My Super Bowl Sunday

Oh sometimes I'm just soooo funny!!

Last week I was commissioned by my boss to make a fabric bowl for her wedding...eeek.  I mean, thanks for the confidence, but this is a wedding we're talking about.  Of course I was up for the challenge...I mean anytime I can play with my pretty fabric,

 look through my sewing books/magazines to find that pattern I KNOW I saw at some point,

 and have my bully helpers

...I'm a happy girl.

Oooh don't forget about Pinterest....gotta search that out too.  Oh the hours that get wasted there right??

Sweet!  Now I have plans for the weekend!!

Saturday I tried playing with two different patterns & but I wasn't totally in love...in fact I absolutely hated one.

(HATED this one!)

So on Sunday, I decided...well, hey it IS Super Bowl Sunday....might as well try again!!!

And bowl did I?

(my boss picked two of these for her wedding)

These were my favorite & turned out best.  They are actually a pattern for a bowl holder/potholder (think put this in the microwave & then a bowl on top of it, so then when you take it out of the microwave, you don't burn yourself....genius right??  Oh how I love the internets.)

Now granted, not all my bowls turned out as planned, but I tried & it was something I've never sewn before, so now of course I want to sew more bowls!  Maybe I'll have a few more Super Bowl Sundays in my future!  :0)

Doc says, "oh Momma Jinny, Momma Jinny....you make preeeetttty bowls."

Happy 2014!!!

So how is everybullly doing??  We're almost 1 month into 2014 already, which is hard to believe but considering how horribly cold it's been lately, I'm ready for February to start because that means we're one month closer to warmer weather....I hope anyway.

The bullies (& Pippa) are spending the cold days snuggled together,

 or carefully navigating the bully highway in the backyard.

I've been avoiding the cold/snow whenever possible...I mean, it's just so cold & there's just so much snow!

 (Photo of a 3 story parking ramp & the snow pile on the side...that pile won't be gone until June I swear.)

Sure, it's pretty....but enough is enough!

So to avoid the snow, I've been sewing...I even sewed myself some items last weekend.  My mom is teaching me how to crochet--which really is a great craft to do in front of the TV!!  So I made myself a crochet hook roll & bag to hold all my yarn.

In case you couldn't figure it out...I'm a big fan of dots...lots of dots.  And chevrons (you know the zig zags--did you know it had a real name?) are probably my second favorite print!  :0)
 
I hope everybully is doing well & staying warm!!

Happy 2014!!!!

Big Day at the Blue Line House!!

Today is Vivian's 5th birthday!!!! 

Happy Birfday Pretty Lady!!!  Hope you did lots of fun things 

& enjoyed your McDonald's!!

Today is also Steve & my 13th wedding anniversary!  Crazy how fast time flies!

Happy Anniversary Babe!!  Love you!!!

....and With that Win....A Reflection...

I'm happy to announce that Vivian is now a Grand Champion!!! 

Back in June, on a quiet Thursday morning, Vivian went Select Bitch at the Cambridge show which--in a very uncermoniously fashion--gave her her Grand Champion title.

Last June when Vivian got her Championship title, it was such a urphoric feeling that I couldn't stop smiling for WEEKS!!  Friends cheered for us ringside when it happened because they knew she just needed that last win!  There were hoops, hollers, & tears!  It was what I had been working so hard for.  It was amazing!!

However, the Grand Championship title was bittersweet.  There wasn't any cheering, there wasn't any big fan fare, hell no one but me even knew she got her Grand Championship.  It seems it's just the peril of this title.  While I'm still very proud of it, of all the work we've done in her show career, the Grand Championship really allowed me to show her for another year....which I'm very grateful for as I loved every second of it!!

This win meant, after showing her for 4 years, we were done.  She's retired from the conformation ring.  No more 430am wake ups for a 2 hour road trip, for a 2 minute prance around the ring.  I know it doesn't sound like fun, but it is...err...was.

While I've only been showing for 5 years (I showed Doc for a bit first), showing, or bulldogs have been such a big part of my life.  I've made great friends from all across the country, I've seen the best in people & the worst in people.  I've learned I DO have a competetivie side--even if I didn't like how it made me feel at times (when we lost).  Hahaha  I've learned so much about the breed, the breed standard, what I like in some bulldogs, what I don't like in others. 

I've learned this "hobby" of mine totally sucks you in and has so many impacts....

-Planning your (non-dog show) vacations--"ummm I can't go then, it's our specialty."

-Wedding RSVP's--"ooh yeah, I won't make it, it's a dog show weekend."

-Friendships--"to fellow dog show friends: are you going to Duluth, Des Moines, Fargo (aka any "dog show town")"--to non-dog show friends: "ummm yeah, that's the weekend I'll be in Duluth, Des Moines, Fargo, etc"

-Shoe & Clothing Purchases--"can I bend over, stack, & kneel in that?" Or "I can't wear white, it will clash with my dog."  Or "oh this is my dog show blazer....I don't get THIS dressed up for work."

Heck!  Showing bulldogs is how my passion for sewing started!  If it wasn't for Vivi going into heat & needing panties...well...I don't know that I'd have an entire room dedicated to my sewing!  Sewing panties, grew into cool collars, cool jackets & belly bands!  Quickly I found out I had a talent for sewing & added many items to my "line" of goodies!  It's so cool because of Vivi, bulldoggers & non-bulldoggers across the country have items I've sewn!!  That's crazy to me!!

I have no doubt I'll be back in the conformation ring some day--whether helping friends or with a dog of my own.  I also have no doubt I'll be able to take some time (to sleep in on the weekends) & get Vivi and Howie into some obedience classes....no for real Steve, I will.

With all this being said, I couldn't help be think of how much of my life dog shows have been in one aspect or another.  Obviously, I couldn't have continued on this path without the support of Steve--Vivi's biggest cheerleader!  My parents, in-laws & non-dog show friends who have supported me, wanted to learn about the shows, were there for my biggest wins & losses--I couldn't have done any of this without you!  My dog show friends--you have been such a big part of my life for the last 4 years...without your mentoring, shopping (Hobby Lobby anyone?), laughs & of course understanding of this love...I would not have a Grand Champion--all points put on her by me by the way--on my couch! 

Lastly, to those of you who have read my blog or visited my site--when I was posting often & even when I haven't--reading about my dog show adventures & enjoying the photos have been so awesome!  Thank you for taking the time to include my stories in your life!

So thank you!  Thank you all so much! 

With Love-

Vivi & her momma

Happy Birthday Doc!!!

Oh what a happy day!!!  Today is Doodle's 7th (can you believe it?) birthday!!! 

(Doc today!  7 years young!)

I'm not sure where the last 5 years (that we've had him) went, but they have certainly flew by since we celebrated his 2nd birthday with us!!!

(Doc's 2nd birthday-2008)

He really hasn't changed much in personality in the last 5 years years...he's always been our mellow fellow

with sudden bursts of energy!

He's a nut & I'm so glad that I KNEW he wasn't going to leave the minute he was at my house!  He's such a great dog & is the best big brofur to Howie, Vivi

& Pippa!

Awww Doodle, we love you so much buddy!  We hope you have a great new year!!

Happy Flag Day!!!!

Today is Flag Day! 

My favorite holiday!!! 

Display your flags proudly like the bullies do!

Life isn't fair...

Today's post is not easy.  My heart aches from the loss of my kitty Law.  He passed very unexpectedly almost 2 weeks ago & today we got the call that he's ready to come home.  The tears flowed again at that news, but at least he'll be home again.

Law was the prettiest & sweetest kitty I've ever had.  He came to us in a very special way almost 12 years ago & he was the first addition to our family that was "ours."  (Sassy was mine before we were married.)  Once named, DJ, Steve agreed to Law joining our family if he could rename him.  I said, of course!

Law was not your typical graceful cat.  When he'd jump off things you'd hear a loud THUD...you never needed to guess where he was.  When you walked, he usually tried to trip you...not to be funny, he just didn't get the walking ahead of you thing.  He was picky when it came to his water bowl...it NEEDED to be fresh water or he'd turn his nose up at it.

But he was the SWEETEST, SWEETEST boy!  

He would not run & hide when people came to visit the house.  He would greet you at the door when you'd come home & meow something I swear sounded like "mommas home!"  He wasn't phased by the bulldogs joining the family either...he wasn't their best friend, but not afraid of them either.

He loved helping me make the bed!   Every time I put fresh sheets on the bed, he'd make sure he was under all the sheets & when I fluffed the sheets, he'd attack. 

He also loved to sneak outside & walk around the deck.  He was never an outdoor cat, but he sure wanted to be!  In fact, our last day together he did get outside & I walked around the snowy deck with him & I'm so glad I did.

He was not, however, picky when it came to where he slept!  The tub, the dogs' pillows, boxes...he didn't care!  He was cool like that.

After Sassy passed in January, Law was my velcro kitty & never left my side.  He even took over Sassy's spot in the sewing room.  Always so thoughtful of others.  He missed her as much as I did & we needed each other.

And while he welcomed Pippa to the home, he was never really himself after Sassy was gone.

 

The ONLY solace in losing Law, is now he is with his bestie again.

LawLaw-we miss you very much & hope Sassy & Ollie have been showing you around the Rainbow Bridge.  Miss you buddy!  It's just not the same without you here.