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]

Julie, Thank you! I am sorry I did not post the links. Thank you to all who did :)

Thanks, BG!! I pump that fist a lot :)

Margaret, Of course, I shop on Black Friday....that's when you get the best deal on stuff :) LOL  I do think I need that jar. Since I am on a diet I can fill it with knee high panty hose :)

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Thanks Jarka and Julie for posting the link to the collars!  

[Margaret & Pebbles]

Laurie after reading about your Halloween episode at Target, do you shop on Black Friday???!!!  I think you have two perfect models.  BTW...you NEED that cookie jar, it does look like Vern!

[BG and Gavin]

Great collars - great colours.  I had to laugh at the image of you pumping your fist in the air!

[Julie, Boomer, Milo & Casey]

Aw, thanks Laurie!  Your models look smashing! 

Here's a link:  www.mibocollars.etsy.com and we are on facebook too:  www.facebook.com/mibocollars

 

As always, reading your blog made my day! 

 

 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Karen, ROTFL....I think you summed it up very well :)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Sheri, OMD....love the cookie jar. Here is the picture. It even looks like Vern is in the window :) I guess I should mention my DD took most of the keepers :)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thanks, Cheryl. I did not even notice the matching sunglasses. Now where did I put them? LOL

Adrianne, It usually takes two of us to get a good picture and Jarka posted the link.  Thank you!

Deanna, Every good Photographer needs an awesome assistant :) I did come up with the idea for the poster and then I assigned someone to make it happen. As long as Hayley does not sign on and read this, I can honestly say she loves helping me :)  LOL Plus, I did shoot some of the pictures. I am just not sure they made it into the final picks. LOL

Jarka, I can't believe you chimed in with Deanna. I thought you were my friend...LOL!! I do take some of my own photos, BUT I know my limitations :) Thanks for posting the link. I will have to check out the other models. I just hope they are not hogging the page :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here is what I took away from this blog:

a.The collars are gorgeous! Jarka, thanks for posting the link! Julie & Dori both do beautiful work!

b.The dogs are gorgeous and make great models!

c. Hayley is great photographer and and has a great eye for design!

d. Laurie is great at buying junk on sale and at being a stage mom.

 

    Oh, and at writing the funniest, most entertaining blogs ever.

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Deanna, my thoughts exactly! LOL

Some of us who are equally competitive take our OWN pictures and don't even write a blog about it.

But I agree, Julie does an amazing job with the collars. Here is her Etsy website. Do notice the cute doodle puppy and his pro model brother...

http://www.mibocollars.etsy.com/