I’ve sold 3 dog houses this week. A new record!!
Thanks everyone for your support and I hope you dogs love their new home.

Modern Echo invitation August 13th, 2009.

Who is Modern Echo?

Modern Echo – Where the World of Design Meets!

Our soft launch was June 2009. Thank you so much for all your suggestions and comments these past months!!! Keep’em coming, as we want this site to be just the way you want it!

Who are we? Modern Echo is a social bookmarking site for the design-savvy, designers, and retailers of the WORLD, where users can share modern design, keep & share lists of their favorite products, add products, favorite design blogs, personal links & design related news!

~ Retailers discover new designers from around the world by using our search!

~ Designers expose your work to people who can really appreciate it, and to retailers from across the world!

~ Meet interesting people, who like you, appreciate great design!

Because this is your site, Modern Echo will continue to be a work in progress. You will dictate where we go on this online adventure, so please let us know what you want in a social site for the design-savvy, designers, and retailers of the world!

As many of my close friends know, when I decide to do something I see it through to the end. Yesterday my brother sent me a link a blog contest. The grand prize is a trip for two to Antarctica valued at US $20,000. Below is an excerpt from Quarker Expeditions, the expedition company sponsoring the contest:

BLOG YOUR WAY TO ANTARCTICA
Travel on a $20,000 Expedition for Free!

The Official Quark Blogger will travel with a guest to Antarctica in February 2010 and blog about their experience, chronicling the action, the emotion, and the drama as their polar adventure unfolds.

Ironically, this contest has almost nothing to do with the quality of the entrant’s blog. It’s a popularity contest. The public decides who wins this incredible opportunity to set foot on a continent so few have ever tread.

PLEASE VOTE FOR ME! It only takes a couple of minutes.

I can assure your vote and any efforts you contribute to this cause will not be in vain. A massive campaign, strategically called “The Penguin-Trevor Antarctic Initiative” is about to commence. Kick it off right by voting on the following link:

THE PENGUIN-TREVOR ANTARCTIC INITIATIVE

Below are some very easy steps you can complete to help me win more votes, and eventually play with penguins.

www.birdsasart.com

1) Upload the above Penguin colony photo to your Facebook profile, tag people in your address book onto the photo, and add the following message:

PLEASE HELP MY FRIEND TREVOR WHO IS BIKING THROUGH SOUTH AMERICA WIN A FREE TRIP TO ANTARCTICA. IT ONLY TAKES MINUTES TO VOTE. YOU CAN VOTE ON THE FOLLOWING LINK:

http://www.blogyourwaytoantarctica.com/blogs/view/466

2) Cut-and-paste this blog entry into an e-mail and send it to ALL your e-mail contacts. If you have more than one e-mail account, even better.

3) Make a Facebook wall update with the same cut-and-pasted message as in step one.

4) Cut-and-paste this blog entry into an office e-mail and send it to ALL your co-workers.

If even just a fraction of my friends and family complete these steps, this campaign will spread like the Swine Flu. And thank you a thousand times over for your help. I’d love to write about and share photos of Antarctica with you on this blog.

Etsy

I’ve been sending plans to quite a few happy dog owners. Take a look for yourself!

I have been looking to enter the Savannah Cabannah into a dog house design competition. I have seen a few on television, but at the time did not think to write down where they where. I found that there is a competition in Austin, TX every year that I am looking into entering that one.

Design competitions are rather difficult to locate sometimes when they are so niche specific, so I thought I would ask others if they knew of any. Anyone? When I search for dog house competitions online, I find only past events, not new competitions.

I really would enjoy finding one local…the search begins.

I have joined many different blog networks to saturate myself throughout the world wide web in hopes to spread the word about the Savannah Cabannah. Please “follow me” if you belong to any of these groups list to the right.

Thank you to everyone for the votes. Unfortunately, cats won out on this battle. The top three ETSY items were cat related. Next time, I think us dog lovers need to combine forces and overcome this tragic event. The Savannah Cabannah did not really come close to placing in the top three. Next time, next time…

Again, thank you for the vote!

My dog house is featured on ETSY! Please vote! http://tinyurl.com/ModernDogHousePlans Modern Dog House Plans – Savannah Cabannah. Thanks!!

Here is the link to vote: http://tinyurl.com/ModernDogHousePlans

VOTING ENDS MAY 4TH @ 8AM.

THANKS!!!!

Your breed fits to the correct dog house size.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD:
SAVANNAH CABANNAH SIZING SHEET

How to Size a Dog House

One of the most important attributes of a dog house is that it be the appropriate size for your pet. I have had requests for different sizes of my “Savannah Cabannah,” so you asked and you shall receive.

I now have 3 additional sizes to accomodate any breed and size of dog. My original design is the “L” = Large, being 5′-0″ x 3′-0″. This size is pretty large. This accomodates the needs and uses of larger breed dogs, but not the right size for all dogs. So, I designed the same doghouse, for 3 more sizes: S=Small, M=Medium and XL=Extra Large. I have a list of all registered dog breeds according to size, with the appropriate size of dog house required per the dogs size.

Small: 3′-0″ x 2′-0″
Medium: 4′-0″ x 2′-6″
Large: 5′-0″ x 3′-0″
Extra Large: 5′-0″ x 4′-0″

The design equation I used is recommended by the Colorado Humane Society. While there are many design equations out there, I went to my local source, being here in Denver and used the following:

Depth = dog’s length + 12″
Width = dog’s length + 18″
Height = dog’s height + 3″ (low side), height + 9″ (high side)

Size of Sleeping Area Floor Space – With each inch of your dog’s height (measured from top of shoulder to ground) allow 36 square inches of floor space. For example, a dog 12 inches tall needs 432 square inches of floor space, or a floor area of 16″ by 27″ = 432 square inches.

Height of Sleeping Area – Add 1 or 2 inches to your dog’s measurement when in a sitting position (from top of head to ground), in order to determine the ceiling height. For example, a dog 12 inches tall will have a sitting height of about 14 inches and the doghouse ceiling should be 15 or 16 inches high.

Overall Doghouse Dimensions – For example, a Dalmatian (20″ tall, sitting height 23″) doghouse should measure: sleeping area – 20″ x 36″; hall area – 12″ x 20″; ceiling height – 25″; doorways – 10″ square; roof – 36″ x 72″.

With that, please print off the following chart for you to decide what “Savannah Cabannah” is right for your dog.

SAVANNAH CABANNAH SIZING SHEET

I am on Twitter

So, I have been a fan of Twitter for awhile now and do not really take advantage of it’s easily distracting capabilities.  But, I do every once and awhile send out updates to check out new happenings and share new built images of ”Savannah Cabannah’s” by others who bought my plans.  I am personally excited to see the replies and hear all the feedback.

I would like to invite you to add me as a follower or follow me on Twitter.

Andy Wright AKA Wright4Design on Twitter