Interweb Famous, sorta.

Duuuuude - check it out!

That would be the screen shot of Mike's proposal, featured on TheKnot.com!

Oh, you want to see it and read it too?


Go to TheKnot's Community Page.
Scroll down to "Featured Knotties"
And voila! There's our purdy pictures and proposal story to click on!

So maybe I wrote it up and submitted it.  They didn't hear it on CNN or MSNBC, or in the Washington Post like some other folks, but ya know, we can't all be that cool.

I think Mike should get credit for the story, though. *wink*

Something Blue

I love shoes.  You can have a "fat day" and still find shoes that you 1) don't mind trying on, 2) look good on you, and 3) make you feel skinny(er).  Spending money  Dropping significant bones on shoes is not as heart wrenching as, say, paying a car repair or catching up on the plastic bills.  In fact, buying expensive shoes gives me a rush because I know I will love, cherish, and strut those babies while they enhance me, overall.

And so we have the first candidates for my feet to don at the wedding.
They will be my "something blue" and I'm rather thrilled about this!  Let's just hope they don't turn my feet blue for lack of circulation.

Here are the lovely ladies now:

(The Crocs are an every-day choice that slipped into the massive shoe order.  So comfortable and light - love them, already!)


I went out on a limb and purchased a bit of everything and tried to incorporate different tones/hues.  (I think it's pretty obvious I like peep-toe shoes)
The Nina's are back-ordered in "china blue" so I had to order them in "mint satin" to get a feel for them.  If chosen as my final selection, they would most-def worn in a light, yet striking, blue.

So, whadduya think?!?!?
Which ones are your favs?

to confront or not to confront...

...that is the question.

I would go so far as to label myself somewhat easy-going, to a fault.  There are times I really want to say something, but hold back.  Most often this is due to my astrological sign: Libra.  I like things to be equal, fair, and even keel; to upset the balance throws me off.  Most of the time I just hang low and let things pass.  I really dislike confrontation because it stirs things up and partially because it requires me to put all my eggs in a basket and hope I win.  I also don't like loosing.

But when something irks my tater so much to the point of tears, nausea, and supreme-pissiness, I have to find it in myself to help myself.

At this point I think I have to say something, no?
Because I'm a big girl and can be trusted to make good decisions.
AND I'm the one wearing the white dress.

Biting my tongue hurts.
(excuse the cliche overload)

i heart my camera

For my 28th birthday, I bought myself a camera. This is no point-and-shoot, my friends, this is a camera so cool it almost got us kicked out of a concert. It's a "professional camera." (whatever that means) However, I am no professional.
For my 28th birthday, Mike bought me photography classes with Sam D'Amico. These excellent classes opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed. All cheesiness aside, capturing moments with my camera invigorates me. Aperture, shutter speed, ISO - I love it all. I can do some pretty cool things with this camera. The world is at my fingertips, in my eyes, and stored on a memory stick. As an armature photographer, I find that stationary subjects are the easiest to shoot. However, I love shooting animals - which happen to move more than I'd like. Yelling at an animal to stop moving only seems to make it run away.

Here are a few of my favorite from a zoo shoot:


(One of these things is not like the other...)


And shots of things that don't move:

Now, after seeing those amazingly talented photos, you're probably thinking, "wow, V is so cool. I wish she would come take pictures of my life and document my goings-on so I could remember them in quality photographs, even though I'm not an animal in the zoo."
And I will.
For free.
Because I need practice.
And I secretly love it.
So please, if you have something cool going on or just want to model your new boots for me, drop me a line.  (Just know that I might take a little extra time and might ask you not to move too much.)

Honestly, anything at all (family*, baby*, boyfriend/girlfriend photos for bday presents, fashion forward fun, beer pong, pets) - just tell me when and where, and my camera and I will be there.
Help me, help you, help me.

*mothers day is just around the corner!

Fast forward, please

I'm not sure when or how this happened, but I'm already over wedding planning.  We don't even have a date or a venue yet, and I'd like to simply skip ahead to the the vows. I think the hardest part is consulting everyone and making sure we're all in agreement, with all those little details.  I bet there's a reality show about this on TLC.

I'm taking a day off of wedding-planning-bliss to complain, because some days are like that.

We need to pick a place and a date, and be done with it - so we can move on to more things to muddle over, like a caterer and color schemes.  My silly childhood dreams of picking out favors, white glazed almonds, matchboxes, laser-engraved napkins, and huge bouquets of flowers are totally sullied with the reality of the situation.  No wonder everyone initially wished us to "enjoy our engagement."  Well duh, of course you will enjoy it because you're planning your wedding, possibly one of the best days of your life.  Nuh-uh. Not true.  These well-wishers were more so commanding us to enjoy it because they know the truth behind it.  They know the potential for total disaster so the need to emphasize enjoyment is eminent.  Maybe my dramatics are kicking in, but now I know why wedding planners exist.

I'm not even  touching on the advice relayed to me about not fighting over wedding details.  Great advice, if only humans lacked opinions.

I think scent/memory association here would be a total FAIL. 
I'm picking out the best perfume I can find for the day of the event, instead.
Too bad life's not like my DVR.

Makeover!

So, notice anything *ahem* totally new and different?  Special thanks to Shanice at Simplee Stated Designs for creating, designing, and executing my new-do! I totally love it and really appreciate her patience in dealing with my lack of direction alongside my pickiness.
Did I mention her cost is totally reasonable?  Plus, she's a mom with a cute kid, and  who doesn't want to support a hard-working mommy?!
She's the best and comes highly recommended!
So now go take a look at your blog and think about how jealous you are of me and my fabulous, customed designed blog!
Then travel over to Simplee Stated Design's Etsy store and sign up for one of her packages.
Friends, have I ever lead you astray?

That's right, only when I'm drunk and babbling in Spanish.
Soy sobrio y honesto.
Now go, and tell everyone you know too!
Thank you Shanice!!!!
(PS:  The makeover is almost complete, we still need to add a few more things, but you get the main idea of what it will look like!)

A few of my favs

I saw a friend do this recently (who actually saw another blogger-friend do this), and so I thought I would share a few of my favorite things with ya'll:

1. martinis
2. hats
3. yoga
4. water
5. candles
6. cleaning, or being clean
7. paperclips!
8. mint chocolate anything
9. baking

So what are your favs?

{photo credits: it's all me, baby}

It's called "Compromise"

As Mike and I primped for a night out at the theater (thanks Anne & Lane!), he turned to me and said, "I'm telling you now, you're not going to like what I'm planning on wearing.  And I'm not going to change, either."

Me:  Um, ok.  

I prepared myself for mass-devastation.  Mike's fashion sense is unique.

Mike:  It's that black sports coat over a black, long-sleeved, light sweater with jeans.

Me: That doesn't sound too bad.  Which sports coat are you talking about? 

Mike:  You know, the one with the stripes.

Me:  You own a black sports coat with stripes?  Why have I not seen this before? What are you talking about?

Honestly, when you live with someone you do get to know their wardrobe (especially when you buy/pick out half of it).

Mike:  The one from high school.

Me:  What?!  You still own AND WEAR something from high school?!  I have to see this.  What are you talking about.

That's when I realized exactly what he was attempting to do -  revive an article of clothing that never should have made the move with us, to bring back an piece of the past into the present, to go where no straight-man should ever go:  he was trying to be a fashionista, and there was no way I was letting him out of the house wearing that "sports coat."

Me:  Mike, how old IS that thing? And are those SATIN stripes?

Mike:  It's from '96.

Me:  That's 15 years old! Come on! It time to give that thing a break!

Mike:  It's 14 years old.

Me:  Oh my gosh, it has SHOULDER PADS!  No! You can't!

After trying it on, it proved to be not only too big on him, but the shoulder pads definitely made a statement.

(*sigh of relief*)

Now it has a happy home, in a place where it won't haunt my closet or jeopardize a night out:

And that my friends, is what we call a compromise. *wink*

If all our arguments go like this, I think we're set for a happy marriage.

The Wedding Dress Diet

I'm 5'6.5" and 140 lb.  There I said it. 

My ideal weight would be 130lb.  Those extra 10 lb exist somewhere between my belly and thighs.  At my last physical, I weighed in around 135ish and my doc suggested I continue physical activity to keep myself "in shape."  If by physical activity you mean watching DVR'd Glee, Nurse Jackie, and Big Love on the couch, then yes - I did exactly that.
I'm not in any danger zone, by I'd like to tone up.  I mean, I do yoga 2 to 3 times a week.  This is not pansy-om-yoga, but it's not bikram (hot yoga).  However, I should step it up to 4 times a week if I want to see results, instead of maintaining what I've got.  (This might require more DVR exercise, though)
In all honestly,  those extra 10lb exist somewhere been the bottles of beer and dirty martinis, and jelly beans, I can't deny.  I simply cannot give up jelly beans for a year. 
To cut out all liquor for a year...yeah right.  Let's get real here.
Instead I started counting calories last week.
There's a lot of calories in wine and beer.
Bummer.

While picking up the dog's Claratin at Costco today (yes, our dog takes generic Claratin 2x a day b/c she's probably allergic to cats or humans but we don't want to pay $700 to find out, so instead we pay $13 for 300 generic claratin) I strolled pass the weight-loss supplements.  While those would be the easy way out, they did spark my interest.  There's Alli, which is scary because it causes anal-leakage and seems a bit strong for the results I want (not to mention the price!).  There were other quasi-natural-amphetamine based supplements too, but those are equally scary and come with heart-warnings!  I'm trying to shed a few pounds here, not wear depends or end up addicted.
Then near the energy supplements I found Trim Energy.  Trim Energy is a water soluble, all natural (all vitamin based), energy supplement that also contains metabolism boosting agents through green tea.  There are no artificial ingredients, it's all natural, and there are no chemicals involved.
I decided to give it a whirl, while still counting calories.

Since today was a day off (DC Emancipation day...don't ask b/c I have no clue), it seemed like a good test-drive day. 
At 4pm, I emptied a powdery single-serving of Trim Energy into a glass of water.  On first sip it tasted like Kool-Aid.  Mmm, What could be better than loosing weight while reliving my childhood?  Thinking the taste might be decent, I gulped some more, only to realize it tasted like Metallic Crazy-Aid.  I chugged it.  What else was I supposed to do?  I pretended it was a glorious, calorie-free beer.
As an oxy-moronic statement, I met up with teacher-friends for happy hour, 30 min later, only to excuse myself to the restroom every 30 minutes thereafter.  This stuff makes you pee.  I think that's the weight loss cure there! 
It also makes you somewhat jittery.
And then cranky.
And if you have a beer or three with it (along with dinner, of course), who the hell knows what your body is doing.

So thanks Trim Energy, that was enough of a trial run for me. 
I bounced all over the place,  said some stupid stuff (which could be beer related, I'll admit), and then almost fell asleep writing this post.  (but only almost)
I'm signing up for a personal trainer over the summer.  Certainly, I don't need some false high from Metallic Crazy Aid, just some firmer abs, and maybe a beer when I feel like it.

*Note, it's 11pm on a Friday and I'd actually love to fall asleep because of the roller coaster ride Trim Energy took me on, however I'm JOLTED awake, writing this.  Trim Energy, you're too much 'energy' and not enough 'trim'.

A decision, at least temporarily

Last night I contacted Emily Mah Rogers of Glen Echo and submitted the necessary paperwork to turn our "hold" into a more definite thing.  However, upon doing so I did not need to submit any money (at least not until we sign the contract, then it's only 25% down).
I feel like going a step forward with Glen Echo gives us peace of mind that the date we desire is available to us, at a location we adore.

On that note, listed below are more clear descriptions of Glen Echo:
-It once was an amusement park, but now is a National Park and Historic Site.
-The shells of the buildings are there, but the rides/games/etc are no longer there -- the area is now used as office space, theaters, a dance hall, and artist studios, as well as event/wedding space.
-The architecture is vintage, but the feel is modern.
-The land is surrounded by woods, a creek, and nature (nothing tacky).
-When you step into Glen Echo, you are transported out of suburbia and into a place where time seems to stand still, yet present day still takes place.
-It is a clean space, maintained daily by Park Rangers and staff.
-There is a huge parking lot for many guests.
-It is not at all like Disney or Six Flags -- maybe 60 years ago, but not today.

Here are some links to what others have done with the space:
These people did more of a vintage wedding. (Click and scroll through pictures)


Here's a more traditional wedding, but you have to scroll ALL THE WAY down through their church photos.

And here's a blog post of someone who 'stalked' the venue --I really like what they did with the Pavilion there.
 
 
My parents are coming up to visit in 2 weeks, and I plan on showing off what we've looked at so far, and totally giving them the run down of details!  Can't wait!

What to do?

We narrowed it down to two venues:  Glen Echo and The Carnegie Institute (click on links for posts detailing the facilities).
Like apples and oranges, they couldn't be more different.  One's an old amusement park with charm and fun in every detail.  The other is a national headquarters for a wealthy, uh, actually I have no clue what they do there...something about science, but the building is elegant.
Here's the nitty-gritty for each:

Glen Echo:  $3,500 rental, need to rent shuttle buses ($1000 to $1500), 20 min drive from downtown DC, no hard liquor (saves money and prevents our friends/family from making fools of us/themselves), no food restrictions, somewhat exposed to the elements (have to walk from Pavilion through the outdoors 15 yds to get to an restroom), use of carousel ($200/hr, plus the cost of a ticket [$1.25/ride]), easy to personalize, price allows freedom for spending on other expenses, can hold up to 200 guests, unique and comparable to our personalities

Carnegie:  $5,200 rental, in the heart of DC, hotels close by (walking distance or very short cab ride), no food or drink restrictions, can bring in your own booze, all indoors, price does not allow for extra expenses, ballroom (seated dinner location) does not allow clear viewing of dance floor (rotunda where ceremony took place) for all tables (only some can see dance floor), only 170 guests seated, table rental included, need to rent chairs (their chairs only seat 120 and are UGLY), not available Memorial Day weekend (2011), more formal feeling


We put a hold on Glen Echo for Memorial Day weekend, 2011, that expires Wednesday if we don't put down a deposit.  However, a canceled deposit is fully refunded minus a $200 processing fee.
Even though I claimed outside assistance (thoughts from you, the reader) was no longer necessary, Mike and I have hit a roadblock.  Here's where you come in:  comment on which place you favor and any reasons why.  In the end we might just go where our hearts lead us, but your input is appreciated.
So, go on - COMMENT!
(and then "follow" my blog, if you'd be so kind!)

Lesson Learned

A couple days ago I wrote a post detailing my mad-skills for procrastination.  Realizing the need to buckle down and do my taxes, I blogged to waste a little more time before plugging in numbers to see how much of my money to send to the IRS.
In short, I knew this year the IRS was not sending me a happy little (or even big) refund check.  I invest in my dad's company and any earnings from this investment go back into the LLC for future gains.  Apparently STE did pretty well, because the IRS got me for a pretty penny.
At any rate, I filed my taxes and signed over the money owed.  At least my credit card earns me incentives.  And the IRS just earned me a lot of points!
This love Sunday morning, I woke up, made breakfast, and sat down in front of the computer with a cup of coffee.  Opening my gmail account I saw two lovely emails that almost caused said coffee to end up all over the place.  They were each entitled:  "IRS REJECTS E-FILED TAXES."      Great.  Just great.
I had my hesitations about filing taxes myself.  Every year we trust our taxes to some guy who does a great job at a not-great price.  There are no emails from him saying "try again, you loser."
I realized I clicked on a button for a $250 tax credit from the IRS, which I did not indeed receive, and the IRS knows this.  I went back online to fix this problem and refile, except now I need to gain re-authorization for my CC.  After chatting with some unhelpful person not in the US, I realize by  myself all I need to do is re-enter my CC info.  But I entered the info for the CC with the lower limit.  It bounced back again.  Realizing this mistake, I enter the CC info for the card with a higher limit and click "e-file."
This message pops up:  "We're sorry but you already filed 5 times with this software.  You are over the limit.  Please download again or call blah blah blah."
Their offices are not open on Sundays.
I am only half done with report cards (due tomorrow).
My house is A MESS.
The dog needs a brushing.
We need to buy groceries.
We're meeting up with Mike's dad for bday dinner.

FML.
If only I had started filing sooner, I would not be rushing to fix a mistake 3 business days before taxes are due.

Procrastination 5, Vicki 0.

3 Reasons I love my niece, Eleanor

My fabulous fiance AND my niece share a birthday. I remember when my sister called me during the series finale of Sopranos to tell me her water broke.  The next day, April 9, 2007, my niece Eleanor was born!  She is the first grandchild in both families, so she gets a little bit of attention - but honestly she's not spoiled in the slightest.
She's pretty darn cute, too.  But I'm not biased. ;)
Because Mike and Eleanor share a birthday, I try to do for one what I do for the other.

As little E is turning big 3, here are three reasons why I love my niece:

3.  she's creative, expressive, and curious
2.  her mom is my sister and we LOVE talking about her, so her birth brought us closer (as if that was possible!)
1.  she dances, constantly, in a flow-ballerina-swirly-twirly-graceful-way without a care in a world (it's the cutest thing....I'm requesting it for her Flower Girl debut)

Happy Birthday, Eleanor - for these reasons and so many more, I love you to your toes!
Love,
"Aunt-Vicki-Cool-Dude" (story for another time)

27 Reasons I Love Mike

In honor of my man turning the big 2-7, here are 27 things I love about him (in no particular order):

27.  his love of sports and devotion to the Mets (although I never can compete with that)
26.  the way he values meat, especially red meat (I'm a veggie)
25.  his kindness, admiration, and love for his mom
24.  his middle name: William
23.  the way he loves his religion and G-d
22.  his love of animals, especially our dog
21.  his recent dedication to running
20.  the way he keeps his head held high, despite some uncertainties in life
19.  he's ticklish!
18.  his respect for the environment and the Earth
17.  the way he interacts with kids,
16.  the way kids interact with him and are drawn to his hair
15.  his hair, especially the Jew-fro
14.  his patience with my moods
13.  he loves to read
12.  he always buys The Times before we board an airplane
11.  he's reliable and dependable, as long as it doesn't involve cleaning products
10.  he can't stand clutter (I make a mean pile)
9.    his smile :)
8.   his sense of humor
7.   he's smart and understands politics
6.   the way he doesn't let things get to him (well, most anything!)
5.   the way he takes care of me when I'm sick or broken
4.   he doesn't ride the pity train
3.   his desire to further himself in life
2.   he will eat anything I cook (or ruin)
1.   the way he loves me!

Happy Birthday, Mike - for these reasons, and so many more, I love you!

Procrastination, my middle name

I left work promptly at 4 today (as a teacher, my workday ends at 3:30 -stop hating me, because I bring home too much work, too often).  The road construction traffic I hit 5 minutes after leaving did not bother me in the slightest.  Once home, I took the dog on a nice long walk and then checked Facebook for another good 30 minutes.  Now here I am.
You see, I'm supposed to be doing my taxes that are due in a week.  I always trust them to a service because they are so daunting and I fear the IRS will show up one day and take my couch away, or something, if I mess up.  This year I decided to man up and try doing it myself.  I watch the tax guy do it every year, in 30 minutes time.  Why can't I try that?  I mean, he didn't go to school to do taxes, right?  um, right?!
I can teach kids how to add and stuff, so I think I can do my own taxes.
If I ever get around to it.

I'm really, really, good at putting things off.  When my insurance was busting my @$$ for $500 worth of bills that Workers Comp should have paid?  Yeah, I let that go for months because I didn't want to deal with it.  The time I needed to mail my friend's birthday present?  It got there the day of, maybe the day or even week after.  Let's not forget my report card comments that seem to write themselves the night before I hand them over.  [Let the record stand I finished my first 6 today, with 13 to go by Monday.  I will turn them in when I leave work Monday, not in the morning when I arrive!]

Ugh, Taxes.  I know there will be no lovely return check for me this year.  As a partner in my dad's company, the money I "earn" goes back into the company in my name.  So I make too much money as a teacher.  Ha! That's hilarious right there - a teacher making too much money.  Maybe there's some secret deduction that TaxAct will find and *poof* the gov will be paying me the big bucks!

I'll at least start by filling out my name and social.
Maybe tomorrow I"ll punch in some numbers.
Thank you blog, for letting me waste some more time talking about wasting time.
Oh, maybe I should join Twitter?!
Victoria Procrastination W....blahblahblah

Melonball, the forgotten cat

Smelly Melly is the last of my current pets to mention.  This is intentional and I have no problem owning up to the fact that Melonball drives me crazy.
Melonball's sweet story of existence begs forgiveness for his antics.  In college a stray momma-cat, who shall be known as Pryn for obvious reasons, bore 4 itty-bitty kittens near a trashcan.  After watching her struggle to care for them for what seemed like weeks, one morning I found one of the poor babies dead.  At that moment the kittens became my cause.  A neighbor adopted one and my ex and I mercilessly stole away the other 2, whom he named the male MelonballER and I named the female Zoe.  The two little ones were so sick, stinky, and in need of more care than we could provide - so we took them to a local vet.  We surrendered them, but then two days later my ex decided he HAD to HAVE Mellonballer.
Fast forward to me inheriting Mel from said ex who thought he could own the cat, but whose roommate was allergic.  Mel's extended vacation with me became his permanent home. Thus his name stuck and I never renamed him Sergent Pepper, like he should be named.
This little $hit of a kitten chewed threw wires, phone chargers, and cables and still survived.  He hides in the strangest places (lunges at the chance to get in the closet) and was even found in the fridge sitting next to the Brita pitcher one day (a funny story for another time).  Mel loves boxes, obsessively more than most cats, and refuses to consume anything beyond dry cat food with the occasional tuna binge.  He tried nursing off of Penny Lane (other MALE cat) for months before realizing it was futile, and adores the dog.  Mel's urinary tract has cost me a trip to the emergency vet and an accumulation of over $1,000 in bills, yet he still begs forgiveness with his big kitty eyes.  And we can't forget his loud mews as he races the kitty-500 in the middle of the night.

Mel, you drive me crazy, but you're one funny cat.

Spring happenings in my 'hood

Now that the [enter any curse word here] snow is finally gone it seems as if Spring might really be here.  However, I write this knowing mother earth could really play a nasty trick on us and fool us yet again.
March is so tricky in DC.  Just last week the rainy-cold returned with temperatures in the 40's.  A friend warns me today's 80-degree weather will surely go away and one more day of bitter-cold will return.  DC weather drives me crazy, but one thing's for sure: SPRING!  Spring is here, thank G-d!  Even if one more day of long-sleeve temperatures return, I will survive, for there are flowers now - at least the gross snow is gone!

Enjoy the photos from my walk with the dog today.  The tulips everywhere fully bloom and smile at the sun.
Love it!

I love these drippy, pink flowers.  I have no clue what they are - but love them!

And we can't forget the featured DC spring flower/tree:  The Cherry Blossoms!

Penny Lane, the cat (not the song)

Oh Pen-Pen, how I love you more than I should ever admit in a blog, or aloud in general.  You're my favorite cat, and I know Melonball is jealous.  But I say it anyways - you are my favsie kitteh.  I probably sound so crazy, but I care not.  You are the cat for me.
I found Mr. Penny-Lane in a Pet Supermarket sponsored Humane Society cage in Tallahassee, Fl.  Even though I owned no pets, I still found my way into pet stores in college.  When I passed "Super-cat's" cage he pawed at me through the metal barrier, so I opened the door and out he jumped into my arms.  It was love at first meow.  (Again, I know I sound crazy).  I begged my friend to let me use her address to adopt the cat, then talked to my then-roommates about hiding him our deluxe-private-townhouse-dorm.  When all was set, the cat came home!  Naming him was a ridiculous feat that I look back still to this day and wonder what in my college-crazy-brain possessed me to name the male cat Penny Lane.  I regrettably wonder why Jeeves wasn't good enough for him?  His tuxedo fur and demeanor resemble that of a butler perfectly.  Alas, my male cat is plagued with a girly-name, which ended up suiting him in the long run due to his prissy personality.
Penny loves a good bag of Baked Lays, crispy french-fries, and really any human food he can get.  The dog persistently chases this fatty away from her kibble, too.  Never leave food out to cool, because you will surely find it on the carpet with kitty-claw marks that unmistakably belong to the Pen.

He sports a dark side, modeling a Hitler-look when you don't feed the fatty.

Eleanor Rigby, the dog (not the song)

You might see Nora and think she's a dingo, but really she's more of a big baby than a fierce wild dog.  However, more than one person has asked us, "What's IN that dog?!"  I faithfully call her an "Orange Shepherd" while Mike refers to her as a "Hungarian Shepherd."  Truth-be-told we have no clue.  The Humane Society labeled her a Golden mix, which is a load of crap.  While her rust colored fur does resemble the darkest of retrievers, Nora lacks the instinct to bring back anything, enticing or not. There's not a retrieving bone in her body, also demonstrated in the way she "swims" which more so resembles a hop-skip-and-a-splash (with gusto) like an excited four-year-old trying to run in water.
Her red fur, pink piggy nose, pink pads, and iris covered eyes (no white in site) lead us to think she's part Vizsla.   The pointy-satellite ears, dense winter undercoat that sheds 2x a year like clockwork, thick medium-short fur, a tail that dips and fluffs at the end, and hind legs that form a 45-degree angle while standing just shout German Shepherd.  When people at the dog park ask what we think she's made of, that's exactly what we say: Vizsla & Germ Shepherd.  Everyone takes a good look and nods in agreement.  Yup, she's GOT to be the perfect combo of those two breeds!
I'll take the picky Vizsla-like fickleness and the Shepherd patrolling any day.  My sweet dog leans into you for pets, knows her commands when she wants to please, and only chases the cats when we forget to exercise her.  She's the perfect big-dog for a small space, and we're happy to give her a home.

She hides in the shower during thunder-storms.

And sleeps in a funny way.

We love our Nora-Noodle!