Galentines Blogger Exchange

I've said it before; I'll say it again: The world needs more care packages.  I love sending them, and I love receiving them.  That's one of the reasons that I enjoy participating in blogger exchanges/swaps from time to time.  How fun is it to receive a package, that feeling of excitement not knowing what goodies are inside, and opening it to find some real treats?! 

I hadn't participated in Mattie and Olya's previous blogger exchanges, so I jumped at the chance for this one.  My guy and I aren't really Valentine's Day people.  Honestly, I have no strong opinion for or against the day, we just don't celebrate it with cards or flowers or chocolates or dates.  So, why not avoid being a total Debbie Downer and celebrate the day with bloggers? 

I was assigned Ashley as the person to send a gift.  I'll let you visit Ashley's blog to see what I sent her.  Ashley and I have been reading each other's blogs and interacting regularly for a while now, so I had a few things in mind that I'd enjoy sending her.  I'm going to take guess and say I nailed it (as far as the gifts I chose.)

As for what I received...I'd never used "elfster" before.  How fun and helpful is that site?  I added a few things to a "wishlist" as a guide, but honestly, I'm just happy and grateful to receive anything. 

What did I wish for?  A lot of kitty things.  So, you know, now's a good time to show you some pics of my beautiful little felines as they were my inspirations. 

Jess from To Sparkle Punch sent my gift, and oh my, I was giddy when I opened my package.  I certainly feel spoiled!  I wished for a pair of super small kitty cat earrings.  Jess said that the ones I had on the wishlist didn't ship to Australia, so she selected a different pair.  I love them!  How adorable are they?!?!

I put them on immediately and am still wearing them!

And, many of you know that my guy is a jeweller.  So, I'm a lucky girl to have received some pretty rings throughout the years.  How cute is this ring holder for those special pieces of jewellery?!

To say this blogger exchange was a success is an understatement.  I enjoyed selecting my gift to Ashely, and I adore my gifts from Jess.  As a bonus, Jess is new to me, so this weekend, I plan to stalk read her blog and get to know her better.  Thanks ladies, and thanks to our hosts! 

Oh, and so my canine lovelies don't feel left out, here's a pic of their gorgeous mugs, and I'll wish for some doggie goodies next time. 

Are you interested in participating in blogger exchanges?

A post only a cat mother could love

Non-cat owners, this may bore you. I don't blame you. I used to be anti-cat until I was converted. 

If you've been around these parts, you probably know I have three cats. You can read more about them here.  Today, we're going to talk about Ricky..........

This is Ricky. My stepson once gave him an award..."The Cheekiest Cat Ever".  Jana has his American cat doppleganger.  Let's talk about the antics of Ricky and show you my very first cat video loaded to the internet!

Ricky...the cat who regularly looks like he is plotting something.

Ricky...the cat that is a cockroach killer (notice the leg hanging out of his mouth), but he likes to carry the half-eaten cockroach around the house and eventually, dump it somewhere to be noticed and admired.

Ricky...the cat that looks at you like this when you are talking to him about why he's on the ironing board, why he's on clean clothes, and how he needs to get down from there.

Ricky...the cat who thinks "Look woman, you didn't want me on the ironing board, and now you're telling me to get off the drying rack too?!"

 Ricky...the cat who bent many blinds in our previous rental property.

Ricky...the cat who thinks if there is food on the plate that he wants, then he should help himself to it.

Ricky...the cat who thinks if there's something in a cup that he wants to drink, he should help himself to that too.

Ricky...the cat who makes it impossible to have a nice looking Christmas tree because he climbs it, bends and breaks limbs, and throws the ornaments to the ground.

Ricky...the cat who will climb anywhere...kitchen counters, cupboards & closets & drawers, on top of stair railings.............and on top of the shower.

Ricky...the cat who decides to join me when I take a bath, and he shows off his acrobatic skills by leaping and balancing on the top of the shower.

Ricky...he's at it again.

So.......earlier this week, a tradesman had to come to the house.  My guy put the cats up in the bathroom.  Apparently, Ricky tried to show off to his kitty sister and brother by going to the top of the shower, but........check out the video.

 Ricky...the cat who purrs louder than any of the others when he decides he wants to give me cuddles.

What does your fur baby do that is cheeky/naughty/adorable?

Meet the Felines Link Up

I never owned a cat.  Cats scared me and typically hated  me.  But...my guy loves both cats and dogs, so I was willing to give an effort to see what this whole cat thing was all about.  My guy, his two kids, and I went to our nearest Animal Welfare League in November 2013 to adopt two kittens. We left with three! And they have enriched our family ever since.  I'm a total cat convert.  Yep.  Crazy Cat Lady, all the way.

They are so much like children; they all have unique personalities, and we love each of them so much.

Name:  Ricky Sparkle  

(That's right.  Sparkle.  I was already named Ricky at AWL.  My human mama says Ricky Martin is handsome and knows how to move.  My human brother, who just turned six at the time, had the honor of giving me a middle name.  That's what the kid named me, and I like it.) 

Stats:  

• Tuxedo cat
• Male
• Silky, shiny coat
• Green eyes
• Slim
• Agile
• Curious
• Mischievous

Likes:   

• Climbing through window blinds (and bending them)
• Sitting at the window and staring outside
• Chasing the other cats
• Taunting my doggie sisters through the sliding glass door
• Looking for food on the kitchen counter
• Attempting to eat the dog food (while my humans are dishing it up)
• Killing cockroaches or millipedes or spiders or whatever other little critter tries to creep in our house
• Climbing the screen doors or windows
• Sticking my paw (or head) under a flowing water faucet
• Balancing on the top rail of our stairs
• Laying on our iron board, or clean clothes, or drying rack
• Hiding in drawers
• Climbing the Christmas tree
• Yanking down Christmas tree ornaments 
• Snuggles on mama's chest
• Purring
• Meowing

Name: Ivy Lou 

Kinda like Blue Ivy but backwards, and different, so not really like that at all.  I'm not really a diva either, so my sweet name suits my sweet demeanor.  I'm not sure why the font just changed, but I'm not the smartest of the bunch (apparently, neither is my mama because she can't correct it.)  Oh well.  I'm an easy-going girl.

Stats:  

• Torti (or torty, or tortie) cat
• Female
• Medium length coat
• Greenish-gold eyes
• Bootylicious
• Flirtatious
• Affectionate

Likes: 

• Bags
• Boxes
• Catching sunrays through windows
• Taunting my doggie sisters through the sliding glass door
• Looking for attention from the men of the house
• Running from my brothers
• The heat from the satellite tv box
• Piles of clothes
• Daddy's jeans (my favorite place to lay)
• Bouncing while I run
• Rolling over when I say hello (c'mon humans, that means I want a belly scratch!)
• Chewing the tip of my tail...I know, it's weird, but it's a habit

Name: Astro Naut  

We were waiting in the AWL office for my human daddy to complete the adoption paperwork, and my human mama was bouncing around Texas-themed names.  Some suggested: Sam (after Sam Houston), Willie (after Willie Nelson), Stevie (because it could give props to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Stephen F. Austin).  The rest of the humans weren't feeling any of these.  So, mama started offering up sports teams and names.  Astro (after the Houston Astros) is the name that they all turned and said "yes" or "I like that".  Secretly, I was thinking it's the name of the dog on the Jetsons, but whatevs.  I'm orange-ish, and I'm told that's the right color for a Houston Astro.  My middle name?  Well, the human brother steps up and decides my middle name is "Naut" because "Get it? It's like astronaut!" (Yes, this conversation happened.  Plus, it works.  NASA is in Houston, and NASA has astronauts). 

Stats:  

• Ginger cat
• Male
• Greenish-gold eyes
• Loyal
• Lazy
• Affectionate 
• Intelligent
• Awarded "best Cat ever" by my human brother
• BFF to my human mama

Likes: 

• My mama
• Cat food
• Cat treats
• Breakfast
• Naps
• Dinner
• Snuggles with my mama
• Headbutts with my mama
• Belly rubs from my mama
• Hanging out with my mama while she takes a bath
• Laser pointer time with dad
• "Helping" my mama read (this may consist of laying on top of the book)
• Sleeping in the cat tree
• Sleeping next to my mama
• Sleeping on my mama

All of us get along really well.  We play with each other, cuddle each other, and pretty much all five of us (kitties with my daddy and mama) sleep in a queen size bed every night.  We are great with our 7 year old human brother who absolutely adores us.  He thinks we're "the cat's meow".  When asked why he liked us so much his response was:

"They're really, really cute, and they're part of our family." 

Well, you can't get much better than that.

Cat conversion complete.

Join our mama's link-up, so we can meet other felines in bloggerland.

An InLinkz Link-up

And, if cats aren't you're thing (I don't know why they wouldn't be), there is a Meet the Canines link-up too.  So, you can check that out here:  Meet the Canines

For Cat Parents Only (because they are possibly the only ones who will enjoy this post)

Long story that I'm trying to write as concise as possible:

Once upon a time, I didn't like cats. I was scared of them, and I was convinced that they sensed my fear and would prey on that weakness. Me being their prey. I was ready for an attack, a hiss, or a scratch anytime I was around a cat.

I loved dogs and pretty much always had a dog in my life. 

My guy enters the picture. He likes dogs AND cats. Love is about compromise. So, I agreed to get a cat. Actually, we adopted three adorable kittens from the Animal Welfare League.  Kittens grew up and are now a little over a year old. I am a cat convert, I love them, and I'm such a crazy cat lady happy cat mama. 

Fast forward to now...I'm still learning about cats and cat behavior. I found myself googling this:

Well, because of this:

Yep, Astro loves to sit on my face, sleep on my head, and be a kitty scarf around my neck. I needed to ask Mr. Google "why?". 

My "research"* findings were this:

• "He's displaying immense trust" and feels safe with me. - well, that's a good thing, right?
• He adores me. - duh, who wouldn't?
• It's the ultimate expression of affection. - awwww, that's so sweet
• Not only is he "sharing his love", but he's "sharing his scent" too. - uhm, what?
• "If any other kitties come around, they'll know you already belong to another cat" because he has spread his personal smell on me. - I don't know what to say about this.
• He's being dominant.  In a household with more than one cat "sleeping on your face puts the top cat at the highest point". - I think some people would say this means he's just being an asshole to the other cats.

There you have it; I think this means Astro loves me.

I can't post this without showing off my other two pretty kitties who don't sit on their

mama's face but still show their love in other special ways (like watching me take a bath which is what they're doing in this photo). 

Ricky & Ivy

*sources: www.catbehaviorassociates.com, www.pets.thenest.com, www.cats.about.com