For the Month of February, our featured Fur Baby is another of our Fabulous Felines! Her name is Madeleine and she came to live with us one summer in Los Angeles. I discovered her while I was hosting a remote broadcast for a radio station there. We were set up outside the main entrance to the Los Angeles Zoo, for a special family event that day. Also set up nearby was a large mobile SPCA Pet Adoption unit, and during a break in my broadcast, I stepped inside to see the pets in need of adoption. (Imagine that....ME, checking out the adoptable pets during my radio station break!)  LOL

There were many cats onboard that day, and Madeleine was trying her hardest to be invisible, but her uniquely beautiful markings were making her the center of attention. You see, she is a mix of Siamese and Orange Tabby and her face is split down the middle exactly half one and half the other. If you look at her face from one side or the other, she looks either like a pure Orange Tabby or a pure Siamese cat. She almost looks as if she's wearing a mask like the Phantom of the Opera, disguising one side of her face.

She was a very sweet cat...not even a year old at the time, and seemed quite overwhelmed by the attention she was getting. I thought for sure that she would be adopted by someone that day, and I told myself, as I wandered back across the zoo parking lot, that if she was still unspoken for by the end of my broadcast event, I would see if hubby would like to stop by and meet her.

Well, as it turned out, Madeleine DID become a part of our little zoo that day and we are thrilled that 12 years later, she is still a happy, healthy member of our family. She is very unique in that she not only LOOKS like a Siamese/Orange Tabby mix, but ACTS like one too. She is very independent, like a Siamese cat, often disappearing into one of the nooks and crannies of the house (she likes being on the second floor during the day) and she meows in that very unique Siamese cat way....sort of a "YOWL", rather than a MEOW.

On the other hand, she is super loving and cuddly and kind, like the friendly Orange Tabby is known to be and gets along well with all of our other cats and the dogs too.

In the evening, she reappears just as we are settling in to watch a couple of TV shows after dinner, and grabs her favorite spot on the back of the sofa, right behind our heads. She also has totally gotten over her dislike for attention and the limelight and is one of the first of our cats to make up with visiting family members or guests.

She  completely took over a recent QVC video shoot at our house, for the Hosts at Home series last year and insisted on being in the shot the entire time I was being interviewed. After all, we WERE set up in her favorite room....the family room! In the photos here, you'll see her on the sofa back, with myself and my sister Suzanne (I am holding Johnnie, our Cocker Spaniel, who Madeleine adores) and you'll also see her cuddling up with Eliza Jane (the most popular pet in our family...ALL the other pets love Eliza!) and in another photo here, Madeleine decided to claim an extra featherbed as her OWN, during a slumber party with my nephews! That's our Madeleine Cat!!  Here is her Fur Baby "interview" :

Name:   Madeleine (Mom spells it her favorite way... like the soft and delicious French cookies).

Breed:   Mixed breed kitty....Siamese and Orange Tabby

Age:      Around 12 years or so

Indoor or Outdoor Cat: Indoors, please! All of the cats who live here are indoor cats! Mom says there are foxes outside and I would not like them! They are not as nice to cats as the dogs who live here!

Favorite Daytime Spot:   Upstairs near the railing that overlooks the front foyer (so I can check out everyone who comes and goes!)

Favorite Nighttime Spot:  On the back of the sofa while Mom and Dad watch TV or read a book.

Favorite Pasttime: Watching the other cats chase around and sometimes get into mischief! . Tee hee!! I am always a good girl and never get in trouble with the "cat police" (Daffodil and Mom!)

Favorite Fur Friend:  Hmmm....it would definitely be a canine friend. I love Eliza Jane (who doesn't?) and Johnnie dog too! I sometimes take naps with them!

Highlight of 2013:  "Starring" in Mom's Hosts at Home Video! Of course, the QVC crew knew who was REALLY the highlight of that movie!! It should have been titled, Hosts at Home with Cat!!

Fur Baby Message:  Please consider adopting a cat like me!!  We all deserve a great home!! Remember too, when visiting your local animal shelter to find the perfect kitty...sometimes we SHY ones are the most PURR-fect of all!! XOXOXO YOWL-MEOW!!

XO,

Carolyn

We had an AMAZING response to our request for your sweet pet pictures on Sunday's with Carolyn and Dan show!! Thank you all SO MUCH for sharing photos of your precious fur and feathered family members!! Dogs and cats, goats and horses, birds and bunnies...they were all wonderful to see! More importantly, by sharing your photos of much loved and well-cared for pets, it sets such a great example for other pet owners and potential pet owners!

Dan and I wish we had time to show every single photo during the show, but there are so many spoiled QVC pets out there, it is impossible to do, unfortunately! We hope you will enjoy viewing each other's pets and be sure to comment on the adorable photos too!

Dan and I tried to post as many as we could in our PawParazzi Showcase this week and we hope you will watch for your baby's photo again next week on our show! You are always welcome to post another photo next Sunday!

XOXO from your fellow pet lovers, Carolyn and Dan.

Carolyn & Dan’s Pawparazzi Showcase

This is Chelsea Anne, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, pruning an apple tree.  She is the fur baby of Nancy Fritz and makes everyone giggle!

Casper the cat in his bow-tie. He is the fur baby of Jessica Keto.

Lindsay (middle) celebrating her daughter’s 11th birthday, Crystal & Teara.  They are the fur babies of Linda Schatzel.

Here is Tobias, the fur baby of Missy Karaliunas. He is a 1 year old English Bulldog that is waiting for Spring.

This is one of Melissa Sue Jones’ rescues, Arianna Jade.  She looks like she is posing.

This is Sierra. He is a Quarter Horse that is feeling the love and is the fur baby of Missy Karaliunas.

Heather Haley-Lovely’s sleepy cali named Sophia.

Leeling is 5 years old and is the fur baby of Nancy Poole Day.

Toby is the fur baby of Rebecca Smith.

Sassy Frass Hughart is 12 yrs old and is the fur baby of Drema Harding Hughart. 

Lily and Sadie are best friends and are the fur babies of Tammy Zieminski DiGiacomo.

Sweet boy Murphy is the fur baby of Cindy Vaughn.

This is Mrs. Dawg. Don’t you just love her pearls? She is the fur baby of Debra Carello and she has gone to the rainbow bridge after a nice life of over 20 yrs.

Here is Teddy. Terri Costa’s best buddy in the world!

Jiji & Jester chillin' in the yard.  They are the fur babies of Nancy Cote Josephs.

Donkey Jenny and her baby Flint.  Fur babies of Vicky Huff.

Beautiful Bella is the fur baby of Jodi Rollins Granlund.

Bassett Hound George is the fur baby of Deborah Jackson Pio.

Say HI to Ellie!  She is the fur baby of Michelle DiCola.

Did somebody say "Hot Dogs”?  Fur baby of Jayne Reilling.

Carolyn & Dan’s Pawparazzi Showcase

Faith and begorrah! St. Paddy's day is almost here!  I tried to post as many pictures of your fur babies as I could in our PawParazzi Showcase this week.

Thank you all SO MUCH for sharing photos of your precious fur babies with us! We hope you will watch for your baby's photo again next week on our show! You are always welcome to post another photo next Sunday!

XOXO from your fellow pet lovers, Carolyn and Dan. 

Madison is the fur baby of Joan Dudas.

Roxanne is the fur baby of Marilyn Laramee.

 This is my MAGGIE who is now 3.  She is the fur baby of Marie Giovetsis.

This is my Emily the fur baby of Susan Thomas.  Susan thinks she makes an adorable Irish Lass (not Lassie!) LOL.

Mack loves to pose and here he is in his new St. Paddy’s Day outfit. He is the fur baby of Maury Smith.

Morgan and Murphy are the fur babies of Sarah Woloszyn.

Irish Cole is the fur baby of Karen Reicher Smith.

Rocky wishes you a Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Rocky is the fur baby of Kari Gleason.

You got it from Shannon's Irish Rose is her official name.  She is the fur baby of Kathleen Horton.

Columbo is the fur baby of Tamara Gassen.

The Honey Dog is very excited about St. Paddy's Day!!!  Fur baby of Julie B. Young.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Cody O'Bucklin, fur baby of Kimberlee Dunlop Bucklin.

Maggie is fur baby of Mary Ann Mika.

Sandra Christman’s girl is ready for St. Patrick’s Day.

Maggy Mae and Bella wish you all the luck of the Irish! They are the fur babies of Deborah McAllister.

Nola is the sweet girl of Jill Tinervin Nickel.

Rosie celebrating the wearing of the green.  She is the fur baby of Alison Flora.

Shelby King is the fur baby of Tracy King.

Honey wishes everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Fur baby of Rae Romano-Koenig.

Baxter is ready for St. Patrick's Day.  He is the fur baby of Dawn Dalaska.

Mich is wearin' of the green!  Fur baby of Kelly Lovegrove.

 Jake and Elwood are the pride and joy of Beth Gaskins.

Greetings, Denim and Company Divas!!

Carolyn here, with all the reasons why I LOVE our new Clip Dot Tunic and Tank Today's Special Value!!

First, are you not SO ready for SPRING to be here?!?  I know I am !! This beautiful set is not only a welcome change, with it's vibrant spring colors, but it's also a tremendous value, as our Denim and Company Sets always are!! I love that I get two separate pieces, to wear together or separately! In fact, by picking up more than one color, you can have instant color blocking and expand your spring wardrobe quite easily!!

I love the tunic length of the clip dot top....VERY figure flattering and versatile! I love the clip dot look itself! Dots are a huge trend and all the rage for this Spring/Summer season, and this tunic set is a way to wear dots with out "seeing dots", if you know what I mean.   It's a very pretty, feminine and subtle design effect!

The colors are outstanding and so cheery and fun to wear!! This is a set you'll find you reach for often...for work, luncheons, traveling, weekends, and ANYTIME you want to easily feel pretty and pulled together!!

Now, I just have to get to work deciding which fun and colorful Denim and Co bottoms to pair this set with! Oh, yes, and handbags, bracelets, etc.  THIS is going to be a great SPRING, thanks to Denim and Co!!

See you soon on a Tuesday at 11am!! AND watch for our next Designer vs Diva Viewer Poll coming soon in April!!

Love,

Your fellow D&Co Diva,

Carolyn

Greetings, Denim and Company Divas!!

Carolyn here, with all the reasons why I LOVE our new Clip Dot Tunic and Tank Today's Special Value!!

First, are you not SO ready for SPRING to be here?!?  I know I am!! This beautiful set is not only a welcome change, with its vibrant spring colors, but it's also a tremendous value, as ourDenim and Company Sets always are!! I love that I get two separate pieces to wear together or separately! In fact, by picking up more than one color, you can have instant color blocking and expand your spring wardrobe quite easily!!

I love the tunic length of the clip dot top....VERY figure flattering and versatile! I love the clip dot look itself!  Dots are a huge trend and all the rage for this Spring/Summer season, and this tunic set is a way to wear dots without "seeing dots", if you know what I mean. It's a very pretty, feminine and subtle design effect!

The colors are outstanding and so cheery and fun to wear!! This is a set you'll find you reach for often...for work, luncheons, traveling, weekends, and ANYTIME you want to easily feel pretty and pulled together!!

Now, I just have to get to work deciding which fun and colorfulDenim and Co bottoms to pair this set with! Oh, yes, and handbags, bracelets, etc.  THIS is going to be a great SPRING, thanks to Denim and Co!!

See you soon on a Tuesday at 11am!! AND watch for our next Designer vs Diva Viewer Poll coming soon in April!!

Love,

Your fellow D&Co Diva,

Carolyn 

Greetings, fellow animal lovers! Yes, an entire year of monthly Fur Baby blogs has passed and I am no where near running low on wonderful fur and feathered members of our family to introduce you to!!

For our first featured creature for this New Year, I am actually writing a tribute to a little winged soul who has since passed to the Rainbow Bridge, but his story is certainly worth sharing. Each cold wintry day, when I look out my kitchen window, I never cease to be amazed at the fortitude displayed by the wild birds in my backyard. How on earth do they survive for weeks and weeks in the frigid temperatures, those tiny little feather covered bodies, hopping around in the snow on those two little stick legs, or flitting from tree branch to birdfeeder on delicate wings, chirping and singing all the while!!  They are truly one of nature's miracles!

We were lucky enough to have one of these little miracles as a house guest for a while, a few years back. He actually became a beloved family member just like all of our pets. While living in the Los Angeles area, I came home from work at the radio station one day to find my next door neighbor on my front walkway waiting for me...anxiously glancing over at one of the shrubs below my living room window. He proceeded to tell me that while I was gone, and hubby was busy working in his studio, a nest of house finches had blown out of a very tall palm tree along the sidewalk between our houses. It had turned upside down as it hit the grass below, and he had come outside to see the mother bird frantically hopping around the upside down nest. He wanted to help, and turned the nest right side up, as mama bird watched from a nearby tree, eventually flying away. Inside the nest were three baby finches....still so young that they barely had any feathers and their beaks were still outlined in yellow.

My neighbor picked up the nest, which was in several pieces, and placed it inside the shrub in front of my living room, waiting for me to come home, since I was the "animal" person. Well, I had always heard that you should leave the nest and babies alone in this type of situation, so that the parent birds could come back and take care of them. So we waited...and waited...and waited...for about 24 hours. And no mama bird. And no papa bird. Not even a babysitter bird, ever returned.

I called my friends at the Wildlife Center and asked what I should do. They said if I did not try to feed them, they would die. They suggested feeding them tiny pieces of dog kibble, that was softened with water. I said, how do I do THAT?? They suggested finding a small twig, with flattened, spoon-shaped end and then placing the tiny bite of food on the end of the twig, and then that I should try to get it into their tiny mouths......Every two hours! We brought them inside, into a quiet room, placed them in a warm, feather and cotton stuffing-lined shoebox, under a heat lamp, and proceeded to try to feed them. For about the first ten attempts, they would NOT open their mouths. I knew they were hungry, but apparently I did NOT even look a teensy bit like their mother and they were not about to accept food from a giant stranger with a twig!! However, later that evening, a small miracle occured. I was able to gently coax one of them into opening his mouth and he ate the tiny piece of mushy kibble! WELL NOW.....that changed everything! The dining room was open!

Now, every time I came into the room the sounds of PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP began....just like you've always heard coming from a bird's nest in your yard. And as soon as they saw me with the little twig and bowl of mushy kibble, all three sat their in their little shoe box with mouths wide open. I could tell when they were full, because they all of a sudden got very sleepy and quiet. They were all so adorable!! Well, this went on for several weeks....they got bigger, got their feathers, and graduated to a small flight cage with perches, which we placed on a table in front of a big window. Soon they were flying around in their cage, drinking from their water bowl, and eating a mix of gourmet seed, bird food pellets, and tiny greens and berries.....just like our exotic pet birds.

One day, we knew it was time to release them to join the wild finches in the neighborhood. We took the cage outdoors, opened the cage door and out they flew....one, two.....and......um.....well, birdie number three did not want to leave his flight cage. He was the biggest of the three (at the time we did not know he was a male, as his coloring had not come in yet...but as it turned out, he was....a beautiful coral colored male house finch.) At any rate, we tried to coax this little guy out on his own, we even picked him up and placed him outside of his cage in the courtyard, but he always came back to his cage.  He liked sitting on our finger. He started singing every morning in his cage, while swinging on his tiny perch. In other words, he had bonded to us and was happy to be an "IN House Finch"! So, we named him Atticus Finch, after one of our favorite characters from the book and film, To Kill A Mockingbird, and for several years, he lived with us, and sang out the window with his beautiful, lilting songs, every day.

When we moved from California to Pennsylvania, we decided to bring Atticus with us, and he rode happily in a bird travel carrier between us in the front seat of our SUV all the way across the USA. He loved his new view of the world (and all the PA House Finches) from his new spot in the front upstairs window of our bedroom, and remained a continuous source of joy to my husband and me for the first couple of years that we lived here. I am not sure how long the outdoor finches live on average, but I'm sure Atticus, with his gourmet diet, and luxury digs, probably hung around a while longer than most. One sad day, he decided to fly off to the Rainbow Bridge and we placed him in a special spot in our garden, the spot which he looked out upon, singing joyfully, every day. We will never forget him, and feel blessed that he chose to share his life with us in a different way than our other wild bird friends.

His legacy is that we take special care to be mindful of our outdoor feathered friends, in all seasons of the year. We have many bird feeders around our yard and gardens, and fountains and birdbaths to provide water....some are heated to provide water in the winter time as well. We leave suet cakes out for them as well, and try to leave part of the yard as "natural" as possible, so that they have plenty of places to seek shelter, along with the birdhouses that we've nailed to a post or a tree here and there.

They reward us daily with their sweet songs and happy chatter and beautiful streaks of color, as they fly quickly from tree to tree....from place to place in our yard, going about their day. Nowadays, there is a particular male cardinal, who perches on the highest bough of the highest pine tree in our yard, singing his little heart out each day.

I feel he has taken over the job of "melodious overseer" from dear Atticus Finch, to remind us that in every day, there is something to sing about and be thankful for.

Keep an eye on the feathered friends in your yard throughout the year, and even more importantly, listen to the songs they are singing for you!

With love this winter season,

Carolyn and my "little zoo"

P.S.  Atticus was very camera-shy, so we thought he would like us to share photos of some of his distant family members instead!! He looked VERY much like these little guys!!  :-)  

A couple of days after our dog, Johnnie, passed, following a brave, hard-fought battle with cancer, the vet's office called me. It was one of the receptionists on the line, asking what inscription I would like to have engraved on his pawprint urn. She said they had forgotten to tell me that an inscription was included in the price. Three lines total....25 letters maximum.

"Wow", I said, "I will have to think about that and get back to you."

How could I possibly choose a proper inscription for him, with only 25 letters and three lines? He was one of the finest spirits we had ever known. He packed so much joy and fun and loyalty and sharing and unconditional love into 14 short years, that flew by at lightening speed. He taught us how to be better humans (as all dogs do). He was the first dog, along with his brother Jimmie, that my husband and I made a part of our family. We both had dogs as kids....but neither of us had owned a dog (or had a dog own US) as adults until that day I spotted the two of them, left-over pups at 14 weeks old, at a little shop in South Pasadena.  It was across the street from my nail and hair salon and I wandered in one day to pick up some supplies for our rabbits and birds. I had no idea they also had puppies for adoption inside. All of their littermates had been adopted a couple of weeks earlier, and these two little guys, buff Cocker Spaniel brothers, were the only two left. At 14 weeks, they were getting to that stage of being "too big" to be for folks who wanted little puppies, but my gosh, they were still the cutest puppies I had ever seen. At first, I was only going to adopt one of them....but when I picked Jimmie up, Johnnie made SUCH A FUSS at the thought of being left behind, that I could NOT leave him behind. I never regretted that decision for one second. Although they were brothers, they couldn't have been more different from each other. Jimmie was (and IS) SO independent, and a free spirit, always. Johnnie, on the other hand, wanted only to please, always obeyed the rules, always walked by my side, never pulling forward on his leash. In fact, on one of our first "training" walks after I brought them home, my husband and I were teaching them to walk on a leash and I took the lead, walking down the sidewalk with Jimmie. My husband was right behind, walking with Johnnie. Well, I walk faster than my husband and had soon put a nice little gap between us, with Jimmie trotting happily along. I heard a loud crying bark from behind me, and saw little Johnnie trying desperately to catch up to us, while being tethered to my slow-strolling husband. Johnnie got so upset he just sat down on the sidewalk and howled. I knew then that he was "mama's boy" and  he remained so for the rest of his life.

As we adopted other dogs and cats, Johnnie was clearly the "alpha" with the pets. It was "Johnnie in Charge" and he was always the first to eat, the first to try out the new toys and the one to show the newer dogs the ropes and the rules. 

However, he was quite deferential to humans, and always polite, always trying to please and do the right thing. He was a dog you could take anywhere the dogs are allowed to go. Pet friendly B&B's, dog-friendly restaurants, the beach, the boardwalk, the dog park. He loved to go for rides in the car or truck and especially loved our big trek across country in 2004 from Los Angeles to Philly, when I was hired as a QVC Show Host.  When Cesar Millan met Johnnie and Jimmie  at QVC, he told me he thought they were two of the most well-adjusted dogs he had ever met. Tamar Gellar adored them too.

They were a familiar sight at the Q until they turned about 11 years old, and it was too much of an ordeal for Johnnie, who had become somewhat arthritic and could no longer do the long walks through the QVC halls to get backstage.  While he could still get around fairly well, Johnnie loved to chase birds in the front  yard, never once thinking THIS time he would catch one!  He tried only once to chase the horse and rider trotting down our lane, and discovered rather quickly that the horse was much larger that him at close range!  His two favorite things in life were taking naps and  to have a bite or two of whatever WE were eating, and he would patiently wait exactly two minutes, and then politely BARK until given a taste. Our dinner table is strangely and sadly silent now. We never thought we would miss that "John-John bark" at mealtime....but oh, how we DO.

When you lose a pet, it changes the dynamic of your household. Our other pets were abnormally QUIET for the first couple of days. They knew something was different. They picked up on our sadness and they mourned him too. But they also have been especially helpful in letting us know that life continues, even though it will never be the same. Jimmie trots around the house, Monty does his "happy dance", Eliza sits extra close to me in the evening watching TV, Betty,the Grey Parrot, has stopped saying "Hey John Hey John!"....but still calls the other dogs by name.

We will be creating a special memorial garden area for Johnnie this spring, under the maple tree where he used to try to sneak up on the birds, in classic Cocker Spaniel style. I know he is still around and will always be with us. We will never forget him, his big brown eyes, his long silky tail (which we never had docked....we think Cocker tails are beautiful!) and his sweet, gentle ways. I know he must have been VERY brave to go on ahead without us, without mama, for the very first time. He never wanted to take the lead, but this time, I knew as he breathed his last breath that he had taken off, running over the golden fields to meet his brother Henry and MY brothers Matt and Johnny, at Rainbow Bridge, young and healthy once more, to wait for us there. 

Meanwhile, I sat at my desk yesterday, with a scratch pad, crossing out letters and words and trying to come up with 25 letters to inscribe on the Pawprint Urn.  And as I looked out the office window on a finally, sunny day, at the green lawn where Johnnie used to play, at the stone angel statue holding one of his precious birds, it came to me: 25 letters. Johnnie Forever In Our Hearts.

Thank you for all of your kind thoughts, words and prayers for Johnnie over the past few months.  We so appreciate your friendship and support.

With love, Carolyn, Mike and ALL of our wonderful pets

Greetings, fellow animal lovers! Yes, an entire year of monthly Fur Baby blogs has passed and I am no where near running low on wonderful fur and feathered members of our family to introduce you to!!

For our first featured creature for this New Year, I am actually writing a tribute to a little winged soul who has since passed to the Rainbow Bridge, but his story is certainly worth sharing. Each cold wintry day, when I look out my kitchen window, I never cease to be amazed at the fortitude displayed by the wild birds in my backyard. How on earth do they survive for weeks and weeks in the frigid temperatures, those tiny little feather covered bodies, hopping around in the snow on those two little stick legs, or flitting from tree branch to birdfeeder on delicate wings, chirping and singing all the while!!  They are truly one of nature's miracles!

We were lucky enough to have one of these little miracles as a house guest for a while, a few years back. He actually became a beloved family member just like all of our pets. While living in the Los Angeles area, I came home from work at the radio station one day to find my next door neighbor on my front walkway waiting for me...anxiously glancing over at one of the shrubs below my living room window. He proceeded to tell me that while I was gone, and hubby was busy working in his studio, a nest of house finches had blown out of a very tall palm tree along the sidewalk between our houses. It had turned upside down as it hit the grass below, and he had come outside to see the mother bird frantically hopping around the upside down nest. He wanted to help, and turned the nest right side up, as mama bird watched from a nearby tree, eventually flying away. Inside the nest were three baby finches....still so young that they barely had any feathers and their beaks were still outlined in yellow.

My neighbor picked up the nest, which was in several pieces, and placed it inside the shrub in front of my living room, waiting for me to come home, since I was the "animal" person. Well, I had always heard that you should leave the nest and babies alone in this type of situation, so that the parent birds could come back and take care of them. So we waited...and waited...and waited...for about 24 hours. And no mama bird. And no papa bird. Not even a babysitter bird, ever returned.

I called my friends at the Wildlife Center and asked what I should do. They said if I did not try to feed them, they would die. They suggested feeding them tiny pieces of dog kibble, that was softened with water. I said, how do I do THAT?? They suggested finding a small twig, with flattened, spoon-shaped end and then placing the tiny bite of food on the end of the twig, and then that I should try to get it into their tiny mouths......Every two hours! We brought them inside, into a quiet room, placed them in a warm, feather and cotton stuffing-lined shoebox, under a heat lamp, and proceeded to try to feed them. For about the first ten attempts, they would NOT open their mouths. I knew they were hungry, but apparently I did NOT even look a teensy bit like their mother and they were not about to accept food from a giant stranger with a twig!! However, later that evening, a small miracle occured. I was able to gently coax one of them into opening his mouth and he ate the tiny piece of mushy kibble! WELL NOW.....that changed everything! The dining room was open!

Now, every time I came into the room the sounds of PEEP PEEP PEEP PEEP began....just like you've always heard coming from a bird's nest in your yard. And as soon as they saw me with the little twig and bowl of mushy kibble, all three sat their in their little shoe box with mouths wide open. I could tell when they were full, because they all of a sudden got very sleepy and quiet. They were all so adorable!! Well, this went on for several weeks....they got bigger, got their feathers, and graduated to a small flight cage with perches, which we placed on a table in front of a big window. Soon they were flying around in their cage, drinking from their water bowl, and eating a mix of gourmet seed, bird food pellets, and tiny greens and berries.....just like our exotic pet birds.

One day, we knew it was time to release them to join the wild finches in the neighborhood. We took the cage outdoors, opened the cage door and out they flew....one, two.....and......um.....well, birdie number three did not want to leave his flight cage. He was the biggest of the three (at the time we did not know he was a male, as his coloring had not come in yet...but as it turned out, he was....a beautiful coral colored male house finch.) At any rate, we tried to coax this little guy out on his own, we even picked him up and placed him outside of his cage in the courtyard, but he always came back to his cage.  He liked sitting on our finger. He started singing every morning in his cage, while swinging on his tiny perch. In other words, he had bonded to us and was happy to be an "IN House Finch"! So, we named him Atticus Finch, after one of our favorite characters from the book and film, To Kill A Mockingbird, and for several years, he lived with us, and sang out the window with his beautiful, lilting songs, every day.

When we moved from California to Pennsylvania, we decided to bring Atticus with us, and he rode happily in a bird travel carrier between us in the front seat of our SUV all the way across the USA. He loved his new view of the world (and all the PA House Finches) from his new spot in the front upstairs window of our bedroom, and remained a continuous source of joy to my husband and me for the first couple of years that we lived here. I am not sure how long the outdoor finches live on average, but I'm sure Atticus, with his gourmet diet, and luxury digs, probably hung around a while longer than most. One sad day, he decided to fly off to the Rainbow Bridge and we placed him in a special spot in our garden, the spot which he looked out upon, singing joyfully, every day. We will never forget him, and feel blessed that he chose to share his life with us in a different way than our other wild bird friends.

His legacy is that we take special care to be mindful of our outdoor feathered friends, in all seasons of the year. We have many bird feeders around our yard and gardens, and fountains and birdbaths to provide water....some are heated to provide water in the winter time as well. We leave suet cakes out for them as well, and try to leave part of the yard as "natural" as possible, so that they have plenty of places to seek shelter, along with the birdhouses that we've nailed to a post or a tree here and there.

They reward us daily with their sweet songs and happy chatter and beautiful streaks of color, as they fly quickly from tree to tree....from place to place in our yard, going about their day. Nowadays, there is a particular male cardinal, who perches on the highest bough of the highest pine tree in our yard, singing his little heart out each day.

I feel he has taken over the job of "melodious overseer" from dear Atticus Finch, to remind us that in every day, there is something to sing about and be thankful for.

Keep an eye on the feathered friends in your yard throughout the year, and even more importantly, listen to the songs they are singing for you!

With love this winter season,

Carolyn and my "little zoo"

P.S.  Atticus was very camera-shy, so we thought he would like us to share photos of some of his distant family members instead!! He looked VERY much like these little guys!!  :-)  

A couple of days after our dog, Johnnie, passed, following a brave, hard-fought battle with cancer, the vet's office called me. It was one of the receptionists on the line, asking what inscription I would like to have engraved on his pawprint urn. She said they had forgotten to tell me that an inscription was included in the price. Three lines total....25 letters maximum.

"Wow", I said, "I will have to think about that and get back to you."

How could I possibly choose a proper inscription for him, with only 25 letters and three lines? He was one of the finest spirits we had ever known. He packed so much joy and fun and loyalty and sharing and unconditional love into 14 short years, that flew by at lightening speed. He taught us how to be better humans (as all dogs do). He was the first dog, along with his brother Jimmie, that my husband and I made a part of our family. We both had dogs as kids....but neither of us had owned a dog (or had a dog own US) as adults until that day I spotted the two of them, left-over pups at 14 weeks old, at a little shop in South Pasadena.  It was across the street from my nail and hair salon and I wandered in one day to pick up some supplies for our rabbits and birds. I had no idea they also had puppies for adoption inside. All of their littermates had been adopted a couple of weeks earlier, and these two little guys, buff Cocker Spaniel brothers, were the only two left. At 14 weeks, they were getting to that stage of being "too big" to be for folks who wanted little puppies, but my gosh, they were still the cutest puppies I had ever seen. At first, I was only going to adopt one of them....but when I picked Jimmie up, Johnnie made SUCH A FUSS at the thought of being left behind, that I could NOT leave him behind. I never regretted that decision for one second. Although they were brothers, they couldn't have been more different from each other. Jimmie was (and IS) SO independent, and a free spirit, always. Johnnie, on the other hand, wanted only to please, always obeyed the rules, always walked by my side, never pulling forward on his leash. In fact, on one of our first "training" walks after I brought them home, my husband and I were teaching them to walk on a leash and I took the lead, walking down the sidewalk with Jimmie. My husband was right behind, walking with Johnnie. Well, I walk faster than my husband and had soon put a nice little gap between us, with Jimmie trotting happily along. I heard a loud crying bark from behind me, and saw little Johnnie trying desperately to catch up to us, while being tethered to my slow-strolling husband. Johnnie got so upset he just sat down on the sidewalk and howled. I knew then that he was "mama's boy" and  he remained so for the rest of his life.

As we adopted other dogs and cats, Johnnie was clearly the "alpha" with the pets. It was "Johnnie in Charge" and he was always the first to eat, the first to try out the new toys and the one to show the newer dogs the ropes and the rules. 

However, he was quite deferential to humans, and always polite, always trying to please and do the right thing. He was a dog you could take anywhere the dogs are allowed to go. Pet friendly B&B's, dog-friendly restaurants, the beach, the boardwalk, the dog park. He loved to go for rides in the car or truck and especially loved our big trek across country in 2004 from Los Angeles to Philly, when I was hired as a QVC Show Host.  When Cesar Millan met Johnnie and Jimmie  at QVC, he told me he thought they were two of the most well-adjusted dogs he had ever met. Tamar Gellar adored them too.

They were a familiar sight at the Q until they turned about 11 years old, and it was too much of an ordeal for Johnnie, who had become somewhat arthritic and could no longer do the long walks through the QVC halls to get backstage.  While he could still get around fairly well, Johnnie loved to chase birds in the front  yard, never once thinking THIS time he would catch one!  He tried only once to chase the horse and rider trotting down our lane, and discovered rather quickly that the horse was much larger that him at close range!  His two favorite things in life were taking naps and  to have a bite or two of whatever WE were eating, and he would patiently wait exactly two minutes, and then politely BARK until given a taste. Our dinner table is strangely and sadly silent now. We never thought we would miss that "John-John bark" at mealtime....but oh, how we DO.

When you lose a pet, it changes the dynamic of your household. Our other pets were abnormally QUIET for the first couple of days. They knew something was different. They picked up on our sadness and they mourned him too. But they also have been especially helpful in letting us know that life continues, even though it will never be the same. Jimmie trots around the house, Monty does his "happy dance", Eliza sits extra close to me in the evening watching TV, Betty,the Grey Parrot, has stopped saying "Hey John Hey John!"....but still calls the other dogs by name.

We will be creating a special memorial garden area for Johnnie this spring, under the maple tree where he used to try to sneak up on the birds, in classic Cocker Spaniel style. I know he is still around and will always be with us. We will never forget him, his big brown eyes, his long silky tail (which we never had docked....we think Cocker tails are beautiful!) and his sweet, gentle ways. I know he must have been VERY brave to go on ahead without us, without mama, for the very first time. He never wanted to take the lead, but this time, I knew as he breathed his last breath that he had taken off, running over the golden fields to meet his brother Henry and MY brothers Matt and Johnny, at Rainbow Bridge, young and healthy once more, to wait for us there. 

Meanwhile, I sat at my desk yesterday, with a scratch pad, crossing out letters and words and trying to come up with 25 letters to inscribe on the Pawprint Urn.  And as I looked out the office window on a finally, sunny day, at the green lawn where Johnnie used to play, at the stone angel statue holding one of his precious birds, it came to me: 25 letters. Johnnie Forever In Our Hearts.

Thank you for all of your kind thoughts, words and prayers for Johnnie over the past few months.  We so appreciate your friendship and support.

With love, Carolyn, Mike and ALL of our wonderful pets

We love sharing your pet photos on Sundays with Carolyn and Dan. As many of you know, I lost my beloved Johnnie dog to cancer last week, and so many of you posted very personal messages of comfort to me and my family. In gratitude and to honor Johnnie, Dan's Murphy, and all of the wonderful pets who have shared our lives and left us all too soon, we showed some of the pictures of your pets on air yesterday and have posted some in our blog below.

We received hundreds of beautiful memorial photos and every single one was obviously a much-loved pet. We wish we could put them all in our blog today, but here are a few.....and I hope you will go to my FB page (www.facebook.com/CarolynGracieQVC) to see all of the other sweet Rainbow Bridge pets that were posted this week by QVC friends.  

XO, Carolyn 

Carolyn & Dan’s Pawparazzi Showcase

Spring is officially here! Thank you all SO MUCH for sharing photos of your precious fur babies with us!  Here is this week’s showcase… these angels with dirty faces are actually garden helpers.. or at least garden observers!....

XOXO from your fellow pet lovers, Carolyn and Dan 

Hershey

Bella

Babers

Bombay

Bear

Henry, Zeke & Bailey

Halyard

Gus & Chloe

Lola

Carsten

Riley, Dollar & Herbie

Skippy

Butchie

Tilly

Mai Tai

Shalaylee

Emmy

Maddux

Misty

Cooper

Budner & Paisley

Zoey

Mush

Reese

Welcome, Denim and Company Divas, to our FIRST Designer vs Diva Poll for 2014!! You'll be "in the swim" of coverup fashion this season with our brand new line of "DENIM AND COMPANY BEACH"!!

We will be debuting some VERY cute coverups and other beach accessories in the coming weeks and we wanted to give you a chance to vote on YOUR favorite between two of OUR favorites, shown below!

Remember, I chose one and Designer Gary chose the other and we won't tell you which of us chose which one, until we reveal the winner on Tuesday, April 15th, during our weekly 11am show!!

So, check out the photos and details below and then VOTE for YOUR favorite between the two! The poll will remain open for your votes and comments too, for one week only!

It's okay if you like them both (personally, I do TOO!) but I had to pick my favorite, so I hope you can too. Have fun and get ready to look fabulous at the pool or the beach or the barbecue this summer, in your new Denim and Company Beach Collection!!

Choice Number One:  Denin and Company Beach "Perfect Jersey Striped Cover-Up/Tunic"

You'll be looking sporty, cute and fabulous in this brand new striped cover-up/tunic from Denim and Company Beach!! It's done in our Perfect Jersey fabric blend of 95% cotton and 5% spandex and features "must have" stripes for the season, along with short sleeves, a round neckline, comfy elastic waist with a faux tie, to give you a cute shape and define your waist, and......wait for it......POCKETS!! Of course it's easy wear/easy care machine wash and tumble dry, so if you happen to get sand and surf and suntan lotion on it, no worries!! The length ranges from 36 1/2 inches in the XXS to 39 3/4 inches in the 3X. It's available in Aqua Blue, Orange or White. We love this one because it can double as a sporty summer dress, with a cute pair of canvas sneakers, skimmers or sandals!

Choice Number Two: Denim and Company Beach "Gauze Cover-Up Tunic with Hood"

You'll be cool and comfy in this pretty cover-up/tunic from Denim and Company Beach!! Made of cool, floaty, cotton/poly gauze, this one features 3/4 sleeves, a v-neck, a hood with drawstring AND pockets too!

We love the detail of faux-wooded buttons and the side slits at the hemline. It is easy care machine washable and it's recommended to hang it to dry. The length ranges from 35 1/2 inches in the XXS to 39 inches in the 3X. It's available in colors of bright aqua, deep coral and black. This one is the perfect beach cover up to keep you cool in the hot weather and will be super comfy to wear. It's also versatile enough to double as a tunic dress for weekend running around!

Cast YOUR vote below and please feel free to click the button to add your comments as well!!

Meanwhile, you can order one or both of these items NOW if you like, OR wait until we present them both on air, on Tuesday April 15th at 11am. That's when we'll reveal which pick won the most viewer votes....Designer Gary or Your's Truly, the Resident D &Co Diva!! Thanks for your feedback and have fun!!

XO,

Carolyn 

Mmmm....Did I hear someone say PAWSITIVELY TOO CUTE?!!   Thank you all SO MUCH for sharing photos of your precious fur babies with us!  Here is this week’s Showcase…

XOXO from your fellow pet lovers, Carolyn and Dan 

Hello and Happy Springtime, Everyone!!

Since the Easter Bunny will soon be hopping into town with baskets of goodies and colorful eggs, I wanted to devote THIS month's Fur Baby Blog to some of my absolute favorite pets ever, my loveable, smart, silly, cuddly, sometimes ornery, BUNNIES!!

Did you know??????

Bunnies are super smart, and can be easily litter box trained!

Bunnies are very social, and hate to be left all alone! They love to have another bunny friend, and they also love their humans!

Bunnies are great pets for humans OVER the age of ten. If you are thinking of getting a new pet for your younger child, a guinea pig is better if they are under 10 years old. Why? Because rabbits are somewhat high maintenance, have special dietary needs, and their back legs are very powerful and can injure your young child by accident or, if your child picks them up incorrectly, they can kick their legs so hard that they could injure themselves too!

Bunnies can live to be 10 years old or more, with proper care and lots of love!

Bunnies should live INDOORS and not outside in a cage or a hutch. Too many things can harm a rabbit outdoors...even in a cage. Dogs, cats, foxes, hawks, extreme heat or cold and loneliness.

Bunnies require a specific diet of timothy pellets, timothy hay, fresh greens, and lots of water EVERY day.

Bunny tummies do NOT tolerate JUNK very well, and things like nuts, yogurt drops, pet store rabbit "treats" or "treat sticks", and even too much fresh fruit, which is sugary, can make your rabbit very sick.

A GREAT source of information on ALL things about rabbits and their care, is this website:  www.mybunny.org I highly recommend it. My friend Alex runs it and she taught me much of what I know about rabbits!!

Remember do NOT give your child a baby animal for an Easter gift or ANYTIME....unless YOU plan on taking care of it and keeping it forever. That means no baby bunnies, chicks, ducks, etc. Give your child or grandchild a STUFFED animal instead!!

If you DO decide that you can give a bunny a proper, loving forever home, please visit your local animal shelter!! Adopting a rabbit can be one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do!!

Till next month, give ALL of your fur babies a big hug from me!!

Love,

Carolyn and My Little Zoo XOXO

CALLING ALL CUTE EASTER and SPRINGTIME PETS!!  Thank you all SO MUCH for sharing photos of your precious fur babies with us!  Here is this week’s Showcase…

XOXO from your fellow pet lovers, Carolyn and Dan 

Carolyn & Dan’s Pawparazzi Showcase

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter as many of our fur babies did!  Thank you all SO MUCH for sharing photos of your precious fur babies with us!  Here is this week’s Showcase…

XOXO from your fellow pet lovers, Carolyn and Dan 

Welcome Denim Divas!! As Springtime seems to FINALLY be sticking around for most of us, and Summer truly is just around the corner, Denim and Company brings you a true GO TO bottom for the weeks and months ahead....The How Timeless Capri Pant with Tab Detail!!

Today's Denim and Co TSV is one you've been asking for and waiting on, and it's finally arrived in 9 perfect colors for the season, including the "must have 'cause it goes with everything" white!! Sometimes it doesn't matter what the "trends" are...we simply want a classic wardrobe piece that is relevant, cute, comfortable and looks great EVERY spring and summer!! That's what our How Timeless Capri pants ARE....and since they'll never go out of style and you'll be wearing them ALOT, today is a great day to STOCK UP on these classic, yet fashionable Spring/Summer wardrobe builders!

So, in case you were wondering, just what IS "How Timeless" in the Denim and Company family?

How Timeless is the category of bottoms in your favorite QVC apparel brand, that are the tried and true bottoms that you have loved for years! Just like our best selling (3.6 million pairs sold) "side pocket pants", these capris feature that same  easy, comfy pull-on style, a stretch waistband that hits you at your natural waist, (this waistband is hidden by your shirt, and you'll love how comfy it is!), side pockets, a semi-fitted cut, which follows the lines of the body with added wearing ease, and a flattering straight leg.

Today's TSV capris are available in both regular inseam (18 3/4 inches)  and petite inseam ( 16 3/4 inches) ... for the first time EVER in a capri TSV!!

We've also added a new detail to these capris, a new tab hemline that  you will love!

AND, did I mention, the colors are beautiful! You can choose between neutrals like khaki, white, and black, plus antique and dark indigo denim AND fun fashion colors like deep olive, warm coral, bright aqua and sunlight yellow!

We haven't changed anything about what you LOVE....just updated the details and brought in your favorite colors to freshen up your wardrobe for this Spring and Summer! So grab another pair of your favorite color, get the white ones before they are gone for the season, and pick up a new FUN color as well!

You can't go wrong with How Timeless, and you'll love how easy care they are too! Most of all, THIS is the season to be comfortable, and that's why THESE capris, will soon become YOUR "go to" bottoms for looking cute, and stylish, while feeling as easy-breezy as the season!

Love,

Your fellow Denim and Co Diva,

Carolyn XOXO

Click here to shop the entire Denim & Co Collection!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the PET MOM’s!  Thank you all SO MUCH for sharing photos of your precious fur babies with us!  Here is this week’s Showcase…

XOXO from your fellow pet lovers, Carolyn and Dan.

Carolyn & Dan’s Pawparazzi Showcase

Greetings and paw-shakes, fellow pet lovers!

For my Fur Baby Blog this month, I thought it would be fun to share some photos that my buddy Lee Ann took behind the scenes at one of my recent photo shoots for QVC. Now, what does that have to do with adorable, super cute, fur kids, you may ask? WELL....read on!!

When I asked who wanted to come to work with mama that day, these four cuties raised their paws so fast, it was a blur!!

They all picked out their favorite bandanas (to match mama's outfits, of course) and then all jumped in the bathtub for a round of Wen Pet cleansing and a quick blow dry!

Then, Monty, Maisie, Eliza Jane and Daffodil were off to their first QVC Photo Shoot!

It was a REALLY FUN DAY, as you can see!

We played musical chairs, (or chase mama around the chairs!) and let's all jump on the sofa!! Little Maisie turned into her usual "fluffie jumping bean"....she is the smallest, so has to jump the highest!

There were lots of things to check out and they did alot of "sniffin' around" the set! They even smiled on "Q" for the camera!

Eliza Jane suggested that mama kick off her shoes and put on her cowboy hat, just like at home! So that's what we did! As we were wrapping it up, Daffodil told me this was better than ANY doggie day care she had ever been to!! We just might have to do this again sometime!

Thought you'd enjoy taking a peek behind the scenes! :) There was a whole lotta wiggle-waggin goin' on!

Thanks Lee Ann for the awesome photos!!

Till next month, hug YOUR fur babys and keep sharing YOUR fur kid fotos on my Facebook page....Carolyn Gracie QVC!

Love,

Carolyn (and Monty, Maisie, Eliza Jane and Daffodil!)

Hello, Denim Divas and Denim and Company Fans!!

Sometimes it's a bit of a dilemma in the summertime, when deciding what to wear. It's hot, but maybe putting on a pair of shorts is not what you want to do for a particular occasion....yet, wearing a skirt really limits what you CAN do in most situations, especially when you're running around on a casual summertime day in your sneakers or sandals, with the kids, grandkids or pets. So, today, Denim and Company brings you what you've been asking for....a brand new SKORT!!

Skorts are not a new thing to many of us, but for most of us, they are very hard to find. We love them because they offer the best of both worlds....casual comfort and coolness of a favorite pair of shorts, but with more versatility and a stepped up look of wearing a skirt. When we reintroduced our popular knit skort LAST year at this time, they flew out the door and were very popular!

THIS year, we've listened to your feedback, and have made a few minor adjustments to make them even better! We've make the shorts underneath a bit closer to the body, without being tight. We've given you a flat elastic waistband to give you the comfort of elastic without the bulk. We've given you a pull-on elastic waist, which will allow you to adjust the length of the skort as you desire.

And THIS year's outer fabrication is a cotton/poly/spandex blend for a more polished look, while the shorts underneath the skirt are still 95% cotton and 5% spandex.

Of course, we've brought the new skort in all of your favorite, fun Denim and Company colors of the season, in both basics and fashion colors too! Best of all, this year's skort is part of our very popular new Denim and Company "Active" line, which has been receiving rave reviews from our customers!

So, get your "skort" on, this Spring and Summer! Get out and have fun! Feel comfy AND well put together while at the picnic, or shopping, or playing with the kids and grandkids, while walking the dog or playing a round of golf!!

You will be the "Belle of the BBQ AND the Beach" this season in your new Denim and Company Active Skort!!

See you every Tuesday at 11am for Denim & Co!  

And be sure to check out designer Gary's new blog, with lots of suggestions on how to Wear Your Skorts!!  

Your fellow Denim and Co Diva AND Fan -

Carolyn XO