Saturday Squee - National Hugging Day

Courtesy of http://icanhascheezburger.com

Because, really, there isn't anything cuter than cats hugging, unless it is on National Hugging Day :)

I am sorry that I didn't get to post this week's Tuesday's Treasures, Arwednesdays with Arwen or Thursday's Treasuries. Arwen jumped off my bed on Monday and really hurt her shoulder. We *think* she pulled a muscle or something in her shoulder or leg, but she was limping really, really badly and for a few days it was all I could do to keep her still (she might be 8-1/2 years old, but the Border collie in her makes her act more like a 3 year old). She could put her weight on it, and would run up and down the back stairs if she saw a squirrel, which was the only reason I didn't rush her into the emergency vet that very second I saw her limping. 

Anyway, I slept on the living room couch with her for a couple of nights to keep her from jumping up and down on the furniture, which meant I didn't really sleep for about 3 days. Plus, when she did jump up onto the bed or a couch, I had to lift all 53 pounds of her off of it so that she wouldn't jump down on her own and hurt herself even more. This ended up being the reason I hardly got into my workshop for most of this week, let alone spending undivided time with my laptop.

Fortunately, she is better now, she only limps occasionally, and even then, it is so minor as to be almost invisible unless you are really staring at her. I am hoping to get back to our daily morning walks, and even the weather seems like it will try to cooperate, as it is only supposed to be -14 Celsius tomorrow.

Only.

Yippee.

So after all of this, we are now, as they say, back to our regularly scheduled programming, and I will continue with the regular blog posts from now on. 

Barring, of course, any other major dog injuries, personal illnesses, or acts of supreme deity.

I have my fingers crossed for smooth sailing :)

Announcement: Fintan is in Need!

Fintan needs your help (if you are able)! My parents adopted Fintan, and his brother Laughlann (see the original post here: http://meglittlestudio.blogspot.com/2009/11/year-later-in-memoriam.html) last year, and though they are coming along in leaps and bounds with their socializing, my parents have discovered they have allergies. Fintan has been having problems with his feet - they crack and bleed and even though he has been on two different types of antibiotics (at once), they are severely infected. The vet wants $600 to do a biopsy to see what the heck is going on.
The problem is that my parents don't have the money (sorry if this embarrasses you mom, but I want you all to be happy).
The solution? I am going to put at least 40% of the total sales from my Etsy store, http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlestudiojewels toward Fintan and his poor little feet. Anything you purchase this month will go towards Rescue100 (10%) and Fintan (at least 40%). If you are able to purchase, please do. I know people are wary of donating to others they don't know, so this way you get to have beautiful jewelry and help some great causes. If you can't purchase (or even if you can), please pray for Fintan, we don't know what will happen if they can't afford the biopsy. For now, he is going back on another course of antibiotics.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you so much, and God bless,

Soulful Sunday: In Honor of Trying to Lose Weight and Get in Shape

...Because we all know we've been there before in one way or another :)
from http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Arwendnesdays with Arwen the Wonderdog: Happy Birthday Daisy!

We were visiting our friends over at Daisy the Curly Cat, and found out that today is Daisy's 6th birthday! Celebrate! Happy birthday Daisy, we hope you have many more!
Be sure to visit her blog to see her presents and a few of her very adorable outfits.

Til tomorrow,

and Arwen

Soulful Sunday: Getting into the Holiday Spirit...

From http://icanhascheezburger.com/
I thought it might get you into the spirit.... :-)

Soulful Sunday: A Whole Lotta Food!

I hope all of my American friends had a great Thanksgiving, full of joy, laughter, and of course, good food! I thought the cat above was appropriate. Image is from http://www.icanhazcheezburger.com
I'm off to clean the house a bit, do some groceries...and play with my new workbench! It finally arrived - a little different than the photo online - and is now just begging to be used :)
Have a great Sunday!

Soulful Sunday: Keep the Cats Away From Your Monitors...

From http://icanhascheezburger.com/ I couldn't help but laugh out loud as I saw this...one of those, "It's funny because it's true" sort of things. Just don't use those cupcake wrappers when the hamster's done with them...no, those aren't raisins (ewwwww).

In other news, I visited the Ottawa Glass Bead Artists Show in Ottawa yesterday and had an absolute BLAST!! SOOOO many amazing artists, including a friend of mine, were showing some incredible beads that weren't so much beads as miniature works of art. I'm waiting on permission from a photo so I'll post all about it when I get the permission.

That is all for now, I hope you have a relaxing Sunday. I am going to bake cookies, make cupcakes to get ready for a cooking class, bathe the dog and maybe, just maybe, get some crocheting in there :)

A Year Later: In Memoriam

Well, it has been one year. On this day, November 3, 2008 I lost my beloved Gandalf to a rare hip disease. It was tough initially, but I have been very fortunate to have had a loving family, a fabulous dog, and the wonderfully supportive blogging universe here to help me. He was a great cat. Headstrong, full of dandruff, but great. I have made peace with his departure, and I have his ashes and many, many photos to remember him. Also, there is always life where there is death. I donated money to Guelph University's animal sciences department to help research cures for diseases in cats and dogs. I also donated to the Country Cat Sanctuary, and in doing so, found my new 'brothers'...
This past summer when my parents lost their cat Sheeeba to old age and arthritis, they knew they wanted to adopt after they had grieved her properly. After a few months of an empty house, they knew what they needed to do, so they started making a wish list for their perfect cats: they wanted a pair of cats to keep each other company and they wanted cats that were having a hard time getting adopted. Enter the Country Cat Sanctuary andFintan and Laughlan . They had other names that currently escape me, but they were brothers who had been at the shelters foster home for over a year, leaving their kitten hood behind in a haze of 16 other cats. They hadn't been socialized and were frightened. But they loved each other. They were brothers and stuck to each other like glue, sleeping on top of each other, even when there was a whole bed to sleep on.
My parents spent some time with them at the foster home and knew they needed to give them a try. They took them home and after a few scared weeks, the year and a half old brothers are now ripping up and down the house, have had their nails cut for the first, second and third time (ever!), have seen the vet to get their shots and checkups and are happy. They have found their forever homes, and my parents have found their "neener heads" (goofballs), their life after death, their cure for grief. Yes, we miss our lost pets, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel, there is always life after death.

I think Fintan and Laughlan totally agree.

Remember, please adopt, don't shop for pets. There are millions of animals waiting in shelters for their forever homes. Just because they don't have papers or fancy pedigrees, doesn't mean they won't make excellent pets that fill your lives with joy for years. Please give a homeless animal a chance at a great life and visit an animal shelter near you for your next pet. Maybe you'll find your perfect "neener head" yourself :-)

Soulful Sunday: The Day After Halloween

Image from http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Since it is the day after Halloween, I thought this was appropriate. I remember as a kid trying to avoid the houses that didn't give the 'good stuff' and then comparing notes the next day at school with other kids to see who gave out full sized candy bars, cans of pop, and other cavity creating confections, and to try and remember to go to those houses the next year... I never got a toothbrush though. Good thing....those people would have gotten toilet papered for sure!

Thankfully, living out (WAYYYY out) in the country means that we don't get trick-or-treaters, and thus don't have to worry about getting egged or TP'd for not giving out good candy. Being about half a mile from the nearest house means we have to watch our mailbox getting smashed occasionally (not yet, thank goodness), but that can happen at any time, not just at Halloween, lol. In 7 years, we haven't had a single person come for candy...though that may be also in part to the fact that Brennan makes us sit in near total darkness "just in case" someone wants to bus into our remote area and try their luck....

Have a great Sunday,

Sweet Saturday: Happy Halloween!

Since Arwen doesn't have a Halloween costume *yet*, I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorite blogs and their dressed up animals. Please be sure to click on the links here to go and see more of these great blogs.

Here is Sadie from BeadedTail. She is dressed up as the KC Wolf mascot.
Always the proper kitty, here is Daisy from Daisy the Curly Cat, dressed up as a devil cat. I think she is too pretty to be a scary devil, but she sure is a fabulous model!
And here is Ellie from Sniffie and the Florida Furkids. She is dressed up as a lady with a skull and crossbones.

Well, I have certainly learned my lesson! Next year I will have Arwen dressed up in something. I have even purchased a pattern to make something for her...but what will it be? You'll have to visit next Halloween to find out!

Happy Halloween!!

Soulful Sunday: A Little Bit of LOL

Okay, I admit it, I love plays on words. I also love cats. And sheep. So yeah, it works. Image is from http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Have a great Sunday, full of laughter, love and happiness.

and Arwen

Sweet Saturday: Endless Whimsy Feature!

I am sorry for my absence yesterday and the accompanying absence of the "Fabulous Friday Feature" I normally do each week. Brennan had an appointment at a hospital in the city (nothing serious, don't worry), but it was at 7:50AM, which meant we had to be up at 5:30 and out the door by 6:30 AM (insert collective shudder here). By the time we got back I was so sore I couldn't do much more than sleep.
However, today is a new day and without further adieu, I present the belated Friday Feature, on Saturday.

~I Had to Include Her Dog Sculpture!~

Endless Whimsy is a fantastic artist whom I found when I joined the Etsy for Animals Street Team last year. Renovia makes beautiful sculptures and when my cat Gandalf died in November, I knew that her tribute sculptures would be perfect to honor and memorialize my special little guy. Sure enough, they turned out fabulously well (I got one for my mom too). When my parents' cat,Sheeeba, went over the rainbow bridge a week or so ago, I knew that I should call upon Renovia once more to make us some tribute sculptures in memory of her. Read on to find out more about this great artist.

~One of Her Gorgeous Tribute Sculptures~

1. How you got started doing your art:
A couple of years ago at the school where I teach the administration was on a 'wellness' kick. So the teachers got roped into taking classes taught by other teachers in the district. I signed up for a clay class with one of the art teachers. I was so incredibly excited about it - I took notes at night before bed about what I wanted to use my precious class time for. I knew I wanted to make a cat sculpture that was modern. So after a couple of sketches, I came up with a pose, the stretch pose. After class I went out and got some polymer clay because I just kept thinking about poses. I made about 20 cats in a couple different poses and loved all of them. Then I just figured the next step was to see if anyone else would like them. The polymer sculptures really took off and after a while I decided to make the jump into porcelain.

~Sitting....Scheming: A Pomegranate Kitty~

Porcelain offers detail that you just can't get in polymer. Sure you can get detail in polymer, but the way I pull the sculptures into shape, it eventually distorts some of the details. Plus I love having different price ranges and different mediums because everyone likes different things.

~One of the Beautiful Porcelain Sculptures Available~

2. Your inspirations:

My inspirations are my cats; Stoli (a Russian Blue) and Luxor (an Egyptian Mau). They both have crazy personalities and antics - and photographing them was just not enough. So when I see a new sleeping position or a playful pounce, I try to capture it in clay.

~Left: Stoli, Right: Luxor - Available in the Stationary, Cat Art section~

3. Your favorite pieces:
If we're talking about my favorite pieces I make, I have a love/hate relationship with tributes. Next to solid black cats, they are the most popular thing I make. It's difficult to begin because I knowsome one's heart is hurting from the loss of a pet and it makes me sad every time I have to make one of these sculptures. But I love doing it because I know that this special sculpture is going to mean so much to someone and hopefully it will make them smile and bring back many good memories.

~Small Porcelain Feeder Dish~

4. Are you involved with any animal or other charitable organizations and, if so, how that came about:
My husband and I volunteer for the Homeless Animal Rescue Team in Cumberland, Maine, a no-kill feline shelter. We decided one day after we gotStoli and Luxor that because we had not taken in shelter cats (and we were limited by our living conditions to only 2 cats) we would do what we could to help cats still living in shelters.

~A Ring Holder~

I feel very thankful that I have been able to pursue my passion for cats and art in a way that is satisfying and rewarding to more than just myself.

~Cat Ornaments~

Thank you so much Renovia, your art is simply sublime! Please do visit her shop to see some of her fabulous works.

Also, don't forget about my contest, see HERE for details.

Thoughtful Thursday: In Loving Memory

On Monday, August 13, 2009 Sheeeba, guardian of Monna and Daddoo's garden, went to kitty heaven. She was 16. Adopted at 8 months of age from the Humane Society of Ottawa-Carleton, she had been named "Scooter" and we had no idea why - until we saw her run around like house like a bat out of Hell....Scooter certainly fit her actions, but not her feminine personality so she was renamed Sheeeba. She had probably been an outdoor cat previously, and as she got older and (sort of) calmer, she was allowed to go out into the fenced in backyard and partake of fresh air and sunshine.

Happy to lie on any quilt in progress my Monna was making, killer of bugs, mice and (occasionally, unfortunately) birds. Puker-upper (usually INSIDE the house) of butterflies and dragonflies. Chaser of rabbits, eater of grass and weigela leaves, sniffer of peonies. Lover of linear string-like objects, stuffed cat toys, soft perches, hair brushes, animated TV shows with bugs and Cesar Milan. Friendly and determined, she was neither territorial nor was she submissive: rather, she wanted everyone to just get along and be happy. Friendly, curious, aloof, loving, alert, graceful, sleepy and happy, she never ceased to make our lives richer for having known her. She will be sorely missed.

We love you Sheeeba, and send you to Heaven with our kindest, most broken hearts.

, Arwen, Monna and Daddoo

Holy Cuteness: What a wonderful world...

I love Louis Armstrong and this video puts a very cute cat and fawn to "what a wonderful world" I cried. It was worth it. Click on the link below to see the video - and have a few tissues handy!
Holy Cuteness: What a wonderful world...

Posted using ShareThis

Meghann

In Loving Memory of a Wonderful, Furry Friend

~Gandalf March 30, 1995 - November 3, 2008~

Well after taking Gandalf to the vet for an exam on Saturday for a problem I had noticed with his hips, they asked us to bring him in today for x-rays of his pelvis and legs - they thought there might be something wrong with his knee as it crunches a bit when he walks. We brought him in this morning and the vet called a few hours later with their prognosis: his knees were OK, but his hips were the worst they had ever seen. He had arthritis and possibly a genetic disorder in both his hips, causing the hips joints to basically disintegrate. He hasn't really shown any sign of it as cats are quite adept at hiding pain and illness until it is too late and they are in absolute agony. Although we could put him on medication, with the possibility of having surgery to remove his hip joints, there would always be problems, even to the extent of destroying his kidneys. In the end, there was really only decision to make.
At 3:40PM today, Gandalf went to Kitty Heaven. He was a wonderful cat, full of love and purrs. Always happy to sit on a lap, sleep on my tummy, and eat any bit of fluff or bug he could find on the floor, he is survived by his canine friend, Arwen, his mom, dad, and Grand-monna and Grand-papa.
He was 13.
He will be greatly missed.
Many tears have been shed, and many more are still to come, but ultimately he is free of pain, free to chase any bird, bug and squirrel and free to visit his first canine companion, Willy. He will always get his girl, and will always be able to sleep in, on and around any and every shoe he wants. He will always have as much food as he can eat, without having to worry about someone saying he is a little on the heavy side.
Goodbye my fuzzy little buddy, my handsome little man. May you give head-butts to other friendly faces, may you impress everyone with your giant thumbs. We love you, miss you, and wish you well on this, your final journey to the litter box.
Thank you for being my bestest furry little guy. Mom will always love and remember you.
My heart is broken, but I know it was for your best happiness.
Meghann

Squishy Kitty

~My Squished Cat in a Red Box Needs Prayers~

In the midst of the worst flare up I have ever had, complete with the worst pain I have ever endured, I noticed that on my cat's sore hip there is a little spot on his leg that he has chewed his fur off. A few days later I noticed that he had chewed a small sore in the same spot, so he is off to the vet on Saturday. He needs all your prayers, as I think he is getting displaysia in his hips. He already needs dental surgery (we are trying to come up with the money somehow), but the displaysia is sort of a deal-breaker. I had a dog with displaysia as a kid, and it doesn't matter what you do - drugs, surgery, anything - it doesn't fix the problem, only prolongs their pain and suffering. Even though he is pretty healthy now (he is 13, so no one is perfect at that age), I don't want to fill him full of drugs that are going to have side effects and make him dopey, or the other extreme - hide the pain so that he damages his joints without realizing it. We need lots of prayers that whatever is going on is fixable (and that we can afford to fix it!!) or I am afraid I will have to make the most difficult decision of his (and my) life. I love my little fuzzy buddy, and he is my best furry friend. I want him to be happy, healthy and safe, and I can't in good conscience keep him doped up on meds when I know that he shouldn't be. If need be, I will make the decision to let him go to 'kitty heaven'. We need prayers - for him and me!
Until then, I am taking lots of pictures and giving him lots of chin scratches :)
God bless,
Meghann

Life Is Like That...

~One of the Photos From My New Photo Card Collections~

"It never rains, but it pours". Yeah. I know. We are still trying our darnedest to save enough money to get the cat's teeth fixed (it's $1100), but with the way things are going, we will probably just put it on the line of credit and be done with it. We sure don't have any extra funds right now that's for sure:
We got our furnace oil last Thursday, and although we have a teeny tank, and had 1/4 of the tank still full, it was $430. Then I woke up Friday morning and went to take my after-workout shower - only to find that the hot water heater had quit. We got it fixed on Tuesday for $150. Yesterday we finally got the massive living room window replaced - at $535, and we got our hydro bill for $106 (okay, the hydro isn't so bad, as I am constantly turning off and unplugging things, driving Brennan bonkers, lol). Honestly, where does it end?? I need to get wire and other jewellery making supplies to make more stock, but I have no money. It's insanity!
That being said, I know we are not alone. I know I am not the only one in a relationship who is unable to work, living on a single income with debts and bills and financial stress. It is a really great motivator to get selling my jewellery and photography!!
With that in mind, I want to let you know that my other blog, Little Studio Photography and Jewellery, is having a contest! All you have to do is go to that blog and sign up as a follower during the month of October. On November 1, I will randomly select one follower to win a beautiful pair of earrings handmade by me! See the blog for details and get following!
That's all for now, blog at you later :)
Meghann

September is Good for My Fibromyalgia

~My Mom's Beautiful New Bookmark~

For some reason, the end of August until the end of September (cold weather permitting) seems to be the best time for my fibromyalgia. It's not too hot, not too cold, and my good days just about equal my bad ones. I'm able to concentrate, and although I'm still chronically tired, I actually get about 3 hours straight sleep per night!
I think it is also the change of seasons. I love spring because it means summer's almost here, and I love summer, because, well, who doesn't love summer?? But fall is always such a noticeable transition. Even though I dread it leaving because it means the beginning of cold and pain, I love the breezes and colours. I love watching the birds fly in formation as they prepare to venture back south (though I really miss them in the winter). I love my animals getting their thick, fuzzy, winter coats (though I hate having to brush them each twice per day and clean the floors just as often when they shed!). I also LOVE to bake!! Apple pies and pumpkin pies and muffins and roasted squash (oh my!) I love the homey feel of warm houses closed up against the cold, smelling the wood fires.
Maybe that's why my fibromyalgia isn't as bad now. Whatever it is, I'll take it! I will enjoy every last day of lessened pain. I know winter brings pain and horrible days, but for now, I'm doing OK. My Etsy store is also having a sale and keeping me quite busy, so that helps too! Check it out here at: www.littlestudiojewels.etsy.com I'm also updating my web page so please be patient if it is acting up :)
That's all for now...jewellery artist out!
Meghann

Holy Cow I Need to Breathe!

~One of the New Flower Bobby Pins~

Ok, so when I said that I need to distract myself to avoid pain from Fibromyalgia, I don't think I quite meant THIS distracted, but I am having the TIME OF MY LIFE!! I have made more sales on my Etsy store, and one of my Etsy Street Teams is having a 1 year anniversary birthday bash 20% off sale (see my jewellery blog for details and a coupon!), I am making more jewellery, trying to exercise as per the doctor's instructions, clean my house, spend time with my fiance, dog and cat, run the rest of my business, and sleep! I LOVE IT!! I am still able to nap (usually) when I need to so that is great. Oh yeah, I also have a new store on iCraft at: http://www.icraft.ca/littlestudiojewels it has different items not listed on my Etsy store so check it out!
I have to say that even though I am still in flare ups almost constantly, tired, sore and stiff, it is a real Godsend to have a supportive family and friends, and to have found Etsy. I am able to meet with other artists, and socialize from my home. I am getting more and more inspired to create more great jewellery (I'm even drawing again!) and photography. I am slowly building my reputation online so that people know they can purchase from me with confidence. I am building my own confidence! I have been so worried for so long that Fibromyalgia would take my income, social life, sense of pride, everything, that this is the greatest blessing I could have received right now. Thank you God! Thank you family! Thank you friends! I love you all and appreciate all your support.
Ok, enough with the cheeeese, I am going to make more jewellery, and hopefully go get some sleeeeeeep.....
Much love,
Meghann

More Cool Happenings

~One of the cool shots of "Black Cadillacs"

I thought I'd give a shout-out to a friend of mine who was at GenCon Indy over the last few days showing off his new game called "Black Cadillacs". It's an RPG based on war stories and I was privileged enough to be able to take the promo shots for it about a month ago. You can see more at their website at: http://www.achtung-spiel.com/ . There, you can find out more about the game, purchase the text and more! Good luck Darcy, I hope this works out really well for you, the game sounds awesome!

~ A picture of the Bride and Groom's beautiful wedding rings~

In other news, I got to take photographs with my friend Stephanie at the best wedding we've ever had the pleasure of witnessing on August 9. We had a great time with everyone; the bride was beautiful (and incredibly easy to work with), the groom was well composed and happy, and their friends and family were so happy and friendly it was like something out of a feel good movie (minus the cheese). I wish them all the best in their future lives together! Hopefully they will allow me to put a few of their pictures on my website and you can see what I mean about a great couple!

And there's more - Brennan and I are trying to spend about half an hour per day clearing out the destruction in our forest left by loggers five years ago. It is hard work, but it's amazing how big a difference just half an hour can make! In just 2 sessions we've managed to make a small trail on one side of the property leading to a massive dead brush pile (I guess we know whose house people are going to for bonfires!) and another trail is starting on the other side of the property. We are aiming to have the forest looking good by the time we get married next year in September. I really think we'll do it - as the saying goes, "Many hands make light work", and I really believe it!

Gandalf is still well, we are still praying hard that we get the money for his surgery soon. I'm still working on my Etsy store at www.littlestudiojewels.etsy.com to sell my jewellery and art there. More is going up tomorrow so check it out!

That's all for now, I'm off to bed for some much deserved rest!

Meghann