Fur + Embroidery + Dance + Dog = Puppoose

Take a talented girl with a rock hard body and a love for dance, dogs and crochet and what do you get? The Puppoose, of course.



Shannon Beach is a professional dancer, aerialist and the designer and creator of the "Puppoose". A SAG /AFTRA member with an impressive resumé and an equally cute dog, she has created this fun(ny) crocheted dog carrier now available for $60.00- $80.00 in various designs and colors.



THE PUPPOOSE.
The Puppoose is the most ergonomically designed, natural way to carry your pet. The luxuriously lightweight, soft fabric makes using this carrier a breeze. The Puppoose fits any small dog and any person. Its crocheted design has 4 holes at the base for the pets limbs, 4 adjustable straps to adjust the length, a neck cushion for your comfort and safety strap to ensure your pets security. Its hands-free convenience allows more quality time together!




Made of cotton and acrylic, the Puppoose is machine washable and you simply lay it flat to dry.




The designer, Shannon Beach and her "spokesdog" (below):

COLORS:

Pink, Blue, Brown & Black, The custom fabric is made of 45% cotton/55% acrylic. Machine washable, lay flat to dry

SIZES:
XSmall: 2-4lbs
Small: 5-8 lbs
Medium: 9-15 lbs
Large: 16-22 lbs

RETAIL PRICE: $60.00
RETAILERS: Please call 818-505-8829 for wholesale information

About this unusual designer (from the 'about' section on her site):

SHANNON BEACH, DESIGNER & CEO
Often on the road as a professional dancer for superstars such as Cher, P!NK and others, Shannon appreciates her down time and puts her mind at ease by crocheting. The meditative process allows her to slip into a world of relaxation and deep concentration, focusing on everything and at the same time, nothing at all. She describes this space as being "in the flow". A state of concentrated attention in which ordinary worries are forgotten and intrustions fail to register. She explains this feeling as being absolutely blissful and decided to make it her own by naming the company Feel the Flo.

Shannon has appointed her Shih Tzu, Ted D. to be the official "spokesdog" behind the first product, the PUPPOOSE. Its fashionable functionality compliments the pair as they cruise the streets of Los Angeles and New York City, spreading the joy of this unique product. This guerilla marketing tactic has gained an adoring fan base allowing people to easily see how the PUPPOOSE would enhance their lives.

This is the first of many innovative ideas to build the Feel the Flo brand. Shannon is dedicated and smart and most importantly patient. She exudes positive energy and creativity which motivates herself and others, building strong solid relationships along the way. In an ever changing and increasingly competitive world, she believes a clear focus and perseverence will allow her dreams to come true!


the Feel The Flo website

Polls Show Consumers' Expected Shopping Habits This Christmas

New York — Despite the early sales push by major retailers, a Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll shows that consumers plan to start shopping later for the holidays this year. Only 22 percent expect to get their holiday shopping done right after Thanksgiving this year, compared to 30 percent in 2006.



Another 45 percent said they expect to finish shopping for the holidays by the second week of December, while 20 percent don't expect to complete their purchases until Christmas Eve.
A full 6 percent don't expect to finish their shopping until after the season is over.



Clothing tops the list of gifts that consumers plan to buy, at 71 percent, followed by gift cards at 62 percent and electronics at 53 percent. But while clothing is the most-purchased gift, it isn’t the most wanted. The poll found that consumers would most like to receive electronics gifts, at 19 percent, followed by gift cards at 12 percent.

Men wanted electronics the most, at 25 percent, while women want gift cards (15 percent) and electronics (13 percent). Last year Consumer Reports found that clothing was the gift which most often disappointed, at 38 percent.

Some 23 percent of respondents anticipate they will spend less than last year, and 65 percent plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping online.

Men (23 percent) are more likely than women (13 percent) to do more of their holiday shopping online. The 22nd Annual Holiday Survey of retail spending and trends, by Deloitte, got slightly different results, finding that gift spending will hold steady and the number of gifts consumers plan to give is up.

Consumers plan to buy an average of 23 gifts, up from 22 last year and the highest over the last six years. Women plan to buy even more, with an average of 26 gifts. Consumers aged 61–74 plan to spend 27 percent more than the average.



However, the survey also showed that 41 percent expect to reduce their spending this holiday season, just not on gifts.

Areas where spending is likely to be down include home improvements, socializing/entertaining, charitable donations, home/holiday furnishings and non-gift clothing.

Department stores, both traditional and discount, continue to be the top shopping destination. Gift cards are expected to be the top gift purchase for the fourth straight year, with 69 percent of consumers surveyed planning to buy them, compared with 66 percent last year. Shoppers are planning to buy an average of 5.5 cards, compared with 4.6 cards last year. Consumers are also spending more per card: $36.25 on average, compared with $30.22 last year.



Some 39 percent of consumers would rather get a gift card than merchandise, an increase over last year's 35 percent. And only 19 percent say they don't like to give gift cards because they're too impersonal, down from 22 percent last year. While 46 percent intend to buy them for immediate family; however, only 14 percent plan to buy gift cards for spouses or significant others.

More than half of consumers surveyed (54 percent) say a product's country of origin is important to them when making a purchase decision, with those over age 44 being most concerned; 35 percent said non-food products importer from other countries are not safe. Even more (58 percent) say recent news stories about product recalls will influence some of their purchase decisions.

Japan Gets In Gear:Tokyo Motor Show 2007

The dust has settled on the Tokyo Motor Show, traditionally the outlet for the industry’s most avant-garde predictions.

2007’s debuts didn’t disappoint, although the host country’s penchant for bizarre city cars is starting to look rather less eccentric as public perception shifts in their favor.

As well as some cracking urban concepts from Honda, Toyota and Nissan, here’s Wallpaper's round-up of the show’s scattering of the bold and the brave.


Above: Lexus LF-Xh concept
As a luxury brand, Lexus doesn’t dabble in the small scale. It is, however, fully committed to lowering emissions, so while the size of the LF-Xh concept was an eye-opener in these eco-conscious times, the news that the urban SUV packed the latest version of the company’s tried and tested hybrid drive was far more welcome.

The concept is sleek but not improbably so, and many elements of the design will make their way into next year’s new RX model. The wrap-around, folding interior structure seems strongly influenced by contemporary architecture.


Above: Audi metroproject quattro concept
Mindful that the media’s eyes would be drawn to the more unusual fare on show, few major Western manufacturers brought all-new models to the show. Audi were the exception, and while the metroproject is ostensibly a design study, it’s actually a near production-ready version of 2009’s A1 city car.

The concept uses a mild hybrid drive to keep emissions down, while the swooping roof line gives the car an easily identifiable silhouette. The metro project also includes Audi’s new in-car remote control, a hand held device designed to control the car’s functions (try switching on the heater before you’ve even stepped out of the front door on a winter’s morning). Expect the idea to spread across the company’s entire range before long.


Above: Honda CR-Z Concept
The CR-Z offered a rather more believable view of the future than most concepts on show. Standing for ‘Compact Renaissance - Zero’, the car’s anteater-like snout and extreme wedge shape all hint at a low drag shape.

Intended as a sporting take on the ubiquitous hatchback, expect elements of the CR-Z to surface in the 2009 model year, with hybrid power on board right from the start. Sadly, the neon-striped spaceship feel of the interior might not make it to the showroom.


Above: Mitsubishi i MiEV Sport
A sporting variant on the Mitsubishi i, the i MiEV Sport is a low-slung fastback city car, with a scarab-shaped bodyshell and an all-electric, all-wheel drive power train.

Foam green bodywork offsets the high-tech goings on below, including solar cells in the roof and a miniature wind turbine concealed behind the grill. The two plus two is pitched at the sporting environmentalist - an oxymoronic consumer profile the auto industry is keen to cultivate.


Above:Suzuki Pixy and Sharing Coach
In the future, Suzuki’s futurists expect we’ll want a car that fragments into smaller vehicles, taking each occupant a stage further on their individual journeys. This ‘sustainable mobility’ concept is embodied in the SSC, the Suzuki Sharing Coach.

Essentially a box on wheels, each SSC can contain two PIXYs, a curious personal transportation module with an upright stance and the ability to enter buildings. It’s a solution to a problem that doesn’t yet exist, but Suzuki are banking on the pod people taking over the pavements of tomorrow as a response to smog-shrouded roadways.




Above: Nissan Intima
Big saloons still sell by the boatload in Asia. Nissan’s Intima looks relatively conventional but is saved from mass-market dreariness by the clamshell doors that open up the cavernous interior and the teardrop-shaped windscreen that extends high over the passenger seats.

The thought of seats that swivel round to deposit you on the pavement might appeal to Japan’s fast-ageing population, although the firm is pitching this as a, and we quote, ‘New-generation Saloon for People with a Sophisticated, Discerning Eye for Beauty’.


Above: Nissan RD/BX
Nissan’s ‘Round Box’ Concept epitomises the current trend towards the toy-like, a bulked-up four-seater that features a bluff frontage and open-air top. In corporate speak that translates into a ‘Youth-Oriented Compact Convertible’, hence the emphasis on being a mobile social environment. The driver gets the usual quota of lights and dials, while the satnav system can be accessed by anyone (sure to cause a few arguments).


Above:Daihatsu Mud Master-C
With its Tonka Toy moniker and four-square stance, the Mud Master-C is an almost comically cute reinterpretation of the classic go-anywhere utility vehicle. Reminiscent of any number of ultra-tough models from the classic Unimog onwards, the Mud Master-C was actually developed in collaboration with one of Japan’s leading mountain bikers, Raita Suzuki, as a ‘support vehicle.’ Deliveries never need be delayed again.



Above: Toyota RiN / Toyota Hi-CT
While Toyota’s 1/X hybrid concept was relatively conventional, the company let loose its creative juices with the RiN and Hi-CT. The latter was a joystick-steered, mini utility vehicle, with an upright cab and space on the back platform to haul anything you please. Plug-in hybrid drive comes as standard.

The RiN was even more avant-garde, a push-me-pull-you style urban vehicle inspired by tea houses and the dream of zero emissions. The white bodywork was decorated with organic forms, and the green carpet was a not-so-subtle way of turning the driving experience into a soothing walk in the park.

Source: Wallpaper Magazine