Things I'm Currently Coveting

It's been a few months since I did one of these and I certainly haven't stopped coveting things so let's go.

First up, how cute would this dress be for work? Especially with my pixie cut (which currently is in major, major need of a trim). Vestiges from Anthropologie - I covet you. Hard.


I have no idea where I'd wear this next dress but I just love it so so so much. So much. I used to have a couple great black/white polka dot articles of clothing (a great dress, skirt, etc.) and now my wardrobe is totally lacking in that department. This Pebble Seraphina from J Crew would totally remedy that hole in my closet.

Costco: A Love Story

I'm not really sure how I got through the first 27+ years of my life without Costco but I hope I have one near me for the next 70 because it's the awesome.

There's so much good stuff. And in such massive quantities. Like huge bags of delicious Babybel cheese, a lifetime supply of microwave popcorn and the biggest bottles of olive oil I've ever seen.

Thank God our Austin apartment is two-three times the size of our Manhattan apartment because there's no way we could fit all these wonderful goods inside our place otherwise.

As an added bonus, we get boxes to add to The Paws ever growing collection of boxes in our still defunct dining room. I swear one day we'll have a table and chairs in there.

What about you? Do you find joy in buying six tubes of toothpaste at a time?

Further Proof...

That Real Simple is my magazine soul mate. Article in the most recent issue: Napping, A Love Story.

I'm a big napper (just wanted to iterate that in case it wasn't clear from the title of my blog). I generally can't get through the weekend without at least one nap. My love of sleeping, in general, and napping, in particular, is totally at odds with my personality. I tend towards the over-achiever end of the spectrum. So, my favorite line in this essay is a good reminder that naps are a wonderful thing, even if you're not getting anything accomplished by sleeping during the day.

"...not everything has to be useful, not everything has to lead to something more—that sometimes, for no reason and with no purpose, you can just curl up on the couch, feel the soft breeze, and drift into a soft, delicious sleep that leads to nowhere in particular, and back again."

And, since we're talking about sleeping, above we have a gorgeous bedding set from Anthropologie that A) I don't need, B) I can't afford and C) Christian probably wouldn't go for even if A and B weren't true. Why do I continue to torture myself with their bedding section?

Devil Spawn

Ok, so you know that adorable kitten we adopted? If you need a refresher, she's just a little further down the page in all her furry glory.

Well, she's about 5 months old now, the super cute fuzziness has faded and it turns out we may have adopted the Spawn of Satan.

I know, I know, you're looking at her photo and she still looks totally adorable and sweet. Looks can be deceiving. I'll admit that she is a really cute cat. But she's a really cute cat that bites. And scratches. And has left me scarred. I'm thinking of trying out for the next Mederma commercial spot to bring in some extra money. Last night, we got into a bit of a skirmish and I now have deep scratch marks on the side of 4 of my toes. (Thankfully, the pinky was spared).

It's not like she's lashing out because she's neglected or anything. Our entire dining room is basically dedicated to toys and activities for this cat. Seriously. There's a tunnel, one of those nice scratching posts with a perch on top, the blinds are open, she has 2 boxes to play with, and another half dozen other toys and things to keep her occupied. Plus, she has a totally fashionable collar.

Unfortunately, even all that doesn't seem to calm the devil inside her.

Everyone keeps telling us that she'll calm down as she gets older. Boy, oh boy, do I hope that's true. Otherwise, has anyone heard of a Cat Whisperer? Or, would Cesar Millan take on this special case?

*Abashed face*

Um, so you know how I had a New Year's resolution to read Atlas Shrugged this year? Well, I struggled like 1/6th of the way through it (and it took me 5 months to get that far) and then I kinda sorta gave up. I know, my bad. I'll read it some day. Having the same book on my nightstand for 5 months was really getting on my nerves.

Since admitting defeat in the face of 1,200+ very dense pages, I've been on a total reading binge. Some highlights (and one lowlight):

Such a Pretty Fat - motivated me to do that 30 Day Shred for 2 days. How does that woman make exercising sound fun? I tried it. It's not.

Netherland - made me sad for part of it and also made me miss New York.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - I know everyone says this book only has one joke but I found that one joke pretty amusing. Plus, I just love Pride & Prejudice, so it was like getting to read one of my favs with a little funny bonus thrown in.

The Tipping Point - totally worth it just for all the info about Sesame Street. I didn't watch Sesame Street as a kid (shocking, I know!) and I'm kinda fascinated with it now.

And I "read" the Victoria Beckham book. Shh, don't tell anyone.

Now, I'm reading Bonfire of the Vanities for the first time. It's such an interesting book to read right now. It's also much more of a page turner than I thought it was going to be. I will admit that "Master of the Universe" turns my stomach every time I read it.

Oh, and lest you think I've forgotten that I also made a New Year's resolution that I would be a better blogger, I haven't. Settling into Austin has been much more stressful and time consuming than I thought it would be and I haven't been making the time to blog. Sadly, reality TV and reading that book that shall not be named have taken higher priority. I'm going to try to be better.

KITTEN!

May I introduce the latest edition to our family...

Senor Kitty Paws!

We adopted this adorable little 8 week old female kitten last Saturday. Yes, Senor is a girl. People can stop telling us that her name should be Senora/Senorita Kitty Paws. Christian and I both have basic Spanish knowledge. It's funny, people.

Anyway, gender confusion aside, SKP is just the best kitten ever. Sadly, she's a little sick right now (common with shelter kitties, I've read) but hopefully she'll be back to her bouncy self soon.

House Perusing

One of my favorite features to look through on the nytimes.com is when they compare 3 houses in different parts of the country that are all selling for the same price.

Of course, I can never remember what day this goes up so I often miss it. Today, though, was a lucky day and not only did I find it, but they included a house in Austin. Sadly, $975,000 won't be in our budget anytime soon, unless we win the lottery. But, it's still fun to see what's out there in our new city.