A Snowy Caturday Shopping

Here in North Carolina we woke up to about 5 inches of snow.

Actually that's not too unusual, we do get snow here.

It just melts pretty fast, which is my favorite part of a southern winter.

Here's the video I shot of my front porch this morning.

Now for some Caturday fun.

This is my baby Patches, and she loves to play.  Usually in the middle of the night while the rest of us are sleeping.  So let's do some surfing and see what great handmade cat items I can find for her cattiness. lol

Two of my requirements for shopping is handmade and American made, and I just found a cool site (based in Indiana), Purrfectplay.com.  Let's see what I found...

My cat would love this silly sea cucumber, hopefully better than my arm.  She never bothered much with the small mice toys, but this long toys is something she would love.  You can get this toy, (and many of their other toys) with, or without catnip.

Isn't this cute?  A cat sleeping bag.  If you're tired of your cat messing up your bed after you make it, get them their own bed.

My Patches is not a burrower, so this wool blanket would be great for her.

Here's a few interesting points about PurrfectPlay.com.

They are an American company, family owned, and based in Indiana.

They use only all natural supplies in creating their items.  No dyes.  No synthetics. 

The give 5% of each and every sale to no kill/rescue organization.

And they carry items for not just cats, but dogs, and their humans. lol

Click on a link and visit this site.

And place an order for something special for your furbabies.

Be blessed,

Debb

A Busy End Of Summer

Wow, I haven't been here much at all this summer.  I don't know why, we didn't go anywhere or do anything special.  I know that I have been busy online working for The Craftstar, which put Yankee Burrow on the back burner for a little while, but I think I finally have a good working schedule.  But for now let me share with you some fun pictures.

 My cute grandson discovered Ravioli

Our homeschool group had our first gathering with a pizza in the park party.  Our group has almost doubled in size from last year. :0)

The weather got cool enough for some childhood comfort food.  Tuna and peas on toast, yum yum.  I remember my mom LOVING this stuff, but she called it s**t on a shingle.  Chuck remembers eating this in the Navy. lol

In August we discovered a young stray cat living under the shop.  Chuck felt bad for it and started feeding him.  (Yeah, he's a softie at heart <3)  Within a few weeks Tom moved onto our back deck.  He still won't let us touch him (yet) but he loves it when we come and sit out there.  He just meows and talks to us and lays under our chairs.  He hangs out by our back door, mostly because of our female cat Patches, BUT when we take our dog Pee Wee out, Tom will rub right up against him.  He's bigger than Pee Wee, so Pee Wee is not too sure about this.

The word must have gotten out because a few weeks later, Little One moved onto our porch.  Tom shares his food without too much argument.  Little One is super cute, but super skittish.  I finally have him to the point where he will stay on the porch when I come out...but he watches us closely.

The last Saturday of September is the Hiddenite Festival of the Arts, and we attend most every year.  This year they put an actual rope around the tractors, instead of just the keep off signs that all the kids ignored.  Owen was disappointed. lol

And this????  One of my favorite reasons for the fall season!  Totally bad for me, but totally tasty.  I'm still waiting for the pumpkin spice coffee creamer. :0)

So how was your summer?  Busy?  Relaxing?  Stressful?  Fun?  Share your story with a comment.

 Be blessed,

Debbi

How I spent my Tuesday - with Hannah

Hannah and I spent most of the day yesterday in downtown Statesville just wandering around and window shopping.  She had 2 appointments with several hours between them.  I love walking around downtown now, they have done a lot of work to try and encourage more pedestrian traffic and small business there.  I especially love the old building.  Here is just one of them.

Check out that pretty lady at the top.

Then there was this funny Minnie Mouse (with a really big nose) 

on a parking lot wall.

In the back of the old pet store (which is closed now) is the stray cat society.  Of course, we had to stop and check out the kitties.  And Hannah got Pee Wee a few new outfits.  My poor dog. lol

Hannah wanted to get him the Woody outfit, but it was too small...

so it is "to infinity and beyond!"

It's Bat Dog to the rescue!!!

He actually kept this outfit on for most of the day.  I was surprised, but our cat Patches wouldn't go near him. :0)

Now, it's time to get back to my canning....

Be blessed,

Debbi

Happy 4th of July America! from some great shops at Handmade Artists

Here I sit, still in my pj's at 10:30 am.  What a lazy day, it's suppose to rain all day, so it looks like no fireworks for us today.  But let's see what fireworks I can find at Handmade Artists. 

Aren't these bottle caps images great?  These are digital images, not actual bottle caps, and would be great for that family picnic scrapbook page, or to make your own bunting for your party?  You can find them at the shop of Bottle Cap Images by Fe.

How about Joe Patriot?  This polymer clay piece would look great at a table centerpiece, or a cake topper, or just sitting on a shelf.  You can find a whole bunch of cool miniatures at MyLovi's shop.

And don't forget your four legged babies.  Fireworks can be very stressful for animals, all that booming and flashing lights.  Protect yours while showing USA pride with this dog leash by Wyndwalker Creations.

Lastly, top off your red, white, and blue outfit with this mini cowboy hat.  The shop is Mini Hats by Jen and it's full of....you guessed it....mini hats. 

You can click on any of the above links to visit these shops, and have a blessed, and SAFE 4th of July.  Please remember, if you're drinking today, don't drive.  We want to still have you around tomorrow.

Be blessed,

Debbi

Meet the newest member of our family....

Chuck wanted to surprise me  with a special gift on Mother's Day.

Isn't she a cutie?  She fits in one hand and came from our neighbors....free.  Well, not really free,

cat food and dish to go into the baby

cat litter and box for what comes out of the baby

cat toys and treats to amuse the baby

$45.00

when she cuddles on my chest and purrs

priceless!

She purrs so hard her whole body vibrates.

Pee Wee is not too sure yet, he loves to follow her around and play, but she was too young to be weaned (the stray momma took the other kittens and left this one under the neighbor's shed)

so last night she tried to nurse on PeeWee.  HE was NOT amused.

She sure does love to eat.  And because of her coloring, I named her Patches.  I love my kitty.

Do you have, or love, cats?  How can you not?

"A dog watches his owner feed him and pet him and love him, and thinks his owner is god.

A cat watches his owner feed him and pet him and loves him, and thinks he is god."

Be blessed,

Debbi

feeding the chickens

Hey! You want to see something funny?  My chickens eat dog food from a spoon.

Yeppers...for someone with poor time management skills...I have too much time on my hands. LOL

Be blessed,

Debbi

Cool pets

I took the girls to the pet store today. I love the local pet store in my home town, Pets Plus in Lockport New York. They specialize in unusual animals. Here's a few the girls and I enjoyed.

what's new on the farm

I love stability and peace, but I also love when life changes...there is a sense of excitement with a touch of anxiety.  Only 30 days left to the school year, the pool is open, the garden is planted, and summer trips are being planned.  We've also had an increase of "pets" here.  3 weeks ago I shared with you the new chicks we purchased, and since then they have tripled in size.  We moved them from the heat box, to their pen and roost yesterday afternoon.

Then the temps started to drop last night (of course), so we went to check on them.  They were huddled on the ground outside of the roost box and heat lamp.  So Chuck climbed into the pen (wish I had a picture of that LOL) and chased them up into the box.  They kept coming out, so he locked them in till morning. :~D 

Then the other day our neighbor gave our children a bunny rabbit.  I ran over and asked what I did to make her dislike me....lol.  But I have to admit, she is a cutie.  Very young and very small, so for now she lives in the house with us.  PeeWee is amazed at something smaller than him.

Right now, she fits in the palm of my hand.  She needs a name, and the kids cannot agree on a name.  So if you wouldn't mind, please take a moment to vote in our Rabbit Name Poll!

Now to close, here's another "little monster" that visited us the other day.

Owen as "the hulk"

Enjoy your day...I know I will.

Debbi

On Fire for Handmade Team Artist Feature

I'm part of another wonderful team on Etsy besides the BESTeam.  It's the On Fire for Handmade team.  Every week there is 1 or 2 featured shops which we build our treasuries around, and then we just share, share, share.  I've never been fond of treasuries, until I joined this group.  They just make it so much fun.  Here are the featured shops for OFH treasury challenge #39.

The first shop is Petposies.  This shop is a mother and son team that is dedicated to making our babies (dogs) more adorable.  I have to admit that when I first browsed their shop, I thought they were just hair bows for people but after reading their profile I discovered that they created these bows for our dogs to wear on their collars.  I love that!  You can adapt these bows for human use, so just imagine a matching set for you and your loving bowwow.

The other featured shop for this weeks challenge is Georgiamarbles.  Here you will find lovingly created dolls,  and more aprons than you can shake a stick at...(what a silly saying, lol).  I love these dolls,  such a cute vintage feel to them.  And aprons...she has aprons...and since it's almost summertime, YEA, that means it's time to get out the grill and baste them ribs.  So you'll need aprons.  Go check them out here.

Well, now it's time for me to hustle and get my treasury ready for this challenge.  Stop by these shops, and if you're looking for a fun team to join, check out the On Fire For Handmade Team!
Debbi

Besteam feature on Turquoise Angels

Joni Walker and her daughter Rebecca Finch is the mother/daughter team behind Turquoise Angels, a great Etsy shop filled with goodies for little girls. They have just recently moved, so they are busy busy busy.  I don't envy them, I hate packing and unpacking.  I told my husband that if we ever move again, we are selling our house fully furnished, and buying a house fully furnished. lol.  This team works together to create wonderful tutu's, and clips for little girls.  Here's a peek at their creations.

First up is this Italian Princess Petti Tutu. What pretty colors!  Joni and Rebecca take great care when creating these tutu's.  Quality made, these tutu's were made for fun, and your little girl will surely have fun playing dress up it this.

And how's this for a hair clip?  Their Patriotic French Clip Hair Bow is hand tied and the ends are heat sealed to prevent fraying.  They have a total of 68 hair bows, so if you only wear red, white, and blue in July, check out all the rest.  You will definitely find any style, pattern, or color you need to complete any outfit.

And for that extra special member of your family...there are tutu's for them too.  This Pumpkin Orange Doggy Tutu is just tootoo cute.  (Sorry, had to throw that pun in)  If your little girls best friend is her doggy, they can get matching tutu's. heehee.  Turquoise Angels is now taking orders for flower girl dresses, and have tulle of all colors handy to match your special color theme.  Plus all their tutu's are custom made so be prepared for a 2 week turnaround between placing your order and shipment.

You can keep up with Joni and Rebecca by reading their blog, or follow them on facebook.  So click on any link above and start your holiday shopping early!

Debbi

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busy day at mamaw's

Well, I have many errands to run this morning.  First, peewee to the salon.  He may be a cutie, but he's a stinky cutie....

Then off to Hannah's doctor appointment.  Don't let that angelic smile fool you, when her ADHD kicks in, medication is great, lol.

Plus we get Owen today, but he'll arrive while I'm still out, so Poppa will be in charge...uh oh. 
Now with a face like this....what could go wrong? hahaha.
Remember, this is Owen I'm talking about....

He is soooo much fun, but has a very strong will.  Sometimes that's a good thing,  sometimes, not so much.  But I'm pretty sure this is how I will find them both when I get home.

Besteam feature on AllAboutCats from Etsy

Before I talk about AllAboutCats, I thought I would share with y'all a picture of our Baby. She was a stray kitten that "found" us one spring day 10 years ago. She was so small that she fit into the palm of my husband's hand, and when he put her back down, she raced us home, slapped our dog, and promptly moved into our home and our hearts. She lost her life to cancer just this past spring, and as any pet lover will tell you, losing a pet is hard, and we miss her. We did not get another cat (yet), but when we do, you can bet that we will shop here, at AllAboutCats. Linda must love her cats, because she not only makes items for them, she makes items about them.

And her catnip is organic, so you can rest assured that your baby will be playing with only the best! Linda also has another etsy shop, ThisAndThatInVermont, where she sells other non-feline handmade and vintage items. And I just noticed that she only opened that shop yesterday, so bookmark it and check in frequently as she builds up her inventory. Linda is from Vermont, beautiful country indeed. Her blog is great reading, especially the "about me" page. She talked about the fad of the month her mother belonged to, and it brought to my mind the packages of "stuff" my mother used to get also, :). So stop by her shop and blog, you'll be glad you did. I am.

besteam turquoise angels

This week I get to talk about a wonderful BESTeam shop with great items made especially for girly girls, Turquoise Angels. This shop is run by a mother/daughter team from Virginia, with a great eye for color and whimsy. While looking at their shop, I had so much trouble choosing which pieces to share with you, so you must stop at their etsy shop and check out everything. Hey, Amanda, I need a granddaughter *hint hint*.

They make great accessories for your outfits, like
this great orange sunburst mum headband.

They have headbands and hair bows of every color that you might need to complete any outfit.

They also do screen printing, look at the detail on this glitter butterfly tank top. So very pretty.

Now for the items they seem to be know for...little girl tutus. Boy, I wish I was a little kid again. The first one here is for the patriotic young girl. What a great dress to wear to that special 4th of July celebration, the Stars and Stripes Salute to America tutu. This will certainly put your little star at the head of the parade.

Next we have this oh so adorable daisy tutu dress. Perfect for the prettiest flower in the garden.

Look at this adorable tutu daisy doll

and me, for your little girl and her bff.

And let's not forget our four-legged children with this doggie diva tinker.

When you stop at their etsy shop, look at the feedback from their other clients. Such high praise, of the quality, and the customer service. You can follow them on their blog, twitter, and facebook.