If you really love your dog, it shouldn't lead a dog's life, but
should be treated once in awhile, perhaps to a luxurious
bath.Customized imprinted and promotional usb
flash drives. You're thinking, "I do bathe my dog … with a garden
hose." Those days are long gone, thanks to Brielle Dog Boutique &
Self Serve Dog Wash at 501 Union Ave., Brielle.
No garden hoses here.
"We
have a hose where soap and water is pre-mixed, and you choose your
shampoo, and it's heated nice-temperature water," said Debi Brkal,
Brielle, a Realtor and part-owner of the 1,300-square-foot boutique,
who pitches in when she can.
The self-serve wash was the
brainchild of her son, Kevin, 25, a Manasquan native and soon-to-be-ex
Boston resident involved with internet marketing.
"While in
Boston, my fiancee and I got a French bulldog. Living in the city, it
was tough washing Kiki inside, so we looked and found a self-serve dog
wash," he stated. "We planned on moving back down to the shore area and
decided to bring the idea to this area."
Sure, you could go to
a groomer, but "It's easy on the dog – they're not nervous – unlike
being left at the groomer where they're separated from their owner,"
said Debi, noting "It's a fun experience for the owner and his dog to
bathe the dog."
She claimed there aren't any dog-bathing
boutiques in the area, and Brielle Dog Boutique & Self Serve Dog
Wash not only offers baths, but endless dog supplies as well.
"We additionally saw a need for a higher-end type of dog supplies and wanted to add that as well," said Kevin.
The
establishment offers far from simple fare and carries all-natural dog
food by brands such as Merrick, treats, upscale pet products, and even
beer for dogs. But, more on that later. Let's concentrate on what
primarily draws people into the boutique in the first place: the
bathing experience.
Four huge stainless tubs await the dogs –
two with ramps, and one with stairs to accommodate dogs that need an
easier way to get into the tub. The tubs are also owner-friendly and
"are waist-high so you're not hurting your back," noted Debi.
Also
easy on owners' backs is thick meshed rubber matting on the floor,
which prevents slipping for dog and owner, while drains in the floor
get rid of any spillage.
How does the process work?
"We
have a hose where shampoo and water is pre-mixed and you choose your
shampoo and it's heated, nice temperature water," explained Debi.
There
haven't been any bathing "incidents" thus far, thanks to the mats in
the tubs, and tethers in the tub are available if owners want to make
their dogs feel secure – and also to keep Rover from exiting the tub!
The dog owners are not left out.
"We supply owners with aprons so they can stay relatively dry," said Debi.
Like
any other salon, Brielle Dog Boutique & Self Serve Dog Wash has
elevated drying stations with a professional dog blow dryer, grooming
supplies, ear wipes, eye wipes, brushes and combs for the pooch's
post-wash beauty routine.
The boutique provides ample parking for owners with large vehicles transporting sometimes large dogs.
"We strive to be a friendly place where people can come and bathe their dirty dog," Kevin commented.
Which
is precisely what occurred on a recent Saturday. Granted, the boutique
draws "Tons of all-size dogs from really huge dogs to small sizes,"
noted Debi, yet Kevin and his fiancee, Agata Glowacka, 26, were
somewhat taken aback when – following a full house with all four tubs
occupied – Rollins, a 160-pound Newfoundland ambled in and had the
whole place to himself.
The handsome, docile 3-year-old was
accompanied by his owners, Frank Verga, and wife, Lynda Inzinna, both
Point Pleasant. Although Frank claimed, "In the bathtub, he hears the
water running and he jumps in the tub – he loves water!," the couple
would rather not use their claw-foot tub if possible.
Agata,
who helps in the boutique and acts as its photographer, seemed
concerned as to how Rollins would get into the tub, but he had no
problem navigating the ramp and – thoroughly enjoying the experience –
stood patiently as his parents washed and blow-dried him.
"It's good, terrific! You wash him, you do what you have to do, and the dog loves it!," commented Verga.
Inzinna couldn't praise Brielle Dog Boutique & Self Serve Dog Wash enough.
"You
call up and tell people you have a Newfoundland, and they're like
‘Forget it!' You can take little dogs anywhere. This is the best –
nobody caters to big dogs. This is like his own spa! We love this
place," she commented.
The couple decided on the $20
"Laundro-Dog Special" with specialty berry shampoo and blow dry. Prices
not including tax begin at $5 for a "Muddy Paws," five-minute
undercarriage wash; also offered are baths using house shampoo with
blow dry, baths with a towel dry, and other options. Owners wishing to
may bring shampoo and towel-dry their dog for $12.50.From standard Cable Ties to advanced wire tires,
Opting
for specialty shampoo minus the blow dry was Matt Brady, Sea Girt,
accompanied by his six-month old female Labrador retriever, Kona.
"This place is the best place that's happened in the area as far as I'm concerned," stated Brady.
The
well-behaved Kona – fresh from the surf at Manasquan dog beach, but
still eager to get back in the drink – stood in the tub as Brady
lathered her up with deodorizing shampoo.
"I'll be back next
weekend," he stated as the attractive puppy was towel dried by her
owner, then contentedly finished off her reward of a chicken stick from
the boutique's treat area.
Treats? Did someone mention treats?
The shop is called "boutique" for a reason. It carries a sizeable
amount of plush, patterned dog beds, and unique collars and leashes
made of leather, nylon webbing and cloth.
"We did not want to
be the run-of-the-mill type of dog store, so we looked to get as many
made in the USA products as possible. We really wanted to differentiate
ourselves by selling high-quality dog food, treats and upscale dog
supplies," noted Kevin.
Premium-brand dog food and snacks by
names such as Merrick, Acana and Evanger's are sold, as are the
stainless bowls and bowl stands to in which to serve them. Aren't these
brands available at pet outlets and stores? Possibly,we supply all
kinds of oil painting reproduction, but "We have a price-match guarantee for all of our items and we're competitively priced," noted Debi.
Sales
are good, and a mix of 50 percent bath/50 percent sales, with baths
averaging eight to 10 dogs per-day. Bathing brings clients in first,
then they browse, and all items may be special ordered.
Most
post-bath pooches go right for either plush dog toys that come filled
or un-filled, or the immense collection of dog treats. Housed in
dog-accessible baskets on the floor, or on shelving are treats such as
rawhides, Thinkers Dog Chicken Snacks,Use bluray burner to burn video to
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disc. cupcakes and cookies, Bowser Bits Peanut Buttery Pretzels, jerky
treats and sweet potato treats. Brielle Dog Boutique & Self Serve
Dog Wash even carries Bowser Beer, a non-alcohol, no hops beer for
dogs.
Bella, an 8-year-old female mixed breed, may not have had
access to the beer, but she did accept a treat following her bath.
Owners Gary and Lynn Bishop of Brielle opted for the deodorizing
shampoo/blow dry package for their somewhat apprehensive dog. Despite
her size, the entire process took less than 25 minutes as the mellow
Bella isn't fond of blow dryers and was also towel-dried.
Lynn
was more-than-pleased with the outcome, stating "It's easy – definitely
easier than home, especially when the dog doesn't like the bath."
Although
singles and couples ranging up to their 40s were washing on a recent
weekend, Debi noted the boutique's clientele is "All over the place from
teens 12-13 bathing their dogs to 80-year-olds because it's so simple
and easy," and "Children especially love doing it with their parents."
A
youthful Alex Kalman, Freehold, and her "youngster," nine-month-old
border collie, Scooter Pie, dropped in following their weekly trip to
the dog beach.
"It's great. It's nice, because I go to the dog
beach in Manasquan. It's a nice stop on the way from the dog beach – I
can't do this at home," she said.
The petite border collie was
enveloped by the size of the tub – which can fit two small dogs or one
large dog – but she seemed to enjoy the experience, sitting calmly as
her owner bathed her.
"I'll come back, we go to the beach a lot. I do her in the shower and it's a mess – we'll come back!," said Kalman.
What
about owners not interested in a bath, but simply grooming? Brielle
Dog Boutique & Self Serve Dog Wash offers access to its grooming
station in 30-minute increments, but owners must bring their own
clippers.
The dog wash facility presently doesn't have a
groomer, but "We plan on having a groomer who will be able to cut
nails, and wash dogs if anyone does not want to do the self serve,"
stated Kevin, who noted the worst part of his day was the down-time,
what little there is.Complete Your sculpture Magazine Collection for Less!
Debi feels there is no down-side, other than the task of vacuuming up the dog hair after the owners trim their dogs.
Kevin
mentioned all boutique items will be available on the establishment's
website which he plans on expanding, noting "My background is online
e-commerce, so the goal is to get that up and running."
"We turned down more key accounts than we accepted,"
Sterling said. Excluded were big national discount chains, because of a strategy
to focus on specialty stores. "We could have sold three times as much product
this year if we said yes to everyone."
"Our product lends itself more to
a specialty store where there is more of a personal selling approach," said
Brewer.
Sterling and Brewer, with a stack of hefty orders, now had only
a few weeks to raise more than $1 million to get the merchandise manufactured
and delivered. Almost immediately, they needed several hundred thousand dollars
that they didn't have for a down payment.
Banks wouldn't lend to a
startup with no track record, they said. There were firms or individual
investors who agreed to make a loan on the basis of their bulging order book,
but they wanted too much in return, the women said. Still, these last-resort
sources of capital were there if all else failed.
Again, fortune
intervened. Sterling's birthday fell during the financial scramble, and a
relative she ran into at two family gatherings agreed to lend her the money -
just 48 hours before LockerLookz had to wire it to China.
Both the
Sterlings and Brewers attend Prestonwood Baptist Church. Also in the
congregation are a group of anonymous individuals who invest together through an
adviser who places money in business projects where potential profit is not the
only consideration. Again, in the nick of time, the rest of the cash needed
materialized at a reasonable interest rate.
There were other last-minute
saves.
In Xu's successor in China,Customized imprinted and promotional usb flash drives.Complete Your sculpture Magazine Collection for Less!
another Sun employee named Helen Wu, the Texas partners found a committed,
on-the-ground rep. During one crisis, Wu left her Shanghai office and drove 300
miles through the night to a plant so she could personally address a production
delay that threatened to upend a make-or-break deadline for LockerLookz. Sun's
crew made China work for these first-time entrepreneurs.
Their 2011 line
has 38 items, up from 15. Many are priced under $10 and only one product
category,we supply all kinds of oil
painting reproduction, lighting, is priced higher than $20. They have
provisional patents on the wallpaper and the lights.
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Coppell.
"This has been like eight years of college and business school
for all the time we've put in it,Use bluray burner to burn video to BD DVD on blu ray burner
disc." Sterling said.
"And we had a lot of guidance, added Brewer,
referring to Xu and Wu in China, along with Sun, Hardin and the village of
supporters it took to bring LockerLookz to market.
Not long ago, an irate reader e-mailed me, demanding to know whether I like plastic.
I barely knew how to respond. He might as well have asked if I liked gravity. Or the Pacific Ocean.
If
ubiquity is a measure of affection, we all love plastic. It's
everywhere, from our cars to our kitchens. It's a mainstay in the
medical profession. It brings us unbreakable toys and the modern marvel
-- the credit card.
The promise of plastic is "convenience and
comfort, safety and security, fun and frivolity," says author Susan
Freinkel in her new book. But note the title: "Plastic: A Toxic Love
Story." Somehow, things have gone awry in Plasticville.
"Sure, plastics have been a good provider, but that
'Plastic: A Toxic Love Story' by Susan Freinkel. Houghton Miffling Harcourt, 324 pp. $27.
beneficence
comes with many costs that we never even considered in our initial
infatuation," she writes. "Plastics draw on finite fossil fuels. They
persist in the environment. They're suffused with harmful chemicals.
They're accumulating in landfills."
Yet all the while, our
dependence on plastic has continued to grow. In 1940, there was almost
none. Today, the nation generates 600 billion pounds a year.
This is an important book, a thorough dissection of the complexities that today's plastic world presents.
More
than that, it's flat-out fascinating, each chapter more compelling
than the last. Each page brings another eyebrow-raising fact or
statistic, all of it eloquently told. Freinkel tells the story of
plastics through the lens of eight common objects: comb, chair,
Frisbee, IV bag, disposable lighter, grocery bag, soda bottle, credit
card.
"Each offers an object lesson on what it means to live in
Plasticville, enmeshed in a web of materials that are rightly
considered both the miracle and the menace of modern life," she writes.
As she points out, these simple objects "tell tangled stories."
Perhaps nowhere has plastic achieved more for modern civilization than in the medical profession.
"With
plastics, hospitals could shift from equipment that had to be
laboriously sterilized to blister-packed disposables, which improved
in-house safety, significantly lowered costs, and made it possible for
more patients to be cared for at home."
In telling the story of
medical plastics, Freinkel visits a neonatal intensive care unit in
Washington, where baby Amy, born four months early, is fighting for her
life. She depends on plastic devices of every sort.
But as
Freinkel watches the tiny girl struggle to breathe, she also thinks
about how "research now suggests that the same bags and tubes that
deliver medicines and nourishment to these most vulnerable children
also deliver chemicals that could damage their health years from now."
She's
speaking of phthalates and bisphenol A, which are hormone disrupters
and are present in some plastics. Freinkel takes us to a huge vortex of
plastic trash in the Pacific Ocean, formed by currents. She delves
into the world of bioplastics and a Nebraska producer of plant-based
plastics. She introduces us to Californian Mark Murray,Customized
imprinted and promotional usb flash drives.we supply all kinds of oil painting reproduction, who pushed for state legislation to ban plastic bags.
And
who knew that among the Chester County, Pa., Wyeths was the inventor
of the PET soda bottle? Nathaniel Wyeth, painter Andrew's brother and a
plastics engineer at DuPont for nearly 40 years,uy Aion Kinah direct from us at low prices filed his patent for it in 1973.
Today, about a third of the 224 billion beverage containers sold in the United States are made of PET.
But it's also true that their growing presence as litter has helped rally and focus the nation's recycling movement.
"We take natural substances created over millions of years,Use bluray burner to burn video to BD DVD on blu ray burner
disc. fashion them into products designed for a few minutes' use, and
then return them to the planet as litter that we've engineered to never
go away,Complete Your sculpture Magazine Collection for Less!" Freinkel says.
"What will it take to turn that mind-set around, to get people to value plastic for more than a one-night stand?"
In the final analysis, it's not whether anyone likes plastic or not, but whether things are out of whack.
In
the face of environmental ills, what are we to do once we're finished
with it? If additives are a problem, how can we get them out?
And,
in a future of decreasing supplies of oil, a base for many plastics,
would we rather have transportation fuel or disposable cutlery?
Today,
Freinkel says, "for better and for worse, we are in the plastics age.
... Will archaeologists millennia from now scrape down to the stratum
of our time and find it simply stuffed with immortal throwaways ...
evidence of a civilization that choked itself to death on trash?"
Formal organization of the St. John's
Evangelical Lutheran Church, which has been operating for the past six months as
a mission, took place at the morning service last Sunday in the Masonic Hall,
Hatboro, before a congregation of about 150 worshippers.
Rev. Orval
Hartman of Crescent road, Hatboro, who will be the first pastor of the new
church, opened the service. Greetings were brought by Rev. Dr. Emil E. Fischer,
President of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania.
A goal of fifty members
and $500 in contributions for the building fund had been set for the
organization drive. These figures were far surpassed, 68 charter members being
received and a collection of $900 reported. There are 45 children of charter
members in the church family, and the Sunday school has an enrollment of eighty.
A property on the Old York road between Crescent and James roads has
already been acquired. It is hoped the church edifice may be started in about
two years. In the meantime, the congregation will continue to gather in the
Masonic Hall with a service and Sunday school session each Sunday morning.
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Members later signed one of two sets of
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opposition or approval of such a measure. Many other clubs in the county have
sent their opinions to U.S. Senators Martin and Myers and Congressman Samuel J.
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Featured speaker was Miss Grace Chandler of Doylestown, a
free-lance writer and editor. She told of the various celebrities who set the
tone in Bucks county, sometimes termed the genius belt.
Miss Chandler
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Miss Chandler told much of Dorothy Parker, who
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found candles dripping over everything. While a poet, her real fame is from her
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With Miss Eleanor Leedom, chairman of music, as director,
and Mrs.Find everything you need to know about Cold Sore including causes, Walter Brown,
pianist, the chorus sang "May Morning."
The treasurer reported 195
members with dues paid. She reminded them that dues would again be payable in
June and should be in her hands by the middle of August if the names are to be
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Last month Reno gave away three roosters that also had been living
in her yard. One of the ducks was killed by a cat and late last week
Reno found a home for the second duck.
Reno harvests eggs from
the fowl. The goats and birds are pets. "These are members of my
family," Reno explained. "Instead of my kids sitting in front of the TV
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The
animals live in Reno's back yard. She has constructed wire and wood
frame coops for the birds. One large coop abuts the rear fence adjacent
to Floyd's yard. Other coops are scattered throughout the yard where
the chickens, turkey, and goats wander freely beneath a trampoline and
other yard furniture.
Floyd and other neighbors first became
concerned about the types and number of animals living in Reno's yard
earlier this year when roosters could be heard crowing day and night.
Like
most of the neighbors interviewed along Feld Avenue, Katie Pugh
considers Reno a friend and she loves Reno's animals. "The chickens
never bother me so I never hear the chickens or anything," Pugh said.
"But I don't live right next door or right up against it so I don't
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Reno's
friend Karen Rawle lives two houses down. The Reno and Rawle families
have been friends for years, long before the Rawles moved from East
Lake to Oakhurst last year.
Rawle enjoys letting her kids play
with Reno's animals and she appreciates the educational opportunities
afforded by Reno's animals. "When she got the little baby goats, my
kids got to go over there and feed goats," Rawle said.
Reno's
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All of
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Folks like Rawle and Pugh clearly believe that Reno's animals are
being treated humanely and that they are not creating a public
nuisance. Reno is adamant that her animals are well-treated and that
they are being housed in a lawful manner.
According to Decatur
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into the conditions at the Reno property. The investigation was
prompted by complaints filed April 14 by Floyd shortly after the
attorney discovered rats in her kitchen.
Floyd believes that
the conditions in the Reno lot and the proximity of animal pens to her
home are inhumane, unlawful, and the source of the rats. "I would like
strict compliance of the setback requirements, the housing
requirements, and the livestock," Floyd said.
Design stardom wasn't always the plan. Hailing from Calgary,Free DIY chicken coop
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team while pursuing a major in medicine at the University of Calgary.
Prompted by an interest in her minor, fine arts, she applied to the
Ryerson School of Interior Designin Toronto and was scouted by a design
firm while enrolled.
Now Olson, 46, is married and living in Toronto with her two children, ages 5 and 7. Her design empire is flourishing.
Her new series on HGTV, "Candice Tells All,How is TMJ
pain treated?" zeroes in on the underlying design principles that
inspire her transformations, and her book,When the stone sits in the kidney stone,
"Candice Olson Kitchens and Baths" (Wiley), hit stores in April. She
has started her own brand of furniture, fabrics, lighting and bedding
called the Candice Olson Collection.
She spoke with us by phone
from Toronto about her journey from humble beginnings at an Alberta
burger joint to design fame. Here are edited excerpts.
What was your first job?
Well,
my first job ever was at Bob's Bigger Better Barbecue Alberta Beef
Burgers. I got paid $2.50 an hour to work at a tongue-twisting drive-in
burger joint. It was very glamorous.
My first design job was
at a commercial design company that specialized in retail and
hospitality design.Find everything you need to know about Cold Sore including causes, I began working for them while I was in school, and that became my whole world when I graduated.
"Candice Tells All" highlights basic design principles. What is one rule that you consistently adhere to?
It
doesn't matter how much time, energy or money you put into a project.
If the lighting is wrong you've wasted it all. Layering your lighting —
overhead, accent, low-level — is vital in order for the room to reach
its full potential.
You never mention how much things cost in your books or on TV. Why is this?
We
don't give numbers because the shows run in over 100 countries and
prices fluctuate. I mention when I have to cut back and what I
sacrifice, and viewers know when the budget is high because we'll be
doing a big addition or tons of custom cabinetry. Plus, we've always
considered ourselves an inspirational show. It's not so much about
saying, "Here's granite," but more about saying, "Here's the color, and
this is why I'm using it in relation to the backsplash and the
cabinets."
What is the biggest mistake people make when decorating a family room?
People
don't design it for themselves! I always tell people to do a big
reality check when approaching this room. Ask yourself, "Who is using
this space?" Then, design it for the youngest person. If you have a
2-year-old, pick fabrics and finishes that will suit them so you're not
afraid to use the space. People often think they live a lifestyle that
they may not.
If someone had $1,000 to spend on a room in their house, what should they do?
Dimmer switches! I cannot stress their value enough. They can totally change the character of a room.
What is your favorite interior paint color?
Any
smoky gray, especially when accompanied by a wood-toned floor. It is
the color of an impending thunderstorm, and it's just so chic.
What store can you never walk out of empty-handed?
West Elm is rocking out these days. For those good-quality-for-the-price accent tables and pillows, they do a fantastic job.
Where do you get inspiration?
I'm
big into getting all I can from the spring and fall fashion shows. I
do a line of bedding which is very fashion-driven. Trends that hit the
runways tend to hit home fashions, especially bedding, very quickly.
Colors like banana yellow and gray, or fabrics like lace and ruffles,
were huge on the runways and then in home stores within a year.
I
really admire Ralph Lauren, both his designs and his business savvy. I
always remind people that this isn't just a hobby, this is a career,is
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revolution' upon us? and Ralph Lauren has been able to withstand the
test of time. He bridges the gap between classic fashion and classic
furniture smoothly and with a sense of longevity.