Thank you Taffy and Debbie (TOY)!!!!!
 

Taffy had BELLA!!! :cheer: And O MY GOODNESS was she SPOILED!!!! And boy did Debbie trick us too! After reading through all the hint threads, I got so excited because I thought I had finally figured it out!! Everything matched up with Bella, and I thought "Holy, cow! I figured it out!!" Then, I got tricked into thinking that wasn't the case. I spent another couple of hours at work today (shhh!! it was slow! :p) looking back through all the hint threads, but still couldn't figure it out. Then, when I got home, a BIIIIG box was waiting on the table. My bf signed for it earlier today, and even though we talked several times today, he did NOT tell me it was here! What a surprise!! And what an even BIGGER surprise when I saw that it was from Taffy!!!! Bella told me right after the sign up that she wished and hoped Taffy would be her SB. She thinks Debbie is the neatest person and Taffy is too cute for words!! WE ARE SOOOO HAPPY!!!! You two really and truly out-did yourselves! We had so much fun opening all the wrapped gifts and were both worn out (and starving!!!) by the time we were finished!! We absolutely cannot thank you enough!! We feel so incredibly SPOILED!!!! I am literally still in shock!

Without further ado, here is a list of all the amazing, wonderful things Taffy and Debbie sent Bella:

a card with Taffy's pic on the front and a super sweet note inside!!
a squeaky plush xmas hedgehog
a stretchy snowman tug toy
a squeaky plush snowman
a Hide A Toy gingerbread house -- I LOVE this!! Sooo cute!! And Bella had a ball pulling all the “babies” out of it!!
a cute puppy with reindeer antlers that barks “We Wish You a Merry Xmas” -- OMG, Bella went CRAZY over this!
a squeaky plush xmas bone
a plush xmas tree that plays several different xmas tunes -- good job SB!! the noisier, the better in Bella’s book!!
a plush reindeer that talks and sings -- same story....she LOVES all the noise!!
a Fleecy Cleans fleece ball (red, white, and green)
a Fleecy Cleans braided fleece rope (also red, white, and green)
a plush gingerbread man with a rattle AND a squeaker!!
Sam’s Yams treats
Best Buddy Bits treats -- she LOVES these!!! so far they are definitely her fave!!!
Charlie Bear cheese and egg treats -- she had never had these before, but they were a huge HIT!!! Yummm-O! :D
Fruitables Pumpkin & Banana, Pumpkin & Apple, Pumpkin & Cranberry, Pumpkin & Blueberry treats
Antlerz dog chew -- O boy! She took it and RAN!!! Lucky for us, she doesn’t hide things very well :p
Zuke’s Z Ridge edible dental chew -- these are another fave of hers....these are definitely “hide” worthy, and she only hides her most precious things!!
a baby pink nylon collar with organza flowers and pearls -- so pretty!!
a pink, black , and white nylon collar -- absolutely adorable!
a silver heart collar charm
a silver heart with bow and pink crystals collar charm that says Cutie Pie – OMG, soooo precious!!
a pewter paw print collar charm
a package of 3 tiny Kong Air Dog squeaky yellow tennis balls -- I KNOW she’s gonna love these....she loves balls, and these are small enough to fit in her mouth! Woo hoo! :p
a yellow and black dog Bottle Buddies -- Taffy, how did you know crunchy water bottles is one of her absolute FAVORITE things?! Is it one of your favorite things too?
a fleecy bone squeaky toy
a Kong Mini-Goodie Ship -- we LOVE “hide a treat” toys (indestructible one of course!) because Bella has separation anxiety, and treats make everything more tolerable for her!
a Skinneeez mini fox -- Ok, you were definitely right! The fox is too stinkin cute!! And Bella LOVES it!!
a Hide A Squirrel -- Let me just say, the squirrels are starting to go bald already! Lol! She tore into this right away, ripped out the squirrels, and went right to work on their hair!
a plush cell phone that really RINGS!!! -- oooo, another wonderfully noisy toy! she is happy, happy!!
a pink “Peace Love & Puppies” t-shirt -- so cute!
a green and yellow “Happy Holidays 2009” Old Navy t-shirt -- I love it!! Very preppy!
a red and white striped “elf-sized” t-shirt with white “fur” trimmings -- OMG, adorable!
a pink Hello Kitty hoodie with ADORABLE ears and pink bow on the hood -- this is my favorite!! The ears and bow on the hood are just too cute for words!!!
a puffy baby pink with hot pink trim vest -- this is so cute and is going to be nice and warm warm, and we NEED warm!!
a puffy baby pink and brown vest with “fur” collar -- another nice warm vest (O, and pretty and stylish too! ;)
a green cable knit sweater
a green, white, and teal sweater
a baby pink, hot pink, and white turtleneck cable knit sweater -- so pretty! We’re so lucky our SB knew we needed WARM clothes!! :D
a reversible raincoat (side 1: black with white polka dots and hot pink flows, and baby pink belt and collar; side 2: baby pink) -- I LOVE it!! Sooo cute, and she needed a raincoat too!
an adorable treat jar with Bella’s name on it -- how sweet! It’s beautiful!!!
a hand made OSU harness dress with matching bow -- Daddy was really excited about this one!! He goes to OSU (Oklahoma State Univ.), so he’s super happy his little girl is ready for game day now!! And not a moment too soon....basketball season is in full swing now!!

For Mommy:
2 sets of notecards, each with a different picture (1 of Bella and 1 of Bella and Daddy)
address labels with Bella’s pic on them
set of 10 magnetic 2010 calendars with Bella and Daddy pic
Bella and Daddy pic mouse pad
Bella and Daddy pic tote -- Mommy CANNOT wait to use this!!! I am in LOVE!! :D
(All the Bella and Daddy pic items say “Tara’s Two Loves”...how completely sweet and adorable is that?!!)

For Daddy:
a ball cap with Bella and Daddy pic on it....it says "Just Me and One of My Gals" -- O my goodness, sooo cute!! And Daddy has been saying he needs a new hat too!!

We were so happy, we were literally shell-shocked!! And Patrick was so pleased you included him too! He loves the hat and was very happy about the OSU dress and bow too!!! Thank you again Debbie and Taffy....from the very bottom of our hearts! We just cannot say thank you enough!!

(here come the pics!)

1. It's a BIIIIIG box!!!
2. trying to get a look inside...
3. maybe from this angle....nope, it's just too big mommy, still can't see in!!
4. Bella thought she could read the card, but mom had to help ;) (she had it upside down for one thing!! lol :rolleyes:)

5. I don't need your help, Mom!! I can open this all by myself!!
6. Rawwwrrrr!!! lol!
7. Bottle Buddies
8. Skinneeez fox

9. gingerbread man toy
10. jingle bell stretchy collar (OOPS!! I left this out of my list above...sorry Taffy!!!)
11. "what's in that sack mom?!"

....collars and collar charms!! :D

...sweaters, vests, t-shirts, and raincoat

...a personalized treat jar, and a personalized baby pink fleece blanket (OMG!!! I left this out too. I am soooo sorry!! Bella insisted on laying on it on the couch, so I forgot about it when I was making a list :rolleyes:)

...toys and treats

...OSU harness dress and bow (Rah! :cheer: Rah! :cheer: Rah!!! :cheer:)

I couldn't resist taking pics with her HK hoodie on so you can see just how adorable it is!!! I LOVE it!!! :wub:

Mommy's AWESOME personalized things!!! I am so excited!!!! :D :D :D

....and Daddy's cap!

Aunt Debbie and Taffy sure spoiled Miss Bella! :D

Bella is such a lil cutie!

LAST ONE!!, I promise ;)
 

I think I went a little overboard on the pics, but seriously, it wasn't my fault...our SB went overboard 1st!! I couldn't help it!! :angel2: I mean what's a girl to do.....snap, snap, pose, pose!!

Thank you again Debbie (TOY) and Taffy! You seriously made our YEAR!! Thank you for making Bella's 1st GE a SUPER special one! I'd let her thank you herself, but I'd have to dig her out of her pile of toys first :p...and we certainly wouldn't want that!! :D

OMG, did they ever!!! Wow!!

And you're a sneaky one missy!! You KNEW!!! lol What a good secret keeper you are! Bella's says "Thanks Aunt Robin!!!"

Ginger says... "Aunt Tara, my name is not Missy, its Ginger... and I could not tell you and Miss Bella because we know that Aunt Debbie and Taffy was planning a really really big surprise and we did not want to let the secret out." :)

We are so happy to see that you all loved everything! We love GEs b/c you can be all secretive and stalkerish and it be "normal" lol hahahah

LOL...loved the photos!

I'm so glad all of you liked the surprises...especially the OSU dress. Oh, my gosh...I worried about that because I didn't bother to check where the college is (of course, I didn't...that would have been too easy)...I totally went off his hat in the picture with Bella. The closer it got time to send it, the more antsy I got...LOL

You're the first time I've had a girl, you know. Plus, you didn't want treats but Robin told me why and told me what AND I found your super secret list to yourself...LOL...which is really how we picked some of the things. I just couldn't imagine not sending treats nor could I imagine sending a cute little girl a skunk...LOL (glad you like the fox).

I was amazed, totally amazed, at how good the treat jar turned out. I got Taffy one, too. In fact, I'm going to share with others if you don't mind because it is such a great find/buy. Anyone interested? Check out my hint thread after you see Tara's photo of it. I was shocked at how cute it was because I considered that purchase one of my "gambles" for this GE. However, I was extremely pleased with how it turned out.

Oh, Tara, that photo of Bella in the dress is cute as can be! I really got that for your boyfriend (LOL) based on that ball cap. Taffy is getting a UT one, too, but I already know she'll never wear the bow like Bella does! Didn't she make that bow just perfectly? As tiny as it was, she got the mascot and name both! (I just have to give her a shout out and if you don't mind, I'd like to link her to see that photo. I never can get Taffy to let me take such cute photos.) Her name is Cathy and her site is www.piddleronthewoof. I "met" her through etsy when I first got Taffy but lost her after she left. It was great to find her again and she did Bella's dress and bow immediately so that I could get it off to you.

Oh...I'm just so happy you liked the stuff. It was really fun doing it for you. Of course, I pretty much got Taffy everything I got Bella so I already can tell you that those Old Navy shirts run a bit large until you wash/dry them. I usually manage to shrink stuff anyway but will give you a head's up in case you do laundry right...LOL

Thanks for all the photos of Bella. I'm quite jealous you know that you can get her to let you take such cute pictures!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Merry Christmas!

TOY (Debbie) and Taffy

Wowee! Bella hit the jackpot! The list goes on & on! Hehee, loved all the pics, & Bella is soooo adorable! Fantastic job Taffy & Debbie!

Wow did Bella hit the jackpot! Debbie you always spoil your buddy sooooooooooo good lol. Looks to me as if Bella is hooked on ge's now, dont ya think? Great job Debbie and Taffy...And Taffy you did awesome not letting the secret out.

Oh, Patrick REALLY liked the dress!!! (Who wouldn't! :D) And you are so right about that little bow...it is so tiny, which is exactly what she needs, and it is PERFECT! It's amazing she was able to do that.

Bella minds her mommy pretty well (of course, she has a mind of her own too, so it's not quite as easy as it looks ;) ), which makes taking pictures SOOO much easier. I think she does pretty good as a model too! :p

Thanks again, you guys! We're still reeling today!!!! We feel so lucky to have made new friends!!

You do know that when you sent me a PM about a post I'd made on a different thread, I thought the whole gig was up, don't you?

I just knew you realized that Bella was Taffy's SB!

It was around the time that Robin started helping me with naming treats I could get for Bella and she had to listen to my moaning and groaning about already being found out! Man, I didn't make it even a week I thought.

She was also assigned the task of finding out your bf's name but by the time I found out, I'd already used a non-specific wording...hence the "Tara's Two Loves" which really grew on me.

Then to really give you a laugh, ask your bf how he signed for the package! (Must be either a last name or an unused part of his name...starts with N.) Anyway, when I saw that I was so relieved that I hadn't used what Robin had said since I figured she'd made a BIG mistake....LOL...sorry, Robin but he signed with a totally other name that could be a "first" name, too...LOL

Anyway, I seem to have such a funny time with the GE's and my comedy of errors...LOL (It's just such a good thing that he wasn't wearing a ballcap from another college, etc. I didn't even think to check your address against the college...just blindly sped ahead...LOL) By the time I realized I had Robin as a "spy" it was too late and I told her that if I'd screwed up on the college she should not tell me...LOL

Robin is a very good sport and "strangely" seems to understand the way my crazy thinking goes. I'm never sure whether to congratulate her or express my sympathy...LOL

WOW, Debbie you did an amazing job for your SB... what thoughtful gifts you sent right in time for Thanksgiving. Everything is just sooo darn cute!!
Looks like someone hit the Doggie Lottery!!

oh Debbie, you have my laughing and snortin' over here :2pig: You are hilarious.

I am POSITIVE the name I gave you for her bf is correct... so I don't know where this "N" name came from? lol

And don't express sympathy... I like your drama ;) hahaha I never know what I am going to get in the next email from you so I am always on my toes... makes life interesting... haha

I love the treat jar, too... absolutely adorable... kind of makes it hard to get a cute treat jar like that when you have more than one baby though. I have a set of my old kitchen jars (that used to have flour, sugar, etc) filled with treats for them... :)

I've solved that problem, Robin...LOL

Have one that says Cats and one that says Dogs! LOL

When it's a bargain, I can usually find a way to (quoting Tim Gunn) "make it work."

It's due primarily to having been a teacher in a poor school system for many years. (Oh the things you can do with Pringles cans, baby food jars, toliet and paper towel rolls, etc....LOL)

And oh my goodness, do you remember when pizza used to come on round cardboard pieces? Oh, the things we could do with those!

Hmmmm...

Tara will have to solve the bf mystery then.....or else we might think she has two! LOL

Robin, The signature was the main man's name on the ark. Now tell me you wouldn't have wondered, too...LOL

Doesn't even begin to sound like what you told me (LOL...I know you were correct though...)

Don't you just love GE's?

Happy Thanksgiving in case I don't make it back online till after turkey day... (and by the way, Taffy has already chewed the hanging ribbon/cord off her brand new Christmas stocking so I guess hers won't be hung with care...LOL)

Wow!!! Good job Taffy & Toy!!! You totally spoiled Bella!~

Lol! I think that was around the time the hint threads were starting to get going. I kept seeing how cute Shilo's (linda44) posts were in all the threads, so I decided to see what else she'd (Linda) posted. That's how I found your thread ;) I was worried at the time that you'd think I had YOUR name since I was PM'ing you out of the blue, but then I thought "oh well, guess that will help her SB throw her off track!" :p

So, now I think I'm putting it together....did Robin PM me the 1st time because you asked her to snoop? lol! She did a good job if so....I was totally hoodwinked!

My bf's name is Patrick Noah....and yes, he pretty much has 2 first names, and Patrick could really be a last name too. It confuses EVERYONE, so don't feel bad!

Omg look at all that loot bella you hit the jackpot girl - what awesome gifts and so thoughtful all the beautiful pics of daddy and bella so sweet

ok wheare did you get the hello kitty that was too darn cute and have never seen that ?

LOL...no wonder I was confused over his name! Now maybe Robin will understand why I thought she'd goofed...LOL

No, if you believe in a coincidence, it was just that about Robin writing you. (I tend to think that kindred spirits find each other through God's guidance but that's just me.)

If I remember correctly, we were just chatting when I told her your name and she said she'd been talking to you about Ginger and her disease/condition (never know how to express that). Anyway, as I remember I was probably "complaining" (sorry, LOL) about you not wanting any treats. See, I have a huge weight problem and it's obvious even with dogs that I equate love with food...eek! Anyway, that's the point where she stepped in and helped with treat suggestions. LOL...that's also one of the reasons your package kinda exploded in size...LOL (I was already finished except for the Miss Kitty thingey before I even started adding treats because I was going by your post.)

If you've ever read any of my posts, you've probably seen/read of my frustrations about Taffy and her "healthy" treats. You wouldn't believe how many different kinds of treats I've tried just to have her walk away in total disdain. She actually ate a bite of one of the treats I sent you...those fruitable things. (Of course, I had to get those for her, too, when I ordered yours...LOL) It's just so foreign for me to be around any living creature that doesn't like treats...freaks me out...(see above where I reference my psychological flaw of equating food and love...hmmm...maybe that's where my diet needs to start...in my mind!)

Anyway, I digress...but that's the story of how Bella got her treats and how Robin got involved in the whole thing. (It is a bit embarrassing to tell you that I was "complaining" about your entry...LOL...but I was like a kid in a candy store that had been told we had to go next door and buy underwear instead...LOL. Now you know how much I think of you as a friend because otherwise I'd never reveal all this...LOL)

However, it was such a neat way everything happened that I thought you'd appreciate it more if I shared how Robin and I found out we both "knew" you. She was a great help behind the scenes even though I doubted her on Patrick's name...LOL (You know she'll read this, too...LOL)

I was much happier with my package once I got to add treats...man, I really am screwed up with food thoughts, I think. I totally understood why you didn't want treats but still felt like I was not sending Bella a real "treat" box. Gosh, sometimes I think I'd make a good case study for some psychology student...LOL

Yikes, I'm even boring myself with this post so I'm going to close it. I loved having the "insider" information that Robin gave me but trust me, her reaching out to befriend you happened before I told her who I had in the GE. It was just one of those beautiful times in life that make you want to go "ahhhhh" when everything just ties together in a complete fashion.

Once again I feel so very blessed by the GE.

LOL...seeing as how I wasn't even sure what that Kitty stuff was, I turned to ebay!

I tend to use ebay so seldom that I forget to read all the fine print and all I noticed was the "new" and the "Miss Kitty" and the right size when I bid. Man, the bid came in much lower than I expected, too, and I won it!

LOL...then when it came time to PayPal, I got a message that it was coming from Hong Kong of all places...duh...I was really thinking I'd have to send it separately after I read the fine print and saw the projected arrival. Luckily it came well before they had estimated and was cute as could be!

It's even cuter on Bella than it was online! Let me see if I can find you a link to where I found it. Okay, found it! The actual outfit is so cheap that I had no idea if it was even gift "worthy" but the shipping is steep. However, I liked the product so it was a good buy. I really don't think the photo on ebay does it justice at all but remember I was just looking for the Kitty name since she said she liked it.

hello kitty xs dog clothes, great deals on Pet Supplies on eBay!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ahhh, ok! I was thinking, man she's even sneakier than I gave her credit for, lol!! You both did a great job!!

And, I am the same way....I HAVE to have some sort of treat after most meals. I blame my dad for my sweet tooth....I definitely come by it honestly. So, weight is a struggle for me too....I'm at my heaviest right now, and Thanksgiving and Xmas are coming up :eek: Self-control will be a HUGE challenge! I like Bella to have treats too. And, it's not enough to go through one bag until it's gone...she needs CHOICES!!! :p I guess that IS pretty silly, but I do the same thing. We always have 4 or 5 different treats open and going at one time. I just have to be careful about what I give her. And, she gets very few treats per day, but she ALWAYS gets at least one every day!

Since you said what you did about Taffy....Bella ate a couple of the banana YY's the night we got them, but since then she won't touch them! :( I think she doesn't like how hard they are because it takes her awhile to crunch one of those tiny little things up! I gave her one the other day, and it's still on the floor....and even if she doesn't want a treat right now, she ALWAYS eats it later :confused:. I was thinking about sending them on to you or to Robin so somebody will get to use them.

Now, the fruitables she liked (at least the one I've given her so far--the pumpkin and cranberry one) and the Charlie Bear egg and cheese and OF COURSE the peanut butter Best Buddy Bits. I haven't opened the Sam's Yams yet because I have a package of dehydrated sweet potatoes she's working on now, which she LOVES, so I know she'll love those! And she OF COURSE loves the Zuke's Z Ridge dental bone. I gave her the Antlerz and she hid it right away!! She hasn't chewed on it yet (I think she's overwhelmed by her choices still), but hiding it means she definitely wants to know it's safe for later!! She such a cute, silly little thing!

Oh! And just so you know....her Skinneeez fox is at the top of her favorites list right now! It's soft, squeaks, and shakes soooo good! lol! This was her very first Skinneeez, and it was a HUGE HIT!!!

And the HK hoodie that you got on ebay....1) you're right, the picture DOESN'T do it justice, and 2) I LOVE IT!!! It is so adorable!! Even with all the cute little dresses she has, this is my very favorite article of clothing she has now!! Thank you again...so, so much!! :D