Monday, April 25, 2011

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!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

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/