Okay, visions of Milkbones danced in her head. This is was from a shoot I did of three golden retrievers yesterday. This one is the youngest at 6months. She has such an innocent face and the personality to go with it. I always like to add an object into the frame after the shoot. I think one of the best things about photographing dogs, especially goldens, is that my girls get to play with the “models” in the yard!

Whenever the woman decides to wear a skirt to go out, one thing that the person must never leave home without is a pair of nylon stockings. This will make the shoes more comfortable to walk on and keep the legs arm should the weather get cold.

This is very ideal for those who are wearing flats and can also be used by those who decide to use high heels. This makes the woman look slimmer and taller when walking around and meeting people.

A good example is the knee-high fishnet nylon stocking by Spanx. This is available in nude, black and chocolate. One pair costs $14.95 and the person doesn’t have to worry about the fit since it is free size.

Hi Knee is another brand that is similar quality to Spanx. The individual can also get knee high nylon stockings for the same price.

The two brands mentioned are just a few of those that are sold locally or abroad. If the customer doesn’t have a particular brand in mind, there will be some things that could overwhelm the individual.

First, there may be some that are cheaper or more expensive depending on the type of fabric used.

Second, some of these brands carry this in small, medium, large and extra large. This means the person will need someone to measure the hips to make sure it will fit properly when it is worn.

There are also other colors aside from the two brands mentioned such as red, blue and burgundy. The individual should look at the outfit on top first then work the way down to the shoes.

When the woman knows what type of nylon stockings are ideal when wearing high heels, the individual will just have to decide whether to make an order online or choose from the different brands on the department store shelf.

There are also nylon stockings available that are either below the knee or a little above the ankle. Women who decide to wear high heels will look silly wearing the anklet type so it is best to choose something longer that will go with the skirt.

The demand for nylon stockings will always be there as long as people prefer to wear skirts with high heels. This may be something minor when looking at a person from a distance but this plays a part in showing one’s individuality all the way from head to toe.

The temperature’s dropped, the fire’s lit, the tree is up… Christmas is on its way & The Dog House is stocked full of festive hand printed goodies!

Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

Who can forget the first ever Simpsons Christmas Special, when Homer & Bart bring home abandoned greyhound, Santa’s Little Helper? Inspired by Simpsons character & infamous animated greyhound, ‘Santa’s Little Helper’, I have created a range of  seasonal prints for both dogs & their families!

From stocking fillers to stockings…

Last Christmas my eldest rescue greyhound, Max, received a pair of novelty doggy reindeer antlers in his stocking. Photographed in his festive headgear, I can assure you that Max received lots of turkey titbits in exchange for his co-operation!

I converted the photograph of Max to a monochrome image (using the technique described in this tutorial), & created a printing screen of the image, along with the caption ‘Santa’s little helper‘. I  hand screen printed my new design onto cotton bags, doggy bandanas, stockings & baby hats using non-toxic fabric ink. (The ink has been fixed using heat, making it resistant to machine washing at 40°C, dry cleaning & ironing on a cotton setting.)

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER hand printed snow white and crimson red on festive green organic cotton tote bag

This festive tote measures 36 x 40 cm with a depth of 8 cm & long handles for carrying over the shoulder. It is made of 100% certified organic cotton twill in festive green & carries the EarthPositive® label, having been ethically made using a climate neutral process.

The image & text are printed in snow white ink, with the greyhound’s nose picked out in crimson red. Stylish, super practical & eco-friendly, this bag is the perfect seasonal accessory for any greyhound lover!

The bag costs $17 (approximately £11)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER hand printed white on red cotton doggy bandana

This triangular bandana measures approximately 50 x 50 x 75 cm, making it suitable for any medium or large sized dog. It is made of 100% cotton in crimson red with the text printed in contrasting snow white.

This festive bandana is the perfect seasonal accessory for your hound this Christmas!

The bandana costs $13 (approximately £7)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER hand printed cotton Christmas stockings

These stockings measure 32cm (heel to toe) x 43cm (height) & are made of 100%  cotton with contrasting stitching detail at the edges. The text & images are printed in bright festive coloured ink.

Why not stuff one brimful of doggy treats & toys & spoil your hound rotten this Christmas!

The stockings cost $15  (approximately £10) each* & are available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER hand printed snow white on festive green organic cotton baby knot hat size small

This adorable baby  hat is size small (circumference 45″, length 40″) & is knotted at the top. It is made of 100% organic combed cotton in khaki, with the text in contrasting white. The fabric is super-soft, making it gentle against young sensitive skin.

Perfect for keeping little elves’ heads cosy and snug at Christmas time!

The hat costs $15  (approximately £10)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER hand printed snow white on crimson red cotton Santa sack

This sack measures 38cm (w) x 43cm (h) & has a drawstring closing. It is made of 100% cotton in crimson red with the image & text printed in contrasting snow white ink.

The sack costs $15  (approximately £10)* & is available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

PAW PRINT & XMAS TREATS hand printed cotton drawstring pouches

These pouches measure 10cm (width) x 13cm (height) & have a drawstring at the top. They are made of 100% cotton in either crimson red or festive green with the text / image printed in glistening white. They slip nicely over your wrist or into your pocket.

These brightly coloured little pouches are perfect for storing your dog’s holiday treats in. Why not spoil them with something extra special over the festive period!

The pouches cost $6  (approximately £4) each* & are available to purchase from my Etsy shop.

*Special Promotion

Blog readers are elligible for FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING on all Christmas items at The Dog House. Simply copy & paste the url of this post into the ‘note to seller’ upon check out & I will refund the shipping costs via PayPal. (This offer is valid until 25th December 2009.)

Ensure your purchase arrives in time for Christmas by ordering before 9th Dec (international customers) / 20th Dec (UK customers).

5% of the profits from the sale of all these items will be donated to  my local greyhound rehoming charity, Gracehounds (Scottish Registered Charity No. SC038872).

Happy Christmas from Max, Molly & me!

Our family is dealing with a stomach bug that seems to be making its way around the house.  Thankfully, I remembered to move him before I finally fell asleep at 3 AM this morning.  And glad I did too!  My daughter said she was concerned he wouldn’t move, since we were up all night!

I’ll post a picture later, but this morning, our elf was found asleep in a stocking on the mantel, keeping a watchful eye on everyone.

Here’s to everyone’s health!  There is just no time to be sick over the holidays!

Heavy stockings hang

Above the fire bulging with

Brightly wrapped presents.

Get your GEEK on: Stocking a shop
Although quite a bit less geeky than usual in the intellectual sense, this topic is geeky in the most particular wine geeky slant of detailing the minutia of selecting wine and stocking the Lush shelves. In the interest of imbibing honesty and being open to the new neighborhood and the gorgeous expanse of space at the brand spanking new LUSH West Town, this little note is a window into the collective workings of a lush…

So, it’s been a few months since we anticipated opening the shop on Chicago Avenue. Instead of waiting and wishing, which we did a fair bit of anyway, we occupied our time compiling a comprehensive, tailored list of bottles that would debut on the shelves. Agonizing wait, fun list! With two established LUSH shops and several years of practice, we narrowed our spectrum and focused on the juice that we are lusting after, thoroughly enjoying and drinking more than just once, and that may be extremely limited in availability. Alas, not everything we want can hit the shelves immediately, but since we shift with the seasons and concentrate on neighborhood preferences, eventually we may get all the wines that keep us mesmerized and asking for more! So, with all those blank shelves, play away we did. Consider this moment as LUSH becoming more lush-y…courtesy, of course, of your support, flexibility, challenges, curiosity, and patronage.

On the wall, we definitely made room to toss up our favorites (Thackery and Dagueneau to name a few), yet made sure to squeeze in a column or two of super obscure producers, regions and grapes…delving into Slovenia, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria, Israel, Croatia, and Lebanon…but also expanding our array of German, French, Spanish and Italian wine, whittling down Australia and the Americas to our favorite producers and special bottlings. We got a bit carried away with intriguing production techniques that include native yeast fermentation, carbonic maceration, aging in sunken concrete vessels or even amphora…winemakers pushing the limits of innovations, but also respecting and utilizing traditional methods. Making an appearance as well, back vintages and cellared selections. And, not only did we go over the deep end of wine geek, but scrounged up all the exotic, weird, and allocated brews available in Chicago, too. Lip zinging sour lambics, barrel aged monsters, limited edition bottlings; why yes, we do have a couple Sam Adams Utopias 2008 release; spiced brews, and extra teensy tiny micro-breweries. Two beer coolers give us more creative license and a column of ‘cellar reserve’ selections. All the libations that make us giggle and Twitter, blog and most importantly, share and educate. Chat us up about our endeavors into the more esoteric wines, and look for them at each of the LUSH shops. Can you tell we are excited? Yep. Lushes at play!

Cheers,

rd

Santa, I’ve been a really good girl this year. Actually, I’ve been good for quite a few years, yet I haven’t seen hide nor hair of you. How about making up for lost time with a few items from my Wish List?

• What’s on your wish list?

Personalised jewellery is great, isn’t it? It’s wonderful knowing you have something unique and special to you. Katarina Louise is a new designer who is quickly becoming known for her personalised pieces. And it’s not just my eye she’s caught, pop princess Pixie Lott has recently been quoted in Glamour magazine singing the praises of Katarina’s designs: ”My make-up artist gave me a pendant with a ‘P’ tile from Scrabble on it by an Australian designer called Katarina Louise. It’s my favourite piece.” Pixie has been seen out and about wearing her Scrabble jewellery and even on magazines covers!

If you fancy a bit of Pixie’s style then you’re in luck- Florals and Cupcakes has several pieces from Katarina Louise’s range to give away. First prize is a Scrabble necklace and ring set and second prize is a Scrabble ring. The winner will, of course, receive the prize in a letter of their choice. To enter and be in with a chance of winning, leave a comment on this post. Two winners will be drawn on Wednesday 9th December.

The Scrabble designs and the new winter collection are available to buy on www.katarinalouise.com . Priced between £5 and £20, these special pieces make the perfect Christmas gifts and stocking fillers.

Have a look at Pixie rocking her rings and necklaces and make sure you enter the competition!

The only thing that could possibly tarnish my Christmas day morning, is stepping on Barbie or a Transformer in my socks – OUCH!

Livingetc.com has decided to bring order to toyland with 7 décor-friendly storage solutions for children’s rooms.

Here’s one of my favourite ideas.

1) It makes great use of redundant space – no nook and cranny should go to waste when kids’ room storage is involved!

2) It allows their favourite toys to be kept on display, while other bits and bobs can be tucked away in those handy drawers.

3) It’s the perfect cosy reading spot (… or place to tear open those presents from Father Christmas!)

roomenvy - cute children's room storage idea

Oh yes ladies and gentleman, we are officially in the Christmas season. And what happens on the 1st December?? Well it is time for you start preparing for the big day…. and what better way to start than by purchasing some of the all important decorations for your home. So here is a few to get you in the mood and get you off to a good seasonal start.

Christmas Stockings by PALAIS

I thought I would start the first of my christmas decoration blogs with the good old Christmas Stocking. These symbols of christmas have come along way.. I recall when it just used to a prim with a photograph of a “rl” stocking on it !! So I am pleased to say PALAIS has moved on alot from those days and have come up with customizable furry beauties.

Their range of stockings will appeal to all avi’s young and old – and are the perfect accompaniment for the fire place. What I love about these stockings is a) they are only 3 prims but look like they should be more; and b) they play a short rendition of Silent Night when touched – not automatically I hasten to add, there is a script to confirm you want the tune to play – so there i sno chance of accidently touching it whilst camming and it continually playing along lol.

Available in fully custom, or you can choose from one of the pre-made named ones – these stockings are a definite bargain as some are available on the lucky chair too! Yes…. FREEBIE. Lol. And whilst your down there dont forget to put yourself into the raffle to win a free bed or rug – you could have a “loving” christmas :b

STORE:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Palais/43/122/33

With More to Come from PALAIS – Emerald x

]]> http://girlhighheels.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/today%e2%80%99s-high-heels-pictures-01-12-2009/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:00:41 +0000 girlhighheels http://girlhighheels.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/today%e2%80%99s-high-heels-pictures-01-12-2009/ ]]> http://500smiles.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/reason-to-smile-11-christmas-decorations/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:51:02 +0000 amelia http://500smiles.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/reason-to-smile-11-christmas-decorations/

Tomorrow is December 1 and you have probably noticed Christmas decorations springing up. A friend of mine once said that you can tell it is Christmas time when Tim Hortons starts using their Christmas cups.

I have started noticing the decorations in the various retail stores. At work the other day we set up our Christmas tree. Of course there are also the decorations inside and outside of people’s houses.

At the place where my boyfriend stays, the family has set up their Christmas decorations. For the first day when the decorating started it was boxes and decorations everwhere, like Christmas literally exploded in the living room.

I just love Christmas decorations, and of course putting up the decorations. I remember growing up we would set up our Christmas tree and decorations in early November. So many good memories of decorating our house. My grandma lived upstairs so the cousins would get together to decorate the tree. We would turn on the Christmas music, sip hot chocolate, and sort through all of my grandma’s multiple ornaments.

Oh, and of course, I remember hanging up my stocking and imagining what Santa was going to bring that year. I also had one of those Christmas countdowns, where you pulled a candy cane out of one of Santa’s pockets everyday that it got closer to Christmas.

Whether or not you have your Christmas tree all decorated already or not. I hope you will take some time to enjoy the decorations around where you live and smile.  : )

We had a terrific Thanksgiving weekend.  T flew back on Saturday and all his flights were on time.  Sydney searched his room when we came home without him.  She hasn’t quite figured out where he goes  :-)

I LOVE having extended knitting/stitching time!  The last cloth of the Christmas set is finished.

I made a few changes so the cloths would look like a set.  To make it roughly the same size I cast on an extra stitch, used a five row/four stitch seed-stitch border and subtracted one stitch from the body pattern to center it up.  Another very nice, quick and clean knit.  And, here’s the whole set.

Christmas Dishcloth Set

I’ve joined the Christmas Design Stitch-Along hosted by YoYo at Dragon My Needle.  Before December 1, we send her a picture of a Christmas design we’d like to stitch over the coming year.  The plan is to stitch 1/12 of your design each month so that by December 2010 you have a finished design for Christmas.  Each month we’ll send in a picture for a progress check.  And, of course, I’ll be posting updates here.  This is my first online SAL (except for the Totally Useless SAL) and I’m looking forward to it.  More details tomorrow.

Thanks for coming by and visiting.  I hope you have a great day!

I looked in my stocking

to search for a bone

It  just isn’t enough

to be spoiled at home

What do my wondering eyes see

Mommy decorating the tree

I stare with my puppy eyes

Whatever I want, she won’t deny

Now, full of treats

I’m off to my den for a peaceful sleep