Shutterfly's most excellent Christmas card promo

As we here at Right Girl Writes are both nosy and obsessed with pictures of our furry friends the Puggles, we're thrilled to share the 2010 Shutterfly Holiday card collection with readers and the Shutterfly Holiday Card Promotion with our fellow bloggers.

Yes, this is a promotional blog post. Shutterfly is wisely using this sort of "grassroots" advertising by offering bloggers a reward for spreading the word about their product.

Now, the details: If you're a Shutterfly user like me, you know you can count on their high quality products -- my personal favorite is the photo book. My Iowan friends the Schuttes use their wall calendar products. Have you tried their stationery and cards?

If you're not familiar with Shutterfly, you're in for a treat! In this instance, professional-looking cards are within reach. Choose a set for any holiday, or for a baptism, anniversary, save the date announcement, and more. The most difficult thing will be picking which photo(s) to use.

The best starting page for someone new to Shutterfly's cards is this one -- browse the fabulous designs by holiday (Hannukah, Thanksgiving, New Year's and so on); number of pictures on card; and more.

A few of my favorites:

I am partial to photo cards with lots of opportunities for photos, as pictured above...it is seriously difficult to choose! Whether you have pets or actual children, you undoubtedly have some pictures of them you'd like to share.

If you aren't ready to commit, give it a trial run! Use promo code CARD4U to get a free 5x7 photo card -- just pay 99-cent shipping! And if you like what you see, there's plenty of time to place a full order.

Not so into the holiday holidays? Check out their extensive Valentine's Day selection!

If you are a blogger and would like to join me in doing the Holiday Card Promotion, don't delay -- click here today.

Thanks, Shutterfly, for asking us to play!

Are you slick?

Take a moment to browse one of my addictions, SlickDeals.net.

They've started incorporating local deals, so you no longer need to read your daily email from Groupon, LivingSocial, PlumDistrict, and so on.

Because everyone checks those sites, right?

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

This week I am wrapping up an important chapter in my life -- the conclusion of my first "real" career, at NRA HQ in Virginia.

This means... a lot more time for blogging on my own! Right?

First on the docket: some down time. As "down" as things gets around here: I've been spending every free moment volunteering for the campaign of Keith Fimian; Dad's coming to town to finish the hardwood floors and help me repaint some of the rooms; I'll still co-chair the Veteran's Day event Nov. 9; assorted politicking of the local sort; organizing the bf's house; planning travel to St Louis and Iowa over the Thanksgiving holiday. Adding to the fun, I'm hosting my neighbor's baby shower Nov. 13. Everything is pink! It's so much fun. Please send prayers, though; she's a high-risk pregnancy and just hit the 7-month mark.

While I'm away... look to these folks for advice ;)

Hard to believe it's September -- and I've failed once again at keeping this thing relatively up to date. A lot of exciting things have been happening in the condo, and in life, but right now I'd like to share one of my favorite ways of wasting time on the Internet: advice columns. Unlike bejeweled, these have the possibility of usefulness, no?

I make no promises of updating this site for the next month. But you're free to peruse the wisdom offered by the following folks:

• The Ethicist (the one part of NYT I can stomach)
• Dear Prudence
• Friend or Foe
• Ask Amy
• Savage Love (warning: somewhat obscene)

What can I say, I'm horribly nosy! Am I missing any good ones?

Summer vacation, and holidays, and being a grown up

As a kid, summer vacation was something to look forward to, a long drive in the family's battered station wagon to a friend's condo in South Carolina, the Ozarks, or once, a real splurge -- Disney World.

This summer, with a load of traveling to do for work, and a few friends visiting -- I will always enjoy living near a city people like to visit. Remind me of this! -- the Bill and I will not be escaping the city. I had hoped for the beach, or maybe Vegas to visit his brother. Eh. What we do have is a few trips to Ohio for weddings in his family, and the drama of the holidays. Who gets what? Is it worth it to drive just so puggles aren't at the evil doggie hotel over Christmas?

Father's Day 2010

As I remind Bill to buy his father a freaking Father's Day card before it's July, I think of how different our dads are. Bill's dad has four sons. My dad has three daughters. Bill's dad became a father at 22; mine at 30.

Though they live only a few hundred miles apart -- Bill's near Cleveland, mine near St Louis -- I struggle to think of two men more different. Both know the value of hard work, and both are the cornerstone of the respective families. Happy Father's Day to the men in this world who have devoted the time and patience to nurturing the young people in their lives.

My dad retired last year, something I'm very pleased to report. His life isn't one I'd describe as easy; after enlisting in the Marine Corps on his 18th birthday with hopes of deploying to Vietnam, he worked construction before finding a niche in high-risk coal mining in southern Illinois. 19 years later, the mines closed and he was left wondering how to support a family of 5.

When I was 20, dad drove me from Iowa to Washington DC to spend a summer studying economics at Georgetown, an opportunity he would never have had in a million years. Since his retirement, he has visited me in northern Virginia to renovate my condo; taken weeks to volunteer by my side during the Conservative Political Action Conference; and always been available when tensions were high.

Happy Father's Day, dad.

A quick word..

Bill and I just returned from Memorial Day weekend outing to Cleveland, OH, for his cousin's wedding. Because of past behavior(s), puggles were sadly not invited. (Sorry about the rug, Kathy!)

Our friend Joe was kind enough to hold down the Fort here in Fairfax, and we received quite a reception from the puggles, who assumed we had abandoned them. Bacon, pictured here doing his usual sad face, had not been away from Bill for more than a night.

Unlike his big brother, Bacon isn't much of a people puggle. He's happy to play with new dogs, but people just aren't his thing. Especially if they're in HIS house. Regardless, we're happy to have friends willing to care for our babies so we can escape the chaos of northern Virginia every now and again :)

Happy Memorial Day to you and yours; take a moment to reflect on those who have given so much, that we may be Free.

Colors of the condo

The mood, color, and decor of the condo change quite often. Hey, it's my house, and I do what I want.

These lovely gold pillows? They didn't last long. Two puggles found them an inconvenience to snuggling up on the couch.

And...on second thought? Painting the master bedroom that weird shade of purple/blue (at right) may have been a bad idea.

I'm on my third set of bedding and still can't find a good match.

The best part of the condo so far is by far my shoe wall. It's six large shelves, each of which hold 10 pair of shoes. The master closet simply couldn't cut it.

RANT: the Blake Road dog park

Dear fellow dog owners of northern Virginia:

We can appreciate your desire to get your pups out and about. We, too, enjoy taking our two boys to the park. (My three favorite men are pictured above.)

But for the love of God! If your pooch is not ready to socialize with other dogs -- if you in fact say this upon entering the park -- could you perhaps rethink your decision? The dog park is not an experiment. It is common ground for well-behaved pups and their parents.

You have been warned.

Container gardening

This blog, Life on the Balcony, is a great resource for those of us who don't actually own any dirt. Check it out, and stay tuned for an update on the patio habitat here at Casa De La Puggle.

Spring cleaning, condo style

I don't think I will ever forget my first home. . . 980 square feet, all mine. If that darned New Homebuyers' credit ever happens, I'll really never forget my first home.

Anyway. Cleaning. Not necessarily one of my strong suits -- which is where my teeny tiny home has a perk. My Dyson DC14 All-Floors vacuum (which I couldn't live without) can actually reach all corners of my home if plugged into the dining room outlet.

This weekend saw some heavy vacuuming. Under the couch. . . well, you can see for yourself. I wonder who to blame?

standby!

Bill, my personal IT man/boyfriend, is working on linking this blog to the domain I purchased many moons ago, daniellesturgis.com. Just because I want it :)

Making sense of the health care mess

Puggle and I live near DC. This means a lot of things, primarily that the guest bedroom sees a lot of traffic from friends wanting to see the city ... and that I'm somehow considered a policy expert of sorts. Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but how many other young people come home for the holidays and are asked nonstop about everything from healthcare policy to the death tax to the current administration's new education policies?

I'm lucky to stay in the know with firearms legislation -- keep in mind I work in the NRA's programs side, people, programs side. Health care has never really interested me. Add to the equation a bunch of jargon and numbers and I'm really lost. Heritage's blog published this piece the other day, and I will share it with my friends when they ask my perspective on the current socialized medicine debacle:

http://blog.heritage.org/2009/12/22/young-invincible-and-now-forced-to-shell-out-for-health-care/

home for the holidays

Merry Christmas, everyone! Are you ready for 2010?

The weather in northern VA and Washington DC was so frightful at this time last week, Puggle + I weren't sure where we'd be for Christmas. Thankfully the airports reopened in time for our early morning flight out on Monday, Dec. 21 and we are attempting a brave 8 days in southern Illinois.

I probably should have realized this Christmas would be different -- the second w/o Grandma, the third w/ Slug the brother-in-law, the second w/ the addition of Puggle (adorable as he is, still a 'damn dog' in mom's opinion), the first as a homeowner, first since the Break Up, first since Dad's hot-button 'retirement,' first where sister is working and unable to attend Christmas Day festivities, etc. But how does one prepare for different when the setting is a familiar, childhood scene?

the fall visitors

Kristin visited us two weeks ago, all the way from Nashville. She arrived on the tail end of Doc Schutte's visit, who arrived just as Mom was leaving. Kristin had a great 36-hour trip and we agreed we're always doing these weekend pitstops. But better than not seeing one another at all!

Well, it's been a few weeks and the condo is preparing for another visitor -- but a special, handy one. Dad Sturgis is making his second condo renovation trip out east to spend a week with his grandpuggle. He'll also make it to our Veteran's Day event.

At left, Kristin sits with puggle + foster doggie in the living room. Hopefully we'll get a few before" and "after" pictures up soon. Dad does amazing work, from the bathroom renovations to laying hardwood floors down on what used to be soiled carpet remiscent of a crack den, according to Josh Myers. . . and he would know.

the welcome

When having a blog was trendy, I held off. Now that everyone and their pup has a blog, I'm in. Primarily because I'm doing my darnedest to explore all blogging platforms. First up: switching my blogspot URL to daniellesturgis.com.

Stay tuned -- right girl writes will primarily be a resource to sites and articles I find interesting.