Espresso Stencil

Photo: CosmicEmotions on Etsy

Isn’t this the cutest thing ever?  Imagine waking up to this delightful cup ‘o jo.  We leave you with this happy image before heading into the weekend.  We hope you have a great one!

Top 10 Ways You Know You Are a Pet Parent | #8

Photo: Erin

After a long Memorial Day weekend hiatus (plus a few extra days), here is this week’s hint that you may be a pet parent.

#8:  More than 50% of the photos on your phone are of your dog or other people’s dogs.

Product | Doggles

Given all the rain that we’ve seen in NYC in the past two days, it seems untimely to talk about anything related to the sun or summer.  So let’s rewind and pretend for just a minute that the weather is back to being in the 70’s and sunny…like this weekend.

Now, I’m not entirely sure why a dog would need sunglasses, but I came across these on Daily Kibble the other day and thought they were too hot to pass up.  Here are my favs, paired with a designer set to match.  Check out more here.

Top left:  Doggles Optix Copper Dog Goggles.  $19.99.

Top right:  Tom Ford Ace Plastic Shield Aviators, Havana.  $420.

Bottom left:  Doggles ILS Chrome Dog Goggles.  $25.

Bottom right:  Carolina Herrera Two-Tone Sunglasses, Cream.  $325.

What do you think of doggles?  Cool, or ridiculous?

What to Expect When You Expect to Fly (With Your Dog or Other Small Animal)

Photo: Amber

I’m so excited today for three reasons.  First, it’s Friday, which is reason enough!  Second, we have our first guest contributor.  And third, it’s almost Memorial Day, and that means only one thing:  it’s time for summer travel.

We just booked our flight for a wedding in California, and I am contemplating taking Bailey with us on the plane.  Bailey has never been airborne, which is why I asked Amber, a good friend of mine who has appeared on uptownpuppy a few times, to share her expertise on flying with a small pet.  No one is as experienced as Amber who flies at least every other week (so it seems) and almost all the time, Mindy is flying with her.  Take it away, Amber! …

Top 10 Ways You Know You Are a Pet Parent | #9

Photo: Erin

Here’s today tip on how you know you’re a pet parent.

#9:  The frequency, size, and texture of your dog’s poop is a regular topic of discussion between you and your spouse.

Recipe | Pumpkin Drop Cookies

Spring is here in NYC! All of a sudden, Central Park has become really lush, which moved me to snap this picture. But for me, winter is officially over when M says it’s time for spring cleaning. That happened about 2 weekends ago, and I’m still at it. The problem is that I got stuck on the pantry items that needed to be used up or chucked away, like the extra can of pumpkin puree left over from Thanksgiving. That got me sidetracked into baking things like pumpkin hazelnut donuts and pumpkin tea cakes. And I still had about half a cup of puree left and a kitchen to finish spring cleaning.

Product | Dogsbar

Which one doesn’t belong?

Top 10 Ways You Know You Are a Pet Parent | #10

There are pet owners, then there are pet owners, aka pet parents.  We’re starting a new series called “Top 10 Ways You Know You Are a Pet Parent” to help you decipher which camp you fall into.  Here’s the first tip.

#10:  You talk about your dog the entire time you’re away on vacation.

Photos: Erin

Recipe | Doggie Custard Tarts

I was so impressed with the treats at Three Dog Bakery in L.A. that I decided to bake something from their cookbook, Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way.  Unfortunately, the cookbook doesn’t give away the secrets of the amazing-looking goodies I saw at the bakery, like the sliders, s’mores, and donuts.  (I did get a hint from the woman who worked there, so I’m gonna experiment!)  I wanted to make something that looked like a human treat, and the recipe for “Pawtite Pies” seemed very close to custard tarts–the kind you get from Chinatown.  As it was baking in the oven, it even smelled like a treat fit for humans.

As soon as the tarts cooled, we gave some to Miss Mindy, who took it to the next room to gobble it up in private.  Erin and I couldn’t help ourselves either and took a bite. Ohmygoodness, they were so good that I momentarily considered serving them for brunch this weekend.  Continue for the recipe and more pics.

Dog-sitting Miss Mindy

Since we returned from L.A., M and I have been dog-sitting Miss Mindy.  Boy, was her momma prepared.  Miss Mindy came with her bed, blankie, her 5 favorite toys … even her medical records!  I appreciated all the thoughtfulness in packing Miss Mindy for the stay ’cause in my opinion, over-preparedness is like insurance; something is likely to happen that one time you decide not to buy the extra insurance.  And of course, everything went fine.

But Miss Mindy must’ve felt a bit homesick because she didn’t want to be alone at all.  She napped right by my desk all day, followed me every time I got up, and cozied right next to me whenever I sat on the couch.  I’d call it suffocation if a human did that, but with Miss Mindy, it just melted my heart.

Of course, I had all the goodies I brought from L.A., and Bailey was nice enough to share some s’mores with Miss Mindy.  Erin and I also tried out a new doggie treat recipe, which I’ll share tomorrow.  Stay tuned!