Serving Bowls ~ Serve Snacks with a Smile!

I am so excited!

New ceramic serving bowls are now available in the Pug Notes' line of housewares.
The large size, 10 1/4" w x 6" tall, is perfect for serving from everything from pasta to chips or even fruit!

Emmitt cannot wait to dive in! I tried to explain to him that he has a personalized ceramic dog bowl, but he said he wants them both! :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Fred's fantasy football series starts this weekend. I just love this time of year! What do you have planned? Please leave us a comment and let us know! We would love to hear all about it!

xoxoxo

Melissa and Emmitt

Heart Medallion ~ Add some *Bling* to anything!

I am so excited to release my new Heart Medallions!

These rhinestone studded hearts are a wonderful way to show your love for your pet.

You can choose form any of my 120+ pug, dog or cat paintings. It will be specially made just for you!

They are beautiful, durable and large at 1 3/4" x 1 3/4".

I love that you can add a touch of *bling* to any of your outfits, purses, keychains, backpacks, briefcases or art projects. You can even attach it to your dogs' collars if they do not mind the extra weight. :)

Emmitt smiled when I showed him mine. He knew I picked it because it reminds me of him!

I have 4 more new items to show you over the next few days!

Thanks for letting me share the fun with you!

Groovy Pugs Fabric now Available in 3 Colors!

Purple

Brown

Yellow

I am so excited to release new colors to my "Groovy Pugs" fabric line!

A wonderful rich coffee brown and a delicious plumy purple join the sunny happy yellow to make a rainbow of pug fabrics for you to choose from!

All 3 colors are now available in my Etsy Shop in both yards and fat quarters.

The Groovy Pugs are very excited to be a part of next creative project!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Emmitt and I would love to hear all about any projects you are working on! Please leave a comment and tell us all about it!

My First Go-Over Sweater ~ Completed

I am so excited to show you my first crocheted sweater! It is a "Go Over" Sweater for the Knit-A-Square charity in South Africa.

They are dedicated to keeping children warm through creating blankets out of squares that people knit and crochet and send to them.

Every month they have an additional challenge with a theme that people can participate in.
The new September Challenge is to create "Go-Over" sweaters for the bigger children to wear over their all of their existing clothes like a wearable blanket. One of the KAS members developed and shared her free pattern made out of the squares we already make. We just sew them together in panels and fold longer ones in tubes for arms and it is complete.

Here is my first sweater!

I created the four 10 x 10 front squares to be a child with his/her dog enjoying a sunny day. :)

I sewed them together, created a 20 x 20 square for the back and designed the sleeves to be made in the round. They are 16" long and taper from 48 stitches at the shoulder to 25 at the cuff.

After assembling them, I crocheted a red trim border around the neck, cuffs and bottom of the sweater.

I just love how it turned out! I have already started another one that I will show you soon!

I hope it helps to keep a child very warm and make them smile too!

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!

We are having fun biking, gardening and crafting this weekend!

Here is Emmitt enjoying his day!

Fred has started up the BBQ and the pug is so excited!

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I have some fun new things to show you this week!

I have been busy developing new products, and I will be able to show you the finished pieces as I roll them out!

Stay tuned! :)

Have a wonderful and safe holiday!

xoxoxoxo

Melissa & Emmitt

Fred's Model Train - The Waterfall

I am so excited to show you the waterfall Fred made for his mountain!

It is made out of a resin that you spread out, add some texture to and then let dry. After a few hours, you peel it up and stick it on!

Look how wonderful it is!

You can almost hear the water flow! :)

He is going to make a lake at the bottom, and we will have little people swimming in it soon!

Beside working on his train, Fred's other favorite hobby is to work in his garden.

Here are his first tomatoes...

and teeny tiny carrots!

They were delicious!

I shared a little bit with the pug because tomatoes and carrots are two of his favorite things. So much so in fact, that we had to build a fence around the garden area to keep him out.

Emmitt was so mad when we did that! He used to love to go out and "hunt" for vegetables. Now he goes out and stares at the wooden fence.

I have a funny story about the day we put it in...

Right after the workmen left, Emmitt went out to "hunt" and saw the fence, well, I'll tell ya what, he ran in the house at full speed, burst through his doggy door and stared at us with that death look that teenagers can give you. Fred and I just burst out laughing. Poor puggy. He was so mad, but so cute! He really is an excellent communicator! We got chewed out I tell ya!

No worries though... I always share mine with him!

We are going to hang around and do fun things around the house this holiday weekend. What do you have planned? Please leave a comment and let us know. We would love to hear all about it!

Back to School ~ Care Packages!

Happy September everyone!

I cannot believe it is back to school time already!

It is amazing to see that about half the kids in our neighborhood are not kids any longer! They have grown up and are on their way to college!

It is a very exciting time for both students and parents, but along with the excitement comes a little bit of homesickness too. :)

I remember loving every care package I received from family and friends. The best ones were the ones filled with reminders of my pets that I missed dearly.

A fun way to bring a little home and cheer to the dorm room is to decorate with things that are both fun and functional.

Some popular items that are the pefect way to send a hug and a smile are:

Pillow cases

Key Holders

Clipboards

Key Chains

and Posters in 3 sizes!

All of these items and many more like mugs, plates, and stadium cushions can have any of my over 120+ pug and dog paintings on them to remind your kids of you and of home.

We live near a wonderful college town, Boulder, CO. It is so fun to see all the students and feel the energy and excitement in the air!

Fall is my favorite time of year with the cooler temps, changing leaves and football games. What are your favorite things about this time of year? Please leave us a comment and let us know! We would love to hear!

Emmitt's Wednesday morning...

*Garage door opens ... pug pops to attention!*

oooo! Momma is home!

Is it lunch time?

Does she have groceries?

Nope... it is just a bag from Hobby Lobby.

*Pug brow furrows*

Silly momma, she went in for yarn to finish the "Go-Over" sweater, and came out with a frame for 50% off!

oh look! It says I LOVE YOU! all over it...

and it has Moi in the middle!



OK, momma, I forgive you for not bringing me food. :)

I love you too!

xoxoxoxo

Emmitt

A Sneak Peek at the Go-Over Sweater...

I am having so much fun creating my first "Go-Over" sweater for the September Knit-A-Square Charity Challenge.

Here it is so far. I have created the 4 front 10 x 10 squares and one sleeve.
My idea was to create the 4 square panel on the front to be a child in the sun with his/her dog. :)

I also redesigned the original sleeve design to be crocheted in the round instead of the 2 rectangles to be sewn together so that I would avoid having seams on the sides. I think it worked out pretty well. I wrote it all down, so hopefully my second sleeve will match my first.

I just need to crochet one 20 x 20 inch square for the back and one more sleeve and sew it all together. I am really pleased with how it is turning out.

It is so fun to see it come together! I will keep working and show you how it turns out!

Happy September 1st everyone!