Cat Watch Day 2

The good news is the cat food I left out is gone, so the kitty is alive. The bad news is everything in my yard is dead due to the freeze.

Cat food gone!

I'm still so impressed by the community response after posting about the cat. Three people from NextDoor.com left me voicemails about it. I feel awful that I can't find the poor guy now. (I've just now arbitrarily decided it's a guy.)

Possibilities:
A) Cat returned to neglectful owners who only take him inside when it's freezing.
B) Cat slept in someone's garage or attic.
C) Someone else like me took him in for the night.
D) A possum was a jerk and ate everything.

I hope it's B or C because I'm not cool with irresponsible pet owners (or possums). My grandmother, aunt, and sister have taken in many strays and semi-strays that neighbors neglected. (None is a crazy cat lady.)

In other backyard news, I discovered where the tangerines from the tangerine tree that borders the fence are going. A certain squirrel has been taking bites out of tangerines then discarding them half-eaten into my garden. I picked up 12 like this.

These tangerines are tasty. If I had enough of them I'd make a pie or marmalade.

Lost kitty

Our tiny yellow house is in a neighborhood wrought with stray cats. We took one to a shelter when we first moved in, and then on January 1 another kitty appeared, a long gray-haired skinny guy with jade eyes.

This is one good-looking cat. My friend Timothy says it is probably a Russian Blue. Sounds fancy.

It cried on our back porch for days, and when we repainted some chairs in the driveway it rubbed its butt all over the wet paint, creating excellent texture. Thanks, cat. It also enjoyed knocking over empty beer bottles then running under the house like it had nothing to do with it.

I mean we aren't cat people, but we're not let-a-cat-die-in-the-cold people either. So I posted message up on NextDoor.com and Facebook asking if anyone was interested in fostering or adopting. And four people were interested! Four! But now the cat is gone— nowhere to be found at all. I feel terrible. I had pimped it everywhere and had even bought it food. What if it is dead! Or worse, what if it belonged to someone and this whole time I was trying to cat-knap someone else's pet? Well I'll leave the garage door open with cat food and a heat lamp in case the cat and/or a lonely raccoon/possum needs shelter.

Decor

I talked to a designer at a friend's New Year's Eve party, and she got me really excited about home decor. It didn't hurt that the hostess's apartment is meticulously outfitted with mid century modern furniture and framed art prints. She even has a collection of wine bottle stoppers and an indoor succulent garden. (The second party at Raj's place was equally impressive, and I love every single thing in his kitchen.)

So here are a few little things to add sparkle to my 2014. Some of these items I went ahead and added to my Amazon registry, though I'm not sure if it's acceptable to add geodes and art to a wedding registry? It probably isn't.

1. Wild Mannered 60 x 58 faux fox fur throw

Platinum Frost Fox

Amber Fox 

So elegant. Supposedly these rival Donna Salyer's Fabulous Furs, which are three times the cost.

Which color fur do you like best? I think Platinum Frost Fox or Amber Fox. Anything but that nasty raccoon Who wants raccoon anything. Gross. Cute animal, gross pelt.


2. Set of four celestial enamel coasters, Anthropologie

I'm thinking navy or peach. Our living room chairs are that light blue, so it should complement that. Or at least not clash. 

3. Cast Metal Jewelry Tree, West Elm

I am in love with this thing, just as an art piece. But more importantly my jewelry is currently tangled on the towel hook in the bathroom. Not a good storage system.

4. Houston Skyline art print 18"x24" Etsy

I'm always so bad about getting prints framed and end up accidentally creasing the print in transit or spilling something on it. Ugh.

5. Monogram W doorknocker, Anthropologie


Yes, I'm taking his last name. The feminist in me dislikes giving up Patterson a little bit. But it will still be there, just as my middle name. I was never that keen on my middle name anyway.

6. Houston, Texas 12"x12 print, CityPrints

7. Polished Agate Geode Halves Bookends, Crystal Allies Gallery

Everything is tacky

In wedding forums people will ask if one thing or another is tacky. And— this is bad of me— but I almost always think to myself YES that is HORRIBLE. Sure it's your special day, but you still need to respect your family and friends and ensure that they're comfortable. For instance, one bride-to-be asked if she could charge her guests admission?! Whaaa? As far as I'm concerned even a cash bar for beer and wine is tacky. Cussing in your vows? Unacceptable. (You cannot tell your husband that he's "the shit" in a church in front of a minister and your extended family. You just can't.) Asking your guests to bring you $20 bills in lieu of gifts is the worst. Telling strangers how much you've spent is atrocious. And I'm sorry but you should just skip flowers altogether if you're seriously considering a bridal bouquet of fake roses from Michael's. Although flowers made out of sheet music or origami flowers/ paper flowers are sort of neat though, like these:

Paper peonies 

Never actually tell people you think they're being tacky because the rudest thing of all is informing someone of how classless they are. What I like to do is just judge silently then send my friend Allison series of detailed texts.

Full disclosure: I've made a few choices wedding traditionalist would deem tacky.
1. Sapphire engagement ring
2. Save-the-dates sent with Paperless Post
3. Invitations addressed by a computer, not a calligrapher
4. Ceremony in a hotel rather than church
5. I'm not registering for China. (I won't use it for another 20 yeas, and if I need some China before then maybe my mom or grandmother will let me borrow.)
6. I'm going to see the groom before the wedding so that we can get some of our photos out of the way.
7. We have a dj, not a band.

Flowers

I almost cried when the florist told me peonies won't be in season in early March. Behold their beauty:

bridal bouquet of peonies

I love whites with hints of blush and cream. But no peonies for me.  Hydrangeas will have to do.

This is close to what my table centerpieces will look like, I think:

hydrangeas in clear trumpet vases

Or maybe they'll look completely different? My florist is taking me to the wholesale market a couple of weeks before the wedding to pick out what's prettiest of the season. 

Knives

Forget China and and crystal. I'm all about knives. Really, really nice knives. 

Shun Premier Santoku knife and pairing knife

Shun Premier 8" chef knife

Shun Premier knives are reminiscent to the hand-forged knives of ancient Japan. Every blade features a VG-10 steel core, clad with 32-layers of Damascus stainless and special hammered tsuchime finish. The tsuchime finish reduces the drag when cutting to assure a clean easy cut and adds beauty to this collection. The hammered blade is enhanced with a contoured walnut-stained Pakkawood handle. Made in Japan.

Look at the pretty hammered blades! And those handles. I've never had anything this nice. I may switch out the Santoku for a bread knife, as I've read you really only need a paring knife, chef knife, and bread knife. But the paring + Santoku set is such a steal. Now I need to learn to cook a little better. I cook often. Just not well.

Early Christmas with the relatives

Yesterday we celebrated Christmas with the relatives on my dad's side. Meet my future flower girls:

She got five grown men to join her in a rendition of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider."

Magic Christmas princess 

All toddlers are adorable, but these two especially so. Sadly my third niece, Tabs, is missing. I'll see her Christmas morning though.

Another thing that makes our Christmas amazing: we do a Secret Santa exchange instead of buying gifts for everyone. Each relative draws a name to buy a present for, and then that person says explicitly what they would like, preferably with an Amazon wish list. It's the best. I got Beech Tree sheets that I'd added to my wedding registry as soon as I got engaged. These are the best sheets I've ever had. They're super soft and half the price of luxury sheets from Nordstrom. Highly recommend.

In other news Hunter and I are sick with head colds. His is worse than mine.