Blog Giveaway & A Big Thanks to 100+ Followers!!!

I promised Lil she can pick the winner! Since she enjoyed picking up many of the spacers we used when we tiled our basement, I feel confident she can handle a small piece of paper. It might take me all week to number each one, but it will be worth it. I am going to video the entire drawing, so everyone knows Lil did not listen to Jack. I have a feeling he is partial to Jenny!

If you are currently following my blog, you will be entered automatically. However, if you would like to leave a comment that will give you a second chance to win the giveaway. I will run the giveaway for 7 days and announce the winner next Wednesday. If you win, please e-mail me at theoldoakenbucket@comcast.net with your contact information.

Here she is, my little Spring bunny painting giveaway for reaching 100+ blog followers. I really cherish the friendships we have formed thanks to these wonderful blogs. I especially love the passion we share for all things creative!

I Caught a Little Red Bird!

As most of you know, I am a huge fan of Johanna Parker's artistic creations. I regularly follow her blog http://johannaparkerdesign.blogspot.com/ and I was the first person to catch one of her original creations! She created a Collector's Catch where the first person who contacts her can purchase one of her original creations. I love this little red bird because it is an all-seasonal piece. Also, it coordinates better than I expected with my Spring decorations.

Another great blog I follow is Jenny Carter's Alley Cat Rescue at http://allycat-rescue.blogspot.com/. She just e-mailed me tonight say I won her blog giveaway for an ipod cover she made. Jenny is an incredibly talented artist and she has a huge heart for cats. She just rescued some kittens and was able to find homes for all of them!

As soon as I reach 100 blog followers, I am having a giveaway! I will enter everyone following my blog automatically, so you do not have to leave a post. For those just visiting, you can leave a post and I will add your name to the drawing. Thank you for leaving such wonderful comments...I love following your blogs! Please watch for my upcoming post about the giveaway...

One & A Half Acre Canvas for Earth Day!

Wyland begins work on Earth Day painting atop L.B. Arena
By John Canalis, Staff Writer

LONG BEACH - In recognition of Earth Day, mural artist Wyland began creating the world's largest painting of the planet today on the roof of the Long Beach Arena.
"I get excited when I see blank canvases," Wyland told CNN.
The rooftop area is about 3 acres, according to a news release.
The image of the planet will be painted over a 24-hour period and complement "Planet Ocean," the world's largest mural, also by Wyland, painted on the arena's exterior walls. The artist told CNN that the image will be visible on Google Earth.
The artist is in the process of restoring that work and earned permission from the city manager's office to do the rooftop as well, according to LBReport.com.
The mural will be unveiled at 10 a.m. Wednesday in recognition of Earth Day, said Bob Magulin of the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Wyland on CNN video can be viewed at http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/ireports/2009/04/18/irpt.wyland.earth.cnn

Hippity hoppity, Easter's on its way!

I did a hop, skip and a jump when Laurie Hardin from Monkey-Cats Studio agreed to sell me her Bunny Bowl! I love buying art as much as I do creating it. I feel so blessed to own some wonderful pieces from some extremely talented artists. Laurie's creations have so much expression. The Bunny Bowl which I have now affectionately named "Mr. Buggs" is sporting such a smirky grin. Laurie sent me two bags of speckled malted milk eggs for the bowl, but I could not bear to put them in the bowl since I was so afraid they might become cat toys and Mr. Buggs could easily lose an ear due to a little cat nibbling. However, I certainly enjoyed eating them with my coworkers! Mr. Buggs looks perfect with all my Easter decorations and I found the best spot for him where he is so beautifully displayed. Thank you so much Laurie...I just love him!

All I Need to Know About Life I Learned from the Easter Bunny...

Don't put all of your eggs in one basket.

Walk softly and carry a big carrot.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

no such thing as too much candy.
All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention.

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans.

The grass is always greener in someone else's basket.

An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare.

To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey!

Camera Ham or Camera Hog?

It always happens, Lil poses or pops up in many of the pictures. When I was taking pictures of the Easter decorations, she appeared during the snap and it reminded me of all the other times she popped up or posed for other pictures. I decided to ask Wikipedia the difference between camera ham and camera hog. Here the official answer: a camera hog "steals the spotlight" from others, while a camera ham is a very over-enthusiastic model for the camera, loves the attention, and loves to be photographed. A camera ham doesn't mind sharing the spotlight. And to think I thought a camera ham was a camera hog that had been "cured". Please check out those cute little knees and thumb sucking!

~Stinky's Self-portrait & The Jenny Award~

Our cat, Alley, a.k.a. STINKY, is the best subject for just about any artistic creation since she has so much character. Her tenacious personality keeps her ahead of the Cat Pack...all 9 of them! When she crawled inside my Puritan rug hooking frame, I decided to hook her. If this rug stays around for 100 years, one day someone might wonder who owned this little kitty. They will never know what a stinker she was!

Speaking of cats, I was thrilled to receive the "Jenny Award" from Jenny Carter at Alley Cat Resue. Her friend, Fran Caldwell, created it for her site. I am very honored to be recognized for all the time we spend caring for and rescuing stray cats. We found homes for 23 cats and 5 dogs over the last few years. I am currently trying to rescue two dogs which have been abandoned near where we live. I named them Snoopy & Woodstock. I took a picture of them in the field as they were heading to their place of shelter. They eat in one barn and sleep in another. It has been over a month now and they will not let us get near them. It is so sad when a dog absolutely fears you...I don't see that as much with dogs as I do with cats. It took 3 months before our dog would trust us. After several years, he still only comes to us. Wish me luck with this rescue!

On a positive note, I ordered an Easter Bunny from Laurie Hardin. She e-mailed me yesterday and said she is almost finished with it. I cannot wait for it to arrive. I will post a picture of it with my upcoming Easter decorations!

KSGP Blog Surprise & Going Green

It is time to rotate the decor to a green palette for St. Patrick's Day! Speaking of green, I was pleasantly and completely surprised to win the February blog contest from Kindred Sisters Gathering Post. My precious little doll was made by Kelly at MysticalEntities. Here is her site: http://mysticalentities.blogspot.com/

On her site is the sweetest picture of MacKenzie blindly pulling my name from a Valentine box. Here is the link to KGSP, so you can register for their March giveaway...it is a LUCKY month!!!

http://kindredsistersgatheringpost.blogspot.com/