Weekend Wander: BarkBox + Madison Square Park Conservancy's First Annual "BarkFest"

Being a long time attendee of local film festivals and outdoor movie screenings, Holly and I wondered when someone would create a festival program designed specifically for pups. Our prayers were answered this weekend with the first ever BarkBox + Madison Square Park Conservancy "BarkFest," an evening of food, fun, and film under the stars in Madison Square Park.

We chose matching orange for the evening. Holly's polo, Ralph Lauren. My shirt, Threads For Thought. Headband, Jennifer Behr.

We arrived at the park at 6pm, right when the evening was starting, and were greeted by a portion of the park decked out specifically for pups, with a long stretch of astroturf dotted with plush dog beds, and booths along the side passing out treats by Bocce Bakery, BarkBox doggie friendly beer, and programs and crayons to keep the humans entertained. The Madison Square Park Conservancy had a booth with a raffle benefiting the park's beloved dog run (prizes included Shake Shack pup treats!). We claimed a couple pup beds and went to check out the people-friendly food offerings from Calexico and Shake Shack.

The scene was set for the paw-fect night out! Below: the raffle prize (left) and treats courtesy of BarkBox (right). 

While grabbing dinner, we were greeted by several pooches, including Thai the Boston, who looked simply smashing in a bow tie. More pup stars graced the stage of the event, including Hamilton Pug, Marnie the Dog, Pomsky Princesses, and Chloe the Mini Frenchie. After each pooch was introduced, attendees were able to pose for photos with them at a nearby step and repeat. Holly and I were having such a great time with our pals we decided to forego the step and repeat and instead headed back to our puppy beds, where we hammed it up for the professional photogs around for the event and befriended the pooches in our area. 

Holly and Lexie chill with some BarkBox pup-friendly brews. Above: the crowd checking out the celebre-dogs, one such dog, Thai the Boston, looked paw-sitively fabulous in his bowtie!

Henry knows his angles. This is a dog on his way to stardom!

After an introduction from BarkBox co founder Henrik Werdelin, it was time for the pups to silence their humans and settle in for the selection of short films! Holly was so tuckered out from all the playing she took a little cat nap, but our favorite film was the Pixar short Dug's Special Mission, featuring Dug the Dog from "Up."


After the movies wrapped up, we packed up our bags and said our goodbyes to our new pals. We love being a part of the New York City pup community, and the unique events like this one that we are able to attend as a result! We met so many amazing new friends and fellow animal lovers, and can't wait to go back again next year! What do you think of a pup friendly film festival? Will you try to make it out to BarkFest next year?
Until Next Time, Darlings!

Weekend Wander: Shakespeare With the Dog

Ok, I know, it's not technically the weekend yet, but Holly and I were lucky enough to have a Summer Friday on "Take Your Dog to Work Day," so rather than take her to my actual work, we met up with some friends from work to take on Shakespeare in the Park.

In case you are unfamiliar, Shakespeare in the Park is New York City's annual free Shakespeare event in Central Park. They produce two shows each season, and free tickets may be obtained either online through a lottery system or the day of the production at 12 noon. Of course, people who want the tickets at 12 noon need to start lining up early, and bring snacks, magazines, and blankets to hunker down for hours in order to secure a ticket (we got there at 7:30am and were probably some of the last to get tickets to the production).

"To pee, or not to pee. That is the question."

Of course, Holly doesn't mind an excuse to spend several hours in the park, though she does seem to mind the sitting in one place portion of it :). Even though this year I came prepared with toys to distract her, she spent the first hour of the morning happily picking up sticks and having me promptly take them from her. Puppy parenting fun!!

"Alas, poor squirrel. I knew him."

In between snacking on sticks, Holly was super excited to run into one of her friends from school, Aries, who we also saw at the Bagel and Bark event hosted by Central Park Paws a couple weeks ago. Aries chilled on our blanket for a bit before continuing his romp, and was replaced by a fluffy Maltese named Elmo, and then a poodle named Betty who really just seemed down to spending the whole day on our blanket. You couldn't blame her--my friend's uber talented sister, Ariah, had whipped out her guitar and was entertaining us with some beautiful tunes--Holly even temporarily stopped her stick hunting to listen!!

"If music be the food of love, play on (unless, of course, you have actual food)."

Finally Holly laid down and was really getting into the Shakespeare in the Park line thing. It was at that exact moment, of course, that we were informed it was time to stand up and collect our tickets! Pups can't attend the show, but having a puppy accompany you sure does make the line waiting go faster!!

"Give thy thoughts no tongue, and thy shoes no sniffs."

Here are our tips for bringing your pup to the Shakespeare in the Park line!

1. Check the weather. Once you get to the line you can't leave for a prolonged period, and you don't want your pup suffering through sweltering heat or pouring rain!

2. Bring water and toys to keep your pup entertained. There is also a deli that delivers to the line in case you or your four legged friend need some extra snacks!

3. Bring some friends! They can come in handy with holding your pup in case you need to make a trip to the restrooms or Starbucks after you get your tickets.

You can check out this year's show schedule here. And be sure to like Little Holly's Big World on our new Facebook page!!

Until Next Time, Darlings! Parting is such sweet sorrow!!

Paw-sitively Fabulous: Barkfest At Sniffany's Photo Session

I'm so excited to finally share our fabulous photos from our portrait session with Seriously Sabrina Photography. Sabrina was so wonderful to work with, and really took the concept and ran with it! I told her while we were strolling thorough the Park that seeing engagement photos on Facebook inspired me to photograph the most significant relationship in my life, and I truly feel like she was able to capture that through these images. Enjoy!

Until Next Time, Darlings!

Weekend Wander: Springtime in the City!

My grandmother had a little poem she would always recite when the weather got warm:

Spring is here

The grass is riz

I wonder where

Them birdies is?

I feel like this has been Holly's mantra recently every time we have gone to the park, especially now that the weather is warm and the robins are out in full force! She seems to think it is her sworn duty to catch every single birdie in Manhattan, and I'm worried if I don't keep a close eye on her she may just succeed!

Holly in action, getting ready to hunt some birdies!

Target acquired.

The weather was incredible this weekend which provided the opportunity for a lot of outdoor activities besides bird hunting. It seemed like every pup in the world was out on the street, and Holly had a great time meeting new friends and neighbors (including a friendly basset hound and a Min-Pin mix she loved so much that we extended an invite to her birthday on the spot!). 

The first order of business, though, was busting out our Spring wardrobe. After a long morning of bird hunting, Holly wasn't as into this portion of the weekend, but I was excited to pack up the seriously overused sweaters in favor of some lightweight Spring dresses! Holly helped by sleeping on everything and furthering my mother's theory that she only sleeps (it's really just that she is only still long enough for me to take a picture when she's passed out!). 

A very rare and interesting picture of Holly sleeping (neither rare nor interesting).

Warmer weather means it's time to finally drink and dine outdoors again with pups in tow, so Holly and I placed a call to Lexi, her bestie from our old block, and her mom to see if they wanted to join us for an alfresco lunch in the sunshine. The girls met us at our apartment and we set off trying to find a place that wasn't packed to the gills (looks like everyone had our outdoor dining idea). We settled on Beyoglu, a local Mediterranean restaurant with outdoor dining frequently populated with dogs. We were seated quickly next to a couple with a Basset hound, and our friendly waiter acquainted himself with each of the pups, asking their names and bringing them each a bowl of water--so sweet! Holly was tired enough that she was fairly well behaved, but that didn't stop her from turning up the old Holly charm and trying to trick our neighbors into sharing some of their lunch with her!

Our waiter insisted on taking a selfie before snapping our picture--he was hysterical!

Ladies who lunch: notice Holly licking her chops while eyeing the food at the next table.

We finished up our weekend at Anthropologie, where there is a 15% off dinnerware sale. We are obsessed with their latte bowls both as cereal bowls and dishwasher safe doggie bowls, and swooned when we saw they came in polka dot styles. We snapped up four for only $20, though Holly would have preferred I went with the Chihuahua dishtowel instead :). 

Polka dot styles aren't available online, but the bright colors scream Spring!

This "Loved & Loyal" dishtowel will likely find its way into our collection soon.

Until Next Time, Darlings!

A Holly Jolly Christmas!

Christmas is nearly here, and the past month has gone by in a blur of buying and wrapping and trekking to Fifth Ave more times than perhaps was strictly necessary, but I feel like I can say confidently that Holly and I have fully soaked up the holiday cheer and are ready to take our annual Christmas trip to Colorado to see my family.

We have been delighted to receive some ah-mazing presents (and to give some ourselves, we hope!), but I couldn't sign off for the season without sharing the couple of things I decided to gift myself this year.

Today we stopped for what I hope is our final last minute gift-buying adventure to Henri Bendel. Holly was so excited about the 70+ degree weather and our upcoming vacation that she took it upon herself to spread holiday love in the form of muddy paw prints on the pant legs of nearly every person we met! Luckily the staff and folks shopping at Bendel's were feeling the spirit of the season and took it in stride.

While at Bendel's I decided to gift myself with something from their Heritage Collection, which is currently on sale for 30% off. These are items designed exclusively for Henri Bendel and featured mainly on their second floor, including those featuring the illustrations of Izak, many of which feature a Henri Bendel "It Girl" and her little brown pup, which bear a striking resemblance to a certain blogger and her shopping bestie if I do say so myself ;)

This Izak holiday design mirrors my many adventures with Holly this holiday season!

 I have been coveting the Henri Bendel phone cases for some time now, and with 30% off and a likeness to Holly to boot, it was impossible to say no. The selection for my older iPhone 4s was not huge, but I did manage to snag one with plenty of girls and their pups to match our every mood!

This "It Girls" phone case was impossible to resist!

Pleased with the last of our holiday purchases, Holly and I came home to pack for our trip home. Of course, packing can be exhausting, especially with so many mommy & me outfits to coordinate (and this funky warm weather that makes the festive sweaters obsolete), so we took a break to do some online shopping.

I clicked onto Piperlime, which is one of my most frequented sites, especially now with all of the holiday sales, and gasped when I saw the Marc By Marc Jacobs Friends Of Mine Puppy Slippers on sale for over 50%, and in my size! I have been eyeing these flats for a while--sure, the Boston Terrier may not look much like Holly (a typical prerequisite for any pup themed items), but they are so happy and cute, and I know Marc By Marc Jacobs flats fit me perfectly. These babies are so pup-ular on Piperlime they are backordered until March, but a few months wait seems worth it to have them in my closet at this price.

I couldn't believe it when I saw these adorable flats on major sale!

Of course, it wouldn't be the holidays without some quality time with friends & family, so we will be taking a blogging hiatus while we eat too many sweets and share laughter and fun with our loved ones both here and Colorado. We will see you in the New Year--I can't wait to see what adventures it brings!

Until Next Year, Darlings!

Miracle on Fifth Ave (part two): Must Be Santa

A couple of weeks ago, I was browsing Twitter when I spotted a Tweet from Manhattan luxury department store, Bergdorf Goodman, that read "visit Santa and we'll give you cake."

Being both a fan of Santa and free cake, I clicked on the embedded link and discovered a charming article on the store's blog about why one should visit Santa. The icing on the not-so-proverbial cake (did I mention there was cake?) was the main photo, which featured Santa holding a puppy. I tweeted that we were so there, and was super excited when Bergdorf's tweeted back!! My first maje retailer reply tweet--this was totally Santa's magic at work!

Like many things at Bergdorf's, Santa was quite exclusive. I e-mailed the address at the bottom of the article requesting an audience with him during his Sunday 12-6 hours, and soon heard back from an elf that we were booked for 12:45 the following week. Holly and I worried all week what to wear and what to ask for (if you need an appointment, that definitely makes this the real Santa, right?), and ultimately decided to go with a black sweater with faux fur accent look, and to ask for a great apartment I had seen the day before. If anyone can sway the tricky Manhattan real estate market, it's Santa Claus!

Upon our arrival on Bergdorf's 7th floor, we were greeted by two employees who immediately knew our names. "We have the 12:45 with Santa?" "Oh, of course, Mary and Holly, right this way." Holly, my friend and I were whisked back to where Santa was waiting, ushered in by an elf, and posed for our session with the man in red. He tried to take Holly in his lap (apparently just the last week he had SEVEN dogs at the same time!), but she was not having it and stayed in mine. The photographer on the scene was incredibly patient when Holly decided mid photo shoot to go in for a kiss from my friend! Even though he and the elves tried their best to perk her ears forward, she kept them straight back and looked a bit annoyed every time the camera flashed, but the free polaroid we were provided with still turned out very cute!

Holly was not much of a fan of this Santa either. Oh well, there's always next year!

We had a quick chat with Santa about our year's wishes, gathered our fun red and green cake pops, and went on our way. Our polaroid is now perched on our Christmas tree, reminding us that here in New York City, holiday magic exists right outside our door.

Until Next Time, Darlings!

Weekend Wander: Miracle on Fifth Avenue

One of my best friends from college and I have a tradition where every year we take in the Christmas joy on Fifth Avenue, red Starbucks cups in hand, starting at the Rockefeller Center tree and winding up through the holiday windows until we reach Bergdorf Goodman on 58th & 5th. Bergdorf's is renowned for their high end holiday windows, and their 7th floor boasts an over the top holiday room where my friend and I select one ornament per year that we gift to one another to have matching on our trees. This year, we decided to bring Holly along for the fun.

I will admit, neither myself, my friend, or Holly is really a big fan of the ridiculous crowds of tourists that gather on Fifth during the holidays, and somehow either from the magic of New York at the holidays or from blocking the bad memories from our brains, we seem to forget every year just how horrible it is. My friend and I met in front of the tree, me with a shivering Holly in my arms, and immediately agreed to get out of dodge, crossing to the slightly less congested side of the street to our next stop, Trump Tower.

There is a Starbucks on the second floor of Trump Tower where we usually get our holiday drinks. The plan was for my friend to go get them and for Holly & I to wait a distance away, since she is usually not allowed in places where food is served. However, we found ourselves passing several employees (both Trump and Starbucks), pup in tow, and not being turned away! It was truly a Christmas miracle--we finally found a Starbucks where Holly can come along!

Energized by our pup-friendly discovery and Carmel Brulee Lattes, we next popped into Henri Bendel to check out the holiday gift display recently set up on the third floor. I was shocked how much space is up there (in the past only a small landing has been open to act as a last minute gifting and wrapping center), and my friend was shocked by how much extra time we needed to move through the crowds when people were stopping to comment on Holly's sweater :) . I always love how friendly the people at Bendel's are to her, especially in the Heritage Room where the puppy gifts are located!

Next up was our final and most important destination, Bergdorf's. We jumped on to the elevator and arrived on the 7th floor, where on the way to the Christmas decorations we were distracted by a collection of jewelry by Monica Rich Kosann. I was immediately drawn to the "Forever Loyal" charm in sterling silver, which features a paw print with white sapphires and a plain back that can be engraved with your puppy's name.

The charm also comes in yellow gold with diamond accents.

While we were ogling the pretty jewelry, Holly took it upon herself to make a new friend. There was a distinguished older man sitting at a table in the middle of the room who we couldn't help but notice when we had come in. He was signing large coffee table books and had two assistants directing the gathered crowd, who were excitedly posing for pictures with him and gushing over his presence. He and Holly noticed each other and he called her over, and after a nervous morning my little pup ran right over, tail wagging, and started licking him excitedly on the hand!

It turns out this man was famed photographer Ormond Gigli, and he was signing a coffee table book ("Girls In The Windows: And Other Stories") that explores the incredible backstory of his most famous photograph, Girls in the Windows, which was snapped from a fire escape in 1960 one day before the brownstones featured were demolished, and featured 47 models, friends, and wives of employees all dressed in their own wardrobes. 

Ormond Gigli's "Girls In The Windows."

Mr. Gigli was very sweet to Holly, and when I remarked on how comfortable she seemed around him, he said he feels like dogs recognize people who know and love dogs, which I absolutely agree with!

After this wonderful and surprising bit of New York magic, we whisked Holly to the holiday room, where she helped in selecting this year's holiday ornament (mostly by licking glitter off the ground and nearly knocking over several $500 nutcrackers on display). We settled on a jolly snowman that has a similar motif to the sweater Holly wore to meet Santa last week. 

Our friendly snowman--I named mine "Rolph." 

Bergdorf's also has a pup-friendly Santa who visits the seventh floor on Sundays from 12-6 and can be visited by appointment only, so Holly and I are planning on making a special trip back next week! Perhaps this time she won't growl at the poor man!

Holly growled at the Santa at Bloomingdale's, so we hope Bergdorf's will  put her back on the "nice" list!

Until Next Time, Darlings!