meowy and bright

Tomorrow will be one year since I was hospitalized, and it feels so weird knowing that a year has passed. One of those "only a year???" and "it feels like yesterday!" things combined. This year was really tough health-wise (and life-wise and work-wise, honestly) but I'm still just so thankful that I recovered and I won't be spending Christmas bed-ridden this year. (Knock on wood!) I just felt like I couldn't let it go unmentioned because it's become such a huge part of my life now. I'm all about health, classic movies, and cats. haha.

Our cats have always been able to tell that Christmas is a special day -- they all hang out in the living room and play with wrapping paper and boxes while we open presents. My brother's cat, Xena, likes to hide behind piles of presents and pounce on an unsuspecting Arrietty. My parents' new cat, George, has decided to be an "upstairs cat" so I highly doubt she'll be joining us on Christmas morning downstairs, but who knows... maybe she'll give us a holiday surprise! :)

dress - c/o retrolicious | shirt - urban outfitters (old)

shoes - bait footwear | collar - amazon

cat enthusaist lapel pin - my shop

are you kitten me

How cute is this one-eyed cat sweater?! It's from Modcloth and it was inspired by an employee's cat named Oscar. Are you ready to die of cuteness? Because here is a photo of Oscar wearing his namesake sweater. Eeeeeeee! SO CUTE!!! Now I feel like I need to figure out a way to make an Arrietty sweater.

I haven't eaten anything yet today except some gummy vitamins so my brain is drawing the biggest blank for writing this post. I just had so much to get done today that I jumped right into it without taking the time for breakfast or tea. I always spend August-October thinking that I have plenty of time to make holiday items and get my shop ready for Black Friday but then inevitably it's the week before Thanksgiving and I'm in a frantic rush trying to prepare. Today I want to finish up some classic movie Christmas card designs I've been working on (assuming I manage to get these done, I have TEN new designs that should be in the shop this weekend!) and even though they never really sell I also want to finish up two new calendar designs.

sweater - c/o modcloth | skirt - c/o modcloth

tights - target | shoes - c/o modcloth | cat belt - modcloth

cat and mouse

I have to have a medical test today that will determine if I have to have a very-very-very unwanted procedure next month so please keep your fingers crossed for me! I won't find out the results until next week so I'm sure I'm going to be a big bundle of anxiety for the next seven days.

Although I've been really good at coming up with ways to distract myself or reduce stress over the last couple months. With smaller things I try to tell myself that I won't even remember this setback in a month or a years time (which is so true about most things that stress us out!) and why not just get over it today instead of waiting a few weeks. And for the bigger stresses like medical bills, health issues, and politics, distraction is what gets me through it. Watching new tv (for some reason my mind wanders more when I rewatch old favorites), scary movies (hey, those people about to get murdered have it WAY worse than I do!) and playing with my cat. Literally nothing erases a frown like seeing Arrietty rolling around on the floor with a toy stuffed with catnip!

cat cardigan - modcloth | skirt - old | shoes - aldo