heather & olive

 

Gosh, this is a tough one to write.

On November 2, 2021, I put Olive down. She had suffered a number of seizures that couldn't be controlled with medication and the vet thinks it was a brain tumor. While I didn't realize it in the months leading up to that day, it's clear now that something was up and she wasn't her usual self. Putting her down was both the hardest and easiest decision I've ever had to make: I'm so grateful I was able to take away her pain in a humane way but it was so incredibly difficult.

And that's the thing about having any pet, isn't it? You know your life with them is finite, but it's still such a massive gut punch when their time is up. I'm so, so lucky I had the ten years with her that I did. She was such a funny little dog--she loved to sleep, was always up for a snuggle and there was nothing she enjoyed more than splaying in a spot of sun or lying up against a heater to get cozy. She was with me through five different living situations, four jobs, a couple of breakups and every major and minor life event in between.

I still feel like a piece of me is missing--December was a really hard month and there continue to be times where I find myself looking for her or wondering if there's anything I need to grab for her when I'm running errands. And it’s just so quiet. 

I miss her so much.

So here's to Olive: the sweetest, noodliest dog I've ever known. She will always have a piece of my heart. 

As per usual, I got my cards from Minted. I love all of their options for designs, they ship super fast, and they're almost always offering a coupon code.

It also helps to have photogenic subject matter.

I seriously had the best weekend in Maine with my mom and sister. I'm so lucky to have these two ladies in my life and that we share the same interests (food, shopping, beverages and inappropriate jokes). We hit up Stonewall Kitchen to stock up on jams, ate fried clams and slurped some oysters at Robert's, watched movies with Olive and ended Sunday with a delish lunch at the golf club. I wish every weekend could be like that one--sometimes you just need a little girl time with your favorite people.

I'm extremely fortunate to have the most wonderful boss ever. She's supportive, understanding and pushes me to grow in ways I didn't know I could.

And she gives the best presents.


This past spring, she and her husband were planning a trip to Paris. We talked about all of the must-see places they had to visit, and I mentioned the Pont des Arts bridge (also know as the "Love Locks Bridge"). As controversial as the practice of attaching a lock to a bridge and throwing away the key to the river below is, I'm of the position that it's a romantic gesture.*

Upon their return from Paris, I was presented with my own set of keys. They had given me a love lock of my own:


Yes, it's a love lock with my dog. But is there a truer love than the love you have for your pet? Methinks not. I found it so thoughtful and sweet (albeit a little unconventional) and it makes me happy that there's a little piece of me and my French Bulldog in Paris. They framed the photos for me and I have them hanging in my bedroom with the keys included.



*Romance aside, I totally get why there is an anti-lock crusade--architecturally and aesthetically it doesn't really fly.

But I still love it.

Thanks to my birthday, I was finally able to expand my little gallery wall around my office area. I bought the Rifle Paper print (on the left) at the cutest paper store in Portsmouth, NH: Gus and Ruby Letterpress. I had wanted it for a while, so when I saw it I knew it was meant to be. You just can't screw around with fate, especially when it's in printed form.


The second addition might be my most favorite piece of art I own. A while ago, I read all about Carter Kustera on A Piece of Toast. He's a famous silhouette artist based in NYC and his work has been exhibited throughout the world (it also can be found in numerous Jonathan Adler stores). If you provide digital silhouettes of man or beast, he will transform them into a collectable piece of art. Of course, I decided I needed one of my beloved four-legged friend, and my darling sister and her husband made it happen.

What I like most about his Carter's work is that he does the silhouette and then he adds a sassy saying underneath...and I especially love what is written under Olive:



The absolute best.