A New Horse For Mary Elizabeth

Say Hello to "Toby." Toby is an 8 year old QH/Draft/paint cross. Height 15 hands approximately. A premarin foal rescued by Frank Weller eight years ago in Canada. He arrived USA soil moments before the World Trade Center was hit. As a result of this rescue Frank went on to rescue more foals over the years thus starting up an organization called Equine Angels Rescue Sanctuary (E.A.R.S).

Here is a photo of Toby when Mary Elizabeth first saw him.

I think it was love at first sight.

Here he is meeting his new friends, Deejay and Willie.

I wonder what they are telling him? Probably about all the treats

Santa was going to bring for Christmas.

What a happy life Toby is going to have!

Have a happy day, my lovelies! xo xo CS ^..^

Christmas Movies

There are so many Christmas movies and specials out there. I can never resist watching them when they are on TV. There are some that I just seem to turn to again and again. They are as familiar as the special ornaments that get unwrapped each year to place on the tree.

Here are a few of my favorites. Some are new, some not so new. While my list could go on and on, I'm posting those that I've watched in the past couple of weeks.

Christmas in Connecticut. The classic starring the stunning Barbara Stanwyck. It makes me smile every time I watch it. I love her outfits in this movie. What a movie star she was.

Take Peace, A Corgi Cottage Christmas with Tasha Tudor. OK, OK, yes, I do watch this one all year round. I admit it.

A Charlie Brown Christmas. I love that Linus recites the real Christmas story from the Bible in this and tells Charlie Brown what Christmas is really all about. And Snoopy. When he decorates his house? Come on...that is awesome.

Prancer. So sweet. I just want to hug Jessica and take her home with me.

All the Rankin Bass movies from the 60's...especially Rudolph and Santa Claus is Coming to town...as a little girl I was always enchanted by Kris and Jessica's wedding scene in the woods with the Winter Warlock. I still am.

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. Mmm....maybe not so mean after all, eh? Just a little misunderstood. Plus, my fellow artists and crafters, we must accept him as one of our own. After all, he did make his own Santa suit and reindeer, did he not? Crafting genius at the top of Mt. Crumpit.

While not technically a Christmas movie, "Little Women" with Winona Ryder is one of my favorites. Its got enough Christmas scenes to qualify for a spot on my Christmas movie shelf. Who wouldn't want to 'go a-wasailling' with the March girls?

"A Christmas They Never Forgot" Little House on the Prairie movie. It is a compilation of 'rememberings' by the characters as they are snowed in at the Ingalls one Christmas. It includes the part of the Little House pilot movie where Mr. Edwards crosses the creek to bring Mary and Laura their red mittens just like he got when he was 'just a sprig in Tennessee' and they each got a 'cookie made like a heart and sprinkled with white sugar.' (Insert blissful sigh here...)

The Muppets Christmas Carol. Michael Caine as Scrooge. Classically narrated by Gonzo. Fun musical numbers. Kermit and Miss Piggy. What more do you want?

Love "The Holiday" with Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law. I especially love the relationship between Kate Winslet and Eli Wallach's characters in this film. Oh, yes, and Iris's cottage. I believe it was built for the film. Love love love....

Of course, Its A Wonderful Life. My Corgi, "Bailey" was named after George Bailey in this film. Does that tell you how much my husband and I love this one? He still cries at the end every time he sees it. (Which is one of the reasons I love him so...)

What are some of your favorites? Whether you can steal away a few minutes from your Christmas preparations or settle in after the big day with a big bowl of popcorn I hope you get the chance to enjoy a few of these or your own special favorite holiday movies. Let me know if you see a good one! xo xo CS ^..^

A Long Winter's Nap....

I know, I know! Can you stand the cuteness?

xo xo -CS ^..^

Visions of Sugarplums...

...or maybe just of mom.

xo xo xo -CS ^..^

OK, NOW I can deck the halls...

It has been a bit of a whirlwind of worry around here since Thanksgiving. Even if Jacob Marley came to my door clanking every chain he's got, it couldn't have scared me more than what we've been through these past few days. My dear Daughter-In-Law to be, Renee, (Liam's mom) was rushed to the hospital with blood clots in her lung and leg. She is not completely out of the woods yet but doing well, so your good thoughts and prayers are most appreciated! My son John was just beside himself with worry about his true love. The house is a bit of a train wreck and I'm a little behind in my Christmas decorating which I normally start the day after Thanksgiving. Oh well, who cares. Renee is going to be OK and that is the most important thing, right? Right.

These past days I've lit some holiday scented candles (I like to light candles all the time, but especially when I have lots of praying to do...12 years of Catholic school, what can I tell you?) and have had Christmas music playing constantly. It is amazing how you can decorate your heart with Christmas even without a single decoration up. Having said that, I am SO ready to decorate now. I do rotate which ornaments I hang up each year because our place is rather tiny and I love to collect Christmas decorations and things and I'm always making or finding something new to add to my boxes of treasures. Well, they are treasures to me :) It is kind of fun to do that because it never looks the same.

Oh! And "How are the puppies?" you ask? They are two weeks old and doing great. Here's a few photos. I promise to take more. Their eyes are opening and they are really crawling more and more, exploring their whelping box. Most of the time they look like they are in a little Corgi mosh pit. Stella is doing great and is a brilliant mom.

Have a happy Saturday my dear Corgettes! xo xo -CS ^..^

Meet "Minnie"

Made entirely by hand from my original pattern, "Minnie" is an original Christmas Corgi Art Doll Ornament. Incorporating stitching, embroidering and needle felting, she is made from wool felt, wool and wool roving from a friend's sheep, and other little embelishments. She would love to come and be a Corgi-cuteness part of your holiday traditions for years to come.

She has even been kissed for luck by a baby Corgi puppy, fresh from heaven....

On Ebay now. 3 day listing ends Sunday evening. xo xo -CS ^..^

p.s. do check out the CorgiAid Original Watching Art auction as well. Link in previous post below.

Original Art To Benefit Corgi Aid On Ebay Now!!!

OK, I want them all. All of them I tell you. Please click over to eBay and bid with all your heart on the lovely Original illustrations from The Watching. All of the artists donated the Original artworks to CorgiAid and 100% of the proceeds of these auctions will benefit Corgis in dire need of love and care. Here is Bailey watching over my illustration from Chapter 7. Please note the seller ID is not mine it is CorgiAid (one word) if you need to do a search. There are many charities that we just don't know how the money is spent or where it goes. All of the money that is raised and donated to CorgiAid (all grassroots efforts by kind hearted Corgi lovers which includes fairs and picnics, donations and raffles, auctions etc.) helps Corgis in need of medical care and attention that otherwise they would not receive. THANK YOU so much for your generosity! xo xo -Cathy ^..^ p.s. **you will find Barbie Sonnett's lovely sculpture from The Watching at this link rather than the one above.

Thankful

Is it too late to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving? I don't think so. Even though Christmas preparations are well underway, my heart is full of thanks for so many things this weekend. The Mister and I took our little grandson Liam to pick up our Thanksgiving turkey at Gozzi's turkey farm in Guilford, CT. Long time readers of this blog will recall the Easter egg dyed colors of the turkeys that the Gozzi family has out in a huge pen in front of their store. Liam got a big kick out of them as you can see from his face. Gozzi's never changes. Inside the storefront is a simple counter and on the wall to the left are old competition ribbons and awards.

We were expecting a litter of Corgi puppies this weekend from Stella and James. You can see them on our Reinwood Corgis site if you like. Princess Stella had other plans. She required an emergency c-section on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for seven beautiful puppies 4 boys, 3 girls. Thankful that emergency c-section went well and mom and pups are doing fine. Thankful for my gallant husband who was more concerned with getting Stella to vet than brushing his hair (we're talking pre-coffee here people...) Thankful for a kind and caring vet who called me Tuesday night to see how Stella was doing and to let me know he would cancel his own eye doctor appointment for the next morning if we needed him. Thankful for having a friend like Mary Elizabeth to share puppy breath (and breakfast!) with. Thanksgiving may have been on Thursday, but my heart is still full today.

Did I mention that I was having everyone over here for Thanksgiving Dinner? Gulp. Somehow with John and Laura's help I managed to get it done. These pies were baked in the wee hours of the morning. While the pumpkin was in the oven, Laura was washing dishes (it had to be about 1:30 AM at this point) and I sat at the table weaving a lattice pie crust and cutting little leaves out of pastry dough. Adrenaline from the day did not wear off quickly that night. Laura was right, I did burn the tops of the apple pie crust but it still tasted pretty good. Her brother tells her that she should be a food critic and combine her love of writing with her dinner commentary. "I only say it to help you perfect your cooking" she likes to tell me with her impish grin. What a pip I raised. Homeschoolers! Sheesh. Let me tell you though, when my head finally hit the pillow I crashed and slept soundly, even though it was only for a couple of hours. Don't you love that feeling when you are extremely tired and you get into your bed all snuggly knowing you've accomplished a ton of work that needed to get done? Even though you are exhausted it is a good kind of tired. Do you know what I mean? Everything was made from scratch. Let's see...what did we have? Turkey and gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, corn pie, stuffing (one without onions for Mary Elizabeth and my Mom) cheese platters, shrimp cocktails (one hot cocktail sauce and one mild for Laura and Mary Elizabeth...hey...I want happy diners here!) baked ziti, filet mignon which John cooked outside on the BBQ, snowflake rolls (OK, I didn't make those, I ordered them from the bakery but somebody made them! LOL) apple ciders, pies and chocolate fudge. Did I forget anything? By Thursday Stella was feeling perky and excited about her babies. She was given many delicious treats and has decided that Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday.


Here is Stella and her new babies on their birthday. All are doing well so far. I will post more photos soon!

May I say one more thing that I am thankful for? I am thankful for you, my dear reader. It means a lot to me that you choose to spend a little of your time visiting here and following this blog. I am grateful for those who follow and collect my artwork. I am grateful for your friendship and lovely comments. My heart is full. So full. Happy Thanksgiving!

For those who have been asking, I will have a bunch of brand new Christmas Corgi ornaments and things for sale all this week. I will keep you posted as they are done!

Now, how many days till Christmas? xo xo CS ^..^

Art For Your Christmas Tree

Just finished this new miniature ornament. Now in the shop on Etsy. xo xo -CS ^..^

*sold! more on the work table! xo xo

Happiness Is A Warm Puppy

Mary Elizabeth took these photos over the weekend of Halo and James' puppies at 10 weeks.

Don't you just want to kiss them all on the nose? (You know you do....)
Happy Monday, my lovelies! xo xo -CS ^..^

My New Apprentice?

Some of my Corgi friends have already seen this nutty impish Corgi of mine performing her antics. I thought I'd share these with you as well. Here is Weebles, mild mannered (ahem) kitty. She is convincing Amy to jump up on to the table where I was working on a few paintings. Amy does not require much convincing.

She regularly will move and jump up on to chairs both inside and outside on the patio to get on to tables. I know, I know. I need to train it out of her. The problem is that she usually does it when she thinks no one is watching.

You've heard of a blue moose in a china closet? I have a sable Corgi on an art table.

Watch the video clip below to witness her making one hot mess. I put a fresh cup of painting water out (which she helps herself to) and left for a minute only to return to find her skulking around my paints and things. Luckily John had just put batteries in my camera and it was handy. I must warn you, do not let your Corgis try this at home. At the end it seems as if she leaps from the height of the table. She usually gets on and off from the chairs which are all around. You will see her trying to avoid the other Corgis who are surrounding the table, not as adventurous as she. She actually leaps to a short table with a fluffy dog bed as soon as the other Corgi moved off of it. No Corgis were harmed in the making of this video :) *you may pause my bloggy music on the player in the left sidebar before playing video if you prefer. xo xo Cathy ^..^

Thankful.

Saturday morning I headed out early to run a few errands. I wanted to pick up a few things for the kids. I headed to a couple of stores a few towns over. I thought I went out early enough to beat the Saturday shopping crowds but evidently everyone had the same idea. The first store I went into had shiny Christmas displays of decorations and things right at the window, so you know I had to go in. Completely distracted from my original mission I spent over an hour browsing through aisles of gifts and goodies. In one little corner was a sad and lonely small shelf with little bits of marked down Halloween stuff. Can Halloween have past already? Sheesh. Where does the time go? While browsing and being squished into an aisle of interesting decor, a woman in front of me pointed to this gigantic green wreath-looking thing made of feathers and, laughing, said something to her husband in what I believe was Italian. She and I looked at each other, obviously both amused by the shimmy-shaking-green-feather-wreath thingie. Only one word came to my mind when I saw it and I said it out loud. "Grinch." The couple began to giggle while the husband began to hum 'You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch' and we all laughed. I left there thankful that some things, especially Christmas things, are just understood by all in any language.

After leaving that store I went to the Walmart next door. I always feel like a deer in the headlights when I go into these big stores. It is like shopping overload. I started looking for what I had gone out for in the first place. I finally based my decision on choosing the item that was made in the USA even though it cost a few dollars more. It made me sad that 9 out of 10 items I saw are not manufactured here anymore. I wandered over to the CD's. I have an addiction to holiday CD's. I can't resist buying them. I even saw one in the Post Office the other day when I was mailing out a commissioned piece. I'm sure I'll add that one to my collection soon too. I don't even know what songs are on it. Somebody stop me. I had 3 in my hand that day, the new ones by Andrea Boccelli, David Archuleta and Josh Groban. I went with Andrea Boccelli's but something tells me I'll be back for the others or will order them online. At the check out, I had the nicest chat with the check out lady. She couldn't wait to buy this CD as well and we talked for a few minutes about how much we love his voice and then about other Christmas CD's. I left there thankful for a pleasant check out lady who seemed to enjoy her day. I'm sure everyone who met her that day was a little better for it.

That evening, I went to see the new 3D movie A Christmas Carol. Check out their website for some fun online games and things. The computer animation is incredible. As soon as I heard that Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth were in it, I knew I would see it. Go and see it if only to get to wear the 3D glasses. Make sure you turn around in your seat to get a look at everyone wearing theirs. It is something silly that you don't get to see every day. On the way home I realized that the last song, "God Bless Us Everyone," on the Andrea Boccelli CD I had bought earlier in the day is in the end credits of the film. One of my favorite film versions of A Christmas Carol is A Muppet Christmas Carol, but whether you read the original Dickens ghost story or watch one of the many 'Scrooge' films, the timeless message is the same. Guard against Want and Ignorance. Remember those less fortunate than yourself. Be compassionate. Be joyful. Redemption...where there is life, there is hope. Keep Christmas in your heart not just on Christmas Day but all year through. Be thankful.

Today is Veteran's Day here in America. My heart is full of love, thanks and appreciation for all who have served in our military, from colonial days to the present. You make it possible for us to spend our days in freedom, shopping for Grinchy feather wreaths and Christmas CD's. You gave us the freedom to be able to sit in a theater wearing silly glasses or whatever else we choose. We are truly the land of the free because of the brave. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU. xo xo -CS ^..^