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?

Product | Dogsbar

Which one doesn’t belong?

A Food Tour of L.A.

I’ve never been a fan of L.A.  But this time around, I’ve been enjoying myself here in the City of Angels.  Downtown L.A. is apparently going through a revitalization, and a focus on the culinary experience has been an important part of that renaissance.  Thank goodness, because we’re staying right smack in the middle of downtown.  I’ve been making regular trips to Bottega Louie for their perfect macarons and my daily carb-fix.  SugarFish gave my go-to sushi place in New York a run for its money.  Our take-out, which came in a specially-designed box, included a postcard with very specific instructions on how to eat each sushi.  Of course.

Despite all that downtown has to offer, I still drove 30 minutes for the acclaimed ramen at Mitsuwa (and 30 minutes back).  And another 30 minutes for the most addictive tacos at King Tacos.  And of course, I had to make a special trip for Bailey.

Product | Yummy Bowl by Sleepypod

Image: Milk Dog

We’re going away for a short trip to Philly for an old college friend’s wedding this weekend, and we decided to bring Bailey with us.  We usually don’t bring her along, but because S and I have been working late nights and will be gone on vacation in a couple of weeks, we wanted to treat her with a little getaway.

I’ve been thinking about getting a travel bowl for Bailey because it’s such a pain wrapping up her ceramic bowls and carrying them around to and fro.  After some research, I decided to get the Yummy Bowl by Sleepypod.  Not only is it super functional, I love the cheerful design. Here’s a quick breakdown of how it works.

Product | Zoe’s Premium Dog Food

Photo: Erin

A few weeks ago, my BIL sent me an article about Nancy, a woman in Brooklyn who started Zoe’s Premium, a human-grade dog food brand. She, like Jen, has an inspiring story of quitting her corporate job and following her entrepreneurial instincts.  I can relate to Nancy on many levels: she, too, was a former architecture student, has a dog who suffers from skin allergies, and is into whole foods and nutrition.  Things like “farm to table” and “preservative-free” get me excited.

Product | Mascot Collars on One Kings Lane

With spring officially upon us, and Memorial Day and the Hamptons ahead, these collars are apropos.  They’re over 50% off at One Kings Lane, so grab these (and other designs) before they’re gone!

Image: One Kings Lane

Top: Nothing says summer like jelly.  Waterproof and antimicrobial, these are perfect for the beach. $9 (orig. $20).

Middle: This one’s for Bailey.  Orange, of course. $9 (orig. $20).

Bottom: Get ready to show your patriotism on the Fourth of July. $15 (orig. $38).

Le Corbusier for Dogs

A friend who shares my love of midcentury modern and saw my post on modern dog beds alerted me to these dog chairs in the style of Le Corbusier. Pretty close, eh?

Le Corbusier was genius for thinking to reverse the frames and cushions of the sofa. Er, I shouldn’t say “sofa,” given that Le Corbusier once said, “Chairs are architecture; sofas are bourgeois.”

Left: LC3 Grand Modele Armchair, from $3,200
Right: Dog Sofa, from $278, available at dogbar.com

Products | Modern Dog Beds

M and I recently moved to an apartment on the UWS, and I’ve been researching furniture for the new place.  I’m naturally drawn to midcentury modern furniture, and fortunately, it looks good even in prewar apartments.  The clean lines make some of the apartment’s older details like crown mouldings less fussy.  And I love how the use of natural materials softens the minimalism of modern designs.  The look is simple, yet warm; not too stark and not too rustic.  So I got excited when I spotted dog beds that fit my style aesthetic–furniture designers are finally starting to pay attention to the four-legged residents in our homes!  I’ve paired a few dog beds with some of my favorite modern classics:

Top: dog pod by vurv design $598; cherner side chair $749

Middle: cemia from ligne roset price upon request; suite by forma italia price upon request

Bottom: ellipse dog bed by vurv design $878; wegner shell chair $2,585-$3,495

Pooch-ini

It’s amazing how the weather can transform the city.  Yesterday was so beautiful, and it seemed like everybody was outside.  We even ran into this fashion celebrity at the UWS Shake Shack!

Shake Shack is one of our favorite eateries in NYC.  S and I bonded over many Shack burgers years ago during our first summer in the city, and now every time we go, he says that we need to get the Pooch-ini for Bailey.  What is a Pooch-ini?  Or rather, what’s in it?

Read here:

Photo: Erin

Maybe it was the weather, but I decided that we could bring Bailey with us to indulge her just this once.

Biscuits are old news for Bailey.  She went straight for the peanut butter sauce and ice cream.  I love how it’s all over her face.

The remains:

Bailey devoured her pre-dinner treat, but I’m pretty sure she was a little more sluggish than usual on the way home.  Don’t get too used this, kiddo!

The Cost of Dog Ownership

Photo: Erin

We had a dear friend over for dinner this weekend, and we talked about a statistic she recently came across.   Apparently, the average cost of owning a medium-sized dog over the dog’s lifetime is $17,000.  We both thought that this was way below what we expected to spend on our own dogs.  So of course, I had to do the math.

I dug up old records, looked through all my transactions (thank you, Mint.com!), and parsed through line items on receipts.  I calculated how much I spent in the past 5 years and estimated how much we’ll end up spending if Bailey lives to be 15 (the average life expectancy of a schnauzer).  Here’s where we stand: