The moment at which my dog momentarily hated me

Happy Halloween, everyone!

A Halloween Tradition

Dave & Busters for really good food and drink, along with games until 1 a.m.!

Bella Noche

Mike and I finally decided to try Via Toscana, a little Italian place about 20 minutes from our house that has been on our radar since we moved to Quivas.  We were, I have to say, more than pleased.  The atmosphere is just beautiful, busy, and warm.  Very good wine, and incredible food.  Some of the best bread, marinara sauce (I had the raviolie - to die for), and out-of-this-world chocolate mousse.  And not for an arm and a leg!  We decided it was a place we needed to bring friends.

So sue me

There's only so much I can come up with during wholesale week.  And no, we didn't put his bone there.  It was aaaaaaaall him.

Stair Master

Kona really likes to sit and lay on the stairs sometimes.  We're not really sure why.

 Sneak spit.

Let the madness begin

I enjoyed finishing Mike's scarf so much that I busted out another one.  It only took me a couple hours - finished it the day I started!  I made it out of yarn I had laying around, so all of the different pieces remind me of something I've either made, or tried making.  Kona was kind enough to model it for me, as sometimes I'm sure it gets boring just seeing photos of items on my carpet...

 There are 5 different types of yarn in this scarf.  I think I'm actually going to take it home next week for my mom or sister (if they want a scarf, that is), as I have WAY too many to begin with! 

The Soccer Scarf

Unbeknownst to most US Citizens, soccer-lovers have team scarves that they wear, no matter what the weather, to each match.  Usually the team they are supporting is yelling proudly from that scarf.  I, however, am not that good at crochet.  So Mike has to live with stripes.  I've fairly certain he's not that concerned.

The first scarf I've made for the Mike Man - black and kelly green.  The St. Vrain F.C. colors.  I just finished this baby from beginning it in the spring.  Once it gets past a certain temperature I just can't bring myself to crochet anything.  So it had been sitting in my crochet basket for months, when I busted it out last night and decided to finish it.  Was actually able to do so in one evening!  May it be the first of many winter projects to come...since spray painting is now right out.

Best in Class

Puppy Preschool!  Kona's one of the best dogs there - but his BFF Simba is in the running for the cutest!

 Practicing "Come" and immediate "Sit":

Simba running - cutest thing E.V.E.R.

A Walk to Remember

The best time of year for walking is fall.

Stairs...stairs...stairs...

The looks that he gives me are innumerable.  He's like a 50 year old dog in a 5 month old dog body (with the younger's penchant for stuffed animals).

Launch Button

For the first time in the almost year and a half I've been working at the Children's Hospital Gift Shop, I noticed the panic button.  Feel the power!

My Tree

me: I feel like fall crept up colorfully behind me and surreptitiously pounced.
Ryan: I feel like fall punched me in the face, made some racial slurs, and then invited its evil brother "winter" into my house to smoke some crack.

Not all of us are appreciating the fall foliage...

Rub it.

We are simply unable to own normal dogs; they always have amazing personalities!

Care Package

My mom sent me a small manilla mail envelope full of love, and a handmade project and craft biz apron with a Kona theme!  Complete with a steak button to commemorate Kona's first (and last) attempt to take a steak off the counter.  The day I also thought Mike would kill him.  They are much better friends now...

And I need to find a new project to use this with!

Viva

Because I could.

This week's thrift store finds

I went through my closet and pulled out a big suitcase full of clothes that I can no longer wear; but I did gain a whole new wardrobe of things I couldn't bear to part with, but never thought I'd wear again!  I also found some gems at ARC - BCBG shirt, a couple Target tops, the ever-handy aqua sweater, and a couple button downs.

 The cutest Banana Republic top complete with button roll-up sleeves - you can also see the tip of Kona's paw; this is about when he decided he wanted to be a part of it, too.

 To The Max tunic that is to die for...

 J Crew button down...

 Merona dress (they are my all-time fav)...

 And jeans!  Express, Banana, and Ann Taylor.  All for under 7 bucks each.  It makes having to get rid of all but 1 pair of jeans not so painful...as does going down a couple sizes! :-)

I also found Kona a collapsable crate from Boots and Barkley for Target - originally $30; I got it for $7.  Now I just have to convince him to get in it.  I tried getting in myself (after a hearty scrubbing).  That didn't so much work.

St Vrain Night

Mike did an amazing job coordinating a St Vrain tailgate at Denver University.  Beautiful campus; wonderful, talented husband.  The turnout was twice what they expected!  That's a lot of kelly green...

This week has literally gone to the dogs

Not even on purpose.  This big guy is one of the Perscription Pets at the Children's Hospital that visits kids on a regular basis.  And to say that he is huge is an understatement.  This dog could easily smother you to death should he ever decide to lay on you.  But he wouldn't, because he is amazingly trained.  Meet Quatro:

Love Heals

Coloradoans love their dogs.  So it shouldn't have been as big a surprise as it was when I showed up at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center for my yearly checkup, and there was...a dog.  Apparently the clinic has a program where dogs are brought in for treatment to relieve patients and give them some happiness during a rather dark time.

It was amazing!  Most of the adults there receiving treatment knew the dog well and called him by nicknames (different versions of his own: Job), and I'm not gonna lie, the pumpkin t-shirt made my day.  It made me almost forget the reason I was there; which, I think, makes that program a complete success.

Ready...Set...Sleep!

And done.

Mimi & Reveille

My mom sent me this photo via her cell phone (she is SO techno-Mimi!).  I thought she'd gotten herself her own puppy!  Turns out, a certain First Lady of the Aggies was in town instead...and happened to stop by Grace Prep.  Aren't they both so cute?!

"What?"

This is the face we get when we do anything of which Kona isn't sure.

We get this face a lot.

Sing the Blues

At Toby & Mehgan's rehearsal dinner!  I took almost zero pictures this whole wedding weekend - which is beyond annoying.  I'm hoping the photobooth pictures did justice to my dress! ;-)

Kona-intensive

I was pondering just starting another blog for the Kona photos I apparently take all the time, but I thought that might be a little obsessive.  I also wouldn't have any photos to post here on down weeks!  Seriously though?!  How cute is he?!

Now I Lay Me Down to Eat

I've never met a dog that lays down to eat; it's the funniest thing!  I'm going to find something at a thrift store to paint and lift up those bowls, as I think it's a comfort issue.  But in the mean time, it's pretty cute!

So 'neak

Higher Devotion by Jimmy Eat World

Monday Rewind

I'd forgotten about this til I started planning my next trip to Rapid City.  I now have Chris - my service counterpart - hooked on Piece of Cake (the best piece of cake you will ever have) in the City of Presidents.  What we've found is that the triple chocolate cake is our favorite, when we ask for a side of peanut butter icing.  This time, the icing came in a massive ziploc bag...making us both feel like complete pigs.

But we still partook!  It was worth the trip; just that.

Blue & Yellow by The Used