When Art Imitates Life #ThrowbackThursday

WAFFLES: Hey BOSSSSSS! Where do you want me to hang your picture?  

WAFFLES: How about here over the piano with mine? Is this high enough? I want to make sure everyone can see my monocle on account of how smart it makes me look. 

KATIE:  Waffles, you're going to need more than a monocle to pull off the smart thing.

About Today's Photos

Today's #ThrowbackThursday is from exactly one year ago and from one of our all-time-favorite product reviews. Katie & Waffles' original oil portraits from Splendid Beast are still hanging today on a very prominent wall in the Townhouse. Every time Glogirly walks past them she smiles. 

Waffles is certain she's smiling at how handsome he is in his sport coat & tie.

Katie is certain Glogirly's smiles have more to do with a certain oxymoron. After all, Waffles and smart have oxymoron written all over them.

WAFFLES:  Oxy-WHAT???

Ground Control to Waffles: We Have a Winner

WAFFLES:  Uh, hello Boss? Come in, Boss?

KATIE:  I read you, Waffles. What's your 20? Over.

WAFFLES:  20? What do your mean? Like chickens?  I haven't seen 20 chickens, have you?

KATIE:  No, Waffles. Not CHICKENS. Your 20 is your location. Where are you? Over.

WAFFLES:  How come you keep saying 'over'? We're just getting started, aren't we?

KATIE:  Waffles, hurry up and get down here. We've got a winner to announce. Over.

WAFFLES:  Did somebody win a chicken dinner? 

KATIE:  Waffles! Last I looked, KFC was not a sponsor of our blog. So enough already with the CHICKEN. Over.

WAFFLES:  You can never have enough chicken, Boss.

KATIE:  *sigh* Over.

Winner, Winner, Splendid Beast Awesome Oil Painting Winner!

Congratulations to Nancy Blue Moon and her kitty, Rascal. They are the lucky winners of our Splendid Beast giveaway!

Rascal, Nancy's beloved tabby-buddy, has been missing for a few months now. Though Nancy is heartbroken and misses him terribly, she prays he was taken in by someone who just might see one of the many ads and flyers she's posted. Nancy describes her Rascal as a sweet kitty that can win you over with just one look and a tiny meow.  Oh, and it looks like he's a napping champion too.

We're keeping them both in our thoughts and pray for Rascal's safe return.

Splendid Beast is Helping Shelter Cats

Our friends at Splendid Beast are making a difference in the lives of harder-to-adopt pets in the most unique and beautiful way through their Splendid Friends program. Currently they're working with Minnesota's Feline Rescue, a shelter near and dear to our hearts. Every two weeks, they choose an older or special needs cat who's been waiting to be adopted. 

The hope is that the portrait will help the shelter to promote adoptions, especially of those cats, who for one reason or another, are harder to find homes for. Then when the cat is adopted, their portrait goes home with them!

Nadya's photo by KrisKreativ

Who Decides What Kind of Portrait They'll Paint? 

YOU DO! They post the cat's photo on their Splendid Friends website and Facebook page, along with a selection of costumes and backgrounds. Then you get to choose which painting template you'd like to see them in.

You'll also be able to read about the cat, learn their story and what makes them so special. Right now they're featuring Nadya, a Mother-of-the-Year cat we introduced you to on our blog just a few months ago (here.) Be sure to stop by Splendid Friends and choose the painting you think is just right for Nadya!

Cast Your Vote for Nadya's Portrait Pick HERE

The Space Cadet & His Special Offer

When the man in brown shorts rang the bell just a few days ago, we had no idea that Waffles the Astronaut was coming in for a landing. Glogirly is OVER-THE-MOON with delight! Splendid Beast's "Space Cadet" is just one of 24 fabulous painting template choices they offer. 

YAY! The 15% GLOGIRLY discount is extended through July 31. Just use promo code: WAFFLES & SHOP HERE.

Special thanks to Tom & Ben of Splendid Beast for sponsoring our fantastic giveaway and using their  amazing talents to help shelter pets find homes. 

We received our custom oil paintings at no charge at no charge from Splendid Beast. We also received a small fee to cover the time it takes to photograph the paintings, write the review and administer the giveaway.  Receiving the paintings and the fee did not influence our article or anything we say.  We only feature products and services on GLOGIRLY that we love, believe in and use. All sponsored posts on GLOGIRLY will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions. ...and if you haven't guessed by now, we LOVE Splendid Beast.

Voting is open through July 31
...we're trending in the top 5!

HUGE thanks to everyone who has voted for us! You can only vote for each can one time per email account. But in case you're just tuning in... we still need a few votes to seal the deal. (FYI - voting site does not play nice with the iPhone & iPad)

VOTE HERE FOR DRAGON KITTY COCKTAIL

VOTE HERE FOR DRAGON KITTY COCKTAIL 2

Psssst! When you're voting, be sure to slide the "voting slider" all the way over for the maximum number of votes!

Splendid Beast Custom Oil Painting Giveaway & Donation Project

WAFFLES:  BOSSSSSSS!!!!! 

KATIE:  What.

WAFFLES:  Nice hat.

KATIE:  Why thank you, Waffles. I think it's very regal. It captures my true sense of –

WAFFLES:  Weight loss?

KATIE:  *sigh* And YOURS captures your –

WAFFLES:  Smartness?

KATIE:  I was thinking more along the lines of smart-@ss.

Splendid Beast is . . . SPLENDID!

Just a few weeks ago we introduced you to Splendid Beast, an amazing little company right here in Minneapolis. They specialize in customized, original oil paintings that celebrate the splendid beast in all of us with whimsical and clever pet portraits. Owned by Ben & Tom, two art students with a passion for pets, Splendid Beast strives to make art ownership accessible and affordable. ... oh, and incredibly awesome too.

Owning a Piece of Original Art Has Never Been So . . . EASY!

1.  Pick your costume... 24 to choose from!

2.  Upload a photo (these were ours)

3.  Prepare to be AMAZED!

WAFFLES:  They look just like us, Boss! 

Delight!

To say we're delighted with the results is an understatement. That would be like saying Glogirly thinks cake and pie is just, well... okay. She's been giggling with delight ever since they arrived. Like a fine oil painting, they are very textural and vibrant. We SO wish you could see them in purr-son!

Details!
The intricate details are over-the-top and the resemblance to not only our photos, but our personalities, is uncanny. Clever little surprises, like Waffles' monocle and chain, make us smile. The twinkle in his eye is every bit as cheeky as he is.

Splendid Beast is Giving Back

We told you that Ben & Tom are passionate pet lovers. Well they're also generous, using their time and talent to give back and help homeless pets find true forever homes. Recently they partnered with our hometown shelter, Minnesota's Feline Rescue, in creating custom portraits of harder-to-adopt cats. 

Meet Harry. He's finally enjoying the good life after spending many years outside. He had it rough and was in pretty tough shape. But he's handsome and happy as can be now that he's got a forever home to call his own. Harry loves to be petted and reaches out for more if you stop before he thinks he's done. He's FIV-positive but will thrive on good food, low stress and lots and lots of love.

And that's just what he's got with his new forever human, Ellen. Enjoy your snoozes on the sofa, Harry! Soak up all the neck stitches you want. You deserve it, buddy.

They're working on another painting donation with Feline Rescue this week. In fact, on the Splendid Beast Facebook Page there will be a link to a painting poll where YOU will have a chance to vote on which costume you think the next lucky cat should be painted into. Be sure to like their page and subscribe to updates so you don't miss a chance to be part of the next portrait and many more donation projects to come.

LIKE Splendid Beast on Facebook

Learn more about their donation projects at SplendidFriends.org

. . . and now for something REALLY FABULOUS  
IT'S A GIVEAWAY!!!

Splendid Beast has graciously offered to give away one custom oil painting to a very lucky GLOGIRLY reader. Although the prize can only ship to a US address, we are opening up the giveaway to readers worldwide so they can have an opportunity, should they win, to gift their prize to a US friend or donate a painting to a US shelter to help find a senior or special needs cat a forever home. Deadline to enter is 11:59pm EST, July 21, 2014.

. . . but, I can't WAIT!

Splendid Beast is offering 15% off your order through July 20. Just use promo code: WAFFLES. This is an incredible deal. Yeah, it's about 100 degrees outside so the last thing you're thinking of is Christmas...but this would be the Best. Gift. Ever. 

Good luck everyone! Thank for you for entering.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This blog post and giveaway are sponsored by Splendid Beast, which means we were paid to create and feature this content. Regardless of the payment received,  we only feature products and services on GLOGIRLY that we use or feel our readers would benefit from using. All sponsored posts on GLOGIRLY will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions. ...and if you haven't guessed by now, we LOVE Splendid Beast.

Splendid Beast Outrageous Pet Oil Paintings Soon to Feature Katie & Waffles - Special Offer!

WAFFLES:  Hey Boss! Guess What?!? I'm going to be a Splendid Beast!

KATIE:  Waffles, you're a beast alright... but I wouldn't exactly describe you as *splendid.*  Do you even know what that means???

WAFFLES:  Um, no. But it must be pretty cool. Look! I'm going to be a SPACE CADET! That's like an astronaut, right?

KATIE:  Waffles, you were a space cadet LONG before this blog post.  

WAFFLES:  Does this mean I get to go to the MOON???

KATIE:  One can only hope.

Introducing Splendid Beast

Our friends, Ben & Tom, founded Splendid Beast in 2014 after noticing what they described as a "severe lack of outrageous pet oil paintings on the internet." Art students with a passion for pets, the duo want to make art ownership accessible and affordable. They believe there's something magical about owning a piece of handcrafted artwork. They also believe that most art takes itself too seriously.

Their customized, original oil paintings have a unique and playful quality that celebrates the special beast in all of us and we couldn't be more thrilled to be partnering with them!

Move over Van Gogh, step aside Lichtenstein... Ben & Tom are going to be turning Waffles and Katie into the most splendid of beasts that will soon be gracing the walls of a well-known Minneapolis Townhouse.


How Does It Work?
Pick your Template Design
With 24 unique and awesomely fabulous templates to choose from, there's something for everyone. The costuming and backgrounds are whimsical and cheeky. You can't help but giggle and grin.

Upload a Photo
Smile! You'll need a clear photo of your pet looking straight ahead. The background really doesn't matter because the only part they will be paining is the head and neck.

Antipation
It takes about 4-6 weeks to produce each customized oil painting and ship it to you. Plenty of time to nap, groom, snack... and prepare the purr-fect place to hang your soon-to-be splendid portrait.

Voila!
Enjoy your awesome, 100% original artwork customized to celebrate your special beast.

A Special Beast Offer for GLOGIRLY Readers!
We know you're already drooling over these cool paintings... narrowing down your choices. GLOGIRLY readers will SAVE 15% off their Special Beast orders now through July 20, 2014.  Just use promo code: WAFFLES. ...I guess the promo code had to be 7 letters, otherwise it certainly would have been something else.


Stay Tuned
We'll be sharing our finished paintings with you in the next few weeks. And psssst... don't tell, but word on the street is there's going to be a giveaway!

The Splendid Beasts Behind Splendid Beast

Ben & Tom are also passionate pet owners. You can see the Splendid Beasts who inspire them in some of their paintings. Marcel is an 8 year-old Himalayan cat/astronaut who dreams of exploring worlds unknown. Bob is a 10 year-old chihuahua whose medical advice is to take more naps.



Get social with Splendid Beast - 
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... and the Splendid Blog on Tumblr

FTC Disclosure: We will be receiving our Splendid Beast paintings at no charge. We are also receiving a small fee to cover the time it takes to write our reviews and take photos. Receiving the portraits and the fee does not influence our articles or anything we say. All sponsored posts on GLOGIRLY will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions.