Kitty Genius

Twitter it… just a little bit (sung to the tune of "Wiggle It")

If you only knew how many times in a day I sang that little line and chuckle. Is that too much insight into my dorkiness? Anyhoo, I have been on Twitter for some time (Drew signed me up as soon as it started) and I wanted to let anyone know if they are interested they can follow me. If you don't have a Twitter account you can go here to create one. Lastly, if you don't know what Twitter is, it is microblogging — you have 140 characters to answer the question, "What are you doing?". To follow people I use Twitterrific, so you can get updates without going to the Twitter site. They come to you! They pop up on your screen with the sound of a little bird chirping (sometimes I hate it, but overall it's fun).

I like to put links to things I like or just random silliness, for the most part.

More important, on Tuesday I am going to be putting a few new bearded guys in the shop. And one or two of the bearded guys will be beardless (oh my!). So if you know a special guy with or without a beard this will be the mini-update for you.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend!

A free holiday gift for you

I wish I could take full credit for this but that's not even close to true. The creative Marichelle from Heart Handmade has just released the The Handmade Holiday Zine, which you can download. The zine is in three parts, and in part three (page 8) you will find this little house I designed to download, print out, and make for yourself!

I designed the outside of the house, but the actual design of the house comes from the talented Mike Wilson.

I'm a fan of the roof. :)

This house will totally work even if you don't print it in color. All you need is an X-acto knife and tape, but I recommend a bit of glue instead of tape and voila! you can make all the houses you want. If you use card stock or a heavy paper even better! Ours is living on top of our TV right now. I think it's a fun little gift to give people or project to work on this long holiday weekend (if you're in the US).

I hope you enjoy it and make sure to check out the rest of the zine. It's great!

Crafty

Well hello! Sorry for the impromptu break. This week went by in a bit of a blur. As November slips away and the holiday season is in full force I've been bitten by the crafty bug. One of the projects I worked on this weekend (there were quite a few, as my living room floor would show you) was a terrarium. I've been experimenting with the one above adding and subtracting from it. I like the simplicity of this version. She reminds me of Little Miss Muffet.

If there is one thing I've realized about terrariums it's that there is a lot of subversive fun you can have with them. My terrarium keeps being a bit on the dark or spooky side.

In addition to the crafty bug, due to the impending move the nesting itch (bug, itch… you know) has come over me. There were a few thrift store trips and quite a few estate sales. I have been on a weekly search for a vintage light-up globe ever since I passed on one about a year and a half ago at an antique mall. Then on Friday lurking in a dark corner of a thrift store was a 1957 12" Replogle light-up globe! I think I skipped to the cashier. I don't have a photo yet because the bulb is out and I haven't gotten a replacement. But ooohh I'm delighted.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend!!

p.s. I'm thinking of making some terrarium for the shop. Would anyone be interested?

Where luxury meets practical (or the other way around)

So, I took the plunge and bought an espresso machine. I have been researching for some time, as I enjoy doing.

Total side note: I can't tell you how many times over my $26 annual subscription to Consumer Reports has already paid for itself. Even if their advice isn't the end-all be-all, it is a fantastic starting point to do any online product research. I think it would make a really good practical holiday gift.

Back to the espresso machine. I drink a lot of $2.50–$4.00 coffees a week. Add a $1 tip to each one and it's a pricey but oh-so-delicious habit I've created over the years.

If you do the math the machine will pay for itself pretty quickly even if I buy a few coffees out a week.

The machine I went with is the Via Venezia. This took over for the Starbuck's Barista which has excellent online reviews but is no longer made. The Via Venezia is on sale for $199.00. You can get it online or in some Starbucks locations. They keep them behind the counter so you have to ask. On my first attempt it made a really good americano. See?

Easy set up, good crema, so far so good. I will be be tweaking some things for some time to come. Drew said it tasted like Meshuggah coffee—if you're in St. Louis you know what a compliment that is.

Another reason I bought the espresso machine is because we will soon have a bit more room. We're moving!! We're renting a HOUSE in Portland. I am so so sooo excited. Back yard? Front porch? Basement? YES.

Our apartment now has a great location, great price, and I think it's perfect for one person or a couple who doesn't work from home, but after six months of being here we've realized it's just a bit small for us. We're moving sometime around December first. Drew hates moving and I don't blame him, but really… I don't mind. Is that weird? Yeah, it's annoying… but if you like the space you're moving to more than the space you're moving from, it seems sooooo worth it.

OK, back to playing barista.

A Newish Guilty Pleasure

First, thank you so, so much for the outpouring of kind words, well wishes, and stories shared. I took Iz to the vet and the vet was not as overwhelmed with joy as I was that Isadora looks as though she's doing better. The vet recommended even more tests then I came in for, which just makes my head swim.

In my heart of hearts I believe the vet may just be overly cautious and overly aggressive. Believe me, there are times I want that in a vet, and this may be one of them, but I won't find out anything until the beginning or middle of next week when the lab work comes back.

Isadora has always been very healthy (it was our 8 year adoption anniversary on November 10!) so it's just extra strange that the first time she is sick she's not being treated by the vet I've always gone to in St. Louis.

But as of this moment she's curled up beside me on the couch looking as cute as ever and being her usual playful self. And again, knowing how many pet and animal lovers there are warms my heart. All animals have a very special place in my world. They always have. I come from a family of animal lovers.

Okay… want a new guilty pleasure when you're stressed, bored, or just looking for inspiration? May I recommend the Craigslist apartment search in Paris. It's the best. So many of the apartments are small, furnished, and have tons of character so it's a great place to collect ideas. And some of the renting agencies have Flickr sets of their rentals. Check out these sets. Here are a few highlights:

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Portland is expecting a winter storm and I have no idea what that means. Lots of rain? Sleet? Power Outages? For me "winter storm" means snow and ice but I guess I'll know soon enough what this all means Portland style.

Today was spend working all toasty and cozy at home (I am sipping hot chocolate as I write this) and I have a new print conveying (hopefully) that very sentiment.

 

You can find "Inviting" in the shop!

I'm a bit (maybe a lot more than a bit) nervous about tomorrow. My little Isadora and all her rotten little cat goodness has been sick for last few months. The vet has told me everything from Kidney Failure (two days straight of me sobbing) to an "obstruction" to possibility of cancer. She has been on medication, switched her diet and the latest is that we just needed to wait and see and bring her back for more extensive (also read super expensive) testing which all happens tomorrow. 

I can only write this now because I think I have a better grip on it then I did two months ago. She's teeny tiny right now, about 5 1/2 pounds (but she is normally not too much more than that). They are hoping that the best case scenario is that she may have two types of crystals or stones and maybe not as much kidney damage as  they thought. So please keep your fingers crossed for her.

A Little Work Break

I have a few projects I'm working on simultaneously which unfortunately means no photos to share yet. So, I thought it would be a good time to go through my Etsy favorites and share a few of them. These are all from the vintage section. All my handmade favorites are sold right now, which is awesome, but also I'm sad I missed out on a few. Without further ado:

Hand-painted antlers

Vintage rabbit collar

Vintage children's book

Awesome metallic luggage bag

Little enamel turkish coffee thingies (love the colors)

And this is not an Etsy find, but I just found this scarf online at U.O. and want it desperately.

The grey is my favorite (o.k., and the black) but I love the versatility of the scarf.

I hope your week is off to a great start! I am hoping to have some fun news to share later this week!

Victory

I am so proud. Proud of my country and proud of my new President.

President Obama. I had to type it to make it feel more real.

HELLO November '08

It is that time indeed. A new month and a new "HELLO" print. "HELLO November ’08" a.k.a. "Masquerade" is now available in the shop! This month's charity is the much loved Best Friends.

November… when I went grocery shopping Sunday evening it amazed me (I don't know why, it happens every year) how all the Halloween and Octoberness had disappeared and November was officially ushered in with baking supplies, spices, and stuffing prominently displayed and on sale.

"Time to shift gears!" dictates the retail world… and I love it. Even if it's completely artificial.

On Saturday I felt like a lucky duck. Drew was in a rare mood to go to estate sales (and kind of a lot of them) so we toodled around Portland discovering neighborhoods. But what was most interesting to me is that what you find at estate sales here is very different from the estate sales in Missouri. Not entirely—everyone has that Pyrex bowl or this leather-top end table, but then there are Native American knickknacks, antlers of all sorts, and just tons of other things that I never really saw. It makes me feel like I am getting to know this city a little better, and I like it (and seeing the inside of houses always makes me happy).