True Gift...

Our mommy wants to thank you all very much for the birthday wishes yesterday! Your comments helped to make it a very nice day for her.

Since Mommy already has the three of us plus Daddy, there wasn't any present to get her other than one that helped out animals in need. To do this, we're going to need you help...

We recently accepted a Paw It Forward challenge from our furiends in Kansas Phantom, Thunder and Ciara. Aren't they such a beawootiful family?

The OP pack gave a generous donation to help Shelby so, for our PIF challenge and also in lieu of our mommy's present, we're going to donate to an animal charity. How much we donate will be decided by you! Just leave a comment on this post from now until our Monday post publishes at midnight PST and we'll donate $1 per comment!

If you'd like to accept the PIF challenge and Paw It Forward to others in need too, just let us know in your comment. We'd love for three of our furiends to participate but we do understand that times are very tough right now. Anyway, thank you for helping us help animals!

Disclaimer: Only one comment per family will count for the $1 comment challenge and spam will not count at all.

Very Last Minute Tax Tips For 2009

Since our mommy is a CPA (she says it means Certified Public Accountant but we know it means Cat's Personal Assistant) and since this is our last post of the year, we wanted to remind you that although charities appreciate donations all year, today is the last day for your cash or non-cash donations to count on your 2009 tax return.

Many charities accept cash donations securely online and will provide a dated receipt immediately after the donation is submitted. Donations by personal check must be in the mail today or taken to a local charity in person. You cannot deduct a cash contribution, regardless of the amount, without proper documentation. This can be in the form of a receipt from the charity, a copy of your cleared check or bank statement, or a credit card statement.

If money is tight these days, there are probably things around your home that you no longer use or want and are in good condition, that you can donate and be able to deduct the value of the items now, not what they cost new. Many communities have thrift shops that sell items to help support charities. In our town, the thrift shop we donate items to supports the local humane society and we're taking in a donation today! This is a relatively painless way to help support causes important to you while clearing your home of unwanted items. It's a win-win situation!

We hope you have a safe and Happy New Years Eve!

Friday Features!

Welcome to this week's Friday Features! Today I am featuring one of my teams, the Etsy Angels! In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we are raising funds for Susan G. Komen For the Cure by donating a portion of all October sales. BeadedTail is donating 20% of October sales and the other shops listed below are donating various amounts. Hope you enjoy my picks from these fabulous Etsy Angels!

Click on the links above the photos for more information on the item and shops.

Bonita - Big and Bold Pink Cats Eye and Bali Bead Bracelet with Animal Awareness Ribbon Charm THINK PINK by BeadedTail
Boobie the Etsy Angel Breast Cancer Awareness Cow by Ozarknana

Must Love Dogs - Rose Quartz and Heart Charm Beaded Pendant Sterling Silver Necklace THINK PINK by BeadedTail
Island Bliss Goats Milk Soap by Sissy Soap by sissysoap
Lil Miss Diva - Handpainted Pink Glass, Crystal and Sterling Earrings SRAJD by cblandcompany

VICTORIAN ROSES WITH TINY BUGS Pillowcase THINK PINK eangteam by Tigerlilystudio

TRANSLUCENT HOT PINK lampwork and sterling silver ring by craftsbychris

Addendum to Friday Features

We have a special announcement! We included a cat pillow by Dreampillows in our Friday Features and we have been told that for every cat pillow sold to one of our blog readers, $1 will be donated to charity! To receive this offer, just put "BeadedTail sent me" in the Notes to Seller when purchasing on Etsy. Below are the pillows once again, click here to see the listings for them on Etsy:

Thanks very much to Dreampillows for this offer!

♥Etsy Angels ANSWER THE CALL in March

I am a member of the Etsy Angels team and we have bi-monthly fundraising events for deserving charities. For March, we are raising funds for the Answer the Call - New York City Police and Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund. This information was prepared by Annie from MyMiniMocs.

The “Answer The Call” fund was established in 1985 to give financial comfort to the spouses & children of the New York City firefighters and police offices who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Within 15 minutes both of the World Trade Center towers were intentionally struck by aircraft. We knew as a country we had been attacked. While thousands of people rushed to leave the burning buildings, hundreds of first responders answered the call and rushed into the inferno to help save those they could.

On September 11th 2001 - 343 New York City Firefighters, 23 New York City Police Officers, 37 Port Authority Police Officers and 15 EMT Personal were killed in a horrific act of terrorism. The families, spouses & children of these heroes are left to carry on after this senseless & catastrophic attack.

The Answer the Call fund has depended on the generosity of citizens for its funding since its inception in 1985. In 1987 the fund provided 320 families with annual financial assistance. After 9/11 their efforts expanded to include the families of Port Authority officers and EMS. By 2008, they made the same annual financial commitment to nearly 700 families.

Don’t let the words “We Will Never Forget” become a cliché or a passing thought – please won’t you Answer the Call to help the families of those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice without question or hesitation.

During the month of March, the Etsy Angels team will be helping to raise money for the Answer the Call fund. You can help in three ways:

1) by donating all or a portion of the proceeds from sales you make as an Etsy shop owner,

2) by making purchases from the participating shops or

3) by making a monetary contribution to a paypal account that will be set up to collect the funds for this months drive.

Please remember that even small donations when combined with others can make a difference.

The families of these heroes still need our help we need to show them

We Will Never Forget.

Please visit our current thread in the Etsy forums for more infomation. Or visit the participating shops, listed below with the percentage of proceeds going to Answer the Call:

Wildlifer78- 20% of March Sales

SewingGranny- 10% March Sales20% of Sales in Charity Section

BeadznStonezSupplies- 10% of March Sales

BeadedTail- 20% of March Sales

craftsbychris - 10% of March Sales

cindyjoy - Bundles of Joy - 10% of all March Sales

MountainEagleCrafter -20% of all purple items sold during March, 10% of all other March Sales

Ozarknana - 10% of all March Sales

MamaJody- 20% of all March Sales

silkcreek- 10% of all March Sales

BCArtwerks - 20% of all March Sales

MyMiniMocs - 10% of total March sales, 50% of items in my Answer The Call Section

NovusArt - 30% of total March Sales

Merkaba Jewelry - 20% of all March Sales

Tigerlily Studio -15% of dream pillow sales in March, 10% of all other sales in March

Paper Lantern Patterns - 15% of all March sales

Arrivingangels - 10% of all March sales excluding custom

SewHappyDesigns - 10% of all March sales and 50% off anything made especially for Answer the Call

Tulips Treasure Box - 10% of all March sales excluding custom orders and sale item

Maranda Cowgirldesigns - 10% of all March sales

Scrapbookforever...10% of all March Sales

Createdfromscrap...10% of all March Sales

Tax Time is Around the Corner!

Since I am a tax accountant, tax season is on my mind but in case you don't live and breathe taxes, here's some reminders about charitable contributions - since this is near and dear to my heart. If you plan on donating cash or non-cash items to a qualified charity and deducting it on your 2008 taxes, the donation needs to be made by Wednesday, December 31st. If you donate by personal check, the check needs to be in the mail on or before December 31st. For donations by credit card, it must be charged to your card in 2008 to be deductible in 2008 so plan accordingly. You cannot deduct a cash contribution, regardless of the amount, without proper documentation. This can be in the form of a written receipt from the charity, a copy of your cleared check or bank statement, or a credit card statement.

If money is tight these days, there are probably things around your home that you no longer use or want and are in good condition, that you can donate and be able to deduct the value of the items now, not what they cost new. Many communities have thrift shops that sell items to help support charities. In our town, the thrift shop we donate items to supports the local humane society. This is a relatively painless way to help support causes important to you while clearing your home of unwanted items. It's a win-win situation!

If you received Christmas presents that you don't particularly want, rather than re-gifting, you can donate these items. Or you can exchange the item for washable dog and/or cat toys for example and donate them to a local animal shelter. Another idea is to exchange it for children's clothing and donate to a cause that helps low income families. By donating unwanted gifts, you help spread the holiday cheer to those in need and that feeling is priceless!