I know we can't complain about Christmas decorations being up too early
anymore, but I think you'll still appreciate this photo from one of my
Halloween groups:
*****
In fact let's take a little break from Christmas, and instead gaze in wonder at these incredible Labyrinth candlesticks:
In fact let's take a little break from Christmas, and instead gaze in wonder at these incredible Labyrinth candlesticks:
Clare hand sculpted the riddling door guards out of air dry clay, then added them to existing candlesticks. I can't get over how perfect they look, especially with the matching candles!
*****
Ohhh, and I know you're going to love these scarves I found. First we have a cuddly neck dragon:
Ohhh, and I know you're going to love these scarves I found. First we have a cuddly neck dragon:
Felted Snow Dragon Scarf
by Peacock Felt
Or, if you prefer to make your own neck wear, Bea of Cottontail Whiskers is selling patterns for this adorable barn owl:
::immediately cranks "As The World Falls Down"::
I thought the Labyrinth vibes were accidental until I scrolled
through Bea's shop; she also has patterns for both a Firey & Ludo! Then there are lots of hilarious and/or geeky gems like these:
Alien curtain tie-backs!
I know I said no more Christmas, but this tree is cracking. me. UP:
I know I said no more Christmas, but this tree is cracking. me. UP:
Oh no, the urge to learn crochet is growing. Halp. Or maybe recommend a good kit? No. Yes. NO.
DEFINITELY NOT.
Or yes.
Or yes.
****
I maintain that you can EASILY work in at least one Jim Carrey Grinch quote per day. The amount of use John and I get out of "It's joyful and triumphant" and "But what would I WEAR?!" is worth the price of admission alone. We also enjoy telling the cats - just before wrestling their mouths open to brush their teeth - that, "this is NOT pudding." Then we laugh like loons while they plot our demise. Good times.
Anywho, let's carry on.
I maintain that you can EASILY work in at least one Jim Carrey Grinch quote per day. The amount of use John and I get out of "It's joyful and triumphant" and "But what would I WEAR?!" is worth the price of admission alone. We also enjoy telling the cats - just before wrestling their mouths open to brush their teeth - that, "this is NOT pudding." Then we laugh like loons while they plot our demise. Good times.
Anywho, let's carry on.
****
Getting back to our snowy winter theme, take a look at Erica Danielle's
gorgeous shabby chic Star Wars Hoth wall:
Geeky decorating is a passion of mine, so this pleases me
immensely. Look at the details!
It's elegant, whimsical, and geeky all at once. Amazing.
Even better, Erica reports everything here is thrifted except the shelf
and Rebel plaque. Later she modified the vintage print - which she said reminded her of Leia - to add Luke on
his tauntaun in the background:
*****
Over on
the RPF Adrian G.
made giant fake batteries for his Tesla, and I dare you not to grin:
How cute is this?! They're made from PVC pipe and can be used for extra
storage, but mostly Adrian made them to make people smile. Mission
accomplished, Adrian. (Hit the link up there for his original post with
more photos.)
*****
You've probably seen this before, but Robert Rogalski's epic "Cat Trees" are making the rounds again, and I need someone to imagine this with lanterns and fairy lights dangling from the branches:
*****
You've probably seen this before, but Robert Rogalski's epic "Cat Trees" are making the rounds again, and I need someone to imagine this with lanterns and fairy lights dangling from the branches:
That would be pure magic, right?
Now I'm wondering if this would work with our 8-foot ceilings. You know, hypothetically, John.
Now I'm wondering if this would work with our 8-foot ceilings. You know, hypothetically, John.
::Slow, sneaky smile::
****
Ok, I've tried to restrain from blasting you with more
Christmas - I have! But I can't hold back any longer:
Look at this Small World inspired tree & fireplace! Eeeeee! Brought to you by the amazing Ginny of
Making Main Street.
These colors and patterns and shapes are pure serotonin, I could look at them all day. My favorite is the Santa stocking in the pink Mickey ears:
These colors and patterns and shapes are pure serotonin, I could look at them all day. My favorite is the Santa stocking in the pink Mickey ears:
Click over to Ginny's post on Instagram
to see the rest of her photos.
If you like that, I bet you'll also love this softer, pastel version of a Small World
Christmas by Leslie of Flossie And Flair:
This is her daughter's room, and I'm officially jealous of a 7 year old.
Just one more Disney
Christmas gem, because this vintage-style print by Mary of Mare Bear Press is the stuff that imaginative Christmas dreams are made of:
Eeee! Look at lil' Santa Dreamfinder!
... and Figment pulling the Dream Machine sleigh:
Prints start at just $5 in Mary's Etsy shop, and if you like this, you'll love all of Mary's art. Unfortunately her prints probably won't arrive in time for Christmas, but I just bought one anyway.
Also our own Figgy says hi. :)
*****
John and I are still working on that big charity project I mentioned last week, but we've moved from painting and plumbing to laying 1200 square feet of laminate flooring by this Friday. o.0 We don't usually work on projects this big, so it's been grueling, but still super fun.
I know this project is a good thing for others, but on a selfish note, it's also helping me focus past my anxiety and self-hate. (Those have really been ganging up on me this month.) Maybe none of my gifts will be on time, and maybe none of them will be good enough, just like my broken brain keeps screeching at me. Maybe. But gifts aren't what matter. People do, relationships do. Love matters. So when my back aches tonight as I totter into bed, I'm going to hang on to that reminder, and tell my screechy voice to stuff it.
I hope this will be your own reminder to take a break from shopping or cleaning or baking or any of those other "have-to"s for the season. Let's promise each other we won't get so busy doing things for others that we miss spending time with them. Even if it's just a phone call to someone you haven't seen in a while.
Ah. You just thought of someone, didn't you?
::nudge::
*****
John and I are still working on that big charity project I mentioned last week, but we've moved from painting and plumbing to laying 1200 square feet of laminate flooring by this Friday. o.0 We don't usually work on projects this big, so it's been grueling, but still super fun.
I know this project is a good thing for others, but on a selfish note, it's also helping me focus past my anxiety and self-hate. (Those have really been ganging up on me this month.) Maybe none of my gifts will be on time, and maybe none of them will be good enough, just like my broken brain keeps screeching at me. Maybe. But gifts aren't what matter. People do, relationships do. Love matters. So when my back aches tonight as I totter into bed, I'm going to hang on to that reminder, and tell my screechy voice to stuff it.
I hope this will be your own reminder to take a break from shopping or cleaning or baking or any of those other "have-to"s for the season. Let's promise each other we won't get so busy doing things for others that we miss spending time with them. Even if it's just a phone call to someone you haven't seen in a while.
Ah. You just thought of someone, didn't you?
::nudge::
Go on. The rest can wait.
Sending you hugs, love, and wishes for sweet healing peace as you sleep tonight.
*****
P.S. I'm not advocating more shopping, but if you happen to be shopping anyway, you might enjoy a quick browse of my Amazon lists.
My favorite addition this week is this automatic pet feeder we've been using the last 6 months:
Remember my post from April, "We Put The Cats On A Diet: A Tragedy In 3 Parts"? Well this little gizmo has been a life-saver since then.
Not only can you program how much food to give and how often (ours goes off 4 times a day), it also lets you record your own sound effects! So guess what sound we used. Go on.
Did you guess?
If you just said the sound of the Star Trek replicator from TNG, then you get a gold star. It's ridiculous, but it makes me happy. Plus there's the whole keeping our cats at a healthy weight thing, and how they can't binge-and-puke anymore. Yeah. I guess those are pretty great, too. ;)
Not only can you program how much food to give and how often (ours goes off 4 times a day), it also lets you record your own sound effects! So guess what sound we used. Go on.
Did you guess?
If you just said the sound of the Star Trek replicator from TNG, then you get a gold star. It's ridiculous, but it makes me happy. Plus there's the whole keeping our cats at a healthy weight thing, and how they can't binge-and-puke anymore. Yeah. I guess those are pretty great, too. ;)
How do you use the feeder for two cats? We have one cat and are thinking about getting a second, but our cat, Kaladin, is a pig and I worry he'll eat all the food!
ReplyDeleteI have two cats and two feeders (had up to three) and I just put them in different parts of the room, so my piggy kitty doesn't get the chance to entirely hog both feeders. I've found that they play musical chairs until they settle down and eat. Good luck!
DeleteI have three cats (and a dog), but two cats graze while the third eats whatever fits in his mouth. The nibblers have RFID feeders (cuz they need separate prescription diets), while Hangry Boy gets locked in a separate room during dinner time and let out when the nibblers are mostly done. They get fed on a schedule, so it's easier for me to orchestrate their chaos.
DeleteCats develop a pecking order, so I think the only way to know for sure is to try it and then watch to make sure everyone's getting enough food. Eva is the pig here - she gets first go at the food every time, while Suki hangs back - but she never eats all of it. Also helps to have more food drops of a smaller amount, so the beta cat has more chances, ha.
DeleteThey have feeders that will read a microchip and drop food based on the microchip. I haven't used one, so I might be getting it wrong. I just know they exist.
DeleteYour time is the greatest gift you can give. So carry on with this project and the gifts arrive when they arrive. They just make the holiday extend more. Now I am off to sew up cross stitch stocking #67 for a wee lad.
ReplyDeleteYou TELL that darned screechy voice to stuff it, Jen. You TELL IT! And, in case you need to hear it...you're awesome and fun and generous and a light in many of our lives. And lovely. And creative. Shut up annoying, lying screechy voice! Shut up!
ReplyDeleteI'm not seeing that there are any active hyperlinks associated with the barn owl stole. I found it online though, here's the link for anyone interested:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cottontailandwhiskers.com/amigurumi-owl-shawl-crochet-pattern/
Oops, you're right, I forgot to embed the link! Thx for pointing that out, just added it to the post.
DeleteYes! You MUST make a cat tree! You are both so talented and you have cats and it would be perfect and MAGIC! (whenever you have the time of course <3 )
ReplyDeleteDoing something for someone else is the best antidote for self doubt and self-hate. Sewing quilts and giving them away has kept me from going over the edge this year. Knowing you can help someone or make someone smile helps quiet those voices in your head.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely learn how to crochet! A little stuffed ball is suoer easy to make, but the POSSIBILITIES!! Slap a face and some wings on there and it can be anything!
ReplyDeleteI never have the patience to excell at anything, I only ever learn the basics, and crocheting was so worth it. It's easy, quick, cheap, calming and super satisfying.
Can we focus on the brushing your cats teeth? Can we get a tutorial on how you accomplished that?
ReplyDeleteHoo boy, that's a tricky one. :D It definitely takes two people, at least with our cats, and the cat toothbrush I have linked in my Amazon store helps, because it's smaller.
DeleteIn a nutshell John holds the cat so she's sitting upright in his arms, and then I pry open her jaws with one hand while brushing with the other. Even after doing this twice a week for three years, neither cat is wild about the process, haha. We started young, and I assumed it would get easier, but... not really. They still wiggle around in protest, and Eva has somehow weaponized her drool.
Their breath doesn't stink, though, and we'll probably never need to do dental surgery when they're older, so... worth it.
Oh man, crochet is so fun! If you know how to make a slipknot, you already know how to start crocheting! I learned from a combo of YouTubers and library books, and most beginner patterns only need 4 things - medium weight yarn (like the red heart super saver at wal mart!), an H hook (also called a 5mm hook), a large eyed or darning needle, and some scissors! Scarves are a great project to start with because they're just a long rectangle and you can practice the different stitches with them easily! I hope that if you do start to learn crochet you have fun with it. I know I did (and do - there's always more to learn, which I find so exciting)!
ReplyDelete