending on the species. They affect multiple systems, resulting in shock and death.

*Onions and garlic- these contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can be toxic to dogs, damaging red blood cells and causing anemia.

*Tobacco- incase your dog gets ahold of someone’s cigarettes… the tobacco contains nicotine and can cause an increased heartbeat, collapse, coma, and death.

Fitzpatrick Will Start Against the Texans

Well after another UGLY win against the Carolina Panthers (20-9)… the Bills have 3 wins and 4 loses for the season. Coach Dick Jauron said, “The whole team played hard. It is not always pretty but they play hard!” As a Bills fan I am used to ugly losses. You know, like the Cleveland Browns game, where we managed to loose after the Brown’s QB Derek Anderson only completed two passes out of 17 attempts for 23 yards. And somehow the Bills still lost that game. So I will gladly take an ugly win any day of the week.

Overall, I think things are starting to shape up. The Bills have not had back-to-back wins on the road since 2004! So the win against the Panthers was defiantly a HUGE win for the team and a boost of confidence for Bills fans.

Once again, the Bills defense was the story of the day. Fitzpatrick admitted, “the defense really kept us in the game!” The Panthers QB, Delhomme, was picked three times. Two of these interceptions were made by Buffalo rookie, Jairus Byrd (who might be my new favorite player!) Byrd was drafted as a second-round pick out of Oregon. He is a ball hawk and manages to capitalize off the QB’s misfires every time. In his interview after the game he explained, “I want to be a part of the solution, not the problem.” He has 5 interceptions for the season, all made during the last three weeks! Both of the interceptions yesterday set the Bills up for touchdowns. Jauron said the Byrd was drafted to be a playmaker, “We wanted a guy that we knew was a ball hog. There’s not a lot you can say. Some of the plays he makes are not seen very often. We think we have a terrific player. We think we have a terrific young man.” Personally, I love this guy! Vote for him for rookie of the week! http://www.nfl.com/partner?partnerType=rookies

As for next week, we have to play the Texans. They are 4-3 for the season and have a pretty strong team this year. It should be a great game.

Dick Jauron announced today the Edwards will not start on Sunday. In his interview this morning he said, “Trent is following right along with the protocol for a head injury, but he will not play this week. From what I understand from our doctors that’s the proper protocol. That’s the conservative approach and that’s the approach that we’ll take.” Apparently Trent is physically active now and is going to work out this week. But this is his second concussion in one year so it seems like the Bills are going to keep him out an extra week to ensure a full recovery. I wonder what will happen if Fitz pulls off another win? Do you think they will bench Edwards?

Jauron seems to be happy with Fitzpatrick’s performance lately and explained that he protects the football, manages the game, and pulls off the win. I hate to say it but I think I am glad Fitzpatrick is starting another game. He is very chill under fire. He seems to hold his composure quite well and he did not throw a single interception against the Panthers. He might be exactly what the Bills need right now, a change.

To all of you Billls fans out there. Who do you prefer? Trent or Fitzpatrick?

Chop, Chop, Chop

Well I kind of want to get my hair cut really short. I love longer hair in the summer. But for the winter, I am thinking low maintenance. And short hair seems very appealing because it is so easy to keep up with. The last two times I went to get my hair cut, I chickened out at the last minute and got my usual cut. But I am thinking about going for it next week. If I end up hating it, I can always keep it up in a ponytail for awhile.

Several years ago, I was a hair model for this awesome stylist in Columbia, SC. Well he cut my hair to shreds. It was very short and in the front the left side was longer than the right side. It looked great for the photos but when I went home I could not figure out how to style it. I tried to keep it up in a pony for months. But it was so short, the hair in the back would not even stay up. Ever since then, I have been paranoid to cut it really short. But I think I am over my fear and ready to go for it.

Here are some celebrities with their short hair styles. Which one do you like the best? Do you think I should get mine cut like one of theirs or just keep it long?

Here is Kelly Pickler’s short hair style. I think it is adorable and I like her layers!

Jenny looks cute is her short do. I like how it is shorter in the back and a little longer towards her face.

I am not a huge fan of Kristin Cavallari but I like her hair. I think the brushed bangs are cute.

Another look at Kellie Pickler’s haircut.

Another look at Jenny McCathy’s haircut.

Jessica Simpson’s haircut is a little bit longer. I actually had a very similar cut in college. But I love it!

Puppy Meet and Greet

Today I got off to a great start! Erik came back in town late last night (technically this morning.) He had spent the last several days in Charleston, SC shooting an ad campaign for Southern Tide… a trendy clothing company that is on the rise! If you haven’t heard of them, check ‘em out. I think their clothes are very comfortable and classy. They are nice because you can wear them anywhere from the golf course, to the Carolina Cup, on a boat, or even to class.  They remind me of Vineyard Vines but I think their logo is way cuter! It is a Skipjack fish. Erik had a blast on the shoot and I am stoked because he brought me back the cutest Southern Tide white polo. I can’t wait to rock it. But I am happy to have  him back home!

Since Erik was back in town, we figured it was the perfect day to go meet the new pups. Plus, I was so excited, I don’t think I could have waited any longer! So we drove down to Parson’s Place Stables in Pleasant View, TN and met Kathy Parson and the cutest puppies I have ever seen!!! I had so much fun I did not want to leave.

When I visit farms I tend to have a desire to live that simple kind of life. Removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. Growing up, I spent every summer at my grandparent’s home in Ontario, Canada. They have 50 acres, ponds and streams to go fishing in, raspberry fields, and my Nana’s garden is huge! We would literally walk out back and get  fruits and veggies for all of our meals. It was so nice and so peaceful. We could have bonfires without having to call the local fire marshall and  target practice without the neighbors calling the cops. I remember my Papa taking us on hayrides down the dirt roads and we never had to worry about cars running us off the street. It was fantastic.

I wanted to share some photos we took out at the farm. Little Fender is a porker. He is the largest pup in the litter and Kathy told us he is a pig! HEHE!! It was kind of cute, his head and back were so chunky it looked like he didn’t have a neck. I saw him and it was love at first sight. Well actually I loved all of the dogs! I met Dolly (the mama), Lexie, Sugar, Papi (the daddy), and Joy. They were so friendly and loving and they each had their own unique look and personality. I wanted to stay and play all afternoon… but I had to work and Erik had band practice. Here are some pictures of our little man:

He is sooo TINY!

He looks like a hampster!

Fender is the biggest in the litter!

Love at first sight!

With the adult Aussies!

Our baby boy!

My little rock stars!

Fender's Sister! A blue merle.

Fun Handmade Gifts!

Well I am one of those people that likes to start Christmas shopping in October. It can be a pretty big burden if you hold off until December. So I prefer to start making my purchases now. Last week I was browsing the internet and I came across a website called Etsy. Etsy is a website which provides small business entrepreneurs with a way to buy and sell handmade items. The website has everything from art, photography, and handmade jewelry to clothing and holiday treats! I started browsing in the items and came across SO MANY cute things!

I figured I would share some of my fun finds every week. Today I wanted to share some great gift ideas for little ones:

For baby gifts:

I love this baby owl hat!

I love this guitar onesie!

In staying with the rock star theme:

For the little girls:

I am seriously obsessed with these! I want to buy them for every baby I know! Check them out here.

I am going to try to find fun finds for all ages. I just bought some jewelry from one of the artists. Once I receive it I will let you know how it looks! If you find an great Etsy items, please let me know!!

Fender-the Rock Star Pup!

Well I just got photos of the entire litter of puppies. There is one little boy that is my favorite. If we get a boy, I think we are going to go with the name, “Fender.” He can be a rock star like his father! He is only a few days old so he doesn’t have his fluffy fur yet and we still aren’t sure what color his eyes are… but I love the coloring of his fur. He is a red merle. He has 3/4 of a white collar. He has a very nice merling pattern. And I just love his markings!! I think his little white face will look really cute I can’t wait to see what he looks like when he gets all big and fluffy too! I hope he has blue eyes!

The entire litter!

Such a little guy!

See his cute little white face!

I like the dark brown mixed in his coat!

I am heading to the farm on Thursday afternoon to meet the puppies for the first time!! SO EXCITED! Don’t worry, I will take plenty of photos!

It is Hard to be a Bills Fan!

So the Bills managed to pull off a win today. We beat the Jets in overtime. But it was hard to watch, very hard to watch! Talk about an U-G-L-Y win. For those of you that don’t believe in “ugly wins” watch the game and get back to me on that one. The offense looked sloppy. Our offensive line has improved but they are still not where we need them to be. Who made the call to fill the offensive line with rookies? Boo bad coaching.

 Trent Edwards left the game in the second quarter with a concussion. He actually looked pretty good while he was in. Not that it excuses his last several games but he did look like he was improving. So they brought in Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

I was curious to see how Fitzpatrick would do. He played at Harvard (which is not known for their football team! haha) and he played for the Bengals and the Rams. But I didn’t know much else about him. I was pretty impressed. His accuracy wasn’t top notch but I think he has guts. If I were TO and Lee Evans, I would request Fitzpatrick to stay in as starting quarterback. They actually had balls thrown their way! (19 passes to be exact!)  It was amazing to see a Bills quarterback throw the ball long, and downfield. I thought Fitzpatrick was a breath of fresh air. I mean he is still not another Jim Kelly but I think he looked better than Edwards! Personally, I think we are wasting great talent by not involving TO and Evans in the game AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! They didn’t look great today but Evans made one heck of a catch for a touchdown and I really feel like both of them would start making big plays if they were more involved in the Bills offense. Maybe if they keep Fitzpatrick in, this will be a possibility! 

And who is making the call to run the ball straight up the middle for an average of 2 yards per carry? If I see that darn play again, I am going to throw my bagel bites at the television. Our coach is lacking imagination and creativity. I think my high school football team called more original calls than Jauron! Once again, BOO bad coaching!  

With several seconds left in regulation, our lovely coach, Dick Jauron, decided to “fart around” (as my dad would say) and waste remaining seconds on the clock.  This set-up Lindell for a 46-yard field goal attempt with about 4 seconds left. Now, in normal circumstances…. that is in range for Lindell. But it was FREEZING and WINDY! In that situation Jauron needs to man up and at least try to run several more plays to move the ball even closer. Well the kick was “WIDE RIGHT” (a term that still haunts Bills fans) and we were forced into OT. If we would have lost the game because of this horrible call, I would have pitched in money to pay for billboards in Buffalo requesting Jauron’s removal as head coach of the Bills! 

With 2 minutes and 47 seconds left in overtime, Lindell kicked a 47-yard field goal. We managed to end our three-game loosing streak. And I think that was our first conference win since 2007.

I admit, the Bills had a lot of help from Sanchez who threw 5 interceptions. Did he have more completions to Bill than jets? (hehe) And the Jets played a big part in losing the game. But as a Bills fan, I will take the win and embrace it and pray that the Panthers will suck as bad as the Jets next week!

Our First Child Was Born!

Great news, yesterday Dolly gave birth to four puppies!!! One black tri, two blue merles, and one red merle. Right now I think I want a red merle but we are going to wait about a week, go check they puppies out then make a decision!! If we decide to get one of Dolly’s pups we can take it home around November 27th. Just in time for Thanksgiving!! YAY I can’t wait to bring it down to Spartanburg to meet my family and the other critters! Joy still has another two weeks until she is due.  

Some other fun news… we were on The Newly Wed game tonight! It was on GSN. If we won, the Spartanburg Gibbs Cancer Center would have received $10,000. Unfortunately we lost on the very last question. It was a tough question and honestly I gave an answer that was nearly impossible for Erik to have come up with! But we still had a blast when we taped it awhile back. We played against Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer star) and her husband (an olympic figure skater) and Matt and Suzy (from The Biggest Loser.) They were a great bunch and I just loved Suzy! She was so much fun. We also met a few other fun stars while we were on the set. We met George Takei (Star Trek) and Brad Altman, who were the first gay couple to appear on the show. Fun Fact–Brad’s favorite show is “Survivor.” And we met Christopher Knight (The Brady Bunch, Peter Brady) and his wife, Adrianne Curry (America’s Next Top Model.) Adrianne was an absolute riot! Very cute and sassy! 

After the show we went out with Jonny Fairplay and his wife. We met them up at the Comedy Store. And to our surprise… Dave Chappelle showed up! We couldn’t believe it. Honestly, I didn’t realize he was even doing standup comedy anymore. Last I heard, he was in South Africa. But man was I glad to see him. He is one of my all-time favorite comedians! “Killing Em Softly” cracks me up EVERY single time I watch it! This performance was defiantly improv and slightly disorganized… but I loved it!  

It was very interesting to watch Dave perform. Throughout the show, I felt like he was still doing some serious soul searching and there were several times  that I felt he was still really burnt out and slightly depressed. A little subdued. I think he is over Hollywood, over the entertainment industry, but there is a part of him that just loves to make people laugh so he can’t quite give it up. He has this natural talent, this ability to make people laugh at any given moment, and it is quite extraordinary. I can’t imagine how it would feel to know that I could make someone laugh anytime I wanted to. But then again, I am sure it is hard when everyone always expects you to be funny all of the time.

Dave spoke about his family, his children, his loyalty to his wife, his brother was even at the show. He told us how he moved away from LA, and was currently living a simple and happy life in Yellow Springs, Ohio.  He explained that you don’t need 50 million dollars to live happily there. Then he told a funny story about planning laser tag with his son. He explained he was living a life away from the corruption and stress of Hollywood. He said “Hollywood needs a hero!” That the business is harsh and everyone is so jaded they need someone to look up to. It was really awesome to hear that he took the time off to visit South Africa, to reflect on his life, and then he chose to live a simple life and seemed completely content with his decision.  I think he still wavers back and forth about whether or not he wants to be a comedian but I don’t think he regrets the choice he made to step away for awhile. He kept implying that he was going to say something deep and profound and possibly something that meant a lot to him but every time he got close, he would eventually shy away from it. I felt like he had a ton on his mind that he wanted to share but he wasn’t quite ready to share it.

He made a few references to Dane Cook though out the show. I am not sure if they have some sort of feud or if they are friends and just like to pick on each other?  But I noticed his name came up several times. I think the funniest parts of the show were still the dirtiest. When Dave wants to “turn it on” he can turn it on but sometimes he seemed to prefer to just chill up on stage and start conversation with people in the audience.  The coolest thing about the show was that it was extremely personal. I felt like he was trying to connect with the entire audience on an individual basis. When Erik and I walked up and sat down on the front row… he stopped what he was saying and actually said, “now those are some people beautiful. I am not trying to call you two out but you all are good looking.” Then he continued to ask us questions. When I told him I was from South Carolina, he was very excited and explained how his grandparents lived in Columbia, SC and had been very influential at a local college in town. He made several references to us a few more times throughout the show and even agreed to take a photo with us as we were leaving. I think he is a really sweet and genuine person. 

 He ended the show with the comment, “and folks that was the sound of my career hitting rock bottom!” But honestly, I really enjoyed the show and I think he still has it. I think the question is…does Dave want to pursue it?!

It is official, we are getting a puppy!

So we sent in our deposit today!! We decided to go with Parson’s Place Stable  located in Pleasant View, TN. We found several other breeders that seemed fantastic but Kathy Parson seemed really helpful and shared a ton of knowledge about the breed with us. Plus the farm is only 41.15 miles from our house! Dolly is having pups around the 20th of the month and we should get one of the first picks since we put a deposit down. If we don’t see the exact puppy we want, Joy, another one of Kathy’s dogs, is going to have a liter of puppies about 2 weeks after Dolly. So we can choose from her litter too! And she has rare CURLY hair. I know Erik will just love that!  

Dolly!

Dolly is a 16″ mini weighing around 35 lbs. She is a Blue merle with 2 beautiful ice blue eyes. She has great bone and is a carrier of the blue-eyed tri gene.   Dolly is a Lover, she has a low energy level and is very patient.  She throws very colorful puppies both toys and mini’s. Dolly is a daughter of the great sire Adore’s Necko (a blue eyed black tri 12″ toy.)

Joy!. 

Joy is a 14″ Toy weighing under 20lbs. She is a red merle, with 2 blue eyes and a full white collar.  She was blessed with the rare “curly coat” gene. This traces back to original Aussie ancestry.  Joy is known for her talking trait – She will playfully growl and bark when she wants your attention. She has passed this on to several of her puppies. Joy is from the famous “Woodcock” bloodlines.

Past Puppy

Past Puppies!

We are still trying to decide on a name. We have loved everyone’s suggestions! I think we are going to bring the list of our favorites with us and once we pick a dog we will decide which name suits it best. SO keep the names coming if you think of a few more! 

Erik thinks I am crazy because I am already buying my puppy toys and clothes! HAHA But I could not resist this Buffalo Bills dog jersey:

Bills Jersey!

Let me know if you know of any other cool dog websites to find fun toys for the little guy!

DOG NAMES….

Well naming a dog is kind of like naming a child. And since this is mine and Erik’s first pup we want to come up with a really fun name. We still don’t know if we will get a male or a female dog but we figured we should come up with several “cool” names and when we pick out the puppy we can decide which one fits him/her the best.

Here are the lists we have come up with so far:

Male Dog Names-

Fender (after Erik’s bass guitar)

Havoc

Bojangles

Blitz

Gizmo

Couscous

Forrest (our favorite movie- Forrest Gump)

Fonzi

Gilligan

Neo (for Neapolitan ice cream… my favorite!)

Tupac

Ziggy

Female Dog Names-

Karolina (since we are both from SC but Erik thinks it may be too long for a dog name)

Chloe

Penny Lane (Beatles of course!)

Snickers (my favorite candy)

China (where we met)

Jade

Juliet

Jewels (after my mama)

Giselle

Klondike

Jinxy

Layla

Sadie Mae

Skye

Now we need YOUR HELP!! PLease leave suggestions. We only have a few weeks before we get our dog and we need your creative juices flowing so we can come up with the PERFECT name!

Here is another cute puppy for sale that I found online. He is from Missouri and his name is “Bubba!” Should I get this guy?