flickr game - because stuff like this keeps me posting

The Questions
1. What is your first name? Nikki
2. What is your favorite food? Really fresh seafood, preferably from the beach, so I typed in "seafood shack"
3. What high school did you go to? Edgewood
4. What is your favorite color? Green
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Michael Cera
6. Favorite drink? Mojito
7. Dream vacation? British Columbia
8. Favorite dessert? Dark chocolate
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Someone's mommy
10. What do you love most in life? Relationships
11. One word to describe you. Friend
12. Your flickr name. paisleyprintsbaltimore

The Concept
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker).

I Have No Attention Span: Why I Suck at Blogging

Wow, I am the worst blogger ever. I get busy, distracted, de-motivated...it's horrible. I'm sorry. Last time I posted Paisley was wearing a full leg cast with a displaced fracture. Almost 3 months later and she is totally fine. All healed up. Here are a few highlights that I missed blogging about:

JUNE

• Celebrated 3 years of being married to Jason at the best restaurant I've been to in years.
  
• Went to Cara and Alan's wedding, and got to witness the best Thriller dance since the MJ video.
• Started my summer program at the VLP.
• And speaking of the VLP, I've also been given a promotion. I am now the Outreach Programs Coordinator, which is basically just a fancy title that means I get to do a lot of cool things. I'm in charge of all of the literacy programming for infants/toddlers, students, adults and seniors. It's going to be a lot of work, but I'm ready for it.
  

JULY

• Entered Paisley in her first dog show - she took Winner's Reserve. If you don't know what it is, look it up - it's really hard to explain and since I've had to do so about 10 million times in the past month, I just can't do it anymore.
• Surprised my sister for her 30th birthday - it was really fun.
• Hosted Jason's family for a long weekend. We went to an Orioles Game and saw The Dark Knight (which, by the way, was outstanding).
• Started attending a weekly trivia night at a bar in Fells Point. Our team is steadily growing (as people realize how AWESOME it is), and it has been a blast. More trivia tomorrow night!
• Joined the local YMCA and have been swimming almost every day since. I love it. The pool is wonderful, it's close by, and best of all I LOVE the way I feel every day.
  

And here we are. Things are good. Our dear friend Emily is returning to us from Germany (and Canada) this week and will be living with us for a while. I've been working hard getting her room ready, making sure the bathroom is clean and fixed up, etc. I can't wait to see her, to work with her...and living with her will be super fun, too!

Well thanks for reading the update. I don't want to promise that I'll post more often and then fail at it, but please don't give up on me! Here are some photos from the past couple of months!

she loves the leather couch - nice and cool in the summertime

She's in a phase right now where she will not be still long enough for me to take her picture. This one is in between her barking furiously at me. "NO NO NO!" But look how looooong she is.

The Hobgoblin, or Paisley's Displaced Fracture

Jason went away for a few days this week. He got back Thursday evening and Paisley was super excited to see him. She did her typical, "I'm a puppy and therefore I am going to run around this house like a maniac, and jump on all of the furniture" thing. She jumped up onto the couch and back on the floor. She jumped up onto the couch again and upon landing we heard the worst sound in the world. Terrible, painful crying from our little puppy. She hovered in the corner with her tail between her legs, crying and whining. We held her and kissed her and put her up on her feet, but noticed that she was holding up her back paw. She hobbled around, unsure of what was going on, and we were of course freaking out.

It didn't get any better, so we took her to the Pet ER (our vet had already closed for the evening). The doctor said that she had badly hurt her back knee, but didn't know how badly. We took her to our vet yesterday and the doc said she had a displaced fracture. She splinted Paisley's little leg, and we have to keep it on her for at least 4 weeks, with weekly visits to the vet.

It's very sad to see her like this. She can't play a lot, she can't hop up on the sofa to cuddle, she can't play in the backyard. She has trouble sitting, laying down, and going to the bathroom. I'm just very sad for her right now. Last night right before bed, Jason said "I just love that little puppy so much." That makes two of us.

the splint of dooooooooooom!

this is the best "woah is me" picture ever, no?

No Dogs Allowed

We have a Farmer's Market in our neighborhood. It's open every Saturday morning, and so I go just about every Saturday morning. It's amazing. Not only can you find yummy, local, CHEAP food, it's also a really fun way to spend a Saturday morning. I see neighbors and friends, meet interesting folks, drink amazing Zeke's coffee...it's blissful. And when we got Paisley, the Market got that much more fun. The 7 block walk to 32nd Street and Barclay is a great workout for her. She sniffs and smiles at passersby, we look for new blossoms in our neighbors' gardens. Once we get to the Market, we get coffee and a treat from the bakery and take on the onslaught of fellow marketers who just love our little Paise - they want to know what breed she is, how old she is, can they pet her, where did we get her. She loves the attention for sure. Sometimes she gets a cheese sample or another luxurious treat from the vendors who love spoiling the Market Doggies. And the doggies! Paisley meets at least 6 new friends every week.

But something really craptastic has happened.

We were at the Market with friends this morning, watching as Paisley and a bulldog said their hellos when the director of the Market approached us looking quite serious. He told us that last week a small child had been bitten by a dog, and so he was given the sad job of telling all the marketers with 4-legged friends that dogs were no longer allowed. Don't get me wrong, I think it is absolutely horrible that someone was bitten. Especially a child. But how sad! There are hundreds of Market goers who LOVE bringing their dogs because of the socialization and exercise they get. It's going to be hard to find another venue for Paisley that is comparable. I could tell that the director guy was pretty torn up about it, too. He said that they've been fighting the health department for years because they know how important it is for people to be able to bring their doggies. But now that this has happened, they can't really do anything about it.

So that's my sad story about our Saturday Market and how we're not going to be able to take Paisley with us anymore. Boo.

Lots of Paisley Goodness

I know it has been forever since my last pupdate. I'm sorry. Work, life, everything has been crazy busy lately. Paisley is now 4 months old and is doing very well. We've been taking her to Puppy Pre-school, taking her on walks, to the Farmer's Market and over to visit with my parents. Everyone loves her. Probably because she's so stinkin' cute.

So we just got back from our first Border Terrier Rally. It was in a beautiful, hilly region in Virginia. The weather was disappointingly cold, but it was really fun. Paisley got her first sniff of some rats (basically, Borders were bred to hunt vermin, so ratting is not only a doggie sport but also comes in handy!) She also got to do a lure course for the first time and did surprisingly well. It's a string attached to a pully, and on the pully are two plastic bags. The pully is turned on and the dogs go INSANE chasing these bags around the circle. A few dogs went ahead of Paisley, and upon watching them we thought that there would be no way she would do it. She'd get way too distracted by the puddles, rocks, and other dogs for goodness sake! But she totally surprised us! She chased the bags pretty well, and the best part was the 15+ people cheering "GO PAISLEY!" and OOhing/AAhing over how little and spunky she is. She slept the whole way home.

So here are some pics of the rally and also some shots I took of her yesterday on the sunny deck. Enjoy!

checking out the rats. yes, real rats.

paisley and her mommy, chara. don't they look alike?

paisley with her little siblings. (paise is on the left).

naptime.

lure course! GO PAISLEY!

sunny puppy.

mug shot. (get it?)

Pupdate

It really seems like more than 2 weeks since we got Paisley. She certainly has become a part of our family quickly. She has adapted to our home and to us so well - we're very proud of her.

Things Paisley can do now that she couldn't/wouldn't 2 weeks ago:

• Venture from the living room into the kitchen all by herself
• Bark at us, at nothing, at big big dogs
• Sleep through the night without crying or howling
• Eat an entire 1/2 cup of food
• Run around the yard like a psycho
• Come when called at least SOME of the time ;)
  

Last night we got her a KONG, and if you don't know what a KONG is, I'll post a little picture. Basically it's a rubber toy - VERY tough, so perfect for little teething puppies. There's also an opening where you can put a small treat or perhaps some peanut butter. It's really fun to watch her problem solve and figure out how to get to the treat. She's very smart. I know that any dog owner would be inclined to say that they have a smart puppy, but she really is. kong!

This morning we are taking Paisley to her first day of Puppy Pre-School. "What the heck is that?" It's a basic obedience/socialization class for puppies that they hold at the SPCA. Friends of ours took their dog when he was a puppy and raved about it. I must say that Kees is a very well behaved and fun dog, and if any of that can be attributed to Puppy Pre-School it would definitely be worth it to enroll Paise. I'm excited to see how she reacts to other dogs. So far her interactions have been positive. She sniffs the big dogs next door. She barked at a big old husky at the vet last week. This time she'll be with pups basically her own size and maturity level.

We're just really happy with our puppy. I can't imagine not having her. Sure our lives have changed a bit. We're more limited in how much time we can spend away from the house. We have to watch her like a hawk when we're home (Jason just found a little present in the dining room because we weren't paying 100% close attention to her). But it's so worth it to see how well she's developing and to have this little creature who loves us and wants to please us all the time. I love her I love her I love her.

this is paise in the little scarf betsy made her

**Pupdate within a Pupdate**
We actually went to Puppy Preschool yesterday. It was so much fun! It was a little bit windy and cold, but Paisley did very well and had a great time. She met some other puppies and played with them, did very well with the training segment (even though she was a little bit freaked out), and made a new friend named Rooney. Rooney is a 15 week old American Mastiff. Rooney is already about 60 pounds (maybe more), but will grow to be 0ver 200 pounds! He was a big boy! But Paisley loved him and they did very well together.

paisley and rooney

Tomorrow is a big day for me at work, so I'm off. Later!

A Nice Night

Things have been going pretty well in the Rhodes house. Paisley is settling in and making this her place. Our housebreaking attempts have so far been fairly successful. Since her homecoming on Saturday, she's had a total of about 5 accidents inside, which for an 8 week old puppy that's not to shabby! She loves to play with her toys and with a brown fleece blanket that has become her new best friend. She has started exercising her vocal cords and barking at us. It's the funniest sound you'll ever hear. She tries so hard to be tough and scary, but we just laugh at her.

Last night was really great. I got home from work to find her and Jason playing in the living room. I joined in the fun for a little while before making my new favorite dinner. It's a Barefoot Contessa recipe for chicken picatta. It's soooooo good! I make that and the roasted onions. Below I posted some pictures because I thought the plates turned out really pretty. After dinner we settled in for American Idol while Paisley chewed on her rope and took a nap. I LOVE having a dog!

Enjoy some updated pics of our Paisley and of my yummy chicken picatta!
she loves the rope

but she loves Jason more

our dinner and paisley's treats

i'm quite proud of this shot - that's the chicken, the onions, and some leftover potatoes

Paisley

This is Paisley.
I don't have a ton of time to write as she's out and about and I want to spend as much time with her as possible. But she's perfect. The tiniest from her litter, quiet and peaceful at times, silly and playful at others, sweet and loveable always.

Her first night was a little tough. She's not used to going potty outside, but she's done it about 4 times now and hasn't had an accident all day today! She cried for about 10 minutes last night before settling down in her crate and slept through the night! We couldn't ask for a sweeter more precious girl. Needless to say we're in love. More later!!

It's happening...

An email I received last night:

Hi, Nikki and Jason--Good news from the vet! All pups in the litter
have a clean bill of health! Wayne and I can't make up our minds
between two of the girls, so I guess you will have the other, upon your
approval of course.

See you Saturday.

Best, Joyce


This means we're going to get our little girl tomorrow, yes, TOMORROW! After work we're heading out to pick up the essentials: a crate, bowls, a collar and leash, food, a few toys. I can't believe it's here - I'm getting a dog. By tomorrow night we're going to have a dog in our house that lives with us and she will be ours. Wow! I hope this work day goes by quickly.



Oh, and by the way - her name is Paisley.

charlotte staples lewis???

C.S. Lewis??? Whaaaaa?

long weekend, good weekend

This has been a strange but good past 4 days. City schools were closed Thursday and Friday which meant that my work schedule was a little looser. I went in for a whopping 4 hours on Thursday, stopped at the store for some snacks, and me and Jason hit the road. We arrived at our breeders' house just in time to see the pups waking up from a long nap. They have really grown!

it was hard to capture them on camera because they are so much more active and playful
this little boy has quite the santa beard on him...
they really are a lot bigger even though they still look like babies

All in all it was a great visit. They played a lot, hid behind the couches, yipped and barked, jumped on each other, kissed our hands, ran, slid, played tug-of-war with Jas. They have been very productive! I think which girl we will end up with is becoming a little bit clearer, too. The one in the picture above just seemed a little too skittish. She was shaking the entire time and wouldn't leave Jason's side. While that was really cute and endearing, I'm not sure if we want a puppy who is afraid of everything and everyone. I'm no expert, though.

Friday I had CPR training at work and then a Southern BBQ meeting at my house with the planning team of my church. I made pulled pork, but other menu items included Brunswick stew, cornbread, salad, potato salad, Mississippi mud cake, sweet tea...oh it was sooo good. Saturday was a semi lazy day, but my friend Biz came to visit for lunch and stayed to go see 27 Dresses with me and my local friend Natasha. It was a cute movie. Katherine Heigl is gorgeous, James Marsden is becoming my favorite male actor, and it was just a great girle movie all around.

Today I had church (thankfully didn't have to sing after a week of sickness and stress), relaxed and talked to my sister on the phone for a long time, and now I'm getting ready to make some SuperBowl treats. Namely, savory chicken wings and broccoli salad, both from my favorite recipe site. So good luck, Giants! You're kind of a stupid team, but you're all we've got!

omg! who the heck is in that coffin?? rotfl, lmao!!!1!

Anyone else watch last night's LOST Season 3 Finale "Enhanced"?

If by "enhanced" they meant "riddled with crap you already know, except probably written by a 17 year old girl" then yes I suppose it was enhanced.

We watched last night with our friend Jon, and the phrase of the evening was "What.The.Crap." Every time that little mini screen would pop up we would cringe, shocked and horrified by the extreme-0 immature text and lack of anything really all that juicy. The exception being learning that one of Jack's fellow surgeons has the same last name as Bernard. Woop-dee-freakin-doo.

Needless to say, I was quite disappointed. Here are some of my favorite "gems" from last night:

• No, Desmond is not grabbing a siesta.
• Who the heck is in that coffin?
• By the way, Kate and Sawyer have been hooking up
• Looks like Jack's in for a bumpy ride

At any rate, I'm still totally stoked for tonight's new episode, and even more excited to go visit the puppies at 6 weeks this afternoon!

diapers and orthopedic shoes: a post that's NOT about old people

Since we're getting a purebreed and since our breeders are pretty hardcore, we've been asked to hold off on spaying our pup until they can determine whether our not she will show. That's right, we're getting a potential show dog. I came into this with pretty much zero knowledge of what a show dog is besides the Christopher Guest movie Best In Show.

I know what you're thinking "Oh no, Nikki is going to wear orthopedic shoes and become this weird dog lady with an airbrushed picture of her dog on a white Hanes sweatshirt." NOT TRUE! Dog shows aren't that weird. Besides, what if our doggie turned out to be a champ? The great thing is that if she doesn't, we can spay her and keep her and love her anyway. Our pastor Roger has a champion Shar Pei, Rosie. Roger explained to me that we're going to have to get used to some things if we're showing our dog. Namely, we're going to have to deal with our girl going into heat every 6 months - our doggie will have to wear diapers. Yes, doggie diapers.

Aren't they hilarious?

So that's the news. We're hopefully heading over there again on Thursday (the puppies' 6 week birthday). That means in 2 weeks we'll be bringing home our little baby. Of course I will post new pictures, and maybe by Thursday the pups will have enough personality that we can actually pick ours out! Exciting!

best day ever

Well, we went to visit the breeders and our little puppies again today. They are so busy! They're walking, playing, crying, growling, teething - growing so fast! Last time we saw them they were 2 weeks old and had just opened their eyes. Now they are 4 weeks - they are literally twice as big as they were 2 weeks ago, but as you'll see in the pictures, that's not really saying a lot. We are now choosing between 4 little pups as one is already spoken for. Our breeder friends will be helping us pick the best one for us. We're going back in 2 more weeks to see how they're doing. By then we should have a pretty good idea because their little personalities will really start coming through. It's so exciting!

We had some old friends over for dinner and got to play with their almost 2 year old. Kids grow up really fast - it's amazing. Tonight I think I'm just going to snuggle up with a movie. Long weekend! No work on Monday! Well, enjoy your weekends, and enjoy the pictures!

their first real food! (basically they just licked up the juice then mom came in and devoured all the food)

they're very tiny and very sweet.

they liked hiding under my legs. "if we can't see you, you can't see us."

naptime - couldn't you just die?

and playtime...

how can we possibly choose?

seriously - how!?

Die, Stuart Little, die!

The Border terrier was bred to hunt vermin such as rats, foxes, moles. Can we get our puppy 2 days ago? Saturday evening I was watching LOST with Jas and noticed something move in the darkness of our living room. I figured I was just imagining things. After all, we had just spent the last 3+ hours watching a TV show about things not always being what they seem.

Sunday morning, I get up well before Jason to make some coffee and watch Thursday night's Grey's Anatomy. Out of the closet crawls proof that I wasn't hallucinating the night before. A mouse!

We've noticed now that our little "friend" likes to run between our closet under the stairs (where we keep our Harry Potter) and the big leather sofa on the opposite wall. Since we don't have a little vermin-hunting attack dog yet, we are discussing the following options:

Option 1: Snap or glue traps. The upside to this would be a fairly quick fix. The downside, me having to find this little mouse with his neck all broken or stiff and lifeless on a piece of glue. No thank you.

Option 2: Live traps. The upside is a little more humane solution to our problem. The downside is having to put the trap in our car and drive Miss Daisy one mile away so that it doesn't return.

Option 3: Get someone to come and lay nasty poison down. This isn't really an option right now because neither of us have the time this week to stay at home while some exterminator comes to do his business.

Gross. Can I just say that I keep an extremely, almost obsessively clean house? I guess this is what happens when you live in a city, and in a rowhome to be more precise.

Five more weeks and we'll have a 4 legged mouse hunter extraordinaire! 4 more days til we get to see the little babies again!

I'm out. Like a mouse. What?

something new

So I've decided to start a blog. I've actually started a few blogs, but none of them worked. I didn't have anything to say. Well, my life is about to change pretty drastically. My husband and I are getting a Border Terrier in a few weeks, and I wanted to figure out a way to chronicle our little puppy's life with us. In addition I may write about other things that interest me, like what I'm cooking up or what I'm reading, but for the most part this blog is dedicated to our little pup.

We're getting our puppy from a breeder couple not too far away. They're very nice, totally legit, and more knowledgeable about the breed than anybody. We were there last weekend to meet them and their dogs. We also met 5 two week old puppies - one of which will be ours very soon! When we met them they had just opened their eyes. They couldn't walk, but were doing quite a bit of squirming and squealing.

We're going back next Saturday to visit and see how the little ones are doing. Our breeder said they are now "toddling" - I can't wait! We are going to be choosing between 4 girls and 1 little boy. We're just going to take our time and visit them as much as we can so that we can pick the best one for us. I'll take pictures next time.

Off to put in a chicken and continue watching LOST Season 3. Can't wait for January 31st!

Oh, welcome to dogby :)