About Me

Hi!! I'm Ellen. I'm 38 and I live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

 

I started Ask Away in 2010 as a way to give people advice on a variety of topics like fashion (outfit of the day posts), home decor (how I style my home), personal finance (seriously, I'm so frugal that we got married for under $2,500 in 2017!), and pets (I mean I have a bunch of Chihuahuas so how could I not write about pets). Of course the topics I write about have evolved over the years. I Love writing about simplifying life and organized so those are incorporated into my posts as well.

Along the way, I share my hilarious life tidbits like the time I was photographed on Google Earth laying out in my backyard getting a tan.  Seriously, that happened. And I share things we can all relate to, like when you try to take an impressive photo of your newly styled couch but your dogs photo bomb you!

These are my current dogs...

Daisy

Daisy is 3 years old and she is our new alpha of our wolfpack. She was a pandemic puppy and the first new dog we introduced after unexpectedly losing Stella in 2020.  Daisy runs a tight ship and does NOT like when the other dogs act up.  Daisy is very smart and listens to everything we say and talk about. We notice her eavesdropping on our human conversations a lot.  She can piece together what we are talking about and then she starts reacting to it. You can find Daisy sitting at the front window keeping an eye on everything that goes by outside.

 

Layla

Layla is our sweet girl and she is very much a momma's girl.  She is almost 2.  She's also a sensitive girl and aims to please and does not like being scolded.  Her and Daisy are besties because for a while it was just the two of them surrounded by old dogs. Layla LOVES playing, running, going on walks, and wrestling with the other dogs. 

 

  Tuco

Our tiny Tuco was born in 2023 and he's Layla's full blooded sibling.   They came from the same parents, just a different litter. He is a lot like her with his mannerisms.  Must be the genetics, of course! Tuco loves snuggling with us and his siblings.  He really adores Layla since she's his big sister and he follows her lead A LOT.  

 

And these were my original 4 chihuahuas.  

I call them my OG Wolfpack and they still deserve to be mentioned on here. I lost all 4 of them over 3 years.  It was brutal and I wrote about grieving my dogs but their memory lives on, even on this blog. So here's their introductions.

Pixie

Pixie was my special girl.  She was the first Chihuahua I ever got back in 2005.  I picked her out when I was just 19 and waited for weeks until she was old enough for the breeder to let her go.  She was so tiny.  I adored her and took her everywhere with me.  In 2007, Pixie was stolen during a home burglary, and I was devastated. It made the news, TV, radio, and newspaper.  I didn't give up and after 5 days, Pixie was recovered by police after a shoot out!! Crazy story huh? It's true!! And Pixie was unphased by it all.  I blogged about her ordeal here. She loved everyone and was the happiest dog ever! In 2018, she became a certified therapy dog and made weekly visits to a memory care facility to visit residents. Pixie passed away in 2022 just a month shy of her 17th birthday. It was very hard to lose her as she had been with me for so long and was the one who started it all. 

Grace

After I got Pixie back, I realized I should probably get another Chihuahua in case anything ever happened to Pixie again.  Plus, dogs love company.  So I got Grace in 2007 and she was always my little sidekick, glued to me always.  Sometimes she would be uncomfortable around new people but when given time, she'd warm up at her own speed.  She was a very obedient girl and she graduated from Training Class in 2009! Grace passed away in 2023 at the age of 16. She was the last remaining OG and I actually brought Tuco home that week.  She also celebrated her 16th birthday that day.  I believe she hung on to meet him and when she knew everything was going to be okay, she let me know it was time to let her go.

Stella

Oh, Sweet Stella. She was the 3rd dog I added to my pack, had an amazing temperament and was just the sweetest thing.  I loved bathing her because I got to blow dry her hair and give her "blow outs".  Stella loved to be carried and she also became a therapy dog in 2018. She enjoyed visiting a retirement community and having kids read to her at our local library.  Stella passed away unexpectedly in 2020 at the age of 10 1/2. She was the first of mine to go and it was difficult since she was the youngest so we never thought she'd be gone first. 

Rocky

Oh Rocky, my first boy ever.  Rocky was born in 2004 but I didn't get him till 2012.  He ran away from home and my mom found him...and of all breeds to find, a Chihuahua! I took him in and once we found the owners, they notified us that they were elderly and Rocky was getting to be a lot for them. So I adopted him! He was so sweet and kind and always an obedient little guy.  Rocky was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Disease (a heart condition) but after a year and thanks to early detection, we have it managed so well it's like he was a puppy even in his senior years. Rocky passed away in 2023 at the ripe old age of 18 years and 8 months and I was devastated to lose my best boy.

I hope you enjoy my blog!

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