Taming The Rebel Pug In Style

The face of a satisfied customer

I didn't think I'd gone into Pug ownership unawares. I had done my research and read that they were notoriously difficult to housebreak. I decided that being home all the time I was up to the challenge. But for anyone who's contemplating a Pug, wherever you see "can be difficult to housebreak" read instead "probably will never be 100% housebroken!" About a month ago I was at wits end with Mr. Cash Pugface and his naughty pottying ways. So much so that I was on the edge of finding him a new home. I posted my exasperation at the fantastic Pug Village Forums and was greeted with wonderful ideas that might save my rescue puggie yet another relocation (and myself and the boys some big time heartbreak). I was told about belly bands. I jumped on Etsy and found a great seller, Do-Daa Doggie Apparel, who makes them in your choice of fabric so I ordered right away, you can also get matching bandannas! I just got them in the mail yesterday and am thrilled. I'm saying a little prayer that this does the trick (along with some other things I'm trying). When I first put one on Mr. Cash he ran around like his hind end was on fire but he's already warmed up to them and already thinks nothing of it being on.

Belly Band and Bandanna by Do-Daa Doggie Apparel on Etsy (click here for your own!)

Belly Bands by Do-Daa Doggie Apparel on Etsy (click here for your own!)

Blogging Blues

Ugh, my blog writing skills are atrophying with disuse. And since I wasn't overflowing with skills to begin with I'm in trouble! When I was blogging nearly every day my mind was whirring all the time with ideas of what and how to write. Now I sit down every week or so and try to drum up ways to talk about stuff. It's not that there's a lack of stuff, it's just hard to get started! When Mr. Golden Curls starts school next month I'm hoping to move the personal stuff to a new blog and revamp this blog to be all crafting all the time. I'm waiting until then because I don't want to miss out on this last little bit, starting Kindergarten is such a fantastically huge milestone that would be a perfect opener for the new blog, and because then I'll have all of this fantastic free time in which to play to my hearts content. (comments to the contrary are completely unwelcome, I hope to continue with my delusion at least a few weeks into the school year.)

Holy Giant Pergola Batman!

My bitty monkeys enjoying the newest shady spot in our backyard

The Bohemian and I have been together some time now. We've been married nearly 8 years and we dated for 6 before that. In all those 14 years of working together to make a relationship work, of giving and taking and compromise and forgiveness and sticking by each other it's only been in the very recent years that we've been able to even drive past a Lowes without launching into a fight that puts the World Wars to shame. I'm very proud of us though because this weekend we put up this Pergola and didn't kill each other or curse the fact that the other was born! Thanks to my folks for this awesome housewarming gift, I'm so excited when I get to de-bland our suburban cookie cutter and this is fantastic! Next project: build out the slab to accommodate the pergola, wish us luck!

The Summer Crazies: Vacation Bible School

The lovely pots my boys painted for me at Vacation Bible School.

The summer has been crazy, as usual, and flying by at lightening speed. My husband's a youth director so that means summertime is even busier than any other and he'll spend weeks at a time at various church camps. During one of those weeks the boys got to go to their first ever Vacation Bible School! I loved it because it gave me 3 hours of peace and freedom a day and then I loved it because they had so much fun...for the most part.


The first day at drop off Mr. Golden Curls went into his class like it was no big deal, which was a very big deal for him because he's the one that balks at anything new. Lil' Spitfire on the other hand stopped dead in his tracks in the doorway of his class then went running up the hall saying "I don't even like this place!" Amazingly, Spitfire is the one who, from that point on, LOVED going to VBS. It was the last thing he talked about at night and the first thing when he woke "Do we get to go back again today?!" Golden Curls took the opposite approach and for the first two days I received calls from the director telling me he was pitching an all out fit about not getting to run around doing what ever he felt like doing. After an at home remedy he stopped with the fits but finished out the week with grumpy complaints "I don't like... I don't want to..." to whatever they happened to be doing. I'm putting his kindergarten teachers on my prayer list ASAP!

Lil' Spitfire and Mr. Golden Curls at the final performance. Lil' Spitfire loved the dancing and music. He was a little disappointed he didn't get to do his from the stage so he snuck up there when his teachers weren't looking. Can you tell Mr. Golden Curls spotted the camera immediately? He's seen one a time or two and the whole performance for him was spent trying to get me to take his picture!