Collars, Competitiveness, and Crazies, Oh My!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

A couple of months ago Julie, Boomer, and Milo, posted in the Photography Group that she was looking for photographers and doodles to model collars for her Etsy store.  All we had to do was be willing to photograph our doodles wearing her collars and the collar was free.  Well, several things convinced me I was the person for this job and that my doodles were perfect candidates for a modeling session, 1) the words free collar 2) I never miss an opportunity to exploit Fudge and Vern and 3) my competitive nature kicked in when I saw Camilla and Ronna write pick me, pick me.  Sure, I know I am no match for Camilla or Ronna in the photography department, but my delusions of grandeur combined with my competitive need to win any contest, even when I am the only one who knows it is a contest, got the best of me and I volunteered.  Over the years, my competitive nature has caused me to buy things I don’t really want.  It is the reason I now own a musical carousel that plays a wide assortment of Christmas carols. 

I happened to see it at an after Christmas sale for 75% off and despite the fact that I didn’t know I wanted one, as soon as another shopper started stalking me in the hopes I would put it down, I knew it was going home with me.  I talked about it all the way home to my daughter as if I had just beaten Bobby Fischer in a game of chess until my daughter finally said, “mom, it’s stupid and you are acting insane.”

My husband and kids all could share embarrassing stories about my competitiveness and my husband’s favorite thing to do when we are going shopping for a specific item is to pull up to the store and point someone out in the parking lot and say, “I bet they are going to get the last fill-in-the-blank and there won’t be one fill-in-the-blank for you when you get into the store,” just to see my reaction.  It is either that or he likes to see me jump from the moving car as he is looking for a parking space and risk my life to beat the other shopper into the store.  Once, my other daughter and I ended up back in the Halloween section of Target when a spooky skull candelabra caught my eye and since the only one left was in a case I had to run all over trying to find an employee to help me. By the time the person I found paged someone back to the Halloween department to help me get the thing out of the case, another woman had her eye on MY find and was being helped by someone else. What ensued next wasn’t pretty as I informed everyone within a 50-mile hearing radius that I had already called dibs on the candelabra.  Suffice it to say when a crazed woman goes off in a Target over a Halloween decoration most people are more than happy to hand the item over and say, “here loony tunes, take it and stay away from me.”  Again, the car ride home had me throwing words around like loser and winner and when we got home, my oldest relayed the play by play to my husband, opened the bag, pulled out the candelabra and said, “Dad, this ugly, plastic thing is what she went all nuts about in Target.”

I got off track a little, but you can see if I am willing to go to those ends for stupid stuff, imagine what I would do if it involved something I really loved like cute collars for Fudge and Vern.  I love dog collars and my dogs have some cute ones.  Vern has the most adorable collar with Old Woodie cars lined up in a row.  I have to confess I bought it mainly so I can say, “Vern has a Woodie,” and make myself laugh, but I still think it is adorable. 

I try to buy Vern macho ones like John Deere, skull and crossbones (from Camilla in our HDA box), camouflage, and even a WWF one I found on the clearance rack at TJ Maxx for $3.00.  The $3.00 was the main selling point since I wasn’t even sure what WWF stood for, but I figured if anyone asked, I would tell them Vern played Words With Friends.  For Fudge, I buy adorable “girlie” ones so everyone knows she is a girl dog and she even has one with flip flops on it and another one with daisies.  

The dogs also have the beautiful collars and leashes they won for the door contest on the cruise that Dori and Rua made.

I still fondly remember Doris, green with envy, sitting on the bed as I selected my prizes and saying, “why does she get two, y’all?” I wanted to pump my fists in the air and yell, “because I WON and y’all lost!” but Doris seemed like she liked me up until that point and I didn’t want to rock the boat.

And the winner is:

 

Well, the collars came and Julie picked some great colors for my dogs. 

I am amazed by anyone who can take a piece of material and turn it into anything presentable. I imagine I could buy fabric and cut two eye holes out and try to sell it as colorful ghost costumes, but I am not sure there is a large market for those costumes.  I’m also not sure I could even up the eye holes and then I would have to mess with returns and complaints about one eye hole being spot on and the other eye hole falling somewhere below the nose. Who needs that in their life?  Julie does not have to worry as I loved the collars and despite the fact that the models are not the most hygienic pair that ever lived, I think we (as in my DD) got some great shots.  Of course, during the photo shoot when the models started acting up and there was a little in house fighting about Saturday photo sessions and creative poses, the photographer did turn to me and say, “next time, just buy the collars.”

Even our models were happy when the photo shoot was over:

although, one Doodle feels sad from time to time his modeling days may be over:

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Sheila, You never learn, do you? LOL  Here are Clark and Adina holding my monkey head :)

Amy, What kind of conversation were you having with your dad that made him think about a monkey head? LOL  My smoothie tasted so much better in that monkey head. Sheila, I bet they sell them on Ebay...LOL!!

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Sheila, the monkey head is the coolest drink holder ever.  It was one of the specialty drinks on the cruise and it is  monkey faced carved into a coconut.  Of course Laurie decided she had to have it the day AFTER it was the specialty drink but the bartender was nice enough to go searching for one.  The best part was though that she didn't even get an alcoholic drink in it, she had him bring her a smoothie!

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Thanks Laurie.  I was talking to my dad on the phone this morning and he brought up the monkey head.  That got me thinking that I hadn't seen my blowfish since the move.  I'm gonna have to hunt for it this weekend. 

[Sheila & Finnley]

I really am going to be sorry I asked, BUT Laurie, what is the monkey head ? :)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Amy, The monkey head is yours :) I will make sure they send it your way. LOL

[BG and Gavin]

No worries Sheila - I the term "cross boarder shopper" is reserved exclusively for Canadians.  But we still want you to visit!!

[Sheila & Finnley]

Oh Brucegirl, I'm ashamed that I didn't know this. Now I'll probably have to turn in my enhanced license ! :)

[BG and Gavin]

@Sheila - Zellers is the Canadian version of Target except not nearly as good ;) 

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Can you ask your daughter to email me before she puts the monkey head on ebay?  or you can just will it to me too ;)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Cheryl, I see most of my stuff landing on Ebay :) LOL