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Friday, March 6, 2009 Gertie c. 2000 to March 1, 2009
Gertie wasn’t always easy to live with. Anyone who really knew her could tell you that. However, I had a soft spot for her from the minute I met her, when she was a dog looking for a safe and loving home. I bent down to say hello and she jumped into my arms. At that second I knew she was mine (even though Briar was the one who had wanted a Chihuahua). She was really quite a horrible dog at first. I think most of our friends were either terribly afraid of her or thought she was a hopeless cause. However, her awful story of abuse and neglect allowed her to be excused for most of her behavior. Briar and I persevered, though. We showered her with love. We worked with a dog trainer. I took her on walks and put her on a diet. And Calvin treated her like a baby—hand-feeding her treats and carrying her around. Soon she was a changed dog. Every month that went by she continued to change. Although even at the end she still had moments of rage, they were few and they were rarely exhibited when she wasn’t provoked. (Of course she never stopped barking, but that was her breed’s fault.) I believe she was eternally grateful to us for loving her. I, however, am eternally grateful that she loved us. She showered us with adoration and devotion. I will never forget the greeting she gave me every time I walked in through the front door. If I didn’t bend down to kiss her immediately, she would jump on the chair or the arm of the sofa to be closer to me. When she had really missed a person she would present her nostril-cleaning act (deep kisses up the nose). This was the ultimate show of devotion— on her part as well as on ours. I will never forget the feel of her soft, warm body when she slept with me at night for the last couple of years, curled up by my chest and stomach. Her hot, little body molded perfectly into the curve of my typical, fetal sleeping position. And then she would start snoring—a tiny little sound that was strangely calming and amusing at the same time. In the morning she would roll on to her back so I could rub her tummy. Then she would be ready to play her favorite game, play-attack my hand. She would jump and grunt and intersperse the play with kisses. When my hand got sore I would try to tempt her with one of her little earless rabbit or another of her tiny toys. She would shake it in her teeth and then fling the toy across the room, shocked when the toy managed to get away. Gertie had a lot of work to do once Beck came along. She made it her duty to protect him. From the second we brought him home from the hospital she watched over him. During the first few weeks she would bark at family or friends who tried to get close to him (but not at Briar or myself). She would watch him intently when he sat in his swing. When he was down on the floor or the bed she would clean his nostrils and his toes— clearly we weren’t doing a satisfactory job tending to his hygiene. All her care made Beck a faithful friend, although he did learn an intelligent respect for her. But if he noticed that her toys weren’t near her, he would take them to her so she could play. And two days before her death, when we came home from a long morning in the park without Gertie, Beck greeted her with a kiss and nuzzle. And she was happy for this attention, even though I know now that she was probably in pain. Gertie had such a horrible first few years that she really deserved to have only a joyful and peaceful life. I am so sorry that she experienced pain during her last day. I only hope that the love and care we gave her over the past five years allowed her to know that we were doing the best for her. And I hope she knew just how much she is now missed. Thursday, October 2, 2008
Lexie Lew just received one of the nicest reviews we've ever read from the very well-spoken Meredith (AKA Merry), the Pug mascot and corporate princess from the luxury dog website Pampered Puppy. Thanks Merry! The adorable photos featured in the review are of Merry. What an excellent model she makes! Please visit Pampered Puppy to read the review and take a look around their site. Tuesday, September 16, 2008 Where's Rox?
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 Exciting news: Today Lexie Lew is part of Daily Candy's weekly special deals. I guess the NYC heat has gotten to Lexie Lew and co. and made us do something crazy. Until the end of August, Daily Candy readers will receive a FREE throw pillow with the purchase of a pet bed. If you don't read Daily Candy, you definitely should (and not just because they are smart enough to feature us). They always have the best finds. Monday, July 28, 2008 The cutest pair to share a bed, Hunter and her pup, Roxter.
Saturday, June 28, 2008 Last week the NYC meetup group Kibble n Bark held a “Summertime Grooming" event and fundraiser for the no-kill Animal Haven Shelter. The special guest was Jorge from the crazy Animal Planet show Groomer Has It. (Have you seen that show? It’s totally like the Christopher Guest movie Best in Show but it’s actually real.) Lexie Lew donated a dog bed to be auctioned off and Kibble n Bark nicely sent us these great photos taken by pet photographer Ixiana Hernandez. Thanks!
Friday, June 6, 2008 The hip, Vancouver-based magazine Modern Dog called Lexie Lew beds "Stuff We love" in their summer issue!
A staffer sent us the following email when the office received one of our beds:
We can't think of a nicer complement than to have a pup love our beds. Friday, May 23, 2008 Lexie’s long-lost best-friend Lucy (who now lives in Austin) has a new cousin— Maeve. It looks like Maeve loves her new dog bed as much as Lexie misses her friend.Not only is he adorable, he even matches his bed. Thursday, May 15, 2008 Otis is a new Lexie Lew fan. Not only is he adorable, he even matches his bed. Monday, May 12, 2008 Lexie Lew was featured on PupStyle.com Last month, Lexie Lew was featured on PupStyle.com. “The Original Snobby Dog Blog” regularly highlights the latest cool dog luxuries. I'm in love with almost everything they show. Wednesday, February 13, 2008 Lexie Lew at the New York International Gift Fair
It was an exhausting four days in which Lexie the dog was very upset to not see much of us (I'm not sure why she wasn't working at the show with us). But doing the show gave us a lot of great ideas - like possible products to add. Stay tuned for more details. Sunday, October 14, 2007 Lexie Lew meets Apartment Therapy
Sunday, October 14, 2007 Lexie Lew adds it’s youngest fan
Baby B was born on Aug 15th and so far both Lexie and Gertie adore him. Who would think that our crazy little Chihuahua would jump right up and give him a big kiss the second we brought him home from the hospital? It took Lexie a little longer to warm up to him (“You know, I’m very busy running the company, I’m not sure I have time to watch out for a baby, too,” she said) but now she sits near him and makes sure the cats don’t annoy him. Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Clover of Quebec
Wednesday, May 16, 2007 BKLYN Designs 
Lexie Lew officially debuted with three very full days in DUMBO. At 6:00 on Thursday evening, after a long day setting up, I was almost home when I got a phone call from one of the people in charge of the show announcing that she wanted to move us to a better location. Traffic was so bad that by the time I drove the few miles back to DUMBO, the entire booth had already been moved. It looked great and we were so grateful for the assistance and the new location. The next three days were busy. We gave out around 200 little bags of dog treats (packed in bags with the Lexie Lew logo) and almost 100 bags of cat treats to the pet owners who walked by. For me there were two highlights of the show. The first was meeting a lot of interesting people who gave us feedback about the products and told us about the animals in their lives. The other was meeting our talented co-exhibitors. Our neighbor across the aisle was artist Maureen Nollette. Her prints of everyday objects were soothing, as was her beautiful maple-walled booth. Past Maureen was the talented Lotta Jansdotter, who relocated to Brooklyn from San Francisco in the past year. I've admired Lotta's textile designs for quite a while so it was good to meet her (and her adorable 4-month old son) in person. To our other side was the gorgeous work from Platform Furniture and Fabrication. I spent three days drooling over a solid wood dining table and benches. And then there were the animal-loving guys from Rollner Architectural Metals with sleek wood-and-steel outdoor furniture. Their padded lounge chair was so deep and wide that both Lexie and I could hang out in it and enjoy the warm spring days we're having. I hope all of you who attended the show enjoyed it just as much as we did.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007 Almost ready
The BKLYN DESIGNS show kicks off on Friday morning! We Tonight we'll be binding press releases and I'm sure that will carry over to tomorrow evening. And then Thursday is set-up day. Our booth will be set up to look like the living room of a pet owner, complete with a dog (unfortunately only a stuffed one - live animals aren't allowed). We hope to see everyone at the show. We'll give you dog treats to take home to your own pooch. We promise we didn't even let Lexie lick them. Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Lexie meets her baby cousin
By last week all of Olive’s shots were complete and she was ready to meet Lexie. We introduced them to each other last night and they played for at least an hour. Olive would have played all night if allowed. Lexie had a great time with Olive. She taught Olive to not steal toys and put Olive in her place as the lowest dog on the totem pole. They are going to have a lot of fun together. Gertie, unfortunately, tried to avoid the crazy puppy and looked on from a far.
Monday, April 9, 2007 Maya, the latest Lexie Lew fan.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007 Clever Dog Toys I recently spotted these clever dog toys based on the "Icarus" image by Henri Matisse. The "Henri" squeak toys are by Bodhi Toys and are part of their elegant "Form" line, which also includes a toy-homage to Miro and Calder. Made out of machine-washable microsuede (brilliant, synthetic material!), Henri is available in three different sizes to please any dog. I would be happy to have a couple of these strewn around my living room floor instead of the earless bunny that Gertie the Chihuahua likes to have near her at all times so she can fling it about.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 Cool cat scratching post
I recently discovered Everyday Studio, a San Francisco company that makes some of the coolest pet products around. So, when I decided that our cats, Artemis and Amelia, needed a new scratching post for their holiday present, I decided to order them the brand new “Claw”. The Claw is a cardboard scratching post that can be flipped in numerous ways to form a ramp or a flat post or a sort of chair. I envisioned Amelia hiding underneath the ramp and pouncing out at Art when he approached. I thought it would provide entertainment for all of us. It took over a month for it to arrive because the company was having some manufacturing problems. I was excited when the UPS guy finally brought the package around the New Year. I was disappointed to find that the Claw doesn’t have a metal frame like the one on Everyday Studio’s “Cat Tree”. It looks good anyway and both of the cats like it (especially Amelia) but I think I should have gone for the “Cat Tree” instead. Tuesday, January 9, 2007 Earning My Keep My people have been sick this week so I’m being forced to earn my keep by writing the latest blog post. It is hard being the namesake of a company, after all. You may think the people do all the work but I am the one kept constantly busy running things behind the scene. Here is my typical day: 7:30 a.m.: Wake dad — his alarm clock is not always reliable. 7:35: Chase the cats downstairs so that they know it’s time to eat breakfast. 7:40: Patrol the garden for possible intruders or trash that’s blown over from the neighbor’s yard. 7:50: Alert dad that it’s taking too long for him to drink his coffee. 8:00: Walk the neighborhood to schmooze with potential customers. Make sure to leave my calling card at least once on every block. You never can have too much publicity I always say. 9: 00: Test out the products. It’s crucial to our business that all the pet beds can take hours of strenuous napping. I’ve assigned Gertie, my Chihuahua sister, the task of testing out the built-in pockets as well as testing the throw pillows. 12:00 p.m.: Time for the cats to get their exercise. First I chase them upstairs, and then we wrestle a little. If Artemis has forgotten to wash behind his ears again I’ll take some time to bathe him. 4:00: Alert the cats to the fact that mom is arriving home from work. Make sure Mom feels like she was missed. People really need to make sure they feel appreciated. 6:45: Eat a nourishing dinner. My workday really takes a lot out of me. 7:00: Do an evening meet-and-greet with the neighborhood dogs. Occasionally I’ll even meet an out-of-towner or someone who is new to Park Slope. 8:00: Unwind with a bowl of water while the folks have a glass of wine. 8:30: Respond to emails from admirers. Talk to dad about some ideas I’ve had about our next photo shoot. 9:30: Time for my beauty rest. Love,
Monday, December 11, 2006 Lexie Lew Live Yesterday morning, very early, I made my first live television appearance on NYC's WABC Eyewitness News This Morning (www.7online.com). I did a segment on tips for dealing with holidays and pets. It went well and I had a lot of fun. And on my way out of the Saturday, December 9, 2006 10 Pet Etiquette Tips: If you have pets: 1) Planning a holiday party? Avoid having angry guests and upset pets this year. Make special arrangements to keep your pets out from underfoot. Close them into the part of your home where guests won’t be mingling. Or arrange to send them to doggy daycare or board them overnight. Both your guests and your animals will have a better time, and you’ll be more relaxed since you’ll have one less thing to worry about. 2) Don’t wrap any food gifts and leave them under the Christmas tree. Some dogs have an iron stomach and will eat through paper and plastic to get to anything edible. It’s best to wait until Christmas morning to “deliver” these gifts. If you are giving an edible gift to a friend with a pet be sure to inform her that the gift is edible so she can keep it away from hungry animals. 3) Before opening the door to greet holiday carolers (or visitors), make sure your cat or dog is safely away from the door. The presence of strangers, as well as the noise, may excite animals and cause them to run out into the yard, and possibly into a busy street. And just because the carolers want to entertain you, doesn't mean they want to entertain a jumping dog. 4) If you are a dog-owner who is lucky enough to be traveling with your pet, make sure to bring your own food, treats, toys and anything else that will make your animal happy. Don't assume that just because your host has invited four-footed friends that he will also provide everything you'll need. And make sure you bring an extra-special hostess gift as a thank-you. 5) Don’t assume that people are going to give your pets presents. Not everyone loves them the way you do. Whether or not you have a pet yourself: 1) If your holiday dinner is at a pet-filled home, don't give into the temptation to share the feast with the animals. Too many table scraps can cause indigestion— and very unwelcome accidents. Bones from turkeys, lamb or ham can be chocking hazards or cause internal damage. 2) If you are allergic to animals but you’re invited to a holiday party in a home with animals, let your host know when you RSVP. He or she may be willing to board the animals for the evening or at least offer you some OTC allergy medication. 3) Do holiday houseguests show up with their dogs in tow even when only humans were invited? When extending invitations, politely state that although you're excited to see your brother/aunt/former college roommate, you would prefer Fifi stay at home. You may want to soften the blow by telling your friend that you do have a present for them to take home to Fifi after the holidays. If they insist on saying their pooch can't stay behind, have a list of local, pet-friendly hotels or B&Bs. 4) It’s always nice to remember your friends and family's furry friends at the holidays, even if you don't have a pet of your own. A Lexie Lew pet bed or a gift certificate for grooming or doggie daycare would delight both pets and owners. Or go for something smaller and less expensive: Modern Form Feeding Bowls from Trixie & Peanut (www.trixieandpeanut.com) look hip enough to be used on your table; Bodhi’s “Henri” microsuede dog toy (www.bodhitoys.com) is clever and fun; WetNoz’ “Spring Roll” rubber fetch toy (www.wetnoz.com ) can withstand the roughest play; Nylabone’s “Cheeky Squeaky” stuffed toys for dogs and cats (www.nylabone.com) have funny names and cute faces that make both people and pets enjoy playtime; and Mrs. Meyer's Pet Clean Day Oatmeal Pet Shampoo smells good and is good for dogs’ coats and skin. 5) If you decide to surprise animal friends with holiday goodies, steer clear of treats that can be difficult to digest or that some owners may object, such as pork snouts, pig ears, or rawhide strips. A good alternative is to fill a small drugstore stocking with healthy Greenies treats for dogs or cats (they actually freshen breath and clean pet’s teeth). |
ABOUT LEXIE LEWA few years ago, I adopted a whippet-mix puppy, Lexie, and searched everywhere for a dog bed for her. After a couple months of hunting, I had found only one dog bed that would look good in my very contemporary apartment, but it required dry-cleaning—not exactly practical for a puppy. In desperation, I decided to make a bed for her myself. Shortly after I finished that project, I rescued a Chihuahua named Gertie. She instantly took to Lexie’s bed, and she really enjoyed tugging open the Velcro closure so she could burrow inside. So I started to work on a dog bed for Gertie that would incorporate a built-in blanket. She loved it, as did one of our cats. And my wife really loved the matching throw pillows I made for our own bed with the fabric that was left over. That dog bed and the ideas behind it are the inspiration behind Brooklyn-based Lexie Lew Co. Each item we make must pass my personal pet-owner test: Is it practical? Is it easy to care for? Will my pets like it? Does it look good in my apartment? The answer to each of these has to be “Yes.” If it doesn’t work for me and my four pets, I know it won’t work for you, either. Wes Green, Owner Lexie Lew Co. Contact Lexie Lew at: ---- 1% of proceeds go to support no-kill shelters
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Earlier this month we took part in the 
We’ve been fans of ApartmentTherapy.com for years (we love the new-ish nursery section) and last week 
We’ve been silent on the Internet front lately because of the newest Lexie Lew friend. 
Clover, you look gorgeous basking in the sun on your dog bed. I only wish you were about 375 miles closer to Lexie Lew’s Brooklyn headquarters so I could see your cute little face in person.
A month and a half ago Olive the pug was welcomed into our extended family.
