They're done and GONE!

Just put my Christmas cards in the mailbox! YAY! The ornaments are done except for a few that I still have to put the ribbon on them. Shopping.... almost done. Just need to get the list from Russ of what I'm buying his family. Need to put Mom's present together and get that mailed on Monday. I wanted to send Judy her replacement Journal Monday, but I can't find the Michael's bag that has the journal in it. Still looking..... HOPEFULLY I will find it today and get that done tomorrow.

Got my layout for Janice's Circle Journal done and mailed out this week. I had planned to scan the pages and upload them here and then I FORGOT TO DO IT! Oh well.

I've been trying to get a decent photo of Taz to send out in the Christmas cards. No go. Here are the best from this week.... She's just not very jolly this year, I guess. Her response to the collar was to either play dead or look away. Or walk away. Got several of THOSE pix.... sigh.... Don't you love the little tags? "Jingle Cat" (heart) and "Holiday Princess" (snow cat) is what they say.

I am surprised she hasn't pulled the stockings down. They are hanging right over her toybox this year and I thought she might find them too interesting to resist. I know if I had Judy's crazy dog here they would be EATEN within 30 seconds! Judy tells me that Mocha is a poodle, but I think there is some goat in that bloodline somewhere.....

Got my Secret Santa present today.... highlights from that are a YUMMY bottle of wine, some darling wine glass charms and this totally AWESOME travel mug.... even has my name on it!

I think I know who my Secret Santa is, but I'm waiting patiently for the revealing which is later this week.

Need to bake some cookies to send in Mom's package. Need to get the last presents for Russ' family so I can get the wrapping done. Ten more days..... LOL!

I've been busy.....

Working on Christmas projects. And no, my cards still aren't done. They are semi-started as in I've got the medallion piece done for 18 of them.... Yeah, not much progress. I got my packages out in the mail on Monday to the SPAM Ma'ams. Can't post a picture of that yet, as they haven't all been received, but when they are, I'll add a blog about them.


I *can* post this year's family Holiday Ornament (finally!).





The porcelain ornament is from Michael's. The snowlfakes (large ©Stampin' Up!; small ©Verve Visual) are stamped in StazOn Hydrangea Blue and the sentiment on the back ( ©Stampin' Up!) is stamped in StazOn Forest Green. These ornaments are glazed, so it's a little challenging stamping on such a slick surface, but fortunately, mistakes are easily removed with rubbing alcohol! After they hang to dry overnight, I heat set them with my heat gun, just for added measure. I plan on gluing a rhinestone or two to a couple of the snowflakes for some added "bling".


Still working on a photo of Taz with her FESTIVE holiday collar on. Not getting much cooperation. She doesn't seem to mind this collar I got, but it's just not in the holiday theme.....


Isn't she pretty???? She thinks so! Maybe I'll try the holiday collar again later this evening.... Wish me luck!

Video proof....

...That my cat is not a TOTAL psycho.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ujbfCBsexA

LOVE how the random characters they named her video have the word "sex" in it... sheesh..... Trust me, it is TOTALLY SAFE FAMILY VIEWING.... LOL!

Taz is NOT amused.....

PetSmart has all their holiday stuff out. I couldn't resist this cute collar. Taz, however, CAN resist it. I will be trying for a better shot, but this was the best one of the 3 she "let" me take this afternoon. Can't you just SEE the LOVE in her eyes????

PetSmart had a little Santa sweater thing too, but I was afraid it would be the last thing I would attempt to do in this life to try and get it on her..... OH! And the little purple "jacket" with the fake fur trim that reverses to a pink plaid..... WAY CUTE! I would have to have blood donors lined up before I try to put something like that on her though.....

At least I didn't get the hat or the reindeer ears. Been there, tried that. Not gonna try THAT again! LOL! I am still trying to get a picture of her in the Minnie Mouse pink princess hat I bought her at Disney World 3 years ago.....

A shameless plug for my adorable "daughter"....

Taz is one of a bazillion cats entered in the Costume photo contest over on Catster. If you'd give her a vote, I'm sure she'd appreciate it.... and maybe NOT turn YOU into a mouse.... LOL!



Please vote for Tabitha Jazmine (Taz) in the World's Coolest!

SURPRISE!

Every once in a while I get something in my mailbox that is TRULY a surprise. I've belonged to a couple different RAK (Random Act of Kindness) groups over on Splitcoast, so getting cards in the mail, while still TOTALLY AWESOME, isn't as surprising as it once was.

Until today.

In 14 years, this is a first... TAZ got a BIRTHDAY CARD!

Yes, boys and girls, MY CAT GOT MORE MAIL TODAY THAN I DID! LOL!

And should you be wondering who is sending my CAT a birthday card, it would be none other than Julee (Shadowcatcher) Tilman and her cat, Katie. Well, I'm not sure how much Katie had to do with it.....

Here is Taz, checking out her card (Mmmmmm.... RIBBON!!!!)




And here is a closeup of the card, The cat and sentiment stamps are by Cat's Pajamas. You can check out Julee's blog for tons of awesome artwork featuring their stuff! (there's a link over on the right under "Blogs I read")



Thanks, Julee and Katie!!!!

My stamp room is ALMOST clean.....

And I'm ALMOST ready for VSN! It starts at 4PM my time. I know I will miss the first couple challenges.... I have to go run some errands with Russ.... banking, picking up clothes at JCPenney's, etc. Don't even ask me why he can't do it by himself, but that isn't an option. SIGH. At least he got the taxes done. We owe the state $75 and are getting $200 back from the feds, so I guess our withholdings are pretty darned close! Russ is almost ready to head back to Guam tomorrow. We have to pick up his catalog order of clothes at Penney's and then I will need to do a couple loads of laundry for him tonight.




As you can see, Taz is getting ready for VSN by napping....

Hopefully I'll do some stuff during VSN that is worthy of uploading here! If you are so inclined (and aren't already playing), here is a link to the VSN Forum on SCS so you can see what I'm talking about!

Everyone have a great weekend!

Yes, it's been a million hours since I last blogged....

I admit it. I am NOT a blog addict like SOMEONE I KNOW.....

In case you missed the e-mail, here is the link to the Oregon Photos.... password is PHOTOS (ooooo.... so original!!!!!)

I drove almost 1500 miles this weekend and was SOOOOOO tired when I got home last night! It was about 10PM. It was also garbage night, which meant scooping the litter boxes.... my FAVORITE CHORE.... So I go into the stamp room where the boxes are and the SMELL HIT ME..... The little darling peed OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. I'm hoping it was because she was mad at me for being gone. The alternative reason would be that she is starting to have kidney problems (she has Feline Diabetes) which would mean I would have to put her down as I refuse to keep her locked in the bathroom all the time and with the probability of putting the house on the market in the spring, I just can't take the chance of her peeing on the carpets. I know that sounds HORRIBLE, but the alternative is locking her in the kitchen or (more likely) the bathroom whenever I can't be watching her closely (pretty much ALL DAY, EVERY DAY) and that would make her MISERABLE and give her a really crappy quality of life and I refuse to do that to her.

So at 10:30 last night I was outside hosing off the mat I have under the litterboxes (which paid for itself last night saving my Pergo floor!). I wracked my brain for hours when I was getting the floor done in there since they (OK, probably not THEY, probably just Aspen because she had kidney problems that I didn't realize until it was too late to save her AND my living room carpet) had RUINED the carpet under the boxes, even thru the linoleum I had on plywood under them. I decided I needed something waterproof with a lip. Finally googled the right combo of words that brought up a familiar site.... Subaru.com..... I ALREADY HAD THE PERFECT MAT! It is the cargo liner for the back of my Forester!!!! I went to Subaru and got one in beige to match the floor. After this weekend, I can now honestly say it was worth every penny of that $60!

ANYWAY.... the trip was GREAT, but the drive was TOO LONG! I am getting too old for 10 hour driving marathons! UGH! I have also decided, after this trip, that come Spring either this year or next, I will take 4 days and do (just) the coast drive again and see some of the stuff I missed or could only see at night when it was closed.

I'll save one of the trip highlights for tomorrow's blog!