Pick of the Week: Instagram

You exist in the Twitter-sphere. You post (at least) hourly updates to Facebook. You've been the mayor of anyplace on Foursquare. If these statements describe you, then this post probably isn't for you.

For everyone else, I want to introduce you to Instagram. Instagram markets itself as a fun and creative way to share photos with friends and family. In my opinion the value of Instagram is less about creating a photo-centric social network (is there anyone NOT trying to build a social network these days?), but about turning the average photo-taker into an artist. You see, Instagram offers instantly-applied filters for your photos. From your smartphone.

The easiest way to explain is to do a demonstration. Here's a photo of Daisy I took on my phone recently:

 

Not a bad photo, but nothing to write home about. Now, here's the photo using one of Instagram's 16 filters:

Instagram let me zoom in a bit, and then updated the photo with hypersaturation and a bit of a vintage feel. Much better right? Here's another example:

Again, not a bad shot, but the cars on the street and too much greenery at the top make it not worth framing. Here's the photo using Instagram:

This filter added sepia tones and a cool, washed out border. It also blurred a lot of the background with a watercolor effect so the cars are less noticeable. Now it looks like something I'd hang on the wall!

This app will never replace professional photography of course, but it's pretty cool to feel like you can take photos worth sharing with the world. The only catch with Instagram is that it's only for your smartphone (visit your phone's App Store or Instagram.com for details). So if you don't have one, well... you've got bigger fish to fry than photo-editing software ;)

This is what happens when you don't read my blog...

If my neighbor had been up to date with Daisy's Picks, he wouldn't have needed to write this email:

"Ok - so I went to Kickass Cupcakes at their truck on Columbus yesterday. They had something called a pupcake (cupcake with a dogs head on top.) My wife loves all things in the shape of dogs, so I got her one. I got home and she was about to eat it when she asked me if it was for humans or dogs. Ridiculous question, right?

Apparently not. I called the store immediately and asked them. It is for a dog.

Anyway, long story - we have a cupcake for Daisy!"

Smart lady to ask that question before digging in. At least Daisy made out in this deal. This will be her third pupcake in a week!

Fashion's Night Out goes to the dogs!

Thursday night celebrated Fashion's Night Out Boston (FNO Boston), a major event in cities all over the world. For the first time in 15 years Newbury Street was closed to vehicular traffic and a major block party ensued. Music, food, drinks and of course lots of fashion! Locations all around the city celebrated in style, but since I was stationed on Newbury for the evening, that's the only perspective I'll write about.

The Pru was lit up in pink to celebrate Fashion's Night Out

Each store on Newbury was invited to host an event. Most showed off the newest product lines, provided discounts and served food and drinks to shoppers. Even though we typically think of "fashion" as being a human phenomenon, Audrey's Pet Supplies was not to be left out of the fun. Their theme for the evening was "It's fashionable to adopt!"

Audrey's encouraged all visitors to the store Thursday evening to shop "the middle table", a section of the store dedicated to products whose manufacturers donate a portion of their proceeds to animal rescue groups. They also handed out information about pet adoption through Beantown Tails magazine. Two companies in particular were represented that evening, AdopTee's (my company) and Goodness Gracious treats for dogs and cats. Both companies donate at least 50% of their profits to animal rescue groups & shelters. It was a fun, lighthearted evening all for a good cause. 

In a serendipitous turn of events, there was a feline veterinary conference going on at the Marriott Copley Place the week of FNO Boston. Never one to miss a marketing opportunity FNO encouraged the attendees to stroll Newbury St. to get a feel for our city. Of course they went straight to the pet supply store! Goodness Gracious was debuting their new cat treat, which was a big hit with the vets (though the treats are completely human-grade, I don't think any actually tried them :) The veterinarians we met also inspired me to work more aggressively towards a cat-only AdopTee's design.  Maybe for the holidays?!

Despite all the fun we had Thursday night, helping pets get adopted isn't a one-night-only type of thing. If you'd like get involved in the cause visit the AdopTee's and Goodness Gracious websites to find out how you can help.

AdopTee's new permanent display at Audrey's Pet Supplies

Goodness Gracious was giving away samples and debuted their new cat treat!

Cupcakes & pupcakes

I'm constantly looking for new, fun things to do with Daisy - not just to keep her entertained & exercised but for my own sanity as well. There's only so many times I can take her to the dog park in one day!

Well now on Tuesdays, you actually might not be able to tear me away from the dog park. KickAss Cupcakes has decided to park their cupcake truck at the edge of Peter's Park in the South End on Tuesdays, starting about 3pm. As far as I know it's the only food truck (save for the ice cream man) that makes a regular stop at Peter's Park. And if their AMAZING cupcakes (and I consider myself a pretty harsh food critic) wasn't enough, they also offer "pupcakes" and "kittycakes" for your furry friends. (Please don't bring your cat to the dog park however. Best to get that treat to go.) A cupcake break would be enough to get me down to the dog park on a regular basis, but a snack for me and my pup? And she gets some exercise & socialization? That's an offer no dog owner can refuse!


Try the Red Velvet, Green Monster (Guiness-flavored with chocolate bits) and the Lucky (lemon with vanilla buttercream & crystallized ginger). I wanted to take a photo of Daisy enjoying her pupcake this week but by the time I got out the camera it was gone! Then she started eying my Green Monster cupcake, so that one had to be eaten quickly before any photos were taken too. YUM. See you next Tuesday!

Update: Daisy and I found ourselves in Davis Square on Sunday, where Kickass Cupcakes has a full bakery and retail store. This time I was able to snap a few picks of Daisy devouring her pupcake and consequently getting peanut butter all over the rug. She eventually licked it all up :)

Sniffing out her new treat

Collateral damage. Don't worry she eventually finished it all!

Daisy's Story

Considering this blog is called Daisy's Picks, it seems only fair to start with some background on Daisy herself. Who is she and what qualifies her to be our resident product-tester? Despite my proclivity for blabbering on about how awesome my dog is, I'll try to keep this short and sweet. 

Daisy is a happy dog!

Daisy is what is known as a "Dixie Dog": a shelter dog from somewhere down South that gets shipped up to the Northeast hoping to be adopted. Dogs from Puerto Rico, where overpopulation is particularly severe, are called Sato's. Massachusetts has very strict spay and neuter laws, but unfortunately that's not the case in most of the country. Accidental litters are very common, espcially among strays. And unfortunately, many shelters are overwhelmed with the number of dogs coming in and thus have to euthanize many every day.

The good news is that this problem has been getting increasing attention, and many organizations actually specialize in finding forever homes for Dixie Dogs. Animal Planet even ran a mini-series called Last Chance Highway about the one of these groups (warning: this was too emotional for me to even watch a single episode!) http://animal.discovery.com/tv/last-chance-highway/

As far as we know, Daisy is a basset hound mix, likely with a golden retriever or maybe a fox red lab or chow of some sort. She's from South Carolina, and first "appeared" at the Aiken County Municipal Shelter at around 5 months old. We think she was a stray as she had no paper trail before showing up at this high-kill shelter. Luckily she was healthy, and the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA, which specializes in Dixie Dogs and Sato's brought her to MA when she was about 7 months old. She made the trip in a horse trailer that had transported horses to SC and sometimes brings dogs on the return trip when they have the space. It must have been fate because the day she arrived in Salem we brought her home!

Daisy on her ride home from the shelter. She still had some puppy fur in an awesome Klingon shape on her forehead

My husband and I were out in the yard visiting with a different dog when Daisy walked by. She jumped up on her hind legs, almost like a circus poodle. If she could have reached I think she would have jumped directly into my arms (which would have ended badly considering she weighs 50 pounds!). Daisy was so desperate for love and attention that she sat directly on my lap and knocked me over with kisses. She wouldn't get off my lap no matter what I did! She wasn't at all what we went to the shelter looking for that day, but it was clear it was a perfect fit. Having been a stray or in a shelter for her entire life, Daisy had to be introduced to family life carefully. The dishwasher terrified her and the TV mesmerized her as it might a toddler watching Dora the Explorer. However, she had no problem adjusting to the couch, our bed or any other soft space. This girl enjoys her creature comforts! She'll celebrate her second birthday in November.

I love spending every day with Daisy. We explore the city, run errands & even take naps together (she’s snoring next to me as I write this). Her favorite activities are chewing on sticks, getting belly rubs & sitting for treats. She absolutely adores chasing squirrels on Boston Common, which is where you can find us most weekend.

What do you mean I can't bring the stick in the house? Look how cool it is!

One of the best things to come out of bring Daisy home is the new sense of community my husband and I have in our neighborhood. We actually know our neighbors (which is rare in the city) and we know about their lives. Even if the conversations begin with talk about what the dogs have been up to, it's also nice to share news of weddings and births, promotions and moves. And now we want to share our adventures with a broader community to help you make the most out of your purchases, play and overall time with your pet. Hmm, that was not short but hopefully you found it sweet. Welcome to the pack!

Welcome to my blog! Do I get a treat now?!

Welcome to Daisy's Picks!

Daisy is a very approachable dog. What would normally be a 15min morning walk often turns into an hour-long stroll, stopping to chat with everyone that wants to pet her and ask me why her legs are too short for her body. I'm happy to oblige, and I've found that often during the conversation I get peppered with questions about pet products & services. Do you like that adjustable lead you're using? How do you keep Daisy dry in the rain? Do you know any good dog walkers in the area? 

Just having a cute dog doesn't make me an expert in all-things-dog, but working in the industry I have picked up a trick or two. In order to share my advice and recommendations, I started this blog called "Daisy's Picks" for dog and cat owners looking to make the most out of their purchases, play and overall time with their pet. The blog will be hosted here on Blogger, through AdopTeesOnline.com (our charitable site) and via Facebook & Twitter. Stay tuned for more!