International Guide Dog Day

Kate and Specks want to wish everyone a happy International Guide Dog Day! 

Being partnered with a guy dog is a huge amount of responsibility and takes a team.

Breeders, puppy raisers, trainers, administrative staff, and veterinarians all play key roles in the preparation of a guide dog to meet her blind handler.

Guide Dogs have a huge responsibility to keep their blind handler safe. But rest of shored, at the end of the workday there are many belly rubs games of tug or fetch and above all lots of love. 

To learn more about Guide Dogs in the United States please visit The website of my guide dog school Guide Dogs for the Blind at www.GuideDogs.com.

Nati and GuideDog Marie

Photo Story Kate's Puppy Gets Stuck!

It was such a beautiful spring day Kate couldn't help it, she ran as fast as she could!

Maybe they're wrong, she thought. Maybe I'm not really legally blind. 

It felt so good to move unencumbered.

She skidded to a stop as she almost slammed into a pole... Or was that a tree? 

I really should have brought my cane...

"Oh Spark! Thank goodness!!!"! Kate's mom was training Spark to be a Guide Dog.

"How did you find me?"

"Hey Kate, you ok?" Aske eliza

"Yeah I'm fine," Kate said.  "Thanks to Spark."

"Can I play with her?" Asked Eliza.

"Yeah, sure. Buut i don't have a toy for her. I sorta didn't know she followed me here."

Eliza giggled "I have a stick."

"Man she has a lot of energy!" Gasped Eliza. "Let's rest a minute."

Kate sat up and looked around. "Uh oh! Where'd she go?!" 

"Who?"

"Spark!"

"Oh know! There she is!!" Eliza gulped.

"Come on girl! Come on Sparkley!" Kate begged.

"Oh thank goodness!!."

"Thanks Eliza!"

"Hey no problem! Uh Kate where's her harness?"

"She followed me here. And i left my cane at home. I just wanted to be Kate, not the blind kid."

"Hey your my friend regardless! If you need your cane, you should use it."

"Thanks Eliza. I just hate having to use a cane. I mean i can see. Yes Spark I'll open the door."

"Kate, you'll use it when you're ready. And i'll still hang out with you just as much!"

"I really hate being different." Kate said as she cuddled her puppy. "You'll be able to help me one day, won't you Spark?"

Group Shots

I brought out all the girls for some photos this morning!

Molly, Kate, Felicity, Meg, Eliza, Josie, & Anna.

Molly loves her new green t-shirt.

Felicity loves the wrap style top and Meg is so excited to show off her overalls.

Kate was a little chilly. So she opted for chords while Eliza wanted to feel the sun on her toes!

Josie loves the details on her Peter Pan collared shirt and Anna... Well she wanted to wear her new purple dress! 

These two sure look great together!

Happy Birthday Molly!

From the first year i had Molly I've acknowledged her birthday every year. 

She's still the doll i'd describe as cute in a "girl next door" kind of way.

Happy Birthday Felicity

According to her stories, today is Felicity's birthday!

It's a dreary rainy day here. But that does not stop Lissy from smiling

Even Speckles wishes her handler's friend a happy birthday.

Playing with PicLab

Molly and Kate offered to help me play around with PicLab. 

Effects and text

Filters

Exposure. This really highlights the difference between the older and newer classic face mold.

More filters and exposure. Love the old photo effect!

Vision in White

From the moment I saw this dress, I knew I had to have it. 

It has stunning details.

And that train...

So delicate!

Anna is truly a vision of beauty!

Beautiful Day Photos with Josie

Josie was so excited to put on her pretty pink sundress this morning! It's still a little chilly.

With the sunshine in on her face, she couldn't resist laying down in the grass.

"Oh what a beautiful mornin'!"

I can't believe no one else wanted to wake up early and come share this Beautiful morning with me.

Disney Princesses

So Eliza wanted to show off her Queen Elsa dress. 

Doesn't it just make her eyes pop!?

Felicity had to get in on the Frozen fun.

She wouldn't let me put her hair up in braids like Anna's. 😞

Since she has the name of the princess, Kate had to get in on the princess action.

Princesses three, we shall be.

Kate's New Look

One of the things about having a custom doll is that I don't feel she has to remain entirely a certain way. If there's something I want to change about her, I can. Whether it's in her story, her look, her personality or even her name. 

Notice anything different about Kate?

Yep, that's right! She has new eyes! Eye swaps are far from easy, but are very doable with a lot of patience, the right tools, moderate hand strength, oh and more patients.

In case you were wondering, the eyes are from a My American Girl number 59.

The Belle of the ball.