Sunday, April 29, 2012

Carmel, first paw

This was the first time I soaked in Carmel without a planned itinerary.  Those who know my mom, know that she likes to plan events and trips.  None of that took place during my recent visit to Carmel.

Carmel, CA
My goal: to unmask my Tramp persona.  At the beginning of the film, Lady and the Tramp, the scruffy easy-going Tramp does not have a care in the world.  That was me in Carmel. I just wanted to wander and keep on wandering...

Cottage of Sweets
I admit my inner tramp did not come about because of my laid-back woof.  It was a result of the 11th Annual Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Carmel Beach Party.  I just happened to visit Carmel on the day of the party.  I sniffed out a sign at Diggity Dog that mentioned the special day too.  I thought the dog-centric day was grrrreat!  I saw lady, after lady, after lady.  I strolled down Ocean Avenue and the beautiful ladies came sniffing. Pant, pant, and a wink! I don't mind being surrounded by beautiful Spaniel gals.


I tried my doggiest to see all of the cool dog-centric spots in Carmel.  My first stop was to the Fountain of Woof!  The fountain is located in Carmel Plaza.  It is a dog only drinking fountain. Yup, you read my bark correctly.  I have a fountain made for me and my canine ladies.  Woof woof.


There were lots of dogs in the plaza. I was allowed on all three floors of the plaza and went into every store. This was my kind of shopping experience. Like most humans, my mom needed a cup of coffee and a pastry before our walk around Carmel.  The first floor of Carmel plaza is home to Carmel Coffee & Cocoa Bar.  The scones smelled good.  I was able to smell it while my mom ate it. My mom never shares her pastries, so I get treats!


Third floor, what a view!

There is one store I had to sniff around in, Diggidy Dog! This is a howling good place to shop for any canine or feline companion.  I sniffed out so many toys and treats.  I could not stop sniffing around.  I purchased a red and grey striped Diggidy Dog tank top and a letter "C" charm.  The tank top will keep me cool on hot summer days and the charm will keep me looking furrbulous for the ladies.

Diggidy Dog - Dog and Cat Boutique
My entire 45 minute shopping experience at Diggidy Dog was so much fun.  The staff members were very nice.  They helped me sniff out appropriate tank top sizes and my favorite toys. I cannot wait to visit Diggidy Dog during my next visit. My nose will be ready to sniff out treats, a new toy, a shirt, a bed, a woofingly big bag of treats, woof! I hope mom saves up.

Time went by so fast and lunch time came sooner than later.  I was definitely hungry and wanted a good meal.  There is only one place that has a canine menu, patio for the hound dogs, and tail wagging human and canine food, The Forge in the Forest Restaurant.

Forge has a great canine menu

The human and canine menus were fantastic. I ordered the Hen House Chicken Strips while my mom munched on the BBQ artichoke appetizer and a salad.  The meat was juicy and cooked to perfection.  The only downer was that I could not eat all of my food.  There was so much chicken that I bought it home and had it for breakfast the next morning.  YUM!
What to order... I would like the Hen House please.
Where there is dogs there are dog messes that need to be cleaned up.  Carmel has you covered. Carmel has more dog waste bag dispensers sprinkled around the city than parking meters.  Actually, I did not lift my leg on a parking meter during my trip.  I never saw one. But there are plenty of dog waste bags on each corner.

dog waste bag station
I came prepared but had to stop and sniff out who made the bags.  The bags are made by Mutt Mitt.  Mom especially liked the bags because they were strong and degradable.  Carmel is keeping the city smelling fresh, one dog clean up at a time.

El Paseo Courtyard and Passageway
I had a great time meeting new spaniel friends, sniffing around the dog boutique, and eating a big bowl of chicken.  What else could a dog ask for... more chicken!?!


Until my next adventure in Carmel.  I still want to see Pal's grave and visit the beach. I did not have enough time to see everything.  I cannot wait to go back.  In the words of the Tramp, "Look, there's a great big hunk of world down there, with no fence around it. Where two dogs can find adventure and excitement. And beyond those distant hills, who knows what wonderful experiences? And it's all ours for the taking..." 

Now, I just need to find a lady and make reservations at an Italian restaurant in Carmel. Keep wandering...


Who am I wearing? What's my ride?  
During my trip to Carmel, I wore my peace sign tank by I See Spot while accessorizing with my Puppia harness.  I cruised around Carmel in my camo 1st Class 3-Wheel Jogger by PetZip.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

I turned 28, pawty time!

I love my birthday.  I get to eat biscuits and cookies.  I get to dress up and take photos.  I even get to order off the dog menu at my favorite restaurants.  But this year it has all changed.

I HAD A BIRTHDAY PAWTY!

Mom made dog treat leis for my guests
I was so excited!  My mom thought I was old and mature enough to have my own pawty.  After all, I was turning 28 years old. I took out my iPaw and started putting together my invitee list, who I wanted to take the picture, who will make my cake, where the pawty would take place, and what I would wear.

I knew my pawty planning was going to take lots of time and energy. Like any good Yorkie, I put my mom straight to work. She drove me to the party supply and pet stores. I sniffed out napkins, plates, and birthday decorations in a variety of colors.  I did not have a theme for my birthday pawty.  I thought lots of color would be festive for my pooch pals.  The colors helped brighten up the room and helped keep the pawty going.



I was lucky enough to find the perfect outfit at Okashi Barkery.  I wanted to look my best and Okashi made that happen. Now to sniff out the cake, photographer, and location, woof woof!

cake made by Barkn Belly Bakery
My first paw step was to order the birthday cake.  Sampling treats and cakes is a specialty of mine.  I never pass up a good treat or a bite of cake.  I jumped for joy when my mom suggested hiring Barkn Belly Bakery to make my cake.  I love their donuts.

Rio and Oliver sharing a slice of cake.
Jesse Figueroa, owner and chef, is pawsitively friendly and very talented.  My mom had ordered, discussed, and confirmed what type of cake, frosting, design, and trim would be on my cake after a few conversations with Jesse. Mmmmmm... the entire cake was DELICKCIOUS!

Next paw step, photographer.  This was hooowwwling easy for me... Vernon Jacobs! Vernon is no stranger to dogs, Yorkies, or me.  I jump for the chance to sit and pose for Vernon.

Lilu and Mac
He frequently visits Happy Go Lucky during the holiday months.  Vernon's work has been featured in many of my posts such as, Happy times at Happy Go Lucky, The holidays are pawesome, and Howl-howl-howloween!

My new pal Triscuit!
Vernon is a friendly guy with a great eye and a lot of patience. And you need lots of patients when photographing my rambunctious animal pawty.  I admit that any canine can be hard to photograph. But I believe our canine pawesome-ness overwhelms most functions in a modern day camera, which makes it hard to capture our pawesome-ness on film. Humans have to be patient with the camera so that the perfect pose may be photographed. Vernon succeeded and produced some furrbulous portraits of me and my mates.

My Yorkie pals, Rio and Bullet, like Vernon too.
I have not found a dog or human who does not like Vernon's work or his personality.  My tail wagged a-mile-a-minute when he confirmed the date and time of my pawty with my mom. It is not Halloween or Christmas and yet, I get to see Vernon, woof wag wag woof!

My friend, Jun.
Location is everything.  I love to sniff, walk around, sniff some more, run around, and repeat.  Imagine this scenario with 15-20 dogs.  I need a big open space for this kind of activity.  I was also worried about getting my new birthday outfit dirty.  Therefore, hosting my pawty at the dog park was out of the question.

Clyde and I know how to work the camera! Woof!
Then I remembered my pal Jun celebrated her birthday at Sweet Doggies last October. I was not able to go to her pawty but I heard it was super fun.  I asked my mom, with lots of puppy dog eyes and belly-ups, if I could have my pawty at Sweet Doggies too. She agreed, of course.  Who can't resist puppy dog eyes?

Me, Rio, and Mac
Mom made an appointment for us to visit and tour Sweet Doggies.  On our tour, I went through a temperament and sociability evaluation. The evaluation was not required for the pawty room reservation. I passed, woof.

Coco and Dede
After my evaluation I sniffed around the pawty room.  I really liked the space.  It was big.  There was lots of items for my guests to jump on and toys to play with.  The staff was extremely nice and accommodating. We were sold.  My mom set up the reservation before we headed to the car.

Our families have fun taking our pictures.
The major details were set and now I was ready to send out my pawty invitations... a few weeks later my guest list was three biscuits long and I was ready to pawt-eeeee!


When the pawty started I was sniffing around in excitement.  The smell of the biscuit bar filled the room. The water bowls were next to paw print balloons and the humans had treats to munch on too. Everything was perfect and I had a furrtastic time! I would like to give TWO BIG WOOF WOOFS AND FOUR PAWS UP to my guests for making the pawty, a true animal pawty.  I thought we all pawtied like dog stars! I hope my next birthday celebration is just as furrtastic.

TO VIEW MORE PORTRAITS BY VERNON VISIT CHEWY'S BIRTHDAY ALBUM.  Keep wandering...




WHICH DOG, WHICH DESIGNER? Let's sniff it out...

Clyde is wearing his "Pup Idol" tank by East Side Collection.  He is accessorizing with a Up Country collar.

 
 Iris is wearing a tank by Ruff Ruff & Meow and is accessorizing with a Big Dogs collar.

Jun is wearing a polka dot sundress by Gooby.  She bought her outfit at HGL.

Coco is wearing a shirt by Little Berry.

Dede is wearing a harness by ipuppyone.

Rio is wearing a fancy metallic sterling Buddy Belt and accessorizing with a custom bow by Darlin Beauxs.

Bullet is wearing a fancy metallic sterling Buddy Belt.
 
I am wearing the Kelsey Vest by Ruff Ruff Couture.

BARK OUT!
A big bark-out to Clarla Ocfemia, Paw Patch Pastries owner and chef, for the birthday gift basket. The toy, cookies, and birthday shirt are pawesome!
Birthday package from Paw Patch Pastries

Wagging Abjuration: I think I know everyone's names but after sniffing butt for two hours, everything started to smell the same.  Please let me know if I have incorrectly mentioned or identified you in this post.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Happy Paw-Hopping Easter!


I spent Easter with my my family and had a barking of good time.  I first headed to Half Moon Bay for a juicy hamburger and some time in the sand.


My first stop was to Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.  Dogs are allowed on the patio.  I fit right in.  There were big dogs and small dogs.  Dogs were on the floor, on the seats, and dogs were even eating at the table. Woof woof! I was so excited that I sat in my mom's lap the entire time.  I did not want to sit in my bag, on the floor, while my fellow canines could see above the table.


I had two choices for my meal, chicken breast or hamburger.  I ordered the chicken but found out that the chef seasoned the breast with rosemary, thyme, garlic, and oil. The waitress said she was sorry because she thought the chicken would be cooked plain.  My mom was afraid of me eating the oil and seasonings so we returned the chicken in exchange for the burger.  The burger was plain, hot, and juicy... mmmmmm!  My lips were smacking and my tongue was frantically licking up the juice.  I ate a third of my burger and was stuffed.  This was my first burger and not my last.  Nom nom!




I ended my first day of Easter strolling along the beach in search of smelly drift wood.  I like to sniff out wood, crabs, shells and anything else hidden in the sand.  I do not like the water.  If the water came to close I would run in the other direction.  Brrrrr!  The water is cold but the view is pawesome!



On Easter Sunday, I had my very own biscuit hunt. My mom hid special Easter biscuits while I played with the stuffed bunny and fake bunny ears.

Mooch, my catmate, is always showing up in my pictures.
I tried to kill the bunny until my mom told me to be nice to bunny.  I guess the stuffed bunny is not a toy. I started to chewy on the fake bunny ears. Kill the bunny ears!*

*no bunnies were harmed
I showed my pal Mooch how to hunt for biscuits too.  He was only interested in the plastic eggs with catnip inside.  Cats, they are suckers for the nip.  Here is a little video of me hunting for biscuits.



Hope everyone had a terrific Easter and remember, keep wandering...


My Easter biscuits were purchases at Happy Go Lucky Dog Boutique and made by Barkn Belly Bakery, http://www.barknbellybakery.com/.

Sojos organic catnip was purchases at Okashi Barkery, http://okashibarkery.com/.  Learn more about Sojos catnip at http://www.sojos.com/.

I am wearing two shirts, "friend me" and "Official Easter Egg Hunter," by I See Spot, http://www.iseespot.com.  I am also accessorizing with a Puppia harness, http://www.puppiaus.com.

There is no fooling around on April Fool's Day

Happy 1st Birthday Bailey, woof!
I like to hang with my dawgs and pawty like any pawty animal. Birthdays are abundant this month and I even have my own birthday pawty scheduled for the 15th.  For now, I would like to showcase my girl Bailey and her first birthday celebration. She just turned ONE on April Fool's Day!

Collage created by Aurora (Bailey's mom)
Bailey is a little lady and has a few more years of growing up to do.  However, she knows how to pawty like the rest of us.  She ate her birthday cookie, she took me on a tour, and we sun-bathed on the deck.  Check us out while we take you through her festivities...


It all started with a gift.  I bought Bailey's cookies at Happy Go Lucky.  My mom put everything in a bag and made it look nice for Bailey. I could not jump into the car fast enough and waited patiently for my mom to drive me to Bailey's house. 


Bailey was so excited she did not know which present to open first.  She enlisted the help of Skylar.  Skylar is similar to my cat roommates but is very friendly and even gives Bailey a bath.  Hmmm... Mooch... my paws are dirty....


Bailey chose the martini shaped cookie to munch on first. She brought her martini out on the porch to enjoy it in the sun.  I watched her lick and munch on her martini until every last crumb was consumed.  Bailey has a high tolerance for martini cookies.  She is a true pawty animal.  I cannot wait for my birthday treats, lick lick lick lick.


I have not seen Bailey in a few weeks. She gave me a tour of her yard so we could catch up on some sniffing.  She showed me all of the new smelly spots and found a few bugs for me to play with too.  I love wandering around and sniffing plants, the ground, and any items in my path.  Bailey is a great birthday hostess.

  

Then we headed back to the deck to catch a few rays of sun before the pawty ended.

We even sniffed each other to say goodbye.   This was a great first birthday for my pal Bailey.  I hope to celebrate many more birthdays with her.  Happy Birthday Bailey!  You're my dawg!

Keep wandering...

I am wearing a Happy Go Lucky shirt and accessorizing with a Buddy Belt, https://buddy-belts.com/.

I purchased Bailey's presents and my shirt at Happy Go Lucky Dog Boutique, http://www.happygoluckydogs.com/.

The Happy Birthday cookie is made by Miss Debbie's K9 Cookies, http://www.debbiesk9cookies.com.

The other cookie, in the shape of a martini glass with the words "Yappy Hour," is made by Barkn Belly Bakery, http://www.barknbellybakery.com/.