dottie angel’s little olive.

there are a ton of us out there with some very loyal companions at our side…i’m referring, of course, to our trusty sidekicks, our pups. i’ve been noticing some real cuties out there, living in some mighty fine abodes, too. no dog houses for these lucky mutts. who said ‘dog is man’s best friend?’ or diamonds are a girl’s best friend’?  here’s to our real besties – dbff!

oh, and looking for some great doggie style (no pun intended), be sure to check out hazel & gertie’s san francisco boutique, christine martinez’ blog miles to style, kiss my mutt and dog milk (you might like my dog print, too). and if you’re looking for a new bestie, consider adopting from your local shelter! woof!

camilla engman’s famous morran.

anna at doorsixteen and her adorable pups bruno (the blonde) & fritz (the brunette).

sharon montrose shares her squeak at home.

abchao’s very handsome hank.

lisa congdon’s sweet & stylish wilfredo.

i love my lucy.

hijiri of heartfish’s darling maia.

more of dottie angel’s olive – look where he sleeps!

hello! i’m so happy to be back at sfgirlbybay after a few weeks away! although i’m a bit sad that ‘the house that jealousy built’ is finished, i’m very excited to start this new art series called ‘curated collections’. today’s artsy collection – pet portraits of course! why? i’m not sure to be totally honest, i just keep finding them, well, everywhere! they’re hilarious, sweet, and kinda weird which is a fab combo if you ask me. i think i’m drawn to them because they’re all created with so much love for the creatures that share our lives, and a gigantic place in our hearts. and clearly, you can honor these little critters any way you like – stoic paintings, miniature felted replicas, or by placing their heads on human bodies and displaying them proudly every time you serve dessert. see? hilarious, sweet and kinda weird!

i’ll be back in two weeks with another curated collection. see you then! ~ the jealous curator

{1. paintings ~ kate pugsley 2. collages ~ ma + chr 3. felted minis ~ kay stahler 4. drawing ~ julia pott 5. plates ~ angela rossi 6. pen drawings ~ louche lab }

i’m already a big fan of artist kate pugsley. and now, well, she’s gone and added these custom original oil paintings of your very own pets to her repertoire. i may require one commissioned of lucy. i love these just so much. i’m not certain what her holiday turnaround time is, but they normally take up to two weeks. what a perfect gift idea. for more information, contact kate via her etsy shop. meow! oh, and lucy says woof!

okay, so as some of you may already know, i finally adopted a new dog, after many years of missing cooper (i do hope he approves!). meet miss lucy, who has stolen my heart. she’s a rescue dog, a tibetan terrier mix, but really more of a sweet muppet! after living on the streets, i think miss lucy deserves to be a little spoiled!

lonny.

so, i thought it would be fun to do a little round up of must-have dog accoutrement and accessories. there’s way too much cute stuff out there for the canine (and felines!) in your hearts, but here’s some that i think would look quite smashing with many decors!

i’m going to start off the ‘best in show’ with fleabag beds. the girls at fleabag, chelsea and sabina, have kindly extended the sfgirlbybay readers a 20% discount on any of their adorable FleaBag beds — simply type in the promo code: sfgirl2010 at checkout. thanks girls!

Fleabags were created to fill the void of affordable, contemporary dog and cat beds in chic, washable fabrics, and most importantly, eco-conscientious. Fleabags are manufactured locally to minimize their carbon footprint, and special attention was paid to the selection of organic cotton and bamboos. and so cute!

1. Penelope the Dachshund Napkins from claywood & cotton 2. i love catherine ledner’s glamour dogs, from chronicle books 3. hipster periodic table collar from ruff haus, made from reclaimed leather. 4. harry barker’s well-packaged fetch balls.

1. jonathan adler’s stylish doggie salt & pepper shakers. 2. very cute crochet bone ball toys from funny fur. 3. george’s enamel dog bowls. 4. cute collapsible water bowls for road trips, from indie shop. 5. gemma correll’s i like you stretched canvas.

1. a classic, the sock monkey dog toy from muttropolis 2. sweet red gingham checked collar from george. 3. tibetan terrier from paint my dog, custom dog portraits. 4. and george’s it’s a dog life i.d. tags.

modernica said it’s just fine. i love these images of beloved pets, relaxing on some much beloved mid-century modern furniture from modernica. click on over here to for more info on entering (or simply voting for) your favorite rascal in modernica’s ‘pets on furniture’ contest.

I received a lovely email from Santa Monica, California based photographer Sharon Montrose the other day and when I checked out her link, I was blown away by her beautiful animal photography. I still miss my dear dog Cooper, but I always love seeing happy dogs, whether it be strutting proudly down the street on a happy walk, or in beautiful shots like these. Sharon’s photography really captures the endearing charm of our beloved pets. I thought you might like to see them, too!

Sharon Montrose is a commercial photographer and author specializing in dogs, cats, kids, and babies. I laughed at her blog bio: “I am not above reality TV, and I can smell french fries from a mile away. Oh–and I love dogs. I also love Rush, Ben Folds, and my husband.” I can tell about the dog part, and can oh-so-relate to the divine aroma of french fries. Thanks for sharing your beautiful work with us Sharon. For more of Sharon’s work check out her blog, and her website.

If you live in San Francisco and are one of the many lucky dog owners here, you simply must check out the Mission’s newest, and most stylish, dog boutique, Hazel & Gertie’s. Owner Jeannine Giordan left the crazy world of advertising and started Gooddogs dog walking service in 2002. Jeannine soon saw the need for an affordable dog boutique in the Mission district, put herself through business planning at the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center (an excellent resource for those of you with big dreams looking to make them a reality), and worked hard to make her vision come true. Thus, the birth of Hazel & Gertie’s, named for two of Jeannine’s three adopted dogs (oh, and there’s Biggie, too!).

Jeannine decorated the adorable Hazel & Gertie’s herself, all with vintage, recycled pet paraphernalia and furniture she scoured from flea markets, craigslist and garage sale finds, which she hand-picked and collected with love over the past couple of years. It is so cute!

Hazel & Gertie’s carries Smallbatch raw food, handmade locally with only organic ingredients, as well as all kinds of other specialty, healthy dog foods, toys, beds, collars and treats for your furry companions (and of course, cats, too!). There’s also a big, blue claw foot tub all set up for self-serve dog bathing, and Jennine continues to offer her renowned, super friendly Gooddogs dog walking services. So stop by the shop and put your furry friends into the animal-loving, caring hands of Jeannine, and say hi to Hazel & Gertie, and Biggie, too!

Your co-hosts, Hazel, Biggie and Gertie.

Hazel & Gertie’s
3385 22nd Street (at Guerrero)
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.401.WOOF (9663)
Store Hours: Mon-Fri 10-7, Sat 11-6, Sun 11-5

With their trusty fox terrier George as inspiration, a couple of very cool designers, Bobby Wise and Lyndon Lambert created George here in San Francisco. George is pretty much heaven for dog and cat owners who like to prance around a well-dressed pet, as well as having stylish sleeping and dining accoutrements for their pets around the home.

They also enlisted the talented designer Tom Bonauro to design an entire line of eye-catching home accessories and fashionable gear designed especially for our friends on all fours. They even produce a line of baked-from-scratch treats, so not only are they style conscious, but they provide our loved ones with delicious and healthy snacks, too. George offers its ever-expanding collection at two shops in San Francisco and Berkeley and right here at George’s online store. You don’t want to let your pet be a Glamour Don’t, now do you?

I adore these Pet Portraits by Nicole J. Georges. Nicole is a über talented 25-year old vegan artist from Portland, Oregon who lives and paints with many dogs and two hens at her side. She creates these one of a kind portraits of your favorite pets with loving attention to detail. She works in a variety of mediums – pen & ink, gouache and acrylic and likes to listen to organ music as she works. Whatever the medium, these works of pet art are whimsical and unique – perhaps it’s due to the music! They are simply just happy. And somewhat regal, as our pets should be. That’s what I take away from them. Nicole has always painted portraits of her own animals and has been drawing them since she could hold a crayon.

She started making them as gifts about three years ago when she painted one as a memorial gift to a friend whose cat had been hit by a car. And although, like many artists, she holds down a day job, when someone suggested she start doing paintings on commission, this wonderful ‘sideline’ just came together.

Nicole works from photographs, and if you’re in Portland, she loves to meet the animals in person before beginning the project. She paints them with crowns, birds, winking – whatever suits the personality of your pet.

Prices range depending on the complexity of the project, but starting at $40 for a pen & ink drawing, I think that’s entirely reasonable for an original portrait of your loved one. She has also been note to barter for various trades including, dog treats, coffee drinks and vegan food items. You can reach the very talented Nicole be at nicole@nicolejgeorges.com for more information.