unreal..

as most of you know, i am an animal lover dog lover.  and you would think that working at a dog kennel, and having my own sweetie pup would satisfy this love.  but, sometimes, i get 'the fever'.  most of the time it's for a fat puppy, but lately, it's more for an oldie.  so, i'm going to introduce you to a few friendlies that are up for adoption, and link you to a page that can tell you more.  so, if you're interested in getting a pet, PLEASE look at these lovies for adoption [mutts are so much better].

meet tigger

clayton

congo

king

okay, one baby.  this is arlo.

and this is george.

and guys, i did not even begin to scratch the surface.  i just pulled some right off the top.  these boys are all in the charlotte metro area.  and for some reason my search only seemed to result in boy dogs, so obviously there are lots of sweet girls, too.

also, tomorrow, june 26, we are having a promotion at the doggie daycare where i work (all wags, off tyvola), where you can bring your dog to be evaluated and he/she can stay for the entire day for free!  we'll also be having a bake sale and all wags will match whatever is raised and donate it to the local Charlotte ASPCA.  

so, if you're in town, bring your dog by, i'm working friday night, so we can play.  

all wags site [keep an eye out for a cameo from my girl]

bonus.

being a nanny gives me glimpses of what my future may look like.  what i hope my future will look like.  [me ever finding a quirky-doesn't-take-himself-too-seriously-Jesus-follower-that thinks-i'm-the-greatest kinda guy is seeming more impossible, but i'm keeping hope alive, and that's another post, for another time].  

i ventured out with the babes today, like we do most days.  things are getting more complicated though, the hotter it gets here in charlotte.  and shuttling two babies in and out of the car in the heat will make you want to die.  not even to mention the double stroller.  seen here:

this thing will own you. 

the other day, all i wanted was a passion tea from starbucks while we were out, but actually couldn't fathom doing the whole in/out of the car scenario one more time that day.  my shirt was already stuck to my back from the last twin load up.  in desperation i turned to twitter, to see if anyone knew of a starbucks drive thru, no luck.  

moving on, today i met my roommate emily, maria, and jared at cabo fish taco.  i'd never been there, and should have done a little more research, because that place is not baby friendly.  

it all started with the stroller getting stuck trying to get through the front door, and it didn't help things when i knocked my entire glass of water all over baby 2.  like a rushing wave of water directly in her lap.  she cried, and was soaked for the rest of lunch, but we survived.  

none of us talked to each other the entire lunch, we just watched them make funny faces, and steal food from my plate when i wasn't looking.  but that's okay, because they're so awesome.  and they're not even my babies.  most days being with them just makes me excited to love someone enough to marry them, and then we get to have these fun little things together? bonus.  big bonus.  

the future looks fun, and in those dreams, i won't clock out at 5:45pm:)  

bake yourself a bit of happy.

so. i love to bake. more accurately, i really love finding funky new/rarely healthy recipes. there are SO many great baking blogs that are crazy inspiring, and FUN. i've never been able to bake as much as i have here at new beginnings, because we have huge pantries full of supplies. it's been really fun to experiment and find new recipes from nienie, pioneerwoman, bakerella, and now my new favorite: BAKED.


i really love rustic, simple recipes, and this book is full of those types of recipes. so far, i've only admired the book at barnes and noble, but i hope to buy it soon. i've tried a few of their recipes i've found online, and they're great. also, it turns out that they've just opened their second store in charleston, south carolina. so, carolina friends, you should go! (their flagship store is in brooklyn).

my secret dream is to open a really tiny little bakery, with big chairs, a fireplace, and lots of good books. so until i get an unexpected windfall, it will remain a dream:) but for now, i can pretend in our nice big kitchen:)