Henry's Dog-Gone Party

We've been keeping our adorable grand-dog, Henry, for the past 17 months (not that we're counting). During this time, Henry has become a big part of our family and needlework biz. He comes to work with us every day in the L*K office...

after he reads the morning paper with Alan...

He cheers on our favorite teams...

and he hangs out with our friends!

But, alas, it's time for Henry to return to KC and take up residence in our daughter Ali's new loft. Henry has made alot of friends during his stay in Wichita, so we invited a bunch of his "people friends" to our house for a Dog-Gone Party! I had a good time making this little invite on my computer. In case you can't read the fine print, is says to "COME on over, SIT a bit, STAY and chat, and get a TREAT". So after the invites were mailed, I needed to make  some dog-themed treats!

My creative guru friend Glenna came over to help me decorate sugar cookies. I baked the cutout cookies in dog-friendly shapes...bones, dog houses, fire hydrants and pawprints. We found a cute photo on Etsy of some doggy cookies we used as a guide, and we got to work. Glenna did the hard part...mixed up all the colored frostings, put it in pastry bags and bottles, and reminded me how to frost cookies. Lots of messy fingers and laughs later, we had some dog-gone beautiful cookies!

When the big night came, I crowded the table with everything doggy I could find. We had a couple giant bowls of puppy chow, which I personally find absolutely irresistible. Hmm...maybe I should go grab a handful of the leftovers right now?! I served it in NEW doggie bowls from the dollar store, which were really cute and cheap! I also baked some really yummy gingerbread bones, which looked a lot like real doggie treats.

We also ate a lot of tiny hot dogs, I mean Pigs in a Blanket! 

Henry had a fabulous time partying with his friends....the very young (Ellie was clever enough to keep her chips out of Henry's reach)....

and the slightly older crowd.

In the end, it all comes down to FAMILY, doesn't it? Here is my favorite pic of 4 generations of our family. From left, me, daughter Ali, my Mom, and Henry with his tuxedo tie in the middle. Henry, you're "movin' on up", but there's always a home for you here in Ta Town!