This week’s Style Series features someone who was crucial in the development of Pup Tees by Project PAL. When we were first tossing the idea for this fundraising tool around, we knew we wanted to partner with an organization that knew their sh*t. Enter Lindsey Blazevich.  After one meeting with Lindsey, we knew we had hit the Shelter Dog Advocate JACKPOT.

Lindsey is the CEO and Co-Founder of One Love Pit Bull Foundation. She is also a kick a** realtor. Lindsey and her husband, Chris, will probably end up taking over the world, but for right now…she’s busy helping her clients buy and sell their homes and spending all of her extra time being the mastermind behind many innovative solutions to help enrich the lives of Shelter Dogs in Maricopa County.

Lindsey has the life many of us dream of, she makes her own schedule (but works really effing hard and hustles constantly), she travels a ton, has an incredible list of friends, and is happily married with three spoiled pit bull type dogs at home.  Since Lindsey is always on the go, we knew she would choose to style her Pup Tee in the most sensible and adorable way. She did not disappoint.  Check out what Lindsey has to say:

From Lindsey:
I’m a girl who’s always on the go! Whether I’m showing properties or hanging out with dogs at the shelter, it’s not uncommon for me to get my hands dirty. For me, I love things that are stylish, comfortable and convenient.

For this outfit, I picked my favorite leggings from lululemon! They are soft, comfortable and durable. I paired them with my Converse Shorelines. I have narrow heels and most tennis shoes slip off. Converse shorelines have a little bit of elastic around the heel to keep them snug on your feet all day. This is especially helpful when you are running around with dogs.

Since the sun is ALWAYS shining here in Arizona, my shades are always on-hand. These Oakley Aviaters are my favorite! Except for one thing, the nose pieces always get stuck in your hair. Thankfully, Oakley found a solution to that problem. The nose pieces have a patented design that helps them stay on your face and prevents them from getting stuck in your hair.

I have a few accessory staples that I always wear.  My watch is by Nixon.  It is high quality, durable, with a little bling. Just my style.  My backpack +pins are by Rescue Strong, with one pin from Tito’s! This awesome backpack allows me to carry all the basics while I am at the shelter or working with dogs, while remaining hands-free. I mentioned that I like shiny things, right? This fabulous Not Vodka water bottle keeps my water cool all the time, whether I’m driving around the valley showing houses all day, or running around outside of the shelter. This is a must for Arizona. The sparkles are of course an added bonus.

 

There was a time when I wore high-heels every day, but it’s just not practical when you’re showing a two acre horse property or running around the shelter. That being said, just because I enjoy comfort doesn’t mean I skimp on quality. I love well-made, stylish and durable items. Which is one of the many reasons I love pup tees! I am obviously all about that message, but I also love the fabric and the fit. I could wash and dry that shirt 100 times and it would still fit the same. No matter how much dirt or dog slobber gets on it, I know it will stand the test of time. The same goes for most items in my wardrobe!

 

Leggings, Shoes, Watch, Sunnies, Backpack, Water Bottle + Not Vodka Website, Earrings, Lipstick

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Lindsey! We appreciate you taking time out of your incredibly busy schedule to help us with this week’s Style Series!  You are beautiful, fearless, and a force to be reckoned with so we are pretty effing grateful to be on your team!!!

HUGE thanks to Monica Adalsteinsson for being the best blog photog EVER! We ❤ YOU!

You guys…..JUNE:

This lady is another hand-picked favorite of Emily & Justin’s! Which means we know two things about her by default, 1. SHE A MAMA (with boobies) 2. SHE A GOOD GIRL!

To quote Emily directly “June is doing great, June, Pretty Face, Wiggle Butt, Big Mama!”. This lady joined our group for the recent One Love volunteer orientation and proudly strutted her stuff around the auditorium to show all the eager volunteers how freaking great it is to work with shelter dogs like her!

June is so confident and comfortable in her own skin, and she’s not the type to pass on any treats or food, ever. In fact, a few of us can relate to a recent happening in June’s life. Apparently, one day Emily and Jay pulled June out and were concerned because her belly looked bigger than usual (they suspected bloating). However, after a quick vet check (where they could literally feel kibble in her belly) it was determined that Sweet June Bug had simply eaten a bit too much in one sitting….#FOODBABY. We can relate to June, sometimes after a visit to Chipotle we have the same problem.

June is known for a couple of things, girl is a mouth breather, AND can sniff out a snausage a mile away. While perusing the volunteer orientation June found someone with a stash of snausages and planted herself there for the entire time.

Oh, June…how she loves the feed sack.  But luckily for June, some of her friends are committed to keeping her active, enter Jay and a quick jog in the play yard to burn off said snausages:

Guys, look at June trotting after Jay with the biggest smile on her face ever.  We may have focused on her love for food, because well, we can relate.  BUT June is such a love and while she does like to play a bit, she’s truly the perfect low-key companion.

June will probably do best as the only dog in her home, but trust us, she’s got enough love to make you MORE than happy! If you have your heart set on June and you do have another dog, an intro would definitely be required prior to adoption.

This seven-year-old baby hippo/seal mix is what dreams are made of you guys. If you are interested in adopting June, visit Maricopa County Animal Care.  June’s ID is A3925685.

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(SINGLE) FELLAS LISTEN UP! Do you want to know the secret to getting a cute girl’s attention?! You wear a shirt that has a catchy pup-related pun on it. Now, go forth and attract thyself a girlfriend!  JK kind of. BUT seriously, show me a girl that won’t think it’s pretty effing cool that when she asks you about your shirt you tell her ALL THE DOLLARS went to help shelter dogs.  Ya, I know, genius. I’m always right (just ask my husband jk don’t, he will definitely not agree).

Anyways, this week’s featured fella is Evan Adalsteinsson! Evan may not be a single fella looking for tips to get a girlfriend (because he is married to the coolest/cutest gal ever, Monica!), but he sure knows how to showcase our Mutt Life shirt! And we REALLY feel like all people of any relationship status should wear our shirts because, well, the funds help the dogs, duh!!!   OK back to the actual point of the blog….we are pleased to introduce you to Evan!

Evan moved to Phoenix this past fall and his wife got him into volunteering for One Love Pit Bull Foundation and Maricopa County Animal Care. He likes to get to the shelter early before the public gets there and play with the dogs and take them for walks. He loves to evaluate them for behavior issues and to see what skills they have already. Evan also likes to help turn the pups into models for his wife, who “takes a billion photos of the dogs while they’re at the shelter” — direct quote from Evan, not us, for the record.

Evan bought a Pup Tee by Project PAL because he knows where the money is going. He can literally see it being used while he is at the shelter volunteering.  Evan says it’s a good feeling to wear clothes that promote the betterment of shelter dogs’ lives.

Here’s what Evan has to say about his Pup Tee Style:

Volunteering in the shelter I always keep some affordable and easily replaceable sunglasses with me. I found these at Target and like how they have a classic look, but also mix it up with the faux wood sides
I love these shorts from Target, I think I have a pair in every color! They’re super comfortable and go with anything.
In Phoenix you need to stay hydrated, I bought this Hydroflask water bottle that I have named “Bottomless Pit”. It keeps my drinks cold for hours in our hot Summer! I needed to add a handle to lug this thing around, this handle is a paracord with a compass, whistle and fire-starter.  The water bottle is on sale now at REI.  The handle for the water bottle can actually be purchased through One Love Pit Bull Foundation’s Amazon Smile account.

I like to be comfortable and my Nike Flyknits fit the bill. Mine are an older style, but below I provided a link to a similar style.

 

Sunglasses, Mutt Life Shirt, Shorts, Water Bottle, Shoes

Hey Evan….you rock.  Thanks for being our first male style feature! We’d say you and your wife (photographer extraordinaire) nailed it on this one!!! We very much appreciate you both!!!!!!!

So you know how most days at work you tell yourself you’re going to go to the gym, go to the grocery store, run errands, clean the house, etc., and then just end up lying in bed watching Friday Night Lights* for the 4th time when you get home? Well, do you know who would NEVER judge you for that……… Gala.

Look, this girl is who she is and she is not going to apologize. She doesn’t need to go on hikes or go swimming. She doesn’t need to play hours and hours of fetch. She is just down to legit Netflix and Chill (see below).

 

 

We are told that this gal will plop her head into your lap and within a few minutes will be snoring out loud haha! This cutie is a snuggle love bug and all she needs to be happy is a buddy, a couch, and maybe a blanket or two ;).

Gala loves people and is extremely gentle. She is about seven years old and walks well on a leash. If you are thinking about giving Gala a furever home, but have a dog, you must have a doggy intro prior to adoption.

Gala is part of the Shelter Dog Program, which means that you will receive free post-adoption classes and a free microchip! Her ID is A3929528 and you can find this QT at MC Animal Care West (2500 S 27th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009). Spread the word and let’s find someone to take Gala to the Gala… errr I mean to the couch!

*Any show or movie can be substituted to make this more relatable to you… but Texas Forever and Tim Riggins is a dream boat.

Ok, so this week’s Style Series is featuring our dear friend, loyal Pup Tees supporter, and volunteer extraordinaire, Cara.

This is Cara:

If someone asked us to make a long story short….we’d just say, plain and simple, that Cara is the ISH. (Good thing no one asked us to make a long story short since we have a lot to say….)

Cara first started seeing Project PAL posts when she began volunteering for One Love Pit Bull Foundation. Our #TurnUpforPups campaign was the first one to catch her eye! Once she realized the concept behind Project PAL, she was all in. Featuring shelter dogs, blog posts, Pup Tees, events (all to help dogs)…yep, near and dear to her heart!

Interestingly enough, Cara had never been involved in animal welfare prior to reaching out to One Love for some help finding an addition to her little family (just Cara and her Ranger Danger).  One Love helped Cara find her pup, Paula from MCAC West. After that, she was hooked. She wanted to help at the shelter any way she could.

Ironically, Cara never thought the Shelter would be a place she would be comfortable, turns out after she went through training…girl LOVES going to the shelter. She helps in the clinic, day fosters, trains new volunteers and does a TON of enrichment with the shelter dogs. #rockstar

For Cara, the cause is what motivates her to support Pup Tees by Project PAL. Every penny spent on a Pup Tee goes towards the Shelter Dog Program.  This means dogs get items (bully sticks, stuffed bones, kongs, toys, blankets etc), experiences (like training classes), flea & tick treatment and so on, during their stay at the shelter. Enrichment keeps their minds focused, healthy and ready to find their homes! At the end of the day, the money from Pup Tees provides these tools that help volunteers help the dogs, which is so important to Cara.

From Cara:
The First Look…
I’m a pretty casual person in general, so I like to keep things simple. Pup Tees add so much to my outfit that I love them to be the main focus!! The Mutt Life Tee is sooo soft and I like pairing it with blue jeans or colored pants and flats (cuz I’m a weenie and can’t wear heels 😜). 

Mutt Life Shirt, Black Flats, Burgundy Pants, Sunnies 

The second look….
I live in my Shelter Puppies tank because I can wear it with anything and the fit of it is perfect. I haven’t worn shorts and tank tops in years but with this tank I feel confident and people ALWAYS ask me where I got it.

In these pictures I’m wearing denim shorts and a zip up, and it’s what I wore for the rest of the day because I was so comfortable and I felt awesome.

I’m also wearing a headband from rescuestrong.com which is another wonderful organization that sells amazing clothes and accessories to help animal welfare groups!

Shelter Puppies Tank, Shorts, Zip Up Hoodie, Earrings, Sunglasses, Headband

SO, in conclusion, not only am I able to help dogs by sporting my Pup Tees, but I have met a fantastic group of people in One Love and Project PAL that I am proud to call my family. Helping dogs and working for this cause has brought together a diverse group of people that I would be lost without.

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HEY CARA, YOU KICK A. We are grateful for you and appreciate that you took time out of your busy schedule to put together a couple outfits for our Style Series!  We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again….every Pup Tee supporter has their favorite way to wear our comfy shirts and we are sure enjoying sharing those outfit ideas with you!

p.s. look how cute these four are….Pup Tees + adoptable Danice (who benefits from Pup Tees proceeds). Doesn’t get much better.

 

 

The shelter can be super overwhelming for me, so usually when I go I like to tag along with experienced volunteers. Two of my favorites to tag along with are Justin & Emily. These two have a knack for finding the most precious hidden gems within the MCAC shelter walls. (Just ask Emily, at any given time she has a running list of adoptable dogs and their IDs in her notes on her phone!)

Recently, these two stumbled upon a little mini dog who was listed as a “pit bull”. This little white pup was trembling in her kennel. Emily had to step into Lola’s kennel to get her out since she had pinned herself into the corner. Lola initially tried to resist Emily and Justin’s offers of food and affection, but turns out….she just needed someone to see her and give her a chance.  Check out this adorable sequence of events from the first time they had Lola out:

NOW, Lola has weaseled her way into the hearts of the entire One Love team.  This girl is TINY, cuddly and so effing silky soft!  She totally prances when she walks because she is dainty AF  alssoooo,  she gives the sweetest, most gentle smooches of.all.time. Quite possibly her best trait…ok second best.  Her best trait is that she has a STRIKING resemblance to Sid from Ice Age:

I MEAANNN….uncanny, right? Also, I think her slender little bendy body just reminds me of Sid the ground sloth in general.

Anyways, at the end of the day, we know this young girl (estimated to be 1.5 years old) has had kennel mates her size, but might do better as an only dog/only animal.  Mostly because she’s a hard no on cats….

….and, has a bit of a history with other dogs in the home….(aka her and her ex chihuahua roommate didn’t see eye-to-eye on life). Lola just belongs in the lap of someone that loves her.  She even appears to be house trained….so for those of you who can’t fathom dealing with potty training, this girl is for you!

Lola is at MCAC West and her ID is A3870296. You can adopt this chihuahua/rat terrier today!

Also, I am LOLing that when I searched “Her name was Lola, She was a show girl” on google, this is the first video that popped up….seems like a sign (white dog music video star)….

Sometimes  Most of the time, it is hard to stop at just ONE Pup Tee…..with that being said, we were so pumped to see how Pup Tees supporter, Vanessa made two different looks with her two favorite Pup Tees.

Totally unrelated, but just an FYI, when you submit a Pup Tees order online…it is literally packaged and sent to you by one of the four of us personally.  You may be wondering why I am mentioning this….well, because I swear I have Vanessa’s home address memorized after all of the Pup Tees we have mailed her!

ANYWAYS, now that I have officially creeped Vanessa out (and probably scared away all potential Pup Tees supporters….) I’ll carry on with this Style Series.

Vanessa loves to support all purpose-driven efforts and chooses to support companies and organizations with the same values. For Vanessa, knowing what the message is, what the funding supports, and witnessing the dedication given to making a change for the dogs in the shelters is the reason it’s a no-brainer for her to support Pup Tees!

This girl is an inspiration to many.  She works full time, is a volunteer for One Love Pit Bull Foundation AND Pinups for Pit Bulls.  When she’s not working with these organizations (or promoting Project PAL), she loves spending time with her two pups, Minion and Kona.

One of our favorite things about Pup Tees is the people that wear them.  Every single supporter is different.  There are various preferences in colors, accessories, patterns etc. Vanessa put together such fun and unique looks with her Pup Tees and we are SO anxious to show you…

From Vanessa:
#SHOWMETHESHELTERPUPPIES

I wanted to keep this look simple. I work hard in my career, so when I’m out and about or heading to the shelter, comfort is the most important thing for me! My pit bull leggings were perfect to accentuate the statement that the tank top makes.

I also love layering tanks for extra coverage and a pop of color. This way, if you prefer to keep the leggings simple and black, you still stand out!

Leggings, Mint Tank Top, Bracelet Shelter Puppies Tank, Sunglasses, Sandals

#MUTTLIFE

Crop tops make me a little nervous as I don’t have the figure for showing midriff. However,  styled the right way, this crop top is super flattering for any body type! Here I have put together a comfortable but trendy look!

I picked this combination for those lazy days you want to cuddle up with your dogs on the couch all day, but also force yourself to do at least a little yoga. The harem pants are also great because of the wide elastic band on the waist and ankles. Lots of room for pizza and tacos! The ankle part is awesome because you can have them full length or slide the band up for shorter pants!

Pants, Necklace, Sandals, Mutt Life Crop Top

From top to hand: Bracelet 1, Bracelet 2, Bracelet 3, Bracelet 4, Bracelet 5

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Thank you to Vanessa for taking the time to showcase your style on our blog this week! Remember, you can purchase all of our Pup Tees at shoppuptees.com and 100% of the money goes straight to the Shelter Dog Program!

Photos by Monica Adalsteinsson ❤

When I was little, I remember (vividly) that when we would visit my grandparents, my grandma would literally be shouting at my grandpa, and he’d be staring right at her not acknowledging what she was saying.  This would go on for most of the day….and then, someone would eventually realize that he had turned off his hearing aides so that he wouldn’t have to listen to the constant “direction” from my well-meaning grandma.

You may be wondering why I am telling you this?  Well, my dog is a lot like my grandpa….except Reggie (my dog) doesn’t have hearing aides. He hears everything I ask him to do, he just intentionally chooses to do absolutely none of it. I feel like there are a lot of dog owners who can relate to this experience:

Annnyyywayysss….the reason I am telling you this is because Dakota will never intentionally ignore you.  So, if you adopt her you can rest assured knowing she is a far nicer, more polite, dog than mine.  The truth is, Dakota really won’t hear you if you are asking her to do something. For those of us who own dogs that just stare at us and then walk away as soon as we say “sit” or “drop it”…we can all attest to wishing there was an actual excuse for our dogs’ deliberate ignoring of requests!

Dakota may be hard of hearing, but guess what…she makes friends like it is her effing job.  Toss that babe into a play group full of sissies and she’ll prance around like the daintiest freaking princess you’ve ever met.  Perhaps you’ve got a more lively bunch, Dakota is down with a little more action.  Girl isn’t afraid of a little physical activity. Honestly, if she were a single human chick, dudes would LOVE her…literally the full package. We were even told that a few dogs have caught on to the fact that Dakota is deaf, and sometimes they pick on her (NO BULLYING ALLOWED)…but you know what? Dakota turns the other cheek and deflects. Can you say P-L-A-Y-G-R-O-U-P rock star??

Dakota is a little puffer munkin, chubber bunny, lover girl!!!! She may have a few extra ADORABLE lbs (she’s not fat, just big boned), but she gets a good case of the zoomies and off she goes, darting across the play yards like the most fit girl you’ve ever seen.

This beautiful pup is estimated to be about THREE years old, she is adoptable through MCAC East and her ID is A3544684. Dakota is sponsored by One Love which means her family will receive FREE post adoption training for her as well as a free microchip (HOLLLLAAAA!! NO MO’ GETTING LOST!).

If you follow us on social media or attended any of our events, chances are you have seen our girl, Annie. Annie is honestly one of the best people we have met since starting Project PAL. She is ALWAYS the first person to volunteer to help at one of our events or to promote a new Pup Tee campaign. She helps with the MCACC Hope Whispers walks AND volunteers with Almost There Foster Care.

On top of all that, Annie is just all around the most wonderful person and is PERMA-Happy. Whenever we see her, she brings a smile to our faces (and the faces of literally everyone around her) and just puts us in a great mood <3. This is Annie, with her two rescue pups, Oreo (small black) and Bingo (semi-small, tri-colored):

Because we love her so much, we of course asked her to participate in our new Style series on the blog. Annie owns her own pilates studio and she swears by wearing Pup Tees during (and after!) her sessions. Annie’s fave part about our tees is that they are comfort combined with stylish cuts and fun sayings! So, whether you are hitting the gym or just pretending to (let’s be honest, we can’t all be as fit or enjoy working out as much as Annie), Pup Tees make the perfect top! Check out what Annie had to say below!

From Annie:

On the go? Working out? Trying to look cute at the same time? Look no further.  My Pup Tees (plural because I have ALL of them…) go with everything!

I own my own Pilates studio and teach all day long…so my daily wear is usually pretty dang comfortable. Thankfully, the Pup Tees are soft and cozy, and go perfectly with leggings and a sports bra.

I get constant compliments on my Pup Tees not only because they have cute sayings but they have flattering cuts for everyday wear. For me, the tanks are the best because I can teach in them all morning and then run out to take spin or yoga classes without having to change :).

I got involved in Project PAL because I wanted to do more in the rescue community. I have two rescue pups of my own, and have worked with a few different organizations around the Valley. I was looking to really get involved and play a bigger role. Thankfully, the crazy world of Social Media led me to the founder of Project PAL. After a coffee date on a Sunday morning, I was in love and ready to help in whatever way possible.

I was born and raised in Phoenix, and am blessed to have a large, loving, and strong community around me. I hope that by working my tush off on building awareness, I will get my hometown to change the fate of so many animals who end up in our county shelters.

‘Show Me the Shelter Puppies’ Tank Top, Leggings, Sports Bra, Shoes, Watch, Bracelet

 

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We are SO grateful that Annie was willing to help us with our Style series!  Since we are always in favor of sharing behind-the-scenes SUPER glamorous outtakes from all-things Pup Tees…we wanted to leave this blog on a high/hilarious note for you:

Yes, that is Annie’s sweet pup, Oreo, taking a DEUCE in the midst of her photo shoot. When you gotta go, you gotta go. We bet Oreo was feeling much lighter for the rest of the shoot hahaha!