Wake up, Ike!
It’s time to put on your party best.
Why? Because it’s Decor and the Dog’s 2nd birthday. Well, actually it was Monday but like every December birthday it got shoved to the side because of the holidays.
We generally aren’t a touchy-feely kind of blog but Nate, Ike, and I want to thank you all for reading. Seriously. We’ve had quite a few fun experiences thanks to this little blog and that’s in part because you all take the time to read.
For our birthday gift, we’d like a simple comment below telling us a little about yourself. (I’ll help you out. How old are you? Where are you from? Babies? Fur babies? What do you want Santa to bring you?) Feel free to also ask any questions you may have. If I have enough, I’ll answer them in another post! I’m curious to see who’s out there. Don’t make Ike beg. Because he will.
But since I know not all of you will comment (I’m a realist), if you could take a few seconds to answer our little survey that would be awesomesauce (I hate that word.). But boy do I love surveys. (It’s a sickness.)
How old are you? mid to late 30's-- I have a December birthday too and yes it does get shoved aside most of the time.
ReplyDeleteFrom? NC
only fur babies right now, but we're trying for the non-furry kind.
I would like Santa to bring me a 50mm lens for my Nikon.
Happy Birthday Decor and the Dog!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MANY MORE.ang
ReplyDeleteMy birthday is the same day as your blog birthday though I'm a bit older :) In my 30's. I'm a fellow Iowan living in Des Moines. I have a sweet dog, Ellie. I enjoy your blog but this is my first time commenting. Happy Birthday! Renee
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Decor and the Dog!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to think of myself as still in my mid-twenties, but very late 20s is actually the reality. We have one fur-baby, Penelope, who you get to see LOTS of pictures of on Instagram. I love pretty much all Decor and the Dog posts - I think you have a good mix of decor / craft / Ike / builds.
I'm hoping Santa brings me one of those fancy smanchy Krups k-cup coffee machines.
Sarah
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I almost put "20s" on the survey and then I remembered I'm in my 30s. :-) One furbaby and 3 human babies. I don't care what you write about - my favorites are the random posts!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to one of my favorite blogs/bloggers! I am in my 40's - ughh...(how did that happen?!!) I live in NJ and I have two boys and one furry dog named Rosie which you probably already know! For Christmas, I want an entirely new kitchen with an addition for the eating area! Is that too much to ask for? Why not just put that out there! Maybe Santa will be extra generous this year!
ReplyDeleteCheers! - Shelley
Happy Birthday Decor and the Dog. I am in my early 30's. I live in West Des Moines with my husband, two kiddos and 1 fur baby. I lived across the hall from you in college actually! I love reading your blog and get lots of great ideas! Wishing for some new boots for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteAmanda
Happy Birthday, little blog! :) I'm rapidly approaching the end of my 20s, based in Boston, and my little shepherd mix pup loves all the pics of Ike you post. I just wish she was as willing to dress up as he is! I'm hoping Santa brings me a new Kindle, to replace the one she destroyed recently...
ReplyDeleteCongrats on hitting the 2 year milestone Michelle, Nate & Ike! You guys rock at the blogging thing pretty hard so you deserve all kinds of awesomeness :).
ReplyDeleteAs for all your pertinent little questions to get folk started:
Just who the heck are you? give us the vitals! :
I'm smack dab in the middle of my mid-twenties, living in the Great White Nowhere of rural North Western Ontario, Canadaland with my lumber jack husband, our son and assorted furry menagerie.
We live in a modest 1 & 1/2 story igloo in a quiet neighbourhood where the wild beavers and moose are free to roam and play street hockey without fear of oncoming traffic. On Tuesdays we ride our toboggans to the local trading post to barter for goods. Maple syrup is like liquid gold up here and you can barter for just about anything with it. its a simple life vastly different from what we read about and see in internetland. We hear in some places you don't actually have snow for 8 months of the year, that's crazy! and
For Christmas it'd be really nice if Santa would bring us some DIY mojo, we've really gotta get on carving those final ice details (like crown and baseboards) to spruce up the ol' igloo.
Happy Birthday D & D. I live in Southern California and have been here for about 13 years. Before that I lived in Denmark, where I am from. One of my most favorite things is before and after photos. I just love to see a good project come together! < ---- perhaps only surpassed by my love of using weird quotes slightly altered to the situation... ha ha.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 2nd birthday!
ReplyDeleteWe live in South Jersey, just outside the greatest sports town in history (no, not really), Philadelphia. I'm 33 and we have 1 daughter (so far). We also have an angry channel changer stealing schnauzer.
For Christmas, I would like to get the go ahead to redo our office.
Happy Birtday! I live in upstate New York. I too have a dog- named Lucy, she is a beagle. In my mind her and Ike are best friends, mostly because he is so shaggy, and beagles are not, and I want to pet him! ha ha
ReplyDeleteI am 26, and just bought my first home. It has been crazy and scary, I bought it all alone- I love how you keep it real. You tell your DIY story like you are, and how I feel I am. You say when your unmotivated or you are frustrated you cant find exactly what you want. I know just how that feels because I am experiencing that also. I also love that from your stories I feel like if we met I would know exactly who you are, you dont come across as trying to be perfect and give the illusion you make no mistakes! You openly admit to them and reassure me that making one in my house wont cause the whole thing to collapse- shudder. And that you can laugh or joke about things when they dont go perfectly or you and the hubs disagree on things like kitchen stools! You guys just rock my socks!
I was wondering how long it took you to fill your house? With furniture that is. All your rooms seem to be filled and mostly or partly decorated. I was just wondering, I guess, if you have dirty little secret of a room that isnt furnished or is filled with boxes.
Is that a strange question? I have lots of boxes filled rooms and areas in the dinning room. Its strange now that I have a house to realize how little furniture I have and how much I do need!
Happy Birthday to all!
ReplyDeleteI'm 37 living in Allen, TX with my husband, a 14-year old hormone-raging boy and a 5-yr-old furry lab that thinks he's 1. We love DIY projects and decorating our home, inside and out.
I've asked Santa for a Kindle Fire this year. I'm a little late coming to the technology age ;-)
Yay for blog birthdays! woohoo!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! Megan here - 30, married with 9 month old twins. Also have two cat fur babies. Living in Minnesota, DIYing the majority of our house.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog and your humor!
Happy Birthday! My name is Carol and I'm a married empty nester from Lakeside, California (San Diego County). I was initially taken by your blog because of ... well, I guess I can just admit it ... Ike. Don't feel bad, your creative projects kept me coming back. But as a Canine Mother of three Parson Russell Terriers (Hoss 13, Annie 2 and Flike 4 months), I can't help but incorporate them into my home. Ike is so adorable - LOVE the terrier spirit!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are veteran DIYers (is there any other way?). With his construction background and my vision, we have redone (and re-redone) our 1960's house of 15 years with a rustic, spanish-ish, cowboy/ranch house flair. I love all the DIY projects you post and your humor (as well as Ike's antics) really brighten my day.
Okay, now that I've gone on and on about how great you guys are, seriously ... have a wonderful holiday! Can't wait for all the great projects coming our way in 2013.
And yes, I did learn that paint is easily washed out of 4-month old white puppy fur!
ooh, a survey! Fun! I vote for more surveys. We have kids and dogs and cats and everything. And we live just north of Atlanta. And I answered the survey :)
ReplyDeleteI'm 50, not in my 50's, living in the middle of nowhere Iowa with my 5 furry children. Your blog makes me laugh almost every day so love reading it. Congrats on the 2 year mark and keep it coming. Hugs...
ReplyDeleteHi errrrrrbody! I'm Amy from Kansas and I am 31 years young.
ReplyDeleteMy birthday is in the spring, so people have recovered just enough to celebrate me properly.
I have one real baby and one real fur baby and we think they're about the same age. (Almost 2).
I want Santa to bring me a goddang replacement for the Kindle I just broke.
Random piece of information - my brother calls me Awesomesauce. (Because it starts with an A, like Amy.) He calls himself Turbosauce. Tanner. T. Families are fun.
Happy blog birthday! I'm Jeanette, hailing from Toronto, Ontario. My husband and I live in one of those teeny tiny bungalows that real estate listings call 'condo alternatives', except that condos are laid out way better and have more closets. Toronto is a little more progressive than where Martina lives in our frosty north, but we do have friends down the road who are renovating their ice hut. Granite counter tops and ice - it's gonna look awesome, eh.
ReplyDeleteWe have THREE furbabies - Pekoe, the 6 year old cat, Mocha, the 2 year old cockapoo, and Kingsley, the 6 month old Schnauzer cross. When I did your survey, I ranked Ike at the top, then 'Whatever, I'm not picky' and it's true! As long as there is Ike, you could talk about anything and I'd be happy.
Um. What else. I love your blog! :D
Happy bloggy birthday!! I filled out the survey above... it was easier than typing things... haha.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blog-a-birthday!
ReplyDeleteI'm, ahem, 27 again ;-). I live in S. California. Am married and have 4 kids (18 yo recently left to join the Air Force, 4 & 5 yr olds and 9 mo. old.). I have 2 dogs...Charlie (3 lb. yorkie) and Lucy (6 lb. pomeranian). They are K1's (not K9's, lol!). We also have 5 backyard chickens...in the suburbs (crazy, I know! haha!)
I enjoy the crazy posts...like all the times you've switched out shower curtains, haha! btw, did the upstairs bathroom ever get finished? What does Ike do during the day when you are working? Do you have a "to-do" list of things you'd like to do with your house over this next year?
Happy Birthday Blogiversary buddy! I have one fur baby, Bo, who wants a playdate with Ike for Christmas! ;)
ReplyDeleteKeep up the amazing work! I love your blog!
Happy birthday to one of my very favourite blogs. I always look forward to reading what you write and hope you'll be around blogging for a very long time:)
ReplyDeleteI'm Cindy's sister Sarah, I'm in my twenties, and I have one furbaby. Her name is Bailey and she's a sassy little holland lop. I love your pictures of Ike and home decor. Your house is so beautiful! We bought our first house this year so I'm still trying to decorate and put my own touch on things.
ReplyDeleteI love surveys too!!
WAHOO! i'l drink to that. hell it's friday, i'll drink to anything.
ReplyDeleteHappy 2 years! That is absolutely awesome!
ReplyDeleteWow, two years! Congrats to you and the fam. For some reason I thought you were older. You've accomplished a lot in such a short time. I'm proud of you and know what dedication and energy it takes to post as much as you do.
ReplyDeleteHappy 2 years! I was happy to take your survey: I only have a few more months to say I'm in my 20s, so bring on the surveys for now!
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time popping by. Oh, love your puppy darling! 2 years old, such a sweetie. Ok, to answer questions: Age? Hrm, let's just say late 20s. I'm originally from Sweden but live in Oregon with my American husband. No babies, but I do have a six month old golden retriever puppy, who's beyond adorable. What I want for Christmas? Ah, snow would be nice, but that's probably asking too much!
ReplyDeleteHappy 2 years!
haaaaaaaaappy birthday!! i took the survey, but since i heart you guys so much, i decided i'd leave a note too. ;)
ReplyDeletei'm 28, live in northwestern new jersey (we are not the sterotypical "jersey" people that you'd think of hehe), me and hubby have one fur baby that you know very well and my bday is in april. i was born on friday the 13th, so i consider 13 to be a lucky number. booyah.
and thanks for making me realize how easy it is to do a survey. i always wanted to put one on my blog and thought it'd be way beyond my lack of technical skills. :)
Happy Blogaversary! I've been stalking Ike for two whole years?! Congrats :)
ReplyDeleteI won't bore you with my deets, you already know that I'm an over-sharer on my blog. And Instagram. And Twitter. And Pinterest...
Love you guys! Keep up the amazing work.
xo
Mindy
Happy Birthday Decor and the Dog!!!!
ReplyDeleteI read your blog because your blog posts make me laugh out loud. For real. You know how when you're texting someone and you don't know what else to say you just put lol to kind of move on from the awkward moment? That doesn't happen when I read this blog. It's like, genuine laughing out loud. If I'm on the computer and I start giggling Justin says, Stalking Decor and the Dog again?
So?!
I love Ike. I love what you guys do to your home. I love your style. I love how much you love Ike. I love how occasionally I catch the sarcastic and funny Michelle sneak in a personal, maybe even a little sappy line about marriage, family or love. (keyword, occasionally!) And I love your willingness to help out little ol me when I'm blindly trying to navigate a blog of my own. That's why I read Decor and the Dog. :)
Can't wait to see what next year brings for you guys! Babies? Built ins for your living room? Maybe just start with built ins? LOL.
I love your blog, Happy Birthday, I stumbled on your blog through another and I can't even remember now which one. Your a fun writer. We have a wired haired, she is actually our third. We lost the other two at the age of 13 each. One male, Nick, and one female, Sadie. We have a bundle of fun now 8 months old named Maggie. My son attended college in Iowa and has choosen to stay on there he's 5 years there at this point, he is south of your location about one hour. I love all thing decor. I have started a blog but haven't opened it up to publish yet. Your very inspiring... keep up the good work and Ike is just really a doll.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!!! Who would have thought when you started this back up that you would turn into a big girl blogger? :o) You've put up with me for years so I won't bore you with details. For Christmas, I want Santa to bring me a sugar daddy or a crystal ball. Think it will happen?
ReplyDeleteI have been browsing on-line greater than three hours as of late, yet I by no means
ReplyDeletediscovered any attention-grabbing article like yours.
It is pretty worth enough for me. In my view, if all
web owners and bloggers made excellent content material as you did, the web will likely
be much more useful than ever before.
Look into my web-site ; old holborn giallo
Happy Happy Birthday from a small town in Michigan's Upper Peninsula! I originally hail from Arizona - I know I know, quite the change. The guy and I have been working on house plans for way too long now so I'd like Santa to finish them up for us, um k?! No human kiddos here - 2 dogs and 1 cat, all rescued shelter fur babies. I volunteer at my local animal shelter and with some local non profit animal welfare groups. So I'm pretty much all about the animals. :o)
ReplyDeleteI am late twenties with 3 little kids.. 1 boy, 2 girls. Live in the Pacific Northwest where it rains and rains and rains, but it is very green and pretty! We have 2 outdoor cats.. I am not a huge animal lover as in snuggling them but I pet them sometimes :) I busy with my 3 kiddos and a comfy pair of pj's and some books are on my wish list!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! I am a single mom to an 18 year old daughter and 20 year old son who needs a new identity suddenly. Just turned 40 on Thursday :-( live in Indiana and read all your posts and love the pics of Ike since I have a Leeroy, a Lydia and a Lilly in addition to those two kids.
ReplyDeleteWe're not picky here- I enjoy reading all of your posts regardless of subject. Here's to another 2 years and more.
Happy 2 YR. Blogaversary!
ReplyDeleteI answered the survey but since you asked for a comment here it is again:
I'm 45 from Connecticut, Married, 3 teens - 18, 16, 14, and a cute cock-a-poo named Biscuit.
I enjoy reading your blog, you have a nice mix of topics: repairs, building, decor, travel, recipes. (My family loves the potato soup!)
Here is my question: Have you always lived in Old Town, and are you planning on staying in your house once you've restored it or do you think you'll buy another and start over?
Happy 2 years!
ReplyDeleteI'm a 30'ish teacher from Ottawa, Canada. I have a 2 year old son and a 30'ish hubby. I like your blog for 2 reasons:
1. You two have real day jobs and do these things too. It is realistic and more my style.
2. You remind me of my BFF (who lives on the other side of the country and I only see once a year). You two have a similar sense of humour and a shared love for your fur baby(ies).
The only thing that would make this site even better is if you had a cute little cuddly baby to add to the mix. I can just see it now. . . baby room decor, etc.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blog Birthday!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog, and I am so glad I found it =) Thanks for all the great posts, and I look forward to more!
Oh...I'm almost 34 (eek, can that be? I have another one of these December birthdays, maybe we should just forget about it and concentrate on Christmas. I can be 33 forever), live about 40 miles outside of Chicago with my husband, 3 month old son, and almost 3 year old jack russell mix. I think what drew me to your blog from the start was Ike! I love wire fox terriers; they are so cute!
Happy Bloggy Bday! I feel like I have been reading longer than 2 years, but I love it! And Ike.
ReplyDeleteHappy blogiversary from someone who can't quite believe how old she seems to be suddenly, and wonders if she should have grown up by now, and a furry bundle of trouble in far away Belgium (where you ask yourself!!).
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoy reading about your trials and tribulations in home improvement, am inspired to try and follow some of your DIY tutorials, except I know I would fail miserably, I have no patience, and I have no space for any more furniture in my postage stamp sized apartment.
Here's to the next years...
Happy Blog Birthday! I'm a blog stalker, non-commenter so going out on a limb here. I hail from Seattle, have two youngins',a small group of blog friends and an even smaller blog myself. Enjoy following you. Really like pics of Ike.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogiversary! I still remember "finding" you via your West Elm headboard. I'm going to fill out your survey thing now. Try to guess which answers are mine.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday and thanks for making me click the "thirties" button. That felt great... NOT. Ha, I'm gonna bring that back. It wasn't annoying at all... NOT.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!! (Sorry I'm late. Still trying to catch up on my reader.) I'm 28 (feel somewhere around 40 if that counts for anything). Live in Dallas/Fort Worth. I have 1 daughter and 2 doghters (labs). You probably already knew most of that, but for stats sake I needed to share! I'll answer the survey too...I might have the same sickness over surveys!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 2 years!! I'll be hitting that at the end of February. Yay. We're in Austin... in our THIRTIES (ugh). And, no babies.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogiversary! Or blogbirthday! whatever you want to call it. I'm 28, have 1 furbaby (Molly), and live in Cincinnati, OH. Discovered you through this year's Dare to DIY, and now I'm hooked! I love your home; I was nearly drooling over your kitchen floors. My husband and I built our current home last year. Love seeing how you add your personal touches throughout your place! And I love Ike, but who wouldn't?
ReplyDeleteCongrats! I really love your blog and look forward to reading it every chance I get. I'll admit that I first checked it out because it combined two of my favorite things: home decor and dogs. Ike is the cutest! However, what's kept me coming back is your wit and self-deprecating humor - you are funny, girl! I really enjoy how you assemble each post. As for my deets: I probably don't fit your average reader profile - I just dipped my toes into the 40s, have 3 dogs and a cat, make my living as a college prof and am still hoping to have some kiddos. Blog reading is my pastime so here's to more years for Decor and the Dog! whoohoo!
ReplyDeleteI like Ike! Thanks for a great blog.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! Sorry I'm way behind my blog reading and as such totally missed the survey. I'm an almost-30 something from Georgia with a fur baby almost as cute as yours. I have a house blog, too, and I always look forward to catching up with your projects. There aren't too many bloggers out there who make me laugh out loud! Thanks for your great work and showing off your beautiful house.
ReplyDeleteErin @ The Great Indoors