Doesn't she look like Scrappy Doo with the furrows on her face and the little mask around the eyes and nose? I know she acts like Scrappy what a little terror. 5:30 am and she runs out of her crate ready to go.

Butter on the other hand stays in bed till 7:30. She needs her beauty sleep.

Sage is always chewing on something or someone. When she gets excited you can hear her chomp like those fake teeth that you wind up.You need to stay clear last night she got my t-shirt with her chompers.

She is still into shoes and I know I need to pick them up but sometimes you just forget and its tooo late little bite marks if your lucky.

Our yard is just a nightmare when it rains since it's still dirt and mulch. (The before dog plan) After last weeks rain,  I was so sick of mud and mulch that I had this brillant plan to get some ground cover plants which I found at a great price. Thank goodness because who knows how long they will last.

I was so excited so I got them planted and little  Miss Sage loves to pull them right out of the  dirt. I hope they make it !  

So now you have to watch her when she goes out to the yard so you can make sure that no holes are dug, plants stay planted and worms aren't eaten. She even eats the wiggly ones….Yuck!

We're back to crawling over baby gates Miss Sage has hit the stupid timeline of puppyhood. She just can't remember that you go outside to potty we were doing so well.  She is infact the same age as when be got Butter and she too just forgot how to potty outside.

So everyone is in the kitchen again.

I'm still that 3 minutes behind her going potty. I can't seem to catch up or think ahead enough to catch her. She's quick!

We need to get both of them weighed because they are putting away some food!  Both of them are in huge growth spurts.
 

"Queen size quilt"

Well, it 's finally finished.  I am pretty impressed since most of the blocks lined up with each other, pretty much the same size AND I managed to quilt it on my sewing machine (Topaz) since I  didn't have at least $200.00 to have it quilted. (It's kind of wrinkly after being bunched up to get through the sewing machine to be quilted)

I started by tying the corners with embroidery thread and then I thought I should quilt the sashings which turned out really well, then I started quilting the blocks, I added the date with embroidery thread.  I added the binding.  I did have to take out one of the blocks quilting since it bunched up the block and then while I was ahead finished. 

Sometimes when you keep going after a good run it turns into a mess.  I stopped myself by taking it upstairs right away and called it complete!

I just need to find some cool stuff for the walls.  My daughter has my antique bed which I will get back next year and that will really set the quilt off.

Well, Sage is now in the kitchen with gates since she hit the puppy time frame of "I forgot everything about going potty outside."  This is the same time that Buttercup just wasn't thinking.

Dummy me. yesterday as she was sitting on my kitchen rug said "Potty" and she went right on the rug on command.  Great  listening skills huh?  I was about 5 minutes behind her potty schedule and kept missing her time.  Not a good day so we are going back to square ONE!

"Nap time"]
I knew in the back of my mind not to paint the butcher block but I did and it is becoming a shabby chic piece of furniture. I didn't realize how much it is hit and now chewed so my paint job is looking shabby and scabby. Which I like the look in books but to me in my home it looks like it needs to be painted what to do?
Thinking of glazing it, or taking it outside and spray painting it with a more durable paint. I think I'll wait till Sage is out of her chewing stage. Her nick-name is Scrappy! She is a handful!!!
She HATES the word no- after you say it she jumps in your face and bites your nose. A little terror!!! She looks sweet sleeping though doesn't she????

Butter absolutely was in heaven today she especially liked the hose in the pool for the waves.

They are once again nice happy puppies.  They played, swam and napped a complete day.

$10.00 can still bring a little happiness!

We have had 2 accidents which the front foyer rug went away again until she is good and trained.  Thank goodness I have a rug shampooer it has paid for itself many times over.

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Sage is asleep after eating my flip flop with the sparkles.  She is a chewer of shoes, furniture and wood stairs, metal, everything really.  It's hard to give her a chew bone since Jas and Butter steal it away from her.

She also LOVES to paddle in the water bowl.  I thought I would use a smaller bowl but she still paddles in it.  What a mess!  I moved it all downstairs since I had the water and food going to the basement which means the stairs are wet and knowing how clumsy I am I would probably slide down them.

Sage found the water paddled and drank and then found the carpet-AHAHAHA!!!!!  Need to come up with a better solution.  My kitchen doesn't  have a space for the water and food to sit.

Took all the dogs to the dog park with the pond to test out the new paddler.  She actually really retrieves toys from the water unlike Butter who could care less to bring them back to you.  She was doing so well just swimming away when Butter and another dog while playing next to Sage almost drowned her.  It was tough until Sage got back to shore.  She was pretty shaken up and pooped from the paddling and almost being drowned.

She rested for awhile and tried it again and her sister again almost drowned her maybe Butter really isn't that excited about having another sister in the house.  Could it be an accident or something more????

Sage did really well with the other dogs and she held her own!  (Even though totally Pooped!)

She got her first outside water hose bath when we got home and she wasn't that keen on it.  Green pond scum smell isn't something one can live with in the house so they all got their bath.  Sweet smelling pups.

Mike and I both questioned if the park is worth the bath at the end of the trip for them?  

The Sham Wow is great for drying them off when wet.  No towels to wash when done its really cute my washing down.  The best part they are at the Dollar Tree of course for a dollar I know I keep talking about them but when something saves time, energy ,the planet  and a dollar – Wow what more can you ask for…………  Sage is 18lbs and Butter is 68 as of July 13, 10.

Still exercising had to go for the big guns and use my old Firm step up blocks with 2- 10 lb weights and step up 10 reps each leg to get my rump firmer.  I am seeing almost the Janet Jackson sculptered stomach muscles that she used to have I am starting to see them on me I am so excited!  

I can fit in the shorts and pants but not very pretty looking like a stuffed sausage but getting there.  Did get into last years jeans so I am chugging along.  Walking the dogs every night in my Shape up shoes, working out with the videos every other day and doing floor exercises daily with weights.  Can't loose motivation…………once you stop it gets harder to start back again- from personal experience!

Our new little cutie-Sage is 16 lbs and 10 weeks old dark yellow lab  is so super  cute !  Proud parent huh?

We found her in Clarksville, Mo on a family farm.  They did such a good job raising her she is already potty trained so my blue bucket is still in the closet this time.  She can sit, retrieve balls so I don't have to since Butter just doesn't seem to care enough to bring anything back. It's nice to just sit and play.

She is from good stock – Anheuser Bush's hunting stock.  (Isn't that a coincidence since I just took the tour of Anheuser.  Mysterious, huh?

Yesterday I couldn't figure out why her legs were wet when she was inside and then I went to fill the water bowl and found her doing the doggy paddle in it.  (Big clay bowl filling it up once beats all day filling)  

I am trying to master the easiest, cleanest, ways to have a lab.  Doing research daily to make my life easier and the house cleaner.  Thank goodness for that Swiffer.  I swiffer, vacuum the hair off of it, vacuum the one rug and I am good to go for the day and the next start all over.

Butter is doing so well with the new addition as you can see.  We have had to keep after her a couple of times a to "be nice" with the puppy since she doesn't know her own strength.  She is getting pretty big.  67lbs!  and that's do to eating less since its been so hot here.

We took Sage for a walk and she did really well up to the last 2 blocks when Mike had to carry her home.  He kept saying that 16 lbs were light at the store but quickly changed his mind when he had to carry her home. u 

I know your all thinking we are crazy but labs are just so awesome.    Butter needed a larger companion  good reason, huh? since Jasmine is just not able to keep up with her.  (Jasmine is only 20 lbs)  And when she is being dragged across the floor when they fight over a toy she needs a reprieve and thats where  Sage comes in- a perfect playmate.  Sounds so good huh?  Your all thinking ;yeah right just wait I know but now we are in the cute 10 week puppy stage and she is so adorable.  She already loves shoes, I still haven't recovered my shoe stash from Jasmine eating them ALL!  Cute shoes are hard to come by.

Well, I think our family is complete.  We are going to need a larger vehicle to get everyone to the dog park.   

We did the whole tourist thing while she was here this last weekend.  We started the visit with of course shopping and eating.  We went to a new restaurant  and it was so BAD that we asked that the meal be taken off the bill because of the Terrible service and the food for the price was just terrible.  So after almost 2 hours and no meal we headed off to find another place to eat, one that we frequent quite a bit.  Of course, the first place was  because I had a coupon- sometimes its so not worth it!

Second meal was great!

We decided we needed to see Anhueser Bush.  The tour is really good.

After our tour and the free beer,  we decided to go and taste test the Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square.  We started out with a Cookie and Cream shake then a  cheese platter, Spinach Salad, small pizza and finished the meal with the Eve's Apple.  Oh my, we died and went to heaven. ( Breanne, the youngest works there, so we got to visit her at work) Taryn was also a server so we tested Breanne out!  She did Good!

She got a nice Tip! ( The weather was hot!)

The next day we went rafting.  We started at the Meramec Caverns and were bussed to Meramec State Park .  We rented a raft and we had so much fun!  I can barely move my back because I got a little toasted.

We are not that great of paddlers, so we took turns rowing.  We went around in circles for a while to get the hang of it.  

It was so beautiful, we saw turtles sitting on logs, a couple of Cranes flying about and lots of rocks that made you feel you were in the jungle.

3 hours of rowing and being hot and of course sunburned we  were Over IT!   Finally we hit the end of the river and we found some cold drinks and a couple of ice creams.  Good Times!  We are only an hour and 15 minutes from the Caverns a nice fast drive.

We did get in an educational activity in – The St. Louis Art Museum in Forest Park .

Of course after the educational part we needed substance  and we found the restaurant PI Squared http://www.restaurantpi.com/.  Great pizza! Great location- sits  in the Central West End.  

Taryn stayed an extra day so we could cram as much stuff in as we could.  She had to get a new laptop to go to China so that also got done and all set up for her by Mike the computer Guru - http://www.netservices1.com/

So she is all set to teach English in China now.

I will miss her but this is a chance in a lifetime to see and participate in another culture.  I am so proud of her!

I hope that St. Louis intrigues you enough to come and visit and don't forget to check out St. Charles.  Lewis and Clark and Daniel Boone all stopped by-

1C Sugar

1 small red onion, peeled and quartered

1 3/4C salad oil

1C White Vinegar

2T Dijon mustard

1 1/2t salt

2T poppyseed (I fudge and add lots) (always think of Seinfeld and the poppyseed show.

Put sugar into a 2 qt bowl and set aside.  Add onion and vinegar to a blender and pulse for a minute or so.  Add mustard and salt; pulse for another 30 seconds.  With the blender (I used a food processor) running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream.  Pour this mixture into the sugar in the bowl , add the poppyseeds and mix well with a wire whisk.

I use the old mason jars to store the dressing.  Looks so good.

I serve this on Romaine lettuce, tomato,cucumbers, red onion and feta cheese – to die for.

The chef suggest also using this on a spinach salad with strawberries.

I knew that the island just wasn't right white and I also knew that painting it would be a pain and I  when I started touching up the kitchen it was time and I was ready for the challange and here is the results.

Before:

Now:

I am really happy the way it turned out.

My cabinet redo has held its own with all the use it gets.

My trim trick is using an artists brush and having a bucket of cleaner and water and trimming and then wiping the baseboard off smooth.  You get a nice trim job and your baseboards are cleaned too.

I told you that I made my own Swiffers thanks to www.sewado.com well, I used them to wax the floor and they turned out great.  Nice and smooth.  I made sure I rinsed the Swiffer and the Swiffer-esq off so that they both wouldn't turn crunchy.

Girls I finally did it I committed to losing weight and not baking the treats now for a month.  

It started by going clothes shopping and seeing that there are very few cute clothes out to purchase while in my closet I had some great Ann Taylor Loft items that are so super cute and just scream me.  Also, I was weighed at the doctors office and he proceded to express to me that I needed to get the weight off.  (160lbs/ size

I set out to go back to my favorite excercise tape, The Firm.  Last time I got out the full ammo when I had my middle daughter I actuallly had to wear my maternity clothes home. With the Firm I went down to a size 6.  It has held until recently so I went back to what works for me and that is using weights.

So I have been committed to exercising with weights (3x the weight loss compared to just cardio)  and I also pulled out my Sweetie, Mr. "Hip Hop Abs" and I have been sweating.  Its tough not being able to walk because your so sore, but the cute clothes are hanging where I can see them and finally I was able to get my cute black and white skirt on these hips once again!  A little tight but it zipped and right now you need the motivation to keep on going!

It is so EASY to eat and not think about what is going to be the outcome-elastic waitbands but you know there are very few cute clothes to buy in small sizes and the larger you become -uglyville!

So far i have lost 6 inches in the waist and I hate to say only 2 inches in the hips.  I have a ways to go.  I  started  May 27 and have missed 2 days due to not being able to walk. 

So wish me luck!

Here is a new picture of Butter

I just looked and she went thru a 50 lb bag of dogfood in 23 days-YIKES!

We are going to need to take out a loan just to feed her!  

We need to weigh her again this week.

Mike has been working late so I have been taking them both out on a walk and you know I really hate picking up the poo- So yucky!  I did purchase one of those poopy holder bag clips for her leash but still.  You really need to have a strong stomach to own a lab.  Between finding sickening stuff in the yard, which comes out to just being super dirty digging in the mud……

Being licked all the time, it is a learning experience.  They are a joy!

Just need to have an iron stomach HAHAHAH!

Here is the quilt that I lost interest over- but it's finally finished.  I really enjoyed leaving the pattern and doing my thing.  It's like coloring out of the lines but I made it thru and I think it came out pretty cute.

Now I am really into making clothes.  I was surfing the net and found this great pattern

Do you remember Bonnie and Clyde my daughters cats well they are back while she moves and they have been something else to say the least.  They are not too happy with Butter and do they let us all know it as she just wags her tail.  Lily did the same thing for all of 6 months and now she lets Butter lick her head and face it was a long 6 months of screaming, running (which is pretty scary seeing a 40-50 lb. dog go after you…..

She is still eating like a fiend but not gaining as much weight but getting thicker.  Her head isn't growing so much kinda out of proportion…

Anyway the cats are just going crazy.  Hopefully, they can go home the end of June.  (They added to the sweater content of the house)

I was surfing the web, I go in spurts and came across http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com/2010/03/tutorial-reusable-swiffer-sweeper.html  this has been a life saver and I kept the gazillion Swiffers out of the trash.  (Green)

I didn't have the socks so I used on a couple a flannel dust cloth folded over and then the recycled t-shirts (Green again).  Since I need backup while some are in the to be washed bucket I went to my Fav store the Dollar Tree and picked up some fuzzy magnetic dust cloths and used those instead of the socks.

I Swiffered, vacuumed and then mopped the floors and here is everyone on my WET floor 

This is Pumpkin on top of the chair, Jasmine on the couch and Butter sitting on my wet floor.  The other 2 are hiding out somewhere.

I just went to look for Butter outside I wanted the kitchen floor to dry and she is COVERED in mud she really like to dig.  Our poor yard between the holes. dog dodo smell, and the burned grass (hostas don't seem to mind) the yard is just gross.  Thank goodness we have a front porch to sit on since the backyard is off limits.

Going in the kitchen on Wednesday  I found a nice bunch of ants coming thru the window sides I have never had ants in the house let alone the kitchen so I sprayed and cleaned up the counters and window…..well yesterday they were back and in the cabinet no less.

Sometimes you just don't feel like a major project but the ants forced my hand and I ended up cleaning out the cabinet with Ammonia and laying down new paper.  I found a great deal on wallpaper and used that for the paper.

I then really cleaned off the counter literally and added some basil to the area is supposed to be an anit-ant thing along with cinnamon once again, a greeen thing.  So far no ants.  I now have 2 basil plants along the walkway so I am very prepared.

I can actually grow stuff who would of thunk it.  It is so nice to go our and grab fresh herbs and look at the flowers.

I threw these in the mix just because they are so happy of a flower, and sometimes its the small things that really do make life worth living!!!!!!!!!!!!