Puss puss

Rarely do I get cuddles from the cat.  He's the boyfriends cat through and through, but when the boyfriend is away, the cat will play.

Look at him in this pic - he actually looks pleased to be snuggled up with me - or maybe it's just the flash in his eyes.

I love him.  He's so soft and furry and cosy warm and he's just the sweetest puss but I'm second best in his world...... and that's OK.

Cavalier Shows

A few weeks ago we took the dog to a Cavalier Party.  Pippa had so much fun meeting all the other Cavs (as did I!).  They really are the best natured dogs.

Here she is settling in to the day....getting used to seeing all the other dogs - she's amazingly a wee bit shy

Look at this!  Twins.  This other tri colour is called Matilda.  Lovely dog.  She became my best friend and sat on my knee for strokes for ages.  So friendly.

And this beautiful ruby is called Saffie.  Her owner is 92 years old and has been showing dogs for years!  How amazing is that?  She also knows our breeder that we got Pippa from.
I literally fell in love with this lovely, lovely dog.  I wanted to take her home.

I really want a ruby friend for Pippa - and look, don't you think she suits it!  A ruby matches her eyebrows.  The boyfriend says when we move to a bigger house we can get another dog.

It was just the nicest day.  

We entered Pippa in the fancy dress costume with her kilt and she came fourth!  not bad.  

See the dog beside us - the other tri - it came as an actual Cavalier.  That deserved to win! It had a sword and everything.  And there was a King! Cute.  But some kids and their dogs in super hero outfits did! 

Look at her smile!  LOVE!

She just loved being on show.  So I've decided to get into showing her.  She is such a good pedigree and from such a good stock - her stud is regularly a First in shows so she's got the genes for it!

As you know we've started the obedience classes and then in a couple of weeks time we're going to start going to ringcraft classes and seeing how she gets on.  So hopefully next year we can start going to the shows.  There's the Kennel Club scotland one in August that we're going to go and spectate at and the Cavalier Show in October, which we're going to go along too as well.  Just to get a feel for it.  

We're both excited.  It will be good fun and as they say 'you always take the best dog home' and I know I definitely do!

Six Mile Cake

The boyfriend is training for the Great North run in september.  I promised him that when he made it to 6 miles I would bake him his favourite cake - Hummingbird Cake.  So I broke out the kitchen aid on Saturday afternoon and here are the results...

There's a lot of ingredients in a Hummingbird cake.

Pecans, walnuts, pineapples, mango, bananas, oranages, passionfruit - before you even get down to flour and eggs

It's not hard to make tho - everything just gets whisked up together.

A orange scented cream cheese frosting and you're done!

Tip:  I'd leave the passion fruit out next time.  It just goes a bit too crunchy during the bake.  I love passion fruit taste tho so the next time I might substitute with a tablespoon of passionfruit juice instead.

He's nearly ate it all.

I'll have to think what I make for him now for when he makes it round the 13.1 mile course in September?

Next knit project

I've started a cardigan.  I love the yarn and it came from a pack I bought at a knitting show months ago. The kind that hide in the back of your stash and you keep telling yourself you must do something with that bag of yarn.  Well here we are.  I found a lovely pattern on vogue knitting for a cropped cardigan in a very vibrant green and I think it will look great in this pink.  I'm halfway up the arm holes so we'll see how far it goes.  I'm determined this one is not going to be another UFP but make it off the needles and onto my back!!!

Wish me luck...

Monday nights

Monday nights are now my new favourite night.  Mondays are traditionally so depressing - the weekend is over, back to work, a full week ahead.  I say 'blah' to all of that.  Since I've started taking Pippa to her training class on Monday night, I now look forward to them!  I manage to put dinner in the slow cooker before we leave the house - tonight veggie chilli - come home after work, quick bite to eat and then we drive up to Strathblane for her class.  The drive up there is lovely and makes me wonder what I'm doing still living in the city! (I always promised myself I wouldn't be for much longer but that's another story!).... the class is in a lovely old village hall and the other dogs are so cute and lovely and Pippa (and I!!) really enjoying meeting them.  She always comes home knackered.
Here she is doing her 'grooming' section at tonight's class.  We really had no problem there as she's so used to being groomed!

To be honest I'm pretty knackered myself now too....

Sewing Sundays

I have a crick in my neck and I have spent the whole day in the spare room over the sewing machine - but look!  I have a dress to show for it!

I tried to put the zipper in, but had to take it back out.  I'm going to go to my drop in class tomorrow night and learn how to do it properly.  I'm so pleased with how it has turned out!

Work Boat Trip!

So I had to come off the wagon eventually and what better way to do it than on a glorious scottish summer day, on a boat trip, with a free bar!  Cue iwc summer party.

First a coach ride out to the other side of the loch at Tarbet.  Look at that sun!  Can you believe it's Scotland?

 Crystal blue seas, ice cold wine and beer - it was like being abroad!

Any excuse to get his captain's hat out!  the boyfriend thinks he's master of the boat.

 A stop at Ardlui for some fish and chips.  After 3 weeks on a detox they were about the yummiest thing I've ever ate!

Again.  Can you believe it's scotland?

A bit of dancing before we disembarked.

And a very sore head the following day!