My chubby kid got to the top of the rope

My cat Tula is such an inspiration. She has been working at climbing the curtains since she came home with us, and finally she made it to the top!

Then, once she made it up there, she swung around for a few seconds like Tarzan. 

You go girl!

My Valentine's Day 'Enchantment'

Chris and I aren't very into Valentine's Day. I guess you could say we went on a date on Friday, but our date consisted of Mexican food and a visit to Corks Wine Bar because we had absolutely no food in our house and it's against our nature to walk past a wine bar without going in.

But, what I really consider my Valentine's Day treat was last night when Chris started reading Guy Kawaski's new book, Enchantment, to me.

Enchantment is an incredible marketing book. So, maybe marketing books aren't your idea of a wonderful read, but to me, its perfect. I found myself reaching over to doggy-ear a handful of the pages. Chris read for two hours before realizing that I was no longer just "resting my eyes." I can't wait to continue reading this book with him tonight and adapting Guy's advice to our wine brand, Cipher Cellars. 

When was the last time someone read aloud to you? It is extremely cool.

The taxes of a poor entrepreneur with student loans and stock options

Tonight Chris and I buckled down and did our taxes. After reading all the instructions and filling out all the schedules and forms that go with cashing out stock options, startup business losses and student loans, I sincerely hope that you'll vote for our business plan in this contest, so that next year we can afford to pay somebody to do them for us!

I can't believe that I was an accounting major for a year. I'm horrible at following directions (shhh... don't tell the IRS). 

I've Got a Plan! Please Vote for It, So I Can Launch it!

I recently wrote a 400 character plan and entered it into the Dockers "Wear the Pants Project" for my chance to win 100k and launch my business.

Here is my entry:

At 24, I’m the youngest person in Oregon with a winery license. I’ve poured my meager savings and energy into my wine brand, Cipher Cellars, and am awaiting my 1st release of 100 cases this summer. With this money, I’d not only like to increase production and marketing, but I’d launch Southern Oregon as the next BIG wine region. Raise a glass to no longer making wine paycheck to paycheck! 

Please vote DAILY here: http://apps.facebook.com/dockerswearthepants/entries/7671

Piggyback Rides for Crazy Cats

Yes, this is my boyfriend giving our cat a piggyback ride :) 

Is it time yet to rename this blog Crazy Cat Lovers? 

On a cuteness scale of 1-10, these are a 10.

This little girl's mother is a computer specialist from Helsinki, Finland. While her daughter is sound asleep, she creates a the most imaginative photographs from items around her house. PRECIOUS!

This one is my favorite. 

Living Room Makeover

This past Fall my boyfriend set out to build a new TV entertainment center. I don't know where he got the itch, but I thought it was just a ploy to go out on Sunday afternoons to watch football games. I figured, give him until playoffs, then he'll cave and we'll go shopping for a new one.

Then, last weekend I went to see his progress and found a beautifully crafted piece of furniture stained in a dark walnut. 

We jazzed it up with knobs from Anthropologie. 

And viola! here it is. 

(Imagine there is no xbox cluttering the shot.) 

It is such a dramatic improvement from our hideous glass table that showed all the cords. 

Good work, Chris! Now that I know you're so handy, I'm thinking I want a shoe rack...

Warm Hands are Happy Hands

My boyfriend's mom is the best at making gifts. Remember those amazing yellow socks last year? Well, she followed it up with purple fingerless gloves this year. Could she be any cooler?

Fingerless gloves are perfect for blogging on your iPhone :)

Portlandia

A new 6-part comedy series draw viewers into "Portlandia," the creators' dreamy and absurd rendering of Portland, Oregon. The show premieres Friday, January 21st on IFC.

Portland is so special. Here is proof:

Top 10 Wish List- Olivia Clare Designs

With 168 items in the Etsy shop, Olivia Clare Designs does not make it easy on a girl to pick her favorites. Somehow I managed. 

10. Antiqued Leaf and Organic Pearl Earrings. ($35) Romantic. Don't they just look so fun to wear? 

9. Metal Mix Up Labradorite Bracelet. ($38) I actually already own this, so my wish is to wear it more! 

8. Double Trouble Gold Hammered Hoops. ($28) I tell myself over and over to wear more hoops. They are a staple.

7. Winter Green Rustic Emerald Studs and Holiday Red Rustic Ruby Studs. ($28) The daily go-to.

6. Vintage Snowflake Hair Clip. ($28). One-of-a-kind. 

5. Green Freshwater Coin Pearl Ring Wrapped in Gold. ($45). Gold will surely keep my fingers warm this winter.

4. Twisted Swarovski Stack Earrings. ($36). Are my ears worthy?

3. Romantic Rose Necklace. ($28). Delicate beauty.

2. Antiqued Brass Filigree Flower. ($28). Definitely a statement piece.

  

1. Ocean Bubbles Chalcedony Onion Teardrop Necklace. ($75). The only words that come to mind are "YES, please."

So, who wants to be my Santa Claus?

Olivia Clare Designs offers free U.S. shipping. Stay up-to-date with new releases, sales and other news on Olivia Clare Designs facebook page. 

Christmas Stockings

I've been in the arts and crafts mood lately. Though I have yet to finish a project (or really start one), I sure love buying the materials.

My next aspiration is to make stockings replicating this one I saw on Etsy. Christmas will be too tight of deadline for my wandering attention to complete four of them (yes, my kitties will each have one), because first I need to learn to sew better (this includes threading the bobbin correctly). I'm sensing my mom will be getting more than one "PLEASE HELP" phone calls before they are hanging (should I even venture to guess... in two years?).

Wish List- Champagne in a Can! Sofia Coppola Style.

GENIUS! This product was made for me. 

For a multitude of moods and "just because" occasions, Sofia Mini is a single—serving of our effervescent Blanc de Blancs. Zesty, refreshing, cool and fun, each dazzling pink can comes with its own straw for sipping, so you can take it anywhere—anytime you feel like sparkling.

Sofia Mini tastes a little like fresh juicy pears, a little like summer melon, a little like refreshing citrus and honeysuckle. It has a little zest, a little spritz, perhaps a little glitz. It tastes a little bit... bigger. Available in a metallic hexagon 4-pack box ($10-12) or sold individually. 


Maybe I can finally kick my diet soda addiction by substituting bubbles?! 

In need of a little {re} design, Southern Oregonians?

Look no further than {re} design by Zoe Samczyk. Zoe offers personalized organizational and restyling services for your home and self. Her blog is full of great inspiration and ideas for all your organizing and decorating wants and needs. I even heard an etsy shop is in the works!

Bringing a fresh and innovative eye to every project, (RE)DESIGN is committed to creating attractive and functional spaces utilizing existing furnishings. Home is the most important place on earth, and we are hoping to help make yours everything you want it to be. 

Take a peak! 

My dreams of being a crazy cat lady are coming true!

After a year of begging for a kitty, Chris and I finally drove out to the local Animal Shelter to scout out the prospects. We were ushered into the cat room where 15 kittens and a handful of older cats were kept.  After holding all the kittens while discussing their pros and cons like a college thesis, Chris gave me an ultimatum and we eventually choose a female tabby cat. We named her Ramona.

Ramona is a firecracker that loves to pounce on my fingers while I type, chase her tale for hours, and climb up Chris' pant legs.

But, she also loves to cuddle, which makes me melt.

After two days of working, I felt horrible leaving Ramona home alone, so I caved and went back to adopt one of her siblings. We named her Tula. Pictures don't do Tula justice, because you can't tell how much of a fur-ball she is.  

Her back side is so adorable.

Two cats is really better than one. They play together so well, groom each other and leave me alone for just long enough to blog. 

Waking up in a Brewery

I've always had an affinity for converted industrial spaces. This brewery turned residence in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood is no exception. Though styled a bit modern for my preference, the building's integrity stays completely in tack and I love the warmth and character of the exposed brick. Take a look inside this vast one-bedroom apartment that was once the ice machine room.

Designer Essicka Kimberly turned into a livable home. “I was inspired by the challenge of preserving the place’s un-domestic scale,” she said.

Drapes section off the entire upstairs to avoid a boxy feel. 

Beautiful natural light.

See the rest of the pictures at nytimes.com.

Halloween Costume Idea

This morning the New York Times had this Halloween costume poking fun at BP. Funny, huh?

Awww.... yes!

Most adorable picture ever. If only I took the advice. 

Realizations of a Southern Oregon House Hunter

Searching for rental houses in Southern Oregon has not been an easy feat. Down here I've found there are code names for rental house listings on Craigslist or property management company's sites that I thought I would share for entertainment and educational purposes:

• Cottage-  Tiny, shack that may or may not be attached to a home, but is for sure a dump
• Updated- The shag was replaced within the last five years with dark brown carpet, but there is still floor-to-ceiling wood panelling
• Quaint-  No style or architectural design what-so-ever and usual has been preserved in the 70s era
• Cute- All the glass is still intact in the windows, but we cannot promise there is paint on the exterior
• Inexpensive- Still shockingly spendier than Portland
• Duplex- Yes, the people next door are crazy, loud, and wave Confederate flags
• Freshly Painted- We had to in order to cover up the water spots on the ceiling
• Great Neighborhood- Anywhere that is not West Medford
• Quiet Neighborhood- Anywhere that is not West Medford
• Close to Shopping- Close to Wal-Mart or the Dollar Tree
• Country Living- There is no way you are getting internet out here, not even Hughes Net

As long as your listing does not contain one of more of these, you may be in luck and have found a suitable shelter. I think we might have :)

Lady Like Hair Clips

There are few things I love more than cute accessories and I am so delighted of this new discovery in Southern Oregon. 

I recently attended an Open House for Wreckless Photography and during the event I scouted out some adorable hair pieces made by Diana of Lady Like Designs. 

Right now she has 21 variations on her Etsy site and I must admit I want to splurge on all of them. But, here is the one I settled on first. A romantic dusty rose colored design with antiqued leather and an elegantly knitted flower. 

Many of Diana's designs incorporate fun unexpected color combinations and feathers. All fasten to your hair snugly with a metal clip or pin.

 I also heard a rumor hand warmers in the the making... perfect for the upcoming seasons.

Photography by Kristy Behrs of Wreckless Photography who has new big accomplishments of her own like opening a beautiful natural light studio in a historic building in downtown Grants Pass (pictured). This airy space is going to be an amazing setting to her talented eye. 

The Beautiful Truth

"The blueprint for our future, cancer, is a bio-code gone wrong, and it's delighted by what we do to feed it." - The Beautiful Truth

Last night I watched an eye-opening documentary called The Beautiful Truth (thanks to Netflix), which centers around the Gerson Therapy of healing your body through natural foods. The film discusses many food-related topics such as MSG, aspartame, mercury used in dental practices, genetically-modified foods, and fluoride additions to water supplies that are all legal and all carcinogens.

MSG is marketed as a flavor enhancer and added to more processed foods than you'd like to hear. It has been studied numerously with results indicating it causes brain damage, endocrine disorders, retinal degeneration, behavior disorders, learning disabilities, reproductive disorders, obesity and more. Notice MSG isn't labeled on our foods? There is an organization combatting that problem, Truth in Labeling.

The dangers of aspartame poisoning have been a well guarded secret since the 1980s. Aspartame is a true toxin. No other food can be provided as a comparison to the toxic nature of NutraSweet. Upon closer examination, the available research revealed that the manufacturer (Monsanto) and the FDA are manipulating the public into thinking that aspartame is safe. It is not. There are over 92 different health side effects association with aspartame consumption. Watching this segment almost made me throw-up considering I am a huge Diet Coke addict- I'm switching to home-brewed iced tea, which will also lower my carbon-footprint of plastic bottles. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it.

There are over 1,000 tons of mercury in American's mouths thanks to the American Dental Association. Mercury is the most poisonous non-radioactive metal and it was used as fillings. Although it is not currently in use, it is not being removed either. It has been proven that dental hygienists suffer from very high rates of infertility. It is scary to think that the air quality at the dentist office could be toxic with mercury and not regulated.

Isn't it crazy that large pesticide/herbicide companies now control a majority of food supply? Well, to clarify, processed food supply. Monsanto and ConAgra are just two of the companies that are monopolizing seeds through patents (which should be illegal) and genetically altering non-toxic foods into becoming toxic. Corn, soy and cotton are among the most genetically-modified crops.

A doctor researched dental hygiene among native cultures and found no cases of tooth-decay until the cultures were exposed to processed foods like refined sugar and white flour. We now add fluoride to our water supplies, yet ingested fluoride has never proven to prevent cavities, only topical fluoride.  Cities like Juneau, Alaska are now repealing the practice.

It was an eerie feeling watching and learning that our food is contaminated to the point it is killing us. I have seen it before in documentaries like Food, Inc., but I have never seen it compared to disease this significantly. I understand it is a documentary making a point, but the point is evident everywhere. The cure for many of our most-threatening illnesses is to mindfully eat sustainably/organic/non-toxic foods. There is simply to much money to be made by the food and drug corporations and to too much money used to steer politicians into not taking action. It is horrifying to think about.

At times I get anxiety going to the grocery store because it seems like there is nothing to eat. It's not true, it just takes more preparation, awareness, and sadly, money, to find. It helps to shop at a farmers' markets or stores that focus on natural and organic options. Our mindsets have to change from quick and ready to slow and thoughtful food decisions. There are many useful sites to find a farmers' market near you, like Local Harvest.

The Beautiful Truth left with a message of hope. There are solutions and cures already available, we just have to use them.

I'll leave you with the trailer to the movie. It would be a wise-spent hour and a half: