Scenes from a Sunday Afternoon Hike

After a morning on location reporting for The Vintage Vehicle Show, I decided that my puppy needed some serious exercise after a rainy week in Los Angeles.  So I strapped on my hiking boots and off we went into the Santa Monica Mountains.  What I wasn't prepared for was the rain that decided to fall from the sky the second we hit the trail.  I didn't let that stop us as we traipsed through a foggy wonderland and enjoyed the crisp fall air.  It was a refreshing way to start the week:  soggy, muddy, and full of excitement for the week ahead.

Signs of a good hike=Muddy Paws

Halloween for the Pets

We know I am not a fan of dressing up for Halloween, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy dressing my pets. Yes, I have become one of those crazy pet owners who loves to put outfits on my cat and dog.

I have learned through the past few holidays what works and what does not, here are a few tips:

Indy at Petco trying on Christmas wardrobe.

1. They do not want anything covering their heads or ears. I think because it such a strong part of their sensory system, they need to keep their ears and whiskers open. A hat on the cat or dog will barely last long enough to snap a photo.

2. A comfortable elasticized collar with a costume attached to it works well. Dogs and cats are accustomed to having something on their neck, so this is often the best route to take. Just make sure it is the right size (Most pet costumes come in S, M, L) and the costume doesn't stick too far out into their peripheral vision.

Christmas 2008-Indy doesn't like bells on her collar.

3. Take your animal's personality into consideration because any type of sound adornment can be stressful to the animal. For instance, my cat loves bells on her collar, but for the dog, it is a source of irritation. What is right for one animal may not be right for another.

Finally, Halloween 2010:

Beans the Kitty as a Spider:

Indy the Dog as Count Barkula:

Am I the only crazy one dressing up their dog and cat?  Please tell me one of you is joining me in the Wacky Pet Owner Club.  

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Gifts

Yes, I took the day off from blogging yesterday. I was having trouble loading photos to Blogger, so I decided it was a sign to rest and relax after being out of town for the month. I spent the day cozying up on a rainy day to my favorite farm animals, getting a facial, and making a pot of Texas chili with sweet cornbread muffins.

I was also lucky enough to come home to my BF and lots of presents from his trip to Oktoberfest and Prague (Yes, while I was working in Dallas, he was in Europe-not a fair trade!). I was dying to see what he got me and it was an eclectic mix of treasures, just the way I like it.

Starting off with a gift from Oktoberfest, I am hoping my pal, Lydia, chimes in on this one, but I guess all the ladies wear these cookie necklaces during the festival. A guy gives it to his girl to wear and it means something like "You have my heart". Okay, that is what I was told, but I am hoping for a little more clarity, so chime in the comments section if you have more information. It also made me laugh that many girls are seen stomping on their cookies if their boyfriends piss them off after a few beers. Oh, and if you see a little puncture hole at the bottom of the cookie, it is Indy's little teeth. She tried to eat my cookie.

A charming little Santa to add to my Christmas ornament collection. At the rate I am going, we we will need two trees this year. I think Santa looks like a 1970's version of a Weeble.
A beautiful handcrafted glass tea light holder. It matches perfectly with the dining room decor.
And jackpot! Some cool pieces from Prague, a big chunky Amber ring and a garnet pendant necklace. They complement each other well, so I have been wearing them together. My BF has good taste. Uh, and my hand modeling job in this photo is atrocious. My former co-workers at ShopNBC would be so disappointed, never mind the bad manicure which is getting fixed today, I promise!
Well, phew...it's good to be home even if it is for just a week and a half. My next trip is to Nashville to work with this gentleman. I will have more details about that job once I shoot the infomercial, but I am thrilled to be working with such an icon in the field of electronic retailing. See you tomorrow at Red Carpet Closet!

Home

I travel a lot for work two days here, ten days there, but the State Fair of Texas is my hardest job of the year.  It is 27 days from airport to airport.  This year was much easier than last year because the weather was amazing.  Last year, we endured 18 days of rain while working outside.  Lots of time was spent sweeping away flood waters while waiting for the crowds to arrive.  It was a lot of waiting.  I'm now down to my last three days.  This is when it gets hard.  So close to being done, yet three busy days to tackle.  I'm ready to go home:

Have a great weekend and I will see you on Monday at Red Carpet Closet!

Dance Channel TV: Gotta Dance!

Everyone always wants to see the behind the scenes photos of the sets I work on, so I think this one has to be my favorite. I was able to bring my puppy, Indy, to set with me while I shot the opening to my piece on the new documentary, Gotta Dance! She doesn't like to leave my side, so we let her sit at my feet because the shot was from the waist up. So, working in my industry does have its benefits from time to time......take your puppy to work day!

If you haven't had an opportunity to see Gotta Dance!, well, it's time to put it on your list. The documentary by Dori Berinstein follows the inaugural season of the NETsationals, the senior hip-hop dance team for the NJ Nets. I think you will find this movie incredibly inspiring. It truly proves that dance is for everyone! I had the opportunity to interview Dori and several of the dancers including my favorites, Betty and Claire. I sat next to Betty's husband at the premiere in LA and they have to be the nicest couple ever. He really enjoyed his wife's superstardom! I also tried to convince him to take his wife on a date to the Hollywood Bowl while they were in town, I wonder if they ever made it?

For those musical theatre geeks, like me, be sure to check out director Dori Berinstein's other documentary, Show Business: The Road to Broadway. It follows four Broadway shows from the inception of 2003-2004 season all the way to the surprising outcome at the Tony's. Happily, I even caught a glimpse of one of my favorite friends, Denny Downs, in the documentary as he accompanied Kristin Chenoweth to the Tony's that year.

Finally, see my Dance Channel TV report here: Gotta Dance!

By the way, Indy thought I did a good job, she gave me a high five when I was done.