Krystal Bick, founder of the lifestyle site This Time Tomorrow, is one of the original fashion bloggers on the scene, before we had Instagram (though she makes the most gorgeous Instagram content, too). She launched her fashion blogging career while she was working at Google. After five years at the tech giant, which included a transfer from the San Francisco office to the New York City office, the West Coast native left her six-figure salary as a product marketing manager to focus on her digital content career as an influencer. She has been featured in publications like The Atlantic, Coveteur, Business of Fashion, and Wired, and has collaborated with brands like Mulberry, Beauty Pie, and Movado. Through it all, she has been supported by her Corgi, Elvis, who has booked a few brand campaigns himself! We spoke to her about the magic of Corgis, what it’s like to do social media with your dog, and how life in the West Village of Manhattan looks during COVID-19.
Let’s start at the beginning. Did you grow up with dogs?
I grew up with a cat named Garfield, a dog named Bobo, one mouse named 007—that one still makes me laugh—and countless fish. You could say that my parents like animals just as much my sister and I do. In particular, our dog Bobo, who was a rescue from the local ASPCA, was a mutt, a mix of Collie and Corgi, we think—if you can picture Lassie with a long body and short legs, that was Bobo. Ever since then, I’ve wanted a Corgi of my own.
“I think the magic of Corgis is in the little legs, to be honest. And their butts. They have good, fluffy butts.”
A lot of people talk about reaching a personal or professional milestone before getting a dog. Did you plan or wait to get Elvis or was it more of a spontaneous decision?
Considering I wanted a dog the minute I moved away from home after college, it definitely wasn’t a spontaneous decision. The tricky part about living in San Francisco, where I was at the time, was that some building management companies allowed for pets, while others didn’t. Once I found a place that was dog-friendly, my dad told me he wanted to get me a Corgi as my birthday present. Best gift I’ve ever received!
What a memorable birthday! How did your dad know Elvis was The One?
My dad handled most of the visits with breeders in the California area—he wanted to make sure they were coming from a good home, where the mom and litter were treated lovingly. He sent me a few videos from one breeder in Sacramento and I fell in love with the runt, who was Elvis, instantly!
So, is Elvis named in honor of The King?
The one and only—Elvis Presley—thank you very much.
If he were a person, how would you describe Elvis’ personality?
I like to think he’d be like Elvis [Presley]: sweet, loving, likes being center stage but is a big mama’s boy at heart.
The Corgi parent community is so strong wherever you are in the world. What is it about Corgis that you love?
Before getting Elvis, whenever I’d see a Corgi out and about being walked, I would deliberately go out of my way to chat with the owner and of course, pet the little guy! Corgi owners and enthusiasts alike are a dedicated group—we love our Corgis! We’ve been to a few Corgi meetups in the past—one in San Francisco on the beach and a few here in New York. I love seeing the group of non-dog owners that always gathers outside the dog park when a Corgi meet up is happening. I think the magic of Corgis is in the little legs, to be honest. And their butts. They have good, fluffy butts.
How does your daily schedule with Elvis look these days?
While a lot of our normal schedule has changed in the wake of COVID-19, Elvis has been a trooper through it all. Typically, he gets a long walk in the morning with me, an afternoon walk with our lovely dog walker, Ayanna, and then another long walk in the evening with his dad. We’ve since trimmed our morning walks together, taking him for a long walk later in the evening when fewer people are out and about. We also don’t go to the dog parks anymore—Elvis’ favorite Saturday activity! In light of everything though, it’s made me realize how empathetic dogs really are—they can sense when you’re anxious and he’s been such a ball of love throughout all of this! We’ve even filmed mini “Broadway plays” each morning together for my Insta Stories, which my audience has been loving lately. There’s nothing like a cute dog singing along to songs from Hamilton, right?
What are some of Elvis’ favorite dog toys and where do they come from?
Funny enough, some of his favorite toys aren’t even dog toys. His grandma, aka my lovely mother, gets him stuffed animals meant for babies. They’re usually harder for him to rip apart and they don’t have the squeaky part in them. In the past, he usually just tries to rip out and eat the squeaky part—no good!
Since you have such great taste, where do you like to shop for Elvis?
We love Wooftown in the West Village. It’s his favorite place to shop, and it’s where his gray bed is from. Sadly, Elvis doesn’t share my love for clothes. He hates wearing them. Sore subject.
What does a handsome boy like Elvis eat?
Do you consider yourself a dog mom?
Definitely a dog mom! Some might even say that if his Broadway career takes off, I’m his momager.
You moved from San Francisco to New York City, originally as a transfer through your job at Google. Was Elvis there for your move, and did he help you with the transition in any way?
He most certainly was there for the move! And yes, he was the best support system for the transition. He helped me learn my way around the West Village and downtown New York, since you’re always asked directions by tourists when you’re walking a dog, and he helped break the ice with a few of my other neighbors. We once even met Hugh Jackman and his French Bull Dog Because Elvis insisted on saying hello to his pup!
What are some of your favorite dog-friendly spots in the West Village?
Most restaurants with an outdoor patio in the West Village will let you dine with your pup—our favorite is Extra Virgin.
Has Elvis ever been in any of your brand campaigns, and does he enjoying modeling? Or has he inspired any of your stories on your blog? We think you have some of the best blog posts—it feels like a lost art form these days!
Elvis landed a big campaign with BarkBox a few years ago and he was so incredibly proud! We worked hard on that content! And come to think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever written a long-format blog post about how Elvis came into my life and what went into training him in those early days. Perhaps that’s in order soon!
What do you consider your biggest extravagance for Elvis?
I know dog parents are sometimes split on this issue, but Elvis always sleeps up on the bed with us. Without question.
Has Elvis change your life in any other way?
No matter what kind of day I’m having, it’s hard not to smile when I look at him. He helps me keep a positive attitude, especially in the troubling times we now find ourselves in.
Photography by Tayler Smith