Kelley's Kitchen: Bear (the Magnificent) the foster dog

Kelley's Kitchen: Bear (the Magnificent) the foster dog

Bear (the Magnificent) the foster dog

We're on foster number five, and so far it's been a wonderful experience for us! A lot of people ask how we can let them go... it's hard, but to be able to place a pup in a loving home is incredibly rewarding. I also facebook stalk the new family:)

So this is Bear, and he's awesome:) He's about a year old, up to date on shots, neutered, crate trained, house trained, excellent on a leash, and not a runner. I'm willing to bet he'll be amazing off leash as well. He's full of energy and very sociable. No issues come with this dog! Like most cattle dogs, he's very cuddly and will happily curl up next to you and rest his head on your shoulder.

Bear gets along great with other dogs and doesn't exert the need to dominate. We now have three permanent furry pals and Bear very quickly bonded with them. He LOVES to play. He's fine with kids, too... our four think he's quite fab!

The general consensus is Bear is part Border Collie, which has made him very soft and fluffy. He has the most beautiful brown eyes, doesn't he?

If you're thinking about adopting one of these wonderful creatures, please feel free to contact me at kelleyinco@gmail.com or peruse the many fabulous furry folk on the New Hope website www.nhcdrescuecolorado.com

From Sketch to Reality

I just completed one of the more elaborate cakes to date--- going from a flat sketch to the sides of a cake is joyous for me, as all of the thoughts jumping around in my head finally come together. Up to the time it's being created I have been known to say to clients, "Bear with me... I can see it in my head!"
This is the sketch:




















And this is what it looked like when all was said and done:


















Congrats to Melissa and Jeff:) Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day!

Meet Lacey! Our newest foster dog!

Isn't she beautiful? She knows it, too:) Lacey is one heck of a terrific dog! She's roughly one and a half years old and is current on all shots and has been spayed. She's incredibly intelligent, super cuddly, most excellent on a leash and loves to play. She's all of the great things about a cattle dog, and BONUS, she's super mellow about you leaving her alone! No crate needed! Down side of this dog-- she won't hear the doorbell.
Lacey is completely deaf, but you certainly wouldn't know it if we didn't tell you. We were a bit concerned she'd be skittish or hard to work with when they asked us to foster her, but I'm so glad we said "yes", because she is truly incredible. I've done a lot of research on deaf dogs and have found out it's very common for them to be far more focused than most dogs. Makes sense since they can't rely on their hearing, right? Lacey is constantly looking at our face to read our reactions, and our hands to see what we'd like for her to do. Lacey knows several hand commands like 'come', 'sit', 'stay' and 'leave it'. A simple thumbs up and a smile from you and she knows she's a good dog:)
If you think about it, you probably use your hands when training a hearing dog, so it's no different at all when training a deaf dog. Lacey will frequently turn and look to see where we are at. I about fell over the first time I took her for a walk and noticed that not only was she looking up at me to make sure she stayed right at my heel, but she also watched our shadows and slowed down to stay where she was supposed to stay! Crazy!


Another bonus---she's quiet. Like, no crazy barking and whining. We have several small yapper dogs in the area and sometimes they get our Radar going a little bananas. Lacey just looks at him like, "What the heck, man?" She visits other dogs, but there's no freaking out at all. It is awesome!



The first day we tested her a lot to see if she would startle if you just came up and touched her. I think we were all thinking about how you never walk up behind a horse and touch them, because you will most likely get kicked right square in the chest. Lacey has yet to act startled, despite all of the random surprise touching and nudging we've done. I felt kind of silly even thinking this was a concern after I gave it some thought. This is what she knows, so why would it bother her?

If you're looking for a fabulous dog who will love curling up on the couch with you as much as taking a hike, consider Lacey.
You can find out more about her by contacting me personally at kelleyinco@gmail.com

Check out New Hope Cattle Dog Rescue of Colorado, too. There are so many wonderful dogs waiting for a forever home!
http://www.nhcdrescuecolorado.com/

When Grooms get involved....

Recently I had a second meeting with a lovely couple to discuss some changes to the cake design, and to my surprise, the groom had sketched out the cake. His sketch is so awesome, I had to blog it:) I love this.. when couples get excited over the design of their cake. They had even considered how this cake would look up against the beautiful, rich wood tones inside The Villa Parker:) I think they nailed it... a vibrant purple cake with shimmery champagne toned details is going to look stunning in there!

They asked if it bothered me that they made a sketch, and I told them not even the tiniest bit... this cake isn't about me. It's YOUR cake. I just get the extreme pleasure of creating for you. It's YOUR day. I am lucky enough to be a small part of it.