blog awards Archives - We live in a flat

Tag: blog awards

Bloggers are noisy

By weliveinaflat

On July 27, 2013

In Archive

My personal opinion only,

The ones that break through all that noise in the blogosphere to reach us are resourceful.

The ones that got us to “like” them are effective.

The ones that got us to follow them are interesting.

The ones that did all of the above and influenced our thoughts/actions are… versatile.

I had to use the word “versatile” because… you guessed it, this is yet another versatile award post! Well actually, it is a double award post.
I am sorry because award posts may be a little self-serving :(

So who are these bloggers that have influenced this blog and its content?
(I have named some of these people many times so please bear with me! :P)

Versatile Blogger Award and My Favourite Things Award
Nominations

I thank you the one(s) that,

got me trying to explore the same themes in a different way every month- LensandpensbySally
got me posting black and white photos every Tuesday- Sonel’s corner
got me to be more adventurous when editing photos on my iPhone- Ashcroft54
got me training heel/walk with me with Donna- mypositivedogtrainingblog
got me to train jumping outside- Zeke’s adventures
got me to training leashless heel and jumping outside- Ruby the Black Labrador
got me itchy to try new things like weaving- First World Dog
got me go awwww…. with the smooshy, funny videos- nodogaboutit
creates beautiful/peaceful photos/haiku and brightened up every single day for me – smallbluegreenflowers, kuujinbo, thesundogdrift, haikubyku
I didn’t even know visited my blog and liked it well enough to spring an award on me, hah! – House full of dogs and Dogsnpawz (Thank you!!)

The remaining 2 links are not blogs, but I would still like to share because I just learn better from videos where you actually see people in action and can observe the way it’s done :P

Thank you guys, you keep this blog going. A lot of the posts wouldn’t have happened if it were not for you! Hahahahaha!

weliveinaflat would like to say that there is absolutely NO obligation to receive, repost or follow any of the Versatile Blogger Award (VBA) or My Favourite Things rules listed at the end of this post. We nominate (sometimes repeatedly) because we enjoyed your blogs, totally appreciate your friendship and love to spread the word about you but we do not want to inconvenience you in any way.

Thank you Dogs N Pawz for the VBA nomination!
Thank you Ku for the My Favourite Things nomination!

Seven things about me

How to follow blogs that are not on wordpress.com via the WordPress Reader

1. I found out recently that it is possible to follow blogs that are not on WordPress.com via the WordPress Reader.

This is how you do it:

How to follow external blogs on WordPress Reader

[1] Click “Reader” tab to go to the Reader page.
[2] Click on the “Edit” button next to the “Blogs I Follow” button.
[3] The list of blogs you follow will appear. There will be a field right on top under the “Edit Blogs I Follow” title. Fill in the web address of the blog you want to follow, in this case I put in the Dogs N Pawz URL.
[4] Click “Follow”. If nothing goes wrong, you should now see the website appearing in the list with the other blogs you are following.

More details from these pages on WordPress support and WordPress blog.

I don’t know why I’ve ignored that field all along even though it sits right on top of the page there! I must have been blind. Maybe you guys knew all along and I have been the only one in the dark. D:

I do use the WordPress Reader to follow blogs, much more often than the other service Feedly that I have on my web browser. However, it seems Wordpress sometimes had a moodswing and swallowed posts at times. I know it happened to Ruby the Black Labrador and me.

Still, I am quite glad that I can add outside blogs to the reader. I’m just too lazy to use multiple readers. :P

The other six will be Six of Donna’s favourite things, to satisfy both award requirements. :P

2. the humans in the house
3. the humans in the shelter Donna came from
4. the grass outside!
5. chicken and eggs, fresh boiled ones
6. the toy of the day, but only if the human is throwing it
7. yogurt and milk, mmmm-mmmm!

Leaving you with this cute video via nodogaboutit. Both award requirements below if you are interested to respond.

Note:
Versatile Blogger Rules:

Add The Versatile Blogger award photo on a blog post
Thank the person who presented you with the award and link back to him or her in your post.
Pass the award along to 15 favorite bloggers. Contact the chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.
Share Seven Things About Yourself:

My Favourite Things Award Rules:

1) thank the blogger who gave it to you,
2) post the award on your blog,
3) name 6 of your favorite things and finally pass it on to as many bloggers as you wish.

BUT, weliveinaflat would like to repeat that there is absolutely NO obligation to receive, repost or follow any of the above rules. We nominate because we enjoyed these blogs but we do not want to inconvenience them in any way. :P Naggy, naggy~

Previous VBA responses:

My dog is a mystic “pack leader”

By weliveinaflat

On July 4, 2013

In Archive

human: You know Donna, you should really pick up your toys sometimes.

dog: At home the Aries Ox can be rather untidy usually as they are busy people who find domestic chores tedious.

human: And pray tell, what you were busy with?

dog: Arian Oxen are generally happier in the garden than the house as these personalities love the great outdoors.

human: But you were not in the garden, I didn’t take you there.

dog: An Aries Ox may think cleaning and tidying incredibly boring but they are hardworking in any other task. They enjoy work that involves challenges and where there is the opportunity of progressing based on effort.

human: Oh no my dear, if I was busy sweeping the floor, doing laundry and going out to interviews and driving lesson, we could not be doing any sort of training at the same time.

dog: The Arian Ox must be ‘sitting’ and ‘waiting’ for you to come home. Now gimme my treat!

human: But I didn’t ask you to sit and wait for me to come home. I just asked you to behave yourself when I am not around.

dog: Same thing. The probability of the Arian Ox getting into mischief is high when it is not “sitting” and “waiting”.

human: I see. Well if you don’t mind me saying, its quite ridiculous for a dog to keep referring to itself as the Arian Ox when it is clearly a dog.

dog: The Arian Ox will refer to herself however she likes as befits the pack leader of this household. This matter is not up for debate.

human: Mr P do you hear that? Your dog thinks she’s a pack leader.

Mr P: Bwahahahahahaha. Look at her, just look at her.

human: Nope, we don’t think you are the pack leader around here my dear.

dog: We shall not entertain further discussion of this matter. *snorts loudly* The Arian OX will now go poke her blog friends Ruby the Black Labrador and Simba. Being a Leo and a Sagittarius, they get along best with an Arian dog. Not like some humans…

human: Just behave yourself so they don’t feel forced to chew your tail to take you down a peg or two.

dog: *has changed into costume of a mystic* The Arian Ox intends to read to them their sun signs so they may better know themselves and know that I am the one true pack leader among us all!

human: Baby, I think they already read their sun signs here and here on their human’s blog.

dog: *snotty snort snort* I am the pack leader, they will listen to me!

human: You’re hopeless. Go fetch! *throws hippo; mystic costume slips off dog as dog gives chase*

dog: *snort snort* You will not be rid of the pack leader so easy! Now throw again!

human: But I thought you are going visiting?

dog: I suppose I should visit Angel and Chaos first since their human gave me the WordPress Family Award. That makes me their pack leader too! And since I’m starting a pack, I think we should have lofty ideals. I think we should take over the world! And that means I need wise dogs, big dogs, dogs who can gobble up to world to join the pack. So these dogs and humans should all get the WordPress Family Award and join my pack: –

Nominees

Angel and Chaos and Yashie,
Ruby the Black Labrador,
Sonel and Simba,
Kuruk and Victoria Julianne,
Linda Arthur Tejera,
Lens and Pens by Sally,
Linda Trunell,
Artscottnet,
Artinstructor and
Completely Disappear.

Aren’t I doing a good job as pack leader already? :3

human: *has wisely left dog alone to her piped dreams*

I was never really into Sun Signs. Even until now, the only things in the sky I can effectively point out are – the sun, the moon, the clouds, Orion’s belt and Mars. That’s about it. So isn’t it lucky that Donna the local mongrel’s sun sign just happened to be Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20), because hey, at least I can pick out an Arian’s ruling planet – Mars – in the night sky. Nevermind that I can’t pick out the actual Aries constellation :P

I was influenced by Sonel and Ruby the Black Labrador’s recent posts on Dog Sun Signs and couldn’t resist checking out what Donna’s will say. I thought the Arian in a nutshell could describe most local mongrels – Loyalty, Trust, Heart breaker, Forgets past failures, Active, Energetic. :) I also thought it would be interesting to see what the Chinese horoscope says, that’s why Donna is above referencing to herself as the Aries Ox. :P

This comes a little late, but I would like to thank The Thriving Pessimist, Angel and Chaos’ human, for nominating this blog the WordPress Family Award. :)

I was on WordPress many, many years back in my youth :P and there wasn’t such a great community back then compared to what I found now. I am very thankful for that. I’ve enjoyed all the fun dog and other posts from various bloggers and also the idle chit chat in the comments now and then when we happen to be online simultaneously. Besides individual blogs, I also think that photo challenges such as those being hosted by Lens and Pens by Sally and Sonel also help to fuel the community towards a common endeavour and engendering very positive interaction within the participating bloggers. It takes time and commitment not just to host but to foster continued interest and active participation in such blog hops and these awesome people are making the time and effort to host and keep it going.

But mostly I would like to give the WordPress Family Award to these people because they have thought it worth their time to interact with me and commented so often it feels like we’re just having an on-going conversation day by day. They took the time to write advice in detail when it comes to training Donna or when I experienced difficulties or just when they think I may be doing something not so advisable. I have only named the more interactive bloggers/commentors, but I do have to say that I really appreciate the readers who regularly came by, and also the little things like liking a post or saying good day because it all adds to that sense of being part of the community as well. :)

So thank you :3

If you would like to pass on the award to somebody else whom you feel have made an impact on your WordPress experience and family, visit Shaun’s page on the WordPress Family Award for more details.

p/s: “Mugshots are ugly” has recently been reblogged on the Versatile Blogger Award (VBA) site. Thank you so much House Full of Dogs for the nomination again :3

Sun sign references:
– http://www.astrologyweekly.com/sun-signs/dog-horoscopes.php
– http://dogingtonpost.com/your-dogs-horoscope-aries/#.UcvkWTudiSo
– http://www.gotohoroscope.com/chinese-astrology/aries-ox.html

Now I know my ABCs

By weliveinaflat

On June 21, 2013

In Archive

So Donna the local mongrel doesn’t know how to read, no.

A room with books is boring, says Donna the illiterate local mongrel.

That is despite having to spend a significant amount of time holed up in the air-conditioned study to hide from the haze.

So her dear poetic blogger friend Kuruk has strongly urged his human Julianne to give Donna some basic training in her ABCs.

So the lovely Julianne@Through the Peacock’s Eyes* decided to send us a distant correspondence learning kit called the ABC Award. Thank you very much Julianne!

The Awesome Blog Content (ABC) Award was created by http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk on a whim, it seems :P To accept, just post the ABC Award logo and link back to the site and share a word or phrase about yourself for each letter of the alphabet.

If you are new to this blog, each of the words/phrases below will take you to a previous post where these words were used. So, here goes –

A	Already stupid	B	Bones
C	Child-friendly	D	Dobby ears
E	Everyday eat, sleep, play	F	Floor full of hair
G	Green is for envy	H	High-rise dog accident
I	I adopted	J	Jump and lick
K	Kibble	L	Local park
M	Microchipped	N	Nothing in life is free
O	Ordinary mongrel	P	Pedigree dogs exposed
Q	Quiet evening	R	Repetitious photos
S	Scary dog	T	Tug
U	Urban agility challenge	V	Vexed
W	Well-trained versus well-behaved	X	(e)Xuberance
Y	Yawning	Z	ZzZzZzZz

Nominees

A House Full of Dogs
B&W Challenge Host Sonel
Completely Disappear in Thailand

Not so many dog blogs this time, but our cautious little note still applies :P. We nominate because we like these people/dogs and would love to hear more about them. The nomination is without obligation, you are free to decline to receive, repost or nominate other people should you prefer not to. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

By the way, do hop over to send your kind wishes to Ku, who is having his bump biopsied/removed. I’m sure he would appreciate the encouragement. ;)

*As the original award post is not longer available, I have relinked it to Julianne’s main page.

Mugshots are ugly

By weliveinaflat

On June 17, 2013

In Dog & You

What is an ugly picture?

How about a mug shot? After all mugshots are pictures that possibly personify best what is ugly in human society.

mug shot of a dog

The following is a Versatile Blogger Award response masquerading as a fictitious news article. :P

Singapore – Donna the local mongrel who was previously turned in for investigation by the authorities for the first suspected unlicensed protest to be staged by a dog in this country has fled. It is rumoured that the dog police whispered in embarrassment the statement that Donna the local mongrel, made her escape when wardens let her out in the yard to read her pee-mail. The authorities do not have an answer as to why the local mongrel held in custody should have access to pee-mail or any kind of communications with the dog network. They have refused to comment for this news report.

The following are leaked documents from the authorities with regards to Donna the local mongrel while she was in custody.

When contacted about their missing dog, Mr and Mrs P said that they were very worried about their dog that went missing after she was taken into custody by the dog police.

“Do you know, we just got nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award the second time by House Full of Dogs,” Mrs P said as she wrung her hands, “how do we even receive the award if the main character has gone missing? Donna, if you are out there reading this, please come back!”

Unfortunately, it is this newspaper’s understanding that Donna the local mongrel does not know how to read.

Part of the leaked police documents revealed a list of Donna’s online friends submitted by Mr and Mrs P.

When asked about this list of friends, Mrs P said, “The authorities wanted to know Donna’s activity online and these are some of the web pages that we visited in the last 30 days. We THANK YOU House Full of Dogs for the Versatile Blogger Award nomination and in return, we would like to nominate those bloggers in the list for the same award.”

The list included, in no particular order :

scarlybob’s wordpress blog – they live in a flat too; recent post on spaying
ruby the black labrador – big dog, huge oral fixation, long-suffering human:P
the sundog drift – beautiful photos of the sundogs on land and in water
doodlemum – doodles of the family, sometimes with dog. Too cute!
Positive dog training blog – says heel and loose leash are not the same
the smart dog blog – she trains service dogs, post great posts on training too.
dogshaming.com – always good for a laugh
haiku by ku – a poetic pup
wellmindedword – recently wrote about the thundershirt
adventures at runamuck ranch – advocate for the inflatable e-collar
my dogs are cooler than me – a Cavalier King Charles pup called Pal
high strung dog – looks like Donna but Koda is an Aussie Kelpie
merleytwister – kids, retired greyhound and rescued kitty.
pawsabilities – just posted this great post on moving to a flat with a dog
thedoggerel – recently wrote about dog fights and recall.

[Note: Versatile Blogger Rules:

Add The Versatile Blogger award photo on a blog post
Thank the person who presented you with the award and link back to him or her in your post.
Pass the award along to 15 favorite bloggers. Contact the chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.
Share Seven Things About Yourself:

BUT, weliveinaflat would like to say that there is absolutely NO obligation to receive, repost or follow any of the above rules. We nominate because we enjoyed these blogs but we do not want to inconvenience them in anyway.]

The canine squad is launching a nation-wide search for the missing suspect. They have issued the following 7 key characteristics of Donna the local mongrel. Citizens who should happen to see a dog answering to the following descriptions should alert the local authorities immediately:

Local mongrel with distinct black and tan markings on the face and chest/fore legs.
Height: 60cm
Eyes: Brown but may flash green in the dark
Suspect has been known to wear costume and may be in disguise.
Please be alert for suspicious characters resembling Dobby with floppy ears.
Please be alert for suspicious characters resembling Batman or Joker.
Previous identities assumed – Inspector Grass. Suspect most likely will loiter in grassy fields. Please search grassy areas as top priority.

Authorities advise innocent passerbys to alert using the whistle-blowing number [+65-I-found-a-dog] should they encounter any suspicious four-legged canine answering to the descriptions posted above.

The story above is fictitious and Donna is not lost in anyway.

Image sources, because the following images do not belong to me and I will be obliged to take them down if requested:

– Mugshot background template – http://www.gavtrain.com/?p=2586
– image of Dobby – http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/harry-potter/images/17698382/title/dobby-photo
– image of batman – digitalspy.co.uk
– image of joker – sideshowcollectors.com

A nomination

By weliveinaflat

On April 14, 2013

In Archive

I’ve only started this blog very recently, so I was surprised that lifeinthedoglane nominated this blog for Versatile Blogger Award. I thank you so very much lifeinthedoglane! Please go visit her.

To spread the love, I’m suppose to list 15 blogs/bloggers that I’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. Hence here are my nominations.

Finally, part of the requirements include sharing a list of 7 things about myself.

I largely don’t do the things I said I’ll do but I’m highly productive when it comes to spontaneous projects that were never planned and not in the list. Now you understand why there is a queue.
I’m going to make a whole flask of green tea everyday and make sure Mr P drinks that rather than the chockful of sugar bottled stuff from Pokka. The next is to just see if I do do it or not.
I am pretty good at boiling and steaming things. I don’t have complicated tastebuds but I like fiction and non-fiction that talk about complicated foods like The Last Chinese Chef.
Through association by marriage I have cousins going by the rather unique names – Earth and Prime.
When my friend exclaimed how glad she was my dog Donna had a real name and not something like Pepsi or Hotdog, I conveniently forgot all about my imaginary Chihuahua who was unfortunately named Chicken Legs.
My dog has apparently trained itself to perk up and drop toys at the study door when I am late taking her downstairs during the regular walk/ loo break time slots. And no, she still does not poop on demand. She just likes to go out.
I would love to go to Norway this year but my savings is dwindling. So no.

The end.