Back in March, we lost our beloved pet Scottie of twelve years, Bella, to lymphoma. It was a heartbreaking journey that culminated in a miserable trip to the vet to have her put down. And while we still had our two cats and three birds to keep us company, for the past few months there’s definitely been a dog-shaped void in all of our lives.

…Until Margot came along, that is!

Margot Lucie Peirce, one of a litter of ten, is an eight-week-old female Scottish terrier puppy and the newest addition to our family. We drove four hours to the Dallas area this past weekend to pick her up, and she’s been chewing her way into our hearts ever since.

It took us a looooong time to come up with the perfect name for this little angel (names such as Jo March, Madame Leota, and Mary Poppins may or may not have been discussed), but when “Margot” was suggested, it just kind of clicked for all of us, which hadn’t happened with any other name suggestions up to that point. We wanted an old-fashioned yet elegant name (y’know, to counteract that beard), and Margot fit the bill—plus, it had the added awesomeness of being French. XD As for her middle name, “Lucy” is a name my dad has wanted to use on a dog since pretty much the beginning of time; so we all decided to finally give him the triumph. We went with the French spelling of “Lucy,” though, for continuity’s sake. 😉 (I like to think she’s named after Lucie Manette from A Tale of Two Cities. ^_^ Now we just need an animal named Sydney…)

Y’all, you would not believe how tiny Margot is. The pictures really don’t accurately depict her size. She’s approximately the size of a Subway footlong or a furry, bearded piglet—and with all the trotting, squealing, and digging she’s been doing, she acts like one, too (a piglet, not a sandwich)! Her day is divided pretty evenly into sleeping and playing, and when she’s not doing either of those things, she’s throwing a (adorable) tantrum over being locked in her crate or sauntering back and forth in front of her food dish to sample a kibble or two at her leisure.

Margot is super sweet and friendly and will try to lick and/or love-bite your face whenever you pick her up. She’s got a tiny little pencil-tail that flutters like a flag whenever she’s happy, and has totally mastered the “so what?” side-eye. We were a little worried about how she would take to our cats, but to our surprise, Margot is super interested in them! She toddles boldly up to them whenever they come near, and even tries to sniff them if they haven’t already bolted. As for the cats, they’re still not sure what exactly to make of this dog…pig…thing, but as of now, anyway, it doesn’t seem like they mean her any harm. They seem to understand that whatever Margot’s intentions, she’s definitely a baby.

Being a baby, of course, Margot isn’t perfect. Taking care of her is trying and exhausting at times—more than I realized, I’ll admit; and already I’ve had to clean up more accidents than I care to mention. But I know her puppyhood won’t last forever, so I’m doing my best to enjoy every minute of it. 😀

A couple more pics of our little Scottish lady:

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My Celta charries have been sneaking into my consciousness here and there, which they’re not supposed to do since it’s distracting. -_- But I’ve been missing them lately, so I’m been allowing it for now. Diabhal especially has been invading my brain. The more I think about him, the more I’m realizing what a fantastic villain he is… He’s so conniving and calculating and…honestly really classy—but hopefully readers will be able to sympathize with him, too.

(By the way, when I compliment my characters, please know that I’m not trying to flatter myself. I give my characters full credit for being so awesome. I just get the privilege of writing them. 😉 )

If you need a refresher on Diabhal’s epicness, I have a pretty well-rounded playlist for him on Spotify:

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Currently watching/recently watched:

1. Bluey — Seriously, I cannot get enough of this adorable show. ❤ I know a lot of people are hesitant to which it since it airs on Disney Junior and all that, but trust me—this show is not your standard toddler flick. I guarantee that however you’re imagining it is inferior to the real thing. XD
2. Downton Abbey — I was really excited to finally watch this series, but I didn’t end up liking it as much as I thought I would. It started off good, but by the fourth-ish season a sexual abuse plotline was introduced, which added a darker tone that I wasn’t feeling. So that was a little disappointing. I’m not sure if we’re gonna watch the rest or not—maybe someday. (I must say I loved Seasons 1 and 2, though!)
3. Goodbye Christopher Robin — I’m a big fan of Domhnall Gleeson: that was the main reason I wanted to watch this movie. XD I mean, I love Winnie the Pooh, too, so that was a plus for sure. 😛 The movie was quiet, a little sad and solemn, and just a bit boring, but still enjoyable.
4. Loki — Okay, y’all know I’m in love with this show. XD I won’t spoil anything but *high-pitched screaming* 0u0
5. Pirates of the Caribbean — We watch these movies every summer, and every summer I gain a new appreciation for them. It feels like I learn something new about the plot and the characters’ motives with every rewatch. It’s insane. These movies are some of my very favorites—second only to The Lion King franchise. If you haven’t watched them all at least twice…do it, you blooming cockroach! 😉
6. The Tomorrow War — This movie was just released on Amazon Prime and caught the attention of my dad, who’s into time-travel and aliens, both of which this movie has. XD Though gory towards the end and tense pretty much throughout, I found it interesting!

Want to watch:

1. 1917
2. Anna Karenina (the Keira Knightley version…in case there are other versions)
3. Black Widow (and all the other upcoming Marvel movies)
4. Brooklyn (with Saoirse Ronan)
5. The new Emma (not happy about the nudity scene but I still…feel like I should see it…? Idk. I’ll figure something out. XD)
6. Both recent Wonder Woman movies

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Now, the first of two announcements: I am now on Goodreads! I’m not sure entirely sure what I’ll get out of being on there—nor do I plan on using it much until I’m published—but…just more of putting myself out there, I guess. XD

Feel free to follow me if you’d like to keep tabs on what I’m reading—or you can keep an eye on that new “Currently Reading” widget on my sidebar. If you already know me, feel free to send a friend request as well! 🙂

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And, for the second announcement…an update on my Etsy shop, TheFoppishFox!

I did end up buying a Cricut, just for more ease when it comes to cutting my stickers. Someone was selling an Explore One for cheap in our neighborhood, and I pounced on the opportunity. It’s not perfect, but it works pretty well for the value, and at least know I know what I’m getting if I ever want to buy a newer one. I also discovered Painted Gypsy Design on YouTube, which has been an absolute lifesaver for figuring out the Cricut program as well as other things. I definitely recommend checking out Erica’s channel if you’re into crafting and/or own a small business!

Since launching my shop, I’ve listed two new sticker designs! The first is a sticker inspired by the bag that your food comes in when you order the BTS Meal at McDonalds. This was an original idea that I’m pretty happy with. It’s also gotten the most views out of all my listings, which I find interesting.

The second sticker, pictured above, is none other than Lysander’s silhouette! That’s right—you can now buy a sticker of the original foppish fox himself! *bows to a monocled audience making British noises of approval* Put him on your laptop, your water bottle, your toilet lid—any place where you’ll be within range of his judgmental gaze. (You may not be able to see that judgmental gaze, but trust me, it’s there 😉 ) Making a sticker for my site/shop icon was the idea of one of my aunts—and it’s a pretty good idea, too, don’t you think? ^_^

Finally, there is now the option of buying a pack of b-grade stickers! These are discounted stickers that ended up with marks, miscuts, misprints, and other small defects, but are still usable. For most of them, the imperfections are only visible close up, which still makes them great for putting on journals, skateboards, cards and envelopes, and the like. Not to mention, there’s the fun of getting a random assortment of stickers in the mail—plus a few freebies! 😉

So overall, things are going so-and-so. I’m still very much in the learning stage, which is frustrating at times, but I’ve come to the realization that for these kinds of things there’s always going to be a steep learning curve before things start going smoothly. Once I realized that, I started beating myself up about it less. XD

Be sure to keep an eye on TheFoppishFox! I plan on listing at least one new sticker every month, as well as running frequent sales! 😀

That’s it for me! Thanks for reading! I hope y’all are happy and well and enjoying the summer. ❤

(P.S., Do you have any puppy helps for us? Have you seen any of the movies I want to watch, and if so, would you recommend them? Any tips when it comes to Goodreads and/or Etsy?)