my kitchen inspiration? it's a bunny!

not a hippity hoppity bunny... although she skips around when she is happy... a perky peppy puppy named Bunny!

I was mulling over shades of gray for the lower cabinets, and it occured to me that I already know what the prettiest shade of gray is... it's Bunny gray! Taking a close look at our Bunny's coat, she is gray with a undercoat of brown. Technically, she is called "blue" but she sure looks gray to me.

I am all about color matching. The wall color I picked is Ralph Lauren's "Country Dairy." It is a nice creamy white, with a touch of gray. It is hard to desribe but it is a white with the perfect undertones of brown and gray. The upper cabinets are Ralph Lauren's "Picket Fence White," which is a white with the slightest gray undertone.

I think finding a gray with a bit of brown to it (instead of a more gray-blue pewter) would compliment the wall color.

I set to work finding a paint color that "felt" like Bunny. I also wanted to use a flat enamel on the lower cabinets, which meant Ralph Lauren was out since those are only latex paints. I couldn't find a Behr color that was just right... so I started looking at grays and cream-browns and came up with my own color that I am calling (surprise!) "Bunny Gray."

All in all, the kitchen will feel like Bunny as she has a dark gray nose, gray-brown coat, and white chest and tinkle-toes.

A bit about Miss Bunny-Boo, for those who are interested. Bunny is an American Pit Bull Terrier. As such, she is subject to the ridiculous practice of Breed Specific Legislation. Which means, Bunny, who would never hurt a fly, is banned in my town, while the neighbor dog down the street that has tried to attack my dog and kids many times is perfectly acceptable.

The only reason I get to have Bunny in our town is because Bunny is a service animal. She is a medical alert dog. Without Bunny, I would not be able to lead a full life. I am diabetic and prone to hypoglycemia. My blood sugar can plummet at the drop of a hat. I can pass out, have seizures, and many other bad things. Before I can recognize a problem and use my meter, Bunny can sense my sugar levels and signal me. She does this by licking my hand. She also carries a backpack filled with my supplies when we go out. She can also bring me my medicine, on command, if I need the bag. She can "get help" if I am alone in a room of the house by finding my family and alerting them. With Bunny, I am able to go running and not worry that something might happen to me. The APBT is the only breed in the "pit bull" family that can run long distances, and I am a runner. Because I need a dog that could possibly drag me from danger if I pass out, I need a BIG dog. My first dog was a rottweiler, which is very prone to arthritis, hip problems and cancer. Check is retired now because she can't run anymore. She hobbles around the house and has had to have surgery to remove cysts.

Some people have asked why I chose a pit bull as my service animal. Once I showed them all the research on how loyal, brave and willing-to-please these dogs are, they understood that they are the perfect breed for this work.

Bunny gets to be a breed ambassador. Where ever we go, people stop us and comment on how pretty she is. Bunny's tail starts wagging and she gives them a big smile. When they ask what kind of dog she is, I am proud to tell them she is a pit bull. She gets to show people what these dogs are really like and is, hopefully, changing some minds!

All our dogs are great with kids and other animals. In fact, the cats seem to really only like Bunny and are pretty indifferent to the other dogs.

Here are a couple pictures of Bunny. Here she is with her kitten, Biscuit. Pretty girl!!