Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

Our mornings have been getting pretty chilly around here.  And, my little Amelia Bee comes in from morning potty breaks shivering.  So, I decided we couldn't have that.  I borrowed the momma's plastic card and went on the interwebs to my favorite snuggly place: Tiennot Knits Sweaters.  I ordered a custom sweater for my dear Amelia... then I decided that I should probably have a new one, too.  And, I also ordered one for Greta... ya know, might as well order everything all at once while I had access to the plastic card.

Don't they just look snuggly?!
 
The parents went to New Jersey last weekend for my Uncle Chris and, now, Aunt Melissa's wedding.  I went and hung out with Grandpa Jack and Grandma Nancy and my girls and Amelia went and hung out with the momma's friend Alida and her pack.  We were so excited to be reunited Sunday evening, but, do you know what was more exciting?!  Seeing that there was a package waiting for us and I just knew where it was from!
 
Knitted with care.
 
Each sweater had our names on them, so we could tell who's was who's.  Amelia was super excited to have a fashion show with her new winter gear! 
 
Don't you think the colors suit her beautiful furs perfectly?
 
And, of course, I couldn't turn down an opportunity to rock my new threads...
 
What do you think?  How do I look?
 
Amelia checked out the yarn real good to make sure it was of the
bestest quality... and it is!
 
And, she didn't hesitate to put her new sweater to the durability test.
It held up great against the Amelia Flop!
 
How do we look?
 
These great sweaters come in all shapes and sizes.  These were made specifically for us using our specific measurements.  They can also be made with button closures for those who may have troubles getting into on.  And, the best part?  You can pick your own colors!  Whatever color mix you would like, you can get! 
 
And, they're super warm and snuggly!
 
My red and grey sweater from a few years ago has held up great, and honestly, I didn't really need a new one.... BUT, Amelia got one, so I figured I could use a blue one to complete my color coding wardrobe.  They're easy for the momma to get on and off and they make us look super stylish!  Plus, when my ouchies act up, I wear my sweater because it comforts me.  These things are great!
 
Warning: The ladies can't refuse a Sharp Dressed Dude!
 
So, if you find yourself chilly in the mornings, or in the afternoons or in the evenings... You need a Tiennot Knits Sweater!  You can get all the information that you need by visiting their Facebook page or by visiting the Sweater Shop!  And, you too, can look as dashing and handsome as a Corbin and an Amelia!
 
Don't order if you don't like lovin's!  Because you'll get lovin's from
EVERYONE!
 
 
 
 
*We were not asked to do a review of this product, we just simply adore it and it keeps the kids nice and warm on the chilly mornings.  We only suggest to our readers products that we love, enjoy and are comfortable using on our pets.
 
**Lovin's are not guaranteed by Tiennot Knits Sweaters or Corbin. Corbin just knows from experience, everyone loves a dog in a sweater!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Story of a Corbin

I've told my story many times before, they way I see it, the way the momma sees it... you've heard it if you've been hanging around here long enough.  But, I'm going to tell my story again today for a very special reason, and for those who might not know it.
 
How I became the most handome Corbin that ever was.
 
I was bought at 6 weeks old and lived with my owners until I was 4 months.  I had my leg broken by the bigger dog in the house hold when I was 8 weeks and after 2 months of crate rest, it was finally decided that I was just too crazy and my owners couldn't deal with me.  So, they brought me to the shelter and left me there.
 
From my shelter days.
 
At the shelter, I went out of my mind.  I was stuck in a kennel and wasn't able to love on people the way I wanted to.  I jumped and barked and jumped some more.  I ended up hurting my ACL and the shelter didn't have the funds to care for me.  They reached out to a few rescues in the area, pleading my case so someone would save me from euthanasia.  Homeward Bound stepped up and agreed to take me in.  My angels, Heather and Jen, came and took me away from the shelter.  I lived with Heather for 10 days, which is where I met my best friend Emmett, who was my foster brother.  We were both available for adoption through Homeward Bound.  Emmett had his own sad story and Heather knew it would be difficult to keep two high energy, playful puppies while Emmett went through his necessary surgeries.  I went to see a specialist and was placed some crate rest, hoping my ACL would heal up on it's own.  I'll save you the worry, it healed up just fine and Emmett was adopted by Heather.
 
My brotha from anotha motha, Emmett
 
Heather brought me to two adoption events.  I was crazy.  At the second adoption event, Heather and I were getting ready to pack things in when Heather over heard one of the volunteers chatting with someone about fostering.  Heather butted into the conversation and said that I could really use a new foster home since I'd have to be boarded for the holidays and for two weeks when Emmett had his surgery.  Well, the nice lady couldn't bare to see my crazy brown self boarded for the holidays, so she agreed to take me home.  Heather followed her to the house to do a proper home visit before she could be approved to foster.
 
Hey Lady, this is my house now, forever. Get me out of this silly bandana.
 
When we arrived, the nice lady led us into the house.  I stepped my paw through that door and I was home.  I just knew it.  I ran around like a crazy dog, testing out my 4-paw drive on the hardwood floors and jumping on every piece of furniture there was.  I almost knocked over the Christmas tree!  I sure did give the nice lady a scare and she wasn't quite sure what she had gotten herself into by bringing me home.  But, Heather left to get some of my things and I settled right in for a nap on the nice lady's lap.
 
My name is Corbin, don't adopt me... I'm in my foster forever home.
 
That nice lady is my momma.  She took me to many adoption events and worked very hard on my behaviors and taught me many tricks.  I knew I was home already, but it took her and dad 2 whole months before they would admit I adopted them.  You see, my dad never had a pet his entire life.  And, the momma?  Well, she had many pets growing up -dogs, cats, hermit crabs, horses... you name it, she loved it.  But, she didn't know a lick about Pit Bulls.  The first day she brought me home she didn't know what to do with me.  Was it safe to take me for a walk? Or to the pet store?  The next day was a Sunday and, since dad had already fallen in love with me, he wanted the momma to take me to watch football.  The momma wasn't quite sure if I would try to eat everyone there, but decided to take me and keep a leash on me.  It didn't take me long to show the momma that I was just a dog.  Just like any other dog.  I loved everyone there and gave out lots of smoochies and she had nothing to worry about.  I was a lover.
 
This is my family.  I changed their lives.
 
Not only did I open the momma's eyes to the wonderful love a Pit Bull brings, but I let her view a world where so many animals didn't have homes and were euthanized because of it.   Once I was settled and had some training under my collar, the momma decided to pay it forward and I became a foster brother.  Since my adoption, I have been a foster brother to 29 wonderful dogs.  29 dogs that may not have had the chance to find their forever families if we weren't there for them. 
 
I share my home and my yogurt.
 
I hope you enjoy following along with me in my forever home and I hope you enjoy meeting all of my foster siblings and getting to know them along their journey.  I know you all fall in love with them just as much as we do.
 
 
On October 19th, the momma will be joining many other animal advocates in the Bow Wow Cupcake run.  This will be the momma's second year running in this event.  This year, she will be raising money specifically for Homeward Bound -the rescue that saved my life, the rescue that saved all of my foster siblings, and the rescue Amelia is currently available for adoption through.  Homeward Bound is an all volunteer, non profit rescue that relies solely on adoptions and donations.  The momma would like to double her goal from last year and is hoping to reach $500 green papers to hand over to Homeward Bound.   And, to put it in perspective, $500 is just about what it has cost the rescue to get Amelia the medical care she has needed for her heart.
 
If you donate green papers, foster momma will give us noms.
 
We understand times are tight for everyone, but if you have any extra funds to spare, please consider donating to the momma's fund raising efforts!  Help us help as many furry four legged pups we can!  If you're able to donate, you can do so online HERE.  There is also a form you can fill out and mail in with your donation if you're not a big fan of online payments.  Every amount counts!
 
I thank you from the bottom of my happy heart!
 
Corbin.
 
& the momma, too!

Friday, September 13, 2013

Foster Friday: On loving Amelia

A post by the momma:

I know, Foster Friday's you expect to hear from our foster dogs, not about our foster dogs. But, Amelia has had many foster Fridays and I thought today I would take a moment and tell you a little about Miss Amelia from my perspective.


Many of you have fallen in love with Amelia as she's presented on the blog. I must confess to you, you'd be even more in love with her in person. I also know many of you are, not so secretly, hoping that we make the decision to adopt her. And, there are others that understand our fostering journey -but I'm sure, even those of you, are secretly hoping we adopt her. Some day I hope we'll make that decision, too... but I still believe Amelia's perfect forever home is out there. A home that can give her more than we can and one that will allow us to help others in need of saving. I haven't given up yet.


I've blogged about how entwined she is in our lives, how perfectly she fits in and how easy it would be to see her soulful honey eyes and feel her heart to heart snuggles every morning for the rest of her life. It's been such an amazing journey to watch her conquer the world in the 5 months that we've had her. She came to us scared, fearful and unsure of this big scary world. Since April, she has blossomed into this strong, confident, happy dog and it has filled my heart to watch it happen.
 
 
There's something just so amazing about Amelia. Something so comforting. The past few weeks have been emotionally difficult for a number of reasons. When I start to get overwhelmed and anxious, my energy feeds off onto Corbin, making him anxious and nervous -like most men who don't know how to react when a woman gets upset. I try my best to hide my anxiety, but some days... well, I'm just flat out overwhelmed and there's no hiding it. He either retreats to his crate or tries his best to fit his entire body on my chest and submerge my face in his slobber. Amelia, on the other hand, seems to sense that anxiety from me, and instead of feeding off of it, she comes to soothe it. She'll lay quietly by my side with her soft little head so gently on my lap. Imagine having your best girlfriend by your side all the time. I can tell her anything, she doesn't judge. She doesn't tell me what decision I should make. She won't look at me as if I'm being careless with the decisions I do make with my life. She just rests her head there and looks up at me with those big, beautiful eyes and says "it'll all be okay." And, I believe her.


It's easy to see that Amelia is a beautiful dog. But, to get to know her and see her inner beauty... that's when she takes on a glow like no other. She beams happiness and love, thankfulness and joy. And, I would love nothing more than to keep her all for myself. But, it would also fill my heart to see her complete someone else. To become the dog that someone else needs. I'm lucky enough to have Corbin, he completes me and fills my heart with joy more and more every day. I don't know where I'd be with out him, the lessons that would have went unlearned had he not entered my life. I would hate to take those life lessons and enrichment away from someone else. Amelia is quite the special dog... her personality is that of spunk and unconditional love. I just know she'll be the prefect piece for someone's life.


I'm so glad that Amelia came into our home and into our lives. She reminds me of trust and courage and how the two go hand in hand. I see her trust every time she comes to what she perceives as a scary situation... looking up to me as if to say "well, if you really think this is a good idea, I guess I'll give it a try." And, I see her courage when she takes those next few steps and watch the worry fade from her expression. Over the months, her courage has turned into confidence and her worry into strength. Though, she still has her moments of uncertainty, she is world's away from where she began.
 
 
I feel so lucky that we've had the privilege to know Amelia, to help her and to love her. And, whether her time with us is temporary or permanent... I'll enjoy every moment.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Viva Oil Review

Don't I look most shiney and handsome?
 
Let me tell you why!
 
A while ago, the momma was asked if she'd like to do a review for Viva La Dog Spa of their French Moroccan Oil.  I told the momma that the Corbin isn't French and if it involved me wearing a silly hat, I would not participate.  She told me no silly hats were required and I could use a little extra somethin' on my handsome coat.  So, I said okay.
 
Turns out bathies are worse than silly hats.
 
The momma wanted to start with a clean Corbin coat.... so she tricked me into the tub.  Oh, the horror.
 
This is the stuffs!
 
And, this cool dropper helps to make sure you get the correct amount!
 
Just a few drops do the trick!
 
The momma rubs her hands together and then the Corbee gets a nice massage!
 
The pictures aren't fantastic because it was hard for the momma to take pictures AND massage the Corbin all nice, but you get the picture -hehe, get it? 
 
But, here's what the Corbin looks like with the oils on.  See how shiny and beautiful my coat is?  This picture was taken by my friend Tracey, who is also a great Animal Advocate!  I'll tell you all about my family photo shoot soon!
 
 
What the momma likes about this product is that it's not greasy at all.  It's actually very soft and smooth and doesn't leave a lasting "too much lotion" feeling on your fingers.  It absorbs nicely into my furs and doesn't leave me feeling or looking wet or greasy, either.  The momma has put the oil to the test and applied it before my recent vet appointment, I tend to get a bit anxious and my neck will get dandruff.  So, she put it on to see if it would help my anxious skin issues, and ya know what?  I did!  My coat stayed nice and soft and Dr. Mike even said how lovely it was!  It also doesn't have a scent, so it doesn't leave me stinky or smelling like I was sprayed by a batch of flowers.
 
What I like is that I get nice massages and I look very handsome with my coat shining all nicely!  Also, please note, bathies are not a requirement to use the nice oils.
 
All and all, I say 4 paws up!
 
 
Please note: I received one bottle of French Moroccan Oil in exchange for my honest review.  The thoughts in this posts are complete my own.  I would not recommend a product that I wouldn't use on my own pets.