splendor & folly

Sharon Montrose is amazing at capturing the personality and joy of dogs. This is only a few of my favorites, check out her website for more! 

 I love how it looks like Raleigh is looking down at all of his dog friends…hehe

Like most people, I have a soft spot in my heart for animals;  and as I have made very clear here, baby animals especially. This is why it is very very tragic and sad to see photos of baby elephants being trained for the Ringling Brother’s Circus. I was brought to tears by the harsh treatment, terrible conditions and lack of respect for these wild creatures.

After seeing these photos I will never attend a circus with animals and I urge you to do the same. There are plenty of shows like Cirque Du Soleil where the entertainment is provided by people who love to perform, rather than animals that have no other choice.

Click here to see the photos but please be warned that it is very sad. But I feel it is important enough to share so no one else supports this practice.

On a lighter note, here is a cute video of a baby elephant that looks much happier and playful, like baby elephants are supposed to be!

I realize there is also a lot of animal cruelty involved with mass food production, and that is one of the reasons why many people choose to become vegetarian or vegan. Obviously that issue deserves attention as well and is something that has been on my mind lately.

What stands have you taken for the sake of innocent animals or your own personal peace of mind?

Spring has returned.  The Earth is like a child that knows poems.  ~Rainer Maria Rilke

This week’s episode of How I Met Your Mother (best show ever) featured my other favorite thing, a baby animal! I think piggies may have just made my Top 5 Baby Animals List.

And believe it or not, I like the show for other reasons besides the fact that it is hilarious and sometimes features baby animals. I also really love the wardrobe for the two main female characters, Lily and Robin. They always have on the cutest outfits! Carrie Underwood who guest-starred last night was also looking cute in her red dress (above). Here is another example of an outfit from last night’s episode:

I’m loving her patterned top with cardigan, skinnies and boots (not shown). I can’t find who makes the top, but I did find this websitewhich details some of the clothing that they wear. It seems to be mostly more expensive labels such as Nanette Lepore, Marc Jacobs and Diane Von Furstenberg, but occasionally you will find them in Anthropologie, J Crew and Urban Outfitters. But you don’t have to have the exact pieces to replicate the feel of the outfit. I love getting inspiration from everywhere!

**UPDATE – The top is by Joie and can be purchased here. (via)**

PS Does anyone else even watch this show or I am alone on this one??

Hello! Well to continue the theme of things I love, I present to you videos of baby animals. Who could resist??

Please to enjoy:

First saw this kitty one via Chloe

The first two are pretty short and funny, the third is just adoreableness…

It is one thing to see a picture of a cute baby animal, but to see a real live action video?? I think this is really the true benefit of youtube.

And I will leave you with my top five favorite baby animals in no particular order:

1. Puppies
2. Bunnies
3. Sea Turtles
4. Pygmy Hippos
5. Puppies