Adopting a dog, or any animal for that matter, can truly impact your life. My life, possibly more so than others. Three years ago, Sheila turned me into a vegetarian and 3 weeks ago the new pup, Mate, opened a new chapter in my relationship.

A month ago a friend and dog lover posted a picture of an 8 month old pup that looked remarkably a lot like Sheila and was at the same shelter I rescued her from. I showed the boy to simply compare how similar they look and he wouldn’t stop talking about him over the next few days, “I want him,”  “He’s mine, I can tell,”  and so on. I didn’t think too much about it being that his apartment doesn’t allow pets and mine only allows 2 on the property, mine and the yellow lab Ivan whom belongs upstairs. I found this out because it prevented me from being able to foster any other dogs. So I comforted the boy by saying a family will love him but the idea was returned with, “But I’m the one who will love him the most.” Before I knew it, we were driving the hour and a half to Logan. And before I knew it, he was in the back of my car with Sheila, both of them wondering what is going on.

On the drive home we talked about how to care for Mate. I was told Mate was a sign that the boy and I are meant to be since he had fallen in love with me and Sheila and wanted to get a dog just like her. That he’s already told his mom he wants to marry me. That he wants to live with me, forever and ever. Before I knew it, we were looking at newly listed rentals. Before I knew it, my soon to be living space has more than doubled accompanied by a garage I can work in. Before I knew it, our sentences were full of “we this,” and “we that.” Before I knew it, everything was falling into place.

So, I’m moving in two days. It’s bittersweet and exciting all at once. I’m a little sad to leave the Avenues and the apartment I lived alone in for 2 years. My first adult apartment with the most beautiful view of the city (above). With such small space (300 sq ft), I learned how to continue my art after college and did a lot of growing up. I’m excited to explore a new part of town, Sugarhouse, with the guy I love and have a faster turnaround time on my art now that my scroll saw can live with me and not in my parent’s garage, 45 minutes away. It’s a good change.

Yesterday I woke up at 6:30am, drove a half hour to North to Ogden to grab my animal head wood blocks. I then went on to drop off Di‘s wedding invitations and forgot to tell her Happy Birthday, like a jerk (sorry Di!). Then another hour drive to Logan, where I went to school. I got myself and Emily special permission to use the print studio for the day. I haven’t been able to find a rolling press in Salt Lake City that fits my moose and buffalo (has to be at least 35″ wide!). We’ve been really busy working on products and prints for Craft Lake City which is now exactly two weeks away! Oy. It’s been pretty stressful being it’s our first real event. We’ve talked all year long about how we could make FMP work, a real business. Finally we stopped talking and got to doing. But the most stressful thing is that MisterArt.com forgot to put my 2 rolls of rice paper on their shipping truck for 3 days and didn’t do anything on their end to help a girl out and get it by Thursday! Needless to say my paper didn’t get here on time and I will never be ordering from them again. Two of my former classmates were very gracious to let me borrow their roll or what they had left of their roll. I would not to have been able to get any animal heads done with Brandt and Matt! Thank you boys.

Emily and I didn’t leave the studio until 7:00am. We got a lot done. We wanted to do more, but we had been awake for more than 24 hours on top of her niece is getting married today up in Burley, ID and I have to work back in the city for the rest of today. I dropped Emily off then my pup Sheila and I headed back. After a half hour in the canyon I was dangerously drifting asleep. I took a 40 minute nap in the Brigham City Walmart parking lot as Sheila barked at any noise. She’s such a good watch dog when situations are strange to her, but a horrible listener when I yell, “Quiet! Mommy needs sleep.”

I want these next two weeks to be over with, but take as long as possible to go by at the same time.

Even after losing some plants, some eye glasses, some clothes, part of the kitchen floor, a couch, the back seat of my car all to her stomach, she’s perfect for me.

I’ve created a Sheila photo album of pictures throughout the year most of you might have not seen, on facebook.

(Sheila was obsessed with this kiddie pool. She would spin in circles trying to bite the splashes she was making.)

I want a FujiFilm Instax 200. Real bad. I wouldn’t have to fake my digital photos like they’re retro instant images. And I would take my time taking each photo again since the film is pretty damn expensive. And maybe I wouldn’t suck at photography anymore.

But to get the things I want, I need a job. Hopefully I get the job I want.