We’ve got 8 fur babies in the house right now!

Bond & Shere Khan (our resident cats):

Jerry, Elaine & George (5 week old foster kittens):

Katara (our not-so-little resident puppy):

Cash & Romeo (7 week old foster pups – Husky & German Shepherd mix):

Our place is a ZOO and I love it! I also love that I married a man who enjoys it as much as I do and supports my habit.

Thank you all for your support with our loss and for understanding my break from the blog. The grief still punches me in the stomach many times a day and it takes me a moment (or hour) to recover but we are healing slowly. We miss him and love Trigger every moment of every day and we appreciate the love from you all.

Life however doesn’t take too kindly to breaks and while we gave ourselves a week or two, it came back at us full speed. My business is busier than ever (and it’s exciting!) and I’ve been spending a lot of my time volunteering at the shelter (we currently have 3 very cute foster kitties stinking up our guest bathroom in case anyone is interested) and then of course planning the wedding. The house hunt was on hold for awhile but we’re back at it and while we’re being picky, we know we’ll find the right one for us and all furbabies present and future.

I got an email the other day asking if I wanted to attend a special event at Blo Austin, the latest location of a very fun and practical concept of salons – no cut, no color. Just a shampoo and a fun style. I immediately said yes because I needed it to pull me out of my ponytail and smelly animal clothes funk and I’m so glad I did.

The salon is just plain adorable and all the ladies (and guys) are the sweetest. They gave me a ‘Hair Menu’ to look through and I chose the ‘Red Carpet’ look. Ashanti was sweet and did a great job on my blowout!

Before (forgive the unwashed, unstyled hobo look):

After…blown away! (sorry couldn’t resist):

Blo also gave me a bag full of goodies like yoga classes and coupons for future blowouts (in case anyone is interested!) and a trial of the hairspray they used, Aerogel, which is incredibly light and soft. And some fun pink cotton candy – I was tickled pink! Seriously, I must quit with the puns. I blame the champagne. Kidding. Don’t drink and drive, kids.

But DO go out and get your hair did at Blo – they are doing $21 blowouts tomorrow on their opening day! They also offer updos and birthday or bachelorette parties and even come out for events to you. They have locations all over Cali, Florida and TX.

This inspired some much delayed outfits posts:

Skirt, Shoes, Bangles, Belt, Purse: All thrifted and around a couple bucks or less each. Top: Old Navy, also a couple bucks. My whole outfit was like $8-10 I just realized. Score!

Have a blessed weekend!

Meet Momma’s Personal Weapon: Trigger.

He’s not much now, we know. In fact he resembles a fuzzy teddy bear according to the masses of cooing women (can ya blame them?). But one day….watch out! Momma brag – He’s a purebred long-haired German Shepherd – and comes from one of the strongest champion lines in the U.S..

We, along with the kitties are adjusting the addition of our newest furbaby and my first ever dog. Wowza.

We had ourselves a picnic (indoors) yesterday with all of them to celebrate Rani, Bear’s beautiful dog, who passed away a few years ago:

Wore my mom’s old skirt with my new chambray shirt to ward off the chills from the rain. So comfy! I think I might also turn this into the occasional dress.

Hope you all had a fabulous Labor Day Weekend!

Here are a few of my clients: some are old, some are feisty, some are super sweet and some a bit crazy but so far they have taught me a whole lot. Most importantly that I’m right where I want to be.

(Their tongues are all out because Auntie Sandhya likes to make them run around – I’ve lost and kept off 7 pounds!)

Smell ya later!

We had a jungle-themed party for our youngest furbaby, Shere Khan, all weekend long with drop-in visits from both our parents and a pizza party on Friday night:

confused about decorations

yes, that’s my shoddily made coconut in the background, don’t judge

shere khan means tiger king…she’s a queen, obvs.

made sure 007 didn’t feel left out

restin with papa before the spoilfest

jungle cupcake-cake!

cake for Bond and SK – butter, milk and treats!

ROAR! i mean…yaaaawwwwn.

For Bear’s 3rd Birthday/Father’s Day weekend we ate too much and now have a fridge full of takeout boxes.

First, the Etsy Craft party which was a ton of fun and had an endless supply of delicious food. I made Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

but I’m mad at myself because I forgot to put in the mini peanut butter cups in the middle! Grr.

Didn’t take a lot of pictures AT the party because I was too busy making cute things. But I did get pictures of my outfit before I left:

< shoes are Baker’s but I got them at Savers for $10; dress from Old Navy; belt  $2.50, thrifted; necklace from garage or estate sale; ring from F21, $4.50 >

….then a weekend full of

Fathers

homemade salsa

playing with the furbabies

and shopping for more hangers. Oops.

This apartment was once just mine. Today as we (okay, Bear) painted my red wall back to white, I recounted the story of painting it with an awkward co-worker who may or may not have had a crush on me. I had taken the tape off too quickly and the result was a splotchy but brilliant wall which I promptly covered with black and white photographs from my adventures.

The accent wall was my first sassy step into yuppie-dom. It was the premiere of my total and utter independence. Calm and clean. A time when it dawned on me that if I wanted to bring a boy over or eat in the middle of the night or take showers while drinking ice cold bottles of water (necessary ritual when I was hungover), I could and no one would question me.

I think back to all the memories this apartment holds: coming home after my first and then-exciting business trips, ex-boyfriends, when I brought Bond home and it was just us two, after-parties that spilled over from a night of dancing at Deco. It saddens me to think about the end of a chapter in my life where adulthood hadn’t yet fully overthrown my college days.

But the best thing I ever put on that red wall was this note Bear gave me the day I quit:

< “I love you and will forever be your partner, your punching bag, your sweet-toothed friend and your right-hand man.” >

And crazily enough for an only child, I happily welcome the responsibilities and chaos of a growing home and the benefits of having roomies who depend on me, take over my bed and are always curious about what I’m doing. The black and white one that continues his precious adoration. The tiger who wakes me up by licking my eyelids because she wants to cuddle. And the tall, dark and handsome one that makes the lonely and dark nights (yes, I’m still afraid of living alone) much less lonely and dark.