crazy cat lady

Our four cats are jazzed about the new house.  They are excited for the extra space to run, the stairs to chase each other up and down and the big bay window where they'll spy on birds.

I'm excited for the chance to make our new place (even more) animal friendly.  I hate traditional animal supplies (ugly litter boxes, awkward cat trees, sloppy pet beds, etc etc).  It's been a challenge keeping so many furry babies happy while maintaining any sense of interior decor.

On my wish list (were budget not an issue....which it always is, but I still like to look)...

(This scratching post looks a million times better than the normal towers.

In fact, I would get it even if I didn't have any cats--he'd look so cute by an umbrella stand)

(With multiple cats it's important to think in three-dimensions.  Don't limit cats to the floor.

These perches give kitties a whole new world in which to play )

(Husband is incredibly handy...I'm thinking this could be a fairly easy project.

Plus, in the right color, it could be a fun addition to our wall art)

(A great way to hide the messiest bits.  

No one ever needs to see the litter box again)

It's loads of fun planning creative solutions to pet problems.

(Although, sometimes all you need is a good paper bag.....just ask Tennyson)

B

O Tannenbaum

Tonight our tiny Christmas tree is going up.  The apartment is most warm and cozy, compared to the bitter wind-chill that's left everything covered in ice.

Our tree is so tiny because we don't have the space...and because our four cats like to climb up the tree and knock it over (although annoying, it's not the disaster that would be if we had a 6' tall tree).  We put our Christmas tree on a table and tie it down so that it stays standing when this happens:

Oh Beaker...

While I'm waiting for the husband to arrive home from work, I think I'll make some white chocolate chip chocolate cookies.  And play Handel's Messiah.  And light my new favorite candle...at least it will smell right when we decorate our plastic tree.

And yes, my shrewd reader--I did say four cats.  We're keeping the little black kitten we've been bottle feeding.  We've named her Rousseau.  It's going to be a crowded, fuzzy, bright and warm Christmas.

B

crustaceans

I'm going through a lobster phase.

As a child, I would always press my face against the glass of the grocery store's lobster tank, plotting ways I could buy one and keep it as a pet--saving it from a boiling and untimely death.

While I never successfully saved any of my invertebrate friends, I have managed to keep the spirit alive.  For example: our dog, Sweet Lime Sake, dressed up for a Halloween costume contest as a-

and yes, she won 1st place...

I found myself with a bit of extra time yesterday, so I whipped up a layered spice cake with a caramel filling just for fun, decorated with a-

And when we move and/or have the chance to re-redo our living room, you can bet that there will pillows with a-

So much fun.  So whimsical.  So...delicious.

B