This is Fur Baby's 5th Birthday - Puppy Love Thursday

Now, I know you've already sent her gifts via messenger - lots of chewies, comfy dog beds, perhaps a spa session downtown - since her birthday is tomorrow, but if you're still labouring over what to get Miss Gigi Baby for her 5th (or 35th) birthday, she's also looking for donations to help pups less fortunate than her over at our pal Ashley's blog. Ash has a heart like no other and works tirelessly to rescue dogs in need. She's an inspiration for me every single day and could really use our help, so please make a visit to her blog and donate to her rescue organization.

But let's get back to what's really important here...my eldest fur baby. I was 25 when I brought Gigi home. I had really wanted another dog for a while and one Saturday morning in April 2007 I woke up and decided that I was getting a dog that very day. I didn't know then what I do now about pet stores and puppy mills. Gigi wasn't a rescue dog, but going forward I'll only adopt fur babies who need love and a safe home. Gigi was brought into the shop with her two sisters on the Thursday evening and until I showed up, nobody had paid any attention to her. One of her sisters was taken home on Friday. The afternoon I showed up with my cousin, I peeked into a cage to see a teensy ginger pup tucked into the corner. The associate told me nobody had asked to see her, but that her sister had been courted by several families. Maybe the kid was giving me a line, but I don't care. When I heard that the timid, sweet, orange pup had been ignored I knew she was the one I wanted.

My new fur baby garnered adoring gazes as I carried her to the car. She shivered for the entire ride and as soon as I got her to her Nanny's (my Aunt Sharon) house, she was showered with kisses, treated to a bath and introduced to grass for the first time. She jumped around in the sun the way puppies do. She was all jumping and frolicking...but she still didn't have a name.

Before I ever met my fur baby, I knew I wanted a small dog who I would name Tonka. When I adopted my little girl though, she didn't seem like a Tonka to me. I went through a lengthy list of names. Cici, Maxine, Macy and others I can't remember. Throughout the day I called her Good Girl and then my Dad suggested Gigi. It was perfect. She was perfect for me.

I'll be honest with you, I adore Gigi, but I'm under no delusions that she's a perfect dog. Does she bark like a maniac at dogs much bigger than her? Yes. Does she whine for treats? You bet. Does she lose her mind when anybody touches me? She's my Kevin Costner. Am I aware of all this and have I put her through puppy class? Ya...twice. It's not for lack of trying. I've had private in-home sessions with a trainer, but my girl is who she is. Perhaps I'm a bad fur mama, but my girl and I aren't changing for anybody.

What means more to me than any amount of doggie tantrums is how much Gigi loves me and how responsible I feel for her safety, health and happiness. To Gigi, I am the entire universe. She waits at the door (my family has confirmed) when I leave the house. She gets shotgun in my Jeep and she's only 14lbs. She is the one being on earth that I always want to cuddle with. She runs right to my side when I cough or sneeze. And the best part is how I look through her eyes. To Gigi, I am perfect without even trying. Her love is unconditional even when I'm barely home and leave her in the capable hands of her Papa, Auntie or Uncle. Her love is unconditional even though I clipped her nail too short over Easter weekend and I had to wrap her poor little paw in a bandage. Her love is unconditional even though I leave her for work every morning. Her love is unconditional because she knows I'm the one person who would do absolutely anything for her. She's right. Each day I want to be the person Gigi already knows I am. She's had that much of an effect on my life.

So, this morning while I was getting ready for work, Gigi was having a birthday breakfast of kibble and cheesy scrambled eggs with her fur sisters. This weekend she's getting a trip to the conservation area for an extra long walk and a visit to our favourite pet boutique for a special birthday cookie. Your first baby only turns five once.

Do you do anything special for you fur baby's birthday? Do you give them presents at Christmas? Is your fur baby a part of the family? Let Gigi and I know what you and your fur babies do to celebrate birthdays :)

This Made Me SO Happy

I took two days off work last week based purely on the fact that I wanted to be outside in the heat. I wasn't complaining about the humidity, I was embracing it. It was glorious, even if I was sweaty and shiny. I went to the beach twice over my long weekend and a few days later I'm still smiling when I think about how wonderful my first trip to the beach with Gigi was.

Around noon on Saturday Gigi and I walked up to the ticket line for Toronto Island. The lines were massive and I was fully prepared that Gigi might be overwhelmed and have a meltdown, in which case we'd turn around immediately and go home. They say that dogs feed off our energy. I was so calm and carefree and Gigi seemed to pick up on that. She sat at my feet while the lines quickly moved. She sat on my lap on the ferry and over the course of the entire day only barked at two people. If you've ever walked my dog you know that she likes to give her opinion freely. "Bark! Get off the sidewalk!" "Bark! Stay away from my mommy!" "Bark! I'm gonna get you birdie!"

To say that I was proud of my fur baby is an understatement. She was so well behaved on Saturday and we had so much fun. Gigi spent most of her time chasing the algae through the water while I laid in the refreshing shallow water soaking up the sunshine. I was so happy. I adore the beach. It always puts me in the greatest mood and Saturday was perhaps the happiest I've been at the beach. Kids were playing with Gigi and she was loving the water - she's not as prissy as she looks.

Later I tried laying on my beach mat while Gigi laid in the shade of the umbrella I brought for her. She dug a hole in the sand and completely covered me in the process, but I just laughed and laughed. You can't really tan at the beach when you bring your dog. Lesson learned. No big deal though because I had such a great time. I'm a responsible fur mama so of course I had lots of water for Gigi to drink and I made sure she wasn't too hot. Later we laid in the grass on our way back to the ferry and then enjoyed the breeze on the way home. I may or may not have tweeted SEVERAL pictures of my beach baby that day. Sue me - I was freggin' happy.

These memories will forever bring smiles to my face. What's making you smile today?

This Pizza Happy Place

Here's a little something about me, I freggin' love pizza. Always have and always will. When I was a wee one Mama would order me pizza on the weekends and rent me the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies and I'd eat my wheel while watching TMNT. I haven't watched one of those movies in a few years, but pizza is still a part of my regular life. And, you guys know that Mama has been gone for many years so I don't get her homemade pizza anymore, but we're still big pizza delivery people in my family. In fact, when the Pizzaville in my hometown joined up with the times and got themselves on the call centre with all Pizzaville locations, I called and GASP, they didn't know us! I was not impressed. We've been ordering two large pizzas (one meat, one veg) for years from the same shop on Aurora Heights and they'd see our number on call display and know what we wanted. To think I had to tell some stranger what the family and I enjoys on a weekly basis was the end of an era for me. Yes, I blog about happiness but sometimes silly little things make me sad.

I'm living in the city, but my heart belongs to my small hometown of Aurora, Ontario and my little pizza shop. Now that I live on my own, I have my own pizza rituals. The same poor delivery guy is freaked out by my terrifying poodle cross Gigi on about a weekly basis. She must be scary with all that scruffy orange fur and 15 pounds of pure muscle. Tonight my siblings are coming to stay with me and bringing their gf and bf with them. It's gonna be crowded and as any good host, I'm ordering pizza and busting out the paper napkins.


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Ordering pizza on Friday nights is a ritual I love and it makes me really happy. I love eating pizza and I love not cooking so when I can combine the two and have my sweet siblings along for the party, I'm especially excited.

Where is your happy place? Do you go to a great patio in the summer? Do you visit a friend? Maybe take a walk to a quiet spot by yourself? Whatever it is, I hope you get there this weekend. xoxo

This Queen West Happy Place

Aren't we all thrilled that it's Friday? Our American friends have Memorial Day coming up while us canucks had a short week after May two-four. I had last Friday off so it was an extended long weekend for me.

I spent last Friday morning renewing my licence and then heading over to - gulp - traffic court to deal with my first ticket. After all that boring nonsense was dealt with Gigi and I headed west for some exercise and shopping. Okay, there wasn't supposed to be any shopping. I'm weak. I'm especially weak for clothes and accessories from the tiny shops tucked into Queen West.


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After a break at Trinity Bellwoods park (Gigi laid in the grass while I did a phone interview for Flare magazine), our trek recommenced and we popped in to Bicyclette (http://bicyclette.to/). This store is truly a gem. I got a sweet little cream crocheted bag with a long chain strap and a dress with bows (hooray for bows) all over it by a company called Peppermint. How fun?

I had Gigi in the change room with me when I realized there needs to be dog training specifically for fur mamas who shop with their babes. Gigi didn't want to stay in the dainty draped nook with me so she kept sneaking out under the curtain...threatening to expose my partially naked bod as I wiggled in and out of different outfits. We had a successful visit to the store and the shop girls cooed over my precious baby. We both left happy.

We continued sauntering along Queen and then headed north on Ossington for some vintage finds. That's the beauty of a walk along Queen West, you're always going to find something new and interesting or old and lovely. It might be a new store. A cute pup. A handsome babe. A great latte and pastry or a swanky dress to pair with your dancing shoes.

We spent a few hours walking around that day. We walked back from Queen taking Strachan to Lake Shore so we could run through the grass along the water. Gigi isn't as keen on exercising as most dogs. She really takes after her mama. We walked up to a patch of yellow daffodils and I realized how lucky I was at that very moment. I was standing in the sunshine, looking out on Lake Ontario with the city skyline behind me, enjoying a day with my dog. It was such a happy place.




Will you visit your happy place this weekend?




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This Girl's Gonna Be A Star

By "girl" I mean Gigi and by "star" I mean she's the subject of my guest spot for Pawsh Magazine today. I use Twitter for news, networking and chances to get my writing out there, so, when the call went out in the Twittersphere for guest bloggers on a very fun pet magazine, I was like "Heck yes! I wanna do it!" And now, just a few weeks later, my post about my beloved Gigi is up. Please go over to http://www.pawsh-magazine.com and read all about what I've learned being a dog mama.

This Sunny Monday

Ahhhhh, do you feel that? It's sunshine. I know you might not recognize it since it's been ages since we've felt true warmth on our skin. Toronto finally has some spring weather and EVERYBODY was out this weekend. Gigi spent her mornings sunning herself on the balcony while I puttered around. Jo stopped over Saturday morning and we had lattes and watched Bethenny Ever After... I was still in my nightie when Jojo surprised me with a visit. It's okay though, we were roomies in university and danced together for years and years so she's seen me in less clothing.

After Jo took off for the Jays game, Gigi and I got ready for an afternoon on Queen West. Such a good fur baby - she took her mama shopping! Here's the confession part: I should not be shopping right now and it really has been ages since I bought new shoes, but I caved this weekend. Twice. So, happy mother's day to me!!! Thanks for the great heels Gigi - you really spoil me.

Saturday night Rach came over and I made quesadillas while we watched Happy Endings. This is my new favourite show. I PVR each episode and if I had to pick a group of tv people to live with, it would be this gang. Also, their Chicago condos are massive compared to my teensy Toronto dwelling so hanging out with them would be a nice change. Penny, if you're reading this, let's be best friends.

Rach and I met Jo and Tim (Jojo's beau) on King for a live art installation. I should have taken pictures but I was surrounded by real photographers and artsy people so I felt like a tool. But, if I HAD taken pictures, I'd include them below:

Yesterday was a lazy day. I did some volunteering judging for The Learning Partnership. I read through submissions of student run ventures, most of which donated their proceeds to charity. Then Gigi and I spent some time outside. She's not really in to the dog park. We go and I'm always hoping she'll run around and make friends, but she's usually sniffing trees by herself or sitting beside me. We did meet two adorable mini poodles and I was hoping she'd form a bond, but after a few minutes of spastic chasing games, she was over it. We left. Watched some more PVR and then I read a magazine in bed before passing out.

Mother's Day doesn't really make me sad anymore, but I was missing my mom all day long. That's every day of my life though, so yesterday wasn't much different. I thought about what I would have been doing if she were still alive and figured we'd be at the garden centre. Although I get my love of gardening from her, I didn't get her skill. Most of my flowers die or the dogs eat them :)

I hope you all spoiled your mamas yesterday. Some of my cousins checked in on me and it was wonderful to know I wasn't the only person thinking about my mom yesterday - they miss their Aunt Patty too. Love you guys xoxo

This Friday Night Happy Place

There are a few things I really enjoy in life. Fridays. Pizza. Lying on my couch. Watching movies. The list goes on, but if you wrap those four items up, it makes for basically one of my very favourite happy places. Fridays have always been my favourite day of the week. It's better than Saturday because the weekend isn't quite here and everyone is in a (relatively) good mood anticipating the weekend unfolding before them. Impromptu Friday night parties are really the best after a, exhausting work week. Friday nights used to feature TGIF family programming - Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step, Boy Meets World, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, all fantastic! I miss those shows actually. Anyways, Friday night programming isn't as interesting to me anymore and gone are the days when I can come home from school (high school or uni), toss on a party outfit and dance until dawn. Now, I really enjoy changing into jammies, ordering pizza, - Fridays are pizza days in my family - and watching a movie while sprawled across my couch. Now that I live on my own I get to pick the movie and the pizza toppings. Basically, I get whatever I want and I watch the girliest movies available if I feel like it. When I was a little girl, my mom would order me pizza and rent the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies for me on Friday nights. I'm a creature of habit and always have been. I know what I like and I hate being disappointed, so I stick with what I know. Like TMNT and pizza. My Friday nights really let me unwind. I actually really love falling asleep on my couch with Gigi at my feet and then waking up only to drag myself to bed for another 10 hours of restful bliss. Did you find your happy place today?

Miss Thursday

Gigi threw a tantrum last night. I was on the phone with Rach discussing her wedding plans - fyi, my bestie got engaged Saturday night and I'm finally able to share the news - while Gigi whimpered, whined, cried, shrieked and moaned for a treat. I'm able to ignore her when she gets like this and I'm not a girl who gives in to other's demands, so I let her whine. Several times Gigi walked over to me and whined with a furiously wagging tail. She was basically, "Mommy! Get off the phone! I want a treat." If she was a real baby, I would have told her to forget it, but she's a dog and you can't reason with her...although I've tried. I gave a few stern "NO!" warnings and she'd give up momentarily. Then she laid on the carpet at my feet in despair, still whimpering. It took an hour, but I gave her a treat. Fail. I know. I gave in. I'm not proud of it, but I treated myself to McDonalds for dinner so who am I to get between Gigi and her organic chicken snack? I gave her one. She sat like a good girl, but was practically radiating with excitement and anticipation. After that, I never heard another peep from her. That's my girl.

This is My Girl

Today while I sat at work and looked outside at the snow, I decided to send my friend and dog walker, Shannon a message about the weather. We were chatting about how much this weather sucks and while we exchanged texts, she got to my condo to pick Gigi up for her walk. Apparently Gigi is hiding under my bed and refuses to come out. I told Shannon to try coaxing her out with a chewie and nothing has worked. Gigi hates wet weather and since slush is currently falling from the sky in Toronto, I guess she'd rather stay inside her warm condo. Kinda breaks my heart to think about her wedged under my bed while all her friends go out to play, but she did this to herself.



Knowing how much personality and determination my fur baby has is making me happy today. In face, it's making me giggle to myself during my lunch break :) Yes, Gigi can be a royal pain, but we all have off days. Heck, try approaching me when I'm in a bad mood and you might never recover from the lashing I give. Just ask my Dad. He makes it his purpose in life to make me smile when I wake up crabby (which is most mornings). He knows how grumpy I am when I wake up and that I don't like speaking, but he still gets a kick out of trying to make me laugh. This makes me even more irritated, but I still end up cracking for the old guy. Living on my own, I miss the morning harassment sometimes.






I told Shannon to go ahead with her day and leave Princess Gigi alone. I can't say I'd want to spend hours outside in this weather either...

This Is Miss Gigi

I've decided that Thursdays will now be a spot for my guest posts from other bloggers and friends divulging what makes them happy AND an opportunity for me to write in Gigi's voice. You may think I'm crazy, but last week my friend forwarded me a blog about pets who go to work with their owners. From there I read about Bella the Boxer. She has a book, a blog and a massive following considering she can't talk to write. It got me to thinking..."What would Gigi say if she could talk?"

My dogs are spoiled. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I don't have kids and right now, my finances are mine to disperse as I see fit. If that means sending Gigi to the spaw, feeding her organic and telling her every day how much I love her, it's my decision.

This weekend we were at our friends' place with a few people and their dog. I'm under no delusions that Gigi is the most well behaved canine on earth. In fact, she can be a complete jerk sometimes but I get a kick out of her attitude. People were asking me if Gigi is quite as feisty at home and I admitted feeling guilty and kinda betrayed by my fur baby. Two rounds of puppy class, private in home training, mental and physical exercise, a dog walker to spend hours with each day, socialization and lots of love and yet my dog walks into a new house and pees on the carpet RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! We laughed about it, but I'm starting to feel guilty about the parents I judge when I see kids acting like total lunatics. I see some parents take control while others sort of ignore it. I don't have kids so I have no idea how hard it is. I guess karma got me in this department. I'm trying to raise a well behaved dog and she just does as she pleases. When bf comes over she runs around like she's been caged for a week and leaps off the couch and jumps so high I think her legs will break. I tell her to sit and she pretends not to hear me. Nice Gigi...really nice.

Would I trade her for a more docile dog? Not a chance. She embarrasses me on walks. She barks at people for no reason. She doesn't want to share me with my bf and she freaks out when she sees other animals on TV. She's kinda crazy, but I think she'd tell me she's just excited and happy if she could. She wants me all to herself and I get that. When people come over she barks. She's telling me there are people in the condo - yes I'm right there and can see them also, but she's still trying to alert me to the situation.

If Gigi could offer us advice she'd say, "life's too short so sleep on the couch and not the floor. Dig through gardens when you have the chance. Throw a party every time your loved ones come home and always give kisses." She's pretty smart that dog of mine.

This Silver Lining Found Me

I've been having a crummy week folks, so it's been tough to think of exciting, happiness-filled stuff to write about. I really believe that there is an upside to everything and that philosophy has brought me through some challenges in life. I was chatting with one of my many cousins this week and she said, "Crystal, we're only given what we can handle and clearly someone thinks you can handle a lot. You're not meant to get a break in life because you can handle everything." It wasn't just a pep talk, but a reminder that I do always manage to find a way to pull through. It's not like I search for strength, I've just never considered anything less than pushing through and making the best of things.

I guess I'm tough, but this week I've had my share of tears. Last night as I was getting ready for bed and tweeting from my BlackBerry, I started to cough. Gigi flew across my bed, put her two front paws on my shoulder and kissed my face. Coughs always concern her and when I looked at her sweet furry face I thought to myself, "Life can't really be that bad if this sweet creature is here to lick my face when I need some luvin." She really makes each day sunny - even when the sky is full of clouds. Go find your silver lining today, especially if you're feeling overwhelmed and gloomy.

Look at This Winter Pup

Today was one of those great Sundays. Productive. Delicious. Snowy. Cozy and happy. Gigi and I woke up to get the slow cooker ready for some epic sports fan chili - a joint effort with bf - which I can say tastes fantastic. We whipped up a batch of blueberry pancakes and after some couch cuddles, hit the city in search of a fenced in off-leash dog park uptown. I tweeted my need of a doggie oasis and my tweeps didn't let me down...I really love how instant and effective Twitter can be when you use it to your advantage.


Anyways, I mentioned wanting to get Gigi some boots since her teensy paws are so sensitive to the cold and salted sidewalks. I've been using a barrier cream but I wanted to give some doggie boots a try. BF suggested we stroll down Mount Pleasant and hit a shop for Miss Gigi. We found a great new pet boutique with the sweetest shopkeeper. Like me, he adores dogs. His affection for my little Gigi was genuine and awfully sweet. We tried a couple of options before settling on these adorable pink zip up boots.

At first, Gigi wasn't sure about her new gear. I swore I'd never put boots on my dog because as much as I might look like one of those chicks who stuff their pet in their purse, I'm totally not. I'm practical. Gigi has a coat and now boots because it's cold in Toronto and she spends hours outside with her dog posse from Pup and the City, so she needs to be dressed appropriately. The fact that her boots match her coat is purely coincidental, but I've gotta admit I'm glad the pink ones fit her ;)


Gigi and I spent late afternoon trekking through the Brick Works off Bayview. It's a great spot so I brought my camera along for some scenic shots. Alright, I brought my camera because I really wanted pics of Gigi in her new booties. As you can see, the adventure was a success. Gigi is exhausted. I'm happy to have spent a few hours outside today and now I'm looking forward to the Glee special I'm taping right now. Happy Sunday evening dolls.

This is Me and My Place

Hey guys, today I'm over at my cyber pal Kerry's blog as today's perfectly imperfect feature. She started this guest spot a while back when she realized one day that we're often trying to show the world how together we are and how perfect a world we live in. The jig is up folks. We're perfectly imperfect and so our the places we live. Kerry writes a great blog called First Time Fancy and I've been a reader for a while now. She's got a bun in the oven, a wonderful design sense, an academic career and a hubby who cooks! That girl has stuff figured out and I'm thrilled she's asked me to be a part of her blog. So go check it out! http://first-time-fancy.blogspot.com/2011/01/perfectly-imperfect-crystals-condo.html

You'll spot a Major Gal fixture in this post - that Gigi of mine turns up everywhere. She turned 4 yesterday so in dog years that means we're both the same age..until I blow out 29 candles in Florida come March.

This is 2011!

Hi there. I've been slacking on my posts. December was tough. I was sick for most of it and now that I'm back to work, I've been busy. My advice to you is this: when you wake up with a sore throat and feel lousy for a few days, GO TO THE DOCTOR. Don't wait three weeks like I did. You will end up with three prescriptions, two visits to the doctor and a swollen eye so grotesque you refused to be photographed during the holidays.

I've been thinking about what else makes me happy and I implore you all to think about the stuff that, although annoying, might still be comical and worth smiling about. Yesterday morning was just one of those mornings. I couldn't settle on an outfit and the new Teenflo dress I wanted to wear just wasn't jiving with any of my tights, so I changed into another new dress(Thank you Gap for your great clearance sale). I was dropping Gigi off at the sitter so I strapped her into the car and then drove three minutes to my friend Shannon's house, who is also my trusted puppy caregiver. On my way, I tipped my tumbler back to drink some of my berry smoothie. I don't know what happened, but suddenly smoothie was pouring down my face, onto my jacket and pooling in my lap. I was already late for work and now I was covered in frozen fruit puree. Excellent.

So, I was slightly irritated with that, but it definitely wasn't the end of the world. I finally got to work and had a meeting shortly after I arrived. During the conference call I ran my fingers through my hair. The smoothie has dried and was now crusted to the ends of my blonde locks. As I started trying to drag my fingers through the mess my team started looking at me with puzzled expressions. When the call was over, my manager said, "Now. I have to ask. What's with the hair?" I regaled the team with the extended version of my brutal morning including taking Gigi back home when I couldn't get a hold of Shannon, finding out the clasp on my favourite shoes was broken and saying goodbye to BF as he flew to California for the week. Cali is my favourite place on earth and bf is often there for work. My work allows for exciting travel between Scarborough and Toronto each day. I'm not comparing jobs, but I think BF's is more exciting.

I don't really enjoy getting smoothie in my hair or on my black and white coat, but I had to laugh it off. I never take myself too seriously. In fact, one of my favourite things to do is tell stories of idiotic things I've done or unfortunate, but humorous events that I've been a part of. If you need a smile today, picture me with pink berry smoothie caked into my hair. It's okay, you can laugh because trust me, I've laughed at myself several times.

This is Puppy Love

I was just meandering through Twitter and one of my faves tweeted to all dog lovers in Toronto. Of course I had to click on the link and read the blog post at shedoesthecity.com. I died! If you're wondering what to get Major Gal for Christmas, look no further than http://www.alegup.ca/puppyrazzi/home.html. I would like to have Gigi photographed. Yes, I'm crazy. Yes, it might seem pricey. Yes, I'm going to do it regardless of how nuts you think it is. I don't have kids. Gigi is my fur baby and until I'm trekking to Sears to get my bambinos posed in front of a fake fireplace for Christmas, I'm getting my baby Gigi photographed. She's a star so it's perfect. Yes, I'm always biased and think she's the best dog on planet earth.

I chatted with a man in my elevator this week and he told me his beloved dog passed away a couple of years ago and how, in many cases, he prefers dogs to people. I can totally relate. Gigi is full of attitude and I'm under no delusions that she's well-behaved and a perfect angel. Does that stop me from adoring her? Not at all. I think she's perfect just the way she is.



Go check out the site if you have some pet lovers on your list or you just want to take a peek at some really great shots of some furry friends. This gorgeous poodle was photographed by the gang at puppyrazzi. Isn't she a little sweetheart?

This is Holiday Music Time

I will fully admit, that for me Christmas begins as soon as the trick or treaters have gone home with their loot. That means I've been in holiday mode since October 31st. Yes. I love everything about it. I've been listening to Christmas music online all day at work and now that I've discovered the Sirius holiday channels, I haven't switched the dial in the Jeep for weeks. I could live in Christmas land if there were such a place. I've never grown out of it. I'm a grown woman, but I still want to believe in Santa and I really do believe that the magic of the holidays brings something special to each of us. We're happier, we're merry while we dash about buying presents and attending holiday parties. We make time to see friends and our calendars are full of fun stuff like baking, present wrapping (I actually hate wrapping presents), Home Alone watching, candy cane eating and eggnog drinking. What could be better?

I've been thinking about how much I love Christmas music and why it means so much to me. My mom was all about the holidays and I've inherited that love from her. I've adopted her holiday music collection and my favourite Christmas cd is the original Mariah Carey holiday album from the mid 90s. My mom bought it for me at Eatons and I can still listen to it forever. Maybe my love for the holidays is overkill, but my whole family is just like me so it works. We get excited. We do Kris Kringle gift exchanges, we have gingerbread house competitions and crafternoon events, we sing Christmas carols and always spend Christmas Eve together.



Here are some of my favourite holiday songs in no particular order.
1) Last Christmas by Wham
2) Mele Kalikimaka by Bing Crosby
3) O Holy Night - any decent version. My favourite line is "...fall on your knees..." It's just so powerful
4) Christmas in Hollis by Run DMC
5) Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) both the U2 and Mariah Carey versions
6) anything from the Charlie Brown Christmas album
7) Mary's Boy Child by Boney M
8) Anything from the Nutcracker
9) Carol of the Bells - excellent and great build up
10)I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by John Cougar Mellencamp
Pretty much the entire A Very Special Christmas album (the original) is great. Oh! I also really enjoy the Maybe This Christmas series by various artists. The Death Cab for Cutie version of my number 5 favourite song is great, then again I like everything by Death Cab.

Anyways, this is just a taste of what I'll be listening to this season while I clean my condo and get it ready for Santa. I'm even decorating Gigi. She has a holiday collar and leash set and does NOT like the antler headband I just bought her. If I get one picture of her in it, I'll be thrilled.

This weekend throw on some Christmas tunes. Find a free station online or download some to your iPod. It will make you happy, I promise.

This Happiness Spreads

My lovely blogging pal over at First Time Fancy commented on yesterday's post about what makes her happy and I have to agree with her. Kerry loves how excited her dogs are when she arrives at home. They dance around her with their tails whipping back and forth, telling her how happy they are to see her. As a proud dog mama, I know how wonderful this feeling is.




When I get home from work each night, Gigi scurries to the door and I swear I can read her mind, "Mommy! You're home! I knew you'd come back. Come rub my belly on the couch and tell me how much you love me." I've been told by dog trainers that I can't make a big deal when I'm coming or going from the apartment, so it takes a few minutes before I'll let myself gather Gigi in my arms and tell her how much I missed her. Looking at that sweet little furry girl of mine is quite possibly one of the best feelings. She knows I'd do anything for her and I'm overwhelmed with joy to know that she knows I'm the one person on earth who would die for her. She'd do the same for me. She might be less than 20lbs, but that gal would fight a grizzly bear if she thought she could save my life. Honestly, she has the most love for me and that makes me super happy every minute of the day. Even the days when she's barking and refuses to sleep in her crate.

This Cougar Thing

Now, before you get all excited thinking this post is about jungle cats or older women on the prowl, let's get something straight - I'm talking about boots. Yes my dears, footwear from a proud Canadian company (http://www.cougarshoes.com/). I have a slight obsession with shoes. My Dad thinks blogging about shoes and boots is what I was born to do and he's thrilled! I must admit, the adjectives I've jotted down as I'm kicking through fallen leaves and splashing in puddles with Gigi have proven my affection for footwear - specifically my Cougar rain boots. Glorious. Comfortable. Wearable. Useful. Well made. Quality. Canadian. Stylish. Warm.




Last night Gigi and I went for our final outing of the day. It was damp and wet, with a chill coming off the lake near my condo. It's not quite winter boot weather yet, so I slipped on my Cougar Regal boots. They're fleece lined, warm, waterproof and totally cute. Perfect for walking the dog and the cute buckle makes them look like motorcycle boots. Good for your inner rock chick. I figured these rain boots were only for the rainy seasons, but they're actually good for temperatures as low as minus 24 degrees! That means I can wear these puppies winter whether I'm walking my puppy, going to work or shopping on Queen West and swap them with my new Cougar winter boots when I want a change. Oh happy day!

This Furry Baby of Mine

Miss Gigi has quite the snarly attitude some days. Yesterday was a gorgeous day. Like always, Gigi began stirring in her crate when my alarm started going off. Eventually I dragged myself out of bed and into the kitchen to feed Gigi. Her stumpy orange tail was wagging even though she eats the same kibble every single day.

I went to get dressed and ready for work. Once I was decked out in my corporate uniform, I called Gigi to go outside. She did what she always does - looks at her leash, tilts her head then bolts for my bed. What kind of dog doesn't want to go outside? Every time she has to go outside we have this struggle. She always gives in, but I think it's hilarious how she creeps over to me and turns her head away as I slip the harness over her tiny little hamster head. With her ears back, she followed me out of the suite and in to the elevator. Arriving at ground level, we walked out of the elevator where Gigi started barking at some harmless looking dude in sandals and board shorts. I yanked on the leash - I didn't hurt her, just got her attention - and hissed "Be quiet! You can't bark at everyone you see."

The guy was cool, he said "That's okay. She's doesn't like me." after I apologized for my cranky dog. We went outside to look at the flowers and deal with the small bladder Gigi has. Crossing the street she lunged at another guy who was minding his own business. He laughed, waved his pack of cigarettes at her and again I reprimanded her. When Gigi had finally finished her morning walk, we headed back inside so I could dash off to work. The same guy from the hallway was walking out of the building and again she went ballistic. I tease Gigi that she has Napoleon complex. She's little, but she thinks she's really big. For a terrier and poodle cross, she has the attitude the size of a lion and a growl just as fierce. Sometimes it's amusing, other times, it's just unnecessary.

I emailed Rach from work to tell her about Gigi's attitude. She told me that sometimes her cat, Kayla, seems to be in a pissy mood also. Rach wrote, "I just want to ask her, 'What could possibly be so wrong with your day?'" I fully agree. When I die, I want to be reincarnated as one of my pets because they are spoiled! That's that part that cracks me up with Gigi. She has no reason to be surly, bitter or anything other than totally happy, but some days she has no patience. She's a bit like me that way. I've got a fantastic life. A wonderful family. Awesome friends. A handsome boyfriend. A great job and many other reasons to be happy, but some days I just want to tell everyone to beat it. No good reason why, it just happens.

When I got home from work, I took Gigi out again and wouldn't ya know it? The very same guy who had to deal with the wrath of Gigi that morning was walking in to the building as we sauntered out. I smiled and laughed, "See? Now she's fine." He thought it was because she didn't recognize him. Gigi didn't even notice he was there. She was headed for a patch of grass and nothing was stopping her.