Talented Young Artist...

*Fair warning!*  This post is going to be a shameless plug for a talented 13 year old artist and animal lover in Ohio named Linda.  She is currently offering to draw our favorite pet (cat, dog, rodent... you name it!)  for a VERY reasonable fee.  Don't you just LOVE an enterprising, enthusiastic, hard-working young person?!  I know I sure do!

Linda recently drew pictures of Bentley and Boo, and I couldn't be more thrilled.  I excitedly share them with you below:

BENTLEY:

BOO:

I think she really "captured" the personalities of my boys in her drawings ( -- just look at Boo's EYES -- amazing!)  Along with the fun backgrounds, she also included the quotes, which I thought was an adorably whimsical touch, and I simply couldn't be more pleased. 

If you would like to talk with Linda about possibly drawing your own special pet(s), she can be reached at:   giveuppudding@gmail.com 

I hope you enjoy Linda's talent as much as I have! 

My (Handmade) Dog 'n' Cat Quilt !

I was rooting through a closet the other day and ran across this quilt, and realized I had never posted pictures of it before. I made it a few years ago, and it is one of my favorites. A menagerie of  pups and kitties (two of my favorite things!) -- and sooooo whimsical and cute!  (BTW, that bumpy *LUMP* under the upper right hand corner is my own real kitty, Boo, playing hide 'n' seek!)

This quilt was SO much fun to make.   Using "scrips 'n' scraps" of some of my favorite fabrics, and a piecing method called "paper piecing" or "foundation piecing", it's a little "different" than most of the other quilts I have made.

And OH -- no two blocks are the same, and all the critters have little round black beads sewn on for eyes, and the dogs have real button noses!

So, wouldya' like to "meet" some of the individual "kids" on the block?! (LOL, no PUN intended!!!)

 

Well, lookie there, even the real fur-kid approves!  Actually he and Boo have been trying DESPERATELY to CHEW OFF all the button noses!!!  (GAH!  BAD Raggies!!!!)   ;o)

(For additional posts featuring my handmade quilts, please look HERE and HERE.  Thank you!)

And PS... I have gotten a lot of requests for the book that this pattern is from. Please see "Comments" below for all info. Also, feel free to message me through the "contact" link on the blog's home page with any questions not answered there.  ENJOY!

Mechanical Bull Ride?! *AS IF* !

My husband, daughter, son-in-law and I were in Pittsburgh this past weekend.  A new restaurant, Cadillac Ranch, opened up and we decided to give it a try.

We parked the car, and as we were walking in we saw by their advertising that they had "steaks, chops, BBQ, burgers, cocktails and bull rides" (?!)  Knowing full well that it would be one of THE LAST things on earth I would EVER do, my husband teasingly said to me, "Look, honey, they have a bull ride!  You wanna do it?!"  And before I could even comment, my quick-witted son-in-law piped up (a LITTLE too enthusiastically!), "I'LL PAY!" 

Boo and Bentley -- Update on "My Boys"!

YES, I am a terrible Raggie mom! HOW LONG has it been since I have given an update on my two sweet boys?! I know, I know, I've been dreadfully, terribly negligent, and I can only plead "crazeeee busy". Please forgive!

OK, so here goes:

Boo, our "seal bi-color", will be four years old on January 31, 2011. Hard to believe! He is SUCH a sweetheart. And just look at that face -- soooooooo cute, cute, cuuuuuuuute! I can hardly get enough of him!

Boo is also VERY vocal... always *complainin'* about something. Tooooo funny!

 

Bentley (aka "Squeak" -- because he rarely meows -- I think we've heard TWO true "meows" out of him his whole life so far. Every now and then he'll kind-of *chirp!* or *squeak*-- but that's about it!) is a "blue lynx mitted" who will be a year old on December 1, 2010. Whereas Boo is just so darn ADORABLE you can hardly stand it, Squeak is simply a striking, magnificent-looking animal.

They BOTH weigh the same right now -- 12.5 pounds! Which is kinda funny, because anyone who knows Ragdolls knows that they continue to grow and mature till about age 3 or 4 years old, so Squeak will likely (far!) outweigh Boo one day, because Boo is likely fully grown. And for a reference, when Boo was Squeak's age (10 months), he weighed about 9 pounds. Yep, that Squeak -- he's gonna be a "BIGGUN"'!!! That's OK, though, just more to snuggle and love!

Their favorite activities? Rip-snorting through the house at warp speed, then crashing and burning for a 4 hour nap on the bed or our favorite chair!

They also love mutual grooming... watching the bird feeder out the window... eating, of course (hey, it's one of MY favorite pasttimes, too!!!)... and OH how they love to *PLAY*! Quail feathers, feather wands, Da Bird, and those little furry mice (that Squeak "kills" and eviscerates in about 15 minutes flat) are their current favorite toys.

And have I mentioned that Squeak actually FETCHES, and he has since he was a baby?! Yep, just like a puppy dog! Sooooooo stinkin' cute!



OH yeah, in case you can't tell, I am totally smitten with these guys.  Spoiled little furballs, indeed!!!

  P.S.  In case you missed 'em, some of my other Raggie posts are here:  BOO'S STORY, CAT FANCY ARTICLE, and BENTLEY'S STORY.

Thanks for looking!