catiecake.

Thirtieth of November

Dear Kittens,

I'm so glad today is the last day of the posting everyday bit. I wish I could say that I enjoyed it, but mostly I did not. I mean, I didn't hate it, but you know, it's crappy when posting to your blog starts to feel like a job. If I do it again next year, I will remember that having a plan as to what I'm going to post goes a long way towards making this a lot easier.

Also, I borderline thing I might be getting a cold? Is that possible? I doubt it. I will be ignoring all symptoms that prevent me from doing the things I want to do. Like the flea market with my mom this weekend! When the weather is cold we love the flea market the most. The worst is when it's sunny. There's no shade and the sun acts like a laser and puts holes in your head. Anyway, the cold is nice and we're both looking forward to going. Now that Andy and Danny (my step-dad) don't go with us it's a nice Mommy and Me outing.

I just saw a commercial for California. Apparently my beloved state is recruiting residents. I wish that it wouldn't because unless there is a vetting process for weeding out the assholes, I think it's a bad idea to add to my state's population. Also, in the commercial it made it look like everyone in the state is a multi millionaire whose work is mostly play. This is mostly true for me (not so much the multi millionaire part), but that's because I had the good sense to marry a hard working Bulgarian with a furry stomach. Not everyone is going to have that opportunity. Don't believe the hype people, living in California is HARD.

Here's my latest problem. I'm in a bad cycle where I'm not getting enough sleep. So, instead of taking a nap during the day, I just stumble around bleary eyed and getting very little done because do you Kittens have any idea how hard is to get stuff done when your eyes are bleary? DO YOU? I think the thing to do is to take a nap and then just keep super busy to tire myself out so I can go to bed early.

Above is a photo of my pre-nap snack. Lemon ginger tea and ginger orange cranberry scones with my favorite lemon curd (Sticky Fingers) and strawberry jam. So delicious.

Love,
Catie

Twenty-ninth of November

Dear Kittens,

Here is where I tell you about the great places to get gifts for people.

The first to are my earring people:

1. www.kitschinart.com Kathy makes extremely affordable and really cute earrings.

3.Elm Studio Designs Jennifer's earrings are also affordable and gorgeous.

Unique Gifts and Fun Finds

www.curiosityshoppe.com I cannot get enough of this website.

www.threepotatofourshop.com Lots of cool vintage and new things. They routines

Elly Nelly has the most awesome wall graphics.

Here are some of my favorite sites in general for shopping:

www.cb2.com

www.velocityartanddesign.com

www.landofnod.com

www.branchhome.com

www.wisteria.com

www.vivaterra.com

And for my most favorite products ever in the world- Office Supplies

www.seejanework.com

Happy Shopping, Kittens!

Love,
Catie

 

Twenty-eighth of November

Dear Kittens,

Um. I'm tired. I'm sick of posting everyday and I wish I ate sushi for dinner tonight. The truth is, right now I only want to eat seafood. Nothing else really appeals to me. Oh, seafoods, I love you!!

I went to my mom's classroom today. Man, those kids exhaust me. I mean, I do nothing but sit at a table and do crafts with them and by the time I leave I just want to take a nap. I don't take a nap because I have an hour's drive in front of me. So what I do is drive to the nearest Starbucks and get a half black half passion iced tea and some small snack and then I make my drive. Also, there's a new flavor of Tazo tea called Joy. I'ma try that in the next few days.

No offense, but I'm crampy and I want to go to bed.

I probably have more to say and I'll probably say it tomorrow.

Love,
Catie

Twenty-seventh of November: What I Love Right Now

Dear Kittens,

Gah! I almost forgot to post and came very close to deciding not to, but here I am. Posting. Why? Because I am participating in NaBloPoMo. Andy just asked me why I signed up. Um. Because I cannot help myself?

Anyway- Here is a list.

What I Love Right Now

1. The way Petey is extra special loving. He always loves me, but during the winter months he Really, Really loves me and I love that. Right now he is stretched out beside me looking at me with squinty cat eyes of love.

2. Nars Eye Shadow- Love the colors, love how they wear, love the little compact they come in. I do not love the price, but everything else? Love.

3. Arm & Hammer whitening toothpaste- Other toothpastes taste way to sweet to me and feel too creamy in my mouth. This one does not taste too sweet and it's sort of abrasive, which I love.

4. Fresca- I like the original grapefruit flavor. It's a diet soda that does not taste like a diet soda. It's really refreshing and tasty.

5. Chabichou- it's a French aged goat cheese that I cannot get enough of. I do not need bread, just thin slices of apples or pears and I will eat a whole log of this cheese by myself. It's so delicious.

6. Soft Peppermint Sticks-They're buttery and pepperminty and so very yummy.

7. To-Do Lists- Before I used a life coach I would not complete even the simplest to do list. I was so seriously stuck. But these days, I am ticking off items left and right and it feels really good. The thing that changed was this- I got realistic about what I can get done in a day.

8. Craft Projects- Honestly, I've got a few too many things going, but it's all so much fun I'm having trouble tearing myself away. Someone tonight asked me if because the things I love to do are also my work if it's become a hassle. The answer is no. The real hassle is getting out my own way. I think we all put of various road blocks for ourselves for various reasons and breaking through those blocks are a hassle. The work is awesome.

9. Embracing Turning Forty- I was a little freaked out about my impending birthday, but I decided that it was ridiculous to be freaked out. I am absolutely in love with the idea of being 40. So much so that I've started referring to myself as being 40 and I NEVER make myself older than I really am. I loved my 30's, but I think the 40's are going to be even better and I'm excited.

Tomorrow I'm going to my mom's class to do our first holiday craft. I'm excited. It's going to be a great day.

Love,
Catie

5.

Twenty-sixth of November

Dear Kittens,

I'm weary, Kittens. Weary.

Love,
Catie

Twenty-fifth of November: Sunday Questions

Dear Kittens,

I reworded my Sunday Questions that help me stay focused on the big picture so they belong to me. You can play along in my comments or an your own blog, if you'd like to.

1. What is the focus for the week?

I have some new exciting (to me) things I'm working on. (a couple Advent calenders, some card designs and some felt things)

2. What am I saying no to this week?

Complaining. Not a single complaint for the whole week!. If I complain I will immediately punch myself in the gut as hard as I can.

3. What am I grateful for this week?

That we're out of credit card debt. HOORAY! It's the most awesome feeling and we'll be saving So Much Money each month. Very exciting.

4. What am I letting go of this week?

Eating out. It's a bad habit and I'm tired of it. After Thanksgiving carbohydrate overload I'm mostly interested in soup and salad.

5. What's the plan for any potentially difficult situations this week?

Time management is going to be my biggest issue. There's plenty I want to do, as well as stuff that must be done and I'm committed to keeping up with completing my To-Do lists. My plan is to be in bed early. And keep on track with my schedule. If I get behind, I'll quickly asses what I can let go and move on.

It was a great Thanksgiving weekend, Kittens. My parents were here all weekend and we had a nice time. My mom and I went for lots of walks. We did the tiniest bit of shopping. Both times we went out, we timed our outings to avoid the crowds and we were successful.

The best news is that we've decided to get a house cleaner. The thing is, I hate cleaning house. There was a time that I didn't hate it, but now I do and I don't want to do it and we can afford to pay someone to do it and so that's what we're going to do.

And! I'm coming up with various solutions to our various problems. Like laundry. I hate sorting. I also hate having to treat stuff for stains. So, I'm getting new hampers so the clothes can be sorted as they're taken off. Also, the stain treatment stuff will be kept right by the hampers so stain treatment can happen immediately. Sheets will be washed immediately upon removal from the bed and blankets washed once a month. Comforter covers should be washed once a week because of the furry friends, but I'ma go for every other week and see how that goes. Towels will be washed whenever there is a load of them. It's all very exciting. I LOVE a plan. LOVE IT.

Love,

Catie

Twenty-fourth of November: 5 Things

Dear Kittens,

It's Saturday and Saturday's gimmick is 5 Things! Yay!

1. Things I Am Probably Going To Do Tomorrow

Go for a walk, BRIEFLY go to the mall, make some ornaments, eat some delicious cheese and olives, go for another walk

2. Things I Do (why I am never bored)

Read, collage, make things out of felt, Internet/TV, make cards

3. Things I Love About Where I Live

This neighborhood is a really nice one, the leaves in fall are gorgeous and the flowers in spring are lovely, we're close to the places we love, San Jose's weather is really wonderful, there is a lot to do.

4. Things You Will Find By My Side Of The Bed

Hand lotion, pens, notebooks, lip balm, jewelry

5. Lists I Make

Grocery, things to do, people I love, things to remember, things to pack

Kittens, in a tiny, I mean really tiny, bit of cheating- I am writing this on Friday night. I love Typepad because I can tell it when to publish posts. Hello, Awesome. Anyway, I mention this only because it's coming up on midnight and I am not really that sleepy. I took a long nap this (Friday) afternoon.

I have become obsessed with boots. I have four pairs of boots currently and I am looking to add another pair. It's barely cold enough here on a regular basis for boots, but who cares? I've got a brown pair that laces up the back, one red suede pair, a blue suede pair and a black pair that laces up the front. The new ones I want are black and have a relatively low heel, but still look fairly dressy. Also on my shopping radar this fall are jackets. I just bought a J Jill coat, that's sort of more dressy and now I want a new denim jacket and maybe some sort of car coat. I do not need a car coat. I should forget about the car coat. I just love the idea of a car coat. The last thing that I'm shopping for is the shoe that is borderline slipper, borderline shoe.Keen and Simple both make something that fits the bill, I just can't decide which direction to go.

And now someone has just threatened to take out the battery of my laptop if I don't at least TRY to go to sleep (remember, I'm writing this Friday night), so I will go wash my face and brush my teeth and see what happens.

Love,
Catie

Twenty-third of November

Dear Kittens,

I almost forgot to make a post today! So, on my list of idea it says "book report." This is troubling only becauseI have no idea why I would write that. Anyway, who am I to argue with myself?!

Right now I am re-reading a book called Starcarbon by Ellen Gilchrist. Ellen Gilchrist is my very most favorite writer and I love her books with my whole heart. Thankfully, she revisits characters in her books all the time and I'm glad for that because I love these characters and I always want to know what they're doing. Another thing I love about Ellen Gilchrist books is that the men are usually wonderful men. I am personally a giant fan of men and so I prefer to read stories about men who are upright and strong and do the right thing. Even her weak men aren't horribly annoying. Ellen Gilchrist likes to write about families and she especially likes to take you through the generations. Starcarbon ismostly about the second generation of a set of characters. 

Starcarbon focuses on two half sisters when they are young women and just beginning to figure out their lives. The sisters are connected through their well meaning, but drunken father. One sister, Olivia, was born on an Cherokee reservation in Oklahoma and her mother died in childbirth. The father did not know the mother was pregnant and didn't learn about this daughter until she was 15. The other sister, Jessie grew up with the dad and she was adored by her entire family. Jessie's mom is all messed and mostly out of the picture. This book has a tornado, true love being reunited and all manner of family drama.

Unlike some other Ellen Gilchrist books I haven't read Starcarbon a bunch of times. In fact, I think this only the second time I've read it. It's a great book. However, I recommend you start with I Cannot Get You Close Enough and then read Starcarbon .

So, that's my book report and I think we can all agree that we will never do that again.

Love,
Catie

Twenty-second of November

Dear Kittens,

Thank goodness for Mimi otherwise I would've had to write a "what I'm thankful for" post and honestly, the Internet has seen enough of that today.

So here it is:

Lets101 - Free Dating Site

Abstract Thoughts: if that's a polite way to say crazy. Then yes.

Loves Reality and Abstract- seriously I have no idea what this means, except I will say that I do value reality and truth and do my absolute best to be honest and not exaggerate things.

Intelligent and Clever- I'm going to have to say yes. Yes, I am intelligent. Yes, I am clever. I mean VERY intelligent and HUGELY clever. I think that's obvious.

Changing Personality- This is bullshit. I am pretty much the same person I was when I was 10.

Attractive- Again, I cannot disagree.

Very Sexy- Andy and Petey totally agree. I am HOTT.

Temperamental- WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?????

Trustworthy- Maybe. Depends on what you're trusting me with. If you are trusting that I will not eat your Cherries Garcia ice cream while you're at work, you will probably be disappointed. If you are trusting me with your money or the care of your animals or a secret, you can trust me.

Unpredictable- I disagree with this one, too. I'm predictable. I mean, I'm sort of crazy in that I will meow in a questioning manner if I can't find something I'm looking for. Or maybe I will fake cry to see if Andy knows if I'm faking (he always knows I'm faking) or maybe I will create human personas for my cats. But I'm not unpredictable.

Loves Freedom- This is true. DON'T TIE ME DOWN! I love freedom, but I also love stability.

Rebellious When Restricted- This is also true. I know for a fact if I lived in a conservative town, even though I am conservative myself, I would be all tattooed and pierced and what not.

Too Sensitive and Easily Hurt- This is mostly untrue. Not that my feelings can't be hurt, but easily? No. And definitely not too sensitive. I am regular sensitive.

Easily Angered- Totally true. I have a serious temper and you should not cross me because I will punch you Right In The Neck!

Romantic on the Inside and Outside- Okay, this thing is stupid. What the fuck does this mean??? And also, I'm not really that romantic. I mean, not in a traditional sense.

Kittens, Thanksgiving was good and now we're going to go to bed early and have a great family weekend of fun and foil packets of Thanksgiving food.

Love,

Catie 

Twenty-first of November

Dear Kittens,

I slept in such a way that I have compressed a nerve and my thumb and first two fingers of my left hand are numb/pins and needles. The great part is that the discomfort is constant. Yipee. Also, as I'm typing I've got a black fluffy cat laying between me and the attention seeking computer. Right now he's laying across my chest purring like a fiend. Oh Petey, I love you too.

My parents are here and we're preparing for tomorrow. My mom and I are getting ready to prep everything for the stuffing and make the cranberry sauce.

Here's what we're eating:

Roasted Turkey with thyme and sage

Stuffing made from three different types of bread and my own special mix of herbs

Mashed potatoes

Green beans

Corn

Coleslaw

Light rolls

Andy's special Madeira gravy

Pumpking pie

Apple pie

Listed out it seems like a tremendous amount of food, but that's only because it IS a tremendous amount of food. What the four of us look forward to the most is the left overs. We like to take pieces of aluminum foil put in whatever it is we want seal the whole thing up and then put it in the oven. Sometimes I make a layered casserole. In a baking pan I layer stuffing, then turkey, then whatever vegetables you want, a bit of gravy here and there, top with potatoes, bake until everything is hot.

I love Thanksgiving!

Love,
Catie

P.S. Over the last few days you Kittens have left some very nice comments. Thank you very much for that. You guys are awesome and I am grateful for each one you furry little pieces of fluffl.