Happy Birthday Beautiful

Our little or not so little puppy, turned dog turned 1 yesterday. She was very excited to receive an edible birthday card and tug of war toy.

 Presents

 Playing with Presents

 The edible birthday card kept her entertained for about an hour - 

best present ever!

So entertained that she wouldn't touch her other gift for a while

Two Week Catch Up

The last two weeks have been a bit rough at work and in general, so I unfortunately haven't blogged as much as I should. Here's a quick summary of a couple of things that I would have blogged about, given the time:

 

 Birthday Cake for a special girl's 1st birthday

Saffy got a new coat, which she ripped off immediately

 My first attempt at Whoopie Cakes for a friend's housewarming
Red Velvet with Cream Cheese filling

 Birthday Cake for party number two - Everyone Loves Womens Weekly!

 Cake Pinata, which didn't last long

A Week for Family

As our lives become increasingly busy and stressful, it is sometimes difficult to make time for the ones we love. This week, I have taken time out to ensure I spend some quality time with my loved ones. This included seeing my mother, grandmother and mother-in-law for mother's day, a night away with my husband and taking part in the Million Paws Walk with my beautiful labrador.

Our room at Royal on the Park

My husband and I celebrated three amazing years of marriage this week and I decided a couple of months ago that I wanted to do something special for it and keep it a surprise to him. With thanks to Wotif's $12 birthday sale, I was able to find an amazing deal for a room in the city and book dinner at Moda restaurant, which was right around the corner. Hubby unfortunately doesn't like surprises much and was initially very confused when I took a different turn to our usual drive home. 

He initially thought I was taking him to the movies but then I drove past there, then he thought he was going to a musical with me but then I drove past there and it wasn't until I entered the hotel district that he started to worry that he wasn't dressed for the occasion. Little did he know, I had a bag packed in the boot and a dogsitter on hand. I'm surprised he didn't pick up on my cleaning activity at home, as it was moreso than usual.

Moda was amazing for dinner and dessert. We had a very courteous waiter and mouthwatering food. Here's a sample of what I had...

White Chocolate Mousse with a Passionfruit top and Raspberries

I woke up this morning to a very excitable labrador licking my face. It's funny how animals pick up on things sometimes - it was almost as if she knew something different was going to happen today. It was a nice start to the day and I felt great for helping the RSPCA raise some much needed funds.

A friend with her dog and hubby with our chocolate lab

Love Vs. Money

Love versus money is something that most people don't even have to question but there is always those few who may have to consider it for financial or emotive reasons. This bring me to my post today about my beautiful 7 month old labrador, Saffy.

A Shaven Dog after Procedures Yesterday

Saffy is a gorgeous, loving puppy and completely normal, aside from her ectopic ureter and possible weak sphincter. She is a member of our family and life wouldn't be the same without her but as my first pet, I do find myself questioning what if we'd picked a different dog from word go (what if we didn't have to go through all these issues). It just shows that sometimes it comes down to love. Saffy was the one who stood out from the pack that day and we chose each other.


Saffy was officially diagnosed with this issue yesterday after an ultrasound and dye test. It is something a dog is born with and must be operated on to be fixed. It is not that common but more prevalent in labradors and female dogs. You may notice it by the dog leaking or wet patches when they get up from a spot. However, as a puppy it's harder to tell if it's just from excitement or something else. If you want more information, you can read about it here: http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/ectopic_ureter.htm just beware if you're squeamish.

We were told by a vet the other day that quite a few owners actually put their dogs down before they reach the point Saffy has due to future costs. We love Saffy and would never consider but it isn't hard to understand why for those who can't afford it when you consider regular vet visits up to this point - $100 to $200, specialist consultations - $100 to $200, exploratory procedures - $1500 and the surgery (a couple of thousand) before you even consider desexing the dog. None of this is covered by insurance either, as it's a pre-existing issue. So if you don't have money saved away, you better have some nice people to give you a loan. Having a kid would be cheaper at this rate!

I would love to hear your point of view on the above.

In the meantime, here's the most recent photos from February Photo a Day:

Day 21 (of 29) Challenge - A Fave Photo of You

I'm on the right

Day 22 (of 29) Challenge - Where You Work

Reception Area

Day 23 (of 29) Challenge - Your Shoes

My favourite pair of shoes

Beach and Drawstring Bags

Yesterday's weather was beautiful, so it seemed only appropriate that we take the dog to the beach for the first time. She thoroughly enjoyed it and was tuckered out on the way home. I don't think she quite knew what to make of the waves though. I think we'll try for an off-leash beach next time.


Whilst the dog was sleeping later on, I decided to use some material I've always wanted to use and make a drawstring bag. As you'll see I still need to buy some cord for the drawstring element but in the meantime I've used ribbon and given the bag two side openings, rather than just the one. I followed this tutorial I found on YouTube.

Happy 6 Months Saffy

My gorgeous puppy (otherwise known as the rebellious teenager) turns 6 months old tomorrow, so I thought I'd dedicate this post to her. She is the best thing that's come into my life this year and I can't imagine what our home would be like without her.


Saffy will be playing cute dress ups in her Santa hat this Saturday. Will have to take photos of that!