Update: A winner has been chosen and emailed. Thanks for everyone’s entries — SO FUN to read about our pets. Astro says, “Woof!” He approves. ENTRIES NOW CLOSED. Stay tuned for July’s contest. Hmmmm. What shall I ask this month? Original post: Robin was last month’s winner of a “Love The House You’re In” custom collage made by our collage artist laureate Mel Kolstad. That’s Robin’s house… and her dog, woof!… all interpreted by Mel — she cut out each little brick by hand! Now, it’s time to find a winner for June. If you would like to enter to win a custom collage featuring your house and photos, read on….
To enter, complete these two steps:
- A bunch of our collage winners choose to include their pet. Hmmmm… So this month, step #1 to enter is to leave a comment on this post telling us about your pet. If you don’t have a pet right now… then, tell us about a hobby that gets your nurturing TLC.
- And, subscribe to my newsletter. Yes, this helps me build my newsletter list… I send ’em out just once a week, usually.
Please read all the rules here before entering. I’ll pick a reader next Friday morning.
Meanwhile — thanks again to Mel for a fabulous collage! You can find Mel’s collage works on flickr and her blog, Much Ado About Stuff. Thanks, Mel, you know I love your work, and I’m so excited to have this addition to the blog in 2010.
Ashley says
I would absolutely include my dog Gerty in a collage if I were lucky enough to win one! She is a 14 pound Boston Terrier/Chihuahua mix that is very loveable & snuggly! Having her in a collage of my 1960 brick ranch would make it complete!
Jillian Daynor says
Well, I don’t technically have a pet… But I do have a sweet little nephew who is a chinese sharpei! His name is Bocifery Bubinga Jones Pucci (or Bo for short). He’s just about a year and a half old and he just gets sweeter and sweeter with age! The best thing about Bo is that he acts like a real human boy… He uses his hands (front paws) like a human. He grabs at things very purposefully, which can get him in a bit of trouble when what he’s grabbing at is food on the counter top. And you should see the way he rubs his eyes… precious! He’s just the light of my life, as cheesy as that sounds. I love him!
Sue Sweeney says
We have a dog, Sammie, and two cats, Cedar and Lucy. We adopted Sammie from the local shelter 1 1/2 years ago. He is a Sheltie mix and is a sweetheart. We were told that he didn’t like other dogs, was scared of strangers, didn’t like car rides and was deathly afraid of the vet. All of these have proven to be wrong! I guess he just needed the correct environment. Our cats were both strays: Cedar was 5 weeks old when I found him on our road, a bit unsteady on his feet and full of fleas, eye gunk and ear mites. Nine years later, he is a handsome Siamese mix with blue eyes. Lucy is a spunky little girl that finally came inside to eat on a snowy December morning after being too timid to come near for over two months. The vet estimated that she was only 5 months old. She continues to put her hunting skills to use!
Laurie says
I have a lab/German shorthair mix named Toby and four cats. But I must tell you about my neighbor dog, Griz, who decided he’d rather live with me most of the time. Griz is a cross-eyed, tongue-lopping out the side of his mouth, tail-waggin’ chocolate lab. He started visiting Toby every day while his owner was at work. Well, the visits just kept getting longer and longer! He eats breakfast and dinner with Toby and probably catches the same at his house. Four squares a day makes him a happy, albeit chubby, boy! He keeps cool in my baby pool, sleeps on my carpet in the winter and smokes cigars with Toby in the shade of our yard every afternoon while they watch the cars go by.
If he wanders after the joggers and cyclists who pass our ’78 split-level in the country, someone always brings him back to our house in the back of their pick-up truck. We’ve given up on saying he’s not our dog and just gratefully thank them for his safe return.
We love him, his owners love him and he’s a big part of both our families.
Lori D. says
Oh I covet the collage! Our 1960 ranch house would love it too.
We have three feisty cats who have all found us. I’ve never gone looking for a cat. They just come to us. The latest addition is Beans (he came with the name.) Beans has had a hard life and came to our front door in a sleet storm. His story is a long story that includes fights with his previous neighbors, a dog attack, a broken femur, a near-death stomach disorder, three surgeries and at last a new family where he is safe and loved. He is slowly adjusting to our ALPHA male, Chavez, and our skittish female bug hunter, Li’l Missy. And, he’s all white. I can find that li’l sucker anywhere. It’s funny how I took these animals in certain I could not possibly tolerate three cats! And then learned I cannot live without the three.
I’m jealous of the collage winner! I have the perfect spot for it. Thanks for the contest!
Mel says
Thank you Lori! 😀 Thanks for entering the contest!
Jen says
We just moved into our first home, a 1953 ranch, on Memorial Day, along with our two rescue kittens, “Whoa” Nellie and “Heavens to” Betsy, who are 20 month old littermates. They are very excited about the new house, especially the hardwood floors — Nellie likes to scamper and slide across the living room, and Betsy enjoys trying to climb out the awning windows. (The screen is her enemy…and she will defeat it, she says!) We dropped a spot of paint on the living room floor, and Nellie likes to pounce and attack this spot. Last night, she attacked the green paint splotch on my leg, so her new nickname is “Paint Detector.” 🙂 Both kitties are still suspicious of the whole-house fan, and will often cower and growl when we run the blower. We bought and restored a 1950s dinette set for the kitchen, and the girls promptly decided that is their new nap place, vintage-style. . . Sigh.
Thanks for sponsoring the contest — Nellie and Betsy give it, “eight paws up!”
Annie B. says
Mel’s collages are so fabulous! What a treat to have her “cut and paste” our hacienda plus felines.
Our pets are three cats who know not that they are cats: “Posie Rose”, the tiny tortie terror; “Charlie Poole”, the big orange NC Rambler; and Zelda, the 17 year old crossed-eyed Manx cat.
As we all know, there’s no telling what you might find at your local flea market……perhaps even two newborn kittens whose mother was frightened away shortly after giving birth. Charlie and sister, Posie, were bottle fed for six weeks and have grown over the last five years into the most wonderful friends. Zelda, aka, “The Whistle Pig” (Appalachain-speak for ground hog), rules the roost with an iron claw and looks like a basketball with legs. We love them all!
Congrats in advance to whomever wins Mel’s collage. You’ll have yourself a real prize!!!
Mel says
Oh, thank you for your very kind words! I can’t wait to make a collage featuring pets – what an awesome idea! Thanks Pam! 😀
Marcela says
Here is why our house is home to two adopted cats, Leeloo (calico girl) and Poe (our solid black boy)
For over 20 years I’ve been an active animal defender. I grew up in South America where stray dogs and cats were always my biggest concern. I gave up party nights with my BFF many times in oder to rescue a stray, we fostered many dogs and cats until we found them a forever home. For many years we did this, and got so much in return. Many thankful licks were given, many muffins were made in my lap, I don’t know, and I never will, know what is to wear black without fur. My house will always include a littler box as part of the decoration, because I’m forever commited to take care of my babies. They will follow us if we move, they will be safe if natural dissasters threaten us.
When we turned into parents of human babies we felt the responsability of teach them the importance of love, respect and care for the littlest members of the family. There was never a question of “what if the cat hurts the baby?” Actually we worried that, the fur babies will feel neglected or sad, so we always included them in the parenting experience, and what do you know? They all grew up to love and care for each other.
So, as I pledge to love & care the house I’m in, I also pledge to never look the other way when an animal is in danger, abandoned, or mistreated, I pledge to give four legged creatures the same love and respect I give my human babies. I pledge to give a voice to those who can’t defend themselves. I pledge to be an animal lover and teach the same to my kids.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16961986@N03/4509035266/
Annie B. says
Bless you, Marcela,
Wish more people were like you!
Annie B.
Marcela says
Aw Annie you are so nice <3 I love your babies names!
Erica Sternin says
Thank you Marcela. ‘Cause of you and people like you, my dog was rescued and came to me. I’m so grateful
Marcela says
I’m so glad you are the mommy to a rescued dog! I can’t imagine buying a pet when there are way to many to adopt! I just hope there is always tons of love for homeless furbabies!
Retro Junkie says
We have a whole meagerie, 3 dogs Chloe the golden lab that has to be Marley’s littermate, Sasha our beautiful little black cocker spaniel, and Sadie Suzanne my mini dachsund who is truly my baby. We also have a very handsome gray tabby named Thomas, and a cute little girl tabby named Fox. Yes, we have too many but I cannot part with any of them. I spend half of my life cleaning up pet hair!
Pencils says
We have a big, beautiful, fluffy tortoiseshell Maine Coon (mix, most likely) named Agatha, after Agatha Christie. She only has half a tail, but what she has is gorgeous. We adopted her as a tiny puffball of a kitten with her tail already healed; the staff at the shelter didn’t know anything about her background. She’s an interesting cat, she’s not cuddly at all, but she loves to be with us, just mostly from a distance, like on the staircase. The only one she lets pet her is me, she likes to jump up on the table when I’m on my laptop and insert herself in between my hands and the keyboard. This is when the Furminator comes out. Dun dun dun!!! With all her fur, I have to do my best to keep the tumbleweeds from forming.