National Puppy Day!

Be sure to give your little pup a kiss or a belly rub today -- it's National Puppy Day! To celebrate, I've rounded up a few great pet products from some of my favorite shops. Now I'm off to give Bean an extra treat!

1 -- Pet Smart, 2 & 5 -- Harry Barker, 3 & 4 -- Barker & Meowsky, 6 & 7 -- Mungo & Maud

Catching Up

I feel like life always gets busier this time of the year. People are out and about, and the city feels more energized -- I love it! The quiet and cozy winter gave way to spring summer temperatures this week, with the high reaching 82 the last two days! The sliding doors were open all week long to let the fresh air in, and I was able to enjoy some time in the sun on our deck. Since Darling Notes has been a little quiet, I figured a little catch-up post was in order.

1. Did you know that I'm a paper person? I'm head over heels for nice papers, pretty stationery and invitation design. I've been working on my husband's cousin's wedding invitation ensemble. The bride selected a pretty shimmering pink and green palette with starfish and shell motifs. We're in the design process right now, but I have no doubt they'll be beautiful!

2. The warmer temps have me thinking about flip-flops and being barefoot. I need a new polish color for the spring, and I'm thinking about this strawberry pink color from Essie. I'll definitely need a pedicure before our Hawaii trip.

3. I could not resist posting this photo of a pug in a bowtie in front of a ship. I mean, is he cute or what? Sweet Paul is hosting a giveaway for your choice of the bowtie or flower collar from Etsy shop Rover. I'm hoping to win the flowered collar for Bean.

4. Have you been keeping up with The Everygirl? I'm loving all of their daily features, and today's post is no exception. Click over to see two pretty and delicious drinks for St. Patrick's Day. Since this is our first St. Patrick's Day in Chicago, the husband and I are going to head downtown tomorrow morning to watch the river be dyed green. Apparently it gets VERY green, and I think I need to see that (maybe with an Irish coffee in hand?)

5. Last Friday, my old iPhone 3GS jumped right out of my hand onto the sidewalk (imagine!) and the screen sadly shattered. Although the phone was sort-of working for a few days, it took a turn for the worse and cracked a little more on Wednesday night. . Since it was over 3 years old and I was eligible for an upgrade, I headed to AT&T on Thursday morning and selected the 4S. IT'S AMAZING. I should tell you that it's currently being held in a massive Otterbox case that is probably bomb-proof. Knowing how clumsy I am, I'm willing to carry around the phone in a bulky case to keep it safe.

Have a great weekend and a very happy (and lucky!) St. Patrick's Day!

Presents for your Pup

A question for all of the dog lovers... do you buy Christmas presents for your pup? This year, the Mr. and I purchased one toy for our Boston Terrier, Bean (the rope reindeer shown below!) One of our relatives was surprised that we didn't buy more for her. Do dogs really know it's Christmas, after all? Of course Bean will sport a decorative jingle bell collar on Christmas day, but I'm pretty sure she'll be oblivious to the holiday. She'll just be so happy to be around family and food.

If you do purchase presents for your pooch, here are a few great ideas from some of my favorite stores for pets:

Since we celebrated Christmas just a bit early before heading back to the east coast to be with family, we gave Bean her rope reindeer from Barker & Meowsky. She LOVES it!

1. Cotton rope tug toss toy from Mungo & Maud

2. Hemp striped bone toy from Mungo & Maud

3. Squeaky ornament toy from Pet Smart

4. Cotton rope reindeer from Barker & Meowsky

5. Rubber snowball toy from Barker & Meowsky

6. Reindeer soft toys from Harry Barker

Happy Halloween!

It's Thursday

Good afternoon! I thought I'd just share a sweet little photo from Pinterest today. I feel like I resemble that pup today -- hunkered down at my computer, glasses on, wrapped up in a scarf and sweater. I returned home last night from a fantastic Chicago blogger event only to find that the power had gone out from the high winds here in the city. It was downright COLD in the apartment (could be the fact that the windows in the bedroom let air through, which we recently discovered... *ring, ring, landlord?*) Power was eventually restored around 11 a.m. this morning, just in time -- the dog was wearing her coat, and I knew I was missing precious hours of work time. Casualties of the outage included a few items from the fridge, including coffee creamer and yogurt. A trip to Starbucks made up for it. The place is now warming up nicely, and with the exception of the internet mysteriously going out a few times, I'm back up and running.

I promise to post about the Chicago blogger event once I download the few photos I took, and get caught up on work. It was such a lovely time, and some of my "internet friends" became "real friends".

Enjoy your afternoon!

Here's to 4 Fun Years

Yes, I'm a bit obsessed with my dog, and yes, this is a post all about her. Why? It's her birthday, and I think that's a good enough reason!

Bean turned four today! The Mr. and I can't believe it. Where has the time gone? It feels like I was just begging him for a dog -- a Boston Terrier to be exact. I begged for so long because I wanted a Boston Terrier so, so much. The Mr. was scheming, and wanted to surprise me with a puppy on Christmas day, but that just wasn't going to be ideal, considering we were traveling together up to his parents house to spend the holiday. How would he hide a puppy? After deciding in advance that a surprise puppy would not work out, he casually told me one night while we were watching t.v. He said, "do you want a dog?" I said, "Of course I want a dog. I want a Boston Terrier!". His reply: "Well, you're getting one." Lots of shrieking ensued, and a few days later (on Black Friday to be exact) we were driving home with a baby Boston Terrier named Bean. I knew what I'd name my Boston Terrier from the moment I wanted one. Bean is perfectly fitting for a Boston.

Bean is our baby. We love her so, so much. If you have a dog (or any pet for that matter), you know the feeling. Bean has changed our lives, made us laugh, warmed our hearts, and taught us a lot about caring, comfort and ourselves. Bean survived a cancerous tumor last November, which devastated us until we knew she'd be alright. She's bossy, silly, hyper, lazy and cuddly all in the same day. We can't imagine life without her now. She makes us happy every single day.

So, happy birthday, sweet Bean! You are one special pup.

Bean the Dog

Someone is celebrating a birthday tomorrow.

What's that? Bean is turning 4!?

Look how excited she is!

Currently Loving... Boston Terrier Art

I adore this Boston Terrier print. Did you know that one of the old nic-names for a Boston Terrier is "The American Gentleman"? This art is totally fitting.

Guest Post at PAWSH Magazine Blog

The other day, I mentioned that I write another blog {check it out, here}. Through that blog, I was given the opportunity to write a guest post for PAWSH Magazine's blog. In case you haven't checked it out yet, PAWSH is a new online mag for pet owners, full of great articles and stylish details. As a paper lover and dog owner, I was super excited and honored to write about -- what else? -- pet themed stationery and invitations! I invite you to pop on over to PAWSH and read the guest post, then click through the digital pages of this pretty pet magazine!

Pup Patterns and a Party

I am so in love with this pup patterned paper by Paper Source – how cute! I’m thinking of all the possibilities for crafts, now…

The paper was spotted in this Hot Diggity Dog party feature on Amy Atlas, which is equally cute. I adore the party hat and the rest of the styling.

Gotcha!

Most pups aren’t fond of furry little squirrels – they bark at them, chase them, growl at them, etc. Our dog, Bean (a three year old Boston Terrier), absolutely despises squirrels. There are so many of them that run around outside of our townhome and run across the deck that Bean’s sleeping spot looks out on to. She gets frantic when one approaches, and it’s really quite cute to watch. It's almost as if the squirrels are taunting her. When I saw these adorable squirrel-themed dog collars on Etsy by Silly Buddy, I thought it would be pretty funny to put one on Bean. It would be as if the squirrels are saying, “gotcha!”

A Boston and a Sailor

I am head over heels in love with my Boston Terrier, Bean. She's three years old, snores louder than any other creature, has the sweetest face, and wiggles when she walks. For kicks, I searched for "Boston Terrier" on Etsy. A few pages in, I shrieked and the hubby came over looking concerned. I found the cutest painting of not only my favorite pup, but of a Boston as a sailor. If you know me, you know I love sailors and all things nautical. This painting is perfection, and just makes me smile because it's so quirky.

A Hurting Pup

I apologize for my absence yesterday, as my husband and I were a little preoccupied. On Monday evening, we took our pup, Bean, to a vet appointment. An hour and a half later, we were leaving the office with the news that she has a Mast Cell Tumor. After much research, we found that this can be common in dogs, and often benign. However, our vet recommended removing the area ASAP for a biopsy. Yesterday, little Bean went in to surgery. She was able to come home last night, but has a pretty big battle wound -- a 3 inch long incision and 10 staples in her back. Needless to say, she's hurting today, so I've been keeping her company. While we're snuggled up on the couch together, I've been checking out some doggie sweaters for little Bean. For surgical reasons, a large area of her pretty black coat had to be shaved away. Not wanting her to be bare for the holiday season, I found a few options that would be dashing on her (all available at PetSmart!) I might be calling the hubby to pick one up for her on his way home tonight... along with a little treat to make her feel better. I'll be sure to keep you all updated on her progress and results of the biopsy. In the meantime, think happy thoughts for our bouncing Boston!

Which sweater is your favorite for Bean?

Sweater 1, Sweater 2, Sweater 3 -- Martha Stewart for PetSmart

Pretty Pup Hats

I almost squealed when a friend of mine pointed out this Etsy shop to me -- Beantown Handmade. My husband and I have the sweetest Boston Terrier named Bean, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw that Beantown Handmade creates the prettiest hats, coats and accessories for little Bostons! Well, I suppose their creations could be worn fabulously by any pooch, but the star model is a super cute Boston Terrier, also named Bean. I simply adore all of the knit items, especially The Great Pumpkin Dog Hat, The Abominable Snow Bean Dog Hat and The Blue Baron Dog Hat!

Pet Project

These oh-so-cute ID tags for pups and kitties look so simple to create. Martha Stewart created a template for several styles -- just type in your pet's name and your phone number, and print them on shrinky-dink sheets! I'd love to make some for my cute pup, Bean. I know she'd look so adorable wearing one on her collar.