In Loving Memory of Reggie (June 2001 - January 2013)

Hi, my blog is normally for my paper crafting projects, but today is a special day and I have a very heavy heart.  Today I'm honoring my sweet little girl, Reggie, who went home to Heaven.  Yes, I do believe animals go to Heaven and we'll all be reunited one day.

This is the last picture I took of her this morning before our trip to the vet.  She was a very special kitty and a survivor of sorts.  She was born during June of 2001 during Tropical Storm Alison here in Houston, better known to us Houstonians as The Great Flood!  Unless you saw pictures, you would not believe how much water covered our city.  It was incredible.  She was an orphan found by a scrap metal dealer in a large bin by herself.  She was only about 4 days old.  He took her to a friend of his and of mine who was a cat rescuer.  I had already gotten 2 other cats from her (Paisley and Chancey) a year earlier.  My girlfriend fed her and nursed her until it was time for Reggie to find a forever home.  Who could resist?  I know I couldn't and scooped her right up and brought her home.  For me and my other kitty family, she was a sweetheart.  She was a little spitfire though when it came to others, but she managed to tolerate visitors.

Her illness came as a complete shock and surprise to me.  I came home from work on Monday evening and she was having some stomach issues.  I would have taken her right to the vet on Tuesday but my car was also in distress.  I noticed steam coming up from under the hood on my way home from work on Monday, so I knew that I needed to take care of that first thing on Tuesday.  I couldn't go anywhere else except to the car dealership.  So Tuesday morning I was able to take her to the vet and was told she had a lot of fluid in her abdomen and that her blood pressure was very low.  In fact, so low, that it was very difficult for him to get blood out of her to send off for analysis along with some of the fluid taken from her abdomen.  We had to wait until today to get the results back and unfortunately, it was not good news.  She had cancer, probably in her liver and/or intestines.  There was nothing to be done for her - no treatment, no cure.  I won't go into the other issues she had been having since Wednesday, but I knew that she was in distress and that the best thing for her was to have her euthanized.  She needed relief from what she was going through.  I got the news while I was at work and went home and sat with her for awhile petting her and talking to her so she'd know how much she was loved.  She purred and drooled (long hair cats seem to do this).  It was with a very heavy heart that I took her back to the vet to perform the procedure.  I did stay with her until the very end so she knew that that someone was there and cared for her.  Her body will be cremated and her ashes sent to me.  My little pet cemetery in my back yard is getting full. 

It was very weird though and I swear this is true.  As I was driving home and was approaching my house and about to turn into the driveway, I distinctly and clearly heard a cat's meow.  I didn't have one in my car and there were none out on the street and besides, I had the windows up.  I know that it was Reggie telling me it was okay and she was fine.  She'll be in my heart always. 

Rest in peace my beautiful girl.

Winter Wishes - PSC61

Hello again my friends.  Hope your week is going well.  This is my first full week back after vacation and it's not such a good week as yet and it's only Wednesday!  My car is in the shop. There was steam coming out from under the hood - somethings leaking.  Luckily it's under warranty so no cost to me!!!!!   I will also ask for prayers for my Reggie cat.  She's the big one in the middle photo up above.  She's got an appointment with the vet today which is not always a fun thing.  She hates going to the vet and lets him know about it,but with the lethargy she is showing the last couple of days, she may not even mind.  I just hope it's something he can do something about.

Well it is Wednesday and time again for our Perfect Sentiment Challenge.  Our theme this week is Winter Wonderland. The object is to creat a card with a sentiment for Winter.  Use a Winter image or any embellishments, embossing, embossing folders, etc. to give your card a Winter feel.  Go ahead and think outside the box if you have to. . . cups of cocoa, etc.

Our sponsor this week is Meljen's Designs and the random winner will receive 4 free digis. 

Here is my card for this week, and I've used one of the Meljen's Designs images.

Materials Used:

• Image - Meljen's Designs - North Pole Critters
• Sentiment - Just Right - Noel Christmas Ornaments
• Cardstock - Stampin Up - Crazy Cajun; Xpress It Blending Card
• Design Paper - Basic Gray - Eskimo Kisses and Jovial
• Ink - Memento Black and Stampin Up Cool Carribean
• Accessories:  Prima Flowers (Brad from my stash); Nestabilities Labels Die (cut in half) for the sentiment; Diamond Glaze; Opaque White paint.
• Copic Markers:  BG0000, BG11; C0; E02, E31, E35, E37; G40, G43, G82; R20, R22, R35, R38; W8

Stop by over at the Perfect Sentiment Challenge Blog and see what the rest of the Design Team has created for your inspiration.  Then get inky and join in the fun and make a card to enter. You might be the random winner this week or picked as one of the Perfect 3.  Good luck to all of you!

Best Birthday Ever

Happy New Year!  It seems like it's been forever since I've posted anything on my blog.  The Design Teams I belong to have both been on vacation and so have I.  I was in California for Christmas visiting my oldest daughter and her family.  It was great seeing the grand daughters which doesn't happen often.  The oldest is a Sophomore in college now and in two more years the youngest will be off to college also.  They grow up so fast.

I do have a card to share with you tonight for {Pin}spirational Challenge.  Here is the photo that we used for our inspiration this week.

Cute.  Reminds me of Happy Feet!  I loved that movie.  And here is my card.

He looks like he has happy feet too and is having a very Happy Birthday!

Materials Used:

• Image - Bugaboo - Penguin Cake
• Sentiment - From the dp - Hootenanny
• Cardstock - Stampin Up - Marina Mist
• Designer Paper - My Mind's Eye - Hootenanny
• Accessories:  Stampin Up Scallop Border Punch; Stampin Up Marina Mist Ribbon; Silver Stickles; Crystal Stickles; Diamond Glaze
• Copics:   B21; B30, B45; BG0000; C0, C2; E00, E31, E34, E35, E81; G21, G24, G82; N3, N5, N7; R22, R37, R39; Y13, Y18, Y19; YR02, YR12, YR24

Our fabulous sponsor this week will be a regular for us, and it's none other than Bugaboo!  The winner this week will win 7 free digis.  Check out the website and see all the cute images. 

Check out all the great inspiration over on the {Pin}spirational Challenge blog and then ink up your stamps or print off an image and join in the fun. 

That's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

A&T Emerald Fairies - Celebrations
Artistic Inspirations - Bit of Sparkle
Celebrate the Occasion - Boy's birthday - use blue
Crafty Sentiments - Sparkle & Shine
Forever Friends - Birthdays
Lawnscaping - Celebrations
Ooh-la-la Creations - Happy Birthday
Tiddly Inks - Anything Goes
NanaVic's challenge - Anything Goes

Perfect Sentiments Open Design Team Call

We are closing out the old year 2012 for Perfect Sentiments.  I can't believe it's been a year that I've been a member of this incredible DT.  For 2013, we are looking to add some fresh new faces to our already fabulous established Design Team. Prior Design Team experience is not required. We are looking for both Guest Designers and Full-time Design Team Members. Check out the Perfect Sentiments Challenge Blog for all the details.  You do not have to have prior DT experience to apply.

Pajama Girls Secret Sister Reveal

Hi my friends.  I'm so late with getting this blog post up, but in my defense, I was getting things ready for Christmas and also doing all those things necessary to get done before travelling.  Yes, I am spending Christmas this year with my oldest daughter and her family here in "sunny" California. 

This year the Pink Pajama Girls blog group that I belong to did a Secret Sister exchange hosted by our wonderful Athina.  Thanks Athina for taking on this project and getting us all our SS.  We were supposed to post on Dec. 19 what we received, but as I said, things were really busy at my house.  Today is Christmas Eve and things are a little quiet here this morning so I thought I'd take this time to get this posted.  My Secret Sister was Nancy!  Thanks Nancy for all the fabulous goodies you sent.

Here are some of the goodies close up.  See this cute Post It Note Holder.  It actually won a prize in a challenge she entered.  I was so lucky to receive the real thing

 I've never been much of a "green" stamper, so I'm really glad that Nancy sent me a variety of green products to use.  I look forward to creating with them.

Nancy knows that I'm a paper hoarder.  LOL!  Such pretty papers she sent me.

What a fabulous way to start off the Christmas season.  Thanks again Nancy for all the fabulous fun things that you sent me. 

Wishing all of my blog followers and fabulous and Merry Christmas and a very blessed and Happy New Year.

Thanks for stopping by.

Snowman Family

Just think - only one more week and it will be Christmas Day!  I'll be so happy to be spending it with my daughter and her family.  I'm just finishing up my Christmas cards and I think I still need to make a few more.  Some of the ones I'm sending are not ones that I made.  Just couldn't get them all done, but hope to do better next year. 

Today it is the last challenge for {Pin}spirational Challenge for 2012. Then we'll have a short break and be back after the New Year.  Our fabulous sponsor this week is Dilly Beans.

The photo for our inspiration this week is

Aren't they the cutest little snowmen heads - and that was the perfect theme for our cards this week.  Here's mine

Materials Used:

• Image - Snowman Family from Dilly Beans
• Sentiment - Stampin Up - Snow Swirled
• c/s - Xpress It Blending Card; Stampin Up Soft Sky
• Designer Paper - Basic Gray - Figgy Pudding collection
• Accessories - Metal Corner - Wild Orchid Crafts; Ribbon - my stash; White Opal Liquid Pearls
• Copic Markers - BG0000; BG11, BG23, BG32; C0; G12, G21, G24; R22, R56; YR02, YR07, YR09; W1, W3 W6

So that's all for today.  Don't forget to check out what the other ladies have been doing over on the {Pin}spirational Challenge. 



Thanks for stopping by!

Fred Bear - Snow Bear - PSC59

Happy Wednesday!  Can you believe we are winding down the year over at Perfect Sentiments Challenge and this will be the last blog post for 2012.  I am so looking forward to the new year and new things - new stamps, new digi images, new paper, new layouts, new challenges.  It's going to be great!

Today's theme for this last 2012 challenge is Anything Goes With Christmas!  So you can make anything you want as long as it has a Christmas theme and Sentiment (on the front of the card).  Our delightful sponsor this week is Shelly's Images and Shelly will give our lucky random winner a free digi of her choice.

 

 This was a perfect challenge for me since I'm still working on my Christmas cards, but hope to get them written up and ready for mailing tomorrow night.  Here is what I came up with this week.

This is Fred Bear from My Favorite Things.  Isn't he so cute and having such a good time outside building his own Snowman Bear. 
Materials Used:

• Image - My Favorite Things - Fred Bear-Snow Bear
• Sentiment - From my stash
• Cardstock - Stampin Up - Brocade Blue; Cherry Cobbler; Xpress It Blending Card
• Design Paper - From my stash
• Flowers  and Leaf - Prima
• Accessories:  Nestabilities Large Oval Die to cut out the image and then I used my Magic Matter to make an even larger mat for the image to rest on. The rest of the accessories are all from my stash - ribbon, lace, hat pin, snowflake charm, baker's twine, and gold glitter brad.  I also used some Frosted Lace Stickles on the snowflakes coming down.

That's it!  Pretty simple this week.  I hope to have some more blog posts before the end of the year, but I'll take time for now to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!