Cat Beret

Just in case you thought you've seen it all - behold - the felted cat beret:


Ahahaha! Do I ever love pictures of cats wearing hats (let's not forget the bear cat hat I posted about on Monday - or maybe this cat hat from my Pinterest page?) but that beret is particularly priceless. Pink not your cat's colour? Not to worry, Etsy's Scarborough Fair has lots of different cat berets to chose from:


At first I was amazing at how much that little grey kitty much enjoy beret wearing...but that image in the middle with the purple hat (and immensely grumpy expression) makes me think otherwise. I wonder if Percy would appreciate a beret? No? Then I think I will just have to get one instead. What do you think? Could I pull off the beret? (and will my sister felt me one?) I'm thinking navy. How about you?

My third yarn-y set of buttons revealed!

We've made it to day three of showing you my new button designs so today I'm revealing my third and final button set for Caroline's new yarn shop this fall. What do yarn lovers, crafters, and pretty much everyone on the internet have in common you may wonder? Why a love for kitties! No? You disagree - just check out these yarn playing cuties:


Ahaha. Fraser and Jim thought I was doing a comic story about a kitty playing (and then killing but still playing with) his yarn ball, but I think the variety of colour and kitty types makes for a much more pleasing button set. I do have a soft spot for that dead yarn ball though - cat's are crazy about playing with dead things don't you think? Well maybe one day they will cure cat allergies and Fraser and I will be able to get our own yarn lovin' kitten...but for now these buttons will have to do.

Oh! And just because this is my final button set, this is not the end of the yarn themed illustrations! Stay tuned for my two special "just for pocket mirror" designs I'll show you tomorrow! OoO! So exciting! What do you think of my yarn ball kitties?

what I wore: upcycled old lady skirt

I've been holding onto pictures of this project for much too long and decided to take the plunge and post them! A while back Lindsay and I went thrift shopping over on the north shore and I picked up two "need a lot of work but only cost about $3" skirts I was determined to make over. The first one just needed a simple hemming job (which I did and wore as part of my Harry Potter costume back in July). The second skirt needed a little more work. Lindsay laughed at me and was not convinced I could pull off such an old lady piece of clothing, but I think I managed. Behold the transformation:


Ahha! So much better! My biggest goal was to take the perpendicular patterned pockets off since they added way too much attention to my already large hips/bum. Then I just had to take it in a smidge and hem it! To my surprise the hem had already been taken up by the previous owner:


Could you imagine how long it must have been to begin with? I bet it was floor length on some little old short lady (in case you didn't know, I have monstrously long legs). Percy also decided he wanted to help:


After a little sewing session at mom's house (a place with a plethora of matching thread colours to use, proper sewing machine needles, and a spot big enough to iron and sew in), it was time for one of my favourite "make your clothes look brand new" tools - the fuzz buster:


Now I'm not sure if "fuzz buster" is the technical term, but if you don't have one of these babies they are worth the investment! It is like an electric razor for your clothes that does wonders to pilled and pulled fuzz bits that accumulate on your fabric after tons of use. Hooray! Instantly turn one worn out skirt back into brand new condition! Now it is time to head back to mom's house to take pictures in her garden:


Isn't her yard amazing? Much better than our "we're growing a weedy meadow in protest of the awful lawn mower our landlord has" backdrop that is available at our house right now. Once again - Percy wanted to join in:


Too bad you're an indoor cat Stinkums! Now off to the outfit pictures:

Outfit details: v-neck white tshirt = joe fresh, teal belt = some store on main street in vancouver, upcycled old lady skirt = penny pinchers and then reworked by me, necklace = horn of plenty, leather watch = fossil, leather clutch = bonspiel creation, flats = aldo

Okay, so I am still new to the world of outfit fashion blogging, but I do love sharing my clothing choices with you and I did want to make sure someone else would agree that this was a successful skirt transformation! I also really wanted to do an outfit post where I am wearing (and pulling off) my new mustard tights, but sadly (ok, not really sadly) the summer weather is just too nice for covered up legs! Looks like those will have to wait for the fall. For now I will be enjoying my upcycled creation! I am also really enjoying the high waisted look for my tiny little torso (I feel like that second picture makes my body go from chest to legs)! Woo! What do you think? Have you ever adventured into thrift shopping altered clothes?

Life Lessons on a Wednesday..

Once again Cat vs. Human teaches us another very important life lesson - dinosaurs don't actually make good pets (click to link and enlarge):


Well that bow is awfully cute...wait...there is more pro-kitten evidence:


Yup. Good thing dinosaurs aren't available in the pet store. I think I'll stick to dreaming about having a kitty and keep painting inanimate dinos gold as pet alternatives for now...what do you think?

Kitty Sunday!

I'm really hoping that one of these days I'll get back to my organized self and have pre-scheduled posts again - but for now...you get an adorable orange kitty!:


Aww! Cat tongues are so neat! Happy Sunday! How's your weekend going?

linen kitty coasters

If you're craving a little more craftiness for your post xmas/pre new years spare time take a moment to check out the super adorable linen kitty coasters tutorial on modcloth:


And you must know how much I love linen and items that protect your furnature and cats for that matter! Heck, I'm the epitome of a cat-less crazy cat lady! What a perfect project! All you need is a little sewing skill, some charming fabrics and time! Maybe I can incorporate this into one of our introductory crafting sessions with the girls from work (who've all resolved to make 2011 more handmade and crafty)! Fun! What do you think?

The Oatmeal: Cat vs Internet

My wonderful sister shared this little web comic with me a few days ago and I loved it so much I thought I'd share it with all of you. It's called "Cat vs. Internet" (by the oatmeal) and is about one chubby little grey kitty's attempts at getting his owner's attention.


(I love this one. If my cat tried to convince me with pie charts I'd listen)

and finally...

Ok. So you really need to check out the site for the whole story but it is super cute! The oatmeal also taught me that squirrels purr! Talk about life changing knowledge! Use it wisely my friends...and enjoy the oatmeal's awesomenss while you're at it...

More cat storage

Back in the beginning of the year I shared a picture with you on "how to store and organize cats." It was adorable, memorable (for me anyways), and makes me wonder how much fur the photographer got on his clothes:


Well the cat storage continues! This time in wire form:


Hahah! So cute! Although I think these kitties look much more evil than the first batch - look at those glaring eyes! OoO! Or that poor squished black one! *Aww!* I wonder if I could get percy to stack...

Fabulous Finds - day two!

Today is my second day at the fabulous finds craft show in kelowna! (We're open 10 -4 if you're in the area!!!) I am internet free and (hopefully) super busy with much craft sale success so instead of a long winded post about something I thought was cool on the internet - here is a picture of percy:


What a sweetie! He is sitting/sleeping directly in front of the heat vent by the bathroom sink. Do all cats do this? I sure do and I'm not even feline...

November!

Hello November! A month full of my big craft show (so excited), crazy preparation for xmas, a trip back to vancouver to see Dan Mangan, another trip to vancouver with fraser & his mom, a new blog playlist, and (of course) a much anticipated new kittens inspired by kittens calendar page:


I think this might be my favourite of the whole calender - and is really making me sad that the year is almost over! Quinn - not sure how you'll top that one. I am really looking forward to a busy month and I'm even hoping to finally get around to taking you on a blogging tour of my new(ish) residence! At last! Oh! And throw a belated house warming in there and we'll be set! Busy times! Oh! And stay tuned - double blog posts today (this one and another at 7am)! Happy November!

The Black Spot!

A while back I read a blog post from elycia showing some adorable pictures of her kitty anakin! I (of course) instantly fell in love with such a charming ginger cat and love all the little black specks on his nose. Take a peek:


I told you he was cute! And what a great picture! Well, this got to me thinking - I have always wondered why my mom's evil cat percy mysteriously had a black spot appear on his nose one day and it turns out this is a common thing in ginger kitties! After further investigation I learned that the dirt specks are because of a condition called lentigo simplex and is similar to freckling on humans! Yup all those little melanocytes just like to cluster together and cause the darker coloration! Fun!

Naturally I decided this was a perfect opportunity to snap some pictures of percy to show off his black spot (which honestly is sort of suiting - since percy is pure evil and a single black spot signifies the death card in pirate...) but of course this turned out to be a difficult task. Observe my series of snap shots where percy refuses to make eye contact:


Thanks stinkums. Finally I got a good evil glare out of him though (note black spot):


Okay percy. You win. No cute pictures for you today...this snaggle tooth one from a few months ago will have to do:


Perhaps he'll get a few more spots in his old age and the evil gene will be suppressed a bit! Here's hoping! At least he loves you mom...

Super Kate!

I love costume parties! Any excuse to add some fun and stretch your creativity sounds great to me! And you don't have to limit yourself to just halloween - themed costume events can happen any time of the year and for no special occasion really either! Feel like doing some tarot card readings over snacks with some buddies? Why not make it a day of it and dress up like gypsies while you're at it? What fun! Perhaps make some extra witty lolcatz coloured costumes for a work related bowling event? Sure! How about a plaid potluck? The possibilities are endless! Well - I don't seem to have any photographic evidence of our tarot/lol/plaid days, but I did manage to scrounge up these pics from the last few costumed years:


Fun times! And since I recently attended a super hero themed birthday party I figured this was a perfect chance to share my costume! Especially since I spent the majority of my day at a wedding shower and by the time I got to the party I was pretty much the only one in costume. Eep! Behold - "Super Kate!"


Hooray! And don't let the costume's simplicity distract you from my super powers - projective kittens!!! Aren't they frightening?


Yeah...probably not. But I was certainly pleased with my last minute hero design. Plus that red silky cape could totally come in handy later in life. If only I brought some real evil kitty ammo to defeat those villains! Anyone who's met percy knows not to mess with him...even if he is super cute...


Oh well. Next time. What was your favourite costume you've ever worn?

Percy and the sink

Percy is an odd cat. He likes to lure people in with his cute fluffy looks and big eyes and then hiss and attack them - and he also really likes to drink water straight from the tap. Don't get me wrong - he'll drink from the bowl once in a while (if it is fresh and recently cleaned) but most days I'll find him meowing in the bathtub trying to get someone to turn the tap on for him. It makes me wonder...do all cats do this? Is this some sort of ploy in their "you don't own my I own you" cat manual? Regardless, it is sort of an endearing quality for percy since he usually looks pretty cute right before and after getting a drink. Here's some cute percy photo proof:

Picture 1: Percy testing to see if the water pressure is suitable (must be a trickle but not too much or he'll get splashed). Note the kink in neck yoga move to reach the tap without stepping a pay into the sink.


Picture 2: Water pressure acceptable. Commence drinking. I took quite a few pictures to try to get one with his tongue out - it looks a lot grosser than it does in real life.


Picture 3: Om nom nom nom! Water was good!


Picture 4: Cuteness! Yes percy! You are adorable! Now I'll get our of your way before you bite me...


Clearly I spent way too much time today taking pictures of this cat. Oh well...I bet my mom loves this post...

Percy vs Sparkle Pom Pom

Before I begin this tale (of photographic wonder) I'd like to inform you that this is, in fact, a recreation of a previous percy-pom pom event. Ironically, the recreated tale ended exactly as the original (not even planned as such) making my picture taking and story telling much easier than I had anticipated. Sweet deal! Let's commence:

Behold - the sparkly blue pom pom:


I bought this little guy at "urban source" a most fantastic crafting supply shop (on my road trip to vancouver back in may) because it was sitting in front of a sign that said, "cats love us!" I immediately thought it sounded like a great excuse (or any excuse really) to buy Percy a present from my travels! Little did I know this pom pom was destine to be the best 10 cents I'd ever spent.

After arriving home I unpacked my things and came upstairs to show off all my bargain buys, including the sparkle pom pom. I held the pom for Percy to see...


at which point he quickly snafoozed the sparkly gift and bolted in the opposite direction (please note the blue pom pom in his mouth - easily the cutest thing he has ever done - and the most difficult to photograph)


Hooray! Percy must have really appreciated my gift and I waited anxiously to see what he'd do next...


Oh pom pom! Don't be smug - percy is going to get you! Blurry pom pom action sequence!!!


After playing for a while Percy decided the best way to kill the pom pom was to glare at it...


..and then take it to the kitchen! (Note the adorable paw to mouth move - very smooth kitty!)


He then chased it around the linoleum for a while before knocking it directly into the kitchen floor vent (darn those six month kitchen renovations).


Seriously. Direct hit. Sparkle pom pom has won this round by escaping el gato diablo's furry claws for a more restful existence somewhere in the heating ducts of the house. But not to worry Percy...


I managed to find an entire bag of sparkle pom poms at wal-mart. The battle can continue...

Wonderful Post!

Back in june I signed up for ulixis' third (my second) "art cards, originals, & editions" (aceo) exchange. I came up with a pointillism mushroom I sent off to my exchange partner in Hawaii and got to patiently wait to see what card I would get! What fun! Well mine finally arrived and I am thrilled to bits with the aceo rhonda agee made for me!!! Take a look:


Isn't it wonderful? It's called "Percy" and was inspired by el gato diablo himself! When rhonda found out I was her exchange partner she went onto by blog for some clue on things I'd like and fell in live with that evil orange kitty! How thoughtful! She even sent me a neat paper card the percy aceo fits into (with envelope) if I wanted to use it as a card! She filled me in on the meaning behind the card (percy blog posts) in a super pretty painted flower card she made as well!


What a successful aceo exchange that turned out to be! I couldn't dream of a more suiting or wonderful card to receive! Thanks rhonda!!

This has also got me considering running an art card exchange of my own one of these days! Any potential takers?

Fuzz Therapy

No better way to cheer up a friday than with a little calvin and hobbes inspired fuzz therapy. This is by far the most memorable calvin and hobbes comic in my life and its message is a good one - petting fuzzy kitty bellies is a great way to feel better:


So here's my favourite kitty looking particularly cute (even with that snaggle tooth sticking out):


Oh Percy, if only you weren't so evil! Happy friday everyone!

Hooray for May!

I can't believe it! May is here! And May 1st also means I'm setting up for my very first craft show as we speak (well...that is if you read this at 9am when it posts....). If not, then either the show is going on, or the show is over and I'm frantically packing up and bolting back to Kamloops for the We are the City/Aidan Knight concert at the loft! Woo! What an action packed day!

So in normal first of the month fashion, I'll show off May's calender page of my kittens inspired by kittens inspired calender:


And at some point will even be updating my monthly soundtrack so share my most current obsessions in music! Hooray for May! Let's hope for the best month yet! Oh, and fewer health problems this month please, I think I've had enough in April to get away with a healthy month for once...