OSCAR ATE MY MUFFIN

And Just Like That...

The first warm days of spring never fail to inspire a craving for ice cream cones (Oscar and I are pretty big fans). Coincidentally, those teasingly mild temperatures also tend to coincide with a rather important event on the spring calendar - an event that fully supports the procurement of aforementioned ice cream, going so far even to demand sprinkles... that's right, it's BIRTHDAY-time, friends, and this year, for one big red dog, it was something special...

This year, on the cloudy 27th of March, 2015, Oscar-dog turned one year older. And this year, the Beast turned TEN. 120 months have passed, roughly 3,650 rotations on the earthly axis, and countless hours of beloved company have been enjoyed since this stubborn, steady, remarkably clever (and shockingly handsome) canine rocked into the world. And you know what? He just. keeps. getting. better...


He may nap a bit more loudly, and romp a little less; he may require more frequent fine-tuning, and his drool is still a mess... But his patience has only grown longer, his old-dog-wisdom is real, and when it comes to loyalty and focus - let's just say... there's a reason why my dad recently remarked, "You know Oscar is really like a weathervane - whenever I need to know where you are, I just look at which direction he's pointing!". If that's not devotion, folks, I don't know what is.

10 years young, this incredible Beast is wearing his age like the fine gentleman he's always been, and I count myself blessed beyond compare to have him always by my side.

Happy Birthday, my sweet boy - here's to many more.

Sketching the Sleeping Beast

Delicious Winter

Snow may not be everyone's preferred taste, but January in New England without a crisp blanket of white feels utterly lacking. Even after the sparkly silence of a city-mandated snow day has dusted off to expose sore shoveling muscles, lost mittens, and street-parking contests - you can't ignore the magic of winter... Just bundle up and keep those noses and toes toasty, dear friends!

Dog Days & Dandelions

Here in New England, the traditionally sultry months of July and August are known affectionately as the dog days of summer. The term goes back to Greek and Roman times when it paired with the celestial phase of Sirius, the dog star. The Romans weren't fans of this heated season and believed it to be inherently evil, though today, amidst barbecues, beach trips and pool parties, the only disappointment one could project onto this last glorious stretch of summer is the fact that fall, and the bitter backslide into winter, will be following on it's heels.

But why bemoan the future when you can lie belly-up in the 80-degree present - the smell of sweetgrass around you and the sound of crickets in your ears? King of living in the moment (and master extraordinaire of sunbathing) Oscar dog likes nothing more than to spend a sunny August afternoon baking himself on a bright patch of green... which typically leaves me surrounded by vegetation and in need of an activity. Enter: the floral garland.

Favorite pastime of children the world over, weaving wildflower stems into crowns, necklaces and irregular lengths of rope is a satisfying way to kill outside time while pretty much guaranteeing a novel temporary accessory. There are myriad ways to braid plant bodies, and countless species that will oblige, but we like the following trusty combination: 



Not a fan of getting your hands sticky and culling all those beautiful yellow blossoms? Not to worry - dandelions have equally entertaining potential in their afterlives: as wind-spirited pom-poms and the skyward vehicles of wishes...
And on that note... stay cool out there, dear readers. 

Giving Thanks (for Oscar Dog)

Pretty much everyone who has ever met Oscar has promptly joined his fanclub. Even the people whose picnics he has ruined (yes, that's 'picnics', plural); even the ones he has grumbled at startled the socks off of on first meeting; probably most especially those that work for weeks and months, slipping treats and cooing compliments, to finally win a nuzzle or friendly tail wag... see, the only way to enter this guy's circle is to earn it. But oh, how you'll want to earn it. Behind the intimidating 95lbs of dog, there's a softness to his eyes - a pensive, soulful depth. This Beast has PRESENCE - and it's magnetic. I will take credit for keeping him healthy, happy, obscenely well-fed, and in good company nearly 24hrs a day, but let me make something clear: when you see us strolling the sidewalks, I'm with him. (*This statement has nothing to do with leash-training and everything to do with attitude.)

I had little idea that such a complex character would devlop from the Buddha-bellied little puppy I brought home nearly nine years ago, though one thing is certainly clear: I wouldn't be anywhere near the joyful thrill-ride I'm on now if it weren't for this sweet Beast... and for that, every day, I am grateful.

Here's wishing you, dear readers, a day of peace, indulgence and wholehearted celebration, in thanks for all of your beloveds and sweet Beasts...


Oscar is, as you see, rather easy on the eyes, but few have captured him through a camera lens as beautifully as the talented Kimberly Wang (brilliant photographer, storyteller and fellow dog-blogger) - her careful eye is behind all the photos in this post - she's even photographed me (below) photograhing the Beast... *Did I mention I also count blessings for my tremendously creative crew of friends?

Scratchbook Beast

Oscar and I are super fans of the canine designy-goodness blog, DogMilk, so of course we were enthusiastic and a half when the site rolled out a new monthly feature last January: The Scratchbook. Celebrating the work of talented illustrators who happen to have a passion for dogs, the Scratchbook posts the first monday of each month - and gracing this October 4th, guess who made a red wheaton appearance? Why, none other than the Beast! Oscar posed for an exclusive illo (pictured above), which included not only his giant head, but that of DogMilk's own charismatic mascots, Wrigley and Smash. *No muffins were harmed in the creation of this image...

Huge thanks to DogMilk editor, Capree Kimball!! 

Dress Up Day With Forêt

Saturday mornings are made for leisurly strolls - and what better destination for a weekend spin than a pop-up farmer's market inside a handsome Anthropologie store in Harvard Square? Last Saturday that's straight where we headed, and despite tables of enticing nibbles made by local foodie superstars, Oscar navigated a thick crowd with me in order to say hello to some of his favorite Fringe studio-mates: the lovely ladies of Forêt.

Forêt floral design studio creates bespoke arrangements (of the jaw-droppingly gorgeous kind) for all manner of events; they also make regular appearances at local markets and maker fairs, where they sell bundles of blooms, boutonieres, wreaths, garlands and this past Saturday - floral crowns. That's right - gone is the day when a flower crown meant a bright yellow braid of sticky dandilion stems... Erin and Rose (the "ladies" in "ladies of Forêt") are bringing Pretty back, one fresh accessory at a time, and on this particular day their handiwork took the form of winterberry constellations twisting through evergreen sprigs... and I couldn't resist.

While it's true that Oscar will put up with some truly undignified games of dress-up, the only headwear that stands even a partial chance of staying put on his sleek noggin needs to be tied down something fierce - definintely not the best arrangement for a delicate chain of plant limbs. Lucky for us, dog necks make far more appropriate (and much less ridiculous) locations for adornment, so we turned our floral crown into a custom collar -> Pretty problem solved.




Sorry, sweet boy, so much for dignity... (at least there were french fried rewards at the end of this torture - that's a fair trade, right?!).

The Great Sleeping Studio Beast

Oscar, of course, has a bed in the studio next to me. Most of the time he sleeps on it, though sometimes (especially when the summer air gets unbearably hot) he sleeps around it. On the day pictured above, he chose to sprawl directly where I needed to stand... fine by me - I just crossed my fingers that he wouldn't startle at something and leap up underneath whatever project I happened to be crafting.

I often refer to the Beast as my studio muse... and when a napping position like the one here begets an afternoon of inspired sketching, it's not hard to see why:

You Are What (Color) You Eat

The Return of Ice Cream and O-Town

Gosh golly - it's been too long!! What a disgrace... I mean, really... we were plodding along just fine - stumbling through snow storms and city adventures, cookie-baking and DIY projects... and then, *just like that*, life got crazy and two whole months flew by without a post!! What on earth, you ask, could have kept the Beast from flexing his dog-blog skillz and celebrity clout for so terribly long? In a word - this shameful suspension was squarely on me. And I take full responsability for the deliquency - BUT, I promise my distractions were worthwhile, many of them were in fact entirely related to the content of this blog and will be shared in short order.

For starters: 1. Oscar helped me wrap up another thrilling semester of teaching (fellow teachers - nothing boosts your status in front of a room full of teenagers like the presence of a large, too-cool-for-school hound). 2. Dove-tailing with the grand end of the spring semester, I was uber-fortunate to be involved in multiple print illustration projects - two of which appeared in major canine publication! (more on this in an upcoming post) 3. In between grading art projects and working into the wee hours to meet my print deadlines, I had the pleasure of collaborating with one of my studio besties (a videographer with an eagle-eye for story-telling) on a short "day in the life"-type featurette. Not only did a cheerful 4-minute video result, but Oscar made his film debut! 4. Oh yeah, and - despite dirty looks from the Beast everytime I laced up my trainers for a long solo run - I ran the Boston Marathon this year... so pretty much all of my non-work hours were spent pounding pavement around our fair city...


Topping off such a corral full of awesome preoccupations, just last Saturday, this very blog was chosen as the winner of the Best New Blog at the "Nose to Nose Pet Blogging & Social Media Awards" (the culmination of the fifth annual BlogPaws Conference, held this year in Virginia). Wow. Oscar and I could not be more honored!

So you see, dear readers, we haven't thrown in the towel and abandoned your sweet selves, nor have we found ourselves lacking in worthy content to share - nay, we just needed a wee break to catch up. An expansive summer recess is before us (as evidenced above by Oscar's first ice cream of the season), and our regularly scheduled posting will resume this week. Look for another post - with proper content, free of excuses and self-shaming - this Thursday - so stay tuned!

*It's good to be back...