Deuce

Last Monday, my family had to say goodbye to our beloved Deuce. While I was in Atlanta last August, we found a tumor on him that turned out to be cancer. So while we knew his time was coming to an end, it didn't make it any easier when we had to say goodbye. When I left Atlanta after Christmas, I lost it at the airport because I knew it would be the last time I'd ever see my sweet Deucie. The poor girl next to me on the plane probably thought I was crazy.

We got Deuce when I was 12, so he's been in our family for over half of my life. He was the most loved dog, and we'd always joke (but I think we all meant it) that he was the favorite child and grandchild. He had so much personality and loved to sing. His favorite things were doggie bones and kittens. Seriously, he LOVED kittens. He would be giddy if a kitten were ever around- it was adorable. 

One of my favorite memories of Deuce was when I was in high school. I was going through a break up and was pretty sad...Deuce stayed in bed with me and wouldn't let anyone come near me. He was protecting me, and it was the sweetest thing. Gosh, I'm going to miss that boy so much. 

Deucie, you were the perfect dog. I hope you're snuggling with Lily and eating unlimited amounts of doggy bones in heaven. I love you sweet boy!

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The other reason that Monday flat-out sucked was that we found out Pepper has diabetes. I noticed over the weekend that he had lost weight- over 4 pounds! I was really overwhelmed when the vet was telling me what all this entails- twice daily shots and regular testing to make sure his levels are stable. Pepper is our "difficult child" at the vet, so I was wondering how in the world I'd ever be able to give him shots everyday. Well, Pep has proven us all wrong and has been a rock star. So far, it's been so easy to give him his shots, and even though I was completely freaked out by doing it, it's come pretty naturally to me, too. Not to Doug though- he's still practicing :) In the last few days, we started giving Pep a few treats during the shot so now he actually looks forward to it. Now the only issue is to figure out who's going to do it when we go out of town! 

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Oh, and last Monday was also Diego's 2nd birthday! It was certainly an eventful day for all of us!

Luckily, I didn't have to work that day so Maisy stayed by my side all day. Sweet girl did her best to cheer me up.

Taking Stock of 2013

2013 was a fantastic year. For me, it was a year of taking risks and challenging myself. I'm really proud of what I accomplished this year, and hopefully I can push myself to do even more in 2014. Here are some of the highlights of my year:

New York, New York
A recap of the trip that my mom and I took to New York. It's our favorite place in the world and makes for the perfect girls trip. We're hoping to go back this year!

Diego Turns One
In this post, there are some of the cutest pictures I've ever taken of the babies. Our sweet little Diego is about to turn 2 on January 6!

No Sew Window Seat Cushion
One of my most popular posts- an easy DIY tutorial for a window seat cushion!

The 3 Best Friends That Anyone Could Have
The sweetest pictures of my babies. The cats don't leave Maisy's side after she has surgery.

Dog Beach
Maisy's first trip to the Dog Beach. I don't think she's ever been happier!

Lily
We lost our sweet Lily girl. Her cross-eyed little face is so missed!

Calories, Running, and Weight Loss...Oh My!
One of my big accomplishments this year- I lost 15 pounds (and have kept it off!) I've always been a terrible dieter/exerciser so to stick with it for 6 months was a huge deal.

My First 5k & Mom and Dad Come to Town
Another accomplishment- I completed Couch 2 5k and ran my first (AND LAST! ;) 5k! I was glad to accomplishment my goal, and then I was glad to be finished running. It's just not for me :)

Surf's Up!
Doug took a surfing class and got up! And I was greatly entertained by the whole thing :)

Bark in the Park
We took Maisy to the Dodger's Bark in the Park and she had a blast. I love spoiling this girl.

Our Week in Paradise
Doug and I went back to where we honeymooned for our 3rd anniversary. We met some awesome people and had one of the best weeks of our lives.

Office Makeover
One of my favorite room makeovers to date- my parents' office. I love this room!

A Big, Exciting, Scary Announcement!
My biggest accomplishment of the year- I started my own business. I was seriously afraid of failing, but somehow I found the courage to do it, and I couldn't be happier. I love what I do, I love working with wonderful clients, and I love helping people simplify their lives. I still pinch myself that this is actually happening- that I'm a small business owner (NEVER thought I'd say those words!) and that I actually have clients and stay busy. I'm so thankful that I get to do what I love (and be my own boss! :) Here's my new logo!

The City by the Bay
Doug and I took a trip up to San Francisco- even though it was a short trip, we had a wonderful time!

Life Lately
One of my favorite moments of 2013- going to the Season 11 Premiere of Ellen! She gave us all TVs!!

Den Makeover
Another favorite room makeover- my parents' den. Just switching out some accessories can give you a whole new room!

Hiking the Hollywood Hills
This is another favorite memory of 2013- I loved being on top of a mountain with my cutie pie husband and precious pup!

If you want to join me and Katie and do a recap of your own, you can link up with us all week! Feel free to use this button on your post!

<center> <a href="http://thesmittenmintons.com" target="_blank"><img alt="The Smitten Mintons" src="http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii521/krush_717/TakingStock2_zpscbbb9780.jpg"/></a></center>

The 3 Best Friends That Anyone Could Have

Back when Maisy was recovering from her surgery, I mentioned that Pep and Diego were very attentive to her and basically didn't leave her side for days. (Neither did I...it was a very crowded bed :) Doug was sweet enough to give Maisy his spot while she recovered, so on one late night while I was watching endless episodes of Parenthood, I looked down and saw the sweetest sight. These 3 truly love each other and I just never get used to seeing them together. It melts my heart every time. 

Hey little buddy :)

Then the next day, they did it again! I will never get sick of seeing this pile of fur and love :)

Oh, my heart.

"We're the Three Best Friends
That Anyone Could Have...
And we'll never ever ever ever ever
Leave each other"

-The Hangover :)

No Sew Window Seat Cushion

Another DIY for y'all today! I've been cranking out the projects around the house, so this won't be the last you see on here! 

We have a beautiful bay window seat in our bedroom, and I wanted to make a cushion for it and spend as little as possible. And I didn't want to use my sewing machine, since that always results in a meltdown. So I came up with a very quick and budget-friendly solution that can be used again when we inevitably move!

First, measure your window seat! 

I bought my foam (2" thick) at Joann's. That stuff is expensive! Tip: download the Joann's Fabric app and there is, just about always, a 50% off coupon. I had them cut it to 66" (length) by 23" (width/depth) and then I finished the rest of the cutting at home.

Since I have a bay window, the dimensions were a little more complicated. First, I measured the little sides (the red in the picture above) and marked accordingly on each side on the foam. 

I marked the half way point at the top of the foam (33"), and used that mark as the center of the length of the back of the cushion (I feel like I'm speaking gibberish right now...I hope this is making sense!) The turquoise line (pictured above) is 27", so half of that is 13.5". Using your measuring tape, place 13.5 on the mark that you made for 33" (the middle of the whole cushion). Then mark at each end of the measuring tape. 

That would be Pep's foot up there :)

Using a straight edge, connect the marks on each side! Apparently I need to invest in a yard stick, as the only straight edge I could find was our dining room mirror :)

Measure the lines you just made to make sure it's accurate (the black lines above= 17.5") Then, cut! An electric knife is the best tool to use for this, but I couldn't find mine so I just used kitchen shears, and they worked surprisingly well! 

Now it's time to make it pretty! I chose to not sew for a few reasons. 1) I hate it. 2) It takes me about 12x longer than it should, and 3) I wanted to be able to use this cushion again for our next house, and there's a good chance the dimensions will be completely different. So I ordered a bit of extra fabric, wrapped it like a gift, and safety-pinned it onto the bottom! This way, it's super easy to take on and off and throw in the wash. Plus, if we move and have a bigger window seat, I can just add extra foam and re-use the fabric! 

Please pretend that you don't see my filthy carpet. Today's vacuuming day, I promise! :)

I absolutely love how it turned out!

And so do the cats...they are up here every time I walk in the room!

A few pretty pillows complete the look.

This is now one of my favorite little spots in the house! 

Diego Turns One

My little baby turned 1 yesterday! We are so blessed that this little guy joined our family almost a year ago. He really completed our family- he is Pep's best friend and he thinks that Maisy is his mama. It makes me choke up every time I see the babies loving up on each other, and sometimes I still can't believe our pets love each other this much. I've never seen anything like it between 3 animals and I probably never will again! We are blessed, and I just love these 3 so much. Happy Birthday little Diego, you have brought so much laughter and happiness into our lives!

A few pictures from the day we adopted him

Meeting for the first time 

Diego was absolutely terrified of Maisy at first, but it only took him a day to realize she is the sweetest girl in the world.

It took us just seconds to fall in love with this sweet boy...this is when Doug really became a 'cat person' (something he still won't admit :)

And now some tons of my favorite pictures of these 3