Because obviously I don’t have enough to do a week before Christmas… guess I’ll make an afghan… This is me with Kizmet and the afghan that inspired it all…

Christmas is less than a week away so I think I’ll make an afghan as a gift. Yes, when you’re me, that’s the insane kind of thing you decide to do. It came to me out of nowhere – I was pondering the gifts I had gotten everyone and I just didn’t feel I had that “home run” gift for my youngest son, Joe, who will be coming from Upstate New York to be with us for the holidays.

This was me with my boys – Joe and Chris – back in 2011. I am so excited that both boys will be with me for Christmas this year too!

I got him some practical stuff he wanted, but nothing that really came from the heart. The inspiration came to me by just “listening” to what was around me – I was sitting on the couch in my office, surrounded by my cats and an afghan I had made several years ago. This afghan is especially special to me, as it is the afghan that I snuggled with on the last day I spent with my beloved angel, Mr. Jazz. Joe is a huge cat lover and Mr. Jazz was a major part of his life. I knew at that moment that he needed an afghan from me (and don’t worry, I’m not spoiling his surprise – he’s one of the few people on earth that is not addicted to the Internet and he won’t be reading this).

This afghan will forever be precious to me… I am seen here in my final moments with Mr. Jazz. Sadly, I did not know on that fateful day that Harley who is also in this picture (along with Kizmet) would pass a year later…

Throwing any sense of practicality out the window, I did a search on Google for “Quick and Easy Afghans” and found one that I really liked. And I must say, despite that Google is stalking my every living, breathing move and letting me know in a not so subtle way based on my searching patterns what I can’t live without it my life, I still love Google. I love how convenient it is and I love how well it knows what I want in the three words or less I type into my search engine.

Google and I found a nice pattern and we also found an online coupon to save a few dollars at Michaels Crafts. Thanks Google! Off I went and I honestly don’t know what’s more crazy – deciding to crochet an afghan in a few days, or braving the holiday crowds at Michaels… Or maybe deciding to crochet an afghan, going to Michaels, and then writing about it and putting a blog post together…

Victory! I made it back from Michaels unscathed! I chose a variety of textured yarns in tones of cream, brown, and black.

Anyhow, as you can well imagine, I have been madly crocheting like a possessed lunatic since I came up with this hair-brained idea. I will also tell you at this point that Google and I strongly disagree on what we consider “Quick and Easy.” The person who shared this pattern must drink a lot of Red Bull, because this is not going to be a few days project…

Sorry Jazmine – this particular afghan is not for you, but you can certainly help me make it!

Oh well. No big deal. It probably won’t be finished in time, but I’ll wrap whatever is done nonetheless. Right now it looks like a really big scarf and if I can’t get it done, I’ll just mail it to him when I do. But regardless, the best part is that he has a sweet cat in his life that I know will appreciate this gift as much as he does. Just like me, cats are drawn to afghans and knowing that I will be bringing such simple happiness to both of them is the greatest gift of all.

So that’s how I rock and roll – by throwing sensibility and caution to the wind. How about you – what crazy thing have you done for the holidays?

I really like how it is coming out so far (and Zoey seems to approve too). The design is comprised of 12 long panels that will be stitched together. The pointed ends will be capped off with fringe.

Once a year, those musty boxes and totes we keep in the garage come in the house, and as I begin to unpack the contents, Jazmine wonders what the heck I am up to!

Oh! It’s stuff to decorate for Christmas! Kizmet who’s been around the block a year longer than Jazmine is already a pro and digs in to help (while finding the time to pose endearingly for the camera as well).

Yes, you Kizmet! Thanks for all the help!

Yes Mia, you’re a pretty little helper too! Oh, and hello Jazmine! Nice of you to join us!

So how is it in your house? If you decorate for the holidays, have you started yet? Do you cats help or are they bored with it all already?

First off, please let me stress that my cats give me untold love every single day of the year. Their devotion to me is astounding and I am truly blessed to have them in my life. From sunup to sundown, they amuse, fascinate, entertain, and comfort me and there is not another single thing I need or want from them. Well… okay… since it is nearly Christmas, maybe there is just a thing or two or ten that I would like. That said, here is my Christmas wish list from me, to my cats: Read more

ACK!!!!!!!!!!! It’s already the beginning of December! I haven’t even started my holiday shopping let alone making my list and checking it twice… And then there’s the tree I haven’t put up yet… For those of you starting to panic like I am, here’s a bit of advice for you:

I will not let the holidays stress me out. I will not let the holidays stress me out. I will not let the holidays stress me out. I will not let the holidays stress me out. I

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Editors Note: I decided to abandon my usual Caturday post, and instead participate in the super fun and wildly popular Sunday Selfie Blog Hop that was created by the talented Janet Blue of The Cat on My Head. Rather than be a traditional selfie post, I’m sharing some recent pictures I have taken (many of which some of you have already seen). There are good and bad, winners and losers -take a look to see what I mean and I’d love your opinions, insight, and suggestions as to what works for you with your cameras!  

My obsession with picture taking started when I saw Rolz grooming his sister, Mia. The look of pure contentment and adoration just radiated from her sweet little face and I knew I had to try to capture it for eternity. Camera: iPhone 4

So now that I’m home all day and night with the cats, I find that I’m drawn to them more so than ever. EVERYTHING they do fascinates me and I’m constantly feeling the need to photograph them as if I am under some sort of hypnotic spell to do so.

This is all well and good… except for the one glaring flaw to the whole equation… I DON’T TAKE GOOD PICTURES. Or I should say, with the current technology at my disposal, I am unable to manage my cameras to take good pictures. Read more