Meet The First Noel

The First Noel…that’s what we’re calling her because she’s our first foster bulldog.

Noel was a stray dog before she arrived at an animal shelter and then shortly before Christmas…she came to the Southern California Bulldog Rescue, which was why she was given the name Noel. She was chipped and attempts to reach her owner were made, but they just weren’t interested in picking her up. She truly is a sweetheart, loves to cuddle and is quite affectionate. She looks remarkably close to our little Rambo and could very well be his long lost sister.

We believe she’s a bulldog mix and I’m hoping her charm will get her one step closer to a new home. She’s healthy, energetic, and ready for a family to give her lots of hugs and kisses. Her first few days were quite exciting…she was anxious, antsy, and easily amused by the smallest things. It’s kind of like she’s still a puppy!

We’re on a new adventure here in the Navarro house! There are so many wonderful reasons to foster, but we did it primarily for one main reason. In opening up our home for one more bulldog, we’ve taken one out of rescue to be in a warm and loving house. It also opens up one more spot for a surrendered bulldog to receive the care they truly need. Many of these special breed rescues would not be able to survive without the help from foster families and we’re more than happy to help. If you’re interested in Noel, please visit the rescue site for more information and the adoption process.

Keeping Me Company

It’s 1:30 in the morning and we just picked up Ricardo’s parents from LAX an hour ago. They were flying in from Guanajuato, Mexico and he’s driving them back home to San Luis Obispo as I write this post. My guestimation puts him there by 3:30 am for an estimated time of arrival. I tried to convince him to have his parents spend the night, but his parents had already endured quite the journey from Mexico and he thought they would be happier to spend the night in their own bed. I completely understood and love him so much for being so thoughtful.

It’s hard to sleep when your other half goes missing so someone else is just going to have to keep his side of the bed warm until he returns. Looks like I didn’t need to ask this guy twice…don’t you love how he tucks his arms in under his belly?

Lazy Sunday…

It’s a beautiful morning and I thought it would be nice to try some honey a co-worker brought back to me from her recent holiday trip to Durango, Colorado. I’ve never used honey for anything, but now I’m officially addicted. It was delicious and I’m craving a second biscuit, but then I won’t have one for tomorrow so I will restrain myself. Happy Weekend!

The Family Christmas Card

I have to admit…it took me a few years to consider the whole family photo Christmas card idea. Before you knew it, those were the only cards we were receiving and our mantel overflowed with pretty holiday photos. We took the leap this year with none other than Jenny from Alders Photography, someone who we felt really comfortable with and we were also excited to reunite with her. We actually ended up with two designs…one printed version which I ordered online and one e-version card that Jenny designed for us. I completely love them both!

I received a lot of questions about our return address and I have a simple trick since stamping with two colors seemed like too much work. I flipped them over and ran the envelopes through my inket printer. Our wedding motif was reused and for a little festivity, I added on some reindeer antlers. Easy peasy, isn’t it? Until next year…Merry Christmas Everyone!

Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree! Every year we pick up our Christmas Tree from Todd’s and this year wasn’t any different. We were going to pick up a Rambo size tree, but we just couldn’t resist when we got there. I’m the most horrible tree decorator so earlier this week, my friend Daniel from work took me on a mini shopping trip to help me pick out some new things. Who knew there was more to a tree than just ornaments…there are pretty beads, fun foliage, and funky fillers to give your tree that extra holiday boost! I’ve really been missing out much too long…I think this tree is going to stay up past the New Year.

Rudolf the White Porcelain Reindeer

I’m kind of in LOVE with my rudolf reindeer! Have you noticed how department stores always organize their Christmas decor by color and it makes everything look so pretty? Then I come home and things are just a bit of mish mash around the house. I usually don’t shop for decor until the after-Christmas sale so every year, I have new ornaments and knick knacks to put up from the year before. Unfortunately, I didn’t do too much shopping last year so I picked up a sequined cone and porcelain reindeer this week. So much to love about the holidays…

Stroll Along the Beach

What a week it’s been! I can’t believe Thanksgiving has come and gone and Christmas is just right around the corner. I’m most excited for the weeks ahead with family and friends. We have a few trips planned before the end of the year and it includes San Diego for a Chargers game, San Luis Obispo for Christmas (possibly the Bay Area) and we’re going to try and squeeze in the Grand Canyon too since I’ve never been before.

The weekend weather was beautiful so instead of the usual walk around the block…we took a five minutes drive to the beach for an evening stroll. I LOVE nights like these! I’m also going to dig up our Christmas decorations and hopefully we can get our tree this week. I’m thinking of changing it up a bit  this year so I’ll be busy looking up fun ideas on how to decorate a prettier tree. Oh yes, speaking of change…I’ve recently gone dark for my hair this season. Maybe I’ll go short next time?

Pet of the Month

Hooray, Rambo was named “Pet of the Month” by the Animal Dermatology Clinic for November! Although we have a primary vet, the Animal Dermatology Clinic has been such a wonderful place for Rambo. I know I haven’t talked much about his health lately, but this little guy definitely has some issues. The hubby thought it would be helpful for other bulldog owners or ones that are thinking about adding to their family hear about Rambo’s experience so I’ve created a “Bulldog Care” page that you can check out here: Bulldog Care. You might be surprised to hear that he isn’t in the most perfect condition, but he is happy and healthy and that’s all we can ask for.

If You Love Pastrami…

If you love pastrami, then you will definitely love Langer’s Deli. For months, the hubby and I have been wanting to visit this historic Jewish institution, but there’s a catch. They’re only open until 4pm Monday – Saturday and being all the way out near Downtown L.A. – Saturday is the only day we can get there so we finally made it this weekend.

Ricardo chose the famous and most popular #19 > Pastrami sandwich with a slice of Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and Langer’s own homemade cole slaw.

I had the #29 which had tomato slices instead of cole slaw and it was perfectly heaven. My favorite part is definitely the double-baked rye bread with it’s crunchy crust…there’s no way to explain it until you try it. They also have a really good cream soda that I’m now obsessed with…I actually never had cream soda until Ricardo introduced it to me. We now have another delicious place to take friends when they visit.

Oh, the Places We’ll Go…

Rambo’s belated birthday gift finally arrived tonight and I was so excited…I started assembling! The hubby wanted to wait until the weekend, but I couldn’t resist.

The hubsters has called me twice this year for an emergency pick up because Rambo had splatted out and refused to continue their walk. There was also one occasion when he thought the little guy could make it to the dry cleaners which isn’t far for us humans, but it was too far for the monster. So yes, he picked up Rambo’s 58 lbs. butt and carried him for one whole block in his arms, crossing a major intersection. The little red wagon, which I’ve named Clifford, can now take him farther than his little legs can go. Sunny weekends, please come back to us soon!

Updated Blog Look

Hello friends…the blog has once again been updated to a new look. I hope for more changes to come in the future but for now…this will work. Enjoy!

A Pretty Print Set

One thing I love is working with a bride who has a clear vision of her wedding day. Emily had this very pretty, but simple logo that she wanted to incorporate in her paper goods. We worked together and came up with a wish tag, place card and thank you tag that came together for a charming look.