cats cats everywhere

Often I have days where I try on dozens of outfits and all of them look terrible. I get fed up with my closet turning into a disaster zone, clothes strewn about all over the place, and force myself to just wear whatever I put on next. Sometimes it results in me looking like I never learned how to properly dress myself and sometimes it results in fun little outfits that I end up liking, like this one!

Tonight my family and I are leaving for a little weekend trip to Washington, DC to belatedly celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. I'm excited but I'm going to miss the kitties so much! I've gotten really used to Arrietty sleeping with me every night now... and if one little weekend is bothering me, I have no idea how I'm going to handle being separated from her for months when me and Kyle go on our road trip this summer. I guess I'll just have to skype with her a lot! :)

shirt, cardigan and skirt - forever 21 | i love cats brooch - modcloth

cat head brooch - oh yeah cat heads | belt - from another dress | shoes - ebay

hubble & arrietty

Hubble and Arrietty are the first cats I've ever had who get along and play with each other. Even going back to the ones we had when I was a baby, my family has always had cats who, at their best, simply tolerated each other. Hypatia and Chloe each acted like the other one didn't exist. Hubble used to bully Hypatia and she wasn't strong enough to defend herself so I had to keep them separate. He taunts Chloe a bit too, but she usually holds her own and then scurries away. In Arrietty he's finally found someone who likes to play, too, and he couldn't be happier!

They play, bathe each other, and get cozy together. It's so fun to see them forming a little kitty friendship! Arrietty had to be quarantined in my room for a while earlier this month and Hubble practically spent the entire time sitting outside my door meowing for her! It was just so cute!

come home

The last day of my art show was definitely better than the first two, so I'm not super disappointed. If I had known I'd just about break even, though, I wouldn't have chosen to wake up 5 hours earlier than usual three days in a row, lol! But I did have a nice time, and it was worth a shot! You never know until you try, right?

I am so worn out though! I think I'm going to be irresponsible and leave my piles of pending work until tomorrow so I can spend all day on the couch recuperating and watching a marathon of the new Arrested Development episodes!

ps. kind of random, but does anyone else ever find that the posts you love are the ones nobody else seems to? Like if you absolutely love an outfit, nobody really comments on it. But when you're like "ugh, I have nothing else to post so I might as well throw up this ugly outfit post that I hated" everyone else seems to love it? It happens to me so often, I'm just curious if anyone else has the same pattern :)

shirt - forever 21 | skirt - c/o modcloth | shoes - dorothy perkins | bag - asos

brass in pocket

Today is the last day of my art show and I'm hoping it goes well because the first two days were a complete bust. Saturday was rained out (although we decided to stay in the city and go to the American Museum of Natural History instead, which was really fun!) and then yesterday was pretty much the worst sales day I've ever had... it was terrible. On the bright side though I met a few really nice artists on my block and I got to see some old friends (Hi Ella!!) so that made up for the crummy sales :)

I wore this outfit last week and I think I'm probably going to wear this skirt again today. I've wanted a plain not-too-short black skirt for so long (I'm embarrassed to admit how many hours I've wasted just pouring over search results for "black skirt" on my favorite shopping sites) and this one is perfect! I think you're going to be seeing a lot of it this summer :)

dress worn as a shirt - modcloth | skirt - c/o modcloth | shoes - c/o bait footwear

whale of a tale

I love that the pattern at the top of this dress creates a little frame for brooches. I know it probably wasn't intentional on this particular frock, but how neat would it be if there was a whole line of dresses/tops with brooch frames?

I spend way too many blog posts talking about whatever I'm watching on netflix but... I just found Prophets of Science Fiction and it is so, so good! Each episode gives biographical information about one particular science fiction author and then delves into the science behind their stories and which of their futuristic predictions have come true today. My favorites so far have been the Mary Shelley and HG Wells episodes. I also really liked the episode on Philip K Dick. I haven't read anything by him before but now I'd like to!

dress- c/o modcloth | tights - urban outfitters | belt - f21

shoes - asos | whale brooch - ginger pickle

backwards buttons

I really, really love this outfit! Also, I wore the shirt backwards all day and didn't realize until I took it off at night. I think it looks pretty cute with the buttons in the front though so I'll probably wear it backwards on purpose next time ;)

This weekend I'm doing my first art show in two years! I used to do outdoor art exhibits full time until Flapper Doodle took off, but I'm way off my game now. Most of my setup supplies were strewn about in the basement (while my bedroom might reach Martha Stewart levels of organization my basement is like Martha's worst nightmare) and I've been going crazy trying to find everything I need... even really important things like original paintings and prints. Whoops! I think after this show I'm going to get a storage unit to store everything in (neatly) so I'm better prepared for the next show.

Disorganization aside, I'm really excited and I'm having so much fun getting ready! I think I've done more paintings this week than I have in the last two years combined. And I love it :)

ps. I finished up a blog design last night for Danielle from Hello Cat Lady and I love how it came out! You can check it out (and follow her, she's a sweetheart!) over here.   

skirt - c/o modcloth | yellow shirt - forever 21 | lady tie - flapper girl

shoes - c/o bait footwear | sleeveless shirt - c/o tulle | belt - forever 21

if you like it then you should have put a coat of paint on it

Recently at Target I overheard a woman lamenting the fact that the (easily paintable!!) item she loved came in a color she didn't. I wanted to run over to her and preach the gospel of paint. But, being a shy person who avoids talking to strangers at all costs, I decided to avoid the soapbox for the time being and pour my passion into a blog post instead ;)

Paint allows you to see potential in things that you'd otherwise avoid. It can turn cheap toys (like... plastic dinosaurs) into cute decor, and ugly flea market finds into treasured possessions. And it's fun!! If you haven't seen a horrendous color disappear while you're waving a can of spray paint over it like a magic wand... well you simply have not lived, my friend!

Here are some of my favorite paint transformations!



Thanks to spray paint, I turned a bright red french fry bowl and a neon yellow clearance basket into pretty purple organizers for my closet! The same color also came in handy for my DIY lipstick holder!



Packing orders for my etsy shop requires the use of some terribly ugly utilitarian supplies like tape dispensers. The green one began life in a dull beige hue, and the peach one was originally black. I'm so much happier working when my office supplies are this pretty :)



This lamp was a flea market find almost 10 years ago. It was black and rusty and the original wiring was frayed. A little sandpaper and spray paint and it looks as good as new! My mom and I re-wired it, and now it's a one of a kind lamp that is right at home in my bedroom.



My IKEA dresser was originally completely unfinished wood, but I decided a couple months ago to spruce it up by painting the frame the same grapefruit shade as my door and closet. I also switched out the standard knobs. The flowers are from Anthropologie and the cats are from Urban Outfitters.



While I had the paint out, I also decided to paint my office desk! It too was unfinished wood and needed a little pick-me-up. I love unfinished wood (the desk behind me in my outfit pictures doesn't have any stain or paint on it) but sometimes a bright coat of paint is just so much better!



For the dressers in my closet I did the same thing that I did in my bedroom and just painted the frame. I think covering the original plain birch wood with mint green helped make these look more at home in my 60's beauty parlor themed dressing room!



Last but not least, my absolute favorite paint makeover! It was so easy (and cheap! I didn't even use one full quart of paint) and it made SUCH a huge difference! My room feels so much bigger and brighter since I painted my bed frame mint green.

And I mean, isn't it a nice thought that when you're shopping for a bed -- or a dresser, or a lamp, or a table -- that the only thing you really NEED to consider is the quality and basic structure. Even if it's the most hideous hue you've ever seen or covered in a blinding pattern fit for a fun house, as long as there is paint on this planet it doesn't matter. Just something to remember next time you're at Target and see the most beautiful vase you've ever laid your eyes on in the most apalling color known to man ;)

daisies

Maybe it's because a lot of people don't think it flatters their skin tone or something, but it seems like grey clothing and accessories are really hard to find! Except for sweatshirts and t-shirts. Maybe it's a "I only wear this when I want to lay on the couch stuffing my face with ice cream" color? Or a "the only other people who will ever see me in this are the other people at the gym" color? I rather like it myself, though! Maybe I'm just a champion of underdog colors.

Either way, these shoes are grey and in my eyes that makes them absolutely awesome.

dress - c/o oasap | brooch - vintage | shoes - c/o bait footwear

remembering

Six years ago today, Hypatia became a member of my family. As sad as I am to be marking this anniversary without her, today should still be a happy occasion. I got to spend part of my life with one of the sweetest, most gentle feline companions on the planet. Our time together was brief, but so incredibly full of love and joy -- and today should be a celebration of those happy memories.

I'm still having a very hard time coping with her loss, but lately I've been finding myself smiling sometimes when I talk about her instead of immediately bursting into tears. I still cry a lot, but I like those moments, however rare they may be, when I can say her name and feel happy. One thing that has helped me find comfort has been coming up with ways to honor her memory and keep her present in my life.

The day that she passed away, my mom gave me a gold chain for her name tag, and I wear it every day along with a hand-stamped charm displaying her adoption date. Sometimes when I start feeling sad, looking at her spot on my bed or seeing her favorite food at the grocery store, I'll just clutch my charms and reassure myself that even though she's gone physically, she'll forever be in my heart.

I understand this definitely isn't for everyone, but I also had a cremation crystal made with some of her ashes, and had it set in a ring. I chose a pink crystal since she had a pink collar and a pink bed, and was just such a sweet little dainty cat. I personally think it's a beautiful way to memorialize a beloved animal, and it really provides me with a sense of calm knowing that she's always with me wherever I go.



I had this one wall in my room that I never really knew what to do with (it's an awkward space next to my window, about 2' deep) so I decided to make it into a little Hypatia art arrangement. I ordered custom portraits from a few artists on etsy and hung them in a grouping with a photo of her that I printed on fabric and framed in an embroidery hoop.

Obviously not everyone grieves this long for their pets, and I know that I was more attached to Hypatia than most people are to their animals. I am, by definition, a cat lady. My cats are my kids and Hypatia was my baby. But time is healing my wounds a little, and my other goofy playful cats are helping me cope. I was actually watching a video of Hypatia a couple weeks ago and when she meowed, Arrietty meowed back. They kept going for a few minutes, and it was so moving I can't even begin to describe it.



As difficult as the last couple months have been, I am just so happy that I have so many warm memories to comfort me. When I glance at the art grouping on my wall or look at my ring, I remember how she used to cover her food bowl with anything laying on the floor --tissues, socks, carpet fuzz, paper bags. I remember that she liked to comb my hair with her paw to wake me up in the morning, and that she would use my dad's sneakers as a scratching post.  My heart will always be heavy, but remembering how happy she made me when she was here is finally helping me to smile a little now that she's gone.


links
gold stamped charm - sarah fewell
cremation crystal - cremation solutions
hypatia painting - dog dream
portrait of me & hypatia - paper plants
hypatia illustration - brett manning

better in person

This was one of my favorite outfits I've ever worn, and yet I kind of hate how it came out in my pictures. It's weird how that happens sometimes! I promise it looked so cute in person. Pinky swear!

I was so excited to find this dress on ebay. I've been after a perfect black and white polka-dotted dress for years and this one (originally from h&m) really does the trick. blah. I got a comment recently that said my blog has gotten dull the last few months, which was kind of rude but probably a little true. I know that I'm still mourning the loss of my cat and having a hard time creating fluffy content with a heavy heart. But now that the thought is planted in my brain, I just can't seem to write *anything at all* without feeling like whatever I'm typing is Dullsville, USA. aghhh! I just seriously can't think of interesting things to say now. It created a big mental block (catch-22 alert!) Outfit posts always present that problem to begin with (like how often do you really want to hear "I love this dress, here is why") but now it's even harder to come up with an interesting way to make trite conversation about what I'm wearing or what I did that day. Oh phooey! :p

ps. I didn't want to do a whole post on the office finale since I'm getting into "might turn into an office fanblog" territory but did anyone else watch it?!?! I was in a constant state of crying the whole time. It was so perfect. I want to watch it again so I can catch things I might have missed the first time, but I don't know if my heart can handle it just yet.

dress - ebay | sweater - steamtown mall in scranton

shirt - forever 21 | shoes - asos

daydreams

I've been trying to catch up on work the last few days (birthdays and a couple trips have made me fall so behind!) so I ended up starting Scandal and I've been watching episode after episode while I toil away at my computer. It's so addicting! I used to be active in politics when I was a teenager and this show makes me a little glad I never pursued that for a career. I still volunteer during election season and obsessively follow the news but I think I'm much more suited to be an outsider in the field of politics. It seems like a world with a higher than average amount of bullies and mean people, and I can barely handle the few I've had to put up with online.

Honestly the older I get, the more I crave a really quiet, almost hermit-like life. I think my ideal existence (read: dream life, never gonna happen) would be living in a little cottage somewhere in Europe with no internet access and no phone. I would ride my bicycle into town to buy groceries, see movies and get the occasional pastry. But most of the time I would be painting, gardening, reading or watching dvds with my cats and (hey, as long as I'm dreaming) my brilliant boyfriend in our beautiful home. It's a far cry from the busy political future I once envisioned for myself, and probably nothing more than a pipe dream, but a girl can wish :)

dress- charlotte russe | shirt - c/o modcloth | shoes - c/o bait footwear

tights - target | ice cream brooch - sweet and lovely