Hypocrisy - spending update, indoor cats and a dress reveal

Hello lovelies

Well, my no spend week is almost over and aside from buying some wine - which was very much needed but I won't go into that - I seem to have made it!  I am paid at midnight tonight.

So - I've decided I'm going to attempt some sort of budgeting over December, while I don't usually go any more crazy over the festive season than usual, it would be good to keep an eye.  I'm therefore implementing an envelope system.  I am taking all the cash I need out of the bank in one go, allocating it to various envelopes (cats, going out, cleaner, groceries, Christmas) and will try to stick to these amounts, or under, over the month.  It ain't going to be easy but better to try and fail than not even try, eh?

Most of my allocated Christmas cash is going to be spent tomorrow, on the cats.  Over the past couple of months my two indoor cats, previously soft, cuddly, calm creatures, have becoming increasing whiny. Marlon (the big blue) meows constantly from around 6 in the morning.  He doesn't WANT anything, apart from me to get up.  Once I'm up, he just ignores me.  Little b@$^A£d!  Gene, the small one, likes to sit in the hallway yowling at the front door but seem to have no desire to actually go out.  He just miaows at it.  For hours. 

I adore both my boys and they are, by and large, good natured creatures - I just can't take the noise.  they aren't ill, they are still putting away food like nobodies business and are very perky.  I think they must just be bored, and I can't blame them.  As such I am finally getting them a cat tree.  The one I have wanted for a couple of years is finally on sale at half price.  Half price is still £60 but this is £60 spent on my sleep (i.e. sanity).  With a combination of this, a laser pen for easy playing and a Valerian toy I'm hoping they will chill a bit. 

I'm also finally going to attempt to leash train them.  I can quite see myself, decked out in my vintage regalia, visiting the local hostelry with two cats on leads.


Anyway - the real reason I popped in today was to show you my new baby.  My Christmas present to myself.

Feast your peepers:

Oh yeah.  Sexy innit?  Could there be anything better than a full length emerald green velvet dress with a matching turban?  I don't think so.  And heavens, she fits like a glove.

Thank you to the lovely Kellie at Via's Vintage on Etsy for answering my many questions.  It really was a dream of a transaction and its a dream of a dress.

I've paired her with some stunning and scandalously cheap repro shoes (dance shoes) I picked up on eBay from Freed (used to be Equity).  They aren't quite like these but almost.

I shall go to the ball, I shall.  Whether I have a prince to take me, well, we shall see.  ;-)

sewers and knitters: catnip mouse time

Not sure if you have heard but there is a huge cat rehoming problem this year.  Being a cat lover I only wish I could give them all a home. Me and thousands of cats...bliss.

Reality bites though, so instead I'm asking for your help to make catnip mice for all the kitties we cannot house.

Please, if you can, spend a little time knitting or sewing mice, to these patterns or your own, and send them to me or your local cat shelter.  I'll be delivering them to the local rehoming shelter just before Christmas.

if you want to send to me, e-mail me at lisa.prest@gmail.com

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jun/30/how-to-make-catnip-mouse

 http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=283086.0

please share.

A crazy cat lady post

It is time to out myself as the complete crazy cat lady that I am.

Today is the birthday of my two best pals - Marlon and Gene - my felines.  Marlon is 2 years old today and Gene, whose birthday is uncertain but was probably born around April time, is 1.

We celebrated with salmon steak and just a tiny dribble of milk.

So, in honour of Gene leaving his kittenhood behind and entering the years of his cathood here are some pics of my favourite fellas.

 Marlon the Magnificent hindering my knitting progress - I rescued him from a breeder who was rehoming him as he isn't "breed quality" - I like his stripey tail and overbite personally.

 (Whatever happened to) Baby Gene, arriving at my flat at the age of 10 weeks.  I rescued him from the Celia Hammond cats home.  I went into the kitten pen and he just climbed straight onto my shoulder.

Happy birthday fellas.

Anyone for tea?

Well, I bought the set I was after and it arrived this morning at the undignified hour (for a day off anyway) of 8am.

It is beautiful, a cream background with tunning and somewhat loosely painted orange, yellow and grey flowers.

I've got a teapot, 6 trios, 4 side plates, 2 cake plates a jug and a sugar bowl. Gorgeous! I also picked up some lovely silver tongs and a 4 matching teaspoons for 50p recently so I'm all set in the tea party department.

Here is my new baby in all her glory!

  I've tried to find more of that rugged yorkshire dales pattern but there isn't a bean on the 'Bay.

Anyway - my yellow pattern is called "Sunburst" and while there are a lot of tea items available there isn't much in the way of dinner sets.  Infact I saw a tureen on eBay with aprice of £119!  It must be quite rare.  I might try and find something complementary but easier to find for my dinner service.


I also treated myself to a lovely new (old) sewing box today - and have totally tidied my craft cupboard.  Look at this lovely thing.  I think its possible the cats like it even more than me!  It was from my very favourite second hand shop - Past Caring on Essex Road in Islington - an absolute treasure trove of vintage lamps, glassware and sewing paraphernalia.

I also had a fantastic hair day today - but that's all part of tomorrows post!

My humble abode.

I hate housework, I mean really loathe it, and with two indoor cats shedding their fur all over the shop that isn't a good thing.  So, today being the last long weekend in a while, I decided to tackle the filth and squalor of my flat.  Its looking good so here are some pics of my lovely home.

No "before" images below though, I'm not going to be that cruel to myself:

30's sofa, 50's tables and repro chair.

Deco bar and TV cabinet, bakelite phone, annoying cable tangle:

Deco bed and dressing table:

My reward for a clean and tidy home is well behaved cats:

So its all looking good, if achingly white walled in the living room.  I'm thinking a sage green or apricot for the walls.   If I ever get round to it.

Car booty!

Thanks to the lovely Naomi of Vintage Secret fame I have recently discovered a fantastic local car boot sale.

Over the last few weeks I have picked up the following:

• two 4 yard pieces of wool fabric £4
• various vintage sewing patterns - total £3
• 4 babycham glasses - £1
• working 70's superhot Carmen rollers that might actually work on my recalcitrant barnet - £3
• Art Deco depression glass cheese dish - £3
• 40's / 50's deadstock patchwork quilt - £25

I absolutely love a bargain and couldn't be happier, though my home is slowly illing with my new found treasures.  A couple of pics of the quilt below.

It's darker than the pictures suggest and really stunning.I'm fairly sure it is either deadstock or kept in a bottom drawer and never used as its absolutely mint condition with no fading.  It could be new, hard to tell but I don't think it is, the faded paper tag on it looked old.  It even bore a label reading £150, much more recent, but it must have been for sale in an antique or vintage shop at some point.

Pretty, pretty thing.

General catch up

Golly, its been ages since I last blogged, I'm determined to try this again and see if I can stick to it rather than boring all my facebook friends with my wittering on.

So whats happened since I last blogged...well I have two cats - Marlon a 14 month old British Shorthair blue and the baby Gene who is probably around 4 or 5 months.  I love em.

I also had a short but ill advised love affair with a chap but the less said about that the better.

Anyway, having totally lost all interest in relationships I've moved all my energy into my new hobby, knitting.  I know, I know, I'm a bit late of the old two sticks bandwagon but hey, I need a hobby that doesn't involve alcohol.

I've been knitting for a few months now and have finished a few garments (aside from the sewing up - which I hate) and also a few brooches etc.  I'm really enjoying it so far.  I'll be updating more regularly with my knitted projects I think.

I also need to do an interiors update.

Maybe thats my problem with blogging - I have too much to talk about and so don't know where to start...