Staple Art
Lovely art on the wall, isn’t it? I love the grey with all the shades in between, especially against that stark room. I love it more because it’s all made with staples, all 35,000 of them. Check it out at Freshome.
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Perrin and Matty Picture Update
We’ve come to the conclusion that Matty up above (white nose) is neurotic. That’s just him and it’s not something he’ll “get over”. Matty = neuroticism and we love him for it. We love him an extra notch BECAUSE of his neurotic tendencies. It’s not a shortfall. It’s a quirk. He’s like the problem child that needs and appreciates extra love and care. Head butt…
Perrin with the dark nose…he’s the anchor to Matty’s wild ship storm of fatalistic…sensitivities. Without Perrin, I think Matty would end up in an alley drunk with a needle in his arm.
Matty: Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!
Perrin: Hmmmm?
Matty: Oh my god! The female just opened the door and CLOSED it! She CLOSED it!
Perrin: That’s…nice.
Matty: She CLOSED the door! The male just walked down the HALL! He…WALKED! Signs, omens…it’s the APOCALYPSE!
Perrin: I like little rainbow balls…
Matty: THE WORLD IS FALLING APA….I like wet food…come here, brother, let me lick you to death!
And so it goes…
Really, although the shelter said they are brothers…I think they’re 2nd or 3rd cousins. I mean, how the heck would THEY know? These boys came from a cat hoarder’s house of 70 cats, all Siamese and Snowshoes!
They are STILL not supposed to be on the dining table. But nobody listens to me…EVER. That’s why we put an ugly cover over it (for now). The husband and I sleep JUST like that!
They are BOTH in there…
Tag Sale Saturday…Visual Feast
The husband and I made our way to Connecticut on Saturday to walk through a tag sale and their sister antique and salvage gallery. It’s 45 minute to an hour away by car (flew by on a beautiful day like Saturday) and I had the best time discovering and browsing. I feasted on all the treasures they had, laughed a bit at some and played a whole lot of “what if’s”. Oh yes, I did procure some bits of special goodness…some for the shop…some for the home.
Take a look at some of their really cool stuff – this is just a teeny tiny portion of what they have, I swear! Take a good look at the pics because there are great pieces next to, behind and in front of what I’m snapping…
Somebody had a fun, cheerful and most definitely interesting take on a kitty. Kitty sat atop a drum table along with this awesome triple mirror stand:
I really love this industrial gunmetal steel cart with original casters. I love anything on casters and this rolled perfectly AND I love anything steel. I just don’t have a place for it at home…yet:
Fun wooden dog…think he would make a great greeter by the front door…but the cats do a decent greeting job (sometimes…if they’re not pre-occupied with napping, playing, grooming, staring into space, etc.):
This bird scared the shit out of me. I’m not afraid of our avian friends, but I actually gasped and hopped a quarter inch or so when I turned around and it was in my face…like in mid flight with his eyes all wide open:
Want a closer look? Eeek!
Then I turned around again and saw these pretties and my world was warm and fuzzy again. Yes, here you turn and turn and turn and turn and you see something new and different with each dizzying spin. I wish I had as many doors as there were these door handles:
Really cool cabinet hidden behind some other really cool stuff…if I had the space…:
This is an awesomely beautiful statement piece – in a fantastic light blue – this would take up almost half our living room wall…thinking about it…:
I have been secretly scolding myself for not taking this with us. I do suffer from an obsession with chairs. I saw this and my world was all, “gaahhh, gahhh, gahhh…” accented with drool:
Want another look? I do, damn it:
I love this round wooden hanging light…the husband, not so much. An organic base material sculpted into an organic shape…come on!
These precious babies were all the way up…guess they were not yet ready for the floor. I so wanted to climb up there and touch!
We almost bought the pendant that is second from the left. Actually, we did. But they couldn’t get it down until the day after and of course, no shipping. We can’t make it back for a few weeks at least…so hopefully, it will still be there. Now I have my eye on that copper drum one all the way to the right instead. However, the steel and silver works best in our home because we have an industrial stripped metal breakfast table. Funny thing is, we originally were looking for a copper top breakfast table…and around and around it goes:
Just feast on this…I don’t have enough words here…I just want it all:
A couple of chairs for the DIY-er that is not afraid to upholster…excellent bones and beautiful lines:
Need some fabric for that upholstery job?
Zippers and trim?
I can’t wait to make a quick trip up again…so inspirational and fun. When I do, I’ll definitely snap a few more pictures!
Finance Forward
Time for another update on our progress for the Donkee Do List 2010, folks! It’s the end of May and we’re well on our way to fulfilling our financial commitments for the year. Number 3 on the Donkee Do List 2010:
3. Max out both of our IRAs – because we will need to retire…someday.
Thankfully, we were able to knock this one off the list pretty early on in the year for both the husband and me! Done and DONE!
As far as number 4 on the list:
4. Max out my 401k – see above.
This is on target to be knocked out by the end of the year, at the latest. Hurray!
A Hairy Story
No, this is not a brush of some kind. It’s my hair…that will no longer be MY hair because it’s being donated to Locks of Love and hopefully, it will soon belong to a kid in need.
This is the second time I’m donating my hair…and why not? I’m lazy and don’t cut my hair as often as I should. It grows like mad so in no time, I have hair like Rapunzel. When I do cut it, I often cut enough off to make the donation minimum. Plus, since I never color and don’t do chemical treatments anymore (just twice in my life – once when I had dreads and once when I got the Japanese straightening), my hair is usually in pretty good shape.
Since it comes off anyway, it just makes sense to donate rather than just sweep and dump in the salon. In the end, it’ll make a kid or two feel a bit better (or not, since my hair tends to be a bit frizzy) and all I have to do is chop it off, then mail if off. It’s the lazy woman’s good deed.
So I’m bidding adieu to this year’s hair…um…still a bit wet from the shower…
The husband tries it on for size since he has hair envy:
For today, I have hair up to my chin in a layered bob…think I’ll be good to go for another round of donation in about a year!
Two Weeks In…
It’s been two weeks since we brought the brothers home. Excellent news is they are no longer hiding behind the printer/scanner/fax machine. In fact, they barely go into the office now – except to use the litter. The whole apartment is now their castle and they play rampantly – wrestling with each other (through all hours of the night!) and chasing each other around and around and around and around (through all hours of the night!).
They eat regularly, sleep a ton, play a ton and do their bathroom duties like they should. They like us more (after all, we feed them) – we hang out and play, they’ve got plenty of toys and their personalities are becoming more apparent every day. One thing they have yet to discover are window sills – they have not yet realized that OUTSIDE could be an interesting place to watch, study and pass the time – even though it’s just cars, buses, fire trucks, crying babies, and harried New Yorkers. There are plenty of birds that chirp quite a bit…but no curiosity there yet.
Perrin up above has the dark nose and is chunkier than his brother. He’s more socially adept and is up for play and affection 95% of the time. He has this thick head and skull (for his size) and big round blue eyes that are hard to resist and a belly that is begging to be rubbed. We tried and…now we know better. No belly rubbing…YET. He doesn’t like to be picked up at all (freakazoid time), but loves to be petted and we see him as a potential cuddle ball. He’s definitely the alpha and more confident, in general, of the two. As you can see, he has taken over the dining table (which he is NOT supposed to be on…uh huh). Quite acrobatic too…I’ve been jolted to attention a few times from him being body slammed (either by his brother or…by himself) on the wooden floor. Somehow, that’s fun.
Matt is the less socially inclined brother with the white nose and quite skittish, even now. He does crave affection because once he gets going with the petting, he can make like double-sided tape. He’s a bit tougher to put a finger on because he’s a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Probably shy in nature to begin with – he still runs past us like we’re gonna suddenly eat him. He can usually be found in “safer” places like chairs whose seats are under the desk. On occasion, if his brother is not totally selfish, he does come play with us. He can be picked up for very brief periods of time (about 3 seconds or so), then we’ve got to call it a day. He eats more than his brother, even though he’s smaller and is definitely the more vocal of the two, very often vocalizing to make sure his brother is around somewhere.
Matt’s tail is in a perpetual curl. I think it’s just that way naturally. It goes up, down and sideways like normal, but in all those movements, there’s always the curl, almost like a pig’s tail…almost. The other night, he somehow got a bit of urine on his own tail (no clue how). Operation tail cleaning ensued and it was just all sorts of traumatic fun – egad! Check out the husband’s battle scars:
Not even showing you guys the other arm and his chest! Nice job, Matt! Oy!
Two Feline Additions to Our Little Home
We brought these guys home yesterday afternoon from the local animal shelter. White nose is Matt and dark nose is Perrin. They don’t know they’re Matt and Perrin just yet…we don’t think they knew they were Samson and Samuel before landing in our apartment neither. If you’re a fantasy reader, then you know Robert Jordan, then you know Matt and Perrin.
A bit of history on these guys. They’re 6 years old Snowshoe brothers, rescued along with 68 other cats from a cat hoarder’s house – the majority of her cat hoard were Siamese and Snowshoe mixes. These guys were the last of the bunch to be up for adoption and were actually on the list for euthanization due to behavorial issues. You can’t blame them for being a bit mal-adjusted coming from a hoard and not socialized with people, ever.
The good folks over at the Animal Center of Queens rescued them from death row, treated their upper respiratory infections and neutered them. At first, no one was able to touch them. However, as they became used to the shelter and volunteers, they became friendly.
When the husband and I first met them a week ago, we opened their cage door and boy, did these guys love some petting, cooing and affection! White nose Matt became a purring machine and ragdoll when picked up. Dark nose Perrin was not too keen on being picked up just yet, BUT still was a slut for some loving 
We also met a couple of other crazy cool cats that we fell in love with (Sleepy is a riot and Shayla is so cool, affectionate and very pretty in a girly way). But later on, we decided on the brothers because they’re older than the others and less likely to get adopted due to age and history.
The picture of the brothers above is from the shelter. I would put up a picture of them in their new digs, but they’re currently in hiding behind the printer/scanner/fax machine and all we can see is Matt’s butt sticking out.
They are extremely scared and terrified right now and have been hiding since they got home yesterday afternoon. Their “safe haven” is the office right now…they need to feel confident in that space before being introduced to the rest of the apartment. They have not eaten (dry nor wet), they probably have not had water and they have yet to “use the bathroom”.
Everything is there for them…litter, dry food, wet food, water, carrying case, plush bed, toys…but they’re too freaked out to do anything but hide. The husband petted them a bit and they TOLERATED a pet or two, then retreated. Although they are nothing like the crazily affectionate brothers we met at the shelter last week, we know they’ll come around to it in time (a few weeks, I think). We hope they’ll realize that our little apartment and home is THEIR new home as well and we’re just here to serve
We’re just so glad we got both of them together…can’t imagine the additional stress of separating these brothers after all they have been through. Wish us luck!
Upcycled Burlap Shoe Bag
In my continuing quest to fulfill the Donkee Do List of 2010, I spent this beautiful Sunday afternoon making prototypes of an Upcycled Burlap Shoe Bag. You’re looking at prototype #2, #1 was an utterly laughable failure and I am too embarrassed to even look at it and touch it myself without blushing with a deep sense of craft bankruptcy and doom.
Ahem…in any case, I’ve had three of my burlap coffee bags washed and ready for a few weeks now. Needless to say, I’ve been just a tad too busy as of late between the regular job and my Etsy shop. But the craft fairy was kind to me this afternoon and sprinkled me with some of her crafty fairy dust – giving me enough time and energy to put down some much needed time at the sewing machine.
An hour or so later, along with a broken needle and one failed bag, I came up with this shoe bag. For those of you who have a regular and somewhat long commute on the subway, you should already know all about Subway Shoes. If you do indeed need to wear non-subway shoes in the office, then you need something to carry your pretty office shoes in. I’ve seen women who just dump and squeeze their shoes inside their purse or bag without even so much as a grocery bag for the shoes and I must admit, it disgusts me. All that shit on the street you walk on (literal shit, gum, dirt, grime, glass, you name it) and you’re putting it your bag unprotected along with your wallet, lip balm, keys, etc.! Yuck!
I’ve always used the shoe bags that come along with some of the shoes, but when they get dirty and grimy, you have to chuck them because they usually can’t be washed. When you’re out, you’re out.
So I thought to make myself a burlap shoe bag. Burlap breathes and is resistant to moisture. Also washable, so can be used over and over again. I paired the rustic and rough burlap with a bright yellow velvet trim as the drawstring to create a bit of contrast in texture and feel. Maybe I’ll use some nubby linen as the drawstring next time for an all out natural and rustic shoe bag.
I think it turned out pretty good and I can’t wait to make the next one. It now hangs easily on the shoe closet doorknob waiting to be used!
Easy Peasy Pasta with Pancetta
I love to eat and I love to cook. But there are times when you’re too tired, too worn out, too much in a hurry…too everything. That’s when the husband and I order in or go out (honestly, we order in or go out half the time during the week and try to cook more on the weekends when we’re less pooped).
However, sometimes my palette and appetite crave something simple and humble, something warm and inviting…second and third servings here I come! We keep a variety of staples around the apartment, some of which are pasta (a mix between regular pasta and brown rice pasta) and spinach for the husband’s salads. I also like to have on hand a pound or so of pancetta, I love that stuff and can have it everyday!
With just three ingredients, some salt, pepper, spices and about 15 minutes – I can whip up some yummy brown rice pasta with pancetta and spinach:
- Start the water for the pasta
- Meanwhile, cube or cut up the pancetta into bits or bite-sized pieces
- Some chopped onions and parsley if you’re so inclined…I’m usually very much inclined
- Dump the pasta in the water when it’s ready
- No olive oil needed because the pancetta is already fatty, brown those lovely bits of pure ecstasy in a big pan – onions first if you’re using onions
- Salt, pepper and spice as you like
- Pasta should be nice and al dente by the time the pancetta is a bit brown and a bit crispy – drain the pasta
- Add the spinach to the pancetta
- Add the pasta to the pancetta and spinach in the big pan
- Stir everything around, making sure the pasta gets acquainted with all that pancetta goodness in the pan
- Serve in a bowl and EAT!
Really, this is so quick a meal and you can make a big bunch and have leftovers. You can use a variety of substitutes:
Try broccoli rabe, chard, even cabbage. Try sausage cut up into cubes or slices, regular bacon (maybe leftover from breakfast), beef cubed up (cooks quickly) or any leftovers can go in the pan, really. Add in some sun dried tomatoes if you have a bit lying around.
Now I’m hungry…matter of fact, we’re heading out to food shop for tomorrow in a bit. Happy eats!
