Crazy Dog Lady Meets a Crazy Man With a Dog

A few days ago was an emotional one in crazy dog lady world.  If you have a dog (or any pet), tell me what you think of all this: 

First, I was reading a story in Vogue about a woman who recently had to put her dog down.  The whole story made me sad; the way she was close with her dog reminded me of Zoe, and the days leading up to her dog's final vet visit made me think of my childhood dog who was put down a few months ago.  

Then, at the end of the story, she describes how she got the dog in the first place: She basically stole him from a deaf child!  There was a girl at a park trying to give the dog away, and this woman said she wanted him, but was on her way to a restaurant.  She told the girl she'd be back right after lunch. By the time she got back, the girl was gone, but she had given the dog to a deaf child.  The woman lied to the deaf child's mom, saying that was already her dog! The mom explained that her daughter really wanted the dog, but the woman said she was taking him, and took him from the poor child's arms!  This woman is now evil.  

Later that day, I took Zoe to the dog park (I felt guilt over the dog in the story dying).  We were the only ones there, so she just walked and sniffed around.  I think I have the only dog who gets bored at a dog park.  Anyway, a few minutes later a man walked in with his giant dog.  I don't know what kind it was, but it was one of those big scary looking dogs.  Zoe went crazy and started barking, so I walked up to leash her, and the guy takes his giant dog - who was also barking at Zoe - off his leash and he jumped on her right away!  Not in a dog-humping way, in a "I'm going to eat you" kind of way!  I was the one to grab his dog and take him off Zoe, since the owner didn't do a damn thing. Then the dog went back at Zoe, so I'm trying to fight off this dog while the owner just stands there.  Finally, he grabbed his dog and put the leash back on (after listening to Zoe yelping several times... poor thing!).  He apologized to me, then said, "I just got this piece of s***, and I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna break his neck when we get home!" :( Okay, so your dog sucks because he tried attacking my dog, but train your dog better!  

Some people shouldn't procreate (*ahem* Snooki), and some people shouldn't own animals.  This guy shouldn't do either.  

Zoe was soooo over that park.

At least it was a pretty day!

Two books everyone should read (according to me)

You may or may not know this, but I'm a huge book nerd.  I carry one around with me at all times, even if I'm going somewhere it's impossible to sit down and read... like the grocery store. (I'm awesome, I know.)

I'm reading these two books right now, and the further I get into them, the more I think everyone needs to read them.

The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect by Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel 

     I bought this book in 2007 for a college class, and to be honest, I never read it in college.  I'm pretty sure I was too busy on the phone with my then-long distance boyfriend.  Anywho, I started reading it a couple months ago.  It's not necessarily the most fun read; I'm just now halfway through the book.  But I'm finding it more and more important, especially with the way journalism has changed in the last few years.  If you have facebook, twitter, a blog, or any other form of social media, you're a journalist. If you read TMZ, Perez Hilton, or any magazine, you're a consumer of journalism.  The book explains what you should expect from these sources and how to tell if what you're reading is true or otherwise.  It also talks about how if you have a blog, you too have an obligation to your audience.  The book was published 5 years ago, so it doesn't get into the "rules" of facebook or twitter, but these elements apply to those as well. It's definitely an interesting, and I think essential, read if you share information with others. 

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed 

     Trust me on this one. Go to Target right now, spend $12.65 on this book (and $55 on other magical gems you didn't know you needed until you got there), and hole yourself up in your apartment for the weekend.  It's collections of letters from an online advice column, and responses you'll swear were written just for you.  You'll laugh, you'll cry your eyes out, you'll text your best friend saying "This is so us!" and cry again. Seriously, I'm just over halfway through and I've bawled my eyes out about 12 times. Not because I'm an emotional girl (though I don't claim to not be), it's because every response Cheryl writes in her "Dear Sugar" column is relatable.  Trust me, you'll want to tweet about 15 quotes just in the first chapter.  

If you do read either book, let me know what you think!  Or if there's a book you're reading you think is better, tweet me!  @KaciKruz  Let's be book nerds together, walking through the grocery store with 3 novels in our purse.  

Denim on denim CAN work! Here's proof:

Yesterday we talked about whether or not denim-on-denim works, after seeing a whole section on it in Elle magazine. I think the way they modeled it was just wrong - you can't have THAT much denim, especially when it's all the same color!

But local artist Kylie Hinze has proven me wrong.  Look how great she did pulling off this look!

How cute are those jeans?? I love how she uses two different denim shades (the only way to even attempt this look).  Plus, the sleeveless vest ensures she isn't drowning in it.  I also love how she broke it up with a belt and white shirt, and finished off the look with SUPER cute heels I need to borrow! 

Have you tried denim-on-denim? Tweet me! @KaciKruz 

PS - See more on Kylie Hinze HERE! 

Is this fashion faux pas actually back?

Remember when Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake wore matching denim outfits? (See it HERE if you blocked it from your memory.) The denim-on-denim look, I thought, was locked in a vault with feathered bangs, khaki, and brown-on-black.  

But here I am flipping through the August issue of Elle magazine, and there's a whole section on this look!  What do you think?  Would you try it again, or keep it locked up with fanny packs? 

PS - I love her hair!  That's the best part of this ensemble.

Do you like me? YES / NO / MAYBE

One of the best friends to have is the one you met in elementary school and somehow managed to survive the playground, puberty, and high school cliques together.  

Jaime and I met in third grade, when our assigned desks were next to each other and she asked if I wanted to work on my poster on the floor with her. We've had our fights, of course, and there were some times when middle school drama caused us not to talk for a few school years.  But we made it through that, plus everything else life has thrown at us.  As kids, we helped each other deal with cute boys who wouldn't talk to us, period mishaps at school (trial & error taught us to bring spare tampons in our backpacks...), and that super hard chemistry test.  Now that we're adults, we've gone through painful breakups, family deaths, and learning to juggle finances together.  

We moved to Milwaukee at the same time (we grew up just outside the city), but I've since moved out of Wisconsin.  I'm SO glad there's texting, video chats, and of course Facebook to keep us in touch!  It's hard to talk on the phone and multitask, so I don't know how we'd stay this close without technology.  

But the other night, we decided to go old school - literally.  We each popped open a bottle of wine, dug up our "Boy Box", and called each other.  We spent two hours on the phone going through old notes we wrote each other, letters to boys, pictures of our boyfriends, and our high school diaries.  It was amazing to read about our day, the way my crush waved to me in the hall, the "ridiculous" amounts of homework (THREE worksheets to read in ONE night?! How could they??), and where we saw ourselves in the future.  I love having a box of memories to look back on, no matter how technology changes.  

Then I had a sad thought: What will today's kids look at in 10, 20, or 50 years?  Texting has taken the place of passing notes, and when you get a new phone, you lose those messages.  How are they going to call their lifelong best friend and laugh about previous crushes or the creepy study hall monitor?  Technology is great for keeping in touch now, but I hope when my kids are in school, they'll sneak notes to their friends in the hall the way we did. 

This high school diary has some magical gems... most of which I'm too embarrassed to share!
Have texting and social media replaced this keepsake? 

Since the technology is there... might as well follow me on Twitter! @KaciKruz 

Southwood at Wild Wing Cafe!

Okay seriously, if you haven't seen Southwood yet, do it!  Immediately, if not sooner.  They're out of Charleston, and sound like if Kings of Leon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Black Keys had a sexy threesome and somehow made a musical baby from it.  (Moment to think of Caleb Followill and Dan Auerbach in bed...separately, of course.... *sigh*....)

Anywho, I feel bad even making that comparison, because it probably doesn't accurately describe how amazing these guys are.  Check out some pictures of them at Wild Wing Cafe 8/4!

See more pictures HERE!

Proper etiquette for buying this product...

Serious question: What’s the verdict on testing out nail polish before buying it? Is that acceptable? 

I was at Walgreens the other day looking for the perfect shade to exchange another bottle with (see this post). I think colors look completely different on the nail than in the bottle, so clearly I had to try them out! When I got to the counter, she asked if I used the bottle I was returning, because if so she had to damage it out. I told her I did, while hiding my left hand with a rainbow of colors, hoping she suddenly forgot watching me try all those shades.

I guess if you have some gross nail fungus, then you shouldn’t try the nail polish. But how else are you supposed to know? Do you paint a nail or two in the store? Tweet me and let me know! @KaciKruz

PS – There’s a difference between trying the color on one nail, and giving yourself a full on manicure in the middle of the aisle. Don’t do that. 

This cosmetics myth: TRUE! 💅

I thought it was just a myth - like when they said you can't wear white after Labor Day. The words on the page can't possibly be true! But ladies, you can in fact return used cosmetics to Walgreens.

I saw that in a magazine a few months ago, but why would they accept broken eyeshadow or mascara with goop on the screw? I don't know, but today I walked in with nail polish I used this morning and lipstick I didn't like, and left with a brand new bottle of nail polish! (One that looks amazing on my fingers, if I do say so myself.)

So next time your new eyeshadow accidentally makes you look like a hooker or that foundation like Snooki, bring your receipt and get your money back!