like father like son {DIY bow tie}

my boys can sure sport a bow tie.
these photos melt my heart!

i have been making these bow ties for awhile now and they look completely adorable on any sweet pup! HERE is where i found a fantastic tutorial explaining in detail how to sew one up in no time at all. i made a few changes since mine would be used on a dog instead of a child - i used velcro to secure the ends together and it works like a charm and goes right on top of ollie's collar.

another easy and adorable sewing project!
enjoy :-)

because i love them so much...

i love my pups more than i could ever say in words. we spoil them and walk them and take them swimming. they both know when something is wrong and try to make things better. they know when they have done something wrong and try to butter us up with those sweet kisses and puppy dog eyes...

laying at the front door watching the world outside is where they love to be the most. i happened to catch this moment a few days ago, and LOVE how it turned out.

my sweet ollie and emme.

we are leaving for california tomorrow morning... have to be at the airport at 4:30 am... phew.

needless to say, our babies are being dropped off tonight at the kennel. i'm so grateful that we have a place so wonderful to keep our loving pups. play dates every day with all the other pups staying there... being spoiled by new faces...tasty new treats that they don't get at home...

oh the life of a pup!

they are way more excited to go than we are to take them... 

hope everyone has a wonderful week! we will be enjoying the warm(er) california weather and sharing in the celebration of marriage!

mark and anita are a perfect couple! and a los angeles wedding on 11.11.11 - well, that is just fabulous! 

{for the love of cranberry creek}

this weekend was spent in the beautiful mountains of north carolina. 

we celebrated my 30th birthday with a few of the most amazing people i know.

yes, 30. 

three. ohhh.

this is the third year that we have went to cranberry creek. it is a long and relaxing weekend that i look forward to every fall. the colors are vibrant, the nights are freezing cold, and we always make delish meals... this year was no different!

we had two new guests this year - my very best friend in the WHOLE world, crystal, and her husband, justin. they made the drive from west virginia.

here is how i would describe cranberry creek - it is a cabin that sits on an amazing piece of land nestled high in the mountains. water lines the propery and trees stretch to the sky. it's always blue skied and beautiful. it's always cold enough for a bonfire.
it is perfection.

here are some images of the amazing cranberry creek -

our pups, oliver and emme, know cranberry creek as soon as we pull up the hill. they both know they are in for a weekend of stick fetching, rock searching, and running free around 13 acres of land.
they. are. in. heaven.

 ellie had lots of time to run around as well. she is the funnest little girl and so full of life!

isn't that the cutest face!

david and i wanted to TRY to get a picture of the two of us with our pups... this was quite the task, but finally we succeeded! (thank you crystal!!!) in most of the pictures one of the pups would try to jump or run... but i love those just as well as the ones that did turn out.

 and finally... the perfect family photo!

and a lovely photo of crystal and justin - they are such a fabulous couple!

already looking forward to next year at cranberry creek...

as for turning 30, i truly feel no different today than i did yesterday. sure, growing up and dreaming how my life would look at 30 i may have had some different ideas... like owning my dream home and maybe having a kid or two. instead, we own a beautiful home that we don't live in but rent out, and live in a rental! and no kiddos yet, though our two pups are as spoiled and loved as all the children we know.
though my life plan has taken a few unexpected but very welcomed turns, i wouldn't trade where i am at in my life for anything in the world. i feel that i have everything i could possibly need, including the most amazing husband ever created. i have a family that has built me to be the person i am today, the greatest friends, a strong roof over my head and a super super super comfy bed to rest my weary head in at night.
yes, when i go to bed each night i have MUCH to be thankful for.
of course, there is still lots to do, but i am now realizing there is so much time left to work on those things.
i anticipate that my thirty's will bring much more happiness than my twenties! 

sweet ollie

i was going through my photo folders on the old mac, and came across baby photos of our sweet boy... thought i would share some. i remember holding him in one hand... now his paw is as big as my hand. the sweetest boy in the world...  mr. oliver hutchinson :)

this was the first day we brought oliver home!  

 growing too fast.

 marshall pup!

the last time he EVER let me dress him... in anything! Halloween 2009

 all smiles

 the beginnings of a lazy couch potato!

always has loved the water.

 so big he sits on his hip!

with his beloved monkey... when it's not waiting by the sewing machine to be stitched back up! 

i never thought an animal could bring so much joy! and this is just about Oliver... we also get a ball of loving and energetic fun with miss Emmylou.

three years old...

sweet oliver is three.

i really can't believe he has been with us that long... granted, the first year was quite the nightmare. he was one stubborn and rotten little boy... nothing passed by him without his approval, and anything he wanted.... well, it was his. 

through all that bad behavior and after two obedience training courses, each 6 weeks in length... the trainer told us it was time for another dog. i mean, seriously?!?!?!? but when we decided to adopt emmylou, that's when everything changed. all that energy and aggression was taken out on eachother in a super playful mood. they became inseparable, and still are. they truly are the best of friends. 

three years later and oliver has turned out to be the best dog i could have ever imagined. yes, he is still 120 pounds of pure hyper love... but he is super sensitive, and has a love for mommy and daddy that couldn't be described. he has the best personality, loves giving kisses, and just loves to do his own thing... stretch out on the couch!

so in honor of his special day, we wanted to make him a special treat. i used the same recipe for the peanut butter dog biscuits i make, just made a very large bone for him to gobble up! 

he absolutely loved it! we made emme one too, and she also loved it!

happy birthday to my sweet boy!!!!

spring is in the air

spring is one of my favorite times of year... to see all the life appear again, the weather warming, and the thrill of summer time approaching. here in south carolina, spring time has began early! let's just hope it stays... it seemed to have happened overnight - we went to bed with a 40 degree night, and woke up to a 70 degree day. it has lasted for about a week, give or take a few degrees, and yesterday even reached 80. it was perfection! growing things inside or outside makes me tremendously happy. and the idea of planting bulbs in the fall and seeing them form into something beautiful in the spring... i just love it. so with this beautiful weather comes new growth. and we are seeing new growth all around. 

this beauty is our first bulb starting to bloom. i noticed the form and knew that she would be ready any day. literally, hours later, this is what happened -

and then this - 

 a beautiful and perfect little daffodil. a true sign of spring. we also have lots of other bulbs forming like tulips and hyacinths. i can't wait to see what color these turn out to be!

the hydrangea is also producing new green shoots, and i am very ready to see how many blooms we have this year! a hydrangea is my favorite flowering shrub!

 the pups even got to enjoy the great outdoors on such a beautiful day... they went for a little swim after a long walk. they were in heaven!

the only planting left for me this year is the vegetable garden. i have already planned in my head how i will plant and space... and im more than ready to have home grown vegetables!!!  this year we are growing big tomatoes, roma tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, squash, zucchini, green peppers, red peppers, jalapeno peppers and eggplant!

hope everyone is enjoying this fantastic weather!

all you need is L.O.V.E.

valentines day has never been a top rated holiday for me... i believe people should express their love everyday. but.... there is something pretty special about knowing there is an actual 'holiday' every year just to celebrate L.O.V.E.  this valentines day was so much fun for me! i truly have an extra super special guy in my life! we celebrated the day on sunday, since we both had to work on monday. we ended saturday night by watching old movies, then began sunday with a healthy and delish brunch, complete with mimosas. we drank our regular pot of coffee and sat outside for most of the morning watching the pups play... we just enjoyed the beautiful day... plus it was already 65 degrees!
in the afternoon we took a four mile trail walk... it was sooooo great being out in the fresh air and sunshine. sure beats the ole treadmill!
this is our beautiful pups panting away after the walk... pure exhaustion but complete happiness!

before dinner was even planned, david was whipping up a special treat in the kitchen. after all that exercise, and since it was a special occasion, he thought we should reward ourselves with a little treat.... i couldn't have agreed more! he made an adorable and the most delish chocolate chip cookie in the shape of a heart!!!! so so so so sweet! we cut it in half and ate it bit by bit... enjoying every single moment!

a couple weeks ago, i started a valentines day ruffle apron for my little sis to use in her new home... unfortunately - i didn't finish in time. she will be getting another great surprise :)  here are a few pics of the cutesy half-apron. HERE is the link to the tutorial for this project.

this turned out to be a pretty simple project... could be completed in one day if you didn't have any distractions. loved the finished look and of course, i added 2 rolled flowers to the top for an extra something special!

hope everyone celebrated their love in the most fantastic of ways!
happy love :)