Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Friday, February 11, 2022
Make Your Own Valentine's Day Heart Bunting - Quick and Easy Holiday Garland Project
If you're looking for a super simple project to decorate a space for your Valentine's Day party or celebration, check out this fabric heart garland. It goes together quickly and will be a decoration to have you ready for the February holiday.
- Cotton fabric for the hearts
- Cotton fabric for the loops
- Cotton batting for the filling
- Iron and ironing board
- Scissors and pinking shears
- Fabric clips or pins
- Clothesline cord or jute
- Rotary cutter
- Cutting ruler
- Cutting mat
- Sewing machine
- Matching thread
- Printable template from the pattern
Friday, January 14, 2022
Foster Kitten Friday - First Day of Kindergarten
As any parent knows, the first day of Kindergarten can be a hard one. As a former teacher I can tell you it usually goes one of two ways:
2. The child runs off into the room without even saying goodbye to mom. Sometimes dad - but mostly mom - is left standing there all alone, not sure of what to do with herself. The little one has been her world for the last 5 years and now she's not needed anymore. She will be worried all day long, wondering if kiddo is doing okay on the first day of Kindergarten, hoping friends are being made and kiddo is happy. (It's not much different from the feeling you get when you drop the same kid off at college many years later.)
Photo courtesy of Simply Cats |
November 16 Photo courtesy of Simply Cats |
January 12 Photo courtesy of Simply Cats |
Friday, January 7, 2022
Foster Kitten Friday - Heredity Versus Environment
While last week with Hans Solo reminded me of an episode of Hoarders, this week had me thinking more of the movie Trading Places. A rich Dan Aykroyd and poor Eddie Murphy wind up having their positions in life swapped as part of a bet. The fellows who are pulling the strings on their lives were debating the whole heredity versus environment thing. One particular line from the movie ran through my head this week when dealing with Hans Solo:
Given the right surroundings and encouragement...
So how and why does this apply to a foster kitten? As a parent to a foster kitten you are responsible for helping them not only grow big and strong, but well socialized and loving and kind. And when you are raising kitties from the very beginning (like bottle baby stage) you do have the opportunity to provide the right surroundings and encouragement to make it work. Except when it feels like it doesn't.
This was the week the little guy turned into no-more-loving kitty and into the bite-your-hands and climb-your-legs-when-you're-walking boy. Even though I continued to redirect his energy into all those hoarding toys we saw last week, he seemed to want my hands more.
Any time my hands were near Hans Solo this was my view. |
Here's my best attempt at getting a photo of the crazy wand toy sessions. The boy's too fast for the camera. |
The sweet face after we get all the wiggles out. |
Wild hairs so long they can't fit in the picture! |
Friday, December 31, 2021
Foster Kitten Friday - The Hoarders Edition
I've never been much of a TV watcher. I'm not even sure I could switch between regular television and Sling TV without asking hubby which button (buttons?) to press. But when I hid away in a cabin a couple months back and worked, worked, worked I allowed myself one vice late at night when I was done with my tasks for the day.
Hoarders. The TV series, that is.
Anyone who knows me know I'm extremely organized and live with a minimal amount of possessions. How and why I started watching Hoarders while tucked away in a cabin is anyone's guess. But I did - and I still am. Every evening you'll find me knocking out at least a couple episodes to get through all 13 seasons worth.
But some days, thanks to Hans Solo, I feel like I'm living in an episode of Hoarders myself. Little guy has made it his goal to take so many things we give him to play with - empty boxes, crinkly paper, cat toys and makeshift cat toys - and drag them to corner of the room alongside his cat tree. Check it out: