I Love Cats

It's no secret.

I love cats. 

 

They adorn my house in many forms.

Always smiling.

 

I love this happy black cat I got on my honeymoon in Costa Rica.

And this cute "Smart Cats" bottle.

Some more cute kitties, including even more Costa Rican cats!

I love this kitty particularly because it reminds me of my own real live kitty, who also wears a bell (and who chewed on the ear of his wooden counterpart).  

 

Love cats.

Love him.

Five Ways to Make Your Home Decor Personal

A well-crafted seating arrangement and beautiful artwork is nice, but it's a personal touch in your home is what makes people want to be there.  Gorgeous decor feels false and stiff without pieces of ourselves woven into our design fabric.

Here are five quick and easy personal touches that add warmth to your home:

1.  Beloved books.

Not only do books make quaint decor, but they also make great conversation starters.

2.  Monograms.

Maybe this is the Southern in me coming out, but I adore monograms.  Personal, classic, stylish.

3.  Photographs

This is somewhat of a given, but so many people choose to skimp on the family photos in their home decor!  I love to be surrounded by the faces of my friends and family.  Especially since I live several states away from most of them!

4.  Sentimental keepsakes.

When something is special, don't tuck it away in a drawer!  Share it's beauty with your guests.  The hair comb I wore at my wedding is displayed in this silver creamer on our dresser.  Not only is it beautiful, but I love the memories it holds.

5.  Passions

Yes, I actually have a passion for cats!  Make that a lifelong passion.  When you love something, surround yourself with it!  Since it would be quite expensive (and impractical!) to fill my house with real cats, I fill it with felt ones, wood ones, glass ones.  They always brighten my day.



Make your home a personal space and not just a beautiful one and you'll create a happy atmosphere filled with warmth.

What are your favorite personal touches in your home?

What Do Your Pets Do?

What kinds of things do your pets do during the day?

Lounge around with their tongues out?

Or "ask politely" to go outside?



Do they mind their own little business?

Or make it their business to mind yours?

Are they proper gentlemen at all times?

Or at little more relaxed....

Mine tend to show up anywhere, attitude and all....

Good thing they're all quite cute....

Who could tolerate such behavior otherwise? :)



What do your pets do during the day?

MeeMaw's Lamp

When my husband and I got married, we were grateful to get MeeMaw's old lamp.

We didn't have one for Britt's nightstand, so we gladly took this one.  Even though it's....less than beautiful?  I think that adequately yet politely communicates what I'm feeling.

 I definitely was not interested in buying a new one when it works perfectly fine!  So for the past year, I've just tried not to notice it.  Why did I never re-do it until now?  No idea.

Rush was my right-hand man through the whole thing.  Thanks, pal.

I took strips of thin, cream colored cloth (that I already had) and cut it into strips.  I then bunched each strip and covered the shade section by section, hot gluing each strip of cloth to the inside of the top and bottom of the shade.

Rush!

I also spray painted the body of the lamp.  Yes, you can spray paint ceramic!  Just rough it up with some fine-grit sandpaper, wipe clean, and spray.  It took a few coats to cover up the "lovely" design on this one.

The finished product is much better.  Cottage and simple.

Thanks, MeeMaw!

What a Difference a Year Makes

It was Labor Day weekend one year ago that my husband of three months and I moved into our current home in Mississippi.  It was a crazy fast move, and it's amazing to reflect on what's happened since that time and see how far we've come, in our home, in our lives, in our marriage.

Emptiness became plenty...

Discord became harmony....

And where there was barrenness, something grew!

 

What they say is true....

 

What a difference a year makes!

I Have Lots of Stuff

Do you have a lot of "stuff"?

I do!  Most of it isn't displayed, because we have a very small house.  And we may move soon.  And I hate to dust.

I like the idea of having one place to put it all.  A beautiful place to see all my beautiful things.  I need a curio!

Here is a great corner cabinet.

I love this very cottage-style Pulaski curio.

The main thing for me to remember is going to be to keep the door closed, because the cats, well, they go everywhere.

Yikes!

Kitty Specimen Art

Specimen art is everywhere, which is great, because I just love it.

I love kitties.  Therefore, I present to you, my kitty specimen art.

I was particularly inspired by the birdie specimen art here.

I was all set to use burlap for the cutouts when I remembered that I have several books of old wallpaper samples, including some great woven pieces. 



I free-handed a kitty on the back of the samples and used it as a template for the others.

I layered them in complementary colors and glued them onto a fabric-backed picture frame.

I love the texture even more than the color.

In addition to the parties on my blog parties tab, I'm linking to: