Dogwood Creek Cutest Pet Contest! –UPDATED

Hey Dogwood Creek! It’s finally here! Welcome to our Cutest Pet Contest thread!

Do you have a perfectly poised pooch or cool, cuddly kitty? Well, now’s the time to show them off!

Official Rules and Guidelines:

1. Take a picture of your pet being the cute creatures that they are, no matter what breed (or animal), and post submissions to Facebook with your pets name, your name, and a brief, fun description of your pet.
2. We will post all submissions to our blog and Facebook page.
3. Log in to Facebook to ‘like’ your pet. Your pet will receive one point per like or comment. Your pet can only receive one comment per person. Be sure to tell your friends to comment as well.
4. Visit our blog in order to vote for your pet; the poll will be on the right hand side. There will only be ONE VOTE allowed per computer.
5. Your pet will receive 2 points for every comment left on the blog for your pet.
6. Submissions will last from June 1st 2010 – June 15th 2010. Voting will be from June 15th 2010 – June 29th 2010.

Prizes:

This is what you were waiting on right? Our fabulous prizes are:

1. Gift cards courtesy of the Claridge Pet Resort good towards lodging, grooming, and doggy day care.
2. $25 gift card to Hollywood Feed
3. $15 gift card to Three Dog Bakery
4. $25 VISA cash gift card courtesy of Little Stinkers for first place, and $25 MasterCard gift card for second!
5. Are you ready for this one? NO PET RENT FOR ONE YEAR! You save a total of $240! How cool is that? You have your awesome Dogwood Creek staff to thank for this one.

So let’s get those cameras out and start snapping pictures today! Have fun! If  you have any questions, feel free to email us at sales@dogwood-creek.com or comment on our Facebook page.

photo credit: pink sherbet photography, CarbonNYC, Captain Subtle, thatredhead4

Say Cheese! Photographing Your Pets

Hey Dogwood Creek!! Here’s a helpful little article that I found that can make, oh I don’t know, a certain contest that we have coming up a little bit easier. It’ll also help you capture those rare moments when your pet is doing something unbelievably amazing, cute, funny, or strange. Read on to find out! And who knows, maybe some of these techniques will spur you on to be top dog!

Step 1: Have your camera with you. I know this may seem like an obvious step, but you’d be surprised the things you miss when a camera is not present.

Step 2: Go outside if at all possible. Most times, indoor light is boring and way too dark.  Natural lighting can be absolutely gorgeous at different points in the day. Plus you wouldn’t have to use a flash, which can harm your animal’s eyes.

Step 3: Don’t pose your pet. Chances are they won’t stay that way long enough for you to position the camera anyway. The best photographs come from animals being their natural selves. Costumes can only go so far.

Make sure you read the rest! You’ll be needing these tips soon!

Think this little one is cute?

Well she’s just a little ball of fluff, isn’t she? Do you think your pet looks better? If so, get ready to enter him/her into Dogwood Creek’s upcoming pet contest! Details coming soon, so stay tuned and keep an eye to the blog for contest rules and entry!

Any Star Wars Fans Out There?

Any people who know of Star Wars but were never able to sit through the series? Yeah, I thought there would be a couple of hands up. What if I told you that there was a way for you to speed through the entire Star Wars franchise in 2 minutes and 13 seconds. Interested? What if I told you Legos were involved? Ah, there you go. Check out this Star Wars compilation made entirely with Legos:

Earth Day 2010

It’s Earth Day Dogwood Creek! This means that you should do something that helps your environment. Start buying produce from your local Farmer’s Market, take shorter showers, even carpool to work with friends! Why do we do it? Why, in order to save our furry friends, foliage, and planet in general.

Check out the video below to see what we are trying to preserve! (I’m aware that it’s a video from 2009, but the message is the same! Just…focus on the animals, lol)

Don’t Sleep on Yard Sales

I have found a new love of yard sales. A couple just moved into my parent’s neighborhood, and they were downsizing houses. So, they ended up having more stuff than they needed in their new home, thus the need for a yard sale. They had some very nice stuff.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that they had some really nice stuff. They had a dining room set, a couple of end tables, a plush, red leather living chair (that I wanted), other couches, a computer desk, and dozens of other little knick knacks. They even had TV’s for sale! The ultimate best thing about the sale was the prices. You just couldn’t beat them. My father bought a carpet cleaner for $20, a nice chair for $5, and collectors Coke Bottles for $2. Wow, right? My mom bought some vintage purses for $2 each, and a nice marble end table for $10. That living chair I had my eye on? $50. Can you believe it?

The one thing that I prized the most from this yard sale was a beautiful, porcelain, hand-painted Vietnamese (I think) doll. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and it was only $5.

I’m writing this to say that you can get some great stuff at great prices at yard sales. If I had the money (and need) I could’ve furnished my entire apartment with the stuff that they were selling for under $200. My entire apartment. So don’t sleep on yard sales people; you’re almost sure to find a couple diamonds in the rough.

Do you like to shop at yard sales? Have you found some really good stuff?

It’s Downtown Alive!

The third annual season of Downtown Alive kicks off today!! This has kind of become a phenomenon around here. The series of lunchtime arts and performance events, presented by the Center City Commission and the Metro67 Apartments (our sister property! ), will mostly run Tuesdays through Fridays until June 15.

The program launch will feature an open rehearsal of Ballet Memphis’ production of “Sleeping Beauty” at the Lowenstein Building on Main Street at Jefferson Avenue. Most of the events will take place at Court Square.

What is Downtown Alive? Well, it’s located in Memphis TN, designed to bring arts, culture, music, and creativity to Downtown’s streets. Performances will include those by Opera Memphis, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Opus One, and the Hattiloo Theatre.

Downtown Alive will also present a number of interactive programs, including yoga classes, dance lessons and trivia competitions.

The events run from 11:45 to 1 pm unless otherwise indicated. What better what to spend your lunch?

Have you ever been to a Downtown Alive event? Do you think that you’ll catch a few this year?

New Poll!

Hey Dogwood Creek! In order to keep our residents happy, we strive to host fabulous events that keep you talking and wanting more. Since these events are for you, we want you to suggest what type of event we should have next. We have a couple of events listed in our poll to the right, but we’d also love to hear about  your suggestions in the content section.

We love hearing from you!

Erykah Badu Shows More than Tells

I’m sure that by now everyone has heard of the buzz that Erykah Badu incited with her latest video “Window Seat”. There have been thousands of conversations started throughout the country of what people think of the video, and what should be done about it.

Now, Badu’s “stroll” through Dallas, Texas has earned her a $500 citation. There has been talk that the video stood to mean confronting fear, stripping away one’s defenses, and finding freedom despite what others may expect of you. I believe that the content of the video severely undercut the message that she was trying to get across. Many people were so focused on her and what she did than the message of the video. I seriously think that some didn’t even hear the song that was playing.

Being that Erykah Badu has always had some ‘out there’ antics, the video didn’t surprise me much until I learned that the bystanders were actually bystanders; they hadn’t been alerted that the video was supposed to have taken place. Wow, Erykah.

Though the video could be seen as being in bad taste, I commend Erykah for taking a stand in what she believes in and trying to alert the masses. She could have done it in a less controversial way however.

What do you think?

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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: A Truly Uplifting Experience

I love dance. It is my life, it is my passion. My body lives through rhythm, my world revolves around song. And it shows in my steps. Being that I have this immense love for the wonderful art form of dance, there should be no question as to why I love the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater so very, very much.

No, I have not been privileged enough to become a part of the company, but in all honesty, just being able to attend a show, see the dances, feel the rhythm, and live the beauty in the moves is good enough. If you attend the performance at the Orpheum Theater this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Memphis, I’m positive that you will feel the same way.

You don’t have to be a dancer to enjoy Alvin Ailey. You just have to be a lover of nice things. The only requirements, have an open heart, and open mind. That’s it.

Tickets range from $20-$57. There will also be Master’s Classes taught on Saturday for $20. The first class at 10 a.m. will be teaching Horton Method at the University of Memphis Dance Studio. The next will be at 11 a.m. and they will be teaching “Revelation” workshop at First Baptist Broad at 2835 Broad Ave. For this, the cost is $20 or FREE with ticket stub. If there are any dancers out there, I HIGHLY recommend attending these Master’s classes. This is an experience unlike any other, and for $20, that’s basically a steal. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Go out and see for yourself.

Have you ever seen an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance?

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