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.