Lola's Cozy Kennel

It's been awhile, old friend. I just ate a whole big candy bar, ignoring the suggested 3 servings per bar, so I'm on a sugar high at 9PM. Normally at this time I would be slipping into my PJ's and a pair of my fancy novelty socks, packing my lunch, and jumping under the layers of warm covers in my terribly uncomfortable bed. Instead, I sit in the living room writing to a dwindling crowd of readers (crowd? I should be so lucky!), ready to punch my laptop right in the money-maker since my "s" key must be forcefully pushed in order to result in an "s" appearing on the screen.

I've been keeping terribly busy with adjusting to my new life. By busy, I mean frazzled. Who would have thought that having to feed a baby every 3 hours would leave not much time to get things done in between feedings? I feel like I am feeding her all night until I'm able to get her in bed and have 30 minutes to myself to clean and pack up for the next day. I felt so proud of myself for actually finishing a project this weekend that I'll ignore the fact that it took me four weeks to even think about starting it.

For some odd reason, we were recommended a dog kennel that was far too large for a Shiba Inu. Our 20 lb Lola was sure enjoying her space in a kennel big enough for a lab, but it was taking up too much space in the living room and Chris preferred switching out the eyesore for one we could hide behind the couch. I was so excited about finding the perfect sized kennel on Craigslist, that I didn't realize that Lola might not be as excited to lose the only home she's known. We've had her new kennel for about a month and she had yet to step foot in it. I thought that if I made it a little more comfy, then perhaps she would wander in there on her own for a little siesta.

There was a great sale at Hancock Fabrics last week, so I picked up a roll of foam and some clearance fabric. I cut the foam to be a foot high on the sides and to cover the bottom.

I then covered the sides with a soft cotton fabric and the bottom with a durable corduroy. I added some velcro to the corduroy in order to make it removable and washable. It was a quick 1-hour project that may not look perfect, but it gets the job done. After placing the finished project in the kennel, Lola waltzed right in and took a nap.