Thursday, December 1, 2011

And the Winner is.....

December 1st already! Wow how time flies. I have been so busy that I have really neglected my poor blog but I am hoping to post some of the projects I've been working on in the very near future. But wait,wasn't I supposed to do something today? It seems to be there a very special something I was supposed to do. OH YES!!! Now I remember why I am here! December 1st is the day that I announce the winner of the Gypsy and cartridges!! Woooowhooo!!! Well dear followers I did not meet my goal of $300.00 for the Kidney Cancer Association. I am not sure why it was so difficult to part with $3.00 but I suspect it was they way the KCA has it set up to donate, I apologize and I recommended PayPal to them as an alternative. It's user friendly and yes it has a fee but I think if you weight the benefits it would all pay off. But that's totally my opinion..:-). They did tell me that they are revamping everything so perhaps it will be better in the future. At any rate I was up bright and early this morning and visited my friend, Random.Org. The first two numbers drawn were of my relatives and friends who didn't want the Grand Prize (can you even imagine that?) so I was forced to do it a 3rd time. I am pleased to announce that my Grand Prize winner is Miss Jessie from: : http://edoggsugarlipsandprincessbuttercup.blogspot.com.  
Even more exciting is that Jessie was a last minute add on to my blog hop and a Cancer Survivor! Way to go Jessie!
Thank you to those that generously donated and participated in my Blog Hop!

Later!

Giving Back In Celebration of Bonus Birthdays!


My goodness I've really taken a long blogging vacation! But I am returning with a vengeance with exciting news! October 9th is my birthday and my Blogaversary is shortly there after. I wanted to give back as I feel I am very fortunate to be a Kidney Cancer Survivor, So I will be offering a HUGE giveaway, To be eligible to win all you need to do is follow this link to my donation site and donate $3.00 to the Kidney Cancer Association and come back and leave a comment on this post,  You can certainly donate more but please make it a separate donation so you have additional entries thus increasing your chances to win Please read carefully...it is not necessary to become a member of the Kidney Cancer Association. Just fill in your name, address, phone number and email address, then your donation amt. It does require a credit card.
Total Prize Winnings:
ONE GYPSY
ONE GYPSY STARTER KIT
ONE GYPSY CAR CHARGER
ONE CRICUT JUBILEE CARTRIDGE
ONE CRICUT CINDY LOU CARTRIDGE

Want even more chances?
1) Post the Give Away button on your sidebar linking back to this post. Come back here and tell me you did this!
2) Like my FB page and come back here and tell me you did so!
3)Become a follower and tell me you are-if you are already tell me!
Do separate posts for each of the above....if you do all of the above you will have 4 posts thus giving you 4 entry's OR MORE if you make multiple $3.00 donations!! EASY PEASY!!! U.S. mailing addresses only due to high cost of shipping.
You have the rest of this month and October to enter, Halloween evening I will draw a winner using Random.org. If I do not reach a minimal of $300.00 in donations I will keep the contest open until I do.
Don't forget to stop by my Blog for the celebration October 22nd and 23rd for the Blessed to be 60 Blog Hop, There will be lots of goodies and blog candy .
GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE KIDNEY CANCER ASSOCIATION,  

UPDATE: This contest will remain until 12/01/11 in efforts to raise $300.00 for the Kidney Cancer Association 

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Blessed to be Sixty Blog Hop's Fundraising Page

Blessed to be Sixty Blog Hop's Fundraising Page
For a $3.00 donation you can have a chance at winning a new Gypsy,a car charger, a case and 2 cartridge cause!

Blessed to Be 60 Blog Hop Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the  Blessed to Be 60 Blog Hop....my birthday and first Blogaversary celebration. If you just happened by please stay and join in on the fun! We'd love to have you. And while your here check out day one if you haven't already done so! There is so much great talent and some blog candy along the way.
Today is about Cancer education and awareness. It's not a popular subject but one that has touched everyone at one time or another. According to the most recent statistics (2008) approximately 745,180 men and 692,00 woman will be diagnosed with cancer each year. These numbers do not include the many thousands of individuals diagnosed with simple skin cancers.
Women                                                                        Men
26%Breast                                                               Prostate 25%
14%Lung & bronchus                                               Lung & Bronchus   15%
10%Colon & rectum                                                 Colon & Rectum     10%
6%Uterine corpus                                                     Urinary Bladder        7%
4%Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma                         Non-Hodgkin lymphoma       5%                                  
4% Thyroid                                                        Melanoma of skin           5%
4%Melanoma of skin                                           Kidney & Renal Pelvis     4%
3%Ovary                                                             Oral Cavity                 3%
3%Kidney & renal pelvis                                     Leukemia                       3%
3%Leukemia                                                         Pancreas                   3%
23%All Other Sites                                          All other sites                   20%

Deaths:   Woman: 271,530                               Men: 294,120
The numbers are staggering but as every day passes research brings us closer to many cures.  Cancer is cured/controlled much easier if it is caught early thus fast action is always the best policy. Know the importance of your yearly physicals and more important GO . Listen to your body...you know it best. Ladies get your paps and mammograms and urge your husbands to have their prostrates checked . As  inconvenient colonoscopies are GO....colon cancer is easily detected!   Taking care of our bodies is not selfish....we owe it to ourselves and most importantly those who love us!
It was Black Friday, 2005. I was 350 miles from home shopping with my granddaughter in Buffalo, NY. It was 7:30am when my cell began ringing. First my boss, than my boyfriend (now hubby) both the the same message...."a Dr. is looking for you". I had had a CAT Scan the evening before Thanksgiving due to some "minor" abnormalities in blood work, There as big as life was a tumor in my right kidney. A rather small but aggressive intruder. Almost all tumors of the kidney are cancerous and mine was no exception. I had no symptoms. I had been dieting for 6 months and had lost a lot of weight. That is what prompted my Dr. to do the blood work. Many kidney cancers are "incidental findings" meaning that they are found while looking for something else,   Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney cancer) is not responsive to radiation. There is a certain type of chemo )HDIL-2) that is given to stage 4 patients however you have to be very strong and in good health, It is successful in 15-20% of patients and is considered the only "cure" when surgery is unsuccessful. Science has blessed us recently with several drugs that prolong life but not cure.    
Possible signs and symptoms....pain in in the right of left flank(side)....or a lump in the right or left flank-blood in the urine-weight loss, unexplained fever-fatigue. Unlike most cancers renal cell does not live up to the 5 years cancer free-cured rule. It can reoccur years later without warning.
However.......I am a almost 6 year survivor and I plan to say the same thing in 20 years!
Thus the subject of my project!
     I am down one kidney but I am healthy. I must remain vigilant. I am scanned frequently.I have learned not to take life for granted for nobody is guaranteed another tomorrow. If you know someone who has Kidney Cancer or if you want more information on the subject visit the Kidney Cancer Association, or visit their Facebook page. They have a phenomenal support network ready to help you or your loved one. I am also available to anyone who needs information or support. Please feel free to share my information.
I would like to give back in celebration of my 5 bonus birthdays therefore I am offering a chance to win a Gypsy with all the trimmings including two Cricut Cartridges-all for a $3.00 donation to the Kidney Cancer Association, Click here for all the details.
Don't forget the blog candy sponsored by Emma from MY CREATIVE TIME.  There are a few steps you must take to be eligible to win.

*You must visit and follow all of my dedicated participants in my hop both days.
*You must leave a comment with your contact information on my blog.
*For an additional chance come back at the end of the hop and tell me you are following all of the participants.
*You must have a Canadian or USA address due to high shipping costs.
The winner will be chosen Monday,October 24th by Random.Org.and announced here  Now I am going to ask you to vist Kari who has a heartfelt story of survivor-ship!
Just in case you lose your way :
  1. Kathie: http://kathleessnippitsncricuts.blogspot.com
  2. Kari: http://purplefuntastickcreations.blogspot.com/
  3. Debbie: http://scrapbydebbie.blogspot.com/
  4. Carla : http://racincrafts.blogspot.com/
  5. Kathy: http://kathyand3kids.blogspot.com/
  6. Heather: http://craftymamaof2heve.blogspot.com
  7. Vicki: http://mawmawsthoughts.blogspot.com
  8. Tisha: http://tishascraftcove.blogspot.com 
  9. Jessie: http://edoggsugarlipsandprincessbuttercup.blogspot.com
  10. Amy: http://www.love to crop.com 
A special thank you to the sweetest most talented ladies I know-my blog hop participants: Kari,Carla,,Kathy, Heather, Vicki, Tisha and Debbie. A special thank you to my dear friend AMY who made my beautiful Blog Hop button and to Jessie who jumped into this hop on a 24hr notice. (Confession here-I forgot her, she wasn't on Facebook)Jessie you are a real TROOPER! What an angel! Please be sure to stop by their blogs and leave them LOTS OF LOVE as they all deserve it!
Wishing you all many years of good health. Thank you so very much for sharing in my celebration!
Blessings,
Kathie aka Kathlee


Saturday, October 22, 2011

BLESSED TO BE 60 BLOG HOP

Welcome to the Blessed to Be 60 Blog Hop....my birthday and first Blogaversary celebration. If you just happened by please stay and join in on the fun! We'd love to have you. There is so much great talent and some blog candy along the way. So why Blessed to be 60 when many dread that age? At age 55 I didn't expect to see age 60 due to a diagnosis of Stage 3 Renal Cell (Kidney) Carcinoma. So every birthday after 55 has been a true blessing- a bonus birthday! Sure I'd much rather be 40 but hey, to age means I'm alive to see my children grown and my grandchildren growing. How can you possibly complain about that?
Today's project is a birthday project but be sure to come by tomorrow when all this talent will educate you and share their stories of cancer. It is our hope that the education you receive tomorrow may help save your life, or the life of someone you know.
I just love the magic of Disney so for my project I created a birthday card using Happily Ever After Cricut cartridge. This card was created for my Grand daughter Kiley. I just love the Step card for children's cards!! You can build an entire wonderland one one single piece of paper.
Side View
Recipe:
Cricut Cartridges:
Once Upon a Princess(Tag and Castle)
Disney Happily Ever After(Fairy God Mother)
Stickles
Fishing line and beads for the wand
MS Punch for the side trim
Various Cuttlebug embossing Folders
Sentiment-Emmas My Creative Time "Wow-So Many Candles"
I tried to use a   to make the Fairy move by using Action Wobbles however it failed as she is way to heavy.
My actually birthday was October 9th however my husband treated me to a trip to Montreal for my birthday. If you ever have the opportunity to visit I strongly encourage you to do so! It is the closest to Europe I will ever get! While you're there visit the Notre Dame Basilica. It is beautiful beyond words!
 Celene Dion was married there. I've posted some pictures at the end of the post.
 So what is a celebration without Blog Candy??? You will find plenty of it here! Today's Blog Candy is from sweet Emma from My Creative Time. She was very generous in donating her stamps set Wow! So Many Candles.There
are a few steps you must take to be eligible to win.
*You must visit and follow all of my dedicated participants in my hop both days.
*You must leave a comment with your contact information on my blog.
*For an additional chance come back at the end of the hop and tell me you are following all of the participants.
*You must have a Canadian or USA address due to high shipping costs.
The winner will be chosen Monday,October 24th by Random.Org.and announced here. But wait.....there is more! For a $3.00 donation to the Kidney Cancer Association you have a chance to win my GIANT Gypsy Giveaway. Click HERE for more details. Good Luck & if you already have one what a great holiday gift that would make!
Now off to Kari's blog to see the beautiful project she has prepared for you! Below is the line up in case you lose your way!
  1. Kathie: http://kathleessnippitsncricuts.blogspot.com
  2. Kari: http://purplefuntastickcreations.blogspot.com/
  3. Debbie: http://scrapbydebbie.blogspot.com/
  4. Carla : http://racincrafts.blogspot.com/
  5. Kathy: http://kathyand3kids.blogspot.com/
  6. Heather: http://craftymamaof2heve.blogspot.com
  7. Vicki: http://mawmawsthoughts.blogspot.com
  8. Tisha: http://tishascraftcove.blogspot.com 
  9. Jessie: http://edoggsugarlipsandprincessbuttercup.blogspot.com
  10. Amy: http://www.love to crop.com

    A special thank-you to all the wonderful, talented ladies who were so kind enough to celebrate my special day with me and make this party possible! You are the BEST!!
    Notre Dame Basilica
    Blessings!