We’re taking a break from gift-opening, gingerbread house-decorating and hot chocolate drinking to wish you all a very happy holiday! We hope you all are having fun with your family and friends and enjoying some time off after the hustle and bustle of this super busy season. We sure are happy to be kicking back and relaxing for a bit!

We’ll be back later this week to share more about our Christmas festivities, what Santa brought and a few of our little reindeer’s outtakes (we’re pretty sure he thinks he’s a real reindeer). Until then, may your days be merry and bright!

…dog toys, that is. If you’re a dog owner like us, you probably have dog toys strewn around the house. Bentley likes to scatter his toys around the house (most commonly up and down the hallway and hidden in the couch cushions), but he always seems to know where each one is – especially when it comes to his tennis ball, Kraft Ruff Parmesan toy, and Rufus (his BFF). If I say, “Go get Rufus!”, he scampers as fast as he can, slipping and sliding on the hardwood floors as he goes, and promptly returns proudly wagging his tail with Rufus in his mouth.

You may remember a few weeks ago I mentioned I was on the hunt for accessories at an antique mall in the area (read that post here). I was also looking out for a vintage crate to use as a toy box for our little ball of energetic, toy-loving fur. I found a lot of crates, but they were all much to large for our 10-pound dog.

Last week, a friend of mine was driving down from northern Virginia and stopped at an antique store on her way back into town. While she was there, she found a small, vintage crate that she thought would be perfect for Bentley. She gave me a call and asked if I wanted her to pick it up for me and I, without hesitation, said, “Yes!” After all, if it ended up being too big (or to small) for Bentley’s toys, I could always find another use for it. As far as I’m concerned, you can never have too many vintage crates around the house.

It was perfect! Exactly what I was looking for and the perfect size for his small toy collection. Dfusefinitely worth the $15.

The side of the crate has a partial label that says “…aum’s Horse and Stock Company”. Some of the label has come off over time, but the rest of it is pretty secure, despite what it looks like in the photos. After doing some investigative Googling, I found that it is actually a vintage advertising veterinary box from Baum’s Castorine Co. of Syracuse, New York and once held 10 pounds of food. What kind of food, I’m not really sure – though I assume it was for some sort of farm livestock. The company was founded in 1879, so there’s no telling how old this thing is!

I love the “rusticness” (Hey… dictionary.com says it’s a word!) of the wood. Even though the crate is small, it makes me even more anxious to find a piece of reclaimed wood for the mantle we have planned for over the fire place (read more about our thoughts on that here) and  that coffee table I wish we would have snapped up!

FYI For some reason the floors look more red than they actually are in person in the above and below photos. I think it’s the light bulbs in the living room. Ugh! Moving on… Bentley is a big fan of the new addition as well. It’s the perfect size for him at 6″ high, 11″ wide, and  7.5″ deep. He can get toys in and out (Yes, he actually puts toys “away” from time to time!) without choking himself in the process.

Speaking of “vintagesness” (That one’s not even on dictionary.com), the other day, I ended up going back to the antique mall to buy the brass bunny I stalked in this post. Our backyard seems to be the local hangout for the neighborhood rabbits, so it’s going to make a fun conversation piece.

Our new little buddy is solid brass and I was able to snatch him up for only $12. (Thanks for not running out and buying him before I got back to the antique mall!) Like all of the accessories in the house, he’ll probably end up a few places before finding the perfect final spot. But for now, he’s hanging out on the table behind the couch.

How about your house? Are the dog toys taking over? Does your dog have a particularly favorite toy like Bentley?

Oh yeah! Tonight’s the night… the season fanalie of HGTV’s Design Star. Have you been watching this season? Who do you think will walk away with their own show? Meg or Karl?

It’s no secret we love our little guy, Bentley. As you dog lovers on the other side of the screen can relate to (and thanks to the reader survey, we know there are a lot of you out there!), he’s much, much more to us than “just a dog” – he’s more like a part of the family. Truth be told, he’s like a child to us. Yes, we’re crazy like that. But how could you not unconditionally love this little sweet face?!

Today we’re celebrating Bentley’s 5th birthday! To celebrate the big 5 on the blog, we thought it would be fun to share a few of Bentley’s faves, “His + Her Favorite Things” style…

1. Peanut Butter - I’ve never met a dog that didn’t love Peanut Butter, and Bentley is no exception! Even though it’s pretty typical, Bentley was pretty adamant that this made it to his list. If the slightest whiff of peanut butter is in the air, he goes absolutely crazy and does not stop begging until he gets some! (And he does always get a lick or two. I mean, how could we resist?!)

2. Squirrel Intelligent Dog Toy by Martha Stewart Pets  - This is a favorite of Bentley’s – he just doesn’t know it yet. It’s what we got him for his birthday… shhhh! I have always wanted to get this for him.  He absolutely loves trying to figure things out, so this is right up his alley.  You just put the little squirrels down in the tree stump, then let your dog go find them. I think he’s going to totally geek out over it!

3. Blue Buffalo Turkey Bits - When Bentley comes in from “using the little boy’s room yard”, we give him one of these Turkey treats from Blue Buffalo. We love these treats because they’re pretty small (no worries about him filling up on them) and made with wholesome ingredients. Once in a while, he acts like he has to go outside just to get a treat! It’s things like this that makes us think he’s part human.

4. Tennis Balls – Bentley has three toys he makes sure he knows where they are at all times: his orange rubber dog-shaped toy whom we’ve dubbed “Rufus”, his plush Parmesan (it looks like a can of Kraft Parmesan) and his tennis ball.  The tennis ball is is favorite thing to have thrown around the house.  As soon as you lay a hand on it, he’s bouncing around and ready to play.

5. BabyBel Cheese - Even though Bentley’s the type of dog that always has to know what you’re eating, he has a very sensitive stomach and can only eat certain things (he even has to eat prescription dog food). After a lot of trial and error, we found that aside from a tiny amount of peanut butter (fave #1) and Blue Buffalo Turkey Bits (fave #3), the only other treats we can give Bentley is BabyBel cheese (in tiny pieces). We save this treat for special occasions (like his birthday!) so he knows that when he gets a piece of a BabyBel, he must have done something really good.

6. Blankets – If there’s a blanket in sight (or a towel, or even a jacket), Bentley WILL dig a bed out of it. When I say “dig a bed”, he literally twirls the blanket into a circle, digs a hole in the middle of the circle, and (when it’s to his liking) he curls up in a little ball right in the middle. We’ve seem him work for a solid 20 minutes making the perfect “hole” to lay down in. When we try to help him, he just gives us a look that clearly says, “Really? I’m 5. I can handle this,” then starts over. Psst… find the pictured blankets here.

7. Bone Quilt Bolster Bed – This bed has recently been referred to as Bentley’s “blogging bed”. Bentley loves to run around the house and get into things while I’m not looking (He’s just an inquisitive puppy!), so I need to keep an eye on him sometimes. While I’m on the computer, I set this bed up in a chair next to me so he can be comfortable while I write. He absolutely loves being “on my level”, so he just settles down and hangs out with me. I can keep an eye on him, and he can keep an eye on me. It’s win-win!

So what about your dog (or cat)? Do they have a particular favorite thing? Share it with us in the comment section!