Kathi Bear

Kathi Bear by TG Bears

Introducing Kathi Bear!  Our friend, Monica of TG Bears has created a cute, cuddly charity bear for our foundation! She used Kathi's logo and tagline, and incorporated them into a totally huggable stuffed bear that is just SO lovable!  Kathi chose white fur for her bear, and Monica stocks the softest fur.  Kathi Bear's paws are white suede, so that Kathi's tagline doesn't get lost in a fur forest.  And we were absolutely tickled that Monica added the blue-and-green (the IH colors) ribbon scarf AND a little sunflower!

Seriously.... how CUTE is this bear???

Kathi Bear is 16" tall and has jointed arms and legs.  She is just the right size for cuddling, and her stylish ribbon scarf helps her fit in anywhere from a country picnic to an elegant charity ball!

Kathi Bear arrived in a protective plastic cover, nestled in paper in a snug cardboard box.  She was traveling in style!  Monica always makes sure her handcrafted bears arrive in excellent condition, ready for loving!

I took Kathi Bear out of her box and sat her on the passenger seat for our trip to the mall to visit our favorite bear clothier, Build-a-Bear!  At 16" tall, Kathi Bear can wear so many of Build-a-Bear's fun outfits!  You can tell by this picture that the day was kind of grey and drizzly.... Good thing she was wrapped in plastic for this!

The first order of business was to get Kathi Bear this neat little red convertible that Kathi and I saw during a previous visit.  I just knew I had to get it for her bear!  I mean, it's almost a perfect replica of Kathi's own car. How could I resist?

This is the pic I showed the clerk,
so she could see Kathi's glasses.

A pair of eyeglasses was another must-have!  Ha ha, what were the odds they would have glasses just like Kathi's?  Awesome!!

The clerk at Build-a-Bear thought Kathi Bear was just too cute!!  She gave us (and I do mean GAVE) some blue and green ear ribbons to match her scarf and once we put Kathi Bear's glasses and ear ribbons on and sat her in her convertible, I knew her look was complete!   No need to buy any outfit this time, but there's always next time!

It was like torture waiting for the day when I could finally present Kathi with her Kathi Bear!  She had no idea that it was already being crafted.  As far as she knew, we were only in talks with Monica about the design.  When the day came to give her her surprise, the look on her face was priceless!!  I wish I'd had my camera ready!  Well, okay, I had my camera but she had bed head, ha ha.  Shhhh... don't tell her I told you!

Anyway, Kathi Bear is now ready for some serious exploring!  Check out The Adventures of Kathi Bear here on our blog to see where she goes and what she's up to!  Want to join the fun with your own Kathi Bear?  Click HERE to order yours -- the purchase price includes shipping to any US address and a $20 donation to The IHope Foundation -- then dress her up (or not), take some pics, and email them to us at TheIHopeFoundation@gmail.com.  You just might see your own Kathi Bear on our blog!

~ Pia