love day {clue}

It's almost Valentine's DAY!! I so badly want to show you the cards I made but I have to wait (the recipients might sneak a peak and then their card won't be a surprise!).  So, I can't show you the cards I made (yet) but I can show you my inspiration . . .

Color me Katie is a super cute blog I frequent, and back in December she posted a super cute and super clever idea.

She turned a pencil eraser into a heart stamp!!

How Awesome!

It's easy and simple, so I took the idea and ran with it.

Hopefully I can show you what I did soon!!

Did you make any love day cards for your sweethearts?

ode to fat cat

Ok, just one more kitty post:

Below is a poem my dad wrote about Morgan after he disappeared...

(hahaha! he always sat on his butt like a tiny furry human)

From reading these posts you might think we are all a bunch of crazy cat people . . . . 

and well, 

you'd be right.

goodbye my blue-eyed, big-boned, cuddle-monster

Alright, it may or may not be obvious, but I have been avoiding something.  Two weeks ago when I posted my To-Do list you might have noticed a line that read "Blog Re: My Love Morgan." Well, it's about to get a little personal up in here (and very feline heavy), but here we go. . . .

I have wanted to write a post to honor the sweetest, most loving cat there ever was.  But to write about him would be to admit that he is really gone.
 

This is Morgan:

(fourth of July 2011, he always was a party animal)

He came to us when I was in High School.  We were cat-less for the first time in my life, and my Aunt was moving.  The apartment she lived in had a few strays living around it that the family had been taking care of, but they wouldn't be able to keep doing so when they moved.  So, that day we got two new family members.  Morgan and Zippy (of course Zippy turned out to be pregnant and we quickly went from 2 to 7!!).  Morgan was a good male role-model and taught the kittens to be independent, to hunt, and fight, and wander the great outdoors.

When we got him everyone joked that he was my boyfriend.  He'd follow me around, and cuddle me at night, and whine when I wouldn't give him all the attention he wanted.  And what girl wouldn't want a blond-haired, blue-eyed, muscle-bound man to call her own.

(I mean, c'mon, look at that face!)

It was hard to leave him when I went to college, but in the back of my mind I always had a plan to move back to Portland and take him for my own.  He was my chubby little baby, but on December 21st, 2011 he went outside and hasn't come back.

(cuddlin' in 2005)
We have a large coyote population in my neighborhood back in Portland.  There used to be a lot of undeveloped land, and wooded areas, but each year they build more houses and displace more of the wildlife.  Almost everyone in the neighborhood has lost a cat to the coyotes, it's all a part of the natural order, but that doesn't mean it's any less difficult to deal with.  I think the hardest part of losing a pet to any predator, is the lack of closure.  You never know for sure, there is rarely any physical evidence that they're gone.  In our neighborhood it is just assumed, if it's been a while since you've seen your cat then "the coyots got 'em" (that's literally what one neighbor told me when our cat disappeared when I was 10.)

(napping in a tray)
December 21st three of our four cats didn't come home at night.  Our cats do not miss meals, so my mom was a little worried.  The next day she called for them and Zippy and Mook (one of the kittens) came running, they were shaking and wide-eyed and hid for the rest of the day.  My parents had heard a from a neighbor that there had been a coyote wandering the streets in the day time lately, and it wasn't hard to connect the dots.  Morgan always protected the other cats, and we know that he would have done anything to keep them safe. Even though it has been 6 weeks since my parents last saw Morgan, there is still apart of me that thinks he might still be out there, but if he really is gone then at least he died a family hero.

(kitty kisses)
So, here's to you Morgan, we love you lot's and miss you tons.
I hope you're having a wonderful time up in kitty heaven, cleaning your crotch 'till your hearts content.

dream house {the desert house}

 Oh Man! The weekend is already over! It took me all of Saturday to recuperate from the work week, and my apartment is nice and all, but it would have been great to spend the weekend in a private Nevada desert dream home.  Just crawl into the spring-fed deck-tub and take in the view.

This secluded home in Nye County, Nevada was featured in the New York Times back in August.  It's surroundings are so beautiful I just couldn't get it out of my mind, so I decided to make it my next dream home post.

I'm mean, come on! Look how beautiful that sky is!

The house belongs to a family from Italy and was designed by a German architect living in San Francisco. From start to finish the architect and client's only contact was through e-mail.  They never met or spoke to each other until the project was completed, and the family only came once to visit during construction. 

 

You've got to have a lot of faith to relinquish that much control over your home! And they should be glad they did, because the outcome is beautiful, clean, and serene.

 I love the small window in the shower, it frames the picture perfect landscape right outside, and the green tiles are a nice touch of color in the mostly white interior.

The floor to ceiling corner window and skylight above the bed lets in beautiful light in the day and provides a great view of the stars at night.

Although the desert would probably be too hot for me, I can't help but daydream about this house.

Especially when I read the last quote in the New York Times article:

                      “I had the sensation of being on a spaceship. This winter, we had a really 

                      strong wind one night — the house was almost shaking. And there were 

                      millions, billions of stars from everywhere, you were completely surrounded

                      by the stars down to the horizon, which in the cities or countryside you 

                      are not. Normally you see the stars above you, not around you. 

                      Yes, it was like a spaceship.”

The Desert House = A Dream House

weekend to do's

I made a pretty long to do list for myself this weekend . . .

It's highly unlikely I'll get it all done . . .

 . . .maybe I'll just focus on the bottom of the list 

:)

what's this white stuff?

It's officially winter . . .boo.  The snow has come and hasn't really stopped, but it's ok because for Christmas I got some spiffy new boots:

THANKS MOM & DAD!!!!

2012 back in the saddle

Oh darn, back at work from a 3 day weekend.

But at least I got some glittery New Years Nails to entertain me!

I hope everyone had a great New Years!

 And here's to a Great 2012!!!!!

typhoon

Ok, I know I said before that I wish I had gone to Portland a different weekend, but if I went later I would have missed out on something really great.  That something great. . .  TYPHOON!

Back in 2005 I went to see a few friends of mine play a show at the Clinton Street Theater.  Their band name then was Family Tree, we were all just out of high school and it was my first winter break back from the Windy City.  They opened for a band named Typhoon.  Both bands were really great, it was an awesome show!! (In one of the songs Typhoon played they used a huge chain as an instrument!)

Fast-forward to just a few months ago when my dad called me up to chat a bit while we're both bored at work.  Over the weekend he and my mom had found a fun shop called Tender Loving Empire where they bought a few CD's from local bands.  My dad couldn't stop talking about this band with tons of instruments and great music, he was so excited because just a few days after they bought the album, the band was on David Letterman! I hadn't watched Letterman since I still lived at home, but this "ton's of instruments" thing sounded familiar, I took a wild shot and asked if they were called Typhoon. "No, no, that doesn't sound right, I let you know when I get home, I don't remember their name, but I don't think that's it."  Oh, well, I thought, I guess it was a long shot.  Two days later my dad called, "Hey, it is Typhoon!"  We didn't have many plans for my mini vacation so when I saw that they were playing while I was going to be in Portland, I snatched up some tickets.  It was really fun to take my parents to a show of a band they had found completely by chance.

On Saturday night just a few hours after I got in, my parents and I went to Mississippi Studios to see TYPHOON for their early show (6pm).  It was crowded and standing room only, my parents started to get a little worried, but once the music started none of it mattered. TYPHOON was incredible.  My face hurt for the rest of the night because I couldn't stop smiling during the show.  It was one of those shows where everything else around you kind of blurs and the only thing you see and hear is the band.  Kinda like in a movie where a guy sees some hot chick for the first time.

(I uploaded the video my dad took to youtube.)

At the end of the show my dad turned to me and said "I think I have a new favorite band." It was such a wonderful experience to share with my parents.  And I'd go again in a heart beat! If you ever have the chance to see them live you need to go.

I hope they play a show in Chicago soon!!

a little holiday catch up

Holy Guacamole, it's New Years Day!

2011 flew by super fast and the holidays went even faster! I was so excited to decorate for the Holidays and do a bunch of Crafty Christmas projects but I was barely home enough to sleep!! Now the year is over but there are so many things I never told you about last year!

Like 5 weeks ago when The Man and I went to California to spend Thanksgiving at his auntie's house...

Thanksgiving night we stood on his aunt and uncle huge porch and watch a gorgeous sunset.  I mean look at that view!!!

And Look at that porch!!

It was so beautiful and warm the whole time we were there (which was a nice change to chilly Chicago). And on the way to the airport we stopped for some lunch and I had my very first . . .

In N Out!

(and I'm sorry Landsberg's, but it wasn't that good)

Then 4 weeks ago I went to Portland for an early Christmas with my parents.  

(These are my favorite out of all the decorations my parents have. It's The Snowman Village!!!)

We decorated the tree 

and went to an awesome show (which I'll tell you about as soon as I figure out to make the video small enough to post!)

It was great to be home, even though it was only for a few days.  Especially since I wasn't going to be spending Christmas at home.

Instead of Portland, The Man and I went to Hawaii for Christmas.  It was my first Christmas away from home, which was hard, but if you're going to spend the holidays away from home Hawaii is the way to go!!!!

And I'll tell you about that next . . .  :)

merry happy christmas

We're back from Hawaii!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
I know it was yesterday but I haven't had a computer for a week!
So here's my holiday cheer, Hawaii style...