A Day at the Doggie Spa: Purple Bone Notting Hill

Every doginista must have her day, and in my case, after a lonnng winter of coat-growing, I was seriously due for a trip to the puppy spa. Knots behind my ears, excess bum fuzz facilitating greater messy messy than mommy would like (mmm dingleberries). It was time.

Trouble is, unlike my home town where you can't hardly trot one or two blocks without stumbling across a glorified pawdicure providing, top of the line, doggy spa, London is somewhat lacking in superior Pomeranian care. It's not that the Brits don't love their pups, they just think of them as just that, canines in need of clipping, not diva doginistas on the hunt for triple oxygen puppy facials with at least a team of two working on paw massage and tail straightening. It's not easy being this pretty. DUH. 

So after my last trip to Mutz Nutz, whence I emerged fully shaven in time for my jaunt to the Amalfi Coast, I was nevertheless a bit apprehensive about a return to a London groomer. You see, due to the precocious nature of my silky undercoat, never is a groomer to take razor to Pomeranian, I must always be sheared the old fashioned way.

Hence my surprise when, one morning, after Mommy got back from Paris, we headed for the Tube at Notting Hill Gate and stumbled upon the Purple Bone, a new pet store which had just opened that day. Lo and behold, one of the men who worked there (perhaps an owner or manager) was a full-fledged small dog owning New Yorker who too tired of the lack of luxury pet offerings on this side of the pond and facilitated the opening of a fully Puppia stocked, organic-food providing emporium for myself and my four-legged Notting Hill neighbors.

So I booked in straight away for the full treatment, a "Glam Session" which only set Mommy back £35, about £35 less than Mutz Nutz and the average rate we've been quoted around this city. This luxe treatment included the following:

Free Consultation, Brush Out

Specialty Bath of Your Choice

Hair Cut and Sanitary Trim (Dogzilian)

Blow dry, Teeth Cleaning

Ear Cleansing and trimming

Gland Expression

Pawdicure

Aromatic Finishing Mist

Modelling my new haircut on the street immediately post spa

The Aromantic Finishing Mist was well worth it, I felt like I was back to canine civilization again, where pups are princesses and paws are there for pawdicuring. My groomer was also increibly adept and friendly, slyly whisking me away from Mommy whilst tempting me with treats, so I had barely noticed when she had gone and the ear cleansing began. Purple Bone also offers an express wash, a plethora of bath options and a la carte services such as Dogzilian (Sanitary Trim), of which I must partake before my next beach holiday.  So to all my ex-pat-pups looking for that spring trim, look no further than the Purple Bone. 

95 Notting Hill Gate

London, w11 3JZ

Phone: +44 207 985 0903

Email: Info@purplebone.com

Store Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 9:30am to 7:00pm

Saturdays :9:30am to 6:0pm

Sunday-Closed  

Dingleberries Begone! 

Vote for Butters for Ted Baker's Best in Show!

After a particularly amusing afternoon romp with my pals Sena and Bo over at Dinny Hall, I had a rather serendipitous encounter with a store window whilst tromping homeward back up Westbourne Grove. "Who is Westbourne Grove's prettiest pooch?" read the words scrawled across the storefront of Ted Baker. I stopped and tugged on the lead til mother put down the iPhone and paid attention. Who is indeed.

Evidently, it works like this. You trot into the shop (mark a wee bit of territory in the entrance--BEST in show, remember??), have your picture snapped (easy peasey) and you're entered in the prize draw. The winner (i.e. me) will be announced by April 9th. Just a ripe three weeks before my third birthday, a fitting gift.
If you don't have the pleasure of one of my fellow canine's company at the moment, you can (now listen up, important part) cast your vote in store for the CUTEST CANINE (again, moi) and you'll be in the running for the spree. But a vote for me itself outstrips by far the excitement of a hypothetical spree. And you thought the healthcare reform vote was a milestone.

Ted Baker

198 Westbourne Grove
Notting Hill, London W11 2RH
020 7792 1753

Portrait of the Pomeranian: Me aged 10 weeks

Haute Dogs: Bad to the Bone at Notting Hill Starbucks

Mongrels at Moncler

While I realize this is an AW09 campaign and it hit print a while back, I'm not ashamed to post as the campaign is still current season for another couple of seconds, which, in dog years, amounts to about two weeks. I was just having a flick through Mommy's Italian Grazia which made it back to London from Milano with her when I happened to stumble across this glossy image of a hot dog paddling it out whilst pushing one of Moncler's trademark puffas with his nose. It's not that I have a thang, per se, for golden retrievers, I like my men husky and blue-eyed...mmm..maybe with even a little bit of wolf thrown in for good foxy measure. I'm just a bitch like that.

Back to the matter at paw, I just had to had to had to share these images with you, shot by legendary fashion photographer Bruce Weber. Evidently, because Weber agreed to feature himself (and his precious pups, more importantly) in this campaign, Moncler donated 100,000 euros to Green Chimneys, which provides animal-assisted therapy to young people. I'll wag my tail for that one.

The shoot took place as far from Turin as can be, at Golden Beach, Florida. Weber had Moncler down jackets made for his golden retrievers, which are certainly a cooler, chicer version of the tack-tastic black and gold puffa from Roberto Dogvalli that I sampled at Harrods (soooo not worth the £300 price tag). So my immediate concern (after having gotten over the offense of being passed over for the job of course) is: do they come in POMERANIAN size???

THE DOG BLOG: I AM BUTTERS

Tis happened at long last. Mommy aka The Clothes Whisperer, who was supposed to take me with her to Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks so I could show off my newly toned fluff bum thanks to weeks of doggy Pilates but treacherously DIDN'T is back. And she owes me.

Hence, the launch of my new blog, or dlog, or even clog (canine+blog) since they're the hot footwear du jour this spring anyway. Can't wait for mommy to bring home the Chanel SS10 stunners so I can give em a good chew. MMMM Lagerfeld, sooo good when it hits the lips. 

Right, back to the dlog/clog/as you puppy please. This is to be a space for all this fierce, fabulous and well, essentially me. That's right baby, all Pomeranian all the time. Canine couture, doggy street style, yours truly strutting her stuff on yet another runway, peeking my cute self out of a model's arm at this photoshoot or that. The life of a fashion dog is not an easy one. So watch this space and follow my lead for a dog's eye view (and review) of the charmed existence of a dame doginista!

Let the Dogue-ing begin!