Kitties thinking inside the box for Halloween

Zorro decided that he wanted to be a package for Halloween this year:

Allie Mae briefly tried to steal Zorro's idea, but she decided she didn't like the way the box blended with her brown furs:

So Zorro got to reclaim his costume (and, as an added bonus, give me a sulky look for letting the other cats near it in the first place--or perhaps for blinding him with the flash--or maybe both?):

Happy Halloween!

At least it's over...

No mocking self-aggrandizement today, just sheer relief that my test is over...6 hours, 13 pages, and a near hyperventilation later and now all I'm hoping for is that I passed it so I don't have to do it again...lol.

And as if to say "see Mommy, we can be good for you the night before your test", look what I saw Puma and Allie Mae doing last night (I guess I can call them cat beds again now, rather than nocat beds--yay!):

No alien abductions, just another test to cram for

Turns out my last post wasn't short and sweet because I've been abducted by aliens; rather, I'm just stressed out about my next big grad exam.

So I've decided I won't be posting much (if at all) until after Oct. 29th (when my next big exam, for which I am currently completely underprepared, occurs). I will still return all comments on my blog (promptly or eventually, depending on how procrastinatory I'm feeling when I see them) though, so no need for utter silence unless ya feel like it.

(Important note to Entrecard users: This also means my Entrecard dropping has been and will continue to be virtually nonexistent for a while as well, but I'll pick that up again too once I can. I'll be denying all new ad requests for the PurrPrints blog until then though, and you're welcome to cancel current pending ones with no hard feelings; I'd understand not wanting to pay credits for an un-updated blog)

I did find out a few days ago that I passed the first big exam, so that's good news at least. Here's to hoping my luck holds...

I have some fun stuff planned for once I'm back though, so don't abandon me forever!

The PurrPrints giveaway on Handmade Showcase ends today

...so don't forget to hop over there and leave your free entry before midnight EST if you haven't already. You can use the $15 store credit on anything in PurrPrints on etsy.

Wow, look at me being all short and sweet. Have I been abducted by aliens without realizing it?

The Best Laid Plans: (Not quite) Wordless Wednesday

Apparently the interest in the new cat beds has officially worn off... or perhaps Puma and Zorro are just more passive-aggressive about my inadvertently thwarting their plans to take over the world than I realized?

(The black lump on the left is Puma; the cow colored kitty on the right is Zorro. The two empty puffs in the middle are the cat beds. Or perhaps I should rename them the NoCat Beds. And all that fuzzy stuff in the middle is the cat fur they've been depositing everywhere but their beds.)

(Sorry the pic is so blurry--it was pretty dark in the room and I didn't want to scare them off with the flash.)

Catnip distracts my kitties from their attempts to take over the world

It finally dawned on me (with my Bittersweeets entry) that I need to find other things to write about besides the stuff I make. Granted, I'm just amazingly talented and smart and funny so I can see why it would take a while for my lovely (and oh-so-modest) self-aggrandizing charm to wear off, but still.

Anywhozzle, I'm going to start sharing more of the stuff I love from other crafters and artists on etsy. That way we can all pretend that I'm not solely writing this blog in the hopes that people will buy stuff from me and me alone as part of my cats' plan to take over the world.

(Wait, did I just type that aloud? I really need to develop a better brain-to-fingers filter. I wonder if Google could invent something like their Mail Goggles for bloggers like me who don't even need a few drinks to type foolish things? My kitties will be so ticked that I gave their plans away; I wonder if I can bribe them with more catnip...)

Blah blah blah. Boy do I take forever to get to my point! Well, here it is (finally!). ShaggyChic has some adorable stuff for pets, including these cute catnip fortune cookies. I bought a few for my cats the other week and they adore them--to the point that I am embarassed to take pictures of the ones in my house because they are already so battered and dirty. I even sent one through the wash (when my cats like toys they make them filthy fast) and the cats still like it, despite the fact that the detergent must have removed most/all of the catnip smell. (I think it's because they seem to be the perfect weight and size for carrying around and tossing in the air.)

Anyway, if you're looking for a fun treat for your kitties, these have a stamp of approval from Zorro, Allie Mae, Puma and Snacker--and my four kitties hardly ever agree on anything!

Then again, if you think my kitties would make wonderful world rulers, you can also feel free to stop by my etsy or cafepress shops and support their mission.

(For anyone wondering, no, I am not writing this review due to compensation or blackmail; that is, unless you count the remaining shreds of my non-self-centered-ness blackmailing me to write about someone other than myself )

Don't forget the SG giveaway is about to end!

Just a quick reminder to anyone who hasn't had the chance to enter the giveaway over on ScoutieGirl: it closes tonight (Sat.) so hop over there quick to enter--there are over 15 different handmade items to choose from. Not that any of them are nearly as cool as mine, of course, but it's still fun to look ;)

[WW] Another sleepy Wedsnesday for Allie Mae

Bittersweeets is so freakin cute I can barely stand it

I just discovered Bittersweeets' etsy shop the other day and I think I'm in love.

Angry fruit. Angry vegetables. Angry cupcakes and candy corn. Seriously--can it get any cuter? I want to buy this entire shop. I so need to win the lottery now...

Anyway, just had to share the adorable-angry-ness in the hopes that sharing it would somehow lessen the urge to spend all my savings. It hasn't...at least not yet. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

On a different note, I wanted to thank Sharon Hart for the "Brilliante" blog award--though really it should be going to Chica and Pumuckl as much as me because part of the reason Sharon is so kindly giving me the award is because of my pretty new blog design--but most of the credit for that goes to C&P. But hey, I'll take love everywhere I find it--so thanks Sharon! (Since I received this award before I'm not going to give it out again but I wanted to express my thanks--especially because I know Sharon is very selective in who she compliments, so this really is quite an honor.) Unlike the typical award post, Sharon used her commentary on this award as a chance to talk about the role of humility in art--it's a very thought-provoking entry and one well-worth reading; I recommend it.

The second October Giveaway plus a new addition.

The second week of every month ScoutieGirl hosts a giveaway with a variety of "indie goodness"; this month's giveaway includes 15 different artisans--and there's a LOT of great stuff (my 5x7 of "Sabrina and Friends" included, of course ). Signing up is easy and you don't have to pick just one of the 15--you can enter to win as many as you want. But you'll want to be speedy because the giveaway ends Sat. Oct 11th at midnight.





On a different note, the pendants shown here are the newest addition to my etsy shop; they were made in collaboration with the unbelievably talented Artistic Flair (she makes amazing fused glass sculpture and jewelry--check out her blog and her etsy shop if you're in the mood for some pretty).

$15 PurrPrints store credit giveaway and new awards

Giveaways:
Beyond my monthly contest for newsletter subscribers I'm offering two giveaways this month. One I don't have all the details for yet (but I'll let you know as soon as I do!), but the other one just went up on the beautiful blog HandmadeShowcase. You can read the brief interview she conducted with me and enter the giveaway over on her blog--have fun! It's for a $15 store credit to my etsy shop--the perfect amount for, say, picking a custom pendant (like the ones shown here) in your choice of design and colors.

Awards:
I've also been the lucky and grateful recipient of some new blog awards--three of them (lucky me!). Two came from MyPoochLife and one from ThreeFatesDesign. You can see the pretty awards on my new awards page by either clicking on "awards" in the navigation bar above or just following this link to my awards page. I never know who has already received these awards so I'm hesitant to pass them along and end up just giving them to people who already have them, but I really appreciate receiving them--thank you!

Keeping babies busy: Mama's Magic (featured blogger of the month)

Time for another featured blogger from the EtsyBloggers street team--this time it's Mama's Magic, a creative mom who makes really pretty nursing necklaces (like the one shown here--who'd guess it was designed to keep breast-feeding babies happily busy rather than just for a night on the town?). She also keeps a fun blog on crafting, etsy, and being a mom.

Oh, and if you're an avid knitter I suggest checking out her cute "knit the knot" earrings--they're adorable.

Couch corners are cozy: wordless wedsnesday