Summer 2015 Featured Cat Lady

One of the best parts of being married is gaining family members.  Especially when those family members are crazy cat ladies.  I hit the in-law jackpot, not only in general, but also in sheer abundance of fellow cat lovers in Matt's family.

So when our cousin Rachel sent me an Instagram photo of her cat several months back, I knew I had to eventually feature her on the blog.  She said something that really struck me at that time, about the way cats leave bits of food in their dish all the time.  Most people think it's because cats are a real bunch of jerks, that they are insistent and finicky creatures, demanding more food before they finish what they have.  Right?  Rachel said she thinks cats actually leave this food for their humans, as an offering of love.  Like, "here, mom, you feed me all the time, so I am going to leave you a bite.  Thanks and I love you."  I. Love. This.

I'm pretty sure if more people looked at cats (and, not to mention, life in general) through those lenses, we'd be far better off and a hell of a lot happier.  Rachel is one smart cookie, and she isn't even in high school yet!  To say it's high time for her to get featured on this blog is obviously an understatement, am I right?!

Rachel is pictured above with her 4-year-old black cat wonder, Mario.  Back in the winter when I first asked Rachel about Mario, she told me that he's very nosy and has a lot of attitude, but loves to be around her and tends to pose at the camera.  As you can see, the above picture proves the last statements to be extremely true.  Come to think of it, Mr. Mario seems to be intentionally posing in every picture I've ever seen of him!  And clearly he loves his human!

Rachel is the coolest because even at a young age, she is fully unafraid to embrace her cat lady ways and unique sense of style.  A woman of my own heart, I tell you.  Plus, she tags me in anything cat-related, so I find her to be a wonderful source of feline pop culture goodies, especially since I'm a self-proclaimed geriatric at heart.  I have to stay in the loop somehow, guys!  

Anyhow, because Rachel is the coolest, she decided to visit me at Hunt and Gather this past weekend!  I knew she was going to die over my embellished kitty ears, and I was right!

I've been telling Rachel for ages that I wanted to feature her on Lady and the Cat, so when she snagged her kitty ears at Hunt and Gather, I asked her to take some pictures for the blog.  As you can see, she went above and beyond, not only tagging me in her selfie after the market, but took another adorable picture with Mario since they had matching kitty ears.  I am obsessed with this photo of them!  So cute!

I've really missed my featured cat lady posts, so getting Rachel and Mario on the blog after so long makes me very happy.  I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that it's always nice to feel a sense of community among other people with similar interests.  This is particularly true in the case of cats.  To most, we are a bunch of crazies, but truly, we are a special breed of unique women who are able to understand an often misunderstood animal, and I swear, we tend to be more creative and "outside the box" than everyone else in general.  Rachel is no exception, and I hope you all are as happy to meet her as I am to introduce her!  

If you want to be a Lady and the Cat featured cat lady yourself, shoot me an email at ladycatdesignco@gmail.com!  I'm always happy to get to know my readers, and love writing these feature posts, so don't hesitate to get in touch with me!

That's all for today, but don't forget to keep checking back for more updates.  I will be adding lots of items to my Etsy shop over the next couple of days, and all of the links will be posted here the second they go live.  If you missed me at Hunt and Gather, then Lady and the Cat's Etsy shop will be the perfect place to scoop up your very own pair of kitty ears or a ceramic decoupage kitty ring!  My Etsy shop is something that I've been waiting to share with my blog readers for such a long time now, and I promise the wait will have been worth it.  Stay tuned for links later this week!

Until then, be safe and have a purrfect Monday evening.  

Xo*

Jess

June 2015 Hunt and Gather meets Lady and the Cat!

Well, cat ladies, your beloved author has survived her first pop-up market!  I'm super excited to report that Hunt and Gather was everything I was hoping for and more!  I met so many new cat lovers, spread the word about the fun we have on this blog, and introduced the public to my jewelry line.

Now that this is all said and done, I need to admit (happily) that I was shocked over how many of my gut instincts were right.  The two items that I banked most on were indeed my biggest sellers.  Going extremely niche and catering to cat ladies only may have narrowed my prospects, but 100% ended up being worth it, because the cat ladies flocked to me from across the room.  After a couple of hours, I could instantly tell the difference between casual browser and cat lady.  The cat ladies bee-lined to me every time, and I could have cried happy tears, because that means I am doing something right with this.  I even had the cutest girl take my card and tell me she wanted to tweet about Lady and the Cat, because "even though I don't like cats, I just love you and think you're so cute and you deserve recognition."  Cats may have nine lives, but I must have many more than that, because I died about three hundred times from all the love this weekend.

I really have all of you to thank for what Lady and the Cat is turning into.  My blog readers have been loving and loyal from day one, and I felt like we were all gaining a victory when I did well over the weekend at this market.  I just kept thinking about how excited I was to post pictures from the event and fill all my readers in about how it went.  

So yes, overall, super successful times at H&G.  My original goal was simply to make back my table fee, and I did that in the first night.  This market was such a learning experience, too.  I took notes throughout, asked questions, listened to feedback from shoppers, and met a bunch of new contacts and other makers.  I've heard some nightmare experiences about selling at big markets, but I am certain that this show is probably the exception and not the rule--a true testament to the market itself and the wonderful people involved.  I would love to get to be part of it again in the future.

Before I go, I need to say hi to anyone who is reading that I met at H&G!  I loved meeting everyone, it's always a great thing when cat ladies can unite!  Also (and I'm realllllllllllllly purring over this one), I will be adding all of my leftover inventory to my Etsy shop!  I will provide links once everything is live.  I can't wait for this, because this will be the first time that I've had most of these items stocked online, especially the newer pieces!  

And as you already know, I have missed my regular blogging schedule so badly.  That being said, I already have another post ready and waiting to go live.  I haven't featured anyone else in this lovely community in quite some time, so I am pumped to announce that tomorrow you can come back here and meet Lady and the Cat's newest featured cat lady.  You won't want to miss meeting her!  

But I'm a fan of creating some anticipation, so until tomorrow...

Xo*

Jess

June Update

Cat ladies!!!!!

Well, it seems my streak of being a bum blogger has continued...this Hunt and Gather prep is no joke!  But the pop-up market is mere weeks away now, so my focus has never been more intense and I am proud to say that I've stuck to a legitimate schedule.  I really don't think one day has passed where I haven't checked something off my Hunt and Gather checklist, and for that, I need to thank Hulu Plus for providing me with every episode of Nashville (I mean....Mrs. Coach.  Enough said.  Right?!  Friday Night Lights anyone?  Oh, tv binges...).  Also, and more importantly, one Greg Miller and the boys at Kinda Funny.  Hubs introduced me to the Game Over Greggy podcast several months back, and these dudes have become my absolute favorites to listen to while crafting.  If not for these genius aforementioned internet wonders, I would have probably been an all-around bum and done no designing until the last minute because I'm the worst.  Thank you, internet binge fuel.

But really, though.  I have lots to share after Hunt and Gather, and will still be hanging out on this blog when I can before the market, so don't go anywhere!  My Etsy shop is under construction, and I'm finally doing a bells and whistles launch pretty much immediately following Hunt and Gather, for one...

...so lots of good stuff for this cat lady.

I hope everyone has a purrfect weekend!  I will bid you adieu, but before I go, here are some obligatory artsy/obnoxious Lady and the Cat workroom pics...

(Bonus props to my local Salvation Army and destiny for pairing me with this $2 massive lot of vintage 1970s sequins)

Xo*

Jess

Cat Tchotchkies

One of the coolest things about being a crazy cat lady is buying adorable cat tchotchkies for the household.  And in this day and age, getting your hands on some cool cat merch is a mere Google search away.  It is probably no surprise to all of you that my house is littered with feline fancy decor, especially since I work for a popular home furnishing store that loves to adorn pieces with cats, cats, and more cats.  And while I've been known to do some shameless posting on Instagram anytime I acquire a new piece to my cat decor collection, I haven't shared toooooooo much of it on this blog yet.

And I've been running my own one woman sweatshop trying to get ready for next month's pop-up market, so basically I have sucked at blogging.  I really wanted to change that, but didn't want to just keep posting photos of my works in progress (as much as I love them!).  So I decided that featuring some of my favorite cat decor items would be a welcome change.  Hopefully you will agree!

I must admit that in preparing this blog post, I had a really tough time narrowing down which items I actually wanted to feature.  Don't get me wrong, I did consider picture-spamming the heck out of this post just to show off my kitty collection, but a top 3 is probably much more tolerable.  Less is more, yes?  And if you enjoy this post, then at least I will have more goodies to show off in the future rather than spoil them all in one obnoxious post.

Without further ado, here are some of the fancy cats (besides Prince Roland, of course) of my household!

This Cat and Birdcage Bookend Set from Pier 1 is by far one of my favorite items.  I love that it has a Victorian feel to it, and it's extremely well-made.  The cat/bird combo also tickles my fancy...growing up, we had lots of pet birds and I still love them almost as much as cats.  But my husband hates them, and I'm pretty sure Roland would eat a bird were there one in our house.  And I love both of them much more than birds, so I'm cool settling for the inanimate version!

Here is a good story (maybe?  by my standards, it's good, at least...) about these prints.  First off, I recieved them sooooooo randomly.  My dad renovates mobile homes, and often times, the old owners leave things they don't want rather than take them to a dumpster...and every now and again, there lies a hidden gem in the rubble.  These two prints were such gems, and my dad brought them home to see if I wanted them.  I have to say that usually the man doesn't choose things that match my taste, but he scored a major home run with these babies.  Pretty sure he had no idea that these are totally in line with my aesthetic, either!  The girl in these prints looks a lot like a Blythe doll, and I have collected those for years now.  And the addition of the orange tabby makes these vintage prints almost too cute to handle.  So happy to have scored these, and the way they look in my kitchen with the yellow walls reminds me a lot of my grandma (always a good thing in my book).

This silicone kitty ice tray was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law this past year.  There is nothing more whimsical than sipping (or slugging) a lovely ginger ale filled with numerous swimming kitty cats.  I would also love to eventually use this tray to make molds of some sort for Lady and the Cat.  Maybe wax melts or bath bombs?  It would be a brand new venture for me, as I've never done anything like that, but I'm definitely into the idea.  Would you buy a bag of kitty bath bombs????  Let me know in the comments!

Well, there you have it.  I hope that you had fun reading this post, because it was a lot of fun to write!  Don't forget to comment and/or share this post on social media if you liked it, and please let me know if you would like to see another post like this one!  Thank you SO MUCH for reading, especially those of you who have stuck around despite my recent blog hiatus!  I love you all to the moon and back!  You're the cat's meow!

Xo*

Jess

May Mews and Zen: Cat Lady Style

Meow for May!  Here in the Midwest, this is basically the very beginning of spring, which means there's only like a 15% chance of snowstorms over the next few months.

So with the true onset of warm weather, I've been inspired by floral prints far more than usual...which is kind of saying a lot.  Give me any and everything floral, the gaudier and more colorful, the better!  Luckily, my summer issue of Midwest Living arrived a couple weeks ago, just in time to start pulling swatches for Hunt and Gather pieces...and for once, I decided to not be a giant Pig Pen...  

I cut, labeled, and organized all my swatches into teeny envelopes. This way, they're ready to go when my next batch of ring charms (close to 100 more pieces!  Holy carpal tunnel, Batman!) gets back from its bisque firing.  Let me just add, too....sooooooooooo many pretty floral prints in Midwest Living this summer!  I could eat the whole magazine, it's so good.

As for the aforementioned carpal tunnel, hand-sculpting is like, so zen, man, even if it does cause cramps...I love it so much that I will try to take breaks when my hands start to cramp, and all the sudden realize mere minutes later that I've started sculpting again without even thinking about it.  It's like the clay just appears in my hand.  Zen, man.

Really, though.  This is why Lady and the Cat/creating in general keeps me from going nuts.  Making things from scratch, and now doing it in large quantities, is such a challenge and at the same time, so natural...it's relaxing, yet such a perfect exercise in focus.  Hand-sculpting in particular is so cool because that tiny bit of difference in each charm makes the finished pieces that much more like real cats--no two are the same.  I've gone back and forth eight million times about creating some sort of template for my jewelry, but I simply can't bring myself to do it.  Anyways. Zen Movement 2015: Cat Lady Style is a thing, and it happens every time I get on a roll making ceramic jewelry.

But can zen sculpting include simultaneous Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathons on Netflix?  Because I've been considering throwing that into the mix also.  Just sayin'.

Until next time, love and kitty kisses.

Xo*

Jess

Diary of a Cat Lady--Late April Style

Getting chosen for Hunt and Gather has been so good for me...it's been a real kick in my pants!

In a week's time, I've purchased several secondhand display pieces, created and ordered business cards, formulated a real plan re: my Etsy shop, sculpted close to 50 kitty charm rings, and collected more pattern swatches.

As you know, I could (and usually do) go on and on with my ramblings.  I'll give you a break, though.  It's Monday, after all!  Instead, enjoy a mini photo diary of my current favorites...

My cat has decided to hang out on our dryer regularly these days...which is right next to the toilet.  He's always enjoyed being in the bathroom with us, but having him at eye level is somewhat disarming.  But I mean, look at that face...Roland wins again.

The Sparkle Factory by Tarina Tarantino.  I've been a huge fan of Tarina for close to a decade now, but didn't know this book existed, so I was happy to stumble upon it in the library while perusing for random jewelry-making books.  Not only is this book so pretty and scrumptious, it also doubles as Tarantino's memoir...if you know me, you know I am all about anything autobiographical.  Nerd win for sure.  

Last but not least...

Turning this beat-up thrift store find...

...into a pretty ring display.  I've seen this project on Pinterest countless times, and it seemed like a pretty simple DIY.  Sure enough, I was able to whip it together pretty easily.  Nothing a little hot glue can't upgrade, that's what I always say!  In terms of ring displays, I think I'm pretty much set for my table at Hunt and Gather.  Now to fill the displays up with more jewelry!

I promised no rambles and even my captions got rambly, so I am going to shut up, publish this, and go eat a Lean Pocket (because health food).  Goodnight!

Xo*

Jess

Cat Lady Craft Fair Display--Mock-Up #1

With my wheels constantly spinning about the upcoming Hunt and Gather, an impromptu trip to a local thrift shop earlier today prompted me to throw together my first mock-up table display.  I used my sewing table as a makeshift deal, and actually quite like how it ended up pairing with the display pieces.  So much so that I daresay I'm considering just using it for the real deal, if I can find another cute vintage table to pair it with.

Anywho, here are a couple quick photos I snapped of the project...

This is obviously a very mini-display, but I think it's purrfectly adorable!!!  The stacked glassware pieces are the items I found today at the thrift shop, and the gold tree is from Pier 1 Imports.  I'm using old library cards leftover from my wedding decor to display the cat ear clips.  You can't really see in these photos, but all of my more expensive statement pieces will hang from the tree, and then all of the wire-wrapped rings will go in the bowls.  I can totally build on this look as more pieces get finished and more thrifted treasures are found!

I foresee lots of busy nights and stress ahead over the next two months, but also lots of fun.  This is the part where I combine my retail merchandising experience with my creativity, and as always with Lady and the Cat, I run the whole gig, so I have the final say in how everything looks and feels.  Creative control is a beautiful thing, ladies and gents.  

What do you think of my first mock-up?  Let me know in the comments!  And don't forget to share this post on social media if you think this blog is the cat's meow!  As always, thanks for reading and I love you all!

Xo*

Jess