NewfandHound

NewfandHound - Version 2 Launch Is Coming!

We are so excited because we will be launching our new and improved blog in the next few days! (cross your fingers!) I've been wanting to update the blog for quite a while now and everything seemed to finally come together this month! Don't you love it when everything falls into place? The hounds have given 3 paws up, and they are my toughest critics, so we hope that you and your furry friends will enjoy it also!

I've designed the site to be easy to navigate through, a bit sleeker, and best of all more fun! We even have a brand new logo which is one of my favorite parts of the site, but you'll still be able to find your favorite links. I'm also planning on some new series in the next few months and more DIY projects involving the dogs so please stay in touch! NewfandHound Version 2 coming soon!

Black & White on Sunday - Week 2

Sundays are for sleeping, lounging, and keeping an eye out for people to bark at outside! Join us every Sunday for the Black and White Photo Blog Hop! (we're cheating a bit with more than one photo because it's just so hard to pick!)

 

NewfandHound Printstagram Photos Are Here!

It has been a very long wait, but my Printstagram photos have finally arrived! Ya! I was so excited to see how they turned out that I opened them up at work and snuck over to our kitchen to take a peek with some coworkers. If you haven't ordered from them yet I'll give you fair warning that the delivery time can be lengthy (although they are working on it) and because it comes from Taiwan it is considered an international package and needs a signature. So unless you are at home during the day I would suggest having them mailed to a location where you can sign for them so they don't get stuck at the post office for over 2 weeks like mine did. I do like the matt quality to the photos and we chose the 4"x4" squares and the mini prints, both which are amazing so I don't think you will be disappointed. 

Since I had so much time before they were delivered I had a chance to browse around the web and see what projects other people have come up with for their prints. Here are a few of my favorites so far:

1. Heart Display by Ourearleylife
2. I Heart Instagram by Where My Heart Resides
3. Photo Letter Mat from Martha Stewart
4. Instagram Wall by A Beautiful Mess
5. Instagram Photo Wall by Kevin Hale Photography
6. Clip Art Wall by Hola Para Siempre
7. 3"x3" Canvas Art by Being Geek Chic

Have you found a cool way to display your Instagram photos? How about printing services? Which ones do you like the best? Next time I'm going to try out ImageSnap where you can turn your photo into a ceramic tile. I also think I'm going to try and see how they print out at Target and at home next time, and I'm up for other suggestions so let me know what printing processes have worked the best for you! Stay tuned because I'll be posting my projects soon!

Black & White on Sunday - Week 1

Last Sunday I ready about a new photo session idea at You Did What With Your Weiner, Dachshund Nola, and My Life In Blog Years (formerly Dog Blogging With Luna) where every Sunday they are going to post a black and white photo. We thought it was a great idea so we jumped on in so we could practice our photography skills and Photoshop techniques along with them! Above is Ernie and Hazel waiting to see their vet on Friday. (Great news! Ernie, at age 14.5 is in "excellent" health for an old man.)

Here we have Foyle, of course, who has the most precious and expressive eyes. It's hard to get good lighting on a black dog so Black & White Sunday will force me to start looking for unique lighting situations and learn about more techniques like these portrait patterns from Digital Photography School.

Hope you had a great weekend!

DJ Track N Hound - He's So Dreamy!

I noticed a theme the other day when I was looking through my Instagram (@newfandhound, #newfandhound) photos that made me smile and chuckle to myself. I guess I tend to take a lot of pictures of the pack while they are sleeping because they chose the oddest combinations of sleeping positions when they share the same bed, and that is great photography fodder for me! The hounds always have to be touching when they are next to each other, while Foyle doesn't want to sleep near anyone because he gets too hot. Hazel is usually the one flipped over on her back exposing herself to the world and Nooner just wants to snuggle up as tight as possible. 

Foyle thought he was a dachshund as a puppy so he has to be near them whenever they are around so often times I'll find him laying close to them, but not touching. On a rare occasion I will find that Ernie has climbed up next to Foyle but I think that's only because Foyle is on their bed. You'd think they'd like that extra body heat, but apparently they three of them do quite well by themselves.

Do your dogs sleep together as well?

But this leads us into the playlist for the week! It's a little bit softer, a little bit more dreamy, a little bit more bucolic if music can be that way. Makes you feel like you should be in a car commercial driving along a country road after a spring rain. So, here we go... enjoy! (If the Spotify playlist isn't working please let me know! I believe you do have to be signed up to hear it.)

HE'S SO DREAMY- A PLAYLIST FOR THE DREAMERS

1. Lost In The Sun by Ivy
2. Pluto by Clare & The Reasons
3. Moonboot Canyon by Maplewood
4. Saturday Night Underwater by Nik Freitas
5. Backwards Rolling by The French Semester
6. The Shake Shake by King of Prussia
7. Entre Postales by Cineplexx
8. I'd Rather Dance With You by Kings of Convenience

Dogs And More Dogs at the A's Game! Dog Day At The Park!

 

We made it through Dog Days at the Park with the Oakland A's tonight!

We got together with some good friends tonight for a pre-game Pup Rally in the parking lot and then headed inside for a walk around the warning track and eventually to our seats. The weather was perfect and we had so much fun hanging out with all the other people and their dogs and even met a few more longhair dachshunds! We actually had a Russian dog right behind us who we met on the track. She was a Caucasian Ovcharka and was the sweetest girl who, believe it or not, was actually bigger than Foyle! I kid you not, she was gigantic, and at one point she put her head on my shoulder to see if I would share a bit of hot dog with her. I did of course, she was too precious at that moment not to give her at least a little bite and her head was getting a little heavy.

Before the game they rounded all the dogs up for a walk around the stadium on the warning track and I must say it was pretty impressive being down on the field and looking up into the seats. I can imagine how intimidating it must feel having thousands of fans watching your every move because people were yelling out for Foyle as we walked by. Unfortunately the wouldn't let us stop and take pictures so this is the best I could do with my phone.

I think Hazel had the best time though because she got to go out without the other two hounds, and everyone just swooned over how pretty she was. She ate it up! Then there was Foyle's buddy Gabe who was the celebrity tonight and got up on the big screen when we were walking on the field.

Oh, and then there was the baseball game after all and the A's were holding their own right before we left. This is Derek Jeter....see, I know a few things about baseball too. The important things... like who Derek Jeter is. Ha!

Dog Day at the Park! With the Oakland A's and Otiswear

We are sooooo ready for Dog Day at the Park with the Oakland A's this Thursday! It's the 7th annual Dog Day at the Coliseum and thanks to Otiswear we are ready to hit the field for the pregame Pup Rally and Pup Parade. We'll get to walk around the warning track with all the other dogs (and Foyle's Newf buddy Gabe) who will also be wearing our very cool "Slide on into Home" bib in the A's colors!

I contacted Lori at Otiswear to make a special bib for our night out and she came up with this fantastic design, complete with a little baseball in "Home". The front is made with a nice, thick, green terry and the back is a contrast of a dog-themed print with bones and leashes. To top it off is the green and yellow trim that ads such a special touch. Did I mention she made the bibs and had them shipped in less than a week? It's already been drool-tested and we give it 4 paws up! I'm so happy with the bibs and I can't wait to show them off!

Not only will this be fun for us, but it's actually to help raise money for Dogs4Diabetics, a non-profit organization that helps train dogs to detect, by scent, low blood glucose in youths and adults. The program not only trains the dog, but trains the team to learn how to work together and provide reinforcement. Did you miss signing up for the game? Then join D4D for their 5th Annual Walk For The Dogs August 11th in Walnut Creek.

There is an additional bonus at the game too! They are trying for a Guiness World Record on the most dogs at a baseball game! So, tune in and hopefully you'll get a chance to see Foyle and Hazel at the game! Look for us at the end of the first inning, we're supposed to be in our seats so they can get a final count. Go A's!

DJ Track N Hound - S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!

I was talking to DJ Track N Hound today and we were having a debate - vinyl vs. cd. Track N Hound says that vinyl is superior while I say cd, but mainly for convenience and flexibility. What do you think?

Since the day I walked into our living room and asked the Mr. why his new turntable was running without a record on it (24 hours for balancing) I've come to realize that there is a very serious ritual that goes along with vinyl and it must not be mocked or interrupted. These rules apparently drift over into cd land where enforcement extends to alphabetical organization and having the correct cd in the appropriate case. No exceptions taken. Seriously because last week I broke the rules and now I'm in the Dog House. Actually, I broke it a long time ago when I was about 6 and didn't put the Bay City Rollers record back in its sleeve because I wanted to hear Saturday Night for the 100th time.

So,  because of my disrespectful ways I shuffled back into my office to hide (while the Mr. reorganized my mistakes) and made myself useful by checking out Etsy for some cool artwork that would fit in with today's post on vinyl vs. cd. I took it a little further by trying to find prints to satisfy all you audiophiles out there. Here are my favorites: (left to right, top to bottom)

1. Retro Geek Analog Synthesizer by Handz
2. Hunt and Gather-Radio by Lab Partners
3. Typography Music Quote by Bear and Robot
4. Life is a Mix Tape by Handz
5. Stay on Track by Joy Goldstein Studio
6. You're Making Me Dance Inside by Peanutoak Prints

Now for the Saturday Night playlist!

1. Cult Logic by Mike Snow
2. Shadowcasting by RaRa Riot
3. Swing Tree by Discovery
4. Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear
5. Sleep Tonight by Stars
6. Leave House by Caribou
7. Fools by The Dodos
8. Over and Over by Hot Chip
9. I Need Fun in My Life by The Drums
10. In My Heart by Moby (incredible surf video)
    

 

Snackerday! Sweet Chips!

We always have an abundant amount of sweet potatoes around so when I saw this recipe for Healthy Sweet Potato Treats over on Ammo The Dachshund's blog we had to give it a try. Not once, not twice, but three times so that's why this post is so late. Foyle ate the first batch off of the stove, I burnt the second batch, and finally the third batch came out perfect. Trial and error, but at least you can learn from my mistakes.

All you need are two ingredients, sweet potatoes and chicken broth, and you are ready to go!

Ingredients:

1. 2 Sweet Potatoes
2. 1 qt of chicken broth, low sodium
3. Parchment paper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (I used 375 because 400 burned them, but adjust as needed)
2. Cut sweet potatoes into 1/8" rounds. I used the thin slice on my mandolin to make them consistent.
3. Quickly put the potato chips into the chicken broth and soak for 30 minutes. Cover the chips with broth so they are not exposed to air, they'll turn brown when you cook them if they aren't.
4. Drop chips onto parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake for 18-25 minutes, checking frequently, until crisp on the edge and chewy in the middle. (Next time I'm going to lower the temperature after the initial 18 minutes as low as the oven can go and see if I can get them a little bit drier)
5. Refrigerate and use within a few days, or freeze for later.

This is an easy, healthy treat that you can make in large batches. Enjoy!

Remember! Talk to your veterinarian before you make this treat if your dog has allergies or health issues.

DJ Track N Hound - Walkin' The Beat

It's Friday night already and DJ Track N Hound has been at work today pulling together his playlist of the week- Walkin The Beat! Sorry this is coming in late but we've been distracted by the two K-9 units and eight cops outside our house right now tracking down a runaway girl! Seriously, I think all the cops that are on duty are here so I'm feeling pretty safe at the moment. Besides, she would be in for a big surprise if she tried to jump our fences!

Ernie, I mean DJ Track N Hound, was thinking that this list needed songs that had a heavy beat to keep you moving after a long week so here it is, and if you play it in order it sounds even better. In honor of the fine policemen and women of our city we've dedicated this playlist to them. (I've included a Spotify button also, but this is the first time I've used the link so if you see a big blank spot at the end of the post that is where the list is supposed to be.)

Walkin' The Beat

1. My Body by Young The Giant
2. Forever and Ever Amen by The Drums
3. What You Know by Two Door Cinema Club
4. Fences by Phoenix
5. Fight Song by The Republic Tigers
6. Houdini by Foster The People