A Lovely Weekend Walk

The weather was gorgeous here in Toronto over the weekend and we just couldn't resist heading out to enjoy it. The second that the boyfriend mentioned a w-a-l-k to Whiskey, he was bouncing around ready to go.

Can you see the desperation in his eyes as he waits for me to lace up my shoes?

I couldn't remember the last time that I was outside in just capris and a light jacket. It felt so great to be heading back towards good weather.

  

This is a demonstration of how I get Whiskey to jump up to my shoulders. He jumps to my bent knees, then climbs up to my shoulders while I hold on, just in case. Its my favorite way to get a hug from the puppy :)

I oohed and ahhed at every sign of spring that we saw. The little pops of colour gave me so much hope for what is still to come!

We decided to walk around the Trinity Bellwoods/Little Italy area of Toronto, which of course meant we had to stop into one of the fun little cafes and grab a coffee to go.

As the non-coffee drinker in the relationship, I was happy to stay outside with Whiskey and admire some of the fun motorcycles and convertibles that were making appearances again. Any sign that I see of warmer weather is welcomed with open arms. I am counting down the days to Flip Flop season.

With coffee in hand, our walk continued!

Whiskey was fascinated with all the other dogs outside to play sniff bark at.

Any attempts to discipline him were thwarted by his cuteness.

As we walked around this neighbourhood I kept falling in love with some of the older homes.

I loved the porch, double front doors and big vintage light fixture on this one.

And there were more little flowers outside of it too!

As we came into Little Italy, I saw one of my favorite little bistros. They have a great outdoor patio (perfect to people watching) and I can't wait for the weather to get nicer for patio season. Its one of the highlights of Toronto. We're such die hards about it here that most of the patios in Little Italy were packed already despite the fact that it is only the beginning of April!

Another favorite fixture of Little Italy is the Pink Twig Floral Boutique. They made gorgeous arrangements that are the perfect hostess gifts or birthday presents.

I love walking by and seeing what creative goodies they have for sale.

Later in the evening, we headed out to the movies to see "Hanna" and decided to stop by a little park on the East side of the city. Its amazing how much quieter it is when you get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown and just enjoy the peaceful sound of waves crashing along the shore of Lake Ontario.

The breeze was nice and cool as we walked along the large concrete break wall.

For dinner we grabbed some burgers from The Acme Burger Company for a little impromptu picnic down by the water.

They weren't too bad, but there was a lot of bun and little meat. I prefer a better burger to bun ratio.

From the rocks we could see downtown Toronto in the distance.

We were only 20 minutes away but it seemed like it was impossibly far. As the air got cooler, we started heading back to the big city that was calling us home.

It was a nice end to a wonderful weekend with my two favorite guys. Just being back at work now makes me wish that it was Friday already so that we can have another nice weekend outdoors!

Movie Night with My Boys

Last night I took the evening off from the computer/blackberry/technology for a quiet little movie night with my boys.

Mind you, there is never any room for me on the couch once these two lay down. Don't they just look so comfortable with each other.

 I swear, they wouldn't notice if I left the room.

 It is not uncommon to come and find them both napping, cuddled up together.

That is until I come in and take a photo and wake them up. I love how Whiskey is doing "The Creep" here. Anyone else seen that video by Lonely Island?

Best buds :)

With the nice weather coming around now, we're looking forward to a weekend spent walking around all the parks and neighbourhoods. Its time to come out of hibernation!

Whiskey's Vacation from Me

While I was away in Florida, my beloved pooch Whiskey stayed with my boyfriend and his family. I'm sure he was spoiled there even more than I spoil him (which is alot.) They took a few photos of what Whiskey was up to on his little vacation away from me and it was so fun to see what he was up to. It was nice knowing that I didn't have to worry about it because he loves them so much.

The best part is that he isn't alone there either. They have a cuddly little Shih Tzu named Jake and although he and Whiskey are not all buddy-buddy like he is with Shadow, they seem to get along just fine.

They also have one thing in common...they love car rides.

There is so much to watch and smell.

 

Whiskey's favorite spot is up on the console where he can keep an eye on everything that is on the road. I love teasing him that he is Inspector Whiskey, on the beat. I think he could have his own doggy detective show :)

As much as he loves driving around, once you stop he knows that something good is going to happen. Who will you see? Where will you go? He's always up for an adventure.

It looks like someone is coming over! Time for the tails to start wagging!

It was my boyfriend's adorable grandmother. The dogs love her so much and she is very tolerant of their incessant licks and snuggles.

Now that they're all loaded up, its time to go for a drive around town.

Going for a drive wouldn't be right without a stop at Tim Horton's to get some TimBits. They are Whiskey's favorite. He gets so excited as you drive through the drive thru.

There is a quick sniff to make sure its a flavour he likes.

Then a little taste.

After deciding he likes it, he goes for the rest. This is one seriously spoiled dog.

And after his little driving adventure and snack, he was ready to burrow into the blankets and take a nap. Doesn't sound like too bad of a vacation! I doubt he even noticed I was gone!

You've done it again, Martha

The other evening, the boyfriend and I stopped into PetSmart to pick up a little surprise for Whiskey, when we saw the giant display of Martha Stewart Pets. I'm a big Martha Stewart fan. She and her amazing team are an incredible inspiration for design, crafts and recipes. I'm often going over to her website or pouring through her magazines for ideas.

I made a beeline for the Martha Stewart Pets collection the second I saw it. When did this come along? And why did no one tell me? Probably because the last thing I need to do is spend money on fun and silly dog stuff (need to start saving up more for a house!) But a little window shopping never hurts, right? :)

Some of the things I fell in love with, like this adorable Grey Barn Sweater

or the too cute Chicken Coop puzzle toy (very similar to Whiskey's beloved Hide-A-Squirrels). I am seriously considering getting this for me him for Easter.

and this Lidded Dog Bowl Set. Perfect for travelling or having in the back of your car with a serving of food sealed up and ready to go!

However, some of the others seemed pretty frivoulous...

like a Doggie Day Care Kit. I live in a city where people actually do take their pets to doggie day care, but I still find it hilarious thinking about them going every day with a little packed lunch.

and a big Grooming Tote...which I might not understand because I have a tiny shorthair dog.

Don't these crochetted toys look like little kid toys? I'd feel bad about letting him chew them to shreds!

This final one just made me laugh. I soooo need to make one of these for Whiskey just in time for Spring showers:

A doggie sized Rain Poncho!

Hibernation

Every morning I try to remember to make my bed so that it is nice and neat for when I get home. But sometimes I have a problem getting out all of the "lumps".

See this little bump?

No matter how I move it around, I can't seem to get it out of the bed. After some poking, prodding and the promise of "treats", the "lump" finally emerged....

It was none other than my super lazy pup, Whiskey. It gets harder and harder to get him out of bed in the winter.

For a dog that spends his whole day sleeping at the office, you would think he wouldn't have so much trouble getting up in the morning.

Look at that "bedhead". He usually has perky ears, but you can always tell when he has been sleeping under covers when you see these floppy little things.

I can guarantee you that the second that I walk out of the room, he'll be back under the covers. Wish I could join him!