Thanks to In Clover's Facebook stream for the heads up on this cute article on DIY Pet Costumes. I particularly like the Hula Girl costume, because it's cute and really quick and easy on and off.
Have you ever made your pet's costumes? I once made Lyger a 1 eyed, 1 horned flying purple people eater. Tahlula went as Carmen Miranda, complete with fruit hat. Those costumes were a lot of work, especially as they were worn for all of 45 seconds for a photo.
Send us photos of your pet's handmade-with-love costumes!
Heartsyis looking out for Dachsund owners today! Today's deal is $16 for $36 to spend at Cuore on all sorts of goodies, including adorable Doxie purses, wallets and pillows. Prices are quite reasonable. The vinyl coin purse to the left is just $25, so your Heartsy bucks go far.
Don't worry. They've got great Corgi and Bulldog items too. Check it out!
OffBeat Homerecently featured the Etsy shop of artist, Christopher Rozzi, and his sweet and humorous pet prints. The paintings are remarkably bright and attractive, and the blurbs are just too funny. In honor of the visiting office Pug, Armani, we'd like to feature:
The prints are just $12--I can't think of a better small gift for the pet lover in your life. Check out more prints at Tiny Confessions.
We love being among the first to spread the word about a new pet product or business, so we're excited to share the good news about Pet-A-Greeting.
Pet-A-Greeting is giving a voice to our furry friends! It's a new site that allows members to create personalized greetings that feature their talking pet and then distribute them via email, Facebook and Twitter. You can send greetings featuring your Max, Bella or other 4 legged pal to your friends and family, no matter the occasion. Great for birthdays, get well soon, or just saying hello!
You can register to get a 10 day free trial. Better still, you can enter our Pet-a-GIVEAWAY!
Stop by our Facebook and leave us a greeting. Then, head to the Pet-a-Greeting Facebook page, and write a note to say Embrace sent you! They'll pick 2 lucky winners to receive a free year of unlimited greetings!
I hope you'll send me a Pet-A-Greeting! LJ (at) Embracepetinsurance.com. I'd love to see and hear what your pet has to say.
Notes submitted during on or before 9/19/11 will be considered for entry. Winner will be contacted by Pet-a-Greeting to receive promotional code good for 1 year subscription. Embrace staff and families not eligible to win. Must not have won within last 90 days.
Now this is funny! PetDMV will make up a very authentic-looking driver's license for your cat, dog, bird, bunny, guinea pig...you get the point. Just punch in a few bits of data, upload a photo, and check a proof in seconds.
$19.95 gets you a wallet sized card, plus a collar tag key chain, as a secondary method of ID. Just in case your dog gets pulled over for DWBL (driving while butt licking) or your cat gets caught driving under the influence of cat-nip.
Disclaimer from PetDMV:
My Pet DMV in no way authorizes any pet to operate a motor vehicle, watercraft, fixed or rotor wing aircraft or hot air balloon. Pets interested in getting an actual driver’s license should contact their state department of motor vehicles.
We've been promoting pet fitness and weight loss here and at the Embrace Pet Insurance blog for August, so we were thrilled to see these Embraced doggies in their new PupRunner. The PupRunner is a new company that creates custom carts and trailers for dogs that want to tag along on your bike ride. The cart has harness clips, so the dogs are kept secure (abiding with leash laws) and can run or ride on a stand. Note in the photo that Sula, the tall dog, is running, while her buddy, Rowdy, rides along on the platform. The platforms can be propped up or down, so the dog can ride, run or snooze while you pedal to your heart's content.
The carts are made in different sizes to accommodate different size dogs, as well as single and double dog cards. They're aluminum alloy, so they won't drag you down, but your dog won't bend or break the equipment. I like the little basket in front, so you can store water, leashes, poop bags and treats easily.
Wouldn't you be more likely to ride your bike if you had a PupRunner? It's a nice low impact workout for you, while burning some of your pet's extra energy. Or, if you've got a senior dog that would enjoy the sights and smells of the open road, this might be ideal.
Call PupRunners, and tell them Sula and Rowdy sent you!
Celebrating with family is one of the best parts of life, and we're happy to see and hear about more celebrations including pets. In fact, our Chief Embracer recently hosted her daughter's seventh birthday at the local humane society. The guests were lucky enough to interact with adoptable cats, dogs, and even a goat! (Story and pictures here.)
Here's a nice ide for your next pet related celebration-High Hopes Celebration Cupcakes for dogs. They sell baking kits and mix for dog parties, or just for a special treat, and donate a portion of the proceeds to homeless pets. Just add milk or water, bake for 10 minutes, then CELEBRATE! Have the kit shipped to you, or to the birthday-dog's house as a surprise gift. It's so cute and all inclusive, perfect for gift giving.
Another reason to celebrate? High Hopes is giving away one Celebration Cupcakes 12 pack kit including: adorable reusable baking cups, mix and frosting supplies.
To enter: Upload a photo of your dog "celebrating" to our Facebook. Put the word "celebrate" in your caption, like this:
All photos posted during the month of February will be entered into a random drawing, and will mail the winner's kit in March.
Photos submitted to Embrace's Facebook wall during the month of February 2011 will be considered for entry. Winner will be contacted by Embrace for prize fulfillment. Embrace staff and families not eligible to win. Must not have won within last 90 days. One entry per household.
Every pet parent loves showing off pictures of their pets. (Just look at how many of your Facebook friends have their pet as their profile photo.) What better holiday gift than a piece of custom art?
Artist BZTAT (pronounced bee-zee-tatt) does gorgeous colorful pop-art pieces from your pet's photo. I've been fortunate enough to watch a piece in action, and her laying process is painstaking, but worth it. The effect is deep, vibrant art that catches the playful spirit of your pet. Pricing starts at $425
Another gift idea: Try searching on-line for pet photographers in your area. As cute as your home snapshots are, professional pet photography seems to show something deeper, as if from the pet's soul. (Check out Virginia's Sara Riddle to see what I mean.)
And if you're on a tight budget or schedule, there are endless ideas for photo gifts on-line-everything from shirts, puzzles, mugs, jewelry and home decor. Shutterfly can do mounted wall art for less than $50 with quick turnaround.
Don't hate me for pointing this out, but the holiday shopping season is looming near. Never fear-your Embrace Holiday Pet Shopping assistants are here! All month long, we're going to do regular posts with some great gift ideas for the pet or pet parent on your list.
Kyla over at HappytailsBooks.com is putting out the APB for story submissions for her next series of books on adopted and rescued pets. Your short story about your rescue pet could be published in an upcoming anthology of Lost Souls Found.
Cat parents! They need your stories in within the next two weeks to be considered.
Interested in the books? Check out some of the recent publications including Inspiring Stories about Pugs, Boxers, or Great Danes. We'd also recommend the Boston Terrieredition, featuring stories about happy Bostons like "William Shatner". (Sneak previews are available.)
The books are small novella sized, perfect gift idea for stocking stuffers or your dog-enthusiast friends. A portion of the profits go toward rescue efforts, and promote various breed rescues.