November already??

Much time has passed and things have certainly been lively here in Lollypups Land since my last post.  First and foremost, new grand baby Evelyn Pearl came into the world on September 26 two weeks early and Ginger and I were there to witness her birth.  Well, not exactly witness, since I used the excuse of a potty break to whisk her out of the house just as my daughter's contractions got truly intense and I began demanding drugs for her.   My job, though I admittedly was against the whole home birth thing from the get go, was to ......yep, boil water!!! Just like in the cowboy movies!!  Seems there’s a portable 4 foot deep inflatable birthing tub used in a home birth, and by the time we all realized that my daughter’s labor was not Braxton-Hicks but real true labor, the hot water heater gave out only halfway through filling it.  So there I was, rushing into the sun porch with giant pots of steaming water, sweat pouring down my armpits, my skin the pasty white pallor of a mother watching her little girl in pain and all I could do was pour water into a tub.  How do you explain this to a martian? Job done, Ginger and I abandoned ship (yes, I just couldn't bear watching what was going on) and while walking outside for a mere 2 minutes.... out slid this little bitty pinkness into that very tub.  Got a cell phone call from daughter #1 to come back in and meet my grand daughter so back I ran with wings on my feet, dragging poor Ginger, mid-pee, behind me.  Ah motherhood!

The Berkshire Botanical Gardens Oktoberfest turned out to be a success even though dogs weren’t allowed on the premises (except of course, Ginger)  It was a glorious weekend, after a bit of rain on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday were perfect. Wanting to experience a New England Autumn at peak foliage, our friends Frank and Julie decided to join JL and I, and ended being a tremendous help!  As was Ginger!!! Sales were brisk and I happily found two beautiful bolts of wool plaid for a mere $4.00 each!! Love those tag sales.
 
Next up, a Holiday Market on the first weekend of December in Stanhope, New Jersey so I've been working on new harnesses and trying to make as much product with a holiday theme as possible.  I also want to do a couple of  black velvet confections for those who fancy some kind of party ensemble for their pup .  Two weeks should turn up something.
I finally got to use the green fringed wool I purchased 2 years ago in Nyack and wanted to add a new Winter Mittens style but ran out of the felt mittens from Tinsel Trading.  Instead, I decided to applique mittens and add little gingerbread men buttons, to kind of update the look.
I'm also able to make it a tad cheaper, so we'll see how that plays out. Our first ever "Pupperwear Party" will take place on Sunday Dec. 14th at my friend Frank's Chelsea high rise apartment,  over populated by multiple varieties of small dogs.  If this works out, I'll look into doing more in other buildings in and around Manhattan.  More on that later. 

I am, once again, complete......Welcome Ginger Bee

It was a bit of a surprise for me,  how sudden and immediate the desire for another dog invaded my day to day life. I'd still tear up at the thought of Lacy, but my healthy mental side took over my blubbering, self pitying side and the search began in earnest in April.   With it came notifications from Precious Pets Rescue, Petfinders, Bichon Rescue, Animal Haven, Wings of Freedom, Labs and More, 20 Paws Rescue, Pets Alive, Posh Pets Rescue, and Luv Pets. I sent out emails requesting adoption details for Angel, Elliot, Blondie, Princess, Squeegee, Mia, Tasha, Bella, Kermet, Lena and Lula.  Applications were filled out and sent :::no response::::, requests for updated status emailed :::Adopted::::.  Good for them, not so much for me.  I even got a call about two sweet looking little Westie mix sisters.  My references were called, my vet contacted and I was interviewed over the phone while at Peron in NYC shopping for fabrics.
Next step? I would be contacted in a couple days to set up a meeting.   Then......NOTHING.  Why would they do that?  I don't know, but I was hoping it was because someone came along who was willing to take both sisters.  I was not.  
I had decided against getting another bichon for obvious reasons, and concentrated on other "mixed" breeds, even considering shedding breeds and the inevitability that, by doing so, I would need to increase my intake of Claratin.  So be it.

Then along came Ginger Bee and I knew she was mine.....All the judiciousness and resolve went out the window.   I contacted Posh Pets Rescue and found that she was available, filled out the paperwork and waited.  Again, references were contacted (sorry Allen in Santa Monica, for the 6 AM phone call....I love you)  Vet was called and once again, a phone interview was conducted.  Yes, she will have a splendid life, I work from home so she won't be left alone for long periods of time, yes she will have free reign of the house, yes, she will accompany me wherever I am permitted to take her, yes I will treat her as a part of the family, yes, if she gets sick, I will spare no expense to get her well.  All the things I had done with Lacy ....so the answers came swiftly, with no hesitation.   

Then THE MEETING was set up. Jeff and I drove into the city on a Sunday afternoon and met with her foster mom, Linda and the adoption coordinator, Kim...We chatted outside the Chelsea building while he found a parking spot, and after 15 minutes, went to meet Ginger. 

It was instant, the impact she had on my heart. She was busy playing with the 5 other dogs running around the tiny living room, shrewn about with toys, wee wee pads, bowl of water and containing one couch and a hassock where we all sat.  I handed her a treat, then offered the same to the other dogs...with that, my pocket was empty. Who knew I'd be surrounded by 5 little beggars.  Jeff remained aloof and cool as is his custom, while I gushed over each dog and politely answered questions about how we'd care for Ginger. The ladies  filled me in on her history, as they knew it.  Being she was a surrender, you would think the original owner would be happy to give as many details as possible to insure she got into a good home.  First, she was about four years old, she was house broken and also used wee wee pads.  Being a NY city (well Brooklyn) dog, I should have realized that some people like to take the easy route to pet training.  She was not neutered by her owner, which I thought odd, so that was done by Posh Pets' vet.  She was micro chipped, had all shots (no papers were provided by former owner so she needed them all) and groomed.  (see above picture....awwww!!)

Then the questions got a bit ridiculous like "what would happen if you two got a divorce?" Huh?  

or "If you don't get Ginger would you consider another dog?"

Um....yes, but I want Ginger.

We chatted or I should say Linda and Kim chattered.....um, chatted....about other things besides dogs....which of course, made Jeff itch to leave.  So, the last question I had was

did any other applicant meet her?  Yes, I was told, one other really great woman was being considered.  Jeff said we'll need to discuss this over lunch and Kim told us she'd put in a report to the director, who makes the final determination and that she 'd let us know.

Well, judging by my past bad luck, I immediately felt a wave of disappointment.

We left .  Next step, we'd visit the nearest shelter and take a look at some other dogs (Jeff's idea since he could read the disappointment in my face) 

Two days later.......
my new "Lollypup".

After figuring out where to go for lunch (our usual pattern of walking into restaurants and looking at menus which takes at least 30 minutes) we settled on a diner with sidewalk tables (and dogs lying beside their owners).  I stayed calm, listening to Jeff's astuteness and good judgement and pretended to be indifferent about Ginger, knowing there were other dogs out there in need of a home. Then Kim called me on my cell to let me know that she and Linda talked it over and she was going to recommend to the director that we get to take Ginger home because, after my past experiences with disappointing results, she felt she couldn't do that to me again.  End of story.  

All I can say is .......whoa what a ride!!!

The last couple of weeks as a deaf invalid were definitely NOT the high points I imagined for July's end. My viral infection cleared up ok thanks to antibiotics but my ears have not.  (question: which is worse, not being able to speak or not being able to hear?.....)  However,  I had no problem hearing myself bark like an old woman....Heh???.....what???....WHAT??? How truly annoying absolute silence is!  I remember when I relished my "quiet time" only to realize, now, that it was never TRULY quiet. Next step, steroids for 6 days. ENT doc says that should do the trick and I have no choice but to believe the end is at hand,  lest my head explode in silent frustration.  Happily I did attend an outdoor jazz concert at Lyndhurst with friends this past thursday. My first night out in two weeks!   I'm told the band was so bad deafness would have been a blessing to all who attended.  I count myself lucky on that one.

I've been getting as many harnesses and leashes finished as I can in preparation for the upcoming vendor events in September and October,   but am having a hell of a time with the male pattern for the Halloween concept.  Notched collars are way more complicated than I figured on.  I'll get there I'm sure, it's just another minor frustration to add to my deafness, my inability to adopt a dog, and our missed opportunity to spend a weekend with my daughter, son-in-law and grandbaby at a beautiful lake house.  

I've been working on some more creative concepts for the vendor booth too. I feel with these two coming up, I'd like a snazzy set up to attract more customers.  One is a pet event so that's a captive audience anyway,  but the other is a big, high end crafts event at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens ....classy but no dogs allowed.  I think the more attractive the display, the more chance I have at being noticed.  So I made flags to drape in the front and cut out funky frames for the dog portraits. (two more to go)   Ofcourse the sweaters hanging on the grids at the front always attract attention but I want people to meander inside too.  I found a great idea that I'd like to try for hanging light weight shelves made of foam core board and hung from the ceiling with cord.  That way the harnesses will be displayed at different levels rather than crowded on a table and I also have that great chartreuse hat rack I bought some years ago to hang scarves, or leashes . note to self: remember to pack the mirror this time :(

Wish I had a funky chandelier too  but who knows, maybe something will turn up. 
So very glad to be back on track!!

Germ Factory at it again.....

...and so it goes.....again, the best laid plans get a monkey wrench tossed into the works.  A severe throat and ear infection has had me laid up for the past week and no end in sight, though after yesterday's doctor visit (quote:  "oh, those ears look very unhappy") I am now on antibiotics and ear drops.  Still can't hear but happily, I can talk once again.

In the mornings, I managed to finish some more harnesses and leashes in preparation for the upcoming vendor events, though it felt as if I was performing each task wearing a football helmet laden with iron pellets. I was accepted into the Hudson Valley Etsy Team https://www.facebook.com/hudsonvalleyetsyteam which thus far, has been very informative and I even signed up for a new event called "Puptoberfest" http://www.ehrdogs.org/info/display?PageID=12113 to take place September 20th, at Horseshoe Lake in Succasunna, NJ which was recommended by a fellow team member. Something I had no idea about. It is run by an adoption organization called "Eleventh Hour Rescue" and I'm told good things about it.
I feel being included in this team is just the thing I need to get me out of isolation mode, which can so often happen, being the sole employee in a small business. Great comraderie so far, and likes, tweets, tags and pins are very important I'm told, in the social media rich business world.  So Puptoberfest in September, and Octoberfest in Stockbridge in October, should satisfy my craft fair itch for 2014.  New baby due early October, will take care of the rest of the year. :)

My focus now is on the upcoming holidays and realize that pet lovers like to celebrate with their pets.  Without changing the Lollypups philosophy of "dogs deserve dignity", I am making refined autumn garments with a Halloween feel without resorting to "hot dog" or "Yoda" costumes.  Most of those little beings look soooooo unhappy and "undignified".  

I'm loving the way the Halloween Chic harness vest and leash are coming out though.  I'll be listing this one shortly on https://www.etsy.com/shop/Lollypups?ref=si_shop and on the LP website. Also working on another option without the ruffles and center hook and eye trim.  It would be a bit more male oriented, and the idea of making my own buttons with vintage Halloween images and resin domes is more and more appealing considering each one I sourced costs $9.00 (yikes).  I already have the bezels and can easily attach a shank with resin as I was advised by the YouTube tutorials out there.
Next on the menu, a rain slicker (though laminated fabric is rather summery but could work). Also in the works, a  sweet little fringed number similar to the Winter Mittens style in a subtly textured forest green wool.  I'm sourcing different embellishments but I would LOVE to find those adorable felt "winter" mittens in white and white mittens would make the style look new and fresh. Something will turn up I'm sure and once I'm all healed, I'll be making my trek into the city to search for new things.  I missed the Texworld expo and the Fashion Mfg Showcase expo at FIT last week which really bummed me out, but the D&G expo is the first week of August and that one is the one I prefer for fabric, embellishment and trim resources.  

I've been actively sending in adoption forms all over the place, inquiring about adoptees from Pets Alive, Petfinder, Adopt a pet, Allpaws, Bichon Frise rescue, Best friends animal Society, North Shore Animal League, the list goes on and on.  Laying in bed with an ipad has its upside..... I found several sweeties I would have loved only to be told that they were already adopted.  Good for them but disappointing for me. Somewhere out there, I know she's waiting for me to find her so the hunt will continue as long as it takes, since I've definitely reached a milestone in my desire to parent another dog.  A good thing for sure. Although Lacy still has my heart and I still tear up thinking about her, I know it's time. 

It's July already and travel has kept me more than busy. There was a trip to California, and free 

Rece, doing what she does best

Maple Street shopping

accomodations at an apartment on the beach. Lovely.  My only chore and price to pay,  feeding the fattest cat in Santa Monica, Rece, with the most demanding "meow" I've ever encountered. Never had to clean out a litter box either so that was a new experience for this non-cat person. There were old friends to see, movie screening and appearances for Jeff, and an unexpected tour of Tippi Hedren's Shambala Preserve.  What an interesting and gracious woman she is, talk about a cat person!! and still beautiful at 84 years old!!! 

Beautiful as always.  My hero!

The other chore... relaxing....yes, it does seem to be a chore for my kinetic brain and body. ADHD for sure.I did shop the downtown garment district. 
I hadn't been there since my Carole Little days in the '90's, but was unable to find anything worth while for Lollypups. We did find two $7.00 thick covers for our new iphone 5s phones (cost: $35.00 in the apple store) so we left downtown mildly happy.

Tippi gives Zeus a neck rub

Liebo lives!!! 

I did the Hudson Valley Etsy Team craft fair in Fishkill, NY on the first of June and the day was sublime. Warm, dry, just a hint of a breeze to cool things off. Jeff asks me each time I do these things, "you DO like doing this right?" While I have the energy to continue creating and making new designs and new products, and setting up an eye catching booth to display them in, the answer is an easy YES. This time around, I discovered some tall, white metal shelving laying in our storage room, dusted in cobwebs. Perfect to set upright against the poles of the tent and to hang the garments on (thanks to the craft fair pin boards on Pinterest) It worked like a charm and looked great.  Made a good number of sales too, considering it wasn't a pet event and I made some new canine friends as well.   Even had a paid customer return 5 minutes later to buy a sweater! So, I'm looking into doing at least two shows in the summer, if possible and have already signed on to do the Harvest Festival at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens again this October 11-12.  
In the meanwhile, materials and new fabric are starting to trickle in so I'm busy deciding which to use for which styles in the new collection,  and playing with the pattern drop function in Illustrator, which makes the task so easy peasy.  (I love this part!!)  Still trying to find a resource for a heavier weight 5/8" polypropylene webbing for the leashes, at a reasonable price. What I bought previously, was OK but lacked the heft that I prefer.  There's a D&G expo coming up again in August which could prove helpful, so for now, I'll concentrate on making the new styles for the harness collection and leave the leashes for later on.   
And last, but truly not least.....I made a visit to the shelter after months of staying away and didn't cry.  
Big accomplishment for this blithering bag of emotion I'd say.  Still not ready to adopt, but I'm thinking more and more about fostering a senior (partial to those as always).  We'll see.  Meanwhile, it's back to business and a joyous life filled with babies ( new one due in October), beaches, and best buds sharing our annual 4th of July picnic on the Hudson. Weather permitting of course and still missing Lacy.  Happy Birthday America!! 

Back on the planet and back to work........

          There is no explanation for my lack of motivation over the last six months, other than the despair I've felt over the loss of my sweet Bichon, Lacy back in August.  Never did I expect to "fall off the planet" so to speak, having always been the stoic, take charge, full steam ahead, ADHD type personality.  But this truly threw me for a loop.  

          How did I spend those six months?  I didn't expect to function normally for at least two of them which proved to be true.  Walks on the property without her just caused more sadness so that was eliminated from my mornings. Shoveling a path in the snow for her no longer needed to be done and I actually resented that. Trips to the shelter only caused me to blubber like a baby at the sight of any white dog.  (Sadly, I've learned that Pets Alive in Elmsford, NY had to close down because of severe damage to their building and all the dogs were moved further away..... Just when I felt ready to resume my volunteering.) 

            Holiday events and family gatherings with the grand babies through December helped a lot.  Logan, being the astute and insightful toddler that he is, always entered the house with a hug and announced "Nana misses Lacy" at the sight of her picture sitting on a shelf in the kitchen.  Somehow, hearing him say it over time, made me realize how simple his acceptance was, of her not being around anymore, which helped me to accept it too. Children teach us so much.

           I tried to return to designing (half-heartedly) and absorbed myself in research, development and creating more product, feeling the need to keep the brand going.  I was even able to sell a bit in that period of time. Treks into the city in January and February (through snow and sleet more often than not) for trade events, seminars, and trim and fabric shopping were invigorating and productive.  As I write, I see a pattern here…..literally, time does heal all wounds. Though I don’t feel I can ever entirely “heal”, I am now able to see a dog and not burst into tears.

            The freezing weather of Mid-February and March,  finally drove us to warmer climes and a six week stay in Florida. With free lodging and use of a car at my brother-in-law’s house, it was good to get away.  The hardest part of that was learning to actually relax; the easy part was enjoying the warmth.  When we weren't taking day trips to the beaches, the Gulf Stream race track or a mini-vaca within a vaca to Naples, Florida, I sat with my Ipad in hand by the koi pond and watched any and all YouTube videos pertaining to dogs.  I checked all the pet adoption sites online,  and even went to a pet adoption event in Fort Lauderdale (though I had to leave after 45 minutes, wishing I could take several of the pups home with me.) Pathetic, huh?   However,  I went from NEVER wanting another dog, to maybe, some day, to WHEN I get another dog. So I guess that’s progress.

 Gladly, two little teacup Yorkies, Sassy and Zena were also visiting at the time and they allowed me a much needed reintroduction into fur baby snuggling, tiny wet pup kisses and giggle producing, comical antics. They also inspired some sweet little teacup products I’m actually excited about and have begun creating, so that too is progress.

 Now that we’re back in NY, and I have my own space once again, I feel the renewal spring always brings.  There are courses to take, patterns to perfect, pet events to attend, harnesses to produce..... newness abounds………I’d say I’m back on track, with an occasional mis-step and a tear for my girl ...but I’m OK.