One of my favorite movies as a little girl was Disney's Cinderella. I loved the scene where the field mice helped transform Cinderella's rags into a beautiful gown for the ball.
I decided this week to create a new collage, featuring my pug, Alfie, and me, to use as the header of my long-anticipated web site. I have a specific idea in mind, which involves us dressing in Renaissance-inspired gowns.
Although it was relatively simple for me to find a costume online, discovering a perfect fit for Alfie was not so easy. I Googled dog costumes and either found clothes that were too pricey or too small or that would take too long to make (now that I have decided to go forward with the site, I can't wait weeks for the artwork to be complete). I had almost given up hope when I remembered that two years ago I had purchased a pug-specific dress at the Green Mountain Pug Social. The seamstress took into account the pug's rather unique (read chubby) physique and sized accordingly.
I emailed Green Mountain Pug Rescue and asked if they remembered the seamstress's name. They connected me with Debra Bauriedl Thesing of PugPossessed (www.pugpossessed.blogspot.com). Debra also sells her work on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/pugpossessed. Debra quickly became Alfie's fairy godmother.
I contacted her on Friday. She answered me right away and asked me to send Alfie's measurements. I sent them on Sunday, she drew up a sketch and presented me with color and material options on Monday and began sewing on Tuesday. She mailed the outfit, which cost only $22 plus shipping in the mail by Wednesday lunchtime (some of the options online ran as high as $150 and took weeks to make. Bibbidi Bobbidi-Boo!
While Alfie was getting ready to transform into a princess, the other little girl in my life, Waffles, was getting into some trouble. I still haven't worked out the details of adopting this black mischief-maker, whom my friend Joan calls the Demon Dog. So, she presently resides at Joans' and well, to put it mildly, things have been a little bit busy at Joan's house lately. Joan's pug, Griffles, recently had a litter of five pug puppies, which are keeping both pug and human Mommy very busy. This means there is plenty of time for the other pugs to get into trouble -- the perfect opportunity for the Demon Dog to do her work.
A recipe for trouble, certainly! Add, to this mix the fact that well, Waffles is in season, meaning she needs to be kept away from any unneutered males if she doesn't want to risk becoming a Momma herself. So while Alfie was busy becoming Cinderella, Joan had Waffles locked away in a tower like Rapuznel and guess what? The prince found a way to climb her hair! It seems like my potential baby could have babies of her own. Not an option any of us want, so a spaying is at hand. Certainly, not a plot for a Disney movie.
I'm hoping that if Waffles ever does join my family, Alfie will be a good influence on her and not vice versa. It seems that while Alfie may be a princess, Waffles is a wee bit of a bad girl. Hmm, it may be I have the makings for a fairytale after all.
Debra's Sketch for Alfie's new dress.