Move over Oscar....(bump, scuffle, crash)

[picture me in a ripped dress with messed up hair]

It's time for my Stylish Blogger Award acceptance speech!

Um [fumbling and long awkward silence], I'd like to thank Banjo and Millie for this well-deserved dubious honor. [insert false modesty]     Hmmm.    I'm speechless.   Crap, Banjo and Millie made this look so [eff bomb] CENSOR CENSOR easy!  Well, okay....let me see.......It all started back in 1968 - before I was born - my family had a siamese cat and two shelties, then I was born, and we still had a siamese cat and two shelties...   [cue loud orchestra music]

Kay, seriously, I'm supposed to play nicely and tell you seven things about me and/or my blog subjects:

1. I'm a southern girl through and through, y'all.
2. I have three kids at home who are old enough to know better.
3. I recieve no monetary compensation - ever.
4. I have previously received monetary compensation for writing and editing...very exciting technical online manuals.
5. I have been to Guam.
6. I love all animals; even stopped my car just 100 yards from my home to scooch a lazy black snake across the road. My kids were horrified.  Isn't he/she (snake) beautiful?
   

   

   There she (he) goes...

   

   This is the part where I back away slowly.

7. I'm not a big talker in real life. (You think I'd have many friends if I went on like this all day??)

Well, looks like I didn't leave room to say anything about the animals. Oh, well.

Alright, here's the part where I'm perplexed.  I'm supposed to pass the *award* on to 16 other bloggers, but I'm afraid I will diss someone.  So, since I owe my entire blogging career (all two months of it) to a few awesome corgi bloggers who so graciously either blog-rolled me or follow me, I'm gonna tag all of them (the ones I know about) HOPING that they'll, in turn, tag all the other corgi people whom I don't want to diss. OKAY?

And, the awards go to:

1. Red Dog Mom - Life with The Horde
2. Taryn - A Tail of Two Cardis
3. Cindy - Random thoughts on random things
4. Janet - Simple Things
5. Ashley - Running with The Fur-Herd
6. Laurie - The Daily Corgi
7. Boo's Mom - Darby's Daily
8. Buddy's and Bear's Mom - It's Me Buddy's Blog
9. Builder Mama - Builder Mama
10. Penni - Elyan Cardigans
11. Paige - Dexter Diary
12. Chewie - Chewie Chat
13. Dawn - Days at Daybreake
14. Ana - Cardigan Tales
15. Kim - Samhain Cardigans Blog
16. Laura - My Favorite People Are Dogs

I must now notify all the recipients, but that might take me a little while.  So, if you see your blog on the list here, YOU WON!
Pass it on!

Sunday Sins (from the top of the stairs)

(Please note that the poor photo quality is due to two furry dim bulbs.)
 
His excuse: The toilet in the backyard was broken...


"Hey, could somebody get me some TP?!"

 

"Morons."



It's a Blog Hop; be sure to wear appropriate footwear.

My name is Dewi. The lazy one is Jon Farleigh.

Oh, hey. Here for the Blog Hop? Mom says they should warn new people that these "hops" can wear a person out. She says that about halfway through last time, she got blisters. I hope you don't get blisters.

Anyway, mom says we (read *I* since Jon Farleigh's a lazy butt) should tell any visitors what to do, since mom is busy hopping all over *your* blog.  K. Please read this:

1. If you want funny, go here.
2. If you want sweet, go here.
3. If you want to toss up your breakfast, go here.
4. If you want anger, see #3 and then toss up your breakfast on your shoes.
5. If you want to start something, leave a rude comment.
6. If you hate sarcasm, (no offense) please scroll down and hop over to a different blog.  Just sayin'.

Can I finish my nap now?

Dewi's New Digs

Dewi's indoor digs were getting cramped, so he got himself a spacious new place:

Now, this is what I'm talking about!

I say, just more floor to vacuum!

Does this crate make me look too skinny?

[47 photos later] I'd like to get out now, kay?

Funkytown - The Dog Version

It's always a good morning when one of my kids manages to get grounded before leaving for school. Now when more than one kid gets grounded in one morning, well, that just makes me want to burst into a morning song! Today it was Funkytown (circa 1980, by Lipps Inc.).

Okay, okay, that didn't happen this morning. Nope, this did: two kids got grounded, after which, one called me a "meanie" and then plotted his revenge. So, how do you think a 7.5-year-old gets revenge on his "mean" mommy? Like this: he pops his Disney Dance Songs CD into the player buried beneath the fallout-he-calls-a-room, fast forwards the tracks to Funkytown, presses PLAY, then REPEAT, and then quietly gets into the car to be driven to school.

I'll admit the first few times I heard the tune playing from downstairs, I bobbed my head along to the beat - who wouldn't?  It was the, oh, 10th, 25th...100th time later that made me want to stab my eardrums out with chop sticks!          
[It's off now, thankfully.]

So today, as an homage to Funkytown, here are a few pix of my funky corgis!

Give me the noms NOW!

Shooting for the Guinness World Record for longest
 time holding a 1-lb rawhide* in one's mouth.
"I'z so tired."

* If you choose to give your dog rawhide as a chew treat (we don't really anymore), always provide supervision, to prevent choking or swallowing large chunks, which can cause an obstruction in your dog's gut and/or make him sick. Consult your veterinarian for guidance, if needed.

Snow to Dogs = Catnip to Cats

She's crazy if she thinks I'm gonna bounce with these on.

Ouch

Not pooping in the rain, not no way, not no how.

This is your dog on sugar.

Happy Dog or Smiling Grinch???

Dewi to Kirby (his littermate):
"Dude. Hot Cavalier chick to your right."

Making a really good wish or constipated?

WhatCHU doin?

WhatCHU doin?  (jail bait edition)

[In the vet's parking lot.]
Dewi to Jon: "Hey, dude, how's my drivin?"
Jon to Dewi: "I think we're parked, man."

Jon Farleigh - upon seeing the humans
bring out the dog beer keg.

Poopster Pix: I need me some 10-week-old Jon Farleigh.

Two weeks from Saturday will mark the one-year anniversary of the first day I met Jon Farleigh in person. He was 10 weeks old and at the stage I like to refer to as: *M a x i m u s  C u d d l i m u s.*

This was also the day I first laid eyes (and hands) on a real-live (not in print or media) Cardigan Welsh Corgi -- the dog breed I'd been obsessing and pining over for a hideously too-long time.  I'll never forget the butterflies in my stomach making the final approach up the curvy, gravel drive leading to "Johnny's" (his then call name) breeder's rural farm in piedmont North Carolina.  My face might have actually imprinted on the passenger side window as I craned to try and catch a glimpse of one of the little dwarf dogs as the car cleared a thicket. 

Then >BAM!<  Not just one, but all seven dwarves appeared - and then some!  It was like the whole car had entered the Shire with little Hobbit dogs (think huge ears and big-dog heads) locomoting around -- in a fenced pasture -- with seemingly no legs.  And the entire passengership of the car let out a collective "AWWWW!"

And we hadn't even seen the poopsters yet. :-o

So here's my hubby holding Jon Farleigh on that surreal March morning:

Not lovin' the camera in his face.

(Sidebar: Don't I have youthful-looking hands?  Oh wait [my bad] - I'm taking the picture.  Shoot.  Must be my daughter's.)

In addition to Jon Farleigh's breeder, Liz Hillebrand, and Lucy - his pretty canine mama, we got to meet JF's canine dad Sam - Mr. Yardican himself - and his human mom Dina, aka Red Dog Mom of Life with The Horde.

It would be three long weeks, though, before I got to bring Jon Farleigh home - as there was a certain four-week-old baby BLUE MERLE boy in Maryland still waiting to meet his new family...

That was okay though, since this picture to tide me over was waiting in my inbox when we got home. :)

Tasteless Tuesday: Is Blogger comment 'word verification' really random?

If you've ever commented on a post in Blogger, chances are you've encountered "word verification."  You know, the step where Blogger - or some evil goblin - prompts you to enter some random, garbled word before your comment will be published?  Yeah, well, I got this "random" word a little while back:

uPYrES

I didn't know whether to change my comment to "Well, UPYRES, too - *ee-atch!"  or laugh.  Of course, since I know the blog owner is incapable (at least publicly) of such unwarranted vulgarity, I chose laughter.  ;)

Oh, and FYI - Yesterday I got this one:  BalEsS   

Since I'm hormonally challenged this week, it's a darn good thing I'm not a guy.

Has anyone else ever received a *questionable* random word?    (or, should I be concerned?) :)

And the winners (yes, winnerzz) of the Caption-for-DM Challenge are....

For the *most* (as they all are) awesome caption:

Ashley (fellow blogger and dog mom) over at
 Running With the Fur-Herd, with:

"True Love always waits...its turn!"

For making lots of new blog friends:

ME!

For possibly seeing a CURE for Canine Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) in their lifetime:

The DOGS!

[Insert your dog's photo HERE.]

And, their PEOPLE!

[Insert YOUR photo HERE.]

The Chronicles of Cardigan is pleased to have made a $40 donation on behalf of its readers
to The Drive for Five at The Daily Corgi.

Final Push: Your Comment = $1 for Canine DM Research!

THANK YOU to all who've already taken yesterday's Photo Caption Challenge for Canine DM Research! 

As of this post, The Chronicles of Cardigan's purse is THIRTY-TWO DOLLARS lighter - all in the name of eradicating this horrible canine disease.  Woo hoo!

However, I'd love to see that number go HIGHER! 

Are you up for it?!  Click here.

Caption that photo! Challenge to Benefit Canine DM (Degenerative Myelopathy) Research

Firstly, as a relative newbie to the pet blogosphere, today marks my inaugural Saturday Pet Blogger Hop, and I hope to meet many new animal-lover friends!

Secondly, today I'm posting my very first-ever blog challenge-for-a-cause!  Here's how it works:

I need a caption for this photo:

You can learn how to create photos like this here.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
From now until midnight Eastern Time on Sunday, Feb. 20, for each caption idea/comment left for this post, I (on behalf of The Chronicles of Cardigan) will donate one dollar ($1) to fellow pet blogger Laurie Eno's Drive for Five over at The Daily Corgi. *
Laurie is donating all proceeds from her campaign to The Canine Health Foundation for DM Research. **

That's right!  Leave a comment before midnight tomorrow and I'll donate $1 (each) toward this awesome canine cause!*

On Monday, Feb. 21, I'll pick my favorite caption and give the winner a shout-out on my blog.

Thanks for participating; you rock!

Notes:
*   Only one comment per person, please.
** Please visit The Daily Corgi for more information about DM research and The Drive for Five. 

How to paint color into a greyscale photo

....using FotoFlexer (online image editor). (The process is probably similar in many photo editing programs.)

Want to learn how to create images like the one I posted on Valentine's Day?  Yes?  Great; now watch and learn. :)
(Please note that the previous statement was made in the most sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek way possible, as there's nothing remotely impressive about my photo editing skills.  In fact, my 13-y-o daughter showed me how to do this, which translates to - no offense to my Eldest Child -  "it's ridiculously *easy*.")

Alright, for this tutorial I'm using another dog-kiss photo (that didn't quite make the Valentine cut).  Here's the "Before" image:

Secret Reveal:  There's peanut butter slathered on her chin, cheeks, nose and forehead.  (The photo was totally posed.)  My intention was to get both dogs "kissing" each cheek, however; Dewi preferred to wait patiently for "his" turn (which he did eventually get).  My daughter is a very good sport.

Here's the "After" image:

Pretty cool, huh?  Would you imagine the peanut butter, etc.?

Before you try and follow the instructions that I'm about to show you, you'll need to upload a photo to FotoFlexer (using the online instructions).

This is How to Paint Color into a Greyscale Photo:
(Notes: On screenshots, I've highlighted buttons to click in yellow. Click on screenshot to enlarge.)

1. Click the Effects tab on the main screen.
2. Click the right More button to scroll.

3. Click the Greyscale button.
   Note: The image will become greyscale.
   
   
4. Click Advanced Options.
   
   
5. In the small box to the right of the image, click the down arrow beside the Entire Image button.
   
   
6. Click Painted Region.
   Note: The image will revert back to color.
7. Adjust Brush Size as necessary.
   Hint: Go smaller than default to shade in smaller areas.
   
   
8. Use the Brush tool to "paint" the object you want to show up colored in the final image (ex. dog's tongue).
   Hint: It can be tricky to stay "in the lines." I had to make several passes.
   
   
9. Click Invert in the small box to the right of the image.
   Note: The main image - minus the "painted" portion - will convert to greyscale.
   
10. Click Apply.
    Result: Your masterpiece!
    
    

I also played around with other tabs in FotoFlexer (such as Decorate and Beautify) to eliminate peanut butter splotches, wrinkles, soften background images and add text.

Now, wasn't that easy?!

If you don't have a blog of your own and decide to create your own pet-related image using this tutorial, I'd love to post your finished image to my blog. Just attach it to an e-mail (see my contact info) and include your name and pet's info.

Happy photo editing!

Good use or waste of a Post-it Note?

In Dog language it means: "Guess who?"

Photo courtesy of Middle Child, aka The Girl With Too Many Post-its. 

(Really. I hope you don't think I did this.)

In case you have a need to get rid of some Post-its, you might enjoy these tips (courtesy of Real Simple magazine).  (*Who* sits around and thinks up all this stuff? is what I want to know.)

The finger

....got SMOOSHED and then swelled up to twice it's normal size.  :-(

It's not broken, but needs some TLC for a couple days.  Thankfully, it's my left hand; nevertheless, it sure makes walking two strapping Cardis interesting. (And squeezing anything out of a tube impossible.) 

Middle fingers are good.

Training News: I'm a Dog Food Hypocrite

So last night (yes, on Valentine's Day) was Week Seven of Dewi's and my basic obedience class.  (As you might recall from last week, we had a little set-back in the leash pulling department, which caused me to suffer a bit of leash burn.)  K, so anyway, yesterday was really busy for me with my kids (at school and otherwise) so I got to devote exactly *zero* time to practice with Dewi and not only that, my hopes of finding him yet *another* high-value treat (besides Slim Jim) were seemingly dashed. 

[brief pause for background story]

Just so you know, my dogs eat "healthier" than my children, my husband and I do.  I buy their food at a pet food "boutique" and go to great lengths to ensure that they don't ingest anything but high-quality, natural stuff (food and treats).  (Yeah, I know - Slim Jim is hardly a "quality" food, but surprisingly (aside from the sodium content), is natural and high in protein.)

***

Yes, I (*ahem* he) did eat it.

Okay, where was I?  Oh yeah, so last night in my rush to get Dewi and me out the door on time to make it to class, in what might have been a gigantic lapse in judgement, I steered the car a half-mile out of the way to the "Golden Arches" and ordered up a training treat for Dewi that some health-conscious moms (the likes of whom would *not* include me) won't even purchase for their own kids - a cheeseburger. (Truth be fully disclosed - I ordered a #4 (two-cheeseburger) combo with a diet coke and asked for one cheeseburger "plain.")  So then I ran into class dragging Dewi past the happy GoldenDoodle, plopped the wrapped cheeseburger down on a bench and proceeded to get settled.  "Is that your dinner??" I heard a trainer chuckle from behind me.  "No, it's his," I replied, a little embarrassingly, adding "I was desperate."  "Bwahhh!" she let out, then proceeded to repeat the whole story to the trainer next to her. (Must be I'm the only person to ever bring a wrapped McDonald's cheeseburger as a training treat.)

So yep, for the entire class, Dewi got nothing but torn pieces of cheeseburger.  My hands were a greasy, cheesy mess.  He loved it.  He still, however, pulled on leash to get to the other dogs.  [sigh]

Now, I know there are many worse things in the world than a McD's cheeseburger that I could feed to my dog.  It's just that I'm such a weenie!  I'm supposed to be the responsible pet owner!  Sheesh, I purchased a cheeseburger in the drive-thru for my DOG!  Is there redemption?

A Very Special Valentine's Day Wish



Happy Valentine's Day!

(may you be smothered with pooch  - and/or kitty - smooches)

Elizabeth, Jon Farleigh, Dewi and the Cardi Cats

I call it: Ears on the Water


The Boys and I walked to the community dock this evening to look at the river.  Well, check that; I wanted to look at the river. The boys mostly licked bird poop off the dock.  What 'cha gonna do?




Guess what Dewi's doin'? :)

 

Happy Birthday, Dear Dewi

Happy Birthday to YOU!  (and all your sweet littermates)

My main merle man turned the big ONE year old today.  He and his brother Jon Farleigh crashed out after a morning filled with food, cake and FUN.  It's hard to believe both boys are beyond their first year; it went so fast. 

Please enjoy the photos of Dewi's birthday celebration. :)
Note: Click photos to enlarge.

Handsome Birthday Boy

Party Time!

Three Dog Bakery "Carrot Cake"

So cuuute!

And they wait...

Waiting stinks; give me CAKE!

nomonomonomonom

Jon Farleigh guarding his piece

You gonna eat that?
(Lula the Cat supervised this production.)

I am sorry to report that Dewi's birthday present - Mr. Squeaky Squirrel (2nd photo from top) - did *not* survive.