It may be MY BIRTHDAY WEEK, but that doesn’t mean you guys can’t get gifts too! Free to download is my Desktop (or iPhone/ipad) Wallpaper. It’s my gift to you for taking time to visit my blog each day, leave me sweet comments, and friending me on facebook. Cheers to you!
1920 x 1080
1680 x 1050
1440 x 900
1280 x 1024
ipad
iphone
Birthdays call for celebration, and what better way to celebrate than a spiffy new bandana to let everyone know it’s your Birthday!
And because I want everyone to celebrate with me, here’s a tutorial I created to help you make your own pet a celebratory bandana.
DIY Pet Birthday Bandana
Materials:
(or acrylic paint mixed with Textile Medium
)*some links contain affiliate links
Step 1: Using a ruler and cutting utensil, cut a bandana sized piece of fabric out of your material. We used a bandana I already had as a template, but you can also measure your pet’s neck and add about 4″ to be able to tie it. You might also opt to sew the edges of your bandana to prevent fraying before moving on to step 2.
Step 2: You will need your HOORAY! stamp for this part (my mom carved mine, find out how to carve a stamp here or find out how to purchase one here). Use your sponge brush to apply screen printing ink or acrylic paint mixed with Textile Medium
Step 3: Stamp your fabric in several places, re-applying paint after each one. Then allow to dry.
Adding another color can add to the overall effect.
And when you are all finished you will have a spiffy new bandana that’s perfect for celebrating my Birthday with me.
Happy Birthday to me! Only 3 more days until I’m officially 4 and get to open all my presents!
My HOORAY! stamp was inspired by a post on Squirrelly Minds.
We had lots of entries for my Dream Big contest, in which one lucky reader will win one of my brand-new prints from the Flying Hero Etsy Shop.
I had so much fun reading everyone’s big dreams, which included starting rescue groups, writing books, traveling to Africa, and even finishing college. But sadly there can be only one winner, and today’s winner is comment #25 Krista, who’s dream is to visit the Cook Islands.
Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway, and since I hate to see anyone go home empty handed, you can use the coupon code FREESHIP in my etsy shop, Flying Hero, to receive free shipping anywhere in the US on any order! Yay for free!
I hope you have a wonderful Friday, and don’t forget to keep dreaming big!
Some of you may have noticed already, but I’ve been keeping a little secret for the past couple of months, I’ve decided to open up my very own Etsy Shop, Flying Hero!
Aptly named after me, your friendly neighborhood flying hero, my etsy shop will be selling cute photographic prints, cards and even calendars (coming soon) with my mug on them!
My mom and I have been creating, making, and selling greeting cards in our retail shop for years now – but we decided it was high time we make them available to everyone.
So if you are looking for a way to bring laughter, smiles, and little dose of cuteness to those that you love, make sure you check out Flying Hero. In the coming months we hope to have more items available for purchase.
And not to worry, I’ll still be working my painting magic with the amazing Painting Ponies. So if you are interested in original artwork by yours truly, be sure to stop by the Painting Pony Etsy Shop.
Now because it’s Friday, and because I’m super excited to share with you the launch of my new shop, I wanted to give you an even bigger reason to smile today. I’ve decided to give away one of my brand-new DREAM BIG prints to one lucky reader.
**This Giveaway is no longer accepting entries**
Here’s how to win…
PRIZE: One Dream Big Print from Flying Hero
TO ENTER: Comment on this post (you must comment on the BLOG – not on our facebook page) with the words “DREAM BIG” and….
BONUS QUESTION: Tell me one of your biggest dreams. Maybe you want to travel the World, or go skydiving, or perhaps you want to conquer your fear of heights. No dream is too small!
GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Friday, September 7, 2012 at 9:00am EST
NUMBER OF WINNERS: One
PRIZE SHIPS: Anywhere in the World! Yeah!
RULES: one entry per e-mail address. Winner will be selected using random.org (meaning the winner is drawn at random) – and will be announced shortly afterward. Good Luck!
P.S. Make sure you head over to Under the Blanket and check out their write-up on my new Etsy Shop! They are oh so sweet that I can’t help but blush!
Last weekend I took an expedition down the Brandywine River via canoe. You may remember that I went on a similar adventure last summer.
This time it was a much bigger family affair as even my Uncle Taylor came too while he was up visiting from North Carolina.
Since we only have one canoe at the farm we had to make room for our extra passengers by adding some blow-up rafts and even a snow tube.
It ended up being quite the adventure with frequent pit-stops to re-pump said rafts, a couple of spider incidents (with one wolf spider hitching a ride on mom’s leg – I screamed – but she brushed it off like nothing happened), and a nest of ants and their babies threatening to eat us alive when we accidentally tipped the canoe – all of which we had a good laugh about later.
All in all it was the perfect way to spend a hot summer day!
So what do you do to beat the summer heat? I’m thinking for my next canoe trip I’ll have to bring along some pupsicles! Yum!
Last week I took a short stay-cation in my hometown of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. While I didn’t actually travel anywhere exotic or new I did get to have a whole bunch of brand-new adventures. I hope you’ll come along for the ride with me this week, as I have lots to share!
One of the first things I did on my vacation was to go stand up paddleboarding (also called SUP or stand up paddle surfing) at the Marsh Creek Boat Rental.
Visiting the lake isn’t new to me, as I’ve been known to zip around on a motorized row boat with my mom and dad, but SUP was something I have never done before.
I was so excited when I saw the paddleboard come out that I couldn’t wait to hit the water, especially on this super hot day.
I did end up swimming A LOT while I was on the water, sometimes by accident because I was standing too close to the edge while some turbulent water knocked me in, and sometimes because I wanted to take a trip over to visit dad in his canoe.
Luckily I do know how to swim, and my new life vest kept me even more afloat – and made it easy for mom and dad to scoop me back onto the board.
I’m pretty sure I was the talk of the lake that day and I enjoyed waving at all the other people out enjoying the cool water.
This may have been my first time paddleboarding, but it certainly won’t be my last! Especially if this heat wave in Pennsylvania keeps up!
Tips for Stand Up Paddleboarding with your Dog
And the icing on my cupcake…..according to Shape Magazine I burned 500 – 700 calories every hour I was out paddleboarding (although mom says she’s pretty sure they mean it’s her that’s burning those calories), but regardless it’s also apparently the new “celebrity trend” – with paddleboarders like Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson testing them out too.
So considering I’m probably just as famous as those big celebs (right?) then it must be the super cool new thing to do! Not to mention I look awfully sexy doing it! *wink*
So what do you think? Is your next big adventure going to be paddleboarding with your dog? Or do you just enjoy living vicariously through me? Or better yet – have any suggestions of new adventures I should try?
Make sure you stop by the blog tomorrow to hear all about my adventures on my very first airplane ride!
Over the weekend mom and I had some fun with a little DIY project. I like to keep up with all the fashion trends, so I told mom I needed a stylish new Ombre Bandana for the summer! Ombre is new it thing, incase you didn’t know.
So here’s my super fun tutorial for a…
DIY OMBRE PET BANDANA
Supplies Needed:
Step 1: If you are using a piece of fabric vs. a pre-made bandana (sold at most craft stores, but better sized for a large dog), cut your fabric into a triangular shape that will fit your dog’s neck. Mom measured my neck then added 4″ to each side on the top to make room to tie it. Ex: my neck measured 12″ so we added 8″ total making the top measurement 20″ wide.
Step 2: Mix your dye as per the directions on the box. As a rule always add a little less water to your bucket – you can always add more water to dilute it later.
Step 3: Attach your bandana to the hanger.
Step 4: Dip the bandana 3/4 into the dye for about 5 seconds, then remove. Try to keep the bandana as level as possible when dipping into the dye.
Step 5: Next dip your bandana 1/2 way into the dye for 20 seconds.
Step 6: Remove the Bandana another 1/4 out of the dye so that just 1/4 remains in the dye. Leave it there for another 2 – 3 minutes. *you may have to experiment with dye times based on the type of fabric you are using and how quickly it soaks up the dye.
Remove from the dye and hang until dry.
The waiting is the hardest part!
When your bandana is dry you will have a stylish new accessory perfect for the summer! Yay!
Of course I had to break mine in by rolling in the stinkiest dead animal smell I could find. It was glorious!
*This post contains some affiliate links
For those of you that follow me on Facebook, you probably know that I recently have started taking agility lessons. While being an agility loving Dachshund isn’t a new concept, some might think that due to my short legs and long back that agility might not be the sport for me. But lucky for me, my mom believes that being active and fit are more important to keeping me healthy in the long run than making me sit on the sidelines. Agility might not be for every dog out there, but for me it is one of those things that keeps me motivated to run my little tushie off and keep the middle of my “hot dog” from touching the ground.
So with my start into the World of agility, mom decided to help me build a set of my very own agility jumps for the back yard. Lucky for you I made sure we documented the entire process so that you too can build your own backyard set!
DIY: Build You Own Agility Jumps
The following step-by-step tutorial will show you how to build two jumps for your dog for about $40 in materials (we did most of our shopping at Lowes).
Materials:
*You will also need to either purchase or make your own jump cups for this project. We opted to buy our own jump cups
It’s also helpful if you have a supervisor for this project on hand – if you do not have one I’m happy to lend my services for a nominal fee, you know where to find me.
Next you will need to make some cuts in the 1″ PVC pipe. After measuring and marking your cuts with a sharpie, you can use a pipe cutter or a circular saw to make your cuts.
Cuts to Make on 1″ PVC pipe:
*make sure you are only making your cuts for these out of the 1″ PVC pipe (you will cut the 3/4″ pipe to make the jump poles later)
Next you will start the assembly process – if you prefer to make your jump really secure you can use PVC pipe glue to attach the pieces, but we opted to forgo the glue and just tightly assemble each piece. This way the pieces can be disassembled later or put away for the winter.
Assembly:
1. Create the feet of your jump by slipping the 12″ PVC pieces into the top and bottom ends of your “T” connectors. Then add an end cap to each end of the pipe.
2. Next add the 1 3/4″ PVC pieces to the open end of the “T” connector.
3. Then add another “T” connector to the ends of your 1 3/4″ pipe, make sure they face in the directions pictured above.
4. Add the 50″ PVC pieces in-between your two “feet”.
5. Place your 30″ PVC pieces into the open “T” connector and then add an end cap to the top of each pipe.
At this point your jumps are nearly complete, but you will need to add jump cups to them. You can purchase a set of jump cups
So out of the 3/4″ PVC pipe you purchased cut 4 pieces at 49 3/8″ (or the measurement you took between the poles after attaching your jump cups).
After making your cuts for your jump poles, you might decide to paint the poles. According to the AKC Agility Rulebook, jump poles must be striped for visibility, so who was I to argue with adding a bit of color!
After taping off some stripes on my poles with painters tape and newspaper mom let me choose the color I wanted from the cans of spray paint we had in the basement.
After a few coats of flashy blue paint, my jump poles were looking mighty fine. (You can also stripe your poles with colored electrical tape).
And then after letting them dry overnight, they were finally finished, and they were glorious!
Oh and don’t worry, I only jump a 4″ height for practice – but I had mom and dad make me an extra jump rail for when Trooper comes over to practice with me.
Putting my new agility jumps to the test was the best part though!
Look at me, I can fly!
I’ve created this handy PDF for you to download that has all the instructions you will need to make your own set of DIY Dog Agility Jumps. Happy Jumping!
*These jumps are intended to be used for backyard fun. If you plan to build jumps for competition use make sure you build your jumps to rulebook specifications.
Disclaimer: To the best of our knowledge this equipment is entirely safe, however, we are not liable for any damages or injuries you or your dog may sustain from following these instructions. Use your best judgement when building equipment for your dog – and be safe!
***This Giveaway is no longer accepting entries***
Winner: Mary Anne Chan & her dog Kona! Please contact me at info@ammothedachshund.com to claim your prize.
Merry Christmas Friends! In the Spirit of giving I’ve decided to gift one lucky reader my 2012 Calendar.
This 2012 Calendar measures 5 1/2″ w x 8 1/2″ h and comes with a metal bulldog clip for easy hanging on your wall or cork board. Just simply use a tack or nail on the wall.
Each month features a photograph of me! All photos are printed professionally on archival quality paper. At the end of the year/month the photos would be great for framing and hanging on your wall.
PRIZE: One 2012 Ammo the Dachshund Calendar
TO ENTER: Comment on this post (you must comment on the BLOG – not on our facebook page) with the words “NEW YEAR” and….
BONUS QUESTION: Tell me your new year resolutions. Maybe it’s eat less kibble, or take a jog in the park, whatever it is I want to hear about it!
GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Monday, January 2, 2012 at 5:00pm EST
NUMBER OF WINNERS: One
PRIZE SHIPS: Anywhere in the World! Yeah!
RULES: one entry per e-mail address. Winner will be selected using random.org (meaning the winner is drawn at random) – and will be announced shortly afterward. Good Luck!
Countdown to Christmas….woohoo! And lucky for you I’m here with some early Holiday Cheer. Free for you to download for personal use is my Christmas Desktop Wallpaper. My cute little face will be sure to put you in the Holiday Spirit, you’ll be singing Christmas songs in no time.
Just click the links below to download the appropriate wallpaper for your desktop.
1920 x 1080
1680 x 1050
1440 x 900
1366 x 768
1280 x 1024
1280 x 800
1024 x 768
ipad
iphone