Ode to Summer

Okay, I know the calendar says it's October and officially fall but it didn't really seem that way until the rains started here in the Pacific Northwest today. Hopefully it's just temporary and hasn't settled in until April or May but I'm already longing for summer again! I thought I'd share some of the beautiful places to see here in Oregon year round to remind me of the beauty here despite, and maybe because of, the rain.

I took this photo when we went hiking on the many trails around Multnomah Falls east of Portland. There are multiple waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge area not as majestic as this one but just as beautiful!

I took these pictures in September 2007 at Crater Lake in Southern Oregon. Crater Lake was formed 7,700 years ago when a volcanic eruption caused the 12,000 ft Mount Mazama to collapse. It is 1,943' deep which makes it the deepest lake in the United States and the 7th deepest in the world. The fresh water is so clear and is a gorgeous shade of bright blue. It is certainly a place that must be visited in Oregon!

Sadie went with us on these day trips around Oregon. She loves to go and loves to have her picture taken - don't you Sadie?

Can you believe she's sticking her tongue out at me?

Find Me Friday!

Angel tends to go "missing" from time to time but she can usually be found in closets.

Where do you often find your kitty?

I ♥ being ♥'d!

I received a I ♥ Your Blog award from Three Fates Design! I appreciate my blog readers so much and to be recognized by a fellow blogger is so thrilling to me! Three Fates Design is a very talented beader with a shop on Etsy and also a wonderful blog in which she often showcases her lovely work. Plus, she has adorable ferrets and kitties too! I'm honored that she nominated me for this award and send many thanks! Be sure to check out her blog!

As for passing it on, it is difficult for me to choose from the many blogs that I enjoy reading. I'm going to skip that part of the award for the time being but reserve the right to pass it on in the future!

Thanks again Three Fates Design!

Think Pink!

I am a new member of the Etsy Angels team which is a wonderful group of Etsians that raise money for worthy causes by donating a portion of our Etsy shop sales. The month of October will be my first fundraiser as an official Angel and we are helping to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation . As stated on their website:

For the past 25 years, Komen for the Cure has played a critical role in every major advance in the fight against breast cancer – transforming how the world talks about and treats this disease and helping to turn millions of breast cancer patients into breast cancer survivors.

♥ More early detection
♥ More hope
♥ More research
♥ More SURVIVORS

BeadedTail is proud to be a part of this fundraising opportunity by donating 20% of all items in our Think Pink section and 10% on all other items in our shop. Be sure to visit us as well as the following fabulous Etsy Angels shops along with their donation intentions:


Wildlifer78 (Chloe Boutique) - 25% - THINK PINK section; 10% rest of shop

CBLandCompany - 25% -THINK PINK section; 10% rest of shop

BeadznStonezSupplies - 10% from sales of any PINK supplies

ArrivingAngels - 25% - THINK PINK section

CraftsbyChris - 50% - THINK PINK section; 10% rest of shop

SewingGranny - 20% of THINK PINK section

TigerLilyStudio - 20% of THINK PINK section; 10% rest of shop

MerkabaJewelry- 20% THINK PINK section; 10% rest of shop

SilkCreekGallery - 20% THINK PINK section; 10% rest of shop

Maranda - 20% any item with PINK; 10% rest of shop

SilverCrystalJewelry- % of sales from PINK items in shop

CindyJoy - 25% THINK PINK section; 10% rest of shop

ScrapbookForever- 50% THINK PINK section

Ozarknana - 25% THINK PINK section; 10% rest of shop

BCArtwerks - 50% - THINK PINK section; 10% rest of shop


Friends helping the Etsy Angels
JacJewelry - Portions from PINK items as well as all sales for October

BrassHussey - 25% of THINK PINK section

Click HERE for a search of all the various items being featured for this wonderful cause!

We will still donate a portion of our sale proceeds to animal awareness causes in the month of October also! Think Pink!

Wordless Wednesday

When you gotta, you gotta!

By the Numbers...

My second installment in the monthly EtsyBloggers blog carnival had two topics to choose from: write about anything work related that is outside of Etsy or write about what you do to relax. Well, since making jewelry for our Etsy shop is part of what I do to relax, I chose to write about work. So, hang on, this is going to be so exciting! For the past 10 years I have been a CPA with a public accounting firm in Colorado (see, I told you it'd be exciting!). Ever since high school, accounting came easily to me so naturally I'd pick something that didn't require much effort to do! I went to college at Washburn University in Topeka, KS, and got a D in my first accounting class. Whoops! Change of plans! Of course it was due to a horrible instructor - seriously! I think it was his first and last class he taught but it turned me off of accounting so I majored in finance although I didn't like it and certainly wasn't going to manage other people's money in case they lost their investments such as what is happening today.

After a move to Colorado right after college and attempts at doing something in banking - I was too "qualified" for a teller because I had a college degree but not qualified enough for anything else because I had zero banking experience. I went to work in insurance and that was certainly not the place for me. Since we lived near Colorado State University, I decided to give accounting another try so I enrolled in their Masters degree program in accounting. Come to find out, if I had lasted past that first class back at Washburn, I would have discovered that I didn't like the "financial" accounting they teach at the undergrad level in preparation to become an auditor. It's boring and leads to numb butt! It was a struggle to continue at CSU and to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up until I took a tax class. Talk about being born to do something! I didn't even have to study at all because tax was fun and like second nature to me. I graduated with an M.S. in Tax and have been working as a tax accountant in public accounting ever since!

I started working at a local firm which then merged with a regional firm but then after four years I left with one of the partners when she started her own firm. For the last five years, I've been telecommuting to Colorado since we moved to Oregon. I prepare all of the business, non-profit, deferred compensation, estate and trust returns for our firm. Exciting huh?

During tax season I work 55+ hours a week but in the off season I work 24 hours a week which makes the long hours worth it I suppose. I also love being able to work from home with the furbabies and checking in on blogs from time to time in between tax returns. Anyway, that's what I do for my day job! Congratulations if you made it all the way through this post! I appreciate it!

Isabella for President

Mmmm, this is an interesting box. I am the purrfect candidate for President in this house so this must be MY box!

Yeah, keep on walking Devil Eyes!

Sorry Angel, but there is only room for one President in this box, uhm, I mean house! I sure hope all my toys fit in here too.

Yep, this box is a purrfect fit.

My name is Isabella and I approve of this message!

Bed Bumps!

Our pets rarely sleep on the floor because they have their own beds. Sadie has her own futon in her very own room. Yes, our dog has her own room to stay in when we are gone so she can sleep without the cats bothering her. All three share a day bed in our home office, not the guest room, because it's not for guests - it's for pets! Occasionally there is a bump in the bed that leaves Isabella wondering what in the world is that? Mystery solved!

Oh I wish I was a kitty!

The Tale of a Toy with No Tail!

As is evident from yesterday's post, our cats have plenty of toys but Angel has a favorite cat toy that she plays with all the time. It's a mouse that my cat Panther had from years ago that Angel found soon after we adopted her as a kitten. Since then it has been all over this house and under every piece of furniture and also every door we have. Here is Angel's most favorite toy:

As you can tell, it's missing a tail and looking pretty shabby so we searched high and low for a replacement but couldn't find one anywhere. I even sent pictures to my mom in Las Vegas and had her search for one. One day we happened to walk into a store in Lincoln City, OR that sold all things for pets and lo and behold they had the mouse! It's actually a rat - Rosie Rat to be exact!

It actually has hair and a tail! Even with a brand new Rosie Rat, she won't give up the old one. It'll go missing for weeks and we think it's finally gone but it'll show up some morning after a night of playing. Do your kitties have a most favorite toy?

Playtime!

Every night is playtime before bedtime. Last week we got the Flutterbye from CasbahKitten and it was an instant hit! We also have a "small" stash of toys to play with and keep us all entertained throughout the day. I gathered up most the toys (yes, there's more!) and took the picture while Isabella and Angel were sleeping upstairs.
Isabella woke up first. Then here came Angel. How'd they know I was messing with their toys?

If your kitty wants some really fun toys, check out CasbahKitten on Etsy. Everything is 20% off in their shop through next Tuesday, September 30th for the Etsy For Animals Birthday Bash! Our shop, BeadedTail, is also participating if you 'beans would like some animal inspired jewelry! Use our coupon code BEADS to get your discount! Click here for more information on the birthday bash.

Looking from the Inside Out

Angel and Isabella are indoor cats that never get outside but they are mesmorized by birds and everything else that goes on outside.

Of course looking out the window is exhausting so naps are always needed too!

Wordless Wednesday - Tail Trick

Twosday!

Angel and Isabella were more of a twosome when Angel was a kitten. They were pretty much inseparable but nowadays, it's rare if they are together more than five minutes without it turning into a wrestling match. Oh, those were the days!

Say cheese!

From the archives - You've Come A Long Way Baby!

I first posted this on May 1st, when I was just getting started on my blog. Since I had very few readers at that time I thought I would revive it again so that my new readers can see how Sadie came to be a part of our family.

This article from January 2001 tells of the rescue of 40 adult Huskies and six litters of puppies from Banner County, Nebraska. Our dog, Sadie, was one of the puppies rescued by the humane society. She's the brown puppy in the picture.

My mom was living in Nebraska at the time and heard the story of these dogs being rescued. She called my husband and me in Colorado and asked if we wanted to adopt one. Well, that was an easy decision, absolutely! Mom was the first one through the door at the humane society the next day to put our name on the list of adopters. Luckily she was first and was persistant in calling them regularly because soon after the court hearing allowing the dogs to be adopted, another raid on a Yorkie puppy mill in Nebraska caused all the Huskies except two to be sent to other shelters throughout the region since the humane society needed room for the newest rescuees. The humane society called my mom and told her we could adopt a puppy, the other puppy pictured was adopted by a shelter employee. We were extremely lucky to welcome Sadie into our home and she has been living like royalty ever since!

Although Sadie was rescued early and now lives the good life, we have to speak out on behalf of the animals who are still living in cruel and neglectful conditions. Puppy mills have got to be shut down. Education is the key and once people know the horrible conditions animals are subjected to, it can no longer be swept under the rug. There are many responsible breeders out there but the ones who are not, have got to be stopped.

Our BeadedTail shop features many bracelets with animal awareness ribbons to show your support and we will donate a portion of the proceeds to animal awareness causes. You can also link directly to the ASPCA via the widget on the top of our blog and donate to their fight against animal cruelty and neglect. Support your local shelters too by giving money or your time or adopting a wonderful, loving furry friend. Thank you for helping us make the world a better place for animals! =^..^=

Lazy Sunday!

Angel