Chihuahuas eveywhere I look…the movies, Milkbone boxes and the Los Angeles Times. Eli, chihuahua belonging to Karen Biehl of NYC won the Milkbone small biscuit contest and will be on the front of the box for the next year. ELVIS entered that contest too but didn’t really have the Milkbone look. Little did they know that he is missing half his teeth and has trouble eating the biscuits…we had to submit a picture with his mouth closed! A couple of weeks ago the L.A. Times published this article, “Chihuahuas reign as Los Angeles County’s most popular dog breed”. “L.A.’s Top Dogs,” a new database compiled by the Los Angeles Times and launched this week on its website provides facts and figures on more than half a million registered dogs in Los Angeles County.

The flip side of all this attention is the sad fact that the popularity leads to large numbers of the breed in rescues and shelters, needing homes. Top this with the Disney film, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” coming out October 3, and we are looking at a chihuahua population explosion.

“We get an awful lot of Chihuahuas,” said Ed Boks, general manager of the city’s Department of Animal Services. “The big concern is that Disney is coming out with a movie called ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’ . . . . It will just encourage the breeding of Chihuahuas when we’ve already got too many out there.”

What I do see that is very positive, is that people tend to own multiple chis because of their size and many are from rescues like my ELVIS and Izzy. I can only ask this of anyone wanting a chihuahua, to check out their local shelters and rescues first before buying a chihuahua from a breeder or store. You just might be surprised at what you fall in love with. After all, I now have a full fledged, internationally known brand because of my 5 lb. rescued chihuahua and celebri-dog, ELVIS!

Viva Chi WOW WOW’s!!!

Here’s a brilliant picture taken and sent in by our good friend Kathleen of her dog Pilot, a female “mixed breed” rescue. Pilot is wearing our IZZY GALORE “Peace” Collar in distressed white leather and we think she looks beautiful. She’s also looking a little hungry…

Claude Monet’s, “Water Lily Pond” sold for over $80 million dollars at a Christie’s auction today. I had the opportunity to see one of the water lily paintings from the collection, painted in 1919, at the Tate Modern in London. In particular, the water lily paintings have a luminosity to them that is almost hypnotizing and very peaceful. Your blood pressure can drop just sitting in a room with one.

ELVIS wearing Captain America’s Shield

Why not have your dog wear a backpack to carry his own things, change, poop bags and credit card if he has one. These little backpacks come in four styles shown below. Converts to a little change purse with strap and has a squeaker inside to get your dogs attention at the dog park.

Chi WOW WOW Girls Rock, Peace Sign, Happy Face, Captain America’s Shield

OPENS TONIGHT!!! JUNE 13, 2008

Why? you ask does Chi WOW WOW have such a fascination with MARVEL?
It all started with Captain America. Read our very first post, “Captain America to the Rescue”.

Let’s see if MARVEL can score with this movie after the success of IRON MAN. I like Edward Norton (aka. Bruce Banner). In fact he doesn’t know it yet but we’re in love and soon to be married. The movie also stars Liv Taylor, Tim Roth and William Hurt and is directed by Louis Leterrier (Transporter). I’ll be P.O.’d if it ends up being a total yawner/animationfest….

Faith is an amazing dog, in fact the only dog known to walk upright like a human. There are some great pictures and videos of her on the internet but I just love this one.

Richard Neutra (1892 - 1970)
Kaufman House
Palm Springs, CA

Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1892, moved to the United States by 1923. He worked briefly for Frank Lloyd Wright before accepting an invitation from his close friend and university companion Rudolf Schindler to work and live communally in Schindler’s Kings Road House in California.

Joseph Eichler (1900 - 1974)
Ventura, CA

Pierre Koenig (1925 - 2004)
Stahl House
Hollywood Hills, CA
Photograph by Julius Shulman

The Mongolian hot pot tradition originated from northern nomadic tribes. The Mongolian version of the steaming feast has been called the father of all Chinese hot pot and boasts a history of more than 1000 years.

The secret to making the broth varies from region to region and among families and there are all kinds of funky things that get thrown into the broth (e.g. dried prunes, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, chili peppers). The smell is fantastic though and it didn’t take me long to get hooked on it. I find it to be healthy comfort food and the best part is most of the places that serve it are open very late. My favorite place in L.A. to go is Little Fat Sheep - read what people have to say about it.

How to make Chinese Hot Pot at home by Pang Wu Yui Yi

 Yummmmy!

In Los Angeles, there are only a few thunder storms a year and living in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains, you can practically be in the storm itself. Now there are 3 things ELVIS is terrified of, windshield wipers, the kitchen and thunder storms. Oddly enough, when he is freaked about a storm, he goes in the kitchen? So, during the storm and thunder and hail, there was this huge crack! and we all let out a little screech. Izzy just took off somewhere and I looked in the back to see if the greenhouse (studio) was still there…it was. Then I looked for ELVIS. And I looked in all the usual places, the kitchen of course, the bathroom corner and the pet crate in the bedroom. No ELVIS… Then I get a little panicky because I know he just tries to get away from the problem and I thought maybe he got outside and was heading for the plains. Lo and behold, I found him in the bookcase and he sort of blended in. I tucked him in his Woody Wood Pecker blanket and as quickly as the storm came, it was gone.

ELVIS & WOODY, HAPPY AGAIN!

My close friend Margaret, lost her long time companion, Pavlov, to cancer this past week. All who knew Margaret and Pavi knew that their relationship was unique and that Pavi was not like any other dog. Margaret once told me that his stare reminded her of Feather’s McGraw from Wallace and Gromit and I had a hard time looking at him without thinking of the mute, malevolent-looking penguin and hearing cheesy organ music in my head (Feather’s music of choice). Some memories of Pavi, though maybe not funny at the time, make me smile now when I think of them…his obvious dissapointment at receiving a silver bone studded collar instead of a toy or a piece of steak or the episode at Peet’s Coffee with the “seeing eye” dog. Last but not least, the time Margaret bought a muzzle for him, so he could socialize with Elvis…what were we thinking? I’ll miss Pavi but I’m confident he’s in poodle heaven happily chasing squirrels and eating an endless supply of gourmet left-overs.

All in all, we thought the movie was really good and definitely recommend seeing it on a big screen with a monster sound system. Here are our reviews…

ERIN: “Great for a comic book movie”

DON: “Sophisticated comic book”

JACK: “Anti-cheesy”

DAD: “Very adult…I’m just glad we made it there on time, it was like a scene out of the movie!”

CAROLYN: “That’s one bitch’n car! Finally a comic book movie that has a story and some personality, with less focus on animation and special effects.”

The New York Times Review

Anthony “Tony” Stark at the age of 15 enters the electrical engineering program at MIT. At the age of 21 he inherits Stark Enterprises when his parents are killed in a car accident (ok…so what else is new, right?) Later in life while visiting one of his plants, Tony is injured by exploding shrapnel and captured by warlord Wong Chu. Chu forces Tony and another captive, famed physicist Ho Yinsen, to create weapons for him. All the while the lethal bit of shrapnel is slowly working towards Tony’s heart. Tony and Yinsen creat an iron suit that keeps Tony alive and allows them to escape. During the escape Yinsen is killed, sacrificing himself to allow Tony time to change for the first time into IRON MAN.

The movie also stars Gwenyth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrance Howard. Later this year (June 13 release) look for THE INCREDIBLE HULK, starring Edward Norton.

“If you build it they will bark”

At Double Dog Dare Ya, there is ongoing pursuit of innovation that challenges precedent, defies the status quo and sets new industry standards.

DOUBLE DOG DARE YA

Boarding, grooming and daycare in Burbank, CA

I love so many things about the Japanese - their style in fashion, architecture and of course sushi but there is really something special about Japanese television that no one comes close to.

We had a great time at the Los Angeles PETCO Unleashed 4th Annual National Chihuahua Races held in Montebello, CA but it was unusually hot, over 90 degrees and the chihuahuas were kind of lethargic. I’ve never seen so many chihuahuas in one place, they were really cute!

TEAM Chi WOW WOW play-by-play
Izzy exited the starting box, dazed and confused as she was cut off by the chihuahua in lane # 8 (see race start above). At that point, the race was all over for her. She did look good in her Marvel Comics “Incredible Hulk” Tank Dress though. In ELVIS’ heat, he sauntered out of the box and immediately caused a “butt-sniffing” traffic jam, having no interest in going from one end of the track to the other. He was disqualified and had to be carried off the track.

Post race let down. Neither athelete would look at the camera as they were too embarrassed to have their photo taken.

The National Finals will be held at PETCO Park in San Diego on August 31, 2008. For more information go to PETCO.com

So many people have sent me the disturbing email containing the petition against Costa Rican artist, Guillermo Vargas. It indeed is very disturbing and incomprehensible, BUT so horrifying it occured to me that maybe it wasn’t true? Let’s face it, how is it possible that with all the people that must have seen the exhibit, not one person went ballistic? Everyone I know who would have happened upon that, would have simply untied the rope and walked out with the dog in plain sight, no? So, I started looking into it and lo and behold, it appears that it was a publicity stunt.

We live in a time where the internet has become a popular vehicle for all types of self promotion and a platform for an idividual’s political voice. I am trying to determine whether this is a sick publicity stunt or a deeper message regarding humanity. Right about now, it would be decent if the artist would come clean with the real story and his intent. Rest assured, that if the story was true, PETA (click and read their blog on the topic) wouldn’t be sitting around waiting for another cruel act for art’s sake. When something seems out of whack, I usually pull up one of my favorite sites, Urban Legends to get the real scoop. I hope this blog sheds a consoling light on the state of the matter. I know many of you have been having nightmares about it, as I have.

We released our first dress collection today for Chi WOW WOW! ELVIS and I have been bribed, pleaded with and coerced to come out with dresses. And to please the masses, we even put some “BLING” on it for good measure! So we present our TATTOO STUDIO COLLECTION including the TATTOO STUDIO TOKYO “Hello Kitty” Skull (seen modeled above by Izzy). The collection also includes a TATTOO STUDIO LOS ANGELES version with a “Mickey Mouse” Skull surrounded by flames, plus a few other tattoo designs for the “not-so-prissy” canine. Our collection will be available in boutiques and through some of our Certfieds Online Retailers.

To see other designs by Chi WOW WOW, including The MARVEL COMICS Collection, visit our Catwalk

I came across this circa 1965 video of one of my favorite all time Beatles songs.
Enjoy!