Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Off to Maine!

This is where we're staying

Hubby & I are off on a much needed getaway to celebrate our anniversary & my birthday!
We're going to Mount Desert Island on Southwest Harbor, MAINE!

This is our room at the Kingsleigh Inn


And this is our view!

I'll be back Sunday night & will get caught up on all your blogs & creations!
I'm looking forward to gorgeous Maine & lots of RELAXING!

Have a wonderful week & I'll see you here soon!
xoxox

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Fundraiser Painting

Saint Francis and Friends



HAPPY SUNDAY!
This is the painting I've been busy at work on last week.  I'm donating it to a great organization called
"Animal Advocates of Moore County, NC".
They are having a BIG fundraiser in December & this will be in their Silent Auction.
I'm happy to have been asked to be a part of a special event that helps animals.
I hope they raise a TON of money for all the sweet furballs!
Check out their website HERE!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Feline Friday~The Ups & Downs of Fostering

Sweet Kappy~those eyes melt my heart!

Kappy feeling much better & PLAYING!

Rich & Squeak having fun in the box!


Wrestle Mania with Zapp & Kappy

Well, after my last bunch of sicko kitties I was glad that my current kittos were all healthy & just needed fostering so they could grow big enough to be spayed & neutered.  All went well the first week & then poor little Kapow (I call him Kappy) decided to quit eating & began losing weight.  I took him in to be checked & was told he may have "Fading Kitten Syndrome" which is where for no particular reason the kitten just fails to thrive & that he might not make it.  I was devastated but NOT ABOUT TO GIVE UP ON HIM!  He seemed to do fine the first week I had him but I noticed he was only gnawing on his food & when drinking he wasn't lapping with his tongue but "sucking" like he was nursing.  When the other 4 kittens were romping & playing, he just wanted to curl up in my lap. He'd look at me with his big round eyes as if to say "I'm still here.  Don't give up on me."  Sniff...  I felt convinced  he was just a "late bloomer" & only needed more practice & a little help to mature.  I began syringe feeding him 4 times a day & he's also on 2 different meds.  Now 3 days later he's a different cat!  He's gained 7 ounces, is eating more on his own, has learned how to "lap" water correctly & today he was actually playing & wrestling with the other kitties!  I cried.  That's the "rewarding" part of fostering that keeps me doing this!  I can't wait for the day when I see his picture on the "Adopted" page!

My other 4 rascals are fat & happy & 3 are going back to the Humane Society today.  I'm keeping Squeak here to keep Kappy company while he gets bigger & healthier.

HOMECOMING GAME TONIGHT & DANCE TOMORROW!
Between kittens & kids activities maybe I'll get some painting in!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

In LOVE with FALL!

Weston Red Barn Farm
It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!
Weston Red Barn Farm

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte!

Happy Thursday!
My lack of posting is due to a painting deadline, trip preparations (will fill you in soon), & mostly 5 rambunctious foster kittens, 1 of which fell ill & I'm having to syringe feed 4 times a day - whew!  He's better now & you can read about him in my post tomorrow for Feline Friday.

Today finally felt like a real "fall" day ~ my absolute favorite time of year ~ so I thought it would be fun to make a "Top 10" list of my FAVORITE things about this time of year!  And they ARE...

Going to the grocery store & seeing pumpkins & mums out front!
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes - yummm!
My favorite little town in northern Missouri ~ Weston!
Watching "Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" over & over!
Pumpkin patches, corn mazes & hayrides
Scary movies ~ with popcorn & milk duds
High School football games
Halloween & the decorations!
Colorful leaves & cool, crisp air
Outdoor fire pit on a chilly evening w/ a glass of wine

So what are YOUR favorites of FALL?  Would LOVE to hear them! :)

Saturday, September 18, 2010

New Cards & Print now in the Shop!

Frida's Funky Braids~Art Print

Halloween Note Cards

All Packaged up Cute!

Happy Saturday!  Hope everyone's having a great day!  I've been spending mine getting a few new things listed in my Etsy Shop!  Hope you like them!

My son & I are going to the "Kansas" concert tonight!  Our Wichita State University Symphony is playing with them & it should be awesome! 

CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Feline Friday~A Little Late

Look at cute little Coco, my good friend Allison's cat.
She found a nice bed inside her mom's scrapbooking case!  TOO CUTE!
Allison was my next door neighbor for several years & moved to Colorado last year.  We used to have coffee & wine talks, take Irish Dance together, talk about our kids & our dogs even played together!  I miss her!  She & her daughter were in town last weekend & we got to have lunch together so I'm thankful for those times.  She adopted Coco from the Kansas Humane Society before she moved.  She was one of her fosters & is now enjoying the good life of a Rocky Mountain cat!

I'm working on a painting I've been asked to donate for a fundraiser coming up soon in North Carolina.  I'll post some pics as soon as I can!  HAPPY WEEKEND!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

I'm a Double Winner!


Last week the members of American Holiday Artist Studios had a "vitual" Marketplace Blog Hop where each had a giveaway of one of their awesome creations!
I had so much fun checking out everyone's blog & entering all the drawings!  I just found out in the last few days that I won 2 of them - YAY!!!  It's my lucky week for sure!
This cute skelly ornie is by Shirley Kelly of Skellyton Art.  I love it!

I'll post a pic of my other prize soon.  Have a super Tuesday!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Frida Art Doll!


I've always wanted to do a FRIDA doll & I'm excited to finally get one done!
I hand painted her face along with her arms & black kitty.  She also has 2 pink buttons sewn on her dress & bright pink crossbones on the back of her head!
I love how she turned out ~ very prim but bright, funky & lots of fun!
She's in my ETSY SHOP now & would love to go home with YOU!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!  (you know Frida would!)

Friday, September 10, 2010

Feline Friday~Cool Shelter Donation Ideas!



Happy Friday all!  Today I want to showcase 2 really awesome items you can donate to your favorite animal shelter! 
One is the STRETCH AND SCRATCH ~  a corrugated cardboard scratcher designed for shelter cages. It attaches to the door of the cage & provides kitty with exercise, entertainment, enrichment & encourages natural behavior! CATS LOVE THEM!  You can order off their website & they will ship directly to your shelter of choice.  A GREAT gift for kitties awaiting their furrever homes!  I had a case sent to our
Kansas Humane Society & they were a big hit!



Another great item in the CAT KURANDA BED!  You've probably heard about the Kuranda beds for dogs, well they make them for CATS too!  They are made to fit in shelter cages & provide kitty with somewhere to jump, perch on or hide under.  Our KS Humane Society has a goal to get one for EVERY cage in our lofts!  We have 7 (I believe) lofts with approx. 21 cages in each.  The lofts are where kitties are placed until there is room for them up front in our large "Kitty Cities" & "Cat Condos".  These beds can be ordered from their website & delivered directly to shelters also!  GREAT!
Don't you think EVERY shelter cage needs a "Stretch and Scratch" AND Kuranda Bed???


I sure hope it cools off here & we get some MUCH NEEDED RAIN!!!  We got cheated out of the 2-3 inches we were expecting from Tropical Storm Hermine.  All we got were clouds & a few sprinkles!  Keeping my fingers crossed for storms expected this afternoon!  Yeah...we'll see...
HAVE A PURRFECTLY WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Little Skelly Painting

Spook & Skelly

I finished up this  little Halloween/Day of the Dead painting today.
I'm really LOVING skulls right now!  They are SO much fun to paint!  The decoration possibilities are endless!
"Spook & Skelly" is available on EBAY right now just waiting to scare up your house!

Foster Kitty Pics!

Squeak (Squeaky)

Sweet little Gina

Zapp (Zappy)

Rich (Richie)

Here are my new babies! They are the sweetest things!  Please note that I'm not responsible for the odd names (heehee).  The folks at the Humane Society have to come up with hundreds of them every week & I'm sure they run out of creative, unique ones & sometimes just have to go with whatever comes to mind at the moment.  3 of these guys are named after "sounds" ~ Squeak, Zapp & Kapow.  I know...strange.  The 2 gray & white cuties are Rich & Gina, probably a couple somebody knows.  Anyway, it doesn't matter.  They are healthy, playful, cuddly & so EASY to take care of after having my 4 sick ones last month! Kapow is missing from the pictures ~ he's all black & I couldn't get a good photo of him.  I'm working on it though.

I have a cute new HALLOWEEN painting done I'll scan & post later tonight! 
Hope you're having a GREAT Labor Day!!!

Friday, September 3, 2010

FRIDA Day of the Dead Painting

Frightfully Fun Frida!


Just wanted to post my new FRIDA painting I finished last night!  She's all ready to celebrate Day of the Dead!
I love how she turned out ~ not too scary & not too sweet!
She is now listed on  EBAY!  BOO!

Feline Friday~A Prayer for Animals

I love this Prayer for Animals by Albert Schweitzer! I wish everyone had the same sentiments!
Speaking of animals ~ my last 2 foster kittens were adopted a few days ago so that makes every 1 of my former babies with loving new homes now! I couldn't be happier! Of course my foster room doesn't stay empty very long...I brought home 5 new little rascals yesterday! These guys aren't sick (thankfully!) just too young to be altered so i'll have them a week or 2. Pictures coming soon!

Have a fun Labor Day Weekend!!!