Posted by admin on Jul 19, 2012 in
Cats!,
Inspiration,
Photography,
Travel I was lucky enough to be doing some traveling the beginning of this month — seeing Asheville, Savannah, Charleston and the Outer Banks to mention a few of the stops along the way. But, only I would want to plan a stop on vacation at a cat rescue. Now, hear me out — this was no ordinary rescue. To start, it was a sanctuary. In other words, every cat there never has to worry about finding a new home ever again. But, more than that, it was a sanctuary for blind cats, and other less adoptable ones (with FIV and FELV). Yes, blind cats. In truth, I have had very little experience with blind cats. Maybe, throughout my photo sessions with The Shelter Me Project I came across one or two, but never more than one at a time. My curiosity had been piqued by following their facebook page — I wanted to meet these little guys.
Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary
Welcome to the Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary, located in St. Pauls, NC. It was a late day visit as we traveled from Charleston to the Outer Banks, but Alana at the shelter (aka the wonderful person who makes this all happen) was kind enough to deal with our fluctuating arrival time and give us the grand tour. And it was grand — seven immaculate rooms!
Blind kitties at the sanctuary
They were all so sweet and friendly!
Along the way, we made plenty of friends. It’s a completely different experience than any shelter I have been to. These cats, because they’re blind, or because they are just so happy, are not shy. Since they can’t see you, they come up to you to sniff you or to touch you. At some points, we were simply covered in cats. It’s a heart-warming experience to say the least.
This little guy was blind -- born with detached retinas.
One of the younger cats from the kitten room -- so playful!
They were so much like “seeing” cats in their behavior that you didn’t even really notice that they were blind. They had the most adorable faces — some with eyes (detached retinas), but most without. But, after meeting a few of them, you stop thinking of them in that way. They get around just like any other cats you are familiar with — jumping, playing, rolling, purring, scratching, meowing — it’s all there.
Another friendly little kitty...
Enjoying a quiet moment...
The shelter itself consists of two buildings with seven rooms total. There’s an FIV room and an FELV room where seeing kitties enjoyed the company of other blind kitties with these disorders. Each room had plenty of places for the kitties to get comfy, and a door leading outside to a big fenced-in play area. It was very well done, and very, very clean.
The outdoor areas for the cats.
This visit might have been a once-in-a-lifetime. Truly. I don’t know of too many groups dedicated to only blind cats, or that I will ever be down in North Carolina again. I can only hope I get to visit again someday — it was that moving and that wonderful of an experience. In the meantime, my view of blind cats has completely changed — I no longer see them as handicapped or helpless — they are different, yes, they are survivors, true, but they don’t know that. To themselves, they are simply cats. You have to respect that outlook on life.
Posted by admin on Mar 5, 2012 in
Artists,
design,
Great Finds,
Inspiration I love Etsy. I’ve said it before so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. I love anything handmade as it has a story and a uniqueness that other things don’t have. So, I browse the site often looking to see what’s new, and happily my latest find combines two things I adore — good design/illustration and books. Literary posters — what’s not to adore?
Obvious State is the shop of Evan Robertson who is a writer and illustrator in NYC. Visit his shop to see the fantastic work — I can’t wait to buy one as soon as I can pick a favorite!
Literary Posters by Obvious State
Posted by admin on Feb 16, 2012 in
Artists,
design,
Inspiration,
Photography A couple of months ago I received a very flattering email — a marketing agency in St. Louis had seen The Shelter Me Project and it was one of a handful of projects that had inspired them to start something similar in their own city — and what could I tell them about how and why I started it.
Wow. Not that I was the only influence, but to be on that list was exciting and an honor. So, what ensued was a lovely afternoon conversation about shelter animals — how wonderful they are and what we can all do to help them find their forever homes. I got off the phone from my conversation with Andi Garavaglia with such enthusiasm for what she and her colleagues were planning to do. And then yesterday I just got the big news — their project has officially launched! “Pics of the Litter” was born!
Pics of the Litter
Check out the website (the design of which I am in love with!) and all of the great images of the animals they photographed (with the help of photographer Lynn Terry). It’s a fantastic project and already has made great impact just out of the gate! Can’t wait to see where it goes from here! And yes, they have now inspired me in return to give even more energy to my project, too. Hey, what wouldn’t you do for faces like these:
Pics of the Litter
Pics of the Litter
Posted by admin on Feb 14, 2012 in
Artists,
Great Finds,
Inspiration I saw this on Facebook, naturally, as that seems to be the best source for great finds nowadays. Not only is it a beautiful and sweet video, it was made with a wonderful sense of imagination. You don’t need crazy special effects to make an impact. Watch this and explore your dreams…
"Her Morning Elegance" - from the album "The Opposite Side of the Sea", written and produced by Oren Lavie. © 2009 A Quarter Past Wonderful.
Posted by admin on Feb 13, 2012 in
design,
Great Finds,
Inspiration I’m guessing you’ve heard of it by now — the visual pin board site on the web, the latest addiction where friends need “Pinterventions” — yup, Pinterest. If that word doesn’t ring a bell, then you’re in for a treat. While some people are groaning at the idea of yet another social media site, take a minute with me before you dismiss this one.
Pinterest, in one sentence or less, is a place for you to create your own virtual pin boards and “pin” images found on the web to them for future use. It’s your own inspiration scrapbook, but without the mess of glue. It’s the one-click wonder that will let you keep those passing visual thoughts in a place you can find later without a new search. Yeah, obviously I’m a fan.
But, what sets Pinterest apart from the other social networks out there is the fact that there’s no “social pressure”. You can follow other people’s pins, and they can follow you. Or you can just go in and do your thing. The root of Pinterest is you — these are your pages for your inspiration. It’s a different kind of social.
I will most likely be writing more on this subject soon — especially on how Pinterest should be worked in your social media plans — but for now, let’s stick with the basics and just have fun. So, go ahead — jump in and start pinning. I’ll be right behind you.
(View my pin boards here!)
My Pinterest Boards
Posted by admin on Aug 17, 2011 in
design,
Inspiration I was waiting in line at Stop and Shop recently and happened to spy this display of Old Spice products… Now, my first reaction was to their beautiful, colorful redesign, as it’s been years since I last looked at their products. But, on closer inspection, I noticed the Scratch N’ Sniff label, which I thought was just brilliant! Not only was it functional, but it also had an element of nostalgia that brought me back to being a kid again. Oh yeah, and when I scratched it, it smelled really good. :)
Posted by admin on Aug 16, 2011 in
Inspiration,
Photography So, I was on a sandbar off the coast of Plymouth over the weekend and while the whole adventure was tons of fun, one part was very inspiring… I ended up taking a stroll all along the edge of the sandbar just as the tide was starting to come back in. It was beautiful. Not just “look at that pretty sunset” beautiful, but truly a wealth of small wonders. Often all the inspiration we need in life can be found in nature, and this was just another example of that. My favorite find was this guy — a snail. I’m used to seeing them all tucked up in their shells, so watching this little guy cruise along the sand in about 6 inches of water was fascinating to me. It was simply one of those moments that makes you appreciate nature in all of its wonder.
