DIY houseplant for your cat

Lately Arrietty has really been enjoying rubbing her face in my houseplants. They're cat safe, so I don't have to worry for her sake, but my plants on the other hand! They're already looking a little the worse for wear because of the lack of sunshine this time of year, and those cat nuzzles are not helping matters any. So I decided to make Arrietty her own plant that she can rub her face in as much as she wants! She's already taken a liking to it so I'd say this DIY was a success!



Materials needed:

A ceramic pot
Plastic grass
Two feather stick cat toys
River rocks
Spray catnip
Styrofoam plant base
Brown kraft paper
Non-toxic glue



When you're shopping for the greenery, make sure you pick something with very substantial leaves that your cat won't be able to ingest. Mine had some small, thin pieces sticking out of it so I plucked them out beforehand.

Add some river rocks to the bottom of your pot for weight, and then put the styrofoam on top of it. Insert your plastic greenery. Using a sharp utility knife, cut off the bulk of the stick on the feather toys and then insert the shorter sticks into the styrofoam.

I forgot to take pictures of the next step, but to cover up the styrofoam just attach small crumpled pieces of brown kraft paper to the foam with non-toxic glue. Once the foam is entirely covered in the brown paper (I did two layers of paper to make sure the foam was totally inaccessible) spritz the ends of the leaves with catnip spray to entice your kitty away from your pretty parlor palms and into their own feline garden!

I can't say how happy I am with this project! Arrietty is content with her plant and has been staying away from the real plants. I just spray the leaves whenever I think it needs a little catnip refresh.

wishlist wednesday

1. scalloped hem skirt
2. red sunglasses
3. mint green sunglasses
4. leopard print belt
5. yellow peep toe heels
6. heart drop earrings
7. mint green sweater
8. red handbag
9. yellow gloves

Style Idol - Susan Strasberg

pixie growth progress

It's been just about two years since I chopped off all of my hair and got a pixie cut. I didn't like it. I knew the process of growing it back out would be long and daunting, so I kept getting trims for several months before I started to grow it out again. I've spent the better part of these two years wearing wigs and hats, but I documented the growth almost every month for my one second a day video last year and thought I'd share the progress with you today! Here is where I started, with a super short blonde pixie:



If you're thinking about getting a pixie, be 100% positive that it's what you want to do. I did it on a whim and I regretted it so much. If your hairstylist can tell you if you have any cowlicks that might be hard to style with a pixie, try to find that out first. I had two really bad cowlicks that weren't too noticeable with long hair but stuck straight up once my hair was cut short.

I had this idea that a pixie would make my hair more manageable, that I'd be able to just wake up and be good to go! But my hair took so much more effort when it was short than it did at any other length. I shower at night, and by morning my hair was a mess. I'd have to re-wet it and restyle it. It took more gel and mousse than you'd imagine to tame my stubborn cowlicks. And about 1-2 weeks after each trim it would start to look unkempt around the edges. Sometimes I'd have my mom shave the back for me in between trims just so I felt like the cut looked clean.

I stopped getting it trimmed in September of 2017. Here is a look at the progress that I made over the last year and a half of growing it out:



If you got a pixie and you're trying to grow it out, just be patient. I can't even tell you how many tutorials I watched on youtube about growing out pixies, or how many supplements and shampoos I researched. I met with a stylist about getting tape-in extensions. I took biotin religiously and massaged my scalp like it was a full time job. I only bleached my hair once during the whole growth process (I missed having pink hair!) and avoided heat styling like it was the plague. In the end, your hair is going to grow at the rate it grows. Which is usually 1/2" every month. My hair stylist said that mine grew a little faster than normal, but I think that's just my normal growth cycle (based on how often I've had to touch it up in between dye jobs in the past, I don't think my efforts to speed up the pixie growth actually made any difference.)

And, honestly, if you're like me and you don't like the way your hair looks while it's growing, wear a wig! I had two wigs that I wore constantly, especially during the first 6 months that I was growing it out. I *hated* my hair at the time I went to Paris in 2017, so I wore a wig the whole time. I knew that I'd hate my travel photos if I was sporting a partially grown-out pixie, so I donned a long dark blonde wig and a knitted hat. And obviously I've been wearing a wig in my outfit pictures since 2017. My favorite sources for wigs are ebay (I try to buy from US sellers now since a lot of the ones I've purchased from China don't actually look anything like the photos in the listings) and Keke Wigs on etsy. My pink wig is from her shop and it's so realistic and durable. And I love that it's not super shiny, so it actually looks like hair.

After 17 months of growth, my hair still doesn't touch my shoulders. But it's *almost* there. I have some shorter layers in the back since I kept going in to get the back trimmed during the growth progress to avoid having a mullet. I'd say I'm about 3-4 months away from being able to do my favorite hairstyle, maiden twists. And I think my hair is long enough that if I can find clip-in extensions that match my hair color I can do top knots and high ponytails right now.

I'm not sure if I'll keep wearing my pink wig for outfit pictures. I've reached a point where I hardly ever feel like I have to wear my wig when I go out anymore, but I still feel self conscious about it in photos. It's still way shorter than I'd like, and since I'm still trying to baby it I've been avoiding bleach (so, no pink for a while...) Either way, I just wanted to share my story in case anyone else is contemplating a pixie or is going through the long tedious growth progress along with me. We'll get there... eventually! ;D

my top five: things that are making me happy

This year I've been trying to be more deliberate in how I spend my time (ie. not wasting away hours scrolling through twitter or pinterest.) I've been focusing on things that always make me happy, and trying to do, well, more of that. It's really been brightening my mood considerably -- as long as I am doing one of my happy activities, I'm usually good.

First up is reading. I LOVE reading but in 2017 and 2018 I really didn't devote that much time to it. I always have a deep regret when I look at my goodreads account at the end of a year and see that I barely finished any of the books I started (I have a terrible habit of starting a book, getting halfway through, and then starting another book.) So far this year I've read 10 books and I'll be so disappointed in myself if I end up slipping as the year goes on. I enjoy reading so much, I just need to be deliberate about how I spend my time to make sure I work it into my day.



Arrietty!! She really should have been first but blogger uploaded the photos in this order and I don't feel like changing it (so lazy omg.) Literally nothing in this entire world makes me happier than this cat. She is the absolute sweetest creature, so adorable, so affectionate, and so silly. I have very few humans in my life that love me (or even like me, lol) but this sweet sweet darling loves me *almost* as much as I love her, and I feel so incredibly grateful for her every day.



Third is cooking! Ever since I started eating healthy back in September I've been enjoying cooking so much more than I used to. Most days I stick with a variation on the same meal (zucchini noodles, tomatoes, broccoli or asparagus, and chick peas.) but a few times each week I'll try a brand new recipe. I listen to podcasts or audiobooks while I cook, and just let myself totally enjoy the experience of cooking dinner. And when I'm done, I eat at the table instead of in front of the tv or computer.

A few recipes I've tried recently that I am head-over-heels in love with -- carrot cake baked oatmeal (I am avoiding eggs, so I subbed in 1 tbsp. chia seeds and 1/3 c. water),  kale and wild rice bowl (I used a quinoa/wild rice combo, and skipped the feta cheese), and butternut squash kale salad with chickpeas and cranberries (I made this into more of a hot meal by combining everything in a skillet, and I used frozen butternut squash noodles!)



Movies! I have to admit I did not do great with my movie intake in January, but last week I made it a goal to watch one movie every night. I recently got this floor cushion (it reminds me of a Winnie The Pooh-printed one that me and my brother used to have when we were little!) and I've been laying it on the floor in front of my computer, filling up a bowl of popcorn, and enjoying a nice relaxing end to the day. My favorite new-to-me movie that I watched so far this year was Zodiac. This movie is 157 minutes long (!!!) but it felt like 90. It was so gripping and well-made that the 2+ hour running time zipped right by.



Lastly, Disney World! Me and my mom are going to be there April 10-16 and it's time to start planning! We can book fast passes and restaurant reservations starting next week! It's been two years since I was in Disney World so I'm incredibly excited to be going back. I loved Disneyland and Disneyland Paris but Disney World is my favorite, where I feel the most at home. Whenever my brain starts drifting into unhappy territory, I just start thinking about dole whip and the small world ride, the Paris pavilion at Epcot, my favorite broccoli slaw sandwich in Liberty Square, the smell of popcorn wafting through the air, the song It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow from the carousel of progress. Only two months to go!