Update on Colt

So, Colt has been with my good friends for a week now. He was taken to the vet and has no chip. I also have not recieved any phone calls in regards to him. He is doing very well at his new home. He is walking a  leash pretty well. He's a bit timid at first still but once he's going, he's good. My friend still had to carry him into the vets office though. She said he wouldn't get more then 5 feet from the door but has a clean bill of health. She said now that he's settled in he behaves more like a puppy. Chewing his bones and digging holes in the back yard. Which is just fine for now because their back yard isn't landscaped at all. He gets to play with his doggy inlaws and my friends brother comes and plays with him too. She says they love and adore him and that she knows he was sent just for them. She also says her husband is a  little jealous of the fact that colt likes her more. They can't wait for her husband to become a canine police man so that colt will have a friend to play with. Oh how I love a happy ending!

Jewelry Making Fool

I have been making a lot of jewelry this week. Here are just a few samples. If interested check out Ladylike Jewels or head on down to Tantrum Hair Salon.

A client requested a green set so this is what I came up with. I've been told to make another one.

This is a purple/pink set. I was also told I needed more color.

Black swan set.

White long dangly pearl set. I loved this set. It was hard for me to tag and put on display.

Brownish Gold flower set.

Loved this long black set as well.

Another black set. People like the black sets.

This set was a favorite of mine. I was particularly proud of it.

This grey set is particularly awesome as well. I love broach's.

All are way better in person. Especially the white one.

Jack who is now Colt.

So this weekend, I'm sitting making jewelry an thought, 'I want soup and we don't have any soup. I'll run to the store real quick'. So I grab my purse and go. I get there and see a dog. He had a collar so I just wanted to get to him and call the number on the tag. He had no tag. So, I had no choice, I took him home with me. It was hard. He was very very timid and every time I touched his collar he layed down. Fortunately I had frosted animal cookies in my purse. So I lured him to my car.

After the luring process I decided he looked like a Jack. So thats what I called him. He was very very sweet. Super sweet, couldn't hurt a fly, but definately needs more then a little confidence building.

He's way cuter in person too, I promise. So I posted pictures of Jack on Craigslist 3 times and dreaded surrendering him to mesa animal care and control because he would have no chance at the pound. No loving family looking for a pupppy, would sit with him for a 45 min to build his confidence in them and then see his loving playful side and not just his sweet but very timid side. He, being an un nutered  male gave all dominance to my tiny nutered 5 pound chihuahua. I could lay on him, check his teeth, check his ears, scan him all over for bugs and he couldn't care less but grab his collar an he shut right down. He also wouldn't come in the house. left the door oppen all day and he couldn't do more then 2 steps. Super people pleaser dog, though.

I wasn't attached, I promise. Anyways, I had just cut my friend Lindi's hair and she and her husband were looking for a dog. Having no potential owners contact me and being worried about sending him to the pound I called her and told her I had a dog for her. She and her husband came and saw him. They fell in love with him too. I explained that he needed work and they were okay with that. See they sat with him for 45 minutes and then Chuck got up and played a little fetch with him. He's good at fetch. A total natural. They said they were going to get the doggie necessities and then pick him up the next day. I got a call from them around 9:30 instead and they came and got him. They live down the street and around the corner. They are having a house warming party tonight so I get to see Jack. Oh, his name is now Colt. After Chuck's gun. I personally love the name Colt and think being name after a gun will help his confidence. Chuck is a cop and will soon be  a canine cop and that means another dog. He fell in love with Colt because of his nature with other dogs.

If you listen to Jonjay and Rich you could have heard Bryce on the, 'after this weekend I'll never do ___________ again', segment. He said, " after this weekend I'll never let my wife go to the store for soup alone." they asked why and he said, " she went for soup and came home with a dog." They all laughed. Yes I am a bleeding heart. I have a brother who is the same way and I'm sure his wife and my husband can relate. Hey, alls well that ends well and hopefully Colt now has a forever home. I think if they give him a week of stability he will be the perfect dog.

Christmas Yearbook Pages

My family is huge. Because my family is huge we do not do Christmas presents for eachother. Years ago my mother came up with the Christmas Yearbook as the gift for everyone. So we all do at least one page to represent our family for the past year. We give the pages to my mom and she compiles the pages and spiral binds them into a yearbook. These pages are what I came up with for Bryce and I this year.

The basis of our pages were, " If you can laugh, you can survive! ". Pictures and funny quotes.

"If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to the state fair. Because 5 minutes at the fair, you'll be going, 'you know, we're alright. We are dang near royalty'."

Modern Family

Gloria: I'm taking a shower, would you like to join me?

Jay: Honey, you know there's a gun in the foot locker in the garage, if I ever say no, I want you to use it on me.

30 Rock- Kenneth: Mr Baker wants to do everything himself. I feel about as useless as a moms college degree.

"Always forgive your enemies. Nothing else annoys them so much." Oscar Wilde                

30 Rock-

Kenneth: Oh no sir, I don't vote Republican or Democrat. Choosing is a sin so I always just write in the Lords name.

Jack: That's Republican. We still count those.

Tracey: A book hasn't caused  me this much trouble since Where's Waldo went to a barber pole factory!

Friendship is like peeing on yourself. Everyone can see it but only you get the warm feeling it brings.

Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side and it holds the world together.

Modern Family

Gloria: Who's side are you on?

Jay: She's my daughter you're my wife. Let's remember what's important, there's a football game on today.

Now if you don't watch Modern Family or 30 Rock, you should. There have been much funnier lines on both since December.

Share the Knowledge- Pedicures

I did my own pediicure again and this is how it turned out.

Here's What I use. Chip skip, China glaze strong adhesive base coat, China glaze Fast forward top coat, Color of nail polish I want my toes, acrylic paint in the colors I want the decorations on my toes. Yes, acrylic paint. It dries quicker, it is easier to fix, easier to conntrol and more predictable then nail polish. Cotton balls, Nail file, buffer, clippers, and tooth picks. I use the tooth picks that are flat and round on the flat end and tiny and pointy on the other end. These tooth picks make very nice uniform circle every time.

Remove old polish. clip and file nails to the length you want. Then with a very fine buffer, buff the top of the nails. Polish adheres better to a rough surface. Chip Skip is optional but after you buff is when you'd use it.

Okay, this part is important. When you start polishing your toenails (or fingernails) you must paint the tip of the nail.

The tip of the nail must also be  painted with the base coat, at least one coat of color and the top coat. Why? This is where your polish first starts to chip and fade. When the tip is polished the chipping and decreases immensely and the pedicure will last at least 6 weeks.

Baby toes as well as big toes.

Also important when you are polishing your toes is to try not to let your polish touch your cuticle. When you do it creates a ridge. The ridge number 1, is obnocious and number 2 can create another area for your polish to chip.

It is better to have your polish 100% dry before you start decorating because then things are erasable, and mistakes are easier to fix. How I do this is, I do a base coat. Your base coat should not have a glossy finish and should dry almost instantly. My fav is the one I mentioned above. Then your first coat of color. Let the first coat dry for at least 15 minutes and then do your second coat. Let your second coat dry for at least 30 min.

I have a paper plate, tooth picks and cotton balls on hand for this.

I always do at least one flower or whatever I'm doing on the plate before I do it on my toe. I also use the plate to decide on colors and design.

On dry polish, dry acrylic paint is erasable. If your do your dots or flower and you dont like it

Let it dry. (usually about 60 seconds)

Then erase it with the small tip of a tooth pick. If you don't want to wait for the acrylic paint to dry, wipe it off with a cotton ball then erase with toothpick.

I clean the tips of my toothpicks with my fingers so they get messy. It seriously washes right off, so don't worry about it. But you can also use cotton balls.

Flowers: for bigger flowers or dots use the large flat end of tooth pick. For smaller flowers and dots use the small pointy end. Put a little acrylic paint in the color of your choosing on your paper plate. Put the tooth pick straght in paint and then touch surface to your toe nail. This is easier if you can brace your hand with your pinky finger. Brace it on floor or toe next to the one you are working on.

See, nice uniform circles. Do one toe and then the other. Then go back to complete the flow.

Complete the flower by connecting the petals. Do this by using the pointy end to drag the paint to the center. If paint is too dry, lightly dip your small end of toothpick back in paint.

Ta Dah. If the edges of your petals converge too much, wipe off your pointy end of tooth pick or use a clean tooth pick and drag between petals to recreate a small space. Sometimes easier if you let it dry for 30 seconds.

If you want a color inside your flower. Repeat what you just did but with new color and pointy end of toothpick. Easier if you let the flower dry for 60 seconds.

Hearts: Two dots right next to eachother.

Then drag outside edge into a V with pointy end of tooth pick.

Then fill in.

Cherries: Two dots side by side but not touching.

Create stem with small pointy end and dragging. Try to do this with a braced hand and one fluid movement. Again, you can use the paper plate to practice.

These pictures are to show you the difference between creating a flower with a second color in the middle and a flower with just the middle dragged out to reveal the polish color underneath.

Flowers of opposite corresponding colors.

Additional decorative dots. Big end of tooth pick for underneath color.

Small pointy pen for inside dot. Clean ends of tooth pick often for more uniform dots.

Then start doing other line patterns. Use small end of toothpick, brace hand and try one fuid motion. However, these are really easy to fix with erasing and tweaking.

This is cute at a diagonal on your toenail.

And once again, my most recent pedicure endeavor. Top coat fixes any small untidyness's. Let decorations dry for about 5 minutes then do top coat. Pretty much dries right away but don't put socks and shoes on or go to bed for at least 30 minutes. Then do your top coat. Your top coat should correct any bubbles, roughness or mistakes you've made, should have a glossy finish and should also almost dry instantly. My fav is the one mentioned and pictured above.