Spontaneous Idealist (SI)

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Spontaneous Idealists are creative, lively and open-minded persons. They are humorous and dispose of a contagious zest for life. Their enthusiasm and sparkling energy inspires others and sweeps them along. They enjoy being together with other people and often have an uncanny intuition for their motivations and potential. Spontaneous Idealists are masters of communication and very amusing and gifted entertainers. Fun and variety are guaranteed when they are around. However, they are sometimes somewhat too impulsive in dealing with others and can hurt people without really meaning to do so, due to their direct and sometimes critical nature.

This personality type is a keen and alert observer; they miss nothing which is going on around them. In extreme cases, they tend to be oversensitive and exaggeratedly alert and are inwardly always ready to jump. Life for them is an exciting drama full of emotionality. However, they quickly become bored when things repeat themselves and too much detailed work and care is required. Their creativity, their imaginativeness and their originality become most noticeable when developing new projects and ideas - they then leave the meticulous implementation of the whole to others. On the whole, Spontaneous Idealists attach great value to their inner and outward independence and do not like accepting a subordinate role. They therefore have problems with hierarchies and authorities.

If you have a Spontaneous Idealist as your friend, you will never be bored; with them, you can enjoy life to the full and celebrate the best parties. At the same time, they are warm, sensitive, attentive and always willing to help. If Spontaneous Idealists have just fallen in love, the sky is full of violins and their new partners are showered with attention and affection. This type then bubbles over with charm, tenderness and imagination. But, unfortunately, it soon becomes boring for them once the novelty has worn off. Boring everyday life in a partnership is not for them so that many Spontaneous Idealists slip from one affair into another. However, should the partner manage to keep their curiosity alive and not let routine and familiarity gain the upper hand, Spontaneous Idealists can be inspiring and loving partners.

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I'm feeling incredibly frustrated right now.  Earlier today I stopped in to a new pet store thinking I would pick up a new toy (or two) for my fur kids, as well as support a fellow business owner in the pet industry, but the first thing I saw as I walked in were several dozen puppies kept in cages behind a floor to ceiling glass wall.  "Oh - you sell puppies?" just sort of spilled out of my mouth as a young, pimple faced man turned to greet me.  He clearly misinterpreted the anguish in my voice for something else.  He seemed proud of the fact they could offer me this "wonderful" service and smiled saying, "We sure do!"    I couldn't even look him in the eye I was so disturbed.  Thoughts raced about my head vying with each other for positions of importance - "Do those puppies sleep in those cages all night long?  Are they scared at night when all the people go home?  Are the bitches who gave birth to them already (fill in the blank) pregnant with the next batch/alive/healthy/sick/scared/in pain?  Do people who shop here realize they are supporting inhumane practices simply by shopping here?" 

"Sorry," I mumbled as I turned for an immediate exit.  I'm sure he was bewildered - I could see it on his face once I was outside and turned to look back.  And that fact alone is proof to me that it is WRONG with all capital letters for pet stores to sell puppies.  He had no idea a person might not embrace the selling of puppies in a pet store.  I'm sure he has no idea how many dogs are euthanized each day because there are simply too many puppies being born every day, but even more importantly I"m sure he couldn't tell me where any of those puppies came from. 

I can tell you where those puppies came from.... A PUPPY MILL!  There isn't any reputable breeder alive who would allow puppies they bred for the purpose of improving, or at least of maintaining the quality of a breed, to be sold in ANY pet store.  That young salesman might not want to think about where those puppies came from or about the horrific conditions of their origination, and I didn't feel like calling him out to defend the sins of his boss, but I can unfortunately assure you those puppies didn't fall from Heaven. 

I'll blog more about this later but until then, PLEASE DON"T BUY A PUPPY FROM ANY PET STORE!  If you must, must, must have a purebred puppy, go to dog conformation shows, meet the breeders of the breed you are interested in, and purchase from the one you feel has the most integrity and knowledge about your chosen breed.  If you are not interested in a particular breed, go to Petfinder and change your life for the better by giving a previously abandoned dog a second chance.

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That is, providing the aesthetics appeal to my "sophisticated" taste LOL.  Of course anyone who knows me well knows I'm only partially kidding about that.  I do have very specific taste and am frequently complimented on my sense of style and design (not trying to be vain here; I'd fully disclose my many weaknesses to anyone who asked) so I don't necessarily want anyone else picking up dog related decor items for me. 

Having said that, I did pick up a couple "dog items" in the past few days that I'm really loving right now.  The first thing is a sort of "diorama."  My new favorite store is called Majesty - Crowning Touches for Your Home owned by the ever helpful and sweet Amy Gray.  Anyway, in stopping in to find some final "Crowning Touches" for a 40th birthday party taking place in my home this past Saturday, I happened upon the above mentioned display (it's probably not considered a diorama because there isn't really a whole scene happening but when you have a dog involved, that pretty much takes care of everything for this girl). 

Anyway, Amy had cleverly arranged a "bell jar" to contain a statue of what (I think) is a Rottweiler wearing a crown and royal necklace.  She set the royal dog on a bed of moss and I just had to have it.  While each component (excluding the moss) was available for purchase separately, I "made" Amy sell me her cute composition.  I had decided to name the dog "King Buck" after my late Rottie just because he was my first every dog love but then a friend who currently owns two rotties pointed out the markings on the statue and it appears it really is a Rottie!

The second "dog item" isn't a decor piece, but rather another favorite indulgence of mine; a book.  The only thing better than a book is a book about dogs.  This book is called A celebration of the new american mutt: a breed apart and has photos by Amanda Jones of the cutest mixed breed dogs ever!  I have a few favorites such as Gidget a "chackhussell (chihuahua/jack russell mix) Jackson a "muggin" (mini pinscher/pug mix) and Vasco a pitbullet (pit bull/basset hound mix).  But my all time favorite is Lily whose breed is completely unknown.  Oh my gosh, you have to buy this book for her photo alone.  It's probably a good thing her heritage is a mystery because I suspect if she could be intentionally recreated, we'd have people killing each other to get one. She actually looks "other-worldly."

Ahhh - I really love dogs and their stuff.

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This adorable girl is Shadow.  She came for a fitting at the December, holiday trunk show at Scraps and I couldn't resist trying the bridesmaid dress on her, much to her mom person's dismay.  Shadow wasn't too thrilled with the dress herself.  It isn't really her style - too frou-frou and certainly not colorful enough for this girl.

Anyway, her moms picked out some fabulously colorful retro style prints for her custom coat and as you can see, she feels much better about herself than she did with the dress on.  I felt really bad when Marianne brought her in to pick up the coat though because as soon as she saw me she walked to the opposite side of the store to get away from me.  She didn't want me putting another dress on her!

The coat is fully reversible.  The reverse side is the houndstooth with the colorful print as the belt and collar so Shadow has an option for a more "professional" look should she so desire.  She is a super sweet girl who is the much loved joy of her mom persons.  Who wouldn't love that face?

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Here I sit in the lobby of the Hilton in San Francisco and I am "jonesin' for my babies.  While I've seen several dogs here in SF, none of the owners looked like they would welcome me getting my dog fix by using their dogs, so I haven't even been able to pet a dog. 

I'm here checking out the SF international gift fair to see what types of pet related products are being sold and to see if it would be worth my time to participate as a vendor in a show such as this.   What I'm really excited about though is the prospect of picking up some product lines in terms of collars, leashes and pet tags that are comparable in quality to my line of apparel so that my retail customers can pick up a snazzy collar and leash to go with their new fashion apparel.  The two lines I feel very confident in picking up and offering are Cleopetra Pet tags and Pup Pup collars and leashes. (I have to verify their URL before I go listing it here but I'll add it later for sure.)  Anyway, I've been wanting to diversify in terms of what I can offer for online sales and I'm pretty picky about quality, so meeting the owners of these two companies and seeing their product lines in person was terrific.  I can now pick up these lines with confidence knowing the quality and style will make you happy.  And if you are one of my wholesale customers, I HIGHLY recommend you pick up these two lines. I'll post more about them when I have more time and information.

Anyway, by now you recognize my three fur babies.  Pez seems largely undisturbed when I travel; he is motivated primarily by food and a warm body to snuggle with and my husband provides both in my absence.  Gus, with his orthopedic braces by Wound Wear misses me the most when I leave.  As mentioned in previous posts, Gus is emotionally sensitive and depends on me for his human connection.  The photo to the right was taken about 35 minutes before his 4th acupuncture session this past Wednesday (which for some reason he HATED more than any other session he's had including the first so I'm blaming it on the full moon).  Doesn't he look so sweet and smooshy?  He is sleeping on "his bed" which is in our back guest room/AKA Daniel's room.  Grace, despite her tumultous beginning in life (I still need to post about her because she is without a doubt one of the most amazing dogs I have ever had the good fortune to share space in the world with and other people who don't have the pleasure of living with her feel the same way so I know I'm not just being biased here) also seems largely undisturbed when I travel.  I'm thankful for that because I would hate to cause her any sort of discomfort for even a second. 

I've had a FABULOUS time with my mom, but in 24 more hours I'll get to kiss each of my fur kids on the mouth (my husband first because he worries about ingesting dog fur, poor guy).  

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Yep, that's what Primped Doggies nation wide will be doing when they don one of the fashionable styles in the new line of spring rain coats by Primp Doggy. 

According to Meghan Murphy of Pet Style News, "Owners of breeds large and small are buying rain gear [because] rain-wear is one of the few truly practical pieces of clothing created for canines."  Of course the article contains multiple photos of new "designer" styles in rain-wear, but (and maybe I'm just biased) I wouldn't purchase a single one for any of my dogs.  I'm sure the styles appeal to some; they certainly aren't ugly (with one exception and you can decide for yourself which one I'm referring to when/if you check out the article) but they just aren't what I would call "stylish."

Now these shown below ARE stylish.  And don't mind the cranky looking Boston Terrier modeling them.  He's cranky because I woke him from a nap in the sun and didn't have a single treat to offer him as payment for his time. What a Prima Dona!

These are just two of the seven styles Primp Doggy is debuting this February.  There are plenty of details that make these as functional as they are stylish, but I don't want to give too much away.  Let's see how many designers incorporate my "details" into their collections next year. But maybe I'm just being vain and someone else will think these are ugly.  LOL

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I have a sweet life, it's true.  I live with my two people and my two dog siblings in a house that's big enough for a family of ten.  There are no "off limits" spaces in my home and one of my favorite places to nap is on an antique feather-top sleigh bed with fabulous views of my ten acre yard.  As my dad person is largely "retired" (whatever that means) and my mom person is an entrepreneur working out of her design studio in the home, I am seldom left alone for any length of time.  When my people go outside, I go out with them.  When my people are inside, I am inside with them. 

If you are reading this, then you also know that I am somewhat of a doggy model.  It's true, I model for still photos and I've been in several doggy fashion shows including one that was live on the morning news.  I also helped my mom person judge a pet photo contest one time.  You might have noticed that in some of the still photos on the site and on this blog I am wearing girl stuff.  Yeah, tell me about it.  But what can I say, the pay is good - about one treat per pose so who am I to complain.

A lot of people kind of snicker about my mom person's business and the way she puts clothes on me sometimes but I"m here to tell you, "DON"T FEEL SORRY FOR ME!   I am, first and foremost, a DOG!"  I once chased a coyote off our property (well, if I'm being completely honest, my 125 lb siblings got him running in the right direction and then I finished off the chase much to my mom person's dismay); if I find something stinky like one of the dead moles my sister leaves laying around I roll on it until I'm good and stinky; I like to eat stinky stuff; I can swim for miles and miles (okay, okay - it just feels like miles and miles across our swimming pond because I'm not so big); and I can make my big brother cry when we wrestle if I bite his foot in just the right place.  What I'm trying to say is, "I am not a prissy dog who doesn't like to get dirty or who isn't allowed to get dirty," as the next photos can attest to. 

Who you calling stupid? Women pay money for a mud bath.

Okay, who took all the water out of the pond?!

FYI - My dad person calls me "Turbo"

Oh yeah - life is good for this DOG.

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So these are sort of old news photos as this fashion show took place in September of 2006.

This was the first fashion show Primp Doggy put together and it was part of a fund-raising event held to raise money for the no-kill shelter, Homeward Pet of Woodinville WA.  Three of the dresses included in the fashion show were auctioned off following the show and the proceeds from just those three dresses accounted for 1/3 of the total money raised for the night!  My favorite was the Camo-Couture worn by Cleo which auctioned off for a whopping $350.00.  I also really love the ultra-suede coat that was custom made for Pez, but we kept that for him to "style around" in.  Pretty fun night. 

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This cutie boy is Gibson.  I was contacted by his dad's friend Brandi who wanted me to create a "Sky Dog" super hero cape for him as a Christmas gift.  While I don't normally make "costumes" for dogs, the story Brandi told me about Gibson made it clear this wasn't a costume, but rather the clothing this little guy needed to do his super hero deeds. 

Gibson's dad is a musician, hence the earth name Gibson.  He lives in Florida, so the cape is made of a light weight fabric and embroidered with metallic gold thread.  According to Brandi, Gibson, AKA Sky Dog, loves his cape so much he doesn't want to take it off once he has it on, and he even poses in it.  So if you start hearing about a super hero dog fighting crime in the Florida area, be sure to keep an eye out for GIbson.

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This is the time of year we all think about what we will do differently to make the new year, and ourselves, better than the last year.  Isn't it strange that we think about what we didn't like, or  about what we want to change instead of reflecting on the good things of the past year?  Wouldn't it be more motivating to think about all the good from the past year and resolve to take action to make those good things work for us in the new year?

The year 2007 had equal amounts of good and bad for me; it is the good I am choosing to focus on:  My husband and I celebrated our 15th year of marriage and are looking forward to our next 15+ years of marriage; I made many new friends and reconnected with old friends in a big way; I clarified my vision for Primp Doggy by joining a women's entrepreneurial group called Ladies Who Launch incubator series; I improved my sewing skills by sewing, sewing and more sewing; I improved my design skills by dreaming big dreams; I put on three live doggy fashion shows; I was featured on the King 5 morning news where I was interviewed by the morning anchor Joyce Taylor; I got my first national celebrity client (I don't have permission to say who, but I'm hoping to get it soon); I had two fabulous reviews written about my custom couture as well as my ready-to-wear line by Pampered Puppy; I had some AMAZING art work created of my three fur babies by Jamie of Cowbelly Pet Photography; I was featured in three magazines - Seattle Magazine, Northwest Homes & Garden and City Dog Magazine; I put on my first holiday trunk show at my favorite Seattle pet boutique Scraps Dog Bakery. . . .

 You know, I'm now seeing that the good definitely outweighed the bad for me in 2007.  What an amazing feeling. 

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