Orion the Beautiful - Black and White Cat Love

*Blows dust off blog*  Whew!  *Cough cough*  Where HAVE I been?  I've nearly updated a hundred times and utterly failed.  I'm thinking of switching over to a Facebook page instead since they are so much easier to update and more connected. 

So, enough with lame excuses.  I'm going to post a few updates since I have a backlog of ideas, pictures and items to show off.  I just wanted to crack the ice and maybe show a few pictures of my cat.  I know, a terrible stereotype to show cat pictures, but I wanted to show just a few very pretty pictures of Orion to show how he's grown - he's a year and a half old now.

 

I named him Orion because he was such a good little hunter and played fetch with a sock as a little kitten and most of all as he had dark gray hair that made a little belt at his middle before turning to black.  Now it is all black and white fur - no belt at all.  And all that fuzzy kitten hair turned sleek and super soft fine fur.

 

 

Orion and the Giant Lobster:

 

 

 

I bought this big stuffed lobster from the Boston Aquarium ages ago and I put it on my bed in the summers sometimes - Orion took an instant liking to it - he cuddles with it all the time.  Guess it isn't going anywhere.

This is Orion's kitten - a little black and white stuffed animal my Aunt sent last Christmas - he luvs it.
  He kicks it and bites it and then licks it all over like a real kitten  It's hilarious and sweet to watch.  But sometimes he just cuddles with it.  Aww.



And because Halloween will be soon - apparently he's going as a Vampire this year...

 

I love this pic, just happened to catch him mid yawn and it's amazing.

 

Next post will be un-cat related.  Promise. 

 

 

Big, Medium, Small - All the Sizes of the Fairy Houses Together

I'm going to be posting the largest sized Music Fairy House soon in my shop and I wanted to give a little preview/overview of how the houses look in relation to each other...



This is just from my camera on my phone late at night - much better pictures to come.  But on the middle shelf you can see big, medium and small houses in relation to each other - all red roof and Antique Sheet Music.  They look adorable together, no?  And bottom shelf has the two black roof Vintage French Book papered houses. 

Hope you all had a happy weekend.  Busy finishing up orders to ship and new items for the shop before Christmas.  Busy, busy, busy.  Orion is helping, of course.  ;)



Or maybe not...

Here he is around Halloween doing his Hitchcat pose:




And here he is just hangin'





If you look at his baby pics a few months ago you'll notice he's much fluffier and pretty!  He's growing up very handsome, indeed.  In fact, he's very smart and visual - he's watching me type this right now - sitting on my knee watching the letters go across the screen.  He's telling me to be careful with my spelling and my grammar is atrocious.  ;)

10 more days until Thanksgiving!!  Gobble Gobble

A New Year

and

New Silhouettes for the shop!!

 

 

I've added a few of the new silhouettes I'll be adding to the shop over the next few months.  Two ladies and a young boy.  All are Regency period like the other silhouettes I offer in my shop, but these are a bit larger and different profiles.  I will be adding more when I have some slightly bigger frames in stock as they are a bit larger.  I love having some more variety available!

Available in my shop.

First up, a boy who reminds me of a young Mr. Darcy or perhaps he is the son of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet? 

Available in my shop.

And this could be Miss Elizabeth herself, or Elinor or any of Miss Austen's characters, but I do like the fact that it looks remarkably like Miss Austen's own silhouette as seen in the National Portrait Gallery in London.  It's slightly different, but still evokes her spirit.  I think this is my favorite of the new silhouettes.

 

Available in my shop.

This one reminds me of Downton Abbey's Mrs. Bates for some reason.  Perhaps her proud bearing and elaborate hat.  I picture her sipping tea and listening to gossip while she waits for her husband to come to her. 

And speaking of Downton Abbey - how glad am I to have the new season finally here!  I love having the silhouettes about my house as they make me feel like a piece of Downton Abbey is in my own home, just think of Mrs. Hughes sitting room.

Many more new silhouettes to come - be sure to check my shop out for more coming up soon.  I also have a few items that are perfect for Valentine's Day. 

Have a great day!

Vintage Cat and Fox Postcard Pics to Cheer Me (and You) Up

Having a rather tough few months - real life can be such a downer at times...so I was amusing myself with some cute vintage pictures/postcards of two of my favorite animals and thought I'd share some of my faves...

 So dapper!  I wish I could get my kitty to sit still long enough to wear one!

So sweet!  Who wouldn't be cheered up on your birthday with this on your doorstep?

 Or soothed when sick by these sweet kitties?

And then we have...

 I love foxes!  The fact that my last name means fox in gaelic is a point of pride.  I even named my dog, Fox.  (Okay, he's named for Fox Mulder from X-Files, but also because of our love of foxes - it's a win/win kinda thing...)

This postcard has both a kitty AND a couple of foxes...plus rabbits!  All my favorite animals in one!  If you like rabbits, too - do be sure to see my old post with vintage rabbit pics as well!!

Ah, I feel better now, don't you?  ;)  I spent the day running around craft stores trying to get more jewelry supplies and I just wore myself out.  I've had such a headache and backache all evening and it is just too darn hot for running around.  And now I checked the weather and see that it will get back up to 99+ degrees again this week.  How ever will I cope?? 

Have a great weekend and if you are where it is hot - stay cool and hydrated!!!  Drink lots of lemonade and hit the pool, I know I am!  The Mad Tea Party approaches...

Bigger Better Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Now don't get me wrong - I love Tollhouse cookies - they taste great. But the cookies always come out thin and a bit crunchy whereas I like a chewy moist chocolate chip cookie. So I've been looking for a new recipe or ideas to make my chocolate chip cookies a bit better and finally found a great recipe in a free cookbook pamphlet my local grocery store hands out. It's a large recipe and I was a little worried at first, but they made some of the plumpest, moist cookies ever and I loved them!!


Here's the picture to illustrate the difference in Tollhouse looking cookies to new cookies:
They really deliver...

I've altered the recipe just a smidge.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:

4 1/2 cups Flour
1 t Baking Powder
1 t Baking Soda
1 1/2 t Salt
1 3/4 cups Brown Sugar (firmly packed)
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Veg. Shortening
1/2 cup Butter (one stick)
3 Large Eggs
3 t Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 pkgs. (12 oz. size) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (more or less, depends on personal taste)
1 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts


Prepare as you do in usual chocolate chip cookie recipes like Tollhouse. Mix Dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ones in mixer bowl, combine slowly.

Bake at 375 degrees.

The results are fantastic - this is about half the cookies...

I'm sure they will go fast!

And Smokey wanted me to remind you that it is getting colder! And he let me know that if I get out of bed for something I can't expect to have my place when I come back.

Have a Great Weekend!

Window Shopping at Etsy

I'm stressed, money is super tight and I'm nervous about the future. That signals that it is definitely time to shop. Well, window shop anyway. And since I love it when my fellow bloggers share their favorite finds here's a few of mine.

First up - a cool find from Etsy's main page:

Found HERE

Antlers! How quirky and as soon as I saw it I immediately thought of Black Apple of course, can't you just see her wearing these? I'm not brave enough to pull it off, but she so could. I love the dress, too. Or at least this picture of it - it looks so Jane Austen-y. The other pictures show it a bit too short, but this picture is just beautiful.



And this I found a little while ago and I see now it is sold. Thank goodness or my credit card might be stretched that much thinner just now...

Found HERE

You don't know how long I looked for a letter just like this one - it's perfect. I need it. Except I don't, really. Darn it all. Not like groceries and health insurance.

And this one is stacked really cool and a GREAT collection, but I do have quite a few of these myself...

Found HERE

We found a ton of these letters at a kind of flea market - they were dumped all over a warehouse floor and no one wanted them. I wish I could have bought them all, but we did bring home quite a lot - filled an office trash can full of all our favorite letters and numbers. I have a few displayed, but mostly in a box - I should stack them like this, though - such a great display idea.

And this is just so cute....

Found HERE

Who doesn't need a bit of whimsy and a medieval hut or tower on their finger?

And this? I don't want the actual print that is listed...I want this kitty!!

Found HERE

I need this kitty - not just because he so cute, but because he could do my taxes for me. ;)

That's all for now. I feel much calmer now...retail therapy. And without spending a dime.

Sharing a bit of Fall...

Aaaah, Fall -you are so beautiful. I love searching for the perfect pumpkin...

Even if it ends up being a little mini pumpkin like this one - I love the shape and color, so cute! I added a tiny silver bud vase full of twigs from my redbud tree - very fall looking and I was going to polish the silver vase and then thought it looked extra October-y and Halloween looking tarnished as it is - and don't you love the feet on that vase?

And you can't stop at one tiny pumpkin or gourd - you must buy several in different styles. I piled mine up in my white pedestal bowl.



And of course Fall comes with cold weather - so my kitties find nice warm spots to snuggle up in and purr...

Speaking of cats - I just love this poster we've had for decades - it's an American Lung Association poster.

I love the three cats and the We don't Want You to Smoke at the bottom is just a bonus.

Saying Goodbye...

Sorry I've been so quiet lately, but not only was life hectic, but I lost my best friend, my sidekick and my treasured companion to old age just a few days ago.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Lestat - so typical of him, rolling around in clean laundry getting it all furry and in need of washing again. :)

I raised him from a tiny kitten along with his brother (who was obviously named Louis as I was an Anne Rice fanatic at the time - hey, I was 14 when the movie came out) and I loved him so much, but even more so - he LOVED me. He was MY cat - he claimed me so. He followed me everywhere, slept next to me every night - forcefully got into my lap even if it meant climbing on top of my laptop...

I'm glad he's not in pain anymore (it hurt to see him in the pain he was obviously in for the past year) - but I miss him dreadfully and there is a big gaping hole in my heart that will never be fully healed.

Goodbye, Lestat...I miss you...

Brrr...

It's 8 degrees outside and so dark cold a pillow stuck to a window with the freeze. And that's after we insulated it a few years ago because it's a broken stain glass window in my room. I can only imagine how cold my room would be if there wasn't an extra pain of glass there. My mother's knocked out with a cold so I'm staying near her to take care of her and my kitties are snuggling up in warm beds throughout the house not caring I'm late feeding them even if I am up.

This pic is a little old, but shows just how I feel, the need to snuggle in bed and just stay WARM.

And yet, I wish it would snow, everytime it's cold enough to keep it here awhile it doesn't snow and then when it warms to barely cold enough then we get a light snow or cold rain. Darn it. I love snow it makes the world seem clean and calm.

Shabby style Daybed + Cats, of course

There is a law of the land that states any clean and freshly made bed must be immediately appropriated by any fuzzy animal in the house. As you can see Smokey is making sure I comply fully with this law and not go to jail.

We bought this day bed at a garage sale years ago and it was my main bed for many years until I decided I really wanted to stretch out and have my kitties be able to sleep without getting kicked off so I bought a queen sized bed and put this away in storage. It is currently serving as my sickbed as I still find my own bed inconvenient and on really bad nights I don't want to wake others with moaning and frantic pill hunts plus I can get myself some juice or crackers, etc.


I love the colors - the quilt is new, something my mom bought while I was in the hospital and she wanted me to have fresh sheets and a quilt and be comfortable. Also...she couldn't remember where we'd put the twin sheets and it was either buy new or go bare. lol


Smokey: What on Earth do you mean you didn't just take all that effort to make the bed perfect for me?? You may have forgotten to take your medicine today, just saying... Now go fetch my catnip mouse and a brush and all will be forgotten of your little comments.



blurry pic of one of many little details I love so much they make it so vintage and pretty to me. It's my spare bed, if ever I have my studio finished...ahem, man of the house...I really want it down there so I can rest and straighten my back out like I need to in between projects.


There is no law against having two fuzzy creatures at a time on said bed, but there are times when three is too many or even two if they both try occupy spots too close to each other:

Sorry it isn't a Thanksgiving post, but I may have one tomorrow or so, I'm hoping I'm able to make some very old fashioned treats that I so adore: mincedmeat pies/tarts. They are good, really, don't let the name turn you off, no meat taste at all and I add lovely apples and raisins and my family can't get enough of them.

Actually I probably blogged before about them, but so what? It's all I'm up to making this year besides a salad for the meal. I had to beg off cooking and entertaining this year. I'm lucky and thankful that the surgery is over, if the regular schedule was followed I'd be just released and home and feeling much much worse so I'm grateful for having it over.

Monday Giveaway!!!!!!!

Shake off those Monday Blues and comment here for a chance to win this really cool fall pin with a beautiful fox on it.

Made of Polymer Clay by Stone House Jewelry, it's really a pretty piece and I'd never guess it was made from clay. Measures 2x2" and is really cool. I thought it was really an appropriate Fall giveaway. Giveaway ends this Saturday and will be shipped right away.

I'll be having another giveaway soon after Thanksgiving for a Xmas treat.

So the only rules for this giveaway is leave a comment - any comment on something interesting you've seen/done/wish you had/ etc. or something interesting.

And now for a cute pic I got of one of my kitties at Halloween. Ever try to get a hat on a cat? It isn't easy - I had to bribe him with candy. Naw, just kidding, he was real laid back about the whole thing I just wish all my other pics weren't so blurry.

Ooooh, bargains!!

Hey, you interrupted my nap! Oh, yeah, there was something I was supposed to tell you....um...oh yes, there is a great sale going on at 58Cherries right now so you might want pop on by and do a little Christmas shopping.

Oh, and by the way, this wreath you got out? It's mine. You need to decorate it, you say? I'm not decorative enough? Besides it's my bed now. Go buy yourself another one.

My Supervisor

Often observes my work habits and feels I need to step up the pace a bit. Far too many sick days being taken lately and very little focus and meeting deadlines. I guess he's right.

And if I don't make room for said supervisor to sit down he WILL make room. Preferably right on top of the wet paint, thank you very much.

Now get back to work! ;)

This and That

Just a mixed bag of things I'd like to share today. It's a chilly overcast day and the perfect time to share a new recipe. I've been craving something cranberry the last few weeks so I bought some dried cranberries at the farmer's market and looked for a cranberry orange muffin recipe online. What I found was a cooking light recipe and they came out more like little bitty cranberry scones rather than muffins, but I think they taste great that way, too.

The tops are sugared and glisten like they are covered in frost - perfect for these chilly fall days. ;)

Here's the recipe for these Cranberry Orange muffin/scones:

Heat oven 400 degrees.

Combine in large bowl:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar (all, but about a tablespoon - save to sprinkle on top of muffins before baking)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

In small bowl mix:

2 tsp + orange rind

3/4 cup orange juice (or more if needed to moisten dough) about one large orange or two medium oranges.

1/4 veg. or canola oil

1 large egg

Beat wet ingredients together then add to larger bowl and mix well. I found the dough very dry and had to add more orange juice until just moist. Dough will be very thick. Fold in 2 cups cranberries (I used dried), and 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans.

Grease muffin tin and fill 3/4 full, sprinkle with sugar and pop them in the oven. Makes about 16 muffins.

Last weekend we drove past a little antique store having a 1/2 off sale and bought a few tiny little treasures:

My favorites are the wheel of cheese, red pitcher and donkey. My mom's are the deer and little scotty dog as well as the tiny doll. Each one was only 50 cents - can you believe it?

And now - the absolute last post related to Halloween - I swear - at the end of the night my feet were getting tired of running to the door to feed the trick or treaters so I put on my little booties I got at Target just for the occassion:

Isn't it cute? The little kitty face just makes me smile and I like that they are mary jane style - the bottoms say 'meow'. lol

And the real kitties of the house are getting all snugly in their beds now that the weather has turned.

This is the cutest little bed I've ever bought for them - got it at World Market over the summer and they are just now starting to use it. Cute!

And finally, it's pomegranate season now so that means my mom eats at least one a day. We both love them, but I think she's addicted to them just as she is to cherries.

Check out the stash - this is after she'd eaten several already...

That was about two days ago and there are like three left - she'll be buying more this weekend, I'm sure. :)