Have you ever seen the movie "We Bought a Zoo"?
It's one of our family's favorites for a variety of reasons.
Watch this short clip for a glimpse inside the story...
It's a really cute show. :)
At the end of the movie one of the characters asks another if they had to choose really fast without thinking, which would they pick....people or animals? These are folks whose lives are all about the care and well being of animals. Then she begins to giggle and agrees that she too would choose people. :)
I have to say.....me too.
And I think that is clear in the outreach and projects we choose to sew for and share here each month.
HOWEVER...... :)
Here's a little personal trivia tidbit for you....
Animals have always been a big part of my life. I grew up always wanting to be a Veterinarian.
I volunteered at our Vet's office, took in every stray my parents would allow...including an entire family of house mice....and spent a summer during those oh so valuable and carefree teenage years working at a chicken farm. The farmer had even talked with me about helping send me to school to specialize in the care of poultry.....not my thing, but I did begin college with Pre-Vet Med as my focus.
Then, life happened.
I met my husband, a couple of years later we were ready to get married, and the idea of YEARS of schooling still ahead just lost it's appeal. Priorities shifted, as did my dreams, and what I am blessed to call my life now is far better than anything I had ever imagined for myself.
But....it still very much includes pets!
These are our current fur babies....
Sophie is our black lab mix, and our 2 shelter kittens, Princess Ebony and Sir Smokey are our mischievous snugglers!
I suppose you are catching the direction of where the May project is going by now right?
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Animals play such an important part in our lives and we know this is true for many others. Animals encourage healing and bonding and many statistics show those who have pets actually live longer. Animals can play an especially important role in the lives of medically fragile and special needs individuals. This month, we want to use our sewing talent to share gifts of encouragement with an organization whose focus is to promote the valuable bond between people and animals.
Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee
From their site:
"H.A.B.I.T. is a community group of volunteers working together to explore the circumstances and consequences of the human-animal bond and to promote this valuable bond between people and animals. H.A.B.I.T. is comprised of representatives of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, volunteers from the community, and private veterinary practitioners."
They sponsor programs which foster pet visitations to nursing homes, assisted living residences, retirement centers, mental health centers, residences for children with special needs, rehabilitation facilities, hospital settings and more. We even regularly see one of these special volunteers at our local children's library.
I first got the idea for this month's project when I saw an image on Pinterest that linked back to this post on the blog Kissed By A Frog. She created the sweetest bandannas for her local rescue that said "Adopt Me" on them.
I thought that was such a clever idea and it inspired me to consider how we could use our monthly project sewing to support such a special cause.
I invite you to join me this month as we sew for our animal friends!
You are of course welcome to send your donations to me to be included with mine for H.A.B.I.T. or, if you have a local Humane Society, Animal Shelter or Animal Rescue, I encourage you to take this opportunity to show your support for what they do....and maybe, just maybe help a furry friend find their home and their own special bond at the same time!
Let's sew!!!
I've created a Pinterest board, "Furry Friends" with all kinds of pet sewing inspiration and tutorials. Everything from toys to clothing to treats, all perfect for our furry friends! Take a moment to check it out, re-pin your favorites and get ready for some fun stitching!
Looking forward to another great month of using our creative talents to give back in unique ways!
At the end of the movie one of the characters asks another if they had to choose really fast without thinking, which would they pick....people or animals? These are folks whose lives are all about the care and well being of animals. Then she begins to giggle and agrees that she too would choose people. :)
I have to say.....me too.
And I think that is clear in the outreach and projects we choose to sew for and share here each month.
HOWEVER...... :)
Here's a little personal trivia tidbit for you....
Animals have always been a big part of my life. I grew up always wanting to be a Veterinarian.
I volunteered at our Vet's office, took in every stray my parents would allow...including an entire family of house mice....and spent a summer during those oh so valuable and carefree teenage years working at a chicken farm. The farmer had even talked with me about helping send me to school to specialize in the care of poultry.....not my thing, but I did begin college with Pre-Vet Med as my focus.
Then, life happened.
I met my husband, a couple of years later we were ready to get married, and the idea of YEARS of schooling still ahead just lost it's appeal. Priorities shifted, as did my dreams, and what I am blessed to call my life now is far better than anything I had ever imagined for myself.
But....it still very much includes pets!
These are our current fur babies....
I suppose you are catching the direction of where the May project is going by now right?
.jpg)
Animals play such an important part in our lives and we know this is true for many others. Animals encourage healing and bonding and many statistics show those who have pets actually live longer. Animals can play an especially important role in the lives of medically fragile and special needs individuals. This month, we want to use our sewing talent to share gifts of encouragement with an organization whose focus is to promote the valuable bond between people and animals.
From their site:
"H.A.B.I.T. is a community group of volunteers working together to explore the circumstances and consequences of the human-animal bond and to promote this valuable bond between people and animals. H.A.B.I.T. is comprised of representatives of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, volunteers from the community, and private veterinary practitioners."
They sponsor programs which foster pet visitations to nursing homes, assisted living residences, retirement centers, mental health centers, residences for children with special needs, rehabilitation facilities, hospital settings and more. We even regularly see one of these special volunteers at our local children's library.
I first got the idea for this month's project when I saw an image on Pinterest that linked back to this post on the blog Kissed By A Frog. She created the sweetest bandannas for her local rescue that said "Adopt Me" on them.
I invite you to join me this month as we sew for our animal friends!
You are of course welcome to send your donations to me to be included with mine for H.A.B.I.T. or, if you have a local Humane Society, Animal Shelter or Animal Rescue, I encourage you to take this opportunity to show your support for what they do....and maybe, just maybe help a furry friend find their home and their own special bond at the same time!
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| Beatrix Potter |
I've created a Pinterest board, "Furry Friends" with all kinds of pet sewing inspiration and tutorials. Everything from toys to clothing to treats, all perfect for our furry friends! Take a moment to check it out, re-pin your favorites and get ready for some fun stitching!
Looking forward to another great month of using our creative talents to give back in unique ways!
7 comments:
Oh Kristy, I'm an animal lover too! I guess not a surprise based on my stuffed animals ;-) But I've done paintings to be used for pet shelter and ASPCA fundraisers in the past. You are so wonderful, always bringing to light those that are not always in the limelight.
LOVE IT! Two months in a row where the projects are right up my alley!
I make a lot of catnip toys for my sister's cat (my cat nephew, Lowell) and would LOVE to make some for H.A.B.I.T.
The best part? The toys are EASY and fast to make.
(but first I need to get the stuffed toys to you--Monday at the latest!)
Awesome!!! Your story sounds SOOOO very much like mine, in fact when I finally got to applying to vet school I was going to tell them I wanted to be a poultry vet, mainly because they are so far and in-between that I knew it would help me get in. ;) I had to stop my dream due to health concerns, and then was blessed with a beautiful little girl so it's always a dream in the back of my head, but I'm really happy that my other dreams came true. <3 I want to sew along with this project!!! Great idea!
Another great project Kristy! Another animal lover here. I grew up on a farm and it was my Dad's mission for us to have, at least once, almost every farm animal known, hehe. Sign me up!
Thanks Kristy for helping us, to help and give back.
Another fantastic project! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, I love this post. Love it!
I am very excited for this project!!! The very first thing that I learned to sew was a dog collar! Luckily, I still have lots of supplies for making dog collars and a couple of dog squeakers too! Can't wait to get started on this month's project!
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