Behind the Scenes Vlog: Lady and the Cat Workroom

When we moved into our place almost three years ago, my big project was turning one of our spare rooms into a crafting workspace.  Until we moved here, I was stuck shoving totes of supplies into whatever closet space I was lucky enough to have at any given time.  So while my current craft room is teeny tiny (roughly an 8'x8' space), it is both much appreciated and perfect for my needs.  It is also the same room we used to acclimate Hermione to our household when we rescued her.  Because of this, it still serves as her nap room/safe haven, and she's a constant companion to me when I am working on Lady and the Cat stuff.  And by default, Roland is usually there, too.  He's obsessed with me and Hermione, so work sessions typically end up being a family cat party.

Anyhow, getting this room in working order was a challenge to say the least.  When we moved in, it was a hoarding den of sorts, as the previous tenants of our place decided to just leave a ton of their old (literally) garbage in there.  Let's just say I saw my first dead mouse ever cleaning up that room.  After I gutted, cleaned, and thoroughly disinfected the room, I began the first of many re-styles of the room itself.  It wasn't until Lady and the Cat was born that the room truly started to take shape and become a place that I wanted to spend my time.

Today I decided to film a quick tour of my current workspace, something I've wanted to do for awhile, but never really planned out in detail.  I kind of just got a crazy tick and filmed this out of nowhere this morning, so I apologize if you get a glimpse of any random messes.  I kept my face out of the mix because that thing was definitely a random mess today! HA!  Either way, I had a lot of fun filming this...enjoy!

I eventually would love to upgrade this room even further.  For example, that wood paneling has needed to go since always, and I need new furniture badly (in the video, I chose to ignore the tripod that's underneath my current ratchet desk, supporting its dear, sad life).  I have even thought about doing little vlogs as I find thrifted upgrade pieces, choose paint colors, create cat lady decor for the room itself, etc.  Would you watch a cat lady craft room upgrade?  Let me know in the comments below, or leave a comment on my YouTube video!  Thanks so much for watching/reading today!  I appreciate any and all love, especially considering how awkward I still am when filming (Um City-Population: Me)...you're all the cat's meow!

Xo*
Jess

Neko Atsume: Cat Lady Gamers Club

As many of you can testify, one of the hardest parts about being a crazy cat person is resisting the urge to bring home every cat you meet. Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector is a simple-yet-addicting, first world solution to this #catladyproblem.

Now, if you're more hip than I am(chances are, you are), you know that this game isn't even "new" by internet standards, but I must rave anyway, because it is an absolute unexpected delight.

When I first started playing, I wasn't quite sure if I enjoyed the game. It felt boring and a little slow. Turns out, I didn't yet understand how the game works, much less its intensely addicting nature. Once I got my feet wet, I was hooked. The adorable cat buttholes certainly don't hurt, either. What is it about kitten rectum that is so endearing? Am I alone? Should I stop? Are you still reading? What is life?

But I mean...

I digress.

The concept of Neko Atsume is simple...attract neighborhood kitties using treats, cozy cat beds, and toys. Each time a kitty visits you, it will leave you gifts in the form of fish. The fish are your currency to buy better, more pimped-out cat accessories for your hoodrat feline friends. There are over 40 cats to collect, as well as different "mementos" that cats leave you after repeated visits (a sign of ultimate affection). I now find myself obsessed with the need to collect every cat, goodie, and memento. Not to mention, there is a strategy to the game, as different treats and toys attract different types of cats. Some cats are more rare than others, and you're given a Catbook to keep track of all your pals, complete with photos, descriptions, and stats. It. Is Glorious.

But my favorite part? The cats come pre-loaded with unique names, but you can choose to rename them. So naturally, I now have a backyard full of ragtag cats named mainly after Young Adult fiction characters or members of popular boy bands. Again--Neko Atsume. Is. Glorious.

Have you played Neko Atsume yet? If not, you probably should. It's available for download on iTunes and Google Play, so get on that and let me know what you name your cats...

Xo*
Jess

Dot com kitty

Well, hello again, my feline friends!

How has 2016 been treating all of you?  So far, this new year has brought me a wicked upper respiratory infection, too many work-related tasks (the day job, obviously, not any fun kitty stuff), and family emergencies...but I am keeping my head above water as best I can.

The good news is I've had some free time to start a new collection of decoupage kitty rings, which were by far the biggest hit of all the shows I did last year.  And while I don't sit around timing myself with a stopwatch or anything, I'm proud to notice how much more quickly I get rings made these days.  A year ago, it would take close to an hour to finish one ring.  Now, I can make four rings in that same span of time.  Amazing and awesome and mind-blowing, I KNOW.

#practicemakesperfect and such.

But enough of that.  Let's talk about the reason I wanted to write a blog post. 

I have some big news, and while there's no set date, I simply cannot hold this in any longer!  I believe I hinted at this news last fall, both in a sit-down vlog and on my Instagram feed, so some of my loyal readers may already know where I'm going with this (or at the very least, be chomping at the bit for me to finally spill the damn beans)...so without further ado...

Sometime this year, this blog will be moving to a full-blown Lady and the Cat website!  This is something I tried for a couple months when I first started Lady and the Cat, but I relied on free web hosting and as they say, you get what you pay for, so that inevitably didn't work out for me.  This time I will be paying for my domain and 100% in control of the entire site, from graphics to the online shop to site design to blog integration.  I hope to get the site up and running ASAP, but I'm not a web designer at all, and I don't want it going live too early just because I have ants in my pants.  So once it's ready and fully functional, online shop, blog and all, I will be sharing the link here first!  I'm itchy to get it officially up, but don't want to rush it.  The reason I've done as well as I have with Lady and the Cat is because I've somehow had the self-control to ignore my tendency to rush rush rush every little thing!

And what will happen to this blog once the site goes live?  Most likely, Lady and the Cat blog as you know it will be kept up on the new site in archive format, or as a link, while I continue to blog from my new main URL.  Tentative, of course, but that's my thought so far.

Anyhow, I'm so happy to finally share this with my fellow cat ladies and can't wait to keep working on this exciting project!  Thanks so much for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!

Xo*

Jess

New Purr, New Yurr

Greetings, cat ladies!

I can't believe it is officially 2016 and another Catmas has come and gone.  I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday!  I know I did!  But like so many others at this time of year, I'm sadly not immune to the stress and exhaustion that comes along with the holidays.  Now that all the seasonal craziness is winding down, I'm happy to re-focus my energy from Christmas gifts and family events to the future of Lady and the Cat.

With the new year, I've done lots of reflecting on where this blog (and Lady and the Cat in general) has come since its inception in September of 2014.  In typical fashion, my first instinct was to criticize myself for all of my goals that fell short over the last year.  For example, my dreams of farming mass quantities of catnip (laugh if you will, but this prospect was a thing at one point), opening a hugely successful Etsy shop, and getting myself a paid web domain obviously did not happen.  Not completely from lack of trying, but alas...no catnip farm to speak of.

Sorry to disappoint.

What I can say, though, is that I've actually accomplished a whole heck of a lot.  So now it's time for the gooey, gross part where I talk about all the good stuff.  A year and a half ago, I had the lightbulb moment to start Lady and the Cat as a way to simultaneously express my creativity and connect with other crazy cat ladies.  I honestly didn't know what Lady and the Cat would be exactly, just that I felt so claustrophobic without an artistic outlet of some sort.  So I did a ton of reading on handmade markets, started to blog, networked with other indie crafters online, and quite literally got my hands dirty making any and everything cat-related to see what kinds of creations I landed on.  And while my expectations and realities didn't always align, I'm pleasantly surprised with the things I've pushed myself to do.  While I have slacked for a few weeks here and there, I've consistently blogged over the past 18 months.  I've met other crazy cat ladies and other handmade artists.  I've developed a small yet original product line that, while polarizing, is surprisingly appealing to a particular demographic of people.  I tested the limits of my own productivity and landed a spot as a vendor at my absolute favorite local handmade market.  I've sold at said market twice now and come out having made a profit both times, something I would have never expected during my first year of such a brand new endeavor.  I overcame my social anxiety and actually did these shows despite the strong instinct to throw up and stay home under blankets.  I've taken my failures and come up with ways to improve upon them in the next year, and in fine-tuning these creative adjustments, come up with new and better ideas for the next year.

It's crazy to sit back and look at how far Lady and the Cat has come...and even crazier to think about how this is still just the beginning for me.  There is so much room to continue learning and growing, and the more involved I get with this, the more inspired I am.  Which is wonderful, because for the first time in my life, my deeper involvement in a project has caused my passion to grow rather than falter.  For the first time, I'm enjoying a project so much that the "finish line" isn't the important part, but rather the journey.  And while I still have so much to accomplish, I can't help but feel proud of the positivity I've cultivated in my life all thanks to this little kitten of a project.

So to anyone still reading, thank you so much.  I know I always thank my readers at the end of a post, but I truly do mean it from the bottom of my heart.  I'm a weird, anxious, hermit cat lady artist whose best friends are a couple of Maine Coons.  I never expected to receive so many good feels from all of you simply by sharing what I love.  So to all the people still sticking around on this blog, "Liking" my Facebook posts, sharing these entries, or coming back to my vendor booth to buy another kitty ring, you all are the real MVPs.

I'm so happy that you're still here to continue this ride with me, and I can't wait for you to be part of Lady and the Cat's continued growth.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now that I've gone and made a huge cornball of myself, I'll give it a rest.  But I can't wait to keep the momentum going in 2016, and will continue blogging and sharing as much as possible with my awesome cat-loving community!  There are still some really exciting announcements that I'm hanging onto that you won't want to miss!

Until next time...

Xo*
Jess

Hunt and Gather December 2015

Well cat ladies, it's almost Catmas time again, and my second Hunt & Gather appearance has come and gone!  And while I'm sad it's already over, I'm extremely happy to be back on the blog!  I really must get better at posting in the last few weeks before a show, but once a procrastinator, always a procrastinator.

Regardless, I'm back and so excited to share a quick little video from last weekend.  This was my third H&G (second as a vendor), and this event keeps getting better.  As a Grinch turned Christmas-obsessed nut, I was pleased to learn that there were so many handmade holiday decor pieces to be found from a bunch of talented vendors.  Not only that, but frozen hot chocolate is a thing, and was a huge hit with everyone in the building...except for me, sadly.  When I decided to finally order one, they were apparently sold out.  But they looked heavenly!

The coolest thing was talking to everyone who stopped by my table.  I had my first repeat customer--a six-year-old who matter-of-factly told me "I bought a ring here last time!," grabbed one of my felt ornaments, and told her mom that yes, she was going to be buying this for the tree in her bedroom.  There were two different groups of girls who all bought matching cat rings, friendship ring style, and one of them even told me that I was the best thing that could have happened to them on their way out of the market.  Another woman came running to my table to show me a picture of her friend wearing the cat ears she bought for her from my booth over the summer.  Some of my happiest moments weren't even with paying customers, but people who stopped just to take my card or to tell me how much they liked my setup.

How is all of that for some good old-fashioned holiday cheer?

Not enough?

Okay, good.  Because I haven't even shown you the video from the event yet.  Hold onto your Christmas PJ bottoms, you're in for a corny little sweet treat...

As always, I was so inspired coming home from this show, and I'm more than ready to launch some new items as well as get a better webspace going for myself (much more to come on that front very soon!!!  eep!!!).  I even found myself motivated enough to clean, purge, and re-arrange my workspace. With any luck, I will actually start working there as opposed to my sofa.  I'm pretty sure my husband will appreciate the lack of Mod Podge on his recliner, that's for sure.

That being said, this cat lady is off to try and get some more work done.  Thanks so much for reading!  Don't forget to share this post if you support all things #ladyandthecat and have a wonderful week!

Until next time...

Xo*
Jess

Kids with Coons:Another Volume of Little Kids and Giant Cats

Last year I introduced A Kid and Her Coon, a series highlighting the bestfriendship between my best friend's daughter, Stella, and her Maine Coon mix, Henry, who happens to be Roland's twin brother.  I had so much fun writing those posts, and it's been quite some time now since I've followed up with Stella and Henry, so I decided to revisit them.  As I chose photos for this post, I also discovered some adorable shots of Stella's little brother Cooper and Henry, along with a couple of our own nephews Aidan and Austen during a visit with Roland.

Since there was an abundance of cute kids with massive Maine Coons, I decided to broaden this latest installment a bit, and am happy to present to you another dose of Kids with Coons.  Without further ado, here are some disgustingly precious pictures for your viewing delight.

Stella loves to play dress-up using Henry as her model.  According to Stella's mom, Henry is extremely patient and lets Stella do whatever she wants during these play sessions.  When dress-up is over, Henry goes back to his regularly scheduled nap,but during playtime, he is happy to oblige his bestie.  Who knew the best baby-sitter would be furry with four legs?

Not only does Henry love to play games with Stella, he also loves hanging out with his human brother Cooper.  Here is a picture of the two boys coloring.  Just. Ugh. So cute.

This is probably another great time to re-emphasize the sheer magnitude of our Maine Coons!  Henry and Roland are about a year and a half old, and they are already massive!  As you can see, Henry is giving Stella a run for her money!  

Roland is no different!  This is our nephew Austen holding Roland in his arms like the tremendous baby that he is.  It's photos like this that help remind me what an enormous kitty I have, and how majestic he indeed is.

But they really are gentle giants.  Ro isn't around kids very often, but whenever he is, he is extremely friendly and gentle, as you can see in this picture of him with our other nephew, Aidan.  And while he usually hates (hates. HATES.) being picked up or carried, he lets it happen if the perpetrator is under the age of 13!  It's incredible to witness how tolerant these cats are with little ones, and how happy it makes the kids in our lives to have such neat furry friends to love and play with.

Do your cats also have kiddo BFFs?  Send me a pic at ladycatdesignco@gmail.com!  If I get enough submissions, I will do a special Kids with Cats post in the future!

Until next time, I love you all and hope you have a terrific week!

Xo*

Jess

Happy National Cat Day!

Man, do I love crazy internet holidays!  Especially the cat ones (yes, there are several).  So today, in honor, of National Cat Day, I'm here to elaborate on just why I am a loud and proud, shout it from the rooftops, crazy cat lady.

In no particular order, I present to you, my dear readers, my top 10 favorite things about cats.

1.  They're terrific snugglers.
2.  When I talk to myself and they respond in meows and trills, I feel far less crazy.
3.  You have to earn their love.  And when you do, there simply ain't a better feeling on earth!
4.  They eat spiders and scare away mice...and the mice they don't scare away, they catch, so even better.
5.  They share my deep appreciation of bacon, tuna fish, and cheese.  Kindred spirits, yo.
6.  I save lots of money on my gas bills in the winter, because having a cat at your feet is sweeter, cuter, and more effective than cranking the heat up all the time.
7.  No need for an alarm clock.  If cats have a regular morning feeding, they will wake you up without fail at the exact same time every single day.  If you're not a morning person, this may not be an advantage, but since I am, this is a definite plus.  My cats seriously keep me productive.
8.  The sound of my cats purring is one of the very few things that helps ease my anxiety and calm me down.
9.  Cats are sensitive to barometric pressure, and tend to act skittish before rainstorms, which I have found is far more reliable than your average meteorologist on most days.
10.  Kitty headbutts and face rubs.

What about you?  What are your favorite things about cats?  Let me know in a comment below, and don't forget to share this post with your buddies if you liked what you read!

Xo*

Jess