Buster Gets a Makeover

The same day that Belinda and I went to the mall for Christmas shopping, she decided to do a little shopping for her, too.  We went into one of her favorite stores to look at the clothes, makeup, and perfumes.

The store was bright and cheerful.  Christmas music was blaring from the speakers and candles were melting all around the store to create a homey atmosphere.  The whole store smelled of candied apples and pine trees; it was wonderful!  Anytime I smell something good (or bad), my nose twitches and I sneeze a lot.  I love all smells, from pumpkin pie to dead fish; I really have no preference!  The flickering candles and festive music made me bark more than I usually do and that drew a lot of attention to Belinda and me.

“Why hello, ladies,” crooned an older woman with too much eye makeup on.  Belinda said hello and told her that I was not a lady but still adored fashion.  I barked and whimpered as she tried to touch me through my carrier.  “Did you know we now sell 

Chihuahua collars and apparel?” said the woman.  “No!” said Belinda.  That’s all she needed to hear before we were hurriedly following the woman in a trail of her flowery perfume.

When we got to the back of the store, lots of young women were working on grooming dogs, polishing toe nails, dressing them up, and taking pictures of them.  The new glamour section of the store was quite popular and all the women who shopped there would bring their dogs in for make overs while they browsed through the items for sale.

Belinda left me in my carrier to wait my turn to get dolled up.  She was shopping when a short girl with fluffy, red hair came to get me.  “Aren’t you a sweet, little fella,” she purred.  “I am Jessica and I will help you to be beautiful today!”  Jessica carried me over to her station and plopped me in front of a big mirror.  I was looking a little run down.  Some pampering was just what I needed to be on top of my game!  First Jessica brushed my coat.  Short haired Chihuahuas don’t have too much to brush so it went by pretty quickly!  Then she got a glove and sprayed it with something that made my short hair shine like glass!  She trimmed up my ear hair and the hair between my toes before she painted my toe nails with a glittery black polish.  It was manly but fun, I’m glad she didn’t use pink!  Then, Jessica carried over a little box with some very small Chihuahua outfits inside.  After debating the look she was going for, she opted for a red, velvety jumpsuit that slid over all four legs.  The belly was open and there was a hole for my tail.  There were some black buttons down the back and a silky black collar.  She even slipped off my collar and placed a scrunchy black sleeve over it, making a ruffled collar which was very cute!  I must admit, I looked very handsome and Christmassy.

When Belinda came back from shopping, she couldn’t believe how great I looked!  She gave Jessica a big tip and we checked out.  “You look like you are all ready for Christmas, Buster!  I can’t believe how fancy you are!”  I was so excited that I cried and cried to Belinda for attention.  My glittery black nails tapped all over the floor as I danced around in excitement.  “Just wait until John see’s you!  He won’t believe his eyes!”

As we drove home, I curled up on the back seat and thought about the fun day I had, shopping with Belinda!  I was so sleepy from all of the excitement and couldn’t wait to get home to show off my new look to John!

CHI_Buster Goes Christmas Shopping

There is no more festive time than Christmas.  The lightly falling snow that melts quickly on my hot nose is one of the most delightful things I’ve ever experienced.  I look forward to the chilly nights that bite at my perky ears and the church bells ringing as we go out for our evening walk; it is calming and comforting.  Every time Christmas rounds the corner, I get so excited!  Not only is it a festive and happy season, but I get a lot of Christmas presents!

Belinda wrapped me up in my green knit sweater and booties before she packed me up in my cute designer 

Chihuahua carrier for a day at the mall.   We hopped in the car and could see our breath because it was so frosty and cold!  Belinda breathed on the window and drew a little snowman while she waited for the car to warm up.  “We are going to get a lot of shopping done today, Buster.”  I barked a happy bark and wagged my tail underneath the heavy sweater.  I loved going shopping because there were always lots of people to give me treats at the stores!

The mall wasn’t too packed and we easily found a parking space.  Belinda hopped out of the car and we went into the mall.  She shook her hair and snow fell from her head onto my face.  I licked at it because it was stuck to my cheek and it wasn’t melting fast enough.  My Chihuahua clothes were speckled with white snowflakes and they were glistening on my long eyelashes, too.  “Well aren’t you the cutest little thing I have ever seen,” sung a Southern lady as she passed by.  My Chihuahua collar jingled as I spun in circles inside my carrier, trying to get dry.  “Let’s get John’s gift first, Buster.”  We made our way to the electronics store.

Beeping, buzzing, humming, and whizzing sounds floated through the air as we strolled into the electronics store.  Belinda was checking out all of the latest gadgets and trying to find something that John didn’t already have; he was a big fan of useless doo-dads.  A little boy came up to my carrier and started poking at me with his candy cane.  Belinda wasn’t paying attention and neither was the boy’s mother.  He would stick it through the holes in my carrier a little bit and I would quickly steal a lick.  Then, he would giggle and do it again.  Finally, he stuck it through enough for me to grab it so I did!  He immediately started screaming and Belinda whirled around to see what was wrong.  The boy’s mother came running over to check his fingers for bites.  How dare she think I would bite a child?  Belinda found the candy cane sticking to my carrier and took it out to give back to her.  “Maybe you should watch your son and where he is sticking his messy candy before you accuse anybody of anything,” scoffed Belinda.  The woman snarled at Belinda and dragged her son out of the store by his arm.  Belinda just smiled at me and continued shopping.

After we got almost all of the Christmas shopping done, we stopped for a bite to eat.  Belinda sat my carrier on top of the table next to her and unzipped it.  She put a little plate of roast beef and French fries in front of me and a little bowl of water.  As we ate, we watched all of the busy shoppers, fluttering around the mall in search of that perfect gift.  The only thing more fun than shopping was watching the hordes of people, frantically trying to find what they are looking for!

Easter Part III

With all of the excitement and commotion of the morning, I felt sleepy.  I curled up on Belinda’s pillow and fell asleep.  The warmth of my fuzzy jumper and the comfortable, fluffy pillow had me in dreamland right away.  Visions of candy and brightly colored eggs danced through my head as I slept.  The laughter of children and the sounds of music woke me up and I sleepily stretched my chicken legs, one by one.

I hopped off of the bed and trotted into the living room where at least a dozen little kids were dancing to some crazy video on our television.  When they saw me, they swarmed over to me with huge grins and screams of delight!  Belinda ran to the rescue when she saw me backed in the corner.  “Everybody has to be very nice to Buster.  He’s a lot smaller than you and me.  He could get hurt and that would be terrible, wouldn’t it?” explained Belinda.  All of the kids were nodding their heads as they gently took turns petting me and my fuzzy chicken head.  I was happy that they were not attacking me and I licked each little hand, one by one.

Once the shock of a chicken-clad 

Chihuahua wore off, we were all ready to take the party outside.  As we headed to the back yard, the kids saw the rabbit hop by with a carrot in his mouth.  They all started chasing him around the yard and he really gave them a run for their money.  That rabbit was fast, but the little red haired kid was faster!  He grabbed the rabbit and lay on the grass with him.  Soon, the whole heap of kids was poking at the bunny, and that was fine with me!

When it was time for lunch, Belinda had a wonderful selection of things to choose from.  There were bowls of salads; green, potato, macaroni, and pasta.  There were hot dogs on the grill and a big bowl of macaroni and cheese.  There were little Easter cakes with white frosting and a chocolate egg on top, wiggly orange carrot shaped jello, bowls of sour gummies, and a platter of hard boiled eggs.  Belinda made me a little plate of goodies to munch on and it was all delicious!

After we got done eating, it was time for the Easter egg hunt.  John spent the morning hiding plastic Easter eggs with prizes inside.  He must have done it while I was asleep because I had no idea where they were hidden.  Everybody scoured the backyard and put the eggs they found into little blue and green baskets.  When everyone was done, we all sat in a big circle to count the eggs and open them.  Some kids had little plastic rings, some had matchbox cars, and some had quarters.  The little girl with pig-tails had the most eggs so she won the extra special prize which was a giant stuffed bunny!

As the parents came to pick up their kids, everyone gathered for a picture in front of the house with me and the rabbit.  It was a super fun day and I was totally exhausted.  Belinda sure knew how to throw a party!  I can’t wait for the next holiday!

Easter Part 1

When I woke up this morning I dragged myself out of bed and headed for the kitchen to see what Belinda had cooking for me and when I got there, who else was sitting in my doggie bed but that crazy rabbit!  What on earth was he doing in the house and worse yet, in my bed?

“Happy Easter, Buster!  I didn’t think you’d ever get up today!  We have a big day planned.  Little Lucie from down the street is coming over with some of her friends and we are going to have an Easter egg hunt!  Look, here’s our Easter bunny!” she said while holding the rabbit out in front of me.  The rabbit was so fat that as Belinda held him out to me his big cheeks smooshed up and made his eyes close.  “I want to get you all dressed up.  I went shopping this morning and bought you a new EasterChihuahua outfit 

and collar to wear, especially for today!”  With that, Belinda put down the rabbit that commenced pooping all over the kitchen floor, and started buzzing about the kitchen like she was on fire.  I guessed that there was no breakfast for me so I left the kitchen as quickly as I could, without that crazy rabbit noticing me.

I started roaming around the house looking for John, maybe he could feed me.  As I made my way into the hallway and living room I began to notice the elaborate decorations Belinda had strung up.  There were strands of lights that looked like carrots and eggs hanging between the living room and kitchen.  There were stuffed bunnies dressed in fancy dresses; some holding baskets and some with chicks.  There were plastic eggs in the oddest places; under cushions and pillows, between the walls and furniture, and on the window sill.  Easter was indeed a strange holiday for children.  The strangest notion of all was bunnies laying eggs!

Once I got to the bathroom door, I could hear John humming a tune to the sound of his electric razor.  Since the door was partially open, I easily squeezed in.  “Hey there big guy!” said John.  I rubbed across the back of his leg and sat down behind him.  I let out a few cries and moans while looking up at him with sad eyes.  “What’s wrong buddy?  Do you have to go potty?” No, I just sat there.  “Do you want to go for a ride?”  I raised an eyebrow, that did sound good, but I had my mind set on some food. “Did you get your breakfast?  Are you hungry?” Yes, bingo!  I began jumping up and down and spinning in quick, little circles.  “Ok, Buster.  Let me finish shaving and I will get your breakfast.  I think I have some leftovers for you, too!”  John always could figure me out.  I waited patiently for him to finish and then we walked to the kitchen together; well, he walked and I spun around his legs!

In the kitchen, Belinda was sweeping up rabbit poop and had another pot of eggs boiling on the stove.  “I’m glad you finally got that rabbit out of here, what a mess!” exclaimed John.  He must have been reading my mind.  “I know, I know” said Belinda.  “It’s Easter though, and he never comes inside.  I thought it would be fun for the kids to see him hopping around the house.  I guess we’ll move the party to the back yard.”  She began taking the bowls of goodies and hard boiled eggs out to the pretty table she had set up outside.

While I was watching Belinda, John poured some food into my Chihuahua bowl and chopped up some of her hard boiled eggs to sprinkle onto my food.  Finally, breakfast!

CHI_Easter Part II

As I was finishing up my Easter egg breakfast, Belinda came to wipe my face of egg and take me to get ready for the party.  “Are you egg-cited for the party?” she giggled.  I was excited, I loved parties!  I licked her face and barked a loud bark!  We went into the bathroom and she started filling up an oatmeal bubble bath for me.  I readily jumped into the sudsy tub and started running in circles, slipping and sliding on the wet surface.  Bath time was a fun time for me!  Belinda scrubbed me really good, from my tail to my nose.  When we were done, she took me out and wrapped me in a towel like a baby.  This was my favorite part because she always carried me around the house like that and sang to me.  After our bath time ritual, she dried me quick with a blow dryer and spritzed me with her home-made 

Chihuahua spray.  I was really easy to dry because short haired Chihuahuas don’t have much hair to dry!

“Time to get dressed, my little baby!”  We went into the bedroom and Belinda got a special box out from her closet.  She took off the lid and I was so surprised!  Inside was a furry yellow one-piece Chihuahua outfit.  The hood had two black buttons for eyes and a little orange beak and there was a tuft of orange feathers on the bum.  The Chihuahua collar was sparkly and yellow with a little chick charm hanging from it.  I was going to look like a baby chick!  This was one of the most beautiful Chihuahua outfits I owned and I was so excited to wear it!

Once I had my outfit on, I was absolutely adorable.  I was so proud of my new Chihuahua clothes that I pranced around with my little head held high.  My beak stuck out and my feathery bum wagged back and forth.  “This is priceless, John.  Come see Buster!”  John came into the bedroom and I paraded around for him.  Everybody was laughing and I loved being the center of attention.  John was videotaping me and Belinda was snapping pictures with her camera phone.  “I can’t wait to send these to everyone I know” said Belinda. 

John finished taping me while Belinda went back to work in the kitchen to get ready for the big party.  “Don’t get dirty, Buster.  You look really nice!  Great outfit!” said John.  I was so happy to be an Easter chicken!  My day started off weird with the rabbit in my bed and no breakfast when I woke up, but it’s turning out to be a really fun day and I can’t wait for the party!  When all of the kids get here, we will have wonderful things to eat all afternoon!  Music will play and we will all sing and dance.  We will hunt for Easter eggs, and play other games, too!  It’s going to be the best day ever!

Green Eggs and Ham

Time was ticking by slowly as I was waiting for my breakfast.  Belinda had been babysitting all morning and had just finished reading a Dr.Seuss book to little Sam when he complained about being hungry.  She said he could have a bowl of cereal but he insisted on having green eggs and ham.  Terrific, now I’ll be waiting forever to eat!

Belinda smiled at Sam and said of course she’d make him green eggs and ham.  She asked me if I wanted some too so I barked and wiggled wildly around her ankles so she was certain that I did!  As Belinda headed off to the kitchen, Sam and I began building a fort made of blankets to stretch across the living room.

Sam had every blanket in the house piled up in the hallway.  There was a fuzzy blue blanket stretching from the couch to John’s chair.  The smooth green comforter went from the coffee table over to the chair.  The orange afghan hung over the side table and slipped over the door knob.  When everything was set up, the fort covered the entire living room and half the hallway!  Sam stood back to admire his fort and a big smile appeared on his face.  “Let’s go, Buster!” Sam yelled as he took off toward the fort.

It was a little dark inside since there were no windows included in the fort.  Belinda gave Sam a flashlight and he made his way to the little room near the back.  He sat down, cross-legged, and called me over.  I trotted through the big fort with ease, after all, 

Chihuahua's love to dig through blankets.  The rooms were really big compared to how small I was and even Sam got through them pretty well.  As I sat in his lap, he made shadow puppets on the blanket walls with his flashlight.  First he made a butterfly, wings flapping crazily as he tried to hold the flashlight at the same time.  Next he made a bunny with little ears.  Then, I made a monster as I had a big, wide yawn and the charm on myChihuahua collar dangled and danced in the shadow.  Sam laughed.

“Okay boys, breakfast is ready,” shouted Belinda.  I heard dishes and forks clanging on the kitchen table as the smell of cheesy eggs wafted into our fort.  Sam scrambled out and I followed him with the flashlight cord strapped around my ankle.  Belinda made a place for me next to Sam and scraped some green eggs and ham into my dish.  They smelled so good that I could barely stand it!  The fluffy green eggs were filled with cheddar cheese and the ham was just some leftover lunch meat from yesterday’s meal.  Belinda put a little green food coloring in to give everything a green tinge, even the glass of milk!

“That was a really fun breakfast Belinda,” said Sam.  Belinda smiled and then sent him off to brush his teeth.  I finished my breakfast and licked every last spot of my bowl.  “Wouldn’t it be fun if every breakfast was a different color Buster,” said Belinda as she patted my belly.  I was so full that I just flopped over and licked her hand.  This was the best morning ever!

Buster Goes to the Mall

Going on walks is always fun, especially when I can wear my beautiful 

Chihuahua clothes and get lots of compliments!  Belinda took me shopping the other day and it was so much fun to see all of the people and have them pet me and talk to me!

We went to the really popular mall in the city and Belinda brought me along.  Of course, I had to stay in my designer Chihuahua carrier but that was alright, it was really comfortable!  My carrier was about twice as big as I was so I had a lot of room to turn in circles, roll, and sniff.  The carrier was velvety and black with a little silk pillow and blanket inside.  Belinda always carried a bottle of water and a little dish in there for me, too, so I’d never be thirsty.  She usually had some yummy treats tucked in the outside pocket for when my tummy was grumbly!

I loved to get dressed up for going to the mall.  Belinda would pick out the nicest outfits for me and we always looked so fashionable!  Today I had on little black socks and a long black sweater vest.  My Chihuahua collar was white with black stripes and it had a little silver bell and name tag attached.  Everywhere we went, people would stop to say hello to me and would ask Belinda all sorts of questions like how old I was, what my name was, and does she take me shopping a lot. 

We went into one store that was so dark that I could barely see anything on the racks.  The music was really loud and the people were really pushy.  I didn’t really like going into that store but Belinda loved it.  She said it had all of her favorite clothes.

Then, we went into a big store with shoes everywhere!  I could smell all kinds of shoes and I could tell the difference; I’m a shoe expert!  I could spot leather shoes, dress shoes, kid’s shoes, and sneakers.  Socks and purses were on the walls, and even some Chihuahua collars were for sale with little shoe charms hanging from them!  I wish I could hop out of my carrier and get one of those sneakers!  I love to chew on them and roll on them…especially when they are old and dirty.  Belinda has taught me to never take a shoe unless she gives it to me, and she only gives me the oldest and dirtiest ones!  Luckily, she spotted those new Chihuahua collars and she chose the purple one with a little rhinestone sneaker charm and a big black buckle.  I was so excited to get a new collar!  I can add it to my collection when we get home!

The last store we went to was filled with meows and barks and tweets!  The pet store at the end of the mall was my favorite store of all!  I was allowed to get out of my carrier and run around the store.  I loved to run up and down the aisles, seeing all of the fun dog clothes and toys; sniffing the wonderful bags of foods and treats; and teasing all of the animals who are stuck in cages!  I know that I shouldn’t but it’s all in good fun.  They will be adopted soon; those pets always get snatched up pretty quick as this is a huge and popular pet store!

Soon, Belinda scooped me up and put me back into my bag.  It was a great day at the mall but now it was time to go home.  I couldn’t wait to lay out all of my Chihuahua collars and admire my big collection!

The Great Collar Collection

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love collecting 

Chihuahua clothes and Chihuahua collars.  Belinda picks them up for me every time she sees new and interesting ones or when she goes on a trip for work or on vacation.  John brings them home for me, a lot, too.  Whenever he goes on a fishing trip or golfing trip, he will bring something home as a souvenir.  I have collected dozens of Chihuahua collars over the years and spreading them out to look at them is one of my favorite things to do!

This red and black collar with polk-a-dots was from the fair we went to last summer.  We traveled a long time in the car to get to a huge carnival.  When we got there, it rained and rained for the whole night!  On our way to the fun house, we saw a little tent with lots of dog toys and clothes inside.  We stopped in and right by the door was this cute collar.  It has a little clown face charm hanging from it with a crystal hat and a red gem for the nose.  Belinda bought it for me because she always calls me her little clown!

The white velvet collar was from Belinda’s sister’s wedding.  I got to wear this little white velvet collar with a black satin pillow attached to the top.  The pillow held the rings and I had to trot down the aisle and deliver them.  It was a lot of pressure and it took a lot of practice but I finally did it.  I got to dress up in a little tuxedo and Belinda hid behind the alter with some bacon treats.  When I knew she was there, I ran so fast down the aisle and the groom caught me and took the rings.  Then, I scampered off to find Belinda and we snuck through the back door.  It was a lot of fun!

This blue jelly collar is one of my favorites!  The Chihuahua collar is filled with blue gel that swishes back and forth with little dolphins swimming inside.  I got this on our trip to the aquarium last fall.  When we went there, I had to stay inside my Chihuahua carrier but I was absolutely entranced by the dolphins.  They swam round and round in their huge tank, diving and jumping for fish and treats.  Watching them was so much fun and when we visited the gift shop, Belinda found this blue dolphin collar.  She knew I’d love it and she got it for me right away!

I have some collars that Belinda bought for me from a local craft fair.  There was a fundraiser for a lot of different volunteer organizations in our city and they all had a booth at the park.  Belinda wanted to show her support so we took a walk down to see what they had.  The fireman table had a lady selling dog collars that were made from material with flames on it.  The ambulance table had some with little stethoscopes and nursing symbols.  The daycare was selling glasses of punch and cookies along with some glittery dog t-shirts.  The kids finger-painted them and put glitter everywhere!  Everything was so much fun that we bought them all.

Those are some of my favorites in my collection but it’s far from all of them!  I probably have over 50 Chihuahua collars altogether!  They all mean something special and they are all really cute!  The hardest part is deciding which one I will wear today!