{"id":3319,"date":"2011-09-03T09:00:40","date_gmt":"2011-09-03T13:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/?p=3319"},"modified":"2016-01-17T15:40:05","modified_gmt":"2016-01-17T20:40:05","slug":"its-caturday-blogpaws-one-week-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/its-caturday-blogpaws-one-week-later\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Caturday… BlogPaws One Week Later!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Okay \u2013 here it is a week after BlogPaws and I am finally getting around to a post to gab about this amazing event! I was waiting for the return of my camera so that I could share some pictures, but, guess what?? Here\u2019s the funny part \u2013 now that I finally have the camera – not only did I take far LESS photos than I thought, but the majority of them that\u00a0I did take were so TERRIBLE that I would not dare post any of them for fear of losing all of you as friends! So, without further ado, here we go!<\/p>\n

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\nGetting to BlogPaws was quite the ordeal \u2013 living in South Florida, I was already quite apprehensive about a trip that I was so excited to take just a few days previously. In Florida, 24\/7 weather commentary about living in the \u201ccone of death\u201d can wear on your nerves and cause enormous stress even on a normal day. Then to find out Irene was heading up the east coast just in time to introduce herself in time for the conference, well, it really put a damper on my already frazzled spirits.
\nWhen I departed Thursday morning for my trip, the skies were as dark as coal and the airport was surrounded by a torrent of rain\u2026 Holding back my tears (not really), I boarded the plane like a fragile six year old holding her Teddy Bear for dear life. I felt lost, alone, and completely out of sorts. My Libra scales were all out of whack, but I forged on. What kept me going? Very simply, the thought of meeting two of my\u00a0dearest cyber friends, Ingrid King of the Conscious Cat<\/a>, and Caren Gittleman of Cat Chat<\/a>, who I would go to the ends of the earth to meet, if only for a brief few minutes!<\/p>\n

So, when I arrived in Dulles a few short hours later, the sun was shining as if to say to \u201cIrene who?\u201c and I felt a bit stronger and hopeful that perhaps I had dreamed the\u00a0inclement weather.\u00a0After a short ride from the airport to the hotel, I quickly found my room and unpacked, my excitement building with Irene nothing more than a distant memory as I saw a plethora of sights \u2013 big dogs, little dogs, dogs in sweaters, cats, cats\u00a0 in strollers, cats with hats, ferrets, and even real human beings!!! This was so cool! I grabbed my cell phone and immediately contacted Caren so that we could meet for the first time in the lobby. She was part of the BlogPaws set-up crew, so I knew she would already be at the hotel!<\/p>\n

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Deb and Caren – otherwise known as Ethel and Lucy!<\/p><\/div>\n

Well, Lord have mercy! What can I say??? I met Caren and it was love at first sight!\u00a0 This woman who I have been forming a bond with over the past several months was my instant sister! It was as if time or space did not exist and we\u00a0had known each other our whole lives! She was the missing puzzle piece to my life and I know I will have a devoted, honest, and true friend for life! And let me tell you, we are quite the pair to be reckoned with!\u00a0 I am the stoic Ethel to her wild and crazy Lucy and I cherish and admire every bit of her gregarious personality and zest for everything she does!<\/p>\n

Practically arm in arm, we quickly took to perusing the grounds together, BFF\u2019s, and came across the delightful Teri of\u00a0 Curlz and Swirlz <\/a>and Carol of\u00a0 Coffee, Cats n\u2019 Yarn<\/a>. These two wonderful ladies brought gift bags filled to the top with all kinds of pawsome stuff to bring back to our kitties that were patiently waiting for us to come back home! Thank you so much for your generosity Teri and Carol!<\/p>\n

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Teri’s Cornish Rex, Brighton. Notice the sparkling nail polish on Teri that matches the color patches on Brighton!<\/p><\/div>\n

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One of Carol’s “Naked Kidz” in a very stylish beret!<\/p><\/div>\n

The next moment I experienced was one that I will never forget and ranks right up there as one of the happiest memories of my life! Who should Caren and I encounter before the night was to begin, but Ingrid herself! What you need to know about Caren and Ingrid, is that these amazing ladies have provided me with back cover recommendations for my that will be out this fall. To have my arms around these incredible ladies, while holding a sample copy of my book, while getting Ingrid to wear cat ears and cat glasses without any coaxing whatsoever was indescribably amazing (sorry Caren, but you were a given!). And yes, for all of you that love Ingrid from her blog, she is without question one of the kindest, humblest, and most beautiful people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Just like Caren, I feel I have known her my whole life and she is such a special person who I consider not only a friend, but an esteemed mentor. As I said, just meeting these two special ladies was worth the flight, even if it appeared eminent that I would probably have to turn right back around and go home early!<\/p>\n

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Me and my adorable back cover ladies – Ingrid is on the left, I’m the leopard nut in the middle, and Caren is to the right!<\/p><\/div>\n

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How do we get the stereotype “crazy cat ladies?” I just don’t get the connection!<\/p><\/div>\n

Another treat for me was meeting Karen Nichols of Mousebreath<\/a>. We immediately bonded, as I was instantly attracted to her pink cat glasses and decided to don my black ones for a photo op (yes, you are probably catching on to this, I REALLY did pack all this nonsensical cat stuff as a priority in my suitcase).\u00a0 It was the last picture of the day before I decided to call it a night and go up to my room to terrorize myself with the latest hurricane Irene updates that I had been so successfully ignoring for the past few hours…. the prognosis was not good, but I tried the best I could to get some sleep so that I could take advantage of as much of the conference as possible the next day.<\/p>\n

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Sweet Louisa and I sharing a moment…<\/p><\/div>\n

Friday was the first day the event began with seminars and one of the highlights for me was the Flat Pet <\/a>class that was run by the creative Bev VanZant\u00a0. Not only did I get to make adorable flat pets of my beloved Zee and Zoey, but I got to meet Louisa! Louisa was a kitten brought in by Sue and David of\u00a0 The Furry Bambinos<\/a>. They do rescue work in Ohio\u00a0and Louisa was on her way to being adopted by her new furever parents. Sue and David were just keeping her for a few days until\u00a0her new family could finally come pick her up. While I enjoyed making the flat pets immensely and sharing time with people such as Caren, the delightfully comical Barbara (adopted Mom to Chazz the Dog<\/a>), and the beautiful and talented Kristen of Dogs Rock<\/a>, getting to hold this precious kitten and have her fall asleep in my lap for a half hour of cuddle time was one of the most endearing moments of the conference! Did my flat pets come out purr-fect? No, not really, but I will do a follow up post to let you know how my gang reacted when I\u00a0unpacked these pets out of my suitcase!<\/p>\n

As the day progressed, it became painfully obvious to me that a plan \u201cB\u201d was in order as I had to book an early return flight home. Irene was scheduled to wreck all sorts of havoc and I could not risk being stranded in DC. So, with heavy feet, I spent the rest of the day trying to absorb as much as I could without dwelling on the fact the clock was clicking and I would have to leave my new friends in a couple of short hours. The last event I was able to attend was the Petties Awards of which I was a nominee. It was so cool sitting in the screening room with all the wonderfully talented nominees. Sadly, we did not win for \u201cBest Designed Blog,\u201d but we are very happy for the charming Kate Benjamin of Modern Cat<\/a> who won the award! Congratulations to her and all the other winners, including my dear friend Ingrid who won for \u201cBest Pet Blog.\u201d A special congratulations as well to the nominees who did not win, you are still all winners with me and I adore each and every one of you!<\/p>\n

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Waiting with some of my Petties friends before the awards announcements were made! Front Row – L to R – Kate Benjamin (Modern Cat), me, Ingrid King (Conscious Cat), and Robin Olson (Covered in Cat Hair). Back row, L to R – Stephanie Harwin (Catsparella), Ann Dziemianowicz (Careers 4 Cats), and Margaret Gates (Feline Nutrition)<\/p><\/div>\n

The hour finally approached when I knew I had to say my tearful goodbyes. In the lobby sat all the wonderfully crazy cat ladies that had become a part of my life \u2013 in the midst of them was a litter of irresistible rescue\u00a0kittens from Georgia that were en route to Connecticut where they will be placed in foster homes until they are ready for adoption. The very devoted and compassionate Robin Olson of \u201cCovered in Cat Hair<\/a>,\u201d who also happened to win the Pettie for \u201cBest Cat Blog,\u201d is part of an organization called Kitten Associates <\/a>that helped coordinate this amazing transport, even with the turmoil of Irene on the horizon. So, the distraction of the kittens (kittens to me, are like what the distraction of shiny jewelry is to Paris Hilton), last minute photo sessions, and saying my goodbyes, it\u2019s no wonder I left my camera behind!<\/p>\n

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One of my favorite pictures of Caren with one of the rescue kittens!<\/p><\/div>\n

What can I say other than \u201cThank you\u201d to BlogPaws and to all the new friends I have made. You have all infused me with a sense of such love and belonging and I feel like I am part of a very special family.\u00a0We are an amazing group of people and I could not be happier or prouder to be part of it.
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