Mosaic Monday: Bone-a- Fide Bandanas

Do you have any dogs (or dog-lovers) on your Christmas list this year? What do you get for the dog who has everything? How about something bright and colorful and personalized with their name?

I had the opportunity to meet earlier this week with Nicole, owner of Bone-a-Fide Bandanas. Nicole is the daughter of my dear friend Robin. She is a smart, capable, savvy 21-year-old with her own business, making personalized bandanas and blankets for the canine set. She has been in business for about a year now, traveling to craft fairs around the state and building her website.

The idea for the business began with the simple bandanas that are given out with a visit to the dog groomer. Nicole thought to improve on the idea by personalizing them, and adding a clean edging with threads in colors that compliment the fabrics. She offers an ever-changing variety of fabrics, too -- everything from camo to cards to chili peppers, and much more. There are also fabrics for major holidays. You can see a few of her Christmas bandanas in one of the photos above.

Modeling a few of Nicole's creations here is Riley, her Jack Russell terrier. The bandanas come in five different sizes, to fit everything from a Chihuahua to a Bernese Mountain dog. In case you were wondering, the photos were taken in Robin's beautiful house. I will have to do another post on that soon. ;)

Best of all, for readers of Little Red House, Nicole is offering 20% off your total order through December 31st. Just use the code REDHOUSE. You may request gift packaging (bone patterned organza bag) by including the word "gift" in the text box which appears with each bandana listed in your shopping cart.

Check out Bone-a-Fide Bandanas for all the doggies on your Christmas list!

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Happy Thanksgiving

Best wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Mosaic Monday: Christmas Cards

This is a somewhat unusual mosaic, but I thought I would show you what I have been working on for the past week -- Christmas cards for my portrait photography business. They are all designed to be printed as 5"x7" flat cards. Two of the designs are made for ornate die cut shaped cards.

Most of the digital papers used here are from Sarah Gardner Photography. The vintage frames and tape are from Florabella. The red bird in card #2 is from The Graphics Fairy.

I will be printing the first card as our family Christmas card this year. And can I tell you a little secret? I have never been this early with my Christmas cards. In fact, some years they just don't get done at all... ;)

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

A Little Bit of Summer

I guess I'm just not ready for the cooler weather yet... :)

Mosaic Monday: A Facelift

OK, so you didn't really think it was me getting the facelift, did you? Not that I wouldn't mind donating an extra chin or two to charity, you know. In fact, now that I look back on the sanctimonious attitude I took toward plastic surgery in my thirties, I shake my head in sorrow. Oh, if only I knew. Nowadays, having a forehead you could bounce a bullet off of doesn't sound like such a horrible thing... lol

Anyway, as you can see, it was our Little Red House getting the much-needed facelift. I actually shudder to show you the before pictures. How truly hideous! The path was pathetic to begin with, but with the tree roots pushing it awry, well... it was dangerous as well as ugly.

It was so exciting to watch the transformation, though, day to day. (Yes, I need to get a life.) I can't tell you how happy we were to simply see the shape of the new path dug out. And as it started to take shape, we became even more ecstatic. Now, we are absolutely giddy to simply walk on it, and find a dozen excuses a day to do so. :)

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Our Daily Bread

circa 1860, found at a local antiques store last month. See you all on Sunday night, for Mosaic Monday. :)

Mosaic Monday: Something Pretty

First of all, thank you so much for all your sweet comments earlier in the week. Things are getting back to normal around here slowly but surely. It's so strange to be even partially without power. All the little things you take for granted -- like light switches and washing machines and cable modems -- are all suddenly useless. I don't think I have ever really appreciated how very difficult life must have been before the advent of electricity. ;)

I wanted my mosaic this week to be cheerful and pretty, so here is a group of flowers from my flickr set My Flower Faves. I have been getting the urge to shoot flowers lately, so I think I may have to see what my supermarket has in stock tomorrow. Yes, I know that I am perverse about enjoying the seasons while they last. I just feel as though I've had an overload of leaves and pumpkins. I need a little something girly. You understand, right?

Here are the instructions to join today's post:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

October Snow

It started on Saturday. I was at my favorite bakery, Cocoluxe, with my dear friend Robin. We were sitting at a table by the window when we saw the first flakes appear. As you can see, the maple trees were still aflame with autumn color.

At first it looked beautiful -- a patchwork quilt of green grass, autumn color, and white snow. For the past three years running, we have had our first snow in late October. Those others were just a dusting, and soon melted, but this one was different.

As the morning progressed, the snow began to accumulate, and I began to hear our small town's emergency sirens go off several times.

Then we lost power.

We have a generator which runs our furnace, well pump, sump pump and kitchen and den lights. The generator kicked in, and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least our pipes would not freeze and our cellar would not flood. My husband had been in Washington D.C. and was scheduled to fly into Newark on Saturday afternoon. He took the train instead, which was probably a good thing. Newark was pretty much shut down by late afternoon. By early evening, we had around 4-5 inches of snow.

Power returned around 2:00 am Sunday. We cheered. But then it went off again at 8:30 am. And it stayed off for the next four days. I spent most of Monday trying to reach someone (anyone) at our propane supplier, to supply the generator. And I went through internet withdrawal. ;)

We were very lucky. We had a warm and dry house. And even though this huge branch came down on our deck, it did not break anything. Driving around on Sunday, we viewed hundreds of downed tree branches, hanging wires and swollen streams. Roads were closed to through traffic, and getting around town entailed several detours and a thorough knowledge of the back roads. Schools and businesses were closed. A few of our surrounding towns cancelled Halloween.

And I ate way too much Halloween candy.

So, how was your week?