Hey, Hello. The last time we spoke I was recapping Harley adventures and wishing the best for 2022. Since then, WE BUILT A HOUSE!
It took approximately 245.5 years, but she’s done. And she’s everything. And we L.O.V.E her.
I have all intentions of getting my blogging hat resized and refit to recap the last two years of this eventful journey.
Until then, it’s good to see ya. Grimmy Girl says hi.
Cheers!
Supporting Local Omaha was the theme I chose for department gifts this year. Omaha is home to an incredible amount of locally owned and operated businesses, so what better way to celebrate the end of an exceptionally challenging year by gifting staff with some locally made treats all the while supporting our local businesses. If there is one thing that really fills my bucket, it’s the gift of giving to others, and also giving back. I had so much fun researching shops in Omaha which actually created a challenge when narrowing down. I certainly had a lot of fun filling Holiday bags with items made with love.
The carefully created and oh so cute variety of sugar cookies by the talented Erika of Erika.Ashlee Cookies and the Hot Chocolate Bombs by Zen Coffee.
I found the cutest notepads, coined Charmpads, from female owned and operated Inclosed Letterpress Co. and the perfect sticker pairing from The Anastasia Co. reminding the gals in my office that
1. You can do hard things
2. Your kindness can change the world
3. The world needs what you got
And come on… who doesn’t like, need, want, deserve a beer at this point? Infusion Brewing Co. hooked me UP with delivery service to my front door. Come on now, that’s what we call spreading Christmas Cheer!
I told the gals delivering it that they must be having fun. I am pretty sure my exact words were “You are literally spreading effing Cheer, man!”
Ya get what ya get with me sometimes…
Might I add I am LIIIIVVVIINNNGGGG for this Gingerbread Vanilla Bean. Ohmygoshneeditall.
And let’s talk about Orsi’s Italian Pizza & Bakery. Not only are they Omaha’s oldest Italian bakery, they also serve up some of the best pizza around. I couldn’t exactly stuff a pizza in each of their giftbags but I could fit in some fresh made bread. Orsi’s also makes their bread fresh in-house and with no preservatives, milk and no added sugars which makes them basically the best.
Huskerland Popcorn hooked me up with bags of yummy cheese, butter and caramel goodness. Huskerland also hosts a local baker, Lady T., every other Thursday and she just happened to be there when I stopped in to pick up my pre-ordered bags of popcorn. On my way out the door, Lady T’s middle school aged kiddo won me over with his smooth selling skills and eagerness to help show off all his momma’s yummy creations. Kid, you just got yourself a sale. I’ll take 10 of those cupcakes, and you choose the flavors for me.
Thanks, Huskerland Popcorn and Lady T’s Gourmet Creations for making those 10 minutes in your store extra extra special. ❤
Due to our campus operating remote, I gave the team the option of a personal delivery to their front door or a timeframe to meet me in our office parking lot.
What a joy to see some of these folks today.
Jacquie, Sarah, Pat, Theresa, Taylor & Angela… so good to see you. Jermaine and Anthony – thanks for letting me experience what it’s like to be a Door Dasher today! And Chuck, Brad and Amber – I will see you Monday.
Happy Everything, Merry Always.
Merry Christmas
Nebraska’s most recent snow storm created the most beautiful backdrop for a Sunday morning shoot at Zorinsky lake. Add in the warmth these two lovebirds share and we barely noticed the 28 degree temperature.
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Cole’s MILLION dollar smile, Tyree’s natural beauty, and the love and affection these two share gave way to an easy, natural and relaxed morning. My goal was to simply capture the respect and admiration these two share for one another.
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Between walking through the snow capped trees and wading through ankle deep fields, we made sure to have fun and enjoy the moment in nature, which is definitely their element.
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And can we just take a moment on this next one.
Simply. Stunning.
Thanks for the fun, Tyree and Cole!
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Guys.
If you didn’t think I was already crazy cat lady enough, go ahead and prepare yourself. I took it next level.
New to Omaha: Felius Cat Café.
Felius is Omaha’s first and only nonprofit cat café! Their mission is to revolutionize Omaha’s cat adoption experience and reduce euthanasia rates.
I had the opportunity to sponsor a small part of the start-up costs and of course jumped on the chance. And not because I am crazy cat lady…. well, partly… but also because I believe in the efforts being made across the U.S. to reduce the number of euthanized animals, increase the education surrounding owning and caring for pets, and the community based partnerships supporting animal care and rescue. In this case, Wags to Riches has partnered up with Felius to provide adoptable cats!
(PayPal has me set up under my maiden name… I should fix that)
I follow a lot of cat rescuers on IG and have learned a lot on the topics of TNR, rescue, fostering, critical care and adoption. Here’s looking at you kittenxlady, thecatcade, iamthecatphotogapher, littleman_mika, flatbuschcats, and others.
So while I comment often about my crazy cat lady ways in a funny/poke fun at myself way, I truly believe in the efforts being made to care for these little nuggets. If you are lucky enough to own a cat from kitten to adulthood, you totally get their charm.
So, back to the post. Felius is a cute little cat and coffee cafe located near downtown Omaha.
Photo courtesy of Felius, IG.
Patrons have the opportunity to play and connect with the cats on location while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea for a small fee.
Photo courtesy of Felius, IG.
I had my first visit last week and enjoyed an iced coffee and the company of a few cats for about 20 minutes. While a few were pretty timid and working through trust issues and environment acclimation, a few others were ready to play!
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This particular darling in the photo below wanted so badly to play, but always bailed at the last second and retreated to a safe zone. I believe I would have been successful in building trust had it not been for the family with two younger kids coming in the room with me. It’s hard to get kiddos to understand the trust factor in kittos. 😉
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And don’t get me started on this lil snoozer.
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The room is designed with 100% focus on cats and their mannerisms. Plenty of things to climb, places to hide and comfortable spots to snooze. There is an escape room, per say, where the cats access through a tunnel. It is in that room where their litter boxes can be found as well as food and water dishes ( in addition to a few in the main room) but also where the cats can seek refuge from the human race. Could you imagine being on display all day long? I asked several questions about this tunnel and escape room as it was very intriguing to me, but also comforting to know exists for them.
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With my sponsorship level I get a free hour visit every month. I don’t know that I will utilize a full hour, but I definitely foresee a 30 minute lunch break in my future. What better way to break up a work day then with some furry snuggles and play time?
Photo courtesy of Felius, IG.
You can check out Felius online by clicking here, or in person at 522½ S. 24th Street, Omaha, NE 68102. If visiting in person just isn’t your thing, but you’d love to help support either organization, click on the below links for options!
Wags to Riches Amazon Wish List
*All photos mine unless otherwise noted.
Harleys and Heels 