National Pitbull Awareness Month: I Love the Bully Breeds

There’s only two days left in October and I’m just now finding out it is National Pitbull Awareness Month. I wish it was every month because I love my pitbulls. We got our bullies in 2006 and they weren’t really a breed we had originally been interested in. My sister had received her American Staffordshire mix as a Christmas present and his brother eventually became part of our family as well. They had been adopted at a local shelter in Los Angeles. Ever since, our family have been staunch supporters of adopting animals as well as falling head over heels in love with all things pitbull.

Funny enough, our two boys, Lorenzo and Nikon, just celebrated their sixth birthday last week. I couldn’t imagine what life would be like without these two crazy kids. And in fact, our family has come to view them in such a way. They have such distinct personalities, one is more cautious, but very intelligent and he could run for hours; the other loves to eat and much more affectionate–quite a bed hog. Being away from home is hard and almost every day I FaceTime to talk to my family is just an excuse to see my dogs. They’ve settled nicely into “middle age” and are less energetic than in their first two years, but they’re just as excited for a round of fetch or a belly rub.

It hasn’t always been easy though. This breed is not for any ordinary dog owner. They require a lot of love and patience. They need to be trained and require exercise both mental and physical that necessitates a dedicated owner. They were bred for their loyalty and strength and in the hands of the wrong kind of person, an animal whose sought-after qualities could be used for horrible reasons. I’ve seen too many chained up pits restless and wary in fenced-in yards without proper exercise. They can be intimidating (I’ve gotten many wary looks when out for walks and it can be annoying) and also part of their appeal is the way they look and their natural tenacity and energy. Because of this, it’s not the kind of lap dog you can buy and carry around in your purse or walk once a week. There needs to be structure and discipline and even if it is work–and it’s a lot of work– the reward is a loyal family pet that can be every bit as loving and calm as any other pet. Ours even get nervous around little dogs. I think bringing up awareness is such a good idea because they truly do get a bad reputation and not enough attention to how they can be great additions to a family unit.

I’ve seen so many out and about on runs or lazying about behind shop counters. The camaraderie and instant understanding between pitbull owners is often felt because like these dogs, a fierce loyalty and protectiveness arises. These are incredible dogs who are highly intelligent and like any dog, craves attention and affection too. They also need owners and pack masters who care about them enough to take the time to understand reasonable expectations of this breed. They make great pets, but not necessarily for everyone (This goes for any dog–I would personally never own a chihuahua). I think this month is not just about bringing awareness to the breed, but to also educate possible owners. So many shelters and agencies that specialize in this breed know it is important that finding a forever home for a dog is not simply pairing up a potential owner and a pet, but finding the right fit. This special breed requires an amazing kind of owner.

Everyone I know who does have a pitbull is crazy, freakishly, and undeniably in love with their dog. Full or mixed breed, it doesn’t matter, they have come to respect and admire a breed with an incredible history and pedigree. It hasn’t always been a wonderful and fear-free history like a golden retriever or lab, but it is filled with advocates striving to give them their good name back and dogs who do incredible things like save lives and provide protection and comfort. Or on a regular day, lick your face and cuddle on the bed.

To read more about pitbulls and National Pitbull Awareness Month, check out the following links:

BAD RAP – Bay Area Dog Lovers Responsible About Pitbulls

NPBAD Campaign

Beyond the Myth

Why National Pitbull Day Matters via Dogster

And of course, some pictures of my  favorite pitbulls:

Nikon through the years. The older “wiser” brother.

The runt of the litter turned into a treat crazy boy who loves long naps.

We love dressing them up and they didn’t seem to mind the preppy look.

Happy National Pitbull Awareness Month! And don’t forget, adopt if you can.

Halloween DIY Couple Costume: Let’s Play Legos!

Candy is my second favorite part of Halloween. I know, what could possibly be my first favorite part?

But I love Halloween costumes. Love ’em.

I could gladly sit and watch people and guess their costumes (which makes the West Hollywood Costume Carnaval the best place to people watch because people go nuts!) I especially love creative ones that are either DIY or really original. John and I try to do couples costumes and this year on short notice did LEGOs!

Took about two hours to make them and all we needed were the following:

• Large Cardboard boxes
• Plastic red and blue bowls (worked out in our favor since those were the colors we wanted)
• Masking Tape
• Spray Paint

I would definitely get white bowls if you decide to go as other colors and to make the costumes at least a week in advance. We kept smelling the fumes from the spray paint throughout the night. Not unbearable, but not comfortable either.

Some progress pics below:

Cutting out the holes and taping the edges. Then, taping the bowls down and prepping them for their spray paint bath.

We went out to downtown Santa Barbara and it was fun seeing so many costumes. My favorite was an Ace Ventura when he pretended to be a mental patient and another DIY costume–a Loofa! She said it took two hours to put together and there were safety pins everywhere.

All in all, a fun night out. Even with the slight struggle trying to get through crowds as box form.

And just for giggles, some of my favorite costumes from the past few years:

Bacon and Eggs – Halloween 2009

Woody and Jessie – Halloween 2010

Friday F**kery: October 26, 2012

An extra helping of Friday madness as I missed last week’s post.

WHEN I SEE AN OPEN SPOT IN THE SELF-CHECKOUT AISLE AT THE GROCERY STORE:

ME WAITING FOR MY NEW SHOES TO BE SHIPPED:

WHEN I’M AROUND A COUPLE THAT STARTS FIGHTING IN PUBLIC:

WHEN PEOPLE POST PICTURES OF THEMSELVES WORKING OUT ON INSTAGRAM:

WHEN MY BOYFRIEND SAID HE WOULD HELP ME FOLD THE LAUNDRY “LATER”:

WHEN MY MOM ASKED US  TO DO GANGNAM STYLE FOR MY DAD’S 60TH BIRTHDAY:

WHEN OUR “HOLLYWOOD” FRIEND TELLS US ABOUT EVERY ENCOUNTER WITH A FAMOUS PERSON:

AND IN PREPARATION FOR HALLOWEEN:

I SECRETLY WANT TO GO OUT WITH MY FRIENDS LIKE THIS:

BUT WE DON’T, SO WE END UP DOING THIS:

Sources: noyoureoutoforder.tumblr/bombshellsandbitches.tumblr/ohhaleno.tumblr/realitytvgifs

Happy Friday!

 

I “Loaf” These Shoes

Last week I came home to help celebrate my parents’ birthdays which are only a few days apart. I was also excited to get to LA because I had shoes shipped to that address. I had been looking for the perfect black loafers that didn’t have any studs or extras while still being comfortable and affordable. Sometimes they were just too expensive or the material felt hard and looked cheap.  My good friend Jackie happened to stop by my house a few weeks ago wearing these perfect loafers from Zara. I actually squealed when I saw them.

From the Zara website.

They’re at a great price for under $40 and the outer part is made from velvet. It’s got the basic classic design, and the velvet makes it feel like they should have cost more. They take some time to break in, but it’s a great addition for a Fall wardrobe with a little bit of edge as ballet flats can feel a bit girly at times.

Right out of the box. I love getting stuff in the mail. (Plus, free shipping!)

Outside our doorway next to our mini pumpkin patch.

Taking them out to enjoy some Fall foliage.

Pop Love

I have no shame in my love for pop music, especially if it’s dance worthy. My roundup of tunes this week is a variety of artists who sing about the eternal and vast theme of love. Artists and their first and lost loves, unrequited loves, given up loves and the list can and will go on. What’s the saying?

It’s all been written before…

Regardless of one’s feeling about love, there’s no denying some ear candy.

Back to Love by Estelle

Heard this on Pandora while cleaning and I had to stop scrubbing something or other. It was actually a remix version you can listen to here. I actually prefer the original and I think Estelle has this great big voice.

Adorn by Miguel

Heard this while driving and like “Back to Love,” it was a remix version. It’s with Wiz Khalifa, but I also prefer the original. I always feel like Miguel is just on the verge of breaking as he’s got really good R&B songs, but just isn’t a big enough name yet. And with so many artists moving across genres and going towards a more dance-centric sound with rappers making appearances, it’s nice to just get a song without all the bells and whistles that feels purely R&B.

Love Lost by The Temper Trap

The above is a still from the video which can be watched by clicking the artist and title above it (same goes for all the songs on this list). Temper Trap’s other more famous song, the inescapable “Sweet Disposition” introduced us to lead singer Dougy Mandagi’s incredible vocals. The video for “Love Lost” is fun and reminds me of how the Black Keys use stand-ins in their videos to sing lyrics. There’s also a Wes Anderson vibe  to the video in how the shots are tracked. It’s a great combination of music and visuals.

This Kiss by Carly Rae Jepsen

Well, at one point, we were going to have to stop listening to “Call Me, Maybe.” Like any pop song taking over the world, it ran it’s course only to be taken over by a South Korean guy who does a horse dance. And yes, I danced it for like five minutes over the weekend at my favorite dance club. No judging!

Anyway, Carly Rae is close to my age and at 26 her songs skew surprisingly young. Whatever, I’m fine with it. I’m probably just a little jealous and besides, pop songs are supposed to make you feel happy and vibrant and young while you creep into your decidedly late 20s and realize you have more fun watching CNN than taking shots at a bar.

I lied. I have fun at bars, I just can’t do shots because my liver hates me. Ugh. At least it doesn’t hate this song. Hat tip to my sister for introducing. She always has her finger on the pulse of new music:

Love U More by Sunday Girl

Love the image above. Sunday Girl is actually the stage name of English singer Jade Williams. The version I heard was a remix by RAC (Remix Artist Collective) which I’ve embedded below. I like both versions and I love how the official video feels like a shampoo commercial. This is a prime example of pure pop fun about its most popular subject.

Cry (Just A Little) by Bingo Players

Heard this song over the summer and I absolutely loved it. It’s definitely in the family of electronic dance music and the video makes you want to go to Ibiza like right now. While at the club I was doing the Gangnam dance (cringe), I heard Flo-Rida’s song “Cry” which samples this track. It’s okay, but the original is definitely better. I’m stretching the thematic element of love as I’m not entirely sure what the lyrics are about, but for the hell of it I’m keeping it on the list! Plus, any video about playing hookie is a good one.

Young Adult (At Heart)

It seems as if you can never outgrow certain things. In this case, the world of young adult fiction which is currently experiencing a sort of renaissance. Then again, how anyone can outgrow reading is beyond me.

Young adult novels are not merely for young adults anymore. With copies selling in the millions and being read by all age groups, it’s a growing genre proving that literature aimed at the young can be both impressive and formidable. Topics have always been wide-ranging, but I think good storytelling is key. No matter the target audience, good writing is blind to age.

The genre of young adult fiction is really flourishing these last few years and like all book trends, topics move in waves. We had vampires and other supernatural beings to the current trend of dystopian novels ushered in by the phenomenon that is The Hunger Games–which I’m glad to take part of. Speaking of which, it seems my next reads might be about mermaids as they seem to be the next big thing. 

A year ago I was living in San Jose, California with a part time job and lots of free time. Luckily, the South Bay Area has an amazing public library system. They have so many new libraries that have been recently built and an easy network for accessing books. I was pretty much devouring anything as good as The Hunger Games and came across a bunch of great reads–one classic and some recent publications.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

This was first published in 2011 and is the first in a trilogy (young adult fiction loves its trilogies, and then some). I actually just finished the second in the series which is called Insurgent while I was flying to those weddings earlier this summer. In my post Hunger Games haze, I needed more dystopian fiction and Divergent is actually quite good. I was actually more intrigued by how the society in future Chicago was laid out over the main character, Tris, and her motivations. She is much more of a typical romantic character and I realized I was skimming over sections that involved her and her boyfriend. I was much more fascinated by the organization of the population as separate factions, but that is not to dissuade you from checking this out as the second one gets pretty interesting. I’ve also read that the film rights have sold and they are in the process of producing it. Visually, this book has the foundation for a good movie.

Matched by Ally Condie

Like Divergent, society is divided in groups, which again I found fascinating. But a typical trope of young adult novels is introduced–a love triangle is involved. Sigh. I’m not sure anymore, especially after Hunger Games successfully underutilizing one, why these are necessary. Yet, I think as the target audience is probably dealing with first loves and hormones, I guess it makes sense. I’m all for female leads in books so I like this series in that regard. Matched is not as sharp or particularly outstanding in terms of the writing, but I’ve chugged along and earlier this year Crossed, the second in the series, propelled me forward. I could tell Condie had gotten better and it’s worth at least a library checkout. This is also in the process of trying to get film rights. 

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

This one is quite different from the above two. It’s more supernatural and a love triangle is involved, but also more compelling and interesting than in Matched. I’m not against love triangles, but you’ve got to make the trio involved have motivations outside of pursuing each other. Again, female protagonist who is coming into her own and the setting for this is London in the time of Queen Victoria. So it’s not only a young adult, but historical fiction. The book is not only part of a trilogy, but a prequel trilogy to Clare’s popular series The Mortal Instruments which–you guessed it–is being turned into a film.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender’s Game is a classic not only in young adult literature, but in all of science fiction. Novels like The Hunger Games are not new in pitting young people (sometimes the very young) against each other in battles of death. Ender’s Game also takes the time to develop the psyche and motivations of their characters and doesn’t shy from brutality. It was well-awarded when it was published and its reputation only mildly tarnished by its author’s personal views on subjects like homosexuality. Aside from that, on its own the novel examines life and survival and how we question that in times of war. The book is currently being adapted to film. I always imagined Harrison Ford in it, but not exactly as Graff. Looking forward to it regardless!

Overall, it’s exciting to see the onslaught of such good young adult fiction coming out. Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from heavier reads and escape a little. I also started to notice that much of the great fiction coming out comes from women authors. J.K. Rowling being the most obvious example whose famous series might have a central male hero, but without a certain witch, might not ever have graduated Hogwarts. There seems to be much disparity in adult fiction when it comes to awards and recognition often going to male counterparts, but in YA, it definitely seems to be a female dominated field. Not just in authors, but also in characters. The Atlantic ran a piece over the summer regarding that and it’s also an interesting read. It’s also a trend I hope never goes away.

Mad for Mod

I pretty much love all things checkered, plaid, or striped. I think because I tend to shy away from color I make up for it in patterns. Some images from Paris Fashion Week, specifically Marc Jacobs with Louis Vuitton, have been buzzing in my mind lately. Everything he does for LV is so lovely and girlie. I really loved the show on the carousel from last year. The recent runway (or elevator way?) had a definite Mod aspect to it and I absolutely loved the hair and makeup. I think Mod dresses and lines tend to flatter smaller body types and I’m all for big chunky sweaters or waistlines that don’t cinch. It’s Fall for goodness sakes! I’m eating pumpkin scones and pie till February!

It’s the perfect little white dress and wouldn’t swallow someone short. (me!)

There was a lot of checkers at the show. The look on the right is adorable and I recently thrifted a sweater in a black and white plaid pattern. Black and white is simple, but the vibe here is so cool.

Little Black Dress love. The cut is simple but it’s shiny and fun.

There’s nothing about this I don’t love. It makes me want to buy Keds and eyeliner. And a bow. Seriously, put a bow on something and I’ll probably buy it. This is just so pretty.

Since I definitely can’t afford anything from Louis Vuitton unless it was a bag and I bought it for my mom after saving for months which I then split with my sister anyway, I perused online for Mod-inspired looks.

Clockwise from top left: Zara coat, Twiggy, H&M pant, some (mod)ern day mod, H&M patent leather loafers, Zara Coat with leather sleeves, Forever 21 sweater, Fred Perry for Amy Winehouse

Source for LV show: Fashionista

Lobsters, Winos, and Lemons

Over the weekend Santa Barbara and Goleta hosted separate but fun festivals. Down by the marina was the Santa Barbara Harbor and Seafood Festival while the following day at Girsh Park was the Lemon Festival (I took less pictures because I was slightly hungover.)

All in all, a very fun weekend with some old college friends and getting to explore some Santa Barbara events we never got to try as undergrads.

Some highlights…prepare for food envy.

The view from the marina

All the boats in the harbor

The boys got to shoot from the water canon.

Live urchin. $6 but apparently this is cheap for fresh urchin (that was still moving!)

Our crab plate.

Lobsters chilling in the pool. I asked for the feistiest one. He came out swinging.

Worth the wait.

First time trying Danish Aebleskiver. Yum.

Digging into some lemon pie.

Wine tasting flights at Corks and Crowns after feasting on seafood.

A very popular pup named Riley enjoying the attention

Inaugural Friday F***kery!

This and this are basically the two best things ever online. I’m being cryptic in case you haven’t seen them. They are both so spot on and sometimes I tear up from laughing so hard.

What Should We Call Me basically made the gif an art form. I’ve had friends try to convince me to do them since I’ve been texting and emailing them anyway, but I always felt weird about it since the rise of the tumblr page has created dozens of copy cats. But I was finally convinced after a certain morning breakfast catastrophe could only be related in such a similar fashion. So, I’ll keep them limited to Friday and the title “Friday F***kery” comes from a particular one that had a friend and I in stitches.

WHEN I POUR AN ENTIRE BOWL OF CEREAL AND THEN REALIZE I’M OUT OF MILK

WHEN I HAND SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO MY SISTER

WHEN I NOTICED THERE ARE ONLY WEDDING ‘SAVE THE DATES’ AND CLIPPED COUPONS ON MY REFRIGERATOR DOOR

At first I’m like:

Then I’m like:

 

WHEN I REALIZED THE BAGEL CAFE ACCIDENTALLY GAVE US EXTRA BAGELS

Sources: ohhaleno.tumblr.com, realitytvgifs.tumblr.com
Oh, minions. Happy Friday!

Over the Moon for Maroon

I’ve been kind of on a bag kick the last few months, but my color range is pretty basic (read-black). Personally, I could never buy a bag with print or too much color because I tend to shy away from anything loud. It’s only been recently that I’ve even allowed pink and green in my general wardrobe. I know, shocking. And when it comes to bags, it’s hard for me to justify spending a lot of money on something that will color clash.

Oh, but how sweet that this season’s go-to hue seems to be in the dark red family. Everywhere I look it’s burgundies, deep wines and reds, and maroon which is a great color range for Fall and yet still allows for a pop of color when you’re swamped in sweaters and scarves which I will be because I think 70 degrees is freezing—I went to bed with three blankets last night!

Below are some that have caught my eye that won’t break the bank and some that will make your wallet cry, but at least they’re pretty to look at. I actually just saw the Zara one last weekend but well…it’s big. My sister could fit in it.

1. Dorothy Perkins – Red Zig Zag Bag $79

2. Mod Cloth – Ask For The Maroon Bag $69

3. Marc by Marc Jacobs – Thunderdome Solid Leather Travel Doctor $498

4. Mulberry – Bayswater Black Forest Soft Matte $1350

5. Zara – Burgundy Plaited Shopper $159

6. Proenza Schouler PS1 Large Leather Satchel $1995