Cathy Peng | Art & Life

New Items in the Shop

2012-01-26T12:30:00.001-08:00

Some new seasonal and everyday things in the shop, with more on the way soon.

So far the Year of the Dragon has been kicking me in the butt, what with toddler tantrums almost everyday and a mild cold that doesn't want to leave. Hoping that the weekend has some good things in store. Happy (Belated) Chinese New Year to everyone!

Afterwards...

2012-01-18T13:06:00.001-08:00

Whitney's party came and went pretty quickly. All the planning leading up to it seemed a bit in vain (ie. I stressed out way too much, especially in Matt's opinion). Most importantly, there was cake (well, cupcakes) and balloons. Plus, I'm pretty sure Whitney had fun and hopefully all our guests did too.

Of course, now she has a cold.

I'm very nearly finished the book. Just awaiting feedback and possibly some final touches and tweaks. I will share more about the (journey of working on this) book once I've completed the illustrations.

I'm Late, I'm Late

2012-01-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

Happy (Belated) New Year!

I wish I could have started 2012 a little more organized and caught up. But with Dex going on a little adventure outside 3 weeks ago, things got set back and some deadlines were missed. The most important thing, though, is that we got Dex back home... on Christmas morning! I kid you not. It was our Christmas miracle. Santa (or someone) heard my plea. Now I just want him to be healthy. He was a skinny and tired boy after a week of being outside. And he's been vomiting off and on for a little bit, so I'm hoping it is nothing serious.

Work-wise, I am finally nearing the finish line of the children's book I've been working on for the past year. Just the cover and a few revisions to finish. My publishers must be counting the days till they can get their hands on all the illustrations.

Other than that, the shop is now open again. Look for some new things soon... once I (or we) finish planning and putting together Whitney's first big birthday party, which will be this Saturday. She turns 2 on Wednesday. This will be the first party really that Matt will have hosted. Yes, we are not social butterflies, so hopefully all goes well. It's all about the kids, anyways, right?

"Twas the Night Before Christmas...

2011-12-24T18:09:00.000-08:00

...and our Dex has been stirring. We've had several Dex sightings today after setting up a webcam in our front window. Hoping that he is safe and warm again in our home tonight.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Dear Santa...

2011-12-20T12:22:00.001-08:00

All I want for Christmas is our Dexi home again! Please, please, please!

I know that I have not been the best kitty mom since the arrival of our non-furry baby, but I promise to be a better one from now on. I've missed Dex so much these past few days and can't bear the thought of him out in the cold on his own for another night. He is the most loving cat I've had the pleasure of knowing. He is part of our family. Please let him find his way back to us, safe and sound.

We could really use a Christmas miracle.

Love, Cathy, Matt, Suki and Whitney

Our boy cat, Dex, managed to get outside on Sunday morning and has not been back since, at least not that we know of. We've searched and searched around our neighbourhood, posted signs, called the Humane Society and Animal Services, talked to neighbours and crossed our fingers that he is okay. It was a cold one last night and I just hope he found somewhere to keep warm. I left food out for him and it was eaten last night at some point, but it could have been a raccoon, another cat or animal. I've set up a box for him on our porch with some of his things and hope it draws him back to us. I'm hoping and praying...

Special Delivery

2011-12-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas came early to our house this year, in the form of a red vintage kitchen, c/o Fedex and KidKraft. I was hoping to surprise Whitney with it on Christmas day, but I couldn't hide my excitement when the box arrived last week, so she knew it was for her. Plus we were supposed to put it together to make sure all the parts were there, so...

...many parts and several hours later, we had the cutest kitchen you've ever seen up and running and Whitney has been cooking things up everyday.

Speaking of surprises and gifts, I got a nice one over the weekend when I checked my email. My Owl and Pussycats calendar was featured among other 2012 calendars on Etsy Finds. And Stephanie over at Catsparella also included my calendar among some other great cat calendars.

So I was a busy elf this past weekend because of it.

I'm feeling more festive with each passing day. We picked up a holiday wreath this morning and since my office is by the front door, I keep getting little wafts of fresh pine every now and then. I can't wait to get a little tree this weekend and for Whitney to experience her second Christmas.

The shop is only open until this weekend and I may close it sooner, so I can focus my energies on the book. My publishers have been so patient and understanding with me so far, but I know I really need to buckle down in order to do some great work.

Good night for now.

New Holiday Cards

2011-11-23T16:49:00.000-08:00

After 7 years of pushing the same holiday cards, I finally got around to designing some new ones. They are now in the shop.

Dex even made it onto one of them. I think I need more practice drawing his mug though.

A few more holiday things to come before I really dig into working on "the book". Meow for now.

Slowly but Surely

2011-11-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm moving at a snail's pace keeping up with things these days. Christmas is just over a month away and I only listed my first holiday item in the shop today.

More things are in the works and will hopefully be ready for listing by the weekend.

How other moms juggle their creative workload with their mothering duties without extra help, I don't know. Most days I don't get nearly as much work done as I'd like (or plan) to, either because a little someone wakes up early from her nap, or else because that little someone wants me to play with her. But that's life. Plus how can I resist this face?

Whitney is getting better at playing on her own these days though... five or ten minutes if I'm lucky, as opposed to her previous window of 1 or 2 minutes. Funnily enough, a mother I met while out last week said the solution for a less needy child was to have another! Ha!

And if all else fails, get daddy to help out :)

Hello November...

2011-11-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

And hello again!
I can't believe we're already into the second week of November. We still have our Halloween decorations up but the pumpkins will be finding themselves in the green bin in the next few days.

The past several weeks saw a few birthdays celebrated, (grand)parents visiting, a few meltdowns, a first trick-or-treating and real Halloween experience and also some much needed work slotted into the spare moments.

Actually, I got quite a bit of book work done which I definitely could not have managed without my mom's help. For about 2 and a half weeks, she cooked and cleaned for us and entertained Whitney without any complaints. I know that Whitney can wear me out after just a half day sometimes, so I just have to say how amazing my mom was and is! And I think Whitney enjoyed her time with her grandparents too.

Today, I'm focusing on computer work. I'll be listing a few new items in the shop shortly, so pop on by soon.

New Items in the Shop

2011-10-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

Some new items have hit the shop! There's something for Halloween.

And some things for all year round.

I love this time of year, with the cooler weather and all the leaves on the ground, although it has been a pretty warm Autumn so far. We just got back from New Brunswick visiting my in-laws and enjoyed what must have been the warmest day before Thanksgiving in all my years. It was almost 30 degrees celsius!

Hope my fellow patriots had a great Turkey day too! Happy Thursday to you!

From Boobs to Books

2011-09-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

It has been nearly a month since Whitney had her last nursing session and I swear in that time she has taken to books like a fish to water. I think it had something to do with my replacing the boobs with books before her nap and at bedtime. While it used to be a struggle to get her to sit still to listen to me reading a book, now it's a bit of a battle to get her to stop handing me books to read. But I love that she's so interested in them. It meant going back to the library - it had been months since we last visited one - and I'm finding so many great books for her and also ones to inspire me with my current book illustration. It's so great to discover new illustrators and rediscover ones that inspired me before.

Happy Weekend and Happy Autumn to you!

Hello again.

2011-09-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

image via ankepanke

I've been focused on finishing up roughs for a children's book, while stocking shops and filling wholesale orders...
and weaning Whitney.
Finally.
But I'll save that story for another post...

I wanted to share a little collaboration piece - well, it really only involved me sending my art to the woman behind the real work - that is now available for purchase right here. It's a planner themed around girls. So if you are a girl who's into planners, like I am, then this would be a great one for 2012. Or anytime. You can fill in the dates yourself. There are 3 different covers to choose from. My favourite is this one. What girl does not love shoes?

This would make a great gift for someone. Or pick up a copy for yourself. I know I'm going to.

Behind the Scenes

2011-08-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

You know how you can't really know how a space is going to work for you until you live in it for a while? Well, that's how it's been for me (or us) and as life changes, sometimes you have to adapt to it. Or in our case, adapt the surroundings.

In the course of a week, we've moved things around on every floor of the house.
And now - after almost a year in our home - I think I am finally happy with the way we've arranged our living spaces. But check back in another month or so...

Here are some behind the scenes snapshots:

My computer desk had a brief interlude in the basement...

...or dungeon as I call it.

The dining table moved to where my computer desk was.

The living room before.

The living room in process...

... and being enjoyed.

Still organizing and arranging some things, and have purchases planned (ie. another Ikea trip), but I am digging our new set-up. It feels cozier upstairs and downstairs. I'll share more photos of the other spaces (our bedroom and my new office space) soon.

A Zoo (Birth)Day!

2011-08-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

This year we spent my birthday (last Saturday) taking Whitney to the Toronto Zoo for the first time. As we don't own a car and neither Matt nor I like to drive in the city, we ttc'ed it there and back. One way was about 75 minutes by bus, subway and bus again, so it was quite a long haul. Thankfully we have been blessed with a pretty easygoing and chill little girl - she must take after her daddy :) - who despite skipping her nap, was in good spirits right up until her bedtime.

She got to see so many of her favourite animals…

And enjoy some cake too.

If you're able to count all the candles on the cake, you'll see I'm now 36.

If I've learned anything this past year, it's to not be so hard on myself and on the ones I love. Of course that's something I'm continually working on.

I'm also striving to appreciate living in the moment, to cherish these first few years of our daughter's life, when everything is new to her, and she is learning so much and becoming her own little person.

Whitney has recently started talking in short little sentences and surprised me the other day by saying "Thank you, Mommy" after I gave her some crayons. It was so sweet and unexpected.

In the evening we watched this documentary which had me shedding many a tear and got me thinking about some things that I haven't really thought about yet. When you're in the moments of overwhelm, it's sometime hard to appreciate time with your little one. Especially as a self-employed work-at-home mom. But this movie certainly reminded me that our kids are only young for a little while. So if it means shifting my focus for a few years, then so be it. Not always an easy thing to remember when my ego (and work) gets in the way.

Anyways, hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far. Bye for now!

A Mini Shop Update

2011-08-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Just added some new(ish) items to the shop. Summer is sailing by, but I will have new things to unveil for Fall and Winter, even if it means late nights and losing a little sleep.

Life with a Toddler

2011-07-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been slacking again with blog posts. But I'm blaming the hot hot heat... which makes me want to do next to nothing. Living with a toddler keeps me on my toes though and it seems we are constantly having to rethink our furniture arrangements to keep her safe.

So I've not just been vegging in front of the tv the past few weeks. On the contrary, we moved our tv down to the basement for about a month to keep Whitney from pulling at the cables. Since there is no cable connection down there, every time we wanted to watch something, Matt would have to bring up the monitor and pvr after Whitney was in bed. Needless to say that got to be a bit of a drag and not wanting to get rid of our cable - we are suckers, no pun intended, for True Blood - we rearranged our living room once again to better suit our tv watching needs. Now we just need to find a toddler-proof tv cabinet and mount/secure our flat screen tv to the wall.

Here's a before shot of the living room:

Right now we are using an Ikea ps cabinet to house our media. While it works well enough - the locking door is convenient - and matches the rest of our living room decor, I'd really like something larger, a bit more elegant and not on wheels. When we find the new cabinet, I'll be share some after shots.

Luckily, Whitney has not paid much attention to the tv since it's been back upstairs. Although she knows how to turn the tv on, she still is not allowed to watch any programs. I'm hoping to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Besides, she's much too busy with her modeling gigs... kidding.
She did get to experience her first professional photo shoot earlier this month when a friend was looking for a toddler to model some of her new Fall clothing line. Here are my favourite shots:

Photos taken by Emma-Lee Photography

Really though, our little girl is happiest being outside, playing with water these days.

Personally, I prefer to stay indoors. I'm keeping busy with book illustrations, stocking some new shops and filling etsy orders.

And speaking of etsy, I'll be back soon with a little shop update.

Wedding Recap

2011-07-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Although I brought my camera on our trip out west, I didn't take a whole lot of photos at my sister's wedding.

I was too busy holding Whitney...

most of the time.

But I liked the photos I did take, most of them being candid shots. I think they always look so much nicer than the posed ones.

My sister (in one of her 5 outfits)

A proud papa looking on

Paparrazi :)

Paparazzi shot

The officially married happy couple (2 ceremonies later)

The whole wedding was beautiful and entertaining. My sister looked amazing in all her outfits and her husband must have felt like a king, getting to ride in on a horse as part of the traditional Indian Barat.

As with any wedding, there were a few hiccups, but my sister and her husband did a stellar job as they were their own wedding planners. They had a big wedding - about 200 people - compared to Matt's and mine. I only wished that I could have helped them out more beforehand. But at least I carried out the one responsibility my sister gave me - a sister of the bride speech - which was a daunting task for a very introverted individual like myself.

Thankfully all the hours I spent thinking of what to write paid off and the speech went over quite well, even though I was shaking like a leaf and fighting back tears through a lot of it. My sister said she was tearing up after the first line, so as long as she was touched, that's what mattered. A big thank you to my own husband for helping me tweak it and prompting me to put in directives, like "smile", lest I forget.

And another happy couple (& wee one)

And speaking of weddings, it's our 4th anniversary today. I think I'm going to wear my tutu skirt again tonight when we go out for dinner. Wishing everyone a happy weekend!

Lazy Summer Days

2011-07-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

We're back from vacation...
okay, it's been almost a week since Whitney and I have been back, but my newly wedded sister was visiting so we took advantage of some more down time.

Here we are on Canada Day.

It's been a pretty lazy summer for me so far. Lots of work to catch up on and my shop and blog could definitely use some up-keep. I will share more photos from our trip out west later this week.

Hope you're enjoying some lazy summer days too. Happy Independence Day to my southern neighbours!

My Messy Desk

2011-05-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

Been working on a new book with Dragoneagle Press.
My studio still needs some serious sprucing up. Just a peek at my messy desk here.

The Important Things

2011-05-13T11:13:00.001-07:00

Things have been quiet on the shop front this past week, but I've been soaking in the sun and doing my best to focus on the important things in life.

Not every day is as lovely as my second Mother's Day was.

And certainly not every moment...

But good or bad, I'm reminded on a daily basis that it's no longer all about me, and the type of day I'm having.

And I'm very thankful for that.

It's Raining Cuteness

2011-05-06T11:28:00.001-07:00

With such a rainy Spring this year, I was determined to find Whitney some cute but affordable rain gear...

and I think I found it.

She already had the hat, a gift from one of her Aunties. And after scouring the web for a raincoat, I found this steal of a deal. The shipping was more than the coat, which almost stopped me from getting it. But I decided it was too cute and cheap to pass up.

We picked up the rain boots from Zellers, which not only coordinate perfectly with Whitney's new coat but were under $10. Sweet!

We've been taking advantage of the warmer weather and our backyard almost on a daily basis, even letting the kitties experience the outside. But we'll most likely keep them inside, at least Dex, who managed to get out of his harness on more than one occasion, until or unless we set up a cat run for them.

Our yard and garden needs some major work and Matt and I have a lot of learning to do in that area. Although I'm not a very outdoorsy person, I have to admit it's so nice to have a backyard that we can go into anytime.

And it's especially great for Whitney.

New Portrait - Maggie

2011-05-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've done any watercolour painting, so it took me a rather embarrassing amount of time to finish my latest portrait commission. Over the course of about 2 months - I kid you not - I worked on the painting quite sporadically, either during Whitney's naps, in the evenings after she was asleep or on the weekends. Thankfully, I was working with a very patient and sweet lady. Sue had commissioned the portrait shortly after her beloved girl cat, Maggie, passed away.

From the many photos that Sue sent me of her dear kitty, it was easy to see how much of a sweetheart Maggie was and how much she was loved. Maggie had a very special kitty mom and I was very pleased to know that the finished portrait was well received. If my art can help lift someone's spirits even a little, it warms my heart too.

New Giveaway at Moderncat

2011-04-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend came and went too quickly, as did my in-laws. But now I'm playing catch-up with work.

Just wanted to quickly let you know that there's a new fun giveaway right here. You could win this tee.

New Card in Shop

2011-04-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

It's not a new design. But it's new in the shop.

Meow Are You?

2011-04-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've been busy!

After rearranging my home office last week, business picked up a bit. I am by no means a feng shui expert, but I have an interest in it and try to rearrange things in our house by following certain guidelines. Whether or not that had anything to do with the sudden surge of business, I don't know. But the work was much needed, as we've had a string of unexpected bills to deal with the past month (or two). Funnily, I even inspired Matt to rethink his desk arrangement at home and his office, as well as those of some of his coworkers.

I will get around to showing you more of my new setup soon (along with other parts of our house), but here's a peek of one part of my office that stayed generally the same.

And a pic of my new business cards/hang tags including the other side of it.

Before things got busy, I reworked one of my old greeting card designs by eliminating the phrase on the front and adding a message inside (first photo above). It's now available in my shop.

The image ties in with Spring but it's also the purrfect anytime card for a cat lover.

Other cards and things will be listed in the shop soon. The rest of this weekend will be mainly devoted to spending time with my sister who's in town for a conference.
Her wedding is only a few months away and she also is eager to get in some Auntie time with Whitney.

Happy weekend to you!

New in Shop

2011-03-29T11:22:00.001-07:00

Bunny Rabbit Kitty Undies

And that's all (for now), folks.

Slacker in Stripes

2011-03-20T11:56:00.001-07:00

I've been slacking a bit with my Dress-up Days pictures and posts. Only one picture this week, and I think it may be the last for a little while. Been in a bit of a funk, what with a lack of sleep and just not much energy to do a whole lot. So I feel like it's better to focus the energy I do have into being a bit more productive with the projects I have on the go, and being the best mom I can be.

On the positive side, I finally dabbled with my watercolours again after many many months. Felt really good to get back into painting. Have been gradually setting up my studio area in the basement as I need a proper place to do some painting/printing. Will share some photos of it when it's looking a bit snazzier. (You can see a bit of Matt's relocated office in the background. Um, can you say goodbye hideous carpet and walls?)

Outfit details

striped shirt - Lamixx
skirt, tank and leggings - American Apparel
socks - Joe Fresh?

What I've Been Working On

2011-03-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

New business cards/hang tags!

I recently ran out of business cards and even though I could have easily printed some more up myself, I wanted to design something new that could double as hang tags. After some sketching and tweaking on the computer, this is what I came up with. These are actually printed at home, but the ones I ordered from here should be arriving any day now. Can't wait. I'll have to photograph the back to show you too.

New consignment stock

I'm loving these bamboo tops from Jerico and may stock my etsy shop with some. I also like how pirate kitty looks when printed in green on green - as requested by my consignor - and may give that a try with other designs of mine for new Spring stock.

Speaking of Spring, I'm so looking forward to it and not having to dress Whitney in so many layers when we go out. That being said, I am thankful for living where we live and my heart goes out to all those in Japan.

Dress-up Day - Pink and Black (again)

2011-03-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

You'll notice that I wear the same colour combo a lot.

Like I said, one of my favourite pairings is pink and black.

This week I actually dressed up twice, though counting the second time is quite laughable as my tunic is a few sizes too big and water-stained in these photos. I was too lazy (or tired) to photograph my first dress-up outfit, but am happy that I had the perfect reason to dress up: brunch with friends.

I did manage to snap some of Whitney that day.

It was her second or third time out at a restaurant and she was quite at home and well behaved there, despite her lack of proper seating and in spite of some not so great sleep the past week or so. (Hence, my tiredness/laziness)

Hopefully I can catch up on some sleep this weekend, even though we move the clocks ahead on Sunday.

Have a great one!

edit: I forgot to post the outfit details before.

Outfit details

pink jumper tunic - Alternative Apparel with print by Oddbird Designs
leggings and long sleeve tee - American Apparel

Some New Shop Stuff

2011-03-06T18:06:00.001-08:00

A few new items are in the shop, with a few more on the way this coming week.

Shell Pink Bunny Rabbit Kitty Scarf

Heather Grey Pirate Kitty V-neck Tee

I also wanted to mention my newest online retailer, Pussies on Parade, as the shop just opened this past month and is purrfect for cat lovers. The current selection of products available is small, but here's to quality over quantity.

I look forward to seeing what else "avid cat fan Joe Dawson" will be adding to the shop.

There is also a print giveaway with details here.

Dress-up Day - Pink and Grey (and Brown)

2011-03-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

Here I am trying to look all serious like a fashion model (with my argyle socks and messy hair -ha!), on Dress-up Day.

And then this little munchkin comes along, wanting to get in on the photo booth action.

So much for making it as a fashion model. I'll keep my day job :)

Outfit details

grey wrap - Alternative Apparel
pink tank top - The Gap
grey skirt - The Ott Shop
grey leggings - American Apparel
argyle socks - Joe Fresh
pink earrings - vendor from St. Lawrence Market

Dress-up Day - Pink and Black

2011-02-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

It seems Wednesday is becoming my designated dress-up day. I really ought to plan ahead with my outfits as it would make my mornings a bit easier. Alas, I had about 5 minutes to throw this look together before it was go go go with Whitney. So it was another casual dress-up day.

At least I'm dressed in one of my favourite colour combos.

Outfit details

corduroy skirt - by Fresh Baked Goods
shirt - American Apparel sheer jersey top
cherry blossom earrings - one of my favourite pairs, by Precious Pink Designs

I meant to wear a little black cardigan too, but in my rush to get to the post office after breakfast, forgot to put it on until much later in the day.

I had a bit of fun with the last photo here.

Still working on a good spot for taking photos, but Matt recently moved his home office from upstairs to the basement, so I'm thinking of converting that room to a huge walk-in closet/dressing room/perfect photography studio.

Primary Colours

2011-02-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

Some fun, primary-coloured treasuries that in which I have been featured this past week.

Thanks to the kind etsians who put these pretty collections together.

Bunny Rabbit Kitty Moleskines

2011-02-18T12:18:00.001-08:00

These are in the shop now. And I'm in the midst of making a new silkscreen, so tees and totes are next on my list of bunny rabbit kitty items.

Dress-up Day - Pocket Dresses

2011-02-17T11:42:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was my dress-up day. As you can see, I use that term pretty loosely. I threw on a dress/tunic over some leggings, added some legwarmers, a hairband and a pair of earrings and called it dressing up. I started the day with my hair down (yes, I am badly in need of a haircut, but am trying to grow it out again), then pulled it into a tiny ponytail/bun in the afternoon.

(taken with Photo Booth)

The dress was actually one of the go-to items I wore when I was pregnant. I think I bought it when I was about 3 or 4 months pregnant, when I was just starting to show. But as the dress is quite stretchy, I thought it would fare quite well throughout the rest of my pregnancy. And it did. Plus who doesn't love a cute dress with pockets?

Outfit details
dress - Suzy Shier
leggings and legwarmers - American Apparel
earrings - Electric Lollipop

Speaking of dresses with pockets, in my search for some new clothes, I happily rediscovered an old etsy favourite. I will definitely be adding at least one of these dresses to my wardrobe before Spring arrives. They will make for some more easy dress-up days.

a little black dress with pockets

a stylish dress/top
perfect for nursing (as I'm still nursing Whitney)

Now I just need to work on taking some better photographs and possibly putting on some makeup.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T11:14:00.000-08:00

Despite how commercialized today's holiday is and has become, I have always loved Valentine's Day, even when I was single.

We celebrated a day early with a pink velvet cake and pink champagne. I'd been wanting to try red velvet cake for some time now and our go-to bakery had their own updated version, so it was the perfect occasion and excuse for cake. And what a dream it was - carrot cake with pink cream cheese icing. Yummy! Can't wait for some more tonight, along with sushi (most likely).

And in honour of Valentine's Day, I'm giving away this scarf to one lucky person. Just visit the lovely Alicia's blog, right here.

Dressing Up

2011-02-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

I am not a fashion aficionado, nor am I slave to fashion, but I do like dressing up every once in a while. That's why I made it one of my goals this year to dress up at least once a week. So far though, I have not been following through with that, for a number of reasons:

1. It's winter and it's cold and I just feel like bundling up in cozy sweaters (sadly, I still wear one of my maternity ones, though it obviously does not fit).

2. My wardrobe could use some sprucing up. Too many casual tees and hoodies and not many dressier clothes.

3. Heck, as a mom of an active toddler, some weeks I still don't manage to shower more than twice, so just getting changed out of my p.j.'s seems like an accomplishment. (sorry, if that's a little T.M.I. or gross to some people)

Suffice it to say, goal number 7 on my 2011 goals list needs some work. I meant to add in fine print: even if it means getting (my nicer clothes) dirty within the first hour. With a messy eater on our hands, the laundry piles up quite quickly.

Anyways, as a fun way to motivate myself to dress up every week - and while I gradually update my wardrobe - I thought I'd post potential outfits (from browsing online) and then commit to taking a photo of myself in the outfit that I actually wore on my "dress-up day".

This week, though, I'm going to start off with a future occasion that really requires some dressing up... my sister's wedding. Seriously, I have spent more time trying to find the perfect dress for her wedding than I did on finding my own wedding dress, and I only have to wear this for part of the day (she is having an Indian and Chinese combined wedding ceremony, as her fiance is Indian). But what better excuse to buy a new dress?

Since my sister is not having any official bridesmaids, I have the freedom to choose my own dress. So I am looking for a comfortable but pretty dress that I can and will want to wear again.

I've finally narrowed it down to these three (for now).

This gorgeous Audrey Hepburn style dress. Very chic and something I would certainly wear again, but my sister's Indian sari is red, so I would have to get this in a different colour.

This ballerina skirt paired with a pretty tank (still to be sourced), which I love because then I could dress Whitney up in a matching one.

Or this dress...
which is probably my favourite option, except that it is strapless and I have never worn a strapless dress before. So I am somewhat hesitant. My experiences with strapless bras have not been great and I can just imagine having to constantly "adjust" myself.

But the wedding is not until June, so there's still time to find the perfect dress. If anyone has sources or recommendations for pretty bridesmaid-like dresses, please do feel free to share.

Year of the Rabbit

2011-02-03T10:41:00.001-08:00

This is the new design I mentioned in the previous post. How could I not celebrate the year of the rabbit, when I myself am one? Even though 2011 has already begun, each year I love that there is also the Chinese New Year to ring in. I'm excited about all that's ahead; you can read about my latest news here.

Looks like I'll be ordering Chinese takeout tonight for Whitney and me, as Matt will be working late. But dim sum for all tomorrow. Hopefully our little one will be feeling better then. She got her first fever and has not been her usual cheery, energetic self.

Anyways, Happy Chinese New Year!

Owl and Pussycat Print

2011-01-31T18:13:00.000-08:00

A new print is in the shop, which means I am on track with goals #2 and #5 for 2011. And another new design will be unveiled in a few days (hopefully).

Best get in some work time before bed!

Limited Edition Scarves in the Shop

2011-01-25T12:14:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to say these scarves are available in my shop. Only a handful of these will be made, so you'll be a lucky cat if you get your paws on one.

Hi Kitty Scarf

Love Cats Scarf

Moderncat Feature

2011-01-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

I was literally doing a happy dance yesterday after finding out that I was featured on Moderncat! It was a lovely surprise (and ego boost) after a rather lacklustre start to the new year, at least in my etsy shop. Thank you to all who stopped by my shop because of the press. And a big thank you to Kate, aka Ms. Moderncat.

Mustache Monday

2011-01-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

I'm loving this fantastic treasury that this tee is in, put together by this lovely gal.

Been working away on a new print that will hopefully hit the shop by the end of the week. And I will be listing some new items before the end of the day.

Happy (Mustache) Monday to you!

11 and 1

2011-01-11T12:07:00.000-08:00

my awesome new planner

Before January turns into February, here are 11 Goals for 2011:

1. Update my blog at least once a week.

2. List a new item in my etsy shop at least once a month.

3. Get some printed press.

4. Drink more water.

5. Make at least one new painting/illustration/design a month.

6. Enroll in a mom and baby class and/or get Whitney into a playgroup.

7. Dress up at least once a week.

8. Date night with Matt once a week.

9. Reconnect with friends, meeting with at least one friend once a month.

10. More belly rubs and chin scratches for Suki and Dex.

11. Grow my business.

And Whitney turned 1 today.

(pardon the terrible blurry photo)

We enjoyed a low-key day together, skyping with family, and eating cake.

Yum!

Too Funny Not to Share

2011-01-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

the picture we're referring to

Our conversation as we're getting Whitney ready for bed tonight (slightly paraphrased):

Matt: So we should hang the picture above the dresser.
Me: Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
Matt: There's definitely studs in this wall. I'm not sure about this one. (touching other wall)
Me: Did you already check that wall? I thought they (previous owner's) had a picture up on that wall.
Matt: Yeah, but that was pretty iffy. (banging on wall and the sound of falling rubble) I think it's hollow. Did you hear that?
Me: Yeah. (eyebrows frowning) Above the dresser is definitely the safest place for the picture.
Matt: Well, as long as you find where the studs are, that's the safest place to hang something... That's why you feel so safe with me, cuz I'm a stud.
Me: (on the floor, dying of laughter)

Whitney: waah!

Night night :)

It's a New Year!

2011-01-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

And Whitney will be a year old in one week.
Man, did 2010 flew by!

Hope your 2011 is off to a great start. One of my goals this year is to update my blog at least once a week, even if it's just with a photo and a short blurb. So yay for staying on track thus far.

I'll be back to share more of my goals soon. Whitney just woke from her nap, so gotta go.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T17:42:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to wish you all a very Merry Christmas... only hours away here... and before my family literally arrives from the airport! Our first holiday together in Toronto. If I don't get a chance to blog again before the New Year, Happy 2011 to you too!

Hello... December!

2010-12-07T12:07:00.000-08:00

Wow! Is it December already? Where does the time go?

Office Sneak Peek

My mother-in-law recently reminded me that I haven't updated my website in a while... ahem, like since January. Or at least certain pages on it, like my bio, ie. not mentioning anything about Whitney.

Well, like Stacey, life (ie. looking after a little rugrat 12+ hours a day, running my business, screenprinting for others, cooking - on occasion, cleaning - ugh!, quality time with hubby, alone time for me - what's that?, tlc for the kitties - um, need to work on that!, moving, etc.) has got in the way of regular website and blog updates this year... there's always next year. I haven't really made or followed New Year's resolutions in some time, but I think 2011 deserves at least a few.

But I'm getting ahead of myself already. It's still 2010! And Christmas is still a few weeks away, so there's still time to pick up a few stocking stuffers from my shop.

Like these:

Bad Kitty Undies

Or these:

Owl and Pussycats Stickers

And these, added to the shop today:

Horoscope Girls Sticker Set

Check the shop tomorrow for a last-minute holiday item.

Off to bed now. Good night!

Getting into Holiday Mode

2010-11-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

I love me some pretty etsy treasuries... especially when someone is sweet enough to include one of my items.

Festive Felines

Back in the shop for another holiday season are these cards . I am vowing here and now to make some new holiday designs for next year, though...

Six years in a row is a little much, no?

I am so looking forward to the holidays this year, as it will be Whitney's first Christmas and my family will be flying out here, too. But we'll have to figure out a different solution for the tree and presents, I think. She is still in that everything-must-go-into her mouth mode.

And speaking of firsts, I think she said her first word the other week.

What do you think it was?

"CAT!"
(of course)

In other news, I will be part of a group art show this weekend. A rather last minute invitation, and the piece in the show is an old one (below), but it should be a good show.

It's been a Whirlwind

2010-11-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Literally!
It was so windy one night last week that the neighbour's gazebo was picked up and dropped in our backyard.

And I spend much of my day picking up after Whitney.

I never really understood the whole "picking up after their kids" phrase... until now.

Our house is coming together, though. The boxes have all been moved to their respective locations. And I moved my office downstairs - even though I love the room originally designated as Matt's and my shared office space (pictured below in its former state) - as that is where Whitney and I are most of the day.

I will share photos of our personalized spaces in the coming weeks, as we complete each room. So crazy that Halloween has come and gone already this year and Christmas will be here soon! Best get my butt in gear for the holidays.

Oh, and if you're wanting to find out a little more about me and my business, here's an interview I did a while back, that was just posted last week on a cute site.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and your extra hour (for those with daylight savings ending)! Fingers crossed that Whitney does not wake early tomorrow, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Not Much Time for Sleeping or Blogging

2010-10-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it's only been 2 weeks since we moved into our new home. Feels like forever and a day ago, with all the non-stop work that we've been doing. Well, it was mostly Matt doing the majority of house-related work, while I looked after Whitney.

Moving day was a bit of a disaster. We were not prepared for it, as we had never moved with a baby before. Needless to say, it's a day we'd all like to forget about. And I don't think we will be moving anytime soon, unless we came into some big money and were able to hire all the help we needed.

We are still surrounded by boxes on the main floor, but a lot less than there were the first week or so. Matt's parents came up on Thanksgiving weekend and helped us out here and at our old place, as we had to finish moving stuff and do some major cleaning to stage it for selling. Even though we still managed to make time for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, I felt like it sort of came and went without a proper acknowledgment for all that I'm thankful for.

So a big, big thank you to my dear parents-in-law and to my dear, sweet, hard-working love!

We would not be where we are today, if not for all of your time and effort. Just take a look at some of the pictures of our sparkling clean and staged loft.

Pictures of the new home are coming. My camera was m.i.a. until a few days ago. And I've been busy running after an ever-curious and mobile 9 month old, so it's not easy to get much unpacking done, much less anything else.

Toodles for now.

Packing and More Packing...

2010-09-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Almost all the shop orders have been packaged and mailed out.

Now to tackle packing for our move!
Matt has done most of it so far.

Hopefully the kitties will love their new digs. This will be the third move for Dex and the sixth for Suki!

I would gladly trade places with Dex right now. But there will be time to sleep after the move...

I hope.

Feeling the Love... Seriously, Thank You!

2010-09-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

I came home from the vet's yesterday - Suki needed a booster shot as her annual vaccination was done in 2 parts - and found a pleasant surprise in my inbox: a couple of sales in my shop and a feature in yesterday's Etsy Finds!

Seriously, the timing could not have been better. After slow sales had me questioning the future of my business - whether or not I wanted to keep doing it, that is - this little bit of exposure certainly reminded me why I do what I do. Not that I do it for the sales. But every time I make a sale, it makes me giddy to think that someone out there likes what I've made and wants it.

So thank you to all who stopped by my shop and added me to your favorites. And thank you to my latest customers. And thank you to those who take the time to include me in your treasuries, like these great ones.

I've been packing orders as much as I can in the last 24 hours and just started to pack for our move today, too. So much to do but I'm trying not to freak out. I will be closing my shop for at least a week starting September 30, though possibly sooner.

Anyways, Happy Sunday night! Will post again in the coming week.

We're Moving!

2010-09-11T12:55:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited!

We got the house we put an offer on a few weeks ago and will be moving in t minus 3 weeks. Now we just have to pack, pack and then pack. And tend to all the business that is involved with moving. Yuck!

Our place right now is such a mess and I'm feeling a little jumbled as well, so I like to look at the photos of our new place to calm myself. That's a peek of our new kitchen above.

Isn't it adorable?

Although I had dreamed of an all white modern kitchen, this one has such charm to it, that we couldn't help but feel at home in it. And that was our take on the whole house, really. After months of house hunting, this was the first one that we could picture ourselves and Whitney growing up in.

A few more photos...

Funny enough, we didn't see any photos of it beforehand - the seller's real estate agent was a bit lazy, I'm told - so we weren't expecting much when we went for the viewing. But it certainly worked in our favour, because we did not have to contend with other offers - phew! - and have a bidding war.

I am forever indebted to my parents who again helped us get this house... we would be renting for many more years in Toronto, if not for them. Their only worry - and ours somewhat - is that the house will be a money pit, as it is most likely a century old - but fingers crossed that it isn't. The previous owner supposedly got a better job offer - though in Montreal - so I think that's a good sign of house luck.

Anyways, I am eager to decorate. While we are pretty happy with most of the paint colours, the bedrooms require a more personal touch. Whitney's room awaits!

Whitney's Nursery Basics

2010-08-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

I swear, this post has taken ages to put together, but the past week and a half I've battled a cold and we are in the process of securing a house which we saw on Sunday and made an offer on on Monday. By the end of this week, we may have a new place to move to at the end of the month. Anyways, I digress.

I am terribly fond of white interiors and white decor. And although it may not be the most sensible colour choice for baby furniture/dexor, there is something so calming to me about it that it almost makes perfect sense.

As mentioned previously, I wanted to share more about the things in Whitney's nursery. From the image above (click to enlarge), you can see that we are true Ikea connoisseurs. With the exception of the rocking chair and a few other things not pictured, Ikea was our go-to store for an affordable nursery.

Here's a breakdown of the basics:

Crib: HENSVIK, Ikea
Dresser: MALM, Ikea
Chairs: LEKSVIK children's chair, Ikea; SLEEPYTIME ROCKER in ecru, Nurseryworks
Rug: HAMPEN, Ikea
Accessories: EKBY HENSVIK shelf, RIBBA frames, FÖRSIKTIG children's stool, Ikea

I have to rave about the rocking chair and the service from this awesome online store. Even though it was a bit of a splurge, it was money well spent - plus, I felt it was a well deserved anniversary/birthday gift from Matt. I only wish I'd asked for it sooner.

After 6 months of nursing Whitney on either our bed, the couch or this now discontinued Ikea rocker (which I bought and eventually sold through craigslist), my back was ready for a proper rocking chair. And since we were moving Whitney into her own room, it was all the more reason to invest in this piece of furniture.

Not owning a car though has its drawbacks and with not a lot of time to spare to go to stores to actually try this rocking chair out, I had to rely on online reviews as well as the word of the Babybot salesperson - who was super helpful with her firsthand experience of using/owning the chair - I was dealing with. While I found some rave online reviews, this one in particular, there were also a lot of less than stellar ones. So I was a bit nervous that I would agree with the latter camp upon receiving and trying out the chair. But nearly 2 months later, I am loving this chair more and more each day, with every use. And trust me, I am in that chair about 7 or 8 times a day, if not more, for up to 3 hours a day!

Yes, Whitney is an eating machine.

Although it looks very similar to the Ikea Lillberg rocker, it is a hundred times more comfortable for both Whitney and me because of the padded arms and the rocking motion is much better too. Paired with the little footstool, it is a dream to sit on. At first, I didn't care for the little pillow that came with it, but it actually seems to have conformed to my body or vice versa.

Anyways, I say if you are going to splurge on anything for a nursery, go out (or go online) and buy a great (looking) nursing chair. I love that the Sleepytime Rocker will look as good in our living room as in Whitney's room.

And I can't wait to really dive into doing up her new room, among others, in our new (old) house in the coming months. Fingers crossed everything works out with the home inspection, etc. I will share more when it is all settled!

New Print in the Shop!

2010-08-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

Finally...
a new print is in the shop!

Other colours are available, but this has to be one of my faves. A nice soothing robin's egg/eggshell blue.

I'm planning on making a silkscreen for this too. So look for tees and totes with this design in the coming weeks. Yay!

Etsy has also changed our shop view to a wider format. Not sure if I like it as much or any better.

But here's to new things at any rate.

Working on more new stuff for the shop - prints, freebies, etc. - so will share with you as I finish them.

Seven Months Old

2010-08-11T08:02:00.001-07:00

I swear, this blog and my life is all about Whitney these days!
She is 7 months old today...

and is certainly a far cry from the skinny babe we brought home with us back in January.

Finally, some after photos of her room, though not at all "styled", unless you count baby styling, and maybe the last photo.

Since we are hunting for new digs, I figure we can wait to really do up Whitney's room. Plus, it's just a challenge to do much with her on the go now. No wonder most people get the nursery ready before the baby arrives!

We moved the couch into her room simply because there was nowhere else to put it, but quite fittingly, the fabric is called "Whitney", so what better place for it to go? A friend jokingly said we can tell her that we named her after the couch when she's older.

I will share more about the things in the nursery soon. Whitney is waking from her morning nap, so I must go.

Sneak Peek

2010-08-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

Our shared bedroom went through a few different configurations in the last couple of months. This was the most recent before we moved Whitney into her own room, which was basically our former shared space.

Whitney's side

Our side

Not the greatest photos, as we don't get a lot of natural light on the lower level of our loft, but then "before" shots are usually not as nice as the "after" ones.

I haven't managed to put the finishing touches in Whitney's room - artwork still needs to be hung, hooks moved and some decor is on its way in the mail - or our room either, so the after pictures are still coming.

But here's a peek at part of Whitney's room and what's keeping me busy these days.

Our little girl has started to crawl! We are proud parents, but it means we have to babyproof our place pronto.

Back with some more pictures hopefully by the weekend.

Nursery in the Works

2010-07-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Well, last week got away from me, so our bedroom update was put on hold.

bedroom before

And then this past weekend, Whitney was going through "a little existential crisis", as Matt put it, as we think she is now discovering that she is her own person... which can lead to separation anxiety.

That, or she has an ear infection...
or is teething again...
or she's just really hungry and needs to start solids...
or she wants to stay up to practice crawling.

Oh, the joy of solving the mystery of your baby's cries. And the joy of watching your baby growing up!

Speaking of which, rather than rearranging our bedroom, we've decided to move Whitney into her own room, despite her possible separation anxiety. She will be right in the next "room", as there will only be our sliding shoji doors between us, but hopefully this will help us all sleep a little better. I swear, Whitney has the most sensitive ears... Matt shifting in bed will cause her to wake/stir. But then, she is a baby, so her ear drums have not been damaged yet.

Anyways, all this means I will finally get to decorate a nursery for our little girl! I have been seriously obsessing over nurseries the past several weeks, months even, looking up hundreds of inspiration images online.

This has to be one of my favourite nurseries, for its simplicity and colour palette.

You can see more photos here.

And this is another favourite. More photos here.

The big bedroom change is planned for this weekend. Hopefully it goes well and I will have some after photos to share with you next week.

Allô...

2010-07-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

Bonjour!

Some of my kitties are on their way to Paris, France as I have a new online retailer there. I'm excited to see the shop once it is up and running. Hopefully one day, I will get to go to Paris too, with Matt and Whitney.

On the home front, we finally took some family photos a few weekends ago at the request of one of Matt's sisters. This was one of the best of the bunch, though Whitney looks like she could be smoking a cigar.

Yes, I am sporting a "mom" cut, though it was meant to be a pixie cut - totally not conducive to my hair texture. It is now in that weird growing out stage and it'll probably be another 10 years or so before I have my hair this short again (it'll take me that long to forget how much I didn't like this haircut). Although Whitney is still very much into grabbing my hair - one of the reasons why I got it chopped off - I will endure the pain for my vanity.

This past weekend Matt and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary, though celebrations began the middle of last week since Matt brought cake home then. Two, actually! No photos though, as we promptly dug into them. You could say we were eating Whitney's share, as she turned 6 months old on Sunday.

Whit in "airplane" mode

Time has definitely flown by and Whitney is growing like a "wee weed", in Matt's words. She is 28 inches and almost 20 pounds!!!

We went to Ikea for the first time since she was born and picked up a soccer ball for our future soccer star - she was a kicking maniac in my belly.

enjoying the World Cup final with daddy

A trip to Ikea, means I've got the home decorating bug again. My latest obsession is with rearranging/perfecting our bedroom. Since we share it with Whitney and she is getting older, I'm trying to divide the room so she has her own space. A little tricky when you're working with a limited amount of it. I will share pictures and more in another post, hopefully later this week, as the room is not yet complete.

So until then. Have a great week!

A New Giveaway & Kitten Love

2010-06-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today to let you know that I've got a new giveaway courtesy of one sweet blogger. All the details are here. The clever kitty tee (pictured above) is up for grabs.

And another sweet blogger mentioned my clever pussycat onesie, amongst some other mighty cute kitties, right here.

A Friend Down Under

2010-06-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

I'm a day late with my announcing the winner of my latest giveaway...

so without further ado, the recipient of both kitty tees is the very sweet Helena, a really lovely artist from down under, who also happened to be the sole giveaway commenter. Her gift ideas for a new daddy were fantastic though, and I will hopefully get around to at least one of them before this coming Sunday.

This week on the work front, I'm hoping to get some more screen printing done, keep up with shop orders and get stock sent out to a new shop. On the home front, if I can keep Whitney on her daily routine of rising no earlier than 7 am and to bed by 8, with 3 good naps a day, it will have been a great week!

Wishing everyone else a great one too! Bye for now.

Papa Needs a Brand New Tee

2010-06-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing that gets my goat, it's people who contact me asking for things and then never follow through with either making a purchase or in a particular recent case, giving me further info as to where to send my product(s). Especially since my time is pretty precious these days.

But I'll just chalk it up to their loss.

And possibly your (my readers) gain.

Since I am sort of stuck with some limited edition merchandise (well, not really, as I could just list them in my etsy shop), I thought why not do another giveaway? It's been ages and as I had planned on doing one each month, this is the perfect time, albeit a bit close, to do one for Father's Day.

For the men in your life who are cat lovers, I am giving away to 2 lucky readers, a pirate kitty short sleeve tee and mustache kitty short sleeve tee. I only have large sizes available, so they may or may not fit your dad/husband/boyfriend/friend/grandpa/etc. Don't let that stop you from entering the giveaway though. Who doesn't want another t-shirt? They are unisex, after all, so you could keep them for yourself too, as a p.j. tee or just to wear around the house if (it's too big).

They are American Apparel tees in these two styles:

Tri-Blend Short Sleeve Track Shirt in Tri-Coffee

Melange Jersey Short Sleeve Gym Tee in Melange Blue/Navy

(unisex version which seems to be discontinued now)

To enter the giveaway: all you have to do is leave a comment with a great Father's Day gift suggestion. This time around, I will pick the best answers (in my humble opinion) rather than doing a random draw. You have until the end of Sunday, June 13, 12 a.m. EST to enter. I will announce the winners on Monday. Be sure to leave me a way to contact you. This is open to readers everywhere!

Unfortunately I can't guarantee that you will receive the tees in time for Father's Day, but then I expect most of you already have gifts to give your dads.

In other news, our little Whit-Whit is five months old today! She is our sweetheart.

Pussycat, Pussycat

2010-05-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

Something for the little pussycat lover in your life.
Available in my shop.

Balancing Act

2010-05-01T05:35:00.000-07:00

Balancing being a mom and running your own business certainly requires some superior multi-tasking skills. I'll be the first to admit that I've never been a great multi-tasker, so my absence from blogging is due in part to that fact.

Each week, heck, each day with Whitney seems to present new challenges and/or experiences. I spend a lot of time googling things about babies on a daily basis.

The latest challenge has been managing Whitney's naps. Several weeks ago - I think it's related to when her eyesight got a bit better - she suddenly decided that napping in her crib was out of the question. So a typical day involves me having to "wear" her for at least one nap a day. The other naps she either takes in her stroller or else, if I'm lucky, in bed with me, so I can catch up on some sleep too.

When Matt gets home from work that usually gets Whitney a bit worked up, since she's excited to see her daddy.

She is full of smiles these days and laughed her first real laughs the other week.

The rest of the evening is spent nursing her and winding her down, with a bath every other night. As we live in an open concept loft, putting her to bed at an early hour - 7 or 7:30 - is not really manageable. At least, we have not tried doing that yet and if or when we do, will involve at least a few nights of crying and tiptoeing around with the lights off. I just try to make sure she gets a nap after 2 hours of being awake and she goes to bed when we do, which is usually between 9:30 and 10 these days.

Gone are the days of burning the midnight oil for me!
Ah, the joys of parenthood!

Speaking of which, my mom will be back for a visit next week and we'll be celebrating Mother's Day together again. But this year it will be all the more special. And her being here will not only give me a little break from our darling daughter - I love her so, but there are times that I wish I had some relief - it will also allow me a little more time to get some work done. And possibly blog some more. For now though, being a mom - and hopefully a good one - is certainly my main priority.

Spring Things

2010-04-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air and I've got some new things to show for it. Hooray!

Melange Olive Hi Kitty Tee

Light Pink Love Cats Short Sleeve Tee

Fitting in time for my own work is tricky these days - I often sacrifice a much needed nap in order to get stuff done - so it seriously feels like a little accomplishment when I can print up a dozen or so shirts.

I will be adding either one or both of these tees to my shop soon, along with some baby apparel - still to be printed - hopefully.

Speaking of babies, I think our little one is waking up from her after lunch nap, so that's all for now.

A belated Happy Spring and Easter to you!

The Cat's Meow

2010-03-04T05:39:00.001-08:00

If you're a cat lover and an art lover as well, this is the purrfect show for you to check out! The opening reception is this Saturday, March 6 at the Intolerant Gallery in Hamilton but the show is already on and will run until the end of March. Believe it or not, I've got several things in the show... no new pieces to speak of, as time and energy did not permit me this year so far, but there are a ton of other artists showcasing their cat-devoted art.

My talented friend, one of the show's organizers, has several oil paintings in it. The one below, which also happened to win best in show at the Women's Art Association of Hamilton's 112th Annual Juried Exhibition (Spring 2008), is my favourite.

Pause, oil on canvas

As much as I'd like to go to the opening, traveling with Whitney right now is not very convenient. My friend has promised to take photos though, so I'll be able to experience the show that way. And hopefully we'll all be able to go to the next one, as there's talk of this becoming an annual show.

Back to Business...

2010-02-21T09:04:00.000-08:00

... mostly. My shop is open again and I will be adding some new things to it...
very gradually.

The tee above is now available here. I've only been staring at it when I'm at my computer for the past three months or so, but simply didn't get around to listing it until the other day.

That seems to be the case around here a lot lately, but I have to remind myself that being a mom is a full-time job in itself. Plus, how can I resist spending time with this cutie?

(If only she were this calm all the time)

Ciao for now.

edit: I forgot to say thank you for all the sweet comments left on my previous post re: our new addition. Whitney says thank you, too :)

A New Year & A New Life...both welcomed a little late.

2010-02-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

We're a month into 2010, so I'm just a little behind in ringing in the New Year. It would be an understatement to say that things have been just a little hectic since we welcomed our baby girl, Miss Whitney Bennett, into the world on January 11.

Here she is on Day 2...
(c/o a professional photo service offered at the hospital)
that's my arm on the left and Matt's (hairy one) on the right.

I half expected to be early and deliver Toronto's first baby of 2010 since there was a full moon on New Year's eve and there's an old wives' tale that you can go into labour on a full moon. But it turned out I was 6 days past due and with each passing day and no sign of baby, we all grew a little impatient... my mom and sister had flown in from Saskatoon on the 6th and there were only so many games of Scrabble that we could play to pass the time.

It didn't help that my parents and Matt's parents kept wondering when their first grandbaby would arrive, that Matt's parents were getting into Toronto on the 11th, that my dad was going to India on the 12th, that my sister was only in town until the 12th and that I was scheduled for an induction on the 13th. No pressure, right?

Well, once I finally experienced my first contraction, life as Matt and I knew it before, forever changed. My labour and delivery went pretty quick, considering this was my first pregnancy - just under 12 hours - and since then, life has felt like a bit of a whirlwind.

Here I thought the pregnancy was somewhat challenging... boy, was I clueless about what to expect afterwards. How anyone is able to raise kids on his/her own kind of boggles me. If I had not had help these past few weeks, I think I would have seriously lost it. Couple that with the fact that I had never before held a baby or changed a diaper, let alone babysat any kids, so it was all a bit overwhelming.

Basically now, my days are spent feeding Whitney every 2.5-3 hours, with feedings usually taking an hour on average, sometimes longer though if she's fussy and won't settle down. I'm lucky if I get more than 2 hours of sleep at a time, and 6 hours in total a day. The last time I left the house was more than a week ago - until today - so I've pretty much been in my p.j.'s and bathrobe 24/7.

Breastfeeding itself was a big challenge in the first week and we're both still getting the hang of it. We had to bring Whitney back to the hospital a few times because she was dehydrated and I needed help with breastfeeding... that's a whole other post for another time though. The carpal tunnel that I developed during the third trimester has not gone away and is probably being aggravated by holding and lifting Whitney constantly.

All complaints aside however, we are thrilled that our little "Whit-whit", as we like to call her, arrived safe and sound. Hearing her first cries brought both Matt and me to tears and I'm so looking forward to all the other emotions and milestones we'll experience together in the coming years.

All About Baby

2009-12-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

The past month or so has been mostly about baby. Preparing for her arrival by making space in our home, buying essential furniture, etc., attending prenatal classes and watching informative dvds/reading appropriate books. You name it. We've been keeping busy with expectant mom & dad activities. (Yesterday we finally set up the crib in our bedroom, which makes it a bit more real to know that our babe will be sleeping in it soon)

So suffice it to say that I've felt a little overwhelmed (ie. stressed out - my poor hubby) with it all at times. Since Matt and I have both been busy working a lot as well, it feels like there's been little time to breathe or even to catch our breath. I've definitely neglected any kind of personal work in the last several months. My sketchbook has been untouched really for 2 or 3, except for being moved around, or written in. Napping, though much wanted and probably needed, was a luxury. Dishes sat in the sink for weeks...

And our baby girl has not even made her appearance yet!

We did manage to sneak in a photo session last weekend though, after months of no pregnancy "progress" photos. These are a few of the better ones of us.

I'm quite relieved that the shop is now closed for my maternity leave, but it feels a bit weird too since I would routinely check it in the morning as soon as I got up. Still, it is one less thing to worry about at the time being. All orders have been packaged and sent out as of today, including the blog giveaway packages. Now I just need to mail out some Christmas cards and a baby shower gift for this crafty expectant mom (who shares the same due date as me) before the week's end.

With Christmas less than a week away, I'm finally shifting my focus on making our home more festive. I was hoping to get this mini artificial tree since space is at a premium but the two Canadian Tire locations I went to were out of them, so I'm not about to trek all over the city just for that. We may end up getting a real tree from down the street since it doesn't quite feel like Christmas without one to me. I did pick up some cute stockings and wrapping paper from Ikea on my last few trips there. Deciding where to hang the stockings is the question, as we don't have a mantel/fireplace.

So my week is shaping up like this:
Today was my last shopping day out, getting last-minute gifts and post-pregnancy items.
Tomorrow I'll be baking up a storm since I have to stay home all day for a delivery.
Wednesday is yet another prenatal visit and I'll be delivering some Christmas goodies to a few people/places.
Thursday, I'll be happy to be at home and nest.
And Christmas day I suggested that we order take out for dinner. Yes, it'll be a quiet Christmas, which is fine by me. Matt will be working pretty much every day except Christmas up until the baby comes, so slaving away for a whole day in the kitchen for just the two of us seems a bit like overkill. Hopefully there are some decent restaurants open. Of course, who wants to work on Christmas?

Well, if I don't get a chance to wish everyone a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays before Friday, let me do so now. May your day(s) be merry and bright!

The Winners are...

2009-12-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

For my most recent blog giveaway, the lucky winners are as follows:

Prize #1 - cartesiandualism
Prize #2 - Rashel
Prize #3 - Andrea Jordan

I will contact the winners in the next day or two and your prizes will be mailed out sometime next week, provided I hear back from them before then.

Thanks to all who played along and commented. I really appreciate those who take the time to read and comment on my blog. The next giveaway won't happen until next year, 2010!

I'd like to write more, but today's been a long day and I'm in need of some down time before bed. Toodles!

The Big Reveal

2009-11-29T14:23:00.000-08:00

Life has been pretty hectic these past several weeks, as my due date nears...
• Baby and home furniture shopping
• a trip to the ER for my dear hubby
• maintaining my shop
• and working at my part-time job
So blogging was not exactly a priority. And I'm sure it will be put on the back burner once our little one arrives too.

But I'm happy to finally share the results of last month's hard labour and home reno project.

There are still some finishing touches that the shoji doors require to make them easier to open and close, but for the most part they are done and function fine.

Of course, some repairs are needed as well...

c/o our bad kitty, Suki.

And we need to start training the cats to stay out of the bedroom, as well as preparing them for the arrival of their little sister. That will be a task and a half. We are hoping for the best!

More pics to come in the next few weeks of our revamped home. Ciao for now.

A Sweet Holiday Giveaway

2009-11-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

new pocket calendar (coming to the shop soon)

Okay, it's giveaway time again! Normally I announce them on the 15th of the month, but this past weekend just got away from me and I was not feeling energetic enough to do much else than veg after two full days of being out baby shopping and more.

Without further ado though, here are the details:

Since I will be closing shop for maternity leave, starting Dec. 16 (perhaps sooner), this month's giveaway will actually be for November AND December. And there will be 3 separate prize packs to be won.

With the Holidays around the corner, each prize pack features an assortment of goodies that are purrfect for giving away or if you're feeling more Scrooge-like, simply keeping for yourself.

Prize Pack #1
• Sukibaby Holiday Pack of 3 Cards
• Christmas Kitty Magnet Set
• 1 Set of Holiday Gift Tags
• A 2010 Pocket-size Calendar (choose 1 from 12 designs; only 1 not pictured is pirate kitty)
• Gift Certificate worth $25

Prize Pack #2
• Creme Owl & Pussycat Limited Edition Scarf
• A 2010 Pocket-size Calendar (choose 1 from 12 designs)

Prize Pack #3
• Aqua Clever Kitty Boy Brief Undies
• A 2010 Pocket-size Calendar (choose 1 from 12 designs)

Ways to enter (this time):
Leave a comment sharing your favourite Christmas/Holiday memory or gift received/given.

• Any purchases made in my shop from November 1st - Dec 6th will also get your name entered in the draw.

• All my Happy Customers and current blog followers are automatically entered every month.

Winner will be chosen at random, using the random number generator and I will announce it on my blog on December 7th!

To keep things fair, winners will be given 1 week to reply to my notification email. So please be sure to include an active email account in your comment/link or give me some way of reaching you. Otherwise, new winners will be chosen.

Thanks in advance for playing along. Happy Monday!

Be Back Tomorrow...

2009-11-15T17:49:00.000-08:00

The weekend was super busy and I'm feeling a little like how Dex looks above - dazed and in need of some rest - so details of this month's blog giveaway will be announced tomorrow. Sorry to keep you in suspense, but it'll be another good one.

Thanks for the sweet comments on my previous post. Hope everyone else had a great weekend and is enjoying the last few hours of it! Now time to put my feet up and relax in front of the tube.

Yes, Please & Thank You!

2009-11-12T05:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a STELLAR day on etsy, thanks to getting this on the front page and some really great customers. It was my best in a long while and yes, please, I'll have some more. Thank you :)

I love this site that I somehow happened upon last week, via twitter I think. A great way to keep up with your etsy stats and it's an attractive and well-designed site too.

Anyways, just wanted to briefly toot my own horn...

After all, it's the small things and moments in life that keep me happy.

Be back in a few days with this month's giveaway.

Long Overdue

2009-11-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

I've been terrible at blogging lately.

So much to do and so little time.

That's kind of how I felt yesterday after Matt and I got home from doing some baby shopping, finally. We bought a crib, but the saleslady told us that a car seat and stroller are more important. We only started looking at some yesterday. Yikes!

I'm still not due for another 8 weeks - so that's not the "overdue" the post title refers to - but I feel like the clock is steadily ticking and it's hard to accomplish much these days.

These books literally sat on this cart for weeks, after we finished setting up our shoji sliding doors. I finally reshelved most of them yesterday morning. Still need to snap some "after" shots, but I'm waiting until the shelves are fully reorganized, which will hopefully happen next weekend, once we go to Ikea again.

Here are some more "in progress" shots of our shoji doors... these, like my home reorganization, are the long overdue things I'm referring to.

Oh, also of note: this morning I redrew for the winner of the October blog giveaway since I didn't hear back from the original winner. Congrats to Leslie, one of my etsy customers last month. Stay tuned for this month's giveaway announcement... happening in under a week.

Hello November

2009-11-01T13:39:00.000-08:00

Wendy and her kitty, Aoi

The last week of October was one of my most trying ones since I've been pregnant. I think the third trimester has brought back hormonal changes and fatigue, putting me on a bit of an emotional roller coaster for the last little while. Without turning this into a completely woe-is-me sour post, let's just say that Thursday was by far not my best morning, Friday was a bit exhausting - waiting 6.5 hours to get the H1N1 vaccination; and Saturday I spent most of the day on the couch or on the toilet, recovering from the shot that's supposed to keep me and the baby safe. Yeah, fun!

So, I'm looking forward to a better November. Pretty please!

I know I promised to share photos of our finished shoji doors, but I have not had a chance to take decent ones yet. Instead, I thought I'd share a photo that one of my super lovely recent customers sent to me, showing off her new tee along with her own wonder kitty.

And it's also time to reveal the winner of last month's giveaway. I made the draw this morning, once again using the random number generator. Out of 93 entries, Priscila was the lucky winner.

Thanks to everyone who commented, sharing your Halloween costumes, past and present. Hope you all had a fun, safe Halloween! And thanks also to all my etsy customers for your purchases and support in October. I was hoping to offer a free download in time for Halloween to thank all my blog followers and etsy customers, but I think it will have to wait until next year.

I may come up with something for the holidays. Christmas, after all, is my favourite holiday of the year. But I'll have to get cracking on stocking up the shop with things before baby comes. Be sure to check back at my blog and my shop announcement for important suggested mailing dates as well as my maternity leave dates. I'll be finalizing those dates in the coming weeks.

Think Pink

2009-10-26T12:16:00.001-07:00

I've had pink on the brain lately, so I'm loving this pretty treasury that I'm currently featured in, thanks to this sweet seller.

And I finally bought the first few baby clothing items over the weekend, including these oh so adorable sneakers from Old Navy, where I've done quite a bit of my maternity shopping. I've been resisting the urge to buy everything cute in sight, but I couldn't resist these.
I promise to share some photos of the finished shoji doors soon. They are mostly done, but we are wanting to add some castors to the bottoms to make them easier to slide back and forth. Another trip to Ikea is planned for later in the week for more baby-related items and more office and studio gear. As usual, I'm looking forward to it.

Bye for now.

October Giveaway

2009-10-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today to announce this month's giveaway.

(Click on image to enlarge it)

Prizes: an owl and pussycat screen printed scarf (only one end is printed) and a set of six owl and pussycat buttons. Total value is $31 in honour of Halloween!

Ways to enter: Leave a comment saying what you're going to be/do this Halloween. If you're not dressing up, then perhaps share one of your favourite past costumes.

Any purchases made in my shop from now until the end of the month will also get your name entered in the draw.

And all my Happy Customers and current blog followers are automatically entered every month.

For bonus entries: Become a follower of my blog (follow button to the left) and/or on twitter, then come back here and leave a comment letting me know that you did so. All my current blog followers are automatically entered. I have too many unknown twitter followers, so unfortunately you need to comment on this post to b entered.

If anyone has trouble leaving a comment, you can also email me: blog@cathypeng.com.

Winners will be announced on November 1st!

It's almost dinner time, so toodles for now.

Studio Peeks & Work in Progress

2009-10-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

Despite the long weekend, it's a working weekend for us. Here's a peek at my button and magnet making station around 8:30 this morning.

And here are some more peeks around my home studio from this morning.

my button & magnet making/shipping station

some completed button and magnet sets

my clothing stock (on the left) & the not yet completed "walk-in closet" ( it's going to be enclosed with curtains)

And here's how things were looking mid-afternoon...

Matt decided that this was the weekend he was going to build the sliding shoji doors, mentioned in a previous post. So after a trip to Home Depot this morning, and several hundred buckaroos later, work began and is still going as I type.

Needless to say, our place is looking and feeling a bit chaotic at the moment. Most of our downstairs is a work in progress, really. But once these doors are up, and after another trip to Ikea in the near future, I think our place will start looking and feeling a whole lot better. Fingers crossed!

The Lucky Winners & My Latest Obsession

2009-10-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

To save on paper and for ease, I opted to use a random number generator today to make the draws for my September blog giveaway. The luck of the draw was the number each person got assigned - I tried to make it as fair as possible - so congrats to the 3 winners.

They are:

• Little Miss Mel - Prize Pack #1
• GraphXGrrl - Prize Pack #2
and
• Monique - Prize Pack #3

Thanks to everyone who left a comment or bought something from my shop. I'll definitely take some of the suggestions for new products to heart.

This month's giveaway will be announced in 2 weeks and will be a sampling of my latest designs, so I hope you'll come back and check it out.

Meanwhile, I'm a little preoccupied with my stack of books on home decorating these days... and that's not even all the books I have out from the library currently.

Can you say "obsessed"? Just a little? Thank goodness for libraries, otherwise I'd be broke buying books.

Recent Work

2009-09-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

After a fairly lengthy hiatus from doing portrait commissions, I picked up my paintbrushes again this past month and here's the result:

I was also contacted recently by the president of the Cat Welfare Society in Singapore and asked to produce a design for one of their t-shirts, pro bono, to help raise funds for the cat caregivers. As she liked my Love Cats image, we decided to go with that, with a little addition to the heart. I believe the final design will be available on a black tee, so the kitty and letters will be in white, but here's a peek at how the design looks right now.

Other than that, been up to my old tricks of rearranging stuff around our place, packing etsy orders, picking up a few shifts at the design firm I work at from time to time and working on a few new illustrations, both personal and commissioned.

I will hopefully have some photos to share of my "walk-in closet" and revamped studio soon. Both still need some finishing touches and furniture/accessory additions to complete them. They're getting there though.

And tomorrow is the last day to enter my September giveaway. Winners will be announced on Thursday!

Hello Weekend!

2009-09-19T07:38:00.001-07:00

Matt emailed me this image that he came across yesterday morning. I thought it was too cute not to share and it sets a light-hearted tone for the last weekend of the summer.

This week was semi-productive, but I never seem to get as much done as I would like. Things usually end up taking way longer than I estimate them to take.

My belly is definitely expanding quite easily these days. Sitting on my ass coupled with not leaving the house for a few days certainly helps its growth. All I can say is, thank goodness for drawstring pants.

Here's a peek at what I was working on for most of the latter part of this week.

I'd been toying with an owl and pussycat idea for some time now and it finally occurred to me to make a pattern out of the animal pair. Each critter will also be made into individual screens too and I'm excited to print them onto scarves, totes and other textiles.

I'm loving the new clever kitty, as I like to think of "her".

The owl took a bit more trial and error until I was finally satisfied with "him". Getting him to look as cute as the kitty was tricky, but I think they look good together now.
Another nice online surprise I got yesterday morning was discovering that one of my items is currently in an etsy gift guide. I think that's the first time I've been featured in one, that I've known of anyways.

Hope everyone else had a great week and has a happy weekend! Bye for now.

September Giveaway

2009-09-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

It's the 15th of September, which means a new giveaway is here! As promised, this month there will be 3 lucky winners, which means there are 3 different prizes.

The first prize pack includes a pirate kitty tote, a clever kitty moleskine journal - a new item to be introduced to the shop soon! - and your choice of bookmark. There are 6 different designs available. Total value = $35 US.

The second prize pack is for 2 of my prints - Thinking Capcat and The Bubblegum Gang. Total value = $30 US.

And last but not least, the third prize is for a set of Nine Lives magnets. Total value = $15 US.

Ways to enter: Visit my shop and come back here either telling me what your favourite item is or suggest something new that you would like to see me offer.

As usual, any purchases made in my shop from now until the end of the month will also get your name entered in the draw.

And my Happy Customers are automatically entered every month. To become one, simply send me a photo of you and your purchase and I can add it to the gallery or join my group on flickr.

For bonus entries: Become a follower of my blog (follow button to the left) and/or on twitter, then come back here and leave a comment letting me know that you did so. All my current blog followers are automatically entered. I have too many unknown twitter followers, so unfortunately you need to comment on this post to b entered.

If anyone has trouble leaving a comment, you can also email me: blog@cathypeng.com. I have found that in certain web browsers, I've been unable to comment.

Winners will be announced on the 1st of October!

Have fun and Happy Giveaway!

In with the New and Out with the Old

2009-09-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

Several new apparel items are in the shop and there are a ton of tees on sale with more to be added soon!

Here are just a few:

clever kitty briefs

fancy kitty tee

lucky kitty tee

Remember, this month's giveaway will be announced tomorrow. Any purchases made between the 15th and 30th of this month will earn you an entry into the draw. And of course, commenting on my blog will do so too. That's all for now. Until tomorrow!

Making Room for Baby & Shop Stuff

2009-09-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

That's a bit of what I've been up to recently. Since we live in a loft, the open concept requires a bit more planning for a baby and we've been racking our brains on how to divide up the space. Right now we only have these curtains as a room divider.
I am leaning towards enclosing our bedroom to keep the cats out - where baby will sleep for the first year, most likely - but whatever we put up has to still let light in, be relatively lightweight but sturdy, be easy to install and affordable! Yeah, wishful thinking. Matt wants to build shoji screen sliding doors himself - I took out the book below from the library for him - but without a proper workshop and tools, I'm wondering how easy this diy project will be. Those of course would be ideal (except who knows how they would hold up with the cats loving to scratch wood?). We've got less than 4 months to come up with a solution.

{Oh yeah, we found out it's going to be a girl!

I've kind of just been savouring the news and telling a handful of people so far. We'll see if the results hold up, since I've already had my share of surprises with the pregnancy so far}

We've been making room for our new addition in there over the past several months and finally acquired a lovely new dresser for all of us on our last trip to Ikea.

Most of my clothes have made their way onto the other side of our bedroom and I am badly wanting to finish my walk-in closet plan for them, since it is kind of a sight for sore eyes at the moment.

The Stolmen system from Ikea is what I have in mind for our personal clothing and also for my shop stock, as it works well in places with high ceilings. So I'm on craigslist daily searching for that and numerous other Ikea pieces at reasonable prices.

And speaking of making room for baby, unintentionally, this past week we had to throw out almost everything we had stored in our building's basement storage locker, due to our own and someone else's ignorance. Apparently every time it rains - and this summer has been a wet one for sure - the basement in our building tends to flood. We only found this out recently. Well, combine that with someone not speaking up about a broken pipe in her storage locker and our choice to store stuff in cardboard boxes, and you get damaged goods. Plus, since we didn't try to salvage things right away, mold started accumulating and for our safety and our baby's safety, we - well, Matt mostly because I shouldn't be moving heavy things right now - had to toss out everything that we thought had been contaminated and wasn't utterly important.

That included all of his childhood mementos, albums, artwork and his most prized toy, a stuffed rabbit - his mom had gathered it all to give to him when she and his dad moved out east several years back. For me, I had to let go of a box full of old journals and sketchbooks, which had me a bit ill at ease. I don't want to imagine someone else reading those or going through my personal things. But oh well, if that stuff had meant such a great deal to us, we probably wouldn't have put them down in storage. That's what I've tried to tell myself.

As well as rearranging stuff in our home, I tried out the new rearrange shop feature on etsy the other day and colour coded all my items. I don't know why, but I tend to do that with things. My clothes are like that and when I had my own section for clothing in stores, I would do that. Our bookshelves are like that too.

Right now, red is on the first page. I will change that up probably every so often. At least you can still change the view to select "most recently listed".

Other than that, I've been pretty busy screen printing for others and getting together my own Fall stock to send out to various shops. This is one of the images I printed, which is also one of my favourite new ones available through Oddbird Designs.

I'm also working on a new design featuring an owl - yes, not just a puttytat! - and will hopefully have it ready to unveil and print in a week or so. And I've got a new custom portrait keeping me busy too, which I'll post about another day. So all in all, pretty busy and happy for it.

This month's giveaway will be another good one, with 3 different winners chosen, so be sure to check back on the 15th!

And the Winner is...

2009-09-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

I made the draw for the August blog giveaway earlier this afternoon. And the lucky winner is Sarah! Thanks to all who entered last month. It started out a bit slow, but in the end there were 60-some entries. I loved hearing about your favourite summer movies and will have to check out the ones I haven't yet seen.

Remember, giveaways are on a monthly basis and a guaranteed way to enter is simply by becoming one of my blog followers or by joining my Happy Customers gallery on flickr!

The latest items to hit the shop are pictured below:

moustache kitty on pink & brown

moustache kitty on teal & brown

Moustache Kitty undies!
These have been in the works for some time but I only got around to printing them this past weekend.

And here's a sneak peek of what else will be added to the shop very soon. Still some finishing touches needed to make these all the more special. Check back in a week or two.

Woo Hoo!

2009-08-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

My Too Cute bookmark made the front page in this great looking treasury last night. Thanks to Jenn for letting me know about it. And thank you to the new blog and twitter followers. There's still a few days left to enter my August giveaway! Winner to be announced on September 1st.

And I'll finally be able to find out if we're expecting a boy or a girl on the 2nd! My doctor is making me wait - poo on him! - until then. At least he/she is kicking lots, which makes me happy.

Have a great weekend! I'll be back in a day or two to unveil some new items.

New Shop Items

2009-08-22T09:16:00.001-07:00

Finally listed a few new tees in the shop. More things are coming and I will hopefully get around to adding them sometime next week.

Clever Kitty Boatneck

Light Aqua Hi Kitty Shirred Front Tee

I'm meeting Matt for lunch soon - my hard working hubby who was asked to work on the weekend - so I'll say Ciao for now!

Happy Furry Friday!

2009-08-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

Here's an iphone snapshot that Matt took of the kitty he and a coworker rescued earlier this week. She looks pretty big here, but I think she was actually tiny. We tried to go see her after work that day, but were told that we wouldn't be able to until 4 days had passed. The owner apparently had 48 hours to come and claim her if she wanted. We're hoping that whatever happens the kitty is doing well and finds a good home. As much as we'd love to adopt her, 2 kitties and a baby on the way are plenty for now.

Happy Furry Friday!

It's a...

2009-08-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

?? MYSTERY ??

still

--- what we're having.

We went for the latest ultrasound yesterday, where the sex of our baby could have been determined. But the technician said at the beginning that she wouldn't be allowed to tell me if it was a boy or girl. That's the doctor's responsibility. So Matt and I are trying to be patient with it... My next doctor's appointment isn't until September 9th, but I can call my doctor and get the news in a week. I will probably call him before the end of this week though :)

We will be happy either way, but we both have a feeling it's a girl. And of course the most important thing is that he/she is healthy. And from the ultrasound, baby seemed to be doing well. He/she is growing bigger everyday (along with my belly) with a good heartbeat, so we're pleased.

I also found out what caused my erroneous blood test results last month... someone messed up and entered the wrong estimated due date, which totally affected my numbers. And luckily someone noticed the error. It was good to get to the bottom of things, considering all the stress it put us through.

Okay, these are a little late, but I have a hard time taking decent photos of myself. At least ones that I feel okay sharing with others.

before

after

My haircut couldn't have been timed better though. The past week has been so hot and humid, I'm glad I don't have hair flowing down my back right now. Plus I was badly in need of a cut, I had so many split ends. Although I'm not a Katie Holmes fan at all, I do like her hair right now. And I thought a short bob would be more manageable as I transition into motherhood. That's what the cut was based on, but of course it never looks exactly like the photo you bring in, at least for me.

I also went on a little shopping spree last week, spending some birthday money from my sister. I had planned on getting stuff for my home office from Ikea (of course) but ended up buying some much needed maternity clothes instead.

I adore this tunic from Suzy Shier that I think will serve me well into the Fall/Winter season over a pair of leggings.

New sandals were on my list of things to get too but I didn't see any that I liked at the Mall, so I decided to save that purchase for another day. Go figure that as I was walking to meet Matt after work for one of his coworker's going away party, my one sandal decides to come apart. I still had several blocks to go so prayed that there was shoe store around. Luckily there was one just down the street and I limped my way over, then rather hastily bought a pair of sneakers AND a pricey pair of sandals.

Love the red sneakers despite the one giving my right heel a beating on the walk home, but I will be returning the sandals as I don't really like the way they fit my feet.

I'll round out this post with a photo of some less recent purchases: these sweet miniature renditions of Suki and Dex in paperclay by one talented artist and devoted animal lover/activist. They have the purrfect place on my desk atop this darling miniature chair that I found at Value Village many months ago and share it with two ceramic lucky kitties from my mom.

And new things are coming to the shop soon. Really! Ciao for now.

The August Giveaway & A Superbad Cat

2009-08-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

(Click on image for a closer view)

I've been superbad at blogging lately, but honestly haven't felt inspired to write much lately. It's time for the August giveaway though, so a post is due!

This month's giveaway features some great summery items...

The prizes: include two tank tops, one each of pirate kitty and clever kitty (pick from S-L); a clever kitty glass tile pendant necklace and three moustache kitty buttons in new eye-catching colours. Total value = $67 US

To enter: All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what your favourite movie has been so far this summer - could be one that you saw in a theatre, on dvd or on tv, old or new.

As usual, any purchases made in my shop from now until the 31st will also get your name entered in the draw.

For bonus entries: Become a follower of my blog (follow button to the left) and/or on twitter and come back here to let me know that you did so.

**********

Since I did not hear back from the original winner of last month's giveaway, Matt redrew a name last night. This time Ashley was the lucky kitty! So I will be in touch with her shortly and hopefully get those goodies mailed out to her early next week. If worse comes to worse and I don't hear back, I will simply add last month's prize to this month's. How's that for a prize?!

**********

In kitty news, I was not a pleased kitty mom the other night, after discovering a chunk of fur missing out of Suki's neck scruff. The cats were alone in the house for about 7 hours - not long at all - but ample time for Dex to get restless and decide to use Suki as his plaything. Of course, I don't know for sure that he was the cause of her little wound, but that's my first guess, since I found a few tufts of fur scattered on the floor downstairs. Plus Suki has never hurt herself on anything else in our place before (knock on wood!).

My little sweetpea, I'm sure she curses me for the day I brought Dex home. He is actually really good-natured 99% of the time and I don't think he ever means to harm Suki. And after their last vet visit, we found out he's not even that much heavier than her anymore (9.5 pounds vs. about 8 pounds), but still, that little bit of size difference plus the fact that he's younger and male gives him the advantage when he decides to wrestle with Suki. The way she's yowled before, I know she doesn't enjoy "playtime".

Anyways, I'll be back in a few days with photos of some recent purchases, my new do and hopefully the results of my next ultrasound!

Happy Weekend!