September 15, 2011

Cerella the Cougar

You know we're big cat fans at BigSisLilSis!  We talk about cats all the time.  But did you know we're really BIG CAT fans?  ^..^

My favorite animal of all time is the mountain lion (also known as the cougar, puma, or panther), and I've been dying to take a little road trip to In-Sync Exotics to visit their mountain lions, tigers, lions, leopards, lynx, cheetahs, bobcats and servals.  In-Sync is a wildlife rescue and education center in Wylie, Texas which is only around 30 miles from North Dallas.  They've been around since 2000 and specialize in big cats.

I'm not a fan of zoos, circuses or any other organization that scoops animals out of their natural habitat to be used for our entertainment.  In-Sync isn't one of those groups; quite the opposite actually.  They provide safe, caring homes for these big cats who need it for whatever reason.  It seems neglect and abuse are the common thread in many of these cats' stories.  They will be loved and watched after for the rest of their days at In-Sync.

What that means is that In-Sync needs operating capital, and their needs for cash will only grow as they take on more and more of these big kitties.

Now for the good news!  Today only – September 15th, 2011 from 7am to 7 pm – is your opportunity to leverage a gift to In-Sync Exotics.  Your donation to In-Sync will be matched dollar for dollar via Donor Bridge.  Your $25 gift becomes $50, $50 becomes $100, $100 becomes $200.  You get the idea!!

Just do what I did.  Go to In-Sync Exotic's Donor Bridge page and click on Donate Now.  You can also go to Donor Bridge and search for In-Sync Exotics.

If you have big love for big cats as we do, please don't let this day pass without checking into this great opportunity before it gets away!

Moses the Bobcat

Note:  I saw on Donor Bridge that the company who processes credit cards for their charities charges a fee of 2.9% for the service. If you donate $50, your fee will amount to $1.45.  To me, that's a small price to pay for an extra $50 for the charity.

Photo credits: In-Sync Exotics

~BigSis

May 16, 2010

Photo from 3seams.com

Happy little faces, aren't they?

These little girls probably have lots to be unhappy about, considering that they live in Haiti where the devastation continues.

True; children have a way of finding joy where there is none.  At least none that our adult eyes can see.

But one of the reasons these little girls are smiling is that they have adorable new dresses.  Dresses that were made by hand for them.  Dresses of cute cheerful fabric that are reversible, with shoulder ties to allow for adjustments as their girls grow taller.  Dresses that can become precious tops to wear with shorts later on.  Dresses that their girls can love and cherish and wear for a long time to come.

Photo from 3seams.com

Is this the cutest dress you ever saw?  Any little girl would love it.  But can you imagine what this gift would mean to a little girl in Haiti with nothing left?

How did this wonderful thing happen?  The answer is the dream and the vision of Inga from 3seams.  Inga is in Haiti at this moment, training 5 seamstresses to make dresses for the Haitian girls who are in such need.  It was only through donations that 3seams was able to make the trip to carry out their mission:

To reach beyond ourselves through children's clothing, promoting global interaction, and putting faith and love into motion!

Beautiful, isn't it?

I'm not sure how long 3seams will be in Haiti or what they have planned afterward, but I'm going to follow their progress. If there's an opportunity for us all to help them with future projects, I'll bring that to you.

Thanks to Angie from Bring the Rain for her charming post on this great work; and for sharing it with folks like me who hadn't heard about it.

Way to set a great example of us, Inga!  We're proud of you!

~BigSis