Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Bath Essentials- Items Of The Week! April 25th

Blushing Pink Lipgloss with a Light Apple Flavor

Blushing Pink Lipgloss with a Light Apple Flavor

This is for one Blushing Pink colored Handmade Lipgloss that has a light apple flavor added to it. It adds a beautiful shine and fullness to your lips! It is also very long lasting and moisturizing!

Also available in apple, cherry, orange and strawberry.

I can also make it in different colors please convo me for details.






Blushing Pink Lipgloss with a Light Cherry Flavor

Blushing Pink Lipgloss with a Light Cherry Flavor

This is for one Blushing Pink colored Handmade Lipgloss that has a light cherry flavor added to it. It adds a beautiful shine and fullness to your lips! It is also very long lasting and moisturizing!

Also available in apple, cherry, orange and strawberry.

I can also make it in different colors please convo me for details.

Bath Essentials- Love Your Lips Week!



lips.jpg lips picture by MN1CH0LE7






Cracked, dry or sore lips are both unsightly and painful. They can be caused by a variety of conditions, and can also be symptoms of more serious illnesses. Lips are skin, similar in many respects to the skin on the rest of your body, but unlike much of your skin the lips do not produce natural oils to protect them.If you suffer from dry or cracked lips this guide will help you to understand the problem.


1.  It is usually pretty easy to know if your lips are dry or cracked. However, other symptoms similar to cracked lips can often be mistaken for this condition. Dry lips are indicated by the following symptoms:

Psoriasis Symptoms

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  • Frequent lip licking..
  • Peeling of the lips (flaky skin).
  • Cracks or bleeding from the sides of the mouth.
  • Sensitive lips that appear otherwise healthy
  • Painful lips.
  • Open sores, marks or similar symptoms.  

2. 

  1. Identify the cause of your condition. Unless you are a doctor you should not try to professionally diagnose your dry lip problem. That said there are many causes of cracked and dry lips that you can eliminate when trying to find the cause of your symptom. These include:
    • Climate change. Extremes in weather can cause your lips to dry out (cold weather) or become dehydrated (hot weather).
    • Sun damage. Just as the rest of your skin can be damaged by the sun, so can your lips. Yes, you can have tanned lips, and they hurt!
    • Wind exposure. Leaving your lips unprotected in a strong wind can cause skin damage.
    • Dehydration. Probably the leading cause of most dry or cracked lips is simple dehydration. If the body does not have enough water the extremities, including the lips, will show that lack first.
    • Smoking or chewing. Anything you regularly put in contact with your lips can affect their condition.
    • Vitamin deficiencies. Certain vitamins are critical to maintaining healthy skin and lips. These include:
      • Vitamin A
      • Vitamin B
      • Vitamin C
      • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin deficiency)
    • Allergic reactions. Many cracked and dry lips are the result of negative reactions to cosmetics and skin care products. As is so often the case, over use of commercial products can aggravate the very condition they are supposedly designed to cure.
    • Ill-fitting dentures. Badly placed dentures can also cause lip cracks.
    • Spicy food causes dry lips in some people.
    • Side effects. Certain medications have dry or cracked lips as a side effect. If your condition coincides with beginning a new medication regimen, consult your doctor about this possibility.
    • Skin disorder. Any history of a skin disorder of any kind can be related to dry or cracked lips.

3. Consider more serious conditions. If none of the above seems to be the cause of your painful lips consider that cracked, dry lips can also be a symptom of far more serious problems. If you suspect that your lip pain originates with a seemingly unrelated ailment, including anything form the list below, consult a doctor.

  • Diabetes. If you have diabetes or a history of the condition in your family this may be a cause of your lip pain. Symptoms associated with diabetes include:
    • Frequent urination.
    • Excessive thirst
    • Fatigue.
  • Kawasaki Disease. A serious blood disorder that is a frequent cause of chronic dry lips.
  • Sjogren's Syndrome. A kind of autoimmune disease which can damage the tear ducts and similar glands is also a common cause of seriously cracked lips.
  • Macrocytosis. A blood condition where the average red blood cell size is increased to dangerous levels.
  • Sexually transmitted diseases including HIV and other diseases can be an underlying cause of chronic cracked lips.


4. Select a treatment
  • Immediately consult a doctor if you suspect your cracked lips are a symptom of a more serious condition. Your doctor may well refer you to a dermatologist
  • Do not lick your lips. Licking your lips makes them feel better, but when the saliva evaporates the pain can increase.
  • Combat dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids.
  • Apply glossy lipstick.
  • Apply unflavored lip balm.
  • Apply petroleum jelly.
  • Apply aloe vera.
  • Apply Vitamin E ointment.
  • Protect your lips from the sun as you would the rest of your skin.
  • Use a humidifier in your home or office.
  • Rub a cucumber slice on your lips.
  • Avoid excessive use of commercial skin treatments including cosmetics and heavily flavored lip balms.
  • Consider your diet. Increase the amount of needed vitamins in your diet by eating better or by taking vitamin pills.





Pet Essentials- Item of the Week! April 25th

Gift Bag of 4 Handmade Catnip Pillow Toys in a Resealable Bag



Gift Bag of 4 Handmade Catnip Pillow Toys in a Resealable Bag

This is a wonderful gift for your cats!! Different material used in each bag. Up for sale is a bag of 4 handmade catnip toys. They are sealed tight in a plastic bag with a twistie bow and can be opened and closed to keep the toys fresh until you are ready to use them! I use "The Cat's Meowee" Organic Catnip which is the World's Strongest Catnip and will keep your cat HAPPY for hours!! They have been quality tested by Sadie & Cookie my 2 cats!! And they are highly approved and recommended by both of them!! I also put in a hypoallergenic fiberfill stuffing to fill up the toys. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask!

Pet Essentials- Pet Of The Day!



SphynxActivity Level8
Playfulness10
Need for attention10
Affection towards its owners10>
Vocality7
Docility7
Intelligence10
Independence2
Healthiness and hardiness5
Need for grooming9
Compatibility with children8
Compatibility with other pets8
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History
The Sphynx is not the first instance of hairlessness in domestic cats. This natural, spontaneous mutation has been seen in various locations around the world for at least the last ninety-something years, and probably longer. 
The Book of the Cat (Simpson, 1903), mentioned a pair of hairless cats belonging to a New Mexico fancier. Called the ?Mexican Hairless,? these cats supposedly were obtained from Indians around Albuquerque.
In 1950 a pair of Siamese cats in Paris, France, produced a litter that included three hairless kittens. The results were repeated in subsequent matings of the same pair, but breeding the parents to other Siamese cats produced no new hairless kittens.
Other hairless specimens turned up in Morocco, Australia, North Carolina, and, in 1966, in Canada, where a pair of domestic shorthairs produced a litter that included a hairless kitten. A breeder named Ryadh Bawa obtained the parents and, with the help of other breeders, began a breeding program. The CFA originally granted New Breed and Color status, then in 1971 they withdrew recognition due to infertility problems with the breed. This line was not pursued after 1980 and is not part of the current bloodline.
The breed as we know it today began in 1975, when Minnesota farm owners Milt and Ethelyn Pearson discovered that a hairless kitten had been born to their normal-coated farm cat, Jezabelle. This kitten, named Epidermis, was joined the next year by another hairless kitten named Dermis. Both were sold to Oregon breeder Kim Mueske, who used the kittens to develop the breed. Georgiana Gattenby of Brainerd, Minnesota, also worked with kittens from the Pearson line, using Cornish Rex as an outcross.
At almost the same time (1978), Siamese breeder Shirley Smith of Ontario, Canada, found three hairless kittens on the streets of her neighborhood. In 1983 she sent two of them to Dr. Hugo Hernandez in the Netherlands. Dr. Hernandez bred the two kittens, named Punkie and Paloma, to a white Devon Rex named Curare van Jetrophin. The descendants of these cats, along with the descendants of the cats from Minnesota and Oregon, became the foundation of today?s Sphynx breed. The breed has made considerable strides since its inception due to a small group of dedicated breeders.
While most fanciers have welcomed the Sphynx as unique and exotic, some members of the cat fancy wish that the Sphynx would put on some clothes. Like other breeds that have diverged from the basic design, the Sphynx has drawn some negative attention. Also, the gene that governs hairlessness can be considered a genetic disorder, since the cat is more susceptible to both heat and cold. On the other hand, fanciers argue that we humans are pretty much hairless ourselves compared with our closest relatives, and we?ve managed to get by pretty well.
Breeders and fanciers are currently working toward CFA recognition. The Sphynx would be required to come in as a new breed, rather than one previously recognized.





Personality
According to the French breed standard, the Sphynx is part monkey, part dog, part child, and part cat. The breed does seem to possess some personality traits of each, despite what geneticists might say about such a combination. To say Sphynxes are lively is an understatement; they perform monkey-like aerialist feats from the top of doorways and bookshelves. Very devoted and loyal, they follow their humans around, wagging their tails doggy fashion and purring with affection. They demand your unconditional attention and are as mischievous (and lovable) as children. And despite all that and their alien appearance, they are completely cats, with all the mystery and charm that has fascinated humankind for thousands of years. While the Sphynx may not be for everyone, its unique appearance and charming temperament has won it an active, enthusiastic following.
Conformation
When the first matings of the breed occurred, breeders discovered that the Sphynx?s lack of hair is governed by a recessive gene. It takes two copies of the gene for the trait to express itself and, if each parent has only one copy of the hairless gene, the number of hairless kittens in any litter is approximately one in four. This makes establishing a large gene pool more difficult. However, it was also discovered that the hairless gene is an incomplete dominant over the gene governing the Devon Rex?s wavy coat. Crosses between the Sphynx, Devon Rex, and the American Shorthair widened the gene pool.
The Sphynx only appears hairless?its skin, or parts of it, is covered with a fine, almost imperceptible vestigial covering of down that gives the skin the texture of chamois. Heterozygous Sphynxes (those that possess only one copy of the hairless gene) usually exhibit more hair than homozygous Sphynxes (those possessing two copies).
Wrinkles are a desirable trait in the show Sphynx. It isn?t really more wrinkled than any other cat, though; you can see the wrinkles because of the lack of fur. The lack of coat makes the Sphynx feel like warm suede to the touch.
One would expect a hairless cat to produce no symptoms in the cat-allergic, but this is not the case. The Sphynx considerately refrains from shedding all over your couch, but can still make you sneeze. It?s not the hair itself that causes the allergic reaction, but rather an allergenic protein called Fel d1 secreted via saliva and sebaceous glands. Sphynxes produce this secretion just as all cats do; they just don?t deposit allergen-laced hair all over the place.
Sphynxes also require grooming. They must be regularly bathed to remove collections of oily sebaceous secretions on the skin. These secretions are normal; it?s just that Sphynxes don?t have hair to absorb them. Allowed to collect, these oils can cause skin problems.
General
The Sphynx appears to be a hairless cat, although it is not truly hairless. The skin should have the texture of chamois. It may be covered with very fine down that is almost imperceptible to both the eye and the touch.
Body
Size medium; length medium to medium long; chest broad, may tend toward barrel-chested; abdomen well-rounded, with the appearance of having eaten a large meal; boning medium; hard and muscular, not delicate.
Head
Size medium; modified wedge with rounded contours, slightly longer than wide with a rather flat forehead; cheekbones prominent; strong rounded muzzle with distinct whisker break.
Ears
Very large; broad at base and open; set upright, neither lowset nor on top of head; interior totally hairless.
Eyes
Large; shaped like a rounded lemon; placement slanting to outer corner of ear. Color ideally to conform to coat color, but green and hazel acceptable.
Tail
Whippy, tapering from the body to the tip, length in proportion to the body. Lion tail (a puff of hair on the tip) is acceptable.
Coat
Appears hairless; texture chamois-like; may be covered with short, fine down; may have puff of hair on tip of tail; whiskers sparse and short.
Color
All colors in all divisions; white lockets and buttons accepted.
Disqualify
Any indication of wavy hair or suggestion of the Devon Rex, or Cornish Rex in molt; any evidence of depilitating, plucking, shaving, or clipping, or any other means of hair removal; unable to handle.
Allowable Outcrosses
None.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Pet Essentials- Pet Of The Day!

Exotic Shorthair
Exotic ShorthairActivity Level1
Playfulness6
Need for attention8
Affection towards its owners9>
Vocality2
Docility10
Intelligence3
Independence3
Healthiness and hardiness3
Need for grooming3
Compatibility with children8
Compatibility with other pets8
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History
In the late 1950s American Shorthair breeders, motivated by the popularity of the Persian, secretly began to mix Persians into their American Shorthair bloodlines to improve body type and to introduce the beautiful and favored silver Persian color into the American. (At that time and until 1965 American Shorthairs were known as Domestic Shorthairs.) Because of this hybridization, the American Shorthair conformation went through a period of remodeling in the 1960s. The boning of the American grew heavier, the head rounder, and the nose shorter, and the coat became denser and longer. Because the Persian?s conformation was popular (and still is), the hybrids did well in the shows, although they were not a recognized breed at the time.
Other American Short-hair breeders, appalled at the changes occurring in the breed, became determined to disallow any Americans that showed signs of hybridization. Exotic Shorthairs might have remained illegitimate if it wasn?t for the efforts of CFA judge Jane Martinke. She was the first to suggest that these hybrid American/Persian mixes should have a room of their own, rather than be allowed to rearrange the furniture in the American Shorthair?s suite.
The Exotic Shorthair was first accepted for Championship status by the CFA in 1967. CFA breeders were then allowed to shift their American Shorthair/Persian hybrids into the newly formed Exotic Shorthair classification.
Few breeders chose to transfer their cats to the new class, however, and the breeders who did decide to work with the Exotic had a long road ahead of them. Because of the initial resistance to the new breed and because few Persian breeders would allow their cats to be used in the Exotic breeding programs, progress was very slow.
At first, Exotic breeders used Burmese and Russian Blues in addition to American Shorthairs to introduce the shorthair gene. The breeders used the shorthaired breeds just often enough to keep the shorthair gene in the bloodline.
As the breed began to gain in popularity, and as the gene pool grew larger, the CFA began limiting the outcrosses. In 1987 the CFA closed the Exotic to shorthair outcrosses altogether, leaving the Persian as the CFA?s only allowable outcross.
Even with the slow start, the Exotic made steady progress with the help of the devoted advocates of the breed who saw that a Persian in a Shorthair?s clothing would make a valuable addition to the cat fancy. In 1971 the first Exotic Shorthair achieved the status of Grand Champion. In 1991, an Exotic was the CFA?s Cat of the Year, and in 1992 the CFA?s Best Kitten was also an Exotic. Today, the Exotic has a large following among cat fanciers.



Personality
Some folks who don?t appreciate that laid-back, mellow personality label Persians and their relatives ?furniture with fur,? but in truth Exotics are playful and enjoy a good game of catching the catnip mouse between bouts of catching a few ZZZs. Because of the American Shorthair influence, Exotics are reported to be livelier than Persians, although some breeders say that the two breeds are very similar in temperament.

Undoubtedly, the Exotic personality is, if not identical, very much like the Persian?s?quiet, loyal, sweet, and affectionate. They want to be involved in their favorite humans? lives and will quietly follow them from room to room just to see what they are doing. They also enjoy hugs and cuddles, and lavish their humans with purrs and licks of affection until the thick coat drives them away to lounge on cool kitchen linoleum or cold fireplace bricks. Fanciers point out that because of the short coat, they can spend more time playing with their Exotics than grooming them.

Conformation
To maintain the Persian body type, coat, and diversified gene pool, it is necessary to breed back to the Persian. Roughly 50 percent of kittens from Exotic/Persian matings will have long hair if the Exotic parent carries the recessive longhair gene. Even when Exotic is bred to Exotic, the litters can contain longhairs if the longhair gene is present in both parents. This slows the process of reproducing Exotics and can be disappointing, because in the CFA Exotics with long hair cannot be shown as either Exotics or Persians. However, a movement is currently underway among breeders and fanciers to have longhaired Exotics accepted in the CFA, although it?s not certain if it will succeed. Some fanciers favor creating a new shorthaired Persian division, and others favor a longhaired and shorthaired division for Exotics.

Other associations handle the longhaired Exotics differently. For example, TICA allows them to be shown as Persians, ACFA recognizes them as Long-haired Exotics, and UFO, CFF, AACE, and CCA recognize them as Exotic Longhairs.


General
The Exotic shares the body type of the Persian but lacks the long, easily matted fur. The ideal Exotic should be a heavily boned, well-balanced cat with a sweet expression and soft, round lines.
Body
Cobby; low on the legs; broad and deep through the chest; equally massive across the shoulders and rump with well-rounded midsection and level back; large or medium size.
Head
Round and massive, with great breadth of skull; round face with round underlying bone structure; nose short, snub, and broad with break centered between the eyes; cheeks full; jaws broad and powerful; chin full, well developed, and firmly rounded.
Ears
Small, round-tipped, tilted forward; not unduly open at base; set far apart.
Eyes
Large, round, and full; set level and far apart, giving sweet expression to the face. Color depends upon coat color.
Tail
Short, but in proportion to body length.
Coat
Medium length; dense, plush, soft, and full of life; stands out from the body due to rich, thick undercoat.
Color
All the patterns and colors of the Persian, including the pointed pattern that makes the cat resemble a shorthaired Himalayan.
Disqualify
Locket or button; any apparent deformity of spine; deformity of skull; crossed eyes. For pointed cats: white toes, eye color other than blue.
Allowable Outcrosses
Persian.
 
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