Do you have a clan of messy eaters in your house? Are dinner time spills taking over your table?  We’ve got an opportunity for you! Recently, Crypton developed a fun line of colorful and reversible mess-free suede placemats.  Not only are they stylish, the Crypton technology behind the fabric means they are completely stain- and water-resistant, too. Although you can’t buy these placemats in stores yet, we thought it would be fun to offer our readers an exclusive opportunity to test them out. We’ll even give you the full set of four placemats – all you have to do is share your story with us.  

 That’s all it takes to receive three additional placemats: a full set!  This opportunity won’t be available for long and space is limited, so sign up soon! All signed up? Once you’ve recieved your placemat, fill out a feedback form to recieve the other three.

We look forward to hearing your messy stories!

Crypton dog beds get a shout-out on Martha Stewart Radio’s “Morning Living”

I love my job – it lets me meet amazing animals and their equally awesome people. Two of my absolute favorite animal lovers are Kim Fernandez and Betsy Karetnick, the dynamic duo that co-hosts “Morning Living” on Sirius XM’s MarthaStewart Radio. Both are proud owners of multiple dogs that they adopted from animal shelters, which means they’re my kind of gals. Love them!

I’ve been very lucky to be invited on this show many times. It’s serious fun donning head phones to chat with Kim and Betsy, and answer their listeners’ questions live. In fact, the feedback I’ve gotten from the show’s loyal followers is so inspiring that it was a driving force behind my new book, “Pretty Pet-Friendly.” After all, what could be prettier or more pet-friendly than lifestyle legend Martha Stewart and her talented team?

This morning at around 7 a.m. EST, we discussed dog grooming, which is even more important in winter than in summer, believe it or not. When a pet’s coat gets tangled and matted or dry and flaky, it can’t insulate animals from the cold as efficiently, so regular brushing and bathing with gentle, all-natural, conditioning shampoos are absolute musts.

Of course, when asked about my favorite pet products, Crypton dog beds topped the list! Don’t miss this fabulous, eye-opening show every weekday morning between the hours of 7 and 10 a.m. EST.

Meanwhile, for your weekend pet-expert fix, be sure to tune in to Greg Kleva’s always-enlightening show, It’s a Dog’s Life, Saturdays at 8 p.m. A ringer for Keanu Reeves, this gifted
dog trainer is as easy to listen to as he is easy on the eyes. Follow him on Twitter : GregTheDogGuy.

Posted by Julia Szabo.

High-fashion shoe designer Warren Edwards thinks Crypton is made for walking!

In celebration of Fashion Week, which has blanketed New York City in a beautiful blizzard of style, let’s stop for a short, chic shoe tutorial. Before Jimmy Choo, before Christian Louboutin, before Manolo Blahnik, there was Warren Edwards, brilliant designer of fashion-forward footwear for women and men.

Warren’s still going strong, his delightful designs proof that he’s at the very top of his game. And his high-style Manhattan store on East 60th Street off Park Avenue continues to be the de rigueur destination for connoisseurs of fine, fashionable footwear.

Another reason to love Warren is that he’s a huge dog lover. He’s owned by two adorable fox terriers, Nicky and Nora – they’re named after the lead humans in “The Thin Man” flicks, but they’re ringers for the movies’ dog star, a famous fox terrier named Asta.

But dogs will be dogs, so Nicky and Nora are not above, ahem, chewing the occasional shoe. Warren recalls the time his girls destroyed an entire range of design samples. “That was a very expensive exercise in learning that they love to chew shoes,” he says with a laugh. “For some reason, they were especially diligent about munching on the heels.” Well, they are females, after all, so they appreciate a stylin’ stiletto!

The design challenge: How to make heels that are as hound-proof as they are haute?  Warren came up with a brilliant idea: a shoe with no leather components might be an effective doggie deterrent. But the material still has to be high-style and that’s where Super Fabrics come in.

Warren selected Crypton Suede in Blueberry, and knocked our socks off with these fabulous renderings of traffic-stopping “Blue Suede Shoes.”

“It’s a great color in that denim-y family, which is hugely popular now,” the designer explains. “It’s such a great, non-seasonal shade.” Plus, with their treaded Vibram soles, the shoes provide the traction every dog-walker needs when pounding the pavement with a pup. 

High-fashion shoes made for walking and puppy-proofing? That, as they say in the U.K., is the dog’s bollocks. Stay tuned to see the actual shoes in action …

Posted by Julia Szabo.