Fun, Fashion & Funkytown

Happy Friday!! I can't believe how quickly this week went by! All of a sudden, we're in the middle of MayFest 2014 and the weekend is upon us.  The weather has been beautiful in Fort Worth the last few days, and looks like it will continue over the weekend!

Looking for something to do?  Here's a few local events that have caught my attention!  Maybe I'll see you there!

Friday May 2

West 7th Spring Fashion Show

Boutiques and businesses in the West 7th area will be hosting a fabulous designer showcase & spring fashion show tonight!  Many boutiques will have trunk shows and events happening throughout the day, and the main fashion show will begin at 7pm.  Check out West 7th on facebook for more event info

{photos via West 7th's facebook page}

First Friday at the Modern- Spring Fling

Art... live music... cocktails... yeah that's pretty much all I need to say!  The fun begins at 5pm!  Check out more info HERE

Friday May 2 & Saturday May 3

South Main (Friday and) Saturday

Friday night concert and Saturday morning open-air local market held in the Near Southside of Fort Worth.  Check out great music and fabulous vendors with a variety of goodies!  More details on facebook

Saturday May 3

Free yoga in Sundance Square! 

Begins at 9am.  Check out their facebook page for details!

{photo via Sundance Square facebook page}

Dog Day at the Trailhead

Get out and get active with your pooch and fellow dog-lovers!  Activities start at 7:30am and are FREE!  More details HERE

{photo via Trailhead facebook page}

MayFest 2014

And last but certainly not least, MayFest 2014 is happening now and for the rest of the weekend!  This is one of the best annual activities in Fort Worth, in my opinion.  I love how spread out it is in Trinity Park.  There's grassy space, trees, and plenty of room for one of the biggest local events you'll see!  It is completely family-friendly but also a ton of fun for adults.  There are kids activity areas, a variety of live music on multiple stages, shows throughout the day like the Great American Duck Races and the Pony & Dog show, fabulous food and drinks, games, carnival rides, and local vendors and artists selling goodies!  Get outside and enjoy the amazing weather in the next few days!!  Find all MayFest info including parking tips on their website!

{photo via MayFest.org}

I hope to see you out and about over the weekend!  We are so blessed to live in an amazing city with so many fun activities to offer!  I say it every day... I LOVE FUNKYTOWN! 

Woofin' in the Worth

Well, we got lucky yesterday... had some nice Texas weather, it was one of Chris' days off, and we had a little time on our hands.  My suggestion?  Heading to the dog park to let Mr. Wilbur have some doggie social time.

I always feel bad for Wilbur as we walk through our condo building every day; he's a lovable giant that most people are happy to see, but there are the occasional "holy crap he's big" reactions.  Yes, he's bigger than I am... he can pull me, yank me, drag me... all to go running up to someone to say HI or beg for treats.  He's a pup that suffers from "I have no idea how big I am and how I scare some people with my enthusiasm".  So it's really nice to have somewhere to go to let him off his leash and let him do his thing.

If you've never taken your best friend to the Fort Woof Dog Park, I highly recommend it.  Yes, you will have to watch your step and avoid poop piles (there's always some owners everywhere that don't pick up.... SO RUDE by the way and pretty disgusting), but relatively speaking, there's very little to watch out for compared to the size of the park and the number of dogs.  Most people I've seen always clean up and always watch their dogs to make sure they're behaving.

The park is situated just outside of downtown Fort Worth, so it's super convenient for us.  Even though downtown is very pet friendly and Wilbur and I enjoy lots of walks around town, again, there's nothing that can replace "no leash time" and the socializing he experiences at the dog park.

Chris and I were shocked at how much energy Wilbur had yesterday!  Usually it's about 10 minutes of hard-core running and he's pooped.  But I think we could have stayed all afternoon and he would have been fine.

I love this dog park for lots of reasons:
1. It's close & convenient
2. It's HUGE
3. There are benches, picnic tables and a covered area for people to sit
4. There's a water station for the dogs
5. There are separate sides for large breeds and small
6. The people and the dogs are always very friendly
7. It's a giant, wide-open space for running and playing, but there's also obstacle course equipment if you want to get technical with your dog

Show your local Fort Worth support and check it out sometime!  Your doggies will love it!  Maybe we'll see you there sometime ;-)

Happy National Dog Day!

Did you know that today is National Dog Day?!  I just wanted to take a moment to recognize the doggies in my life, and how amazingly wonderful they are.  

Mr. Wilbur has become my main sidekick, and I can't explain how awesome it feels knowing that this dog loves me back and is willing to protect me at any cost!  We snuggle, we run and play, and I take him with me everywhere I go... when possible ;-)

I don't see Cozmo as much as I'd like, but when I do, we have a blast together!  He's such a cool pup and he's always willing to go for a run with me... always a ball of energy and enthusiasm.  I've watched him grow from a tiny puppy into a beautiful dog.  I'm blessed to have him in my life, even if he's not my own. 

Hope you're spending some of today with your puppy pals :-)  Happy National Dog Day!

RIP Abner

We lost a great dog this morning... RIP little Abner. You were such a sweetheart.
Abner was a rescue... not from a shelter but only by the grace of Chris' heart. Chris knew of this dog in the neighborhood and knew it was being abused. He and his parents brought this pup back to life and helped him go from a scared, shaky, starving puppy to a healthy dog (or as healthy as possible) with an amazing personality. As soon as he realized he was part of the fam, the personality came out!
I will always miss seeing your little head pop up from behind the bed, or the sofa, like a gopher. I will miss seeing you start shit with 3 dogs twice your size and having the time of your life teasing them. I will miss seeing you snuggled in your doggie pjs because you didn't have enough weight to keep yourself warm. I'm not going to lie... i won't miss you accidentally stomping all over my feet, because it hurt! But I will miss that excitement and joy that caused you to romp around the room and spin in circles!
You brought a lot of joy to the family in the time you were with us, Abner, and I just hope the only doggie memories you have in doggie heaven are of your amazing family that loved you and wanted you so badly to have a good life. You never deserved any of the bad stuff in the beginning from those other people; No person, no dog, no cat, no one deserves the way you were treated. But I hope the last couple of years with the fam did something to make your life better. You were such a good dog and I hate that I didn't get to say goodbye. RIP little gopher.

Don't you ever get tired?

If you're like me, you need some motivation for workouts. I have come to realize in the last few years what the absolute best motivation is for going on a daily run... a dog. Now, I don't have a dog... ok, well officially don't have one yet. I do have Mr. Wilbur, Chris' pup, that I am now step-mother to, and believe you me, I love that dog as if I were there from day one. But I don't have my own dog, like one I picked out or was given to ME. Since my brother and I never experienced having a dog as kids, he got his own a few years ago, leaving me as the last remaining person on earth that's never owned a dog. Enter, Cozmo... a super lovable, super excited pup from a local Austin shelter. He's my 2nd dog... or my nephew if you will ha! Cozmo is a daddy's boy... goodness he loves my brother! It's pretty cute how he's perfectly content lounging with Chris on the sofa. But... he really is a ball of energy! And he is my workout motivation. Those adorable puppy dog eyes are killer, from the minute I get up in the morning, every time I'm in town. It's kind of funny how quickly going for a run becomes my priority, because who wants to make the sweet puppy dog sad?! Not me.

So yesterday was an interesting day, weather-wise, in Austin. After high winds & rain in the morning, it cleared up in the afternoon to reveal a gorgeous few hours of sunshine, cooler temps & lower humidity. Even though we went for a morning run, Cozmo & I cut it short when the rain started coming down. So of course when it cleared up, he was all over another walk. So we went... dang those puppy dog eyes, but bless you pups for keeping my lazy butt moving! Until the day I have my own "running partner", I will be thankful for every chance I get to enjoy the great outdoors and some exercise with Coz, the friendly pup :-) Here's some pictures from our beautiful evening walk yesterday!