Friday

Honest Abe The MockViz Mutt

With Dog Week continuing at the Ranch, today's post will be breed specific to Abe.  You can read his introduction to the ranch (here) and about his puppy fav's (here).

Today I'm gonna write down for the ages what kind of dog Abe is suppose to be, and also is suppose to become, based on his mixed breed personality and looks.

A mutt.  Abe is a mutt, that's what kind of a dog he is.  Well that's if a mutt has a minimum mix of two breeds of dogs.

A Vizsla, pronounced Veesla, (don't pronounce the Zzz among full bred owners), is a Hungarian dog.  I'm not all into what dogs were bred for back in ancient times, my modern intention is that he is our pet and likes naps when I like napping.  So far so good on that.  But when he's not being a regular pet his natural instinct is to point and find game.  That is a trait he inherited from his English Setter mother as well as his Vizsla Pa.  Many of his fathers Vizsla qualities overlap with those of his English Setter mother.  Except looks.  Honest Abe gets his good looks and charm from his papa.  The two breeds don't look anything alike, with the Vizsla being the better looking of the two in my opinion.

Vizsla Mix Dog, Bliss-Ranch.com

I have to remind myself he is only half Vizsla, which means regarding his temperament and personality he is just as much English Setter.  It's easier to think of Abe as only a Vizsla like his dad, because he looks like one, or so it appears anyway.  But digging a little deeper I found out he has some differences from his full bred father and anyone who owns a pure Vizsla would probably look at Abe and know right away he is a Mock-Viz. 


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Wednesday

Honest Abe's Doggie Fav's

Even though around here we spend a great deal of time on home improvements, DIY and furniture makeovers, we also spend a lot of time with other peoples dogs as a pet sitting home, and now a new puppy of our own.

It's dog week here, but rest assured there are still some DIY projects that go along with new dog ownership, and I am not becoming a pet blog.   And lest you think I favor dogs, I also like cats, we just don't have one anymore, and I'm worried I could become the crazy dog lady.  But the truth is this little pooch has been occupying a lot of my time and the last three home projects all involved keeping the house and dog safe.

In the last post I told you how a new pup has claimed this place as his domain, what went in to the decision to get another dog after not having one for 1.5 years and how we were turned down for a rescue puppy because we have a doggie door that goes outside.  Today you'll find out his breed, and the products I am finding to be money well spent.

Abe's age is now 19 weeks, he's lived here for 10 and he's catching on to the rules very nicely.

And yes he is spoiled.

New Puppy Product Recommendations, Bliss-Ranch.com
 Abe on his outdoor Coolaroo Dog Bed


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Monday

Meet The New Dog On The Block


I don't normally dedicate a post to something other than DIY or projects, but it's dog week at Bliss Ranch and I've got a new right hand man.

Right around Mothers Day life around here got a little more energetic.

No I haven't signed up for a marathon, although I might argue that chasing a new puppy around should certainly qualify.

Honest Abe Bliss-Ranch.com

Meet Abe, the new dog in the yard. 

Some of you might recall that I sit other peoples dogs, and you also know that about a year and a half ago our 12 year old mascot Mo moved on as dogs do.  I said I'd give it some time to see if I wanted the responsibility of another dog living here full time.

Well I guess I do.


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Tuesday

Rusty Crusty Antique Milk Cans Refreshed

Around here sometimes yard junk goes to the woods to die.

You know, it's that out of sight out of mind thing.

And such is the case with some antique milk jugs I have had forever that were stashed behind the backyard garden shed where I didn't have to see their rusty crusty-ness.

I hauled them out with the intention of giving them a makeover, I just wasn't sure what sort of a makeover that would be, but it seemed a shame to leave antique milk cans rotting in the woods.

The cans were sporting spray paint in a salmon color with sun signs stenciled on in yellow, from I don't know... maybe 20 years ago.

I picked the cans up at a garage sale and I think they were used on the deck holding plants till they were decommissioned behind the shed to wait for their next makeover.

Antique Milk Can Old Sign Stencils Bliss-Ranch.com


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Saturday

Fusion Mineral Paint Front Porch Update

Summer had seemed to be taking it's dear sweet time arriving in my neck of the woods, but I really didn't mind days with temperatures in the 70's.  Considering we received snow in April, those mild temps felt more like the spring we were cheated out of.

The cooler temps also meant that catching up on a few things on the to-do list would be more enjoyable not to be working in the blazing heat.

Now at the end of June our heat has arrived, and I'm glad I got the front door painted before it did.

Fusion Mineral Paint Front Door Refresh, Bliss-Ranch.com

One chilly day I looked at our brown front door and decided I either had to give it a good scrubbing to remove dirt, webs and bugs, or give it a good scrubbing to remove dirt, webs and bugs then paint it.

I opted for new paint as the end result of the scrubbing.


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Wednesday

June Thrifty Style Team, Rebar Barbed Wire & Junk

Fathers day is right around the corner and here to celebrate the men is the June edition of the Thrifty Style Team.

This month the team is counting on the males for something thrifty - be it dads, husbands, sons or brothers - and the "style" could be just about anything.  

It's gonna be Junk Style at the Ranch.


I'm not sure if the man of this house considered it celebrating his father-ness when he had to add something else to his to-do list, but he did it anyway because he's always a good sport, so he combined weekend tasks for the end product.

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Friday

Rubber Boot Door Wreath Easy Inexpensive

Back before the gnats and mosquitoes hatched, and before our Minnesota weather was stable enough that we could say Winter was actually over, I decided to whip up something to hang on the side door.

I wanted a little color since the trees were not yet in bloom and by the time April arrives, Winter usually has left us in a sea of brown till everything greens up.

I also didn't want to spend much money.

Bliss Ranch has a pin board with tons of beautiful door wreaths, centerpieces and porch deco's, and some day I might make one of the eye popping ones that make a person gasp before knocking, but this was not the day.

And tell me, does a wreath have to be round or is it simply something hung on a door?

When Daughter #1 found out I was looking for some little rubber boots, she gave me a pair of ripped black age two toddler rain boots that were heading to her trash.

Since I am completely out of tiny feet that wear little boots, this was the perfect example of one woman's trash is another woman's treasure.

Rubber Rain Mud Boot Door Wreath Bliss-Ranch.com


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Saturday

Painted Stenciled Galvanized Buckets

It's that time of year when I purchase lush, thriving, spring flowers and plants, only to end up in a couple of months questioning my green thumb.

Painted Stenciled Galvanized Buckets, Bliss-Ranch.com

Sure some years I am able to keep flowers alive and looking good, but more times than not it isn't the case.  I have no rhyme or reason to how I betray plants after the promise of a healthy life, it's sort of hit or miss on the type and location of the ones that will pull through.

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Wednesday

May Thrifty Style Team Wood Box

May flowers have arrived and along with those blossoms the Thrifty Style Team bloggers are blooming too!
You just never know what the other ladies will be thrifting, or how they will redesign an item they already have, so make sure and check out the links at the bottom that point you in their direction.

Some months I might thrift something for my own house, and other months I might  re-thrift something that was thrifted to me, which means I re-thrift a thrifted item back to the thrift-or, essentially going from being a thrift-ee of a thrifty item to myself being a thrift-or.   Clear as mud?

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Route 66 Beer Tote Thrifty Style Team April


It's Thrifty Style Team for April, but I won't be writing about any April showers or May flowers, instead I'm gonna write about beer and one of those wood things that totes 'em.
Having a thrifty style, or thrifting items usually means hitting a garage sale or thrift store to find some treasure to use in a new way or upcycle into something interesting.

But when the occasion arises I like to give homemade gifts that are just as interesting made from junk I already have.  So I basically thrift from my thrifty stash, like old boards I found somewhere (usually on the garage floor).

I like to give homemade gifts, not to be cheap or easy - which I'll have you know I am neither of 😂😂😂😇😇😇 - but because I like to receive those types of things.  So to the people that matter to me I like giving a homemade gift that might be special to them someday, like when I'm cracking the cap on cold ones in the afterlife.  I do hope keeping my beer cold won't be a problem when that time comes.

A couple of years ago for Christmas, the jolly garage elf cobbled up six beer totes to gift to family and friends.  If you do a Pinterest search you can find all sorts of styles and ideas.

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