lulu bella... just like all the girls

LuLu looking lean and loving life

Lucy Anderson (or LuLu Bella to close friends and family) is an American Bulldog and the proud mascot of the new Willows Apparel Boutique.  Her picture stands tall and proud, guarding the jewelry case.

Earlier this year it was politely mentioned, by dear friends at The Willows, that LuLu was looking a little rounder than usual.  Ok, let’s not be polite… they said she was looking huge and headed for a heart attack!  So, we swallowed our pride, hid our tail between our legs, and headed to the vet.  LuLu, indeed, had put on some extra lbs – she weighed in at a whopping 106 lbs… so that explains the difficult breathing and stiff joints! 

We started a strict weight control diet and dedicated ourselves to running a mile every day.   Rain or shine, cold or scalding hot, we ran our mile.

Seven months later… we had our tails proudly wagging as we walked back into the vet and stepped up on that scale – LuLu Bella has lost 16 lbs!  She is so much happier, has stopped snoring, and bounces around with a whole new attitude. 

 LuLu is really just like us, ladies… proper diet, exercise, we slim down, tighten up, and suddenly, we are all bouncing around with a whole new attitude.

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laurie's charming cottage

After the idea of sharing pictures of my friend Laurie's home came to me the other day, I knew I had to follow through.  Her lovely little beach cottage is only a few houses down from mine on the island and it is a constant inspiration.  She is truly one of those people with a natural talent for design.  Every inch of her home is just perfect.  She pays attention to every corner, every little detail.  It is one of those homes that is completely stunning and simultaneously welcoming, where you feel right at home.  She also happens to be an artist, so she has a totally inspirational little studio space upstairs.  I am sure you are going to love Laurie's home as much as I do!  So, here you go...

Thanks, Laurie for letting us share!

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happy new year!

We headed back to the beach again for the New Year and had a lovely time. Relaxing and fun. Just what we needed. Lots of walks, coffee, wine, games and a few dance parties to round off the festivities. All in all a great way to ring in the new year...

Happy, happy new year to everyone!

DId anyone do anything especially fantastic? Do share...

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good friends.

Do you have one of those friends who you casually invite to come over for pizza with the family and she offers to bring some sort of appetizer and then shows up with this...

My mouth literally fell open when Laurie walked in with this beautiful display. I mean, seriously? You just whipped that up? You hardly want to touch it, it looks so perfect.

Do beware, however, once we get over the beauty, the Burch family can destroy a cheese board...

And what about one of those friends who can just tell when you are having a bad day and suddenly shows up with a little homemade gift just for you...

Lucky me, I have just such friends. Their kindness and generosity, creativity and talent never cease to amaze me. I am on the road with these two amazing ladies right now on a little summer adventure through Georgia. One car, a GPS, three friends and the open road... should make for some good stories. I hope...

I have a few little posts set for next week and the following week we have some very exciting guest bloggers! I can't wait!

After that, I am sure I will have quite a bit to share from our road trip. Have a great weekend and I will be back in a couple of weeks!

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