designing for a pug-lover down the hall

I have the good fortune of having a generous and intelligent neighbor teaching with me at R.B. Walter (I have to be kind because she brews the coffee for all us folks at the far end of the building). Mrs. Heatley has one fault, a genuine major flaw, and that is this love of pugs. I have made an ongoing joke of their lack of beauty for a few years now. Most of the jokes show up in the form of small ink and watercolor drawings that depict the odd appearance as well as strange quirks that pugs possess.

This year I am attempting to have the pugs adorn a Christmas card for her to send out. Here is a bit of the post-brainstorm clean-up process.

She settled on this design and this language. (the purple crayon is a hand tracing of my daughter Clare)

Here are some alternate phrases that I brainstormed to accompany this image:

I don't possess a shut-off mechanism.

Hey, Santa does it!

...a little help here!!!

I'm a sucker for stuffing.

I'm already a pug, what's the difference?!?

Just turn on the Lions' game already!

No, I didn't eat an ornament.

I'm even cuter now, don't ya think?

Haven't ya ever seen a bad hair day before?

There's no denying the importance of genetics.

Full?... I think not.

To a pug, "help yourself" is a dangerous statement.

I feel as though the term "disorder" is a bit extreme.