Puppy love.

Two years ago today, someone new walked into my life.

This new someone was a bit sad, hadn't had a good meal in days (weeks?) and needed a good, hot bath.

While many of you reading may think it's my significant other {chuckle, snort}, it's Maggie our dog.

I originally met Maggie (then known as Doozie) on February 17, 2007. We (the mister and I) were out running errands together -- odd in and of itself, since we usually fly solo on those trips (with good reason, as I quickly remembered this weekend when he dozed off on an antique settee 15 minutes into a thrifting escapade.). I was dropping off donations of "doggie stuffs" at Liberty Humane Society in Jersey City (an AMAZING shelter in the shadows of the Statue of Liberty. I just hopped over to their web site and spontaneously burst into tears when I read about Henry, who's currently up for adoption.).

As I turned to leave I made eye contact with this black beauty. All seventy pounds of her was tucked in a cage, the only dog in the joint not barking, stretching her paw through the metal bars towards me. Her little cage sign said she was found on Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City on February 15 (hello...my birthday) and that she wasn't available for adoption just yet.

I ran to the car. "Uh...I think you need to come in here. I need to show you something."

The man lit up like a Christmas tree. He grew up with dogs, so this was totally exciting to him. And it was love at first sight. Over the next few days we put ourselves through the "What-Can-But-But" conversations..."What do we do with her if we go away?" "Can we handle the responsibility?" "But we like having no responsibilities!" "But she'll pee and vomit in the apartment!"

When we called back on March 1, not one person had even expressed interest in her (and we know what that means). She was (is) an old lady, at least 7 or 8 at the time from what they could tell, and, "nobody wants an old dog." That was it. We had to have her!

Well, suffice it to say Miss Maggie (formally, Princess Margaret Rose) has never seen it better. Hey...she has a shore house! And even though I found her, I'm totally chopped liver around here. Case in point, Christmas:



I couldn't even get her to look at the camera. She is so. In. Love. (And not with me.)

Maggie has also introduced me to some amazing artists. A couple of months ago, I was over the moon to win a pet portrait on Aimee's (of Aimee'e Petite Maison) wonderful 4 The Love of Animals blog (this lady loves her four-legged friends, which makes me love her!). The uber-talented artist Tabatha Rhodes chose this photo to work with:


And here's the painting:


It is incredible. As good as this photo of the painting is, I don't think it does it justice. You can commission a reasonably priced pet portrait in her Etsy store...you won't be disappointed.

And speaking of Etsy, Puffer Street Progress is a blog I "met" this past year, in the midst of my own home renovation projects (great blog, if you're unfamiliar). Around the December holidays, she posted about her Custom Pet Creations' Etsy store, and I knew I found the perfect gift for lover boy (mine, and Maggie's.). The ornament is incredible...

...and you can even get it done without the little hanger thing if you'd rather your furry friend hang around (on a shelf, for example) all year.

Can you believe these talented ladies? Please keep them in mind for your pet-themed gift giving needs, and please keep your local shelters in mind, too -- for monetary donations, gifts in kind (they need food, bedding , towels and leashes almost always) and adoption. We really can't imagine our lives without Maggie.

Or our carpets without black hair...Or our floors without paw prints...Or our faces without bad doggy breath in them...Or our cabinets without poop bags...