Last Friday, a stranger said the most wonderful thing to me. And I am still thinking about it.

After dropping Mimi off at daycare, I took Nunuk for a walk on one of our usual routes, up the hill and along the local golf course. At one point, I noticed a car slowing down as it neared us. When the car finally stopped, the woman behind the wheel rolled down her window and said: “I just wanted you to know. The two of you are beautiful.“

Her tone was sincere, friendly and sweet. Yet she caught me completely off-guard. I suddenly realized that up to that moment I had been tense, anxious, and worried about a lot of things including my health, being behind in my work, afraid that I’ll never reach the goals I’ve set for myself this year and well, you know, filled with all those limiting beliefs that can really mess you up. I was also worried that a block away, we were going to pass one of Nunuk’s nemeses, a bulldog named Sydney.

But this lady knew none of that. It didn’t matter, either. She just sat in her car, a big smile on her face. “Thank you. Thank you so much!” That’s all I could think of saying.

She nodded with confidence and conviction that said, “You better believe it.” And drove off.

We passed Sydney the bulldog’s house without incident. In fact, Nunuk didn’t even notice him. I think that woman’s words were still ringing in both of our heads.

I went around for the rest of the day feeling like I was walking on clouds.

It’s a great feeling when someone tells you something incredibly nice. It’s a feeling that stays with you for a good, long time.

What has someone said to you recently that has made you feel wonderful?

I used to think that people who owned dogs were absolutely nuts. They talked about their dogs like they were people, bragged about them, looked down on other people’s dogs. Then Nunuk came into our lives and we kind of became crazy dog people ourselves. Of course our dog is the most beautiful of all dogs. Of course he’s the smartest with the biggest heart. Of course he’s the best behaved.

Actually, he’s not the best behaved. No dog is. But Nunuk, in particular, is animal aggressive. In and out of shelters for a good part of his life, he’s never been socialized with other dogs. He wigs out when he sees them and instead of considering starting a friendship with them, he thinks he’s at the start of a big meal. However, around people, he’s the nicest. We often joke that if a thief broke into our house, he’d play with the robber. But around dogs, squirrels and cats…fuggedaboutit. That’s just how he is.

At first he was just too much to handle. Or so I thought. Then Paz, who loves dogs and is incapable of seeing any dog in a negative light, taught me a lot about how these animals think, feel and react under varying circumstances. Although she’s never met Nunuk in person, her instincts and understanding about him were always spot on. On days when he had just dragged me down the street after a cat and I thought I couldn’t take his antics any longer, I’d tell her about my frustration and she’d offer advice or some kind of anecdote from her own experiences that helped me better deal with him.

Sadly, Paz lost her two very special dogs, Menina and Cadeau in the past year. I never met them, but I am certain they directly contributed to Paz’s helping me with Nunuk. I know it may sound silly especially to those of you who don’t have pets or think we pet owners are a nutty bunch. But when she told me of Cadeau’s passing, and subsequently Menina’s, I cried. In the end, our beloved pets are members of the family. We feed them, play with them, teach them, and worry about them about as much as we do the human members of our family. So when they’re gone, naturally, we mourn their absence.

Paz asked me to design some cookies to honor Menina and Cadeau’s memories. I warned her that they would be whimsical and mischievous in style. Not surprisingly, she told me to go for it.

These are just a few of the entire set I made, which will all soon be posted on my Flickr portfolio.

I have a dream. I have a dream that one day, my cookies will have been in every state in this great country. After that, every country on this planet. After that, every planet in the universe. That would be quite nice, I think. Well, dreams are dreams, but when they start to come true in even the smallest ways, well, that’s pretty darn sweet. This coming Sunday, my bulldog cookies will be at the 2010 New England Bulldog Show in Seekonk, Massachusetts. So hey, if you just happen to be in Seekonk, take some photos and send them to me!

Have a bark of a weekend, my friends. cheers, mari

Remember this guy?

Although I spent most of the year-end holidays trying to get more sleep (and coming to terms with the fact that, omg, I really am a parent now), I did manage to do some fun, creative things during my few conscious moments. You may recall the first time I tried to transform my beloved bulldog into a print; it didn’t really work. Wolf told me that my cookies have a very physical character to them, and that if I were serious about transforming them into more permanent formats, painting would be better. For once, I agree with my dear husband. And as you know, I’ve painted a few other cookie designs such as my Dachshund and my baby German Shepherd. Which, by the way, are now available in my Etsy store as limited edition giclee print repdroductions!

So here’s Mr. Bulldog in a painting. And soon, he’ll be in greeting card format, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

After a non-stress test last week, my doctor declared that I am officially full term and that if I go into labor in the coming week, then, I go into labor. I raced home and told Wolf, “I think we better put the crib together…” It’s up and just needs a mattress and sheets and we’re ready. Well, as ready as any new parents are. Which is not that ready at all, I’m sure.

Otherwise I’m still getting about as I always do, even walking our gigantic Nunuk in the mornings and evenings. Is it possible that he senses a change is about to happen? Maybe it’s because of his breed (Malamute-Shepherd mix), maybe it’s because he’s never been properly socialized with other dogs, maybe it’s because he’s a guy, I’m not sure. But he has always pulled hard, almost dragging me with him, when we take our walks. But these days, he’s not pulling as hard. He doesn’t go as crazy around squirrels, and he even seems a bit calmer around other dogs. Just a fraction.

I made the bag pictured here so that I’d have my hands free when walking him. A few people in the neighborhood asked where they could get one and were astonished that it was handmade. Goodness, the thing is so easy to make. I’m thinking of posting a pattern and tutorial for you here if you’re interested. In the meantime, I made four and put them up for sale in my Etsy shop. The great thing about this bag is that it’s washable, durable and keeps your hands free so that you can focus on your dog while walking. Also, if I might say so myself, it’s just a heck of a lot prettier than other bags out there. Each one is one-of-a-kind since I make these from leftover fabric.

My granny used to tell me, “Do your duty!” before we left the house. Well, with this bag, I feel I’m helping my dog do his duty properly, and doing my civic duty. After all, there’s nothing ickier than stepping in another pooch’s poop. I carry extra scoop bags in there, too, in case inconsiderate dog owners – ahem – forget to carry some on their walks.

Back with some cookies, soon, too.

Finally, I finished the Blue Dachshund painting. I followed the original cookie design pretty closely, although in this version, the doggie is a bit chubbier. Or as I like to think, healthier.

I have one more cookie I’d like to transform into a painting, either the Cool Dude or the Bulldog.

Suggestions are welcome!

Normally I paint outside because I prefer working in natural light, but it has been so hot here in southern California that I decided to bring everything inside. The Santa Ana winds, seasonal winds that blow from the east to the west, have been moving through town and it is hot, hot, hot here. I doubt I would be exaggerating if I suggested I could cook dinner on the pavement. It is that hot. Oy.

The next painting is of my beloved blue Dachshund. I love that little doggie, though my husband doesn’t like little dogs, and said that if I ever brought a Dachshund home, he might have it for lunch if he couldn’t find anything in the pantry. Of course he wouldn’t eat a dog, but he is Norwegian, which means he’s a barbarian genetically. Anyway. When I first created Mr. Blue Dachshund in a cookie, he marked a huge turning point in my work. Bored and often frustrated with pre-cut cookie cutter shapes, I decided to take a different approach with him, so I outlined his shape onto a piece of plastic and cut my own stencil from that. I used that stencil on a few cookies and practiced drawing his features on top of the base layer of icing. The first few attempts were dreadful, and that’s when I learned to first try new designs on wax paper. (the trial cookies didn’t go to waste; my husband ate the no-good ones…)

I hope to finish this one in the next day or so. In the meantime, I’m enjoying being inside, grateful for air-conditioning, and that Nunuk, who is at least 20 times larger than your average Dachshund, likes to lie at my feet while I work. Occasionally when I pause and look at him, so calm, so sleepy on the floor next to me, I think, I have a good life. I do.

I’ll be back with the final version soon. Cheers.

Remember this guy? I jokingly call him “Top Dawg.” About two years ago, someone sent me a photo of a baby German Shepherd, one of my favorite breeds, and I couldn’t resist transforming him into a cookie design.

As I mentioned previously, my baking activities are slowing down. That doesn’t mean the cookies are far from my thoughts. Au contraire, my friends. I’ve been pondering how to transfer my designs to more permanent formats for quite some time, and earlier this year I tried my hand at creating replicas through programs such as Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Though the results were okay, okay didn’t cut it for me. Something was missing.

“Maybe you should try your hand at painting,” my usually stoic Norwegian husband suggested. “The thing about your designs is that they are very physical. So if you want to recreate them in some other way, I think you need to do that in an equally physical format.”

Had I been in a cartoon strip, I’m sure you would have seen question marks appear above my head. Painting? An equally physically way? I was confused, mostly because I couldn’t visualize what Wolf was suggesting. And I’m most definintely not a painter. But Wolf often has interesting observations and suggestions. Eventually, I found myself at the art supplies store looking for painting supplies. After showing some photos of my cookies to some art students who work at the store, I came home with a few tiny canvases, a bucket full of acrylic paints and brushes and the students’ advice to practice on scrap paper first. It took a few piles of paper to get the hang of using brushes and controlling the amount of paint I used. Painting IS different from piping icing on cookies. In just the past few days, my respect for real painters has grown exponentially.

Well, here’s my first attempt. Let me know what you think.

“Top Dawg,” by mari pfeiffer. Acrylic on canvas, 8 x 10 ins.

]]> http://www.mischiefmaricookies.com/blog/cookie-becomes-a-painting/feed/ 9 http://www.mischiefmaricookies.com/blog/monday-cookies-hey-bulldog/ http://www.mischiefmaricookies.com/blog/monday-cookies-hey-bulldog/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:44:13 +0000 mischief mari http://www.mischiefmaricookies.com/blog/?p=355

Just before Valentine’s Day, I mentioned that one of my goals this year is to move some of my cookie designs to other formats, like paper and fabric. This bulldog, who you might recognize from my main site’s banner, is the first attempt. He was lovingly replicated using Adobe Illustrator, a not very friendly program, but ultimately a very useful program. Every time I mess up in Illustrator, I cuss and swear that it requires another advanced degree to master. Well, I’m up to my very thick eyebrows in student loans, so I’m not going to grad school anytime soon. Actually, make that never again. I don’t care if I am someday regarded as undereducated.

Calling all artists, illustrators, graphic geniuses and everyday people with good taste to kindly give me some feedback. I hope to put Mr. Bulldog on a few cards and tags. Should he remain white?

Have a dawg of a week.

Hey there. It’s me, Nunuk. I think you’ve seen me here a few times. Don’t remember? With these good looks, how could you forget?

Mari gave me permission to paw the keyboard today, which is nearly as sweet as gnawing on a knuckle bone. Sure beats watching a political convention. I watched both conventions. Big woof. Napped through most of the action. What? You thought I was gonna get all riled up about that Palin woman comparing herself with a pit bull? Naw, man. I didn’t blink. That chick knows what she is. Noisy and mean-spirited.

Now, if she compared herself with an Alaskan Malamute, that would have been interesting…

Mari said she’ll be back next week, after she’s finished interviewing psychotherapists for a new article. And hopefully she’ll have recovered from Joe Felso’s retirement from blogging.