Meet Bailey

This is Bailey. She was my birthday present and is the new love of my life. She is a beagle / catahoula leopard dog mix. (and, yes, that is a real dog!)

She's sweet and very shy, but she's coming out of her shell a little more each day.

She was adopted from the Humane Society and is about 7 months old. She was found on the side of the road and had been hit by a car. Her tail was so badly broken that half of it had to be amputated. Now she only has a little 5-inch stub. She doesn't seem to miss her tail too much, but does seem confused whenever she goes to chase it and she just can't reach it.

DIY To Try: Recycled Coasters

This is an easy project that's perfect for a rainy afternoon. Anyone can make these coasters; they're easy and eco-friendly. I got the idea after seeing a similar item for sale at Urban Outfitters. If you're like me and have tons of magazines lying around, then this is a great way to get rid of few. I made six coasters and it only took me 2 hours. Once you get going, it's hard to stop! In fact, it's quite therapeutic!

All you'll need is:

1. One or two magazines (I used a J. Crew catalog because of the pretty, coordinating colors)

2. Glue Gun and 10-20 glue sticks.

3. Chip Clip (optional)

4. Decorative twine or rope (optional)

Rip out an entire page of the magazine. (Don't worry about the edges being neat.)

Then fold the paper in half length-wise, not top-to-bottom.

Continue folding the paper in half until the strip is about 1/4 of an inch wide.

Place a few small dabs of glue along one side of the strip. I used clear tacky glue at first, but I found that a glue gun is much easier and less messy because it dries a lot faster.

Roll the strip up with the glue-side facing so it forms a small coil. Once it is rolled up, glue down the end of the strip so it lays flat against the rest of the coil.

I used a chip clip to hold the end down while it dried.

Then fold up another strip, apply the glue, and begin wraping the new strip around the coil at the spot where the last strip ended. (They should touch tip-to-tip so it's like one continuous, long strip.)

Continue this process as the circle gets bigger and bigger.

Stop when you think the circle is big enough and Voila! You're done!

I added some crafters' rope around the edges for the finishing touch, but I think they look good either way.

I got really into it and ended up making this vase. What I'm going to do with it has yet to be determined. My friend Cassandra who owns a consignment shop is convinced we can turn it into a lamp and sell it at her store. I'll keep you posted on that as the events unfold! (no pun intended)