Stanlee Smiles

Stanlee is such an expressive pup.  Sometimes I look at him and think, you're so happy right now, aren't you?!  I love this picture of him when we were hiking in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park last spring.  I think this was one of those moments I will always remember as Stanlee looking really happy.  If you look closely, you can almost see a smile on his precious face.  I'm ready for warm weather and more adventures like this one.

Hindsight

Hindsight is a funny thing.  To look back on a moment and think that you would have done something differently or that maybe you learned something so important from a situation you never expected to be so significant.  I feel like I have had this conversation a lot lately with myself, friends and family members.

We all look back in hindsight at some point, don't we?!

I believe hindsight is always a good thing.  Either you look back and you learned something valuable or you look back on something and you say, thank God I chose to walk that path.  I am the kind of person that believes there is an underlying reason for everything that happens to us.

I sometimes get overwhelmed with the thankfulness that we have Stanlee and think, where would Stanlee be if we wouldn't have adopted him?  Would he be loved the way he is now?  Stanlee has taught me to never give up and he has inspired me tremendously with LBF.  Where would we both be if I followed through with trying to find him a new home after I thought I couldn't handle his health and nervous issues?

When I look back in hindsight, I think about the hard times in the beginning of LBF and my thoughts about giving up.  Looking back in hindsight, I am so thankful that I remained dedicated and have seen where this small business could go.

I think back to almost 5 years ago when my husband and I started our move across the state to an unexpected location.  It was a very hard couple years adjusting to living in a country area where we didn't know anyone.  At times, it felt like our lives were on hold.  But then I think, if we didn't experience that, our next move to the Cleveland area wouldn't have been as exciting.  When we moved to Cleveland we felt like newlyweds again!  There were things to do and we made the best of every week while we lived there.  It was cut short to a year, and I think that I will always remember that year living life and enjoying everything northeast Ohio had to offer.  We both say that was by far our favorite year of married life yet.  If Mansfield didn't happen before Cleveland, would we have appreciated it as much?  Would Justin be in the job he is in now if it weren't for Mansfield?  In hindsight, as much as we didn't want to live in Mansfield, wonderful things came from the situation that has made us a stronger and happier couple.  In hindsight, I am thankful for that first move a couple weeks after our wedding.

In talking with friends and family recently about their hindsight experiences, and looking back at some of mine, I wish I could use stories to encourage others to power through.  There might be times we feel so lost, or question giving up.  There might be times that we think, why did this happen to me?  Maybe we look back and wish we could erase an experience.  Either way, looking back in hindsight has made us stronger.  It's all a part of growing and becoming a better person.

This is something that is has been on my heart, and a part of conversation lately that I thought I would share.

Happy Birthday Stanlee

pink plaid dog bow tie

This weekend we celebrated Stanlee's 5th birthday.  I can't believe the little guy is five.  Kids, they just grow up so quickly...

Every year on Stanlee's birthday, I think about how cute he must have been as a puppy.  We adopted him when he was a little over a year old, and we never got to experience the puppy stage with him.  I'm sure some of my favorite Stanlee traits were even cuter on his 3 month old self!  There is something unique about this little guy.  Something that really has a hold of mine and husband's heart.

My computer holds hundreds (honestly, probably 1,000+) pictures of Stanlee.  I love looking through the photos of Stanlee after a product shoot and finding the pictures with the most expressive faces.  I thought it would be fun to add some captions to his pictures.  Because I think it's a common thing for pet owners to make up dialog and voices for their four legged family members ;) ;)

If you are new here and just getting to know Stanlee, these are the things that make us love him so very much:

• His mismatched ears
• His expressive face
• The way he loves to curl up and snuggle under covers
• The way his skin has black spots all over it, but his hair is white on top of the spots
• When Stanlee gets so excited he hops around in circles
• The fact that he is such a morning dog and is so excited to see us when we wake up
• His loyalty

Happy 5th Stanlee!

Little Blue Feathers Is Open For Business

My shop is open again!  I am so excited about my new fabrics, product photos and felt color options.  Not to mention, the new items coming to my shop very soon!  Bow ties, regular ties and hair accessories will be here before you know it.

When I started sewing again, I took all of my pattern pieces and adjusted them slightly.  There were small changes that I wanted to make or add that would lead to an even better design and quality piece.  It's something I am always thinking about.... What could make this even better?  Then when I see the new product, I think to myself -- I should have been doing it this way all along!  That's the thing with growing your business, you are always learning.

This break was a really great thing for me and LBF.  I took time off, looked into some new suppliers, took a look at 2012 as a whole on what my customers were really loving the most, set some new goals and am even working with my favorite web designer on opening up another way for customers to shop LBF!

I am ready for 2013!
Lets do this.

Pupdate: Giving In

Instagram username:  LittleBlueFeathers

In case you didn't know this about me yet, I am 100% completely in love with our pups.  Yes, we are one of those families.  Sometimes I stop and laugh at how normal our interactions with Stanlee and MileyJo have become.

The other night my husband saw Miley and I getting ready for bed and asked if Stanlee was going to join us.  I said I don't know, he can stay out on the couch with you.  My husband quickly replied with, Ok, well I will go ask him what he wants to do.  100% serious, as if to walk back into the living room expecting Stanlee to have a conversation on his decision!  Like I said, one of those families...

Something I struggle with is sleep.  I'm not sure why, but I have always been a light sleeper.  I don't want to be touched, I like space to turn over and I need to have multiple layers to keep me warm.  With that being said, I have been adamant on not having the dogs sleep in bed with us even though we have a big bed.  

Until recently...

The past few months I have been a softie toward these boston terrier's bug eyes staring at our bed waiting for the magic words inviting them up.  I have given in numerous times, and every night turns into the same thing.   Two pups (weighing a combined total of 40 pounds) taking up 2/3 of the bed and leaving this pup momma exhausted the next day.

Why do I keep giving in?!

Stanlee loves to crawl under the covers and every time I worry myself sick that he is going to suffocate under the layers and layers of blankets I have to keep me warm.  MileyJo throws around her body trying to get comfortable every 10 minutes.  I have been kicked in the face, woke up with a butt resting on my pillow and panicked at a lifeless Stanlee that I thought we lost in the middle night.  

But then, some mornings, I get a sweet pup resting her head on my shoulder.  A stanlee face that says I am so so tired and I just can't seem to open my eyes yet.  It's funny how in those first few moments when I wake up in the morning and I see their sleepy selves, that I somehow justify the 9 hours of horrible restless "sleep" they gave me. 

I'm trying to get back to the strong Michelle that said no for four years.  

Time to toughen up...

Christmas Break

Iv'e been a little out of touch lately.  Sometimes you plan for something, and then when the time rolls around, things change or just don't happen.  I closed my shop a little over a week ago and have spent this past week relaxing.  When I thought about Christmas season this year, I was so excited to decorate our new apartment, try baking new recipes and make as many handmade gifts as possible.  Well, that didn't happen this year.  And honestly, I feel ok about it.  Because no matter what, Jesus' birthday and Christmas celebrations are still going to happen on December 24 + 25 just like every year.  I will still see my family, give gifts that I put a lot of thought into and spend quality time with husband.  

I've really enjoyed the past couple weeks spending my days freely.  Although I have not kept up with my Christmas to-do list, I have been able to spend a lot of time with the pups (one of which is sick and just a mess with allergies ^) and attend Christmas parties with my husband.  I've let life happen at a slow pace lately and I love it.  Sometimes I think this season is more stressful than it should be...Finding the right gifts, having your Christmas shopping done by a certain date, planning meals and what to bake, school plays, parties....  

No matter what stage of Christmas preparations you are in, finished or barely begun, I hope that you really enjoy this upcoming weekend and week with family and friends.  

I am off to wrap gifts, and hang a couple decorations around the house to surprise hubby when he gets home from work!

Therapy Dogs

Lately I've received a lot of inbox messages with customers sharing photos of their pups in LBF gear.  Every time I see a new photo, I am a little extra giddy as I read their message.  This particular pup is not only a beautiful boxer, but she has a story to tell.

This is Martha; A name that is forever a sweet name to me as that was my grandmother's name.  Martha is a white boxer with the most adorable face.  Her mother purchased an accessory for her to wear when she went to "work".   My first image was of a pup running a cash machine and checking on customers, but clearly that's not what line of work Martha is in ;) ;)

Martha accompanies her mother at work as an occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy and READ dog.  This is something I have been more aware of lately as I have met people that also have their pups involved in one or more of these programs.  In case you are unfamiliar with this, READ dogs are registered therapy dogs that travel to schools and children read to them to gain more confidence in their reading and communication skills.  My heart instantly connects with these stories not only because I am a big dog lover, but because I was one of those kids that was a very shy reader in school.  To this day, reading is not something I enjoy, I am not a speed reader and I still struggle with finding the right words sometimes.  I think it is so great that there are dogs getting involved and opening people up to better communicate and assisting with emotional and physical needs.

Martha's mother, Nicole, shared this website with me where you can read more personal stories about how dogs can impact someone's life.  If you are interested in the READ program, you can check out more information here.

**If you have a therapy dog, work with a therapy dog or want to give a gift to one that you know, please use coupon code THERAPY and receive 20% off your dog accessories purchase from now until Thursday December 13.  Coupon code will only accepted on collar accessories.   

Let these pups know they are loved and appreciated, as well as dressed to impress when they walk in the room!

Pupdate: Anxiety

I mentioned a while ago about Stanlee's allergies and posted this photo of him the day he had his allergy testing.  It sparked a lot of interest about the jacket he is wearing and our experience with it, so I thought I would talk about that here.

Stanlee is wearing his thunder shirt in this photo.  The thunder shirt is for pups with anxiety as a way to feel more secure.  Stanlee has always had anxiety since we adopted him.  At first, it was separation anxiety.  He followed me around right at my feet the first few months we had him, while at the same time he wouldn't let me pick him up because he was scared and stiff.  Stanlee and I worked a lot on building a relationship and now it's amazing to see how far we have come.  Not only has he completely opened up to us and shows so much love toward our family, but he has also taught me to never give up on a dog that needed special attention.  

Stanlee's anxiety today is more elevated when changes occur.  When we moved, he had a little bit of a hard time with all the boxes, the moving and then adjusting to a new place.  If we have people over, I try to have his thunder shirt on to help with pacing and hiding under tables.  Or, if I notice him feeling extra sensitive for whatever reason, I put his shirt on.  Stanlee loves his thunder shirt and I definitely notice a difference when he is wearing it.  I think it keeps him warm too which he always loves.  (This pup will curl up under any blanket or bury himself in pillows given the chance!)

I'm not sure if Stanlee will ever grow out of his anxiety.  Sometimes I look at him and think it is a part of his personality.  Stan is very different than our other boston terrier, Miley, who is care free and miss independent.  Each year he gets better and better and I feel proud of how far he has come.  If your pup is like Stanlee and has an anxious personality type, I recommend trying the Thunder Shirt.  You can probably find it at most large pet store chains or online here.  

Shark Pups Play Dress Up

Today we played dress up around the house and it was a such a fun time!  Stanlee is wearing a witch hat that one of my husband's workers gave to him and Miley is wearing a shark fin.  We have a hard time passing up anything shark related with our last name being Sharkey ;)

I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween!  

Selling Product At Three Dog Bakery

I am so excited to share with you that I am now selling at Three Dog Bakery in Columbus, Ohio!!

In addition to selling online in my Etsy shop, I am now selling in a handful of boutiques around the USA, either on consignment or through wholesale orders.  It is so much fun to see my items displayed in a store!  Something I would have never thought I would be doing a year ago...

Three Dog Bakery is extra special to me because this store tailors to dogs, and owners who love to spoil their dogs.  Plus, I used to live in Columbus and spend a lot of time in the short north area near downtown where the shop is located.  

Every time I pass through Columbus, I try to stop in and pick up a treat for my pups.  Three Dog Bakery sells all kinds of pup treats.  You can purchase food, bones, little pupcakes, buckeyes, pawlines, lickity splits, puppermints, birthday cakes and so much more.  When you order there will be two great danes there to take your order and say hello.  ;)

At Three Dog Bakery, you can find LBF dog collar accessories, dog shirts and matching children clothing.  It's such a fun environment and I am very excited to have my items for sale in their adorable space!

Defeated

Above is a happy picture of the pups hanging out the window of my car.  Happy, healthy pups they are in this photo.
Today, this wasn't the case.

You might remember my post talking about Stanlee (the white boston that does all of my modeling) and his anxiety and allergies issues.  Miley and Stanlee are both boston terriers and both have a history of skin allergies.  For some reason, we happen to own probably the two most sensitive BTs and recently the allergies have been defeating me.

After finding out Stanlee had a severe allergy to a specific mold, we began his immunotherapy injections yesterday to help tame his allergies.  He spent the day at the vet while they monitored his reaction to his first injection, and all went well.  Now it is back every 4-5 days for the next month and a half, and then they will slow down to only once a month.

This morning, our other boston, Miley, broke out in hives all over her face and eyelids.  The poor girl just wanted to play with her rope when we came in from our morning walk and after we ate breakfast.  I had a nice little Tuesday planned...quilting lesson with my husband's grandma, orders to fill and inventory to finish and take to new stores tomorrow.  Well, this put a little set back on my day.  Actually, I wish we could wake up and do this day all over again...

I'm honestly not even sure what happened.  Maybe a reaction to a bug bite from one of the plants she was sniffing?  Maybe she touched a plant or grass that had just been chemically treated at our apartment?  The vet wasn't sure, but something this morning happened, and suddenly we found ourselves in the vet office again having to leave her there all day to monitor her eyes and her swelling.

Let's see, that would be two pups, two vet visits and five shots later...and it's only Tuesday.

Today I let the allergies get the best of me, and I feel very defeated.  

We have adjusted everything possible recommended by five different vets to help our pups live an allergy free life.  Special food, regular doses of Benadryl, fragrance free detergents, air tight food containers, fish oil, not leaving them outside....yep, we've tried a lot of different things.

As frustrating as it is, and as defeated as I feel, I can't help but look at their little faces and feel bad for them and realize that it isn't their fault.  They are great pups and I love them no matter what the issue, cost or adjustments have to be.

I'm thankful tomorrow is a new day.

Pupdate: Best Seat In The House

MileyJo is such an outdoor dog.  She loves looking out windows, sitting on porches, running around outside and sunbathing on the concrete.  This is the only downside to apartment living.  I wish she had a big back yard to run wild in and explore.  Someday I hope we can have a home with a back deck and an acre of green grass and trees to run around.  But for now, a little table pushed up against an open window is the best seat in the house.  

Pupdate: Allergy Testing

Stanlee is my pup that does all the modeling for my shop.  He is super sweet, loyal, and knows how to model a bow-tie very well.  What you probably don't know about Stanlee is that he actually suffers from two things: anxiety and allergies.  

Ever since we adopted Stanlee, we knew he had some type of skin problem.  Stanlee gets pretty stinky, even after just having a bath, his skin is usually pink and itchy, he breaks out in hives and is sensitive to just about anything.  After having the little guy for 3 years, we decided it was time to get an allergy test to see exactly what it is he's allergic to.  We tried e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. and nothing seemed to get his allergies under control, and our vet visits to something less frequent than every 6-8 weeks.  So, we did an allergy test a couple weeks ago and we now FINALLY know what it is he is allergic to.

A specific type of mold.

Mold.  

That's all. 

I honestly thought the vet was going to say he was allergic to grass, pollen, wool and even his own dander!

However, when an allergy test comes back, if the dog's level is over 150, they are considered allergic to that item (and they test for everything).  Stanlee came back with a level of 1300+ for this specific mold! Yes you read that correctly, over 1300!  Talk about severely allergic to this mold.  Our next step is to give him injections every 4-5 days over the next 6 weeks and then he will go to just once a month, hopefully.

Because we have lived in four different apartments in four different cities across Ohio, the vet didn't seem to think it was a problem with our current living conditions since Stanlee has a very long history of skin allergies, and our apartment complex is brand new.  Mold can grow anywhere, but the vet explained this mold is common in old homes, basements and very humid walls.  We aren't sure exactly how this severe allergy came about.  The vet said it could be the product of his last home environment before we adopted him, and his body reacting to being removed from that environment.  Similar to a pregnant woman that eats a lot of peanuts, their baby could be more prone to a peanut allergy.  

Either way, we now know what Stanlee's allergy is, and how to treat it which makes this momma very happy.  And, seeing him in his little bandaged paw made me want to cuddle him even more than usual. How pitiful does that little paw and face look!

p.s. - Is the pregnant woman/peanut allergy thing really true?  Because if I am ever pregnant, it will be an awful 9 months of not consuming peanut butter twice a day.  

Me + peanut butter = happiness.

Pupdate: Birthday Celebration

This weekend, Miley turned the big 5 years old.  Part of me can't believe she is five already.  Miley (also known as Mi, MileyJo and Joseph on her tomboy moments) was mine and husband's first boston terrier together, and our first pet.  It was one of those, "oh my goodness she is perfect" moments when we found her.

I think about Miley and Stanlee, and how much I love them all the time.  Isn't it crazy?!  They are dogs, and I never thought I could love a dog this way.  They have given me so much company over the past 4+ years and I can't imagine our home without them.  So, when one of them has a birthday, we celebrate!

Miley didn't just get a little pupcake for her birthday, we went all out and bought a full pup pie.  We are going to eat pie all week. (Because around here we also celebrate birth weeks, not just days).

While Miley inhaled her pie as quickly as she could, I thought about some of my favorite Miley things:

The way she has always taken her treat and runs away from people and other dogs, so they can't touch it.

Her white markings on her face, and her matching white front paws.

The way she scoops her paw and tries to move your arm over to her to pet her.

The way she is able to give me a look of, "I hate this moment" so very clearly.

Her hair color

When she gets that little spark in her and can't stop running around the house.  

The way she likes to share a pillow with you and sleep by your chest if you let her in bed with you.

How she hates having her picture taken.

There are so many things I love about this girl.  Things that are so very different from Stanlee, but that make Miley her.

Happy Birthday MileyJo!

Do you celebrate your pet's birthdays?!  Please tell me I am not the only one ;)

Pupdate: Bath Time

These pups.  They are always making me laugh.

Recently, the three of us were walking in our neighborhood when Miley and Stanlee both decided to stop and sniff the same fire hydrant.  One of them {ahem... Stanlee} decided he needed to hike his leg and leave his mark at the same time Miley tried to walk around the hydrant, resulting in someone peeing on someone else's face.  It was one of those moments when I couldn't stop laughing, yet I felt bad for Miley, especially because she dislikes bath time very much.  After laughing for a couple minutes, we walked back to the apartment and I filled the tub to bathe these two little guys.

What's funny is the way both of these pups feel about bath time. 

One pup, Stanlee, enjoys bath time.  He does a great job holding up his leg for me while I scrub and standing still.  Miley on the other hand is always inching toward the edge looking for a way to escape.  She hates being in the water.  She hates being told what to do and she hates having to be towel dried.  This last photo cracks me up because she is really great at giving glares, telling me exactly how annoyed she is at that moment.

Pups.  Aren't they great?!

Pupdate: Modeling Challenges

In our new apartment, I have a room dedicated to LBF, which is so so awesome!  I l.o.v.e it.  When we first moved in, I saw the two large windows, all the natural light that came in and the potential for great product photography in the second bedroom, which is referred to as LBF studios ;)  

Our old apartment was on the first floor and shaded most of the day leaving us in the dark and using a lot of indoor lighting which is difficult to work with.  Our new apartment is bright and sunny most of the day!  There is just one little problem...

There is a big pond right outside LBF studios.  A pond filled with ducks, geese and king fishers.  This means the dogs have a hard time focusing on anything but them when they are in LBF studios.  Especially when it is time for modeling and Stanlee gets to sit up higher on a table.  Sometimes, we end up with two pups trying to squeeze together on Stanlee's table and modeling station.  As you can tell, it's a little annoying to Stan to have MileyJo all up in his space, but clearly, MJ doesn't care because she gets to see outside.  So what.  

It can be a little tricky at times.  Trying to keep one dog down.  Trying to get the other dog to "look here" and then making sure the dog that is supposed to stay down, doesn't try and eat the treats you have waiting for Stanlee when he is done, because she is a little bit of a tubby.

Really, pup modeling can be difficult if you have a MileyJo in the room, but I can't help but love them unconditionally.

*This large golden yellow rosette flower is now available in my shop!