My Own Calling Cards!!!

For months now, I've been trying to convince my mom that I need my own calling cards.  I have therapy dog cards, but I wanted cards with my blog, Facebook, Instagram and email addresses to give to people we meet in non-therapy settings.  People are always asking dad for my blog address, so now he can just give them one of my cards.  And next year Blog Paws will be held in Virginia, which means we are definitely going, and I'll definitely need calling cards to give to everyone I meet there.

My cards came in the mail last weekend, and they look fantastic!

They look very professional

But it's hard to read them upside down

Mom ordered the cards for me from Moo.com.  She signed up for a free trial of SmugMug, and that's how we found out about Moo.com.  (SmugMug has partnered with Moo.com to do business cards.)  You can order facebook cards (for a limited time, you can get 50 for free, you only have to pay shipping - this is a GREAT deal) or regular business cards.  We couldn't decide which to get, and since the facebook cards were free, we ordered a set of both.

The ordering process of selecting photos and text was fairly simple, so even my mom was able to figure it out.  Mom really liked that she was given the option to print out and proof-read the final version of the cards before placing the order.  

The prices were very reasonable.  I got 50 two-sided business cards (photo on one side, info on the other) for $22.99 plus $7.75 for standard shipping, and the Facebook cards (a box of 50) were free.  Since we weren't in a hurry, we selected standard shipping.  We ordered the cards on September 10 and they came on September 15, much sooner than the promised delivery date of September 21.  

The cards came in nice little boxes made from recycled pulp.  The facebook cards were made from paper from sustainable forests, and the business cards were made from 100% recycled paper.  The cards looked and felt very high quality, and the pictures turned out wonderfully.  I can't comment on how they taste since I haven't yet sampled one.   

The cards come in these nice little boxes

The pictures on the cards look great

If you order using this link, you get 10% off and I get $7.50 off my next order.

They also do greeting cards, post cards, and address labels.

This post is entirely my own opinion.  Moo.com didn't ask me to write this, nor did they compensate me in any way (although I may get money off my next order if anyone places an order using the link above).  I'm writing this post just to share info about an excellent product that may interest my friends and fellow bloggers.

Weekend Fun: Hiking with Bailey!

We had a great time on the Dog Scout hike on Sunday.  Most of the troop had conflicts, so it was just me and Bailey and our humans.  

We missed our other Dog Scout friends, but that didn't stop us from having lots of fun.  Here are some photos mom took during our swim break.  (Every hike at the river must include a swim break.) 

Bailey

Me

A lot of the time I just hike with mom, and I always enjoy that, but it's really nice to hike with one of my doggie buddies.  I'm so glad Bailey came along.  

I've Been Published!!! In Print! On Paper! I'm a PUBLISHED PUPPY!!!

Remember when I won the Frosty Paws Eating Contest at the Furry Friends Jubilee back in May?  That was awesome in and of itself, but it gets better.

Can't you see I'm reading?

A couple months ago I got an email from the contributing editor of the Full Scoop, the employee newsletter for Nestle Dreyer's Ice Cream Company.  Nestle Dreyer's makes Frosty Paws.  (For my friends who live outside of the United States, Frosty Paws are these incredibly yummy, drool-producing frozen treats for dogs -- kind of like ice cream for dogs.)  A Nestle Dreyer's employee had apparently stumbled upon my blog post about winning the Frosty Paws Eating Contest, and the editor asked for permission to reprint my blog post in the next issue of Full Scoop.  I was incredibly flattered, so of course I agreed.

The latest issue of the Full Scoop just came out, and I got my copy in the mail today.  And there I am, on the back page, with my snout deep into a Frosty Paws cup.  It brought a huge smile to my mom's face -- I guess she never thought she would have a dog who was a published writer.  Mom and dad are both very proud of me, and mom is thinking about framing the page of the newsletter that contains my photo and blog post.  Mom says she's a bit concerned that my big block head may become even bigger.

It's ME

This is good stuff

I'm still reading

I'm hoping that the back page of the Full Scoop will make some Dreyer's employees smile.  It sure makes us smile. 

Am I gonna' need a warning label?

I just received the Addictive Blog Award from the Key West Collies!  Thank you SO much, Essex and Sherman!  I'm really flattered to have been chosen by a couple of collies who have been blogging for over five years.  In dog years, that's like 35 years!

I suppose I should get mom to draft a warning label and perhaps a waiver for my readers to sign.  

I wonder if I should have an attorney on retainer . . . 

Anyway, the Addictive Blog Award rules say I should thank the blogger who gave me the award and link back to them, talk about why I blog and why I began my blog, post the award, and then nominate 10 other bloggers.  

It's pretty wild that I should receive this award from the Key West Collies, considering that my blog was inspired by a trip to Key West.  My first post ever was about our Florida Keys Adventure last fall, and my first four posts were about some aspect of our trip.  I started the blog as a way to share our adventures with our friends, and it all started with our Keys adventure.  

At that time I had been Facebooking for a while, posting unbearably cute photos and incredibly witty comments, but I wanted to do more than just post an album of our Keys trip photos on my Facebook page.  My Facebook friends were always telling my mom how much they enjoyed my posts, so I thought they might enjoy hearing more from me.  And they have!  But I had no idea how much mom, dad and I would enjoy it.  We have met so many wonderful people and creatures all over the world as a result of blogging, and made some great friends.  Blogging gives my mom a much-needed creative outlet, and it gives my whole family a way to laugh at ourselves and relive our adventures -- whether it's last week's hike or a two-week trip to the Keys.  My mom loves to write, and she is an introvert, so blogging has provided her with a connection to other people that she just wouldn't have otherwise.  We have found blogging itself to be addictive.

We made a friend when we were in Key West -- a fireeater -- who always says at the end of his show, "Do something kind for someone every day -- even if it's just making them smile."  

Making people smile is a little thing, but it can mean so much.  Blogging for me is another way to make people smile.

And now for the nomination part.  It's always difficult to nominate others because there are so many wonderful blogs out there.  I could probably think of a hundred to nominate.

Reuben of Floppy Tongue Joy

Casey of The Legacy Chronicles

Sheba of Sheba's Life Story

Echo and Link of Husky's Life (it's really called Vie de Husky but it's translated into English in case you don't speak French)

Norwood of Norwood Unleashed

The Teacher's Pets

Jacobi at The Dog that Doesn't Fetch

Ruby and Bart at Rottrover

Murphy at Murphy's Law

Nola at Dachshund Nola

My mom and I had way too much fun with the Warning Label Generator, which we discovered today.

We also had way too much fun taking photos for today's September photo challenge word - incognito.

This is my lobsterman look
(Friendship Trap Co. makes lobster traps in Friendship, ME)

This is my Blues Brothers look

This is my Tom Cruise Risky Business look

This is my "git-this-darn-thing-offa-me!" look

What do you mean it's not Mardi Gras?

What do you mean it's not Mardi Gras?

Are you suggesting that I need a reason to wear beads?

Well, I don't.
I'm just out on the deck playing with my tennis ball,
wearing my beads.

Parrot Head Pup (Growing Older But Not Up!)

Last weekend, Jimmy Buffett played his annual Labor Day Weekend Show at the Jiffy Lube Pavilion in Northern Virginia.  Since there was no hurricane this year to interfere with things, of course my parents had to be there.  And this time, I got to tag along!

Not quite sure I approve of Dad's clothing choice

But this could be an adventure

Mom says decorating the car is half the fun

In the parking lot at the show

Dad rocking the grass skirt look
(just try to ignore the white socks)

This total stranger asked to have her photo taken with me
(these things happen when you are famous like me)

Waiting in line

We got GREAT seats

Enjoying the show
(and it was a GREAT show)

Mom says Jimmy Buffett always looks like
he's having a good time

The Daddy-Dog-mobile found its mate

Proof that my parents weren't the only ones being silly

Mom says that one of the many things she loves about Jimmy Buffett concerts is seeing a bunch of middle aged people like herself being totally silly.  Mom and Dad are both very much in favor of "growing older but not up".

But sometimes they take silliness a little too far . . .

 They tried to put the shark hat on me while I was sleeping

Not liking the shark hat

I liked going to Northern Virginia and staying in a nice hotel and smelling Northern Virginia smells.  Mom and I found some pretty flowers on an early morning walkie the day after the show.

But why can't I go swimming in the pond in front of the hotel?

"Impulse Control" & An Announcement About Contest Prizes

Who doesn't like to see their name written in kibble?  Well, I don't.  

Not when it's my dinner and I have to wait patiently while mom spells out my name with it.  

She says this is practicing "impulse control".  

I think this just demonstrates how incredibly patient I am with my mom's nutty ideas.  

An Announcement About Silly Photo Contest Prizes

As of this week, mom no longer has to wear that silly brace/splint thing on her arm, and she has almost 100% use of her left hand back.  

So that means she can get back to work on contest prizes.  She will be finishing up the prizes one by one and sending them out a few at a time.  First place prizes and the grand prize will take a little longer.  But she wanted me to tell you if you haven't gotten your prize yet, she hasn't forgotten, she just isn't sending them all out at once.

Have a great long weekend!