Making a Cat Bed

I am happy to say everything is ticking a long smoothly.  Housekeeping is day to day and the house has never looked better.   Which means I'm ready to start crafting more.  My original plan of bringing this life change on in stages rather than all at once was a good idea.

Per my last post we have a new family member and he needed a new bed.  Old me would have walked over to Pet Valu on my lunch hour and picked one out.  Instead I decided I would try my hand at making it.

I read multiple posts on the net about nest beds, flat beds, basket beds, portable beds, I liked the look of this one here Instructables Cat Bed, well not so much the look (eeek fleece is such a hair catcher) but the style.  I decided to make Capone's more of an oval, and also to try and do it from fabric I had left over from another project.

I should have taken photos a long the way, but I wasn't sure it was going to turn out.  Next time I promise LOL, but more or less I followed the instructions.  The only thing I changed was I did not use all new fill.  From my years with pets I am a believer in the fact that scent is a huge factor for animals, they find comfort in familiar scents.  I grabbed an old pillow that I had planned to throw away and used the stuffing from that.  Two birds, one stone, bed and cat soother.

Finished bed:

He loves it, sleeps in it regularly.   Can't ask for more success than that . .  well maybe I can, I have yet to wash it, it could fall apart first go round, but for now . . . success.

xo
J.

Is this a trend?

The house top to bottom organization was done a couple of weeks ago.  Crafters nook created.  I had been gifted a copy of Jen Lancaster's the Tao of Martha, which I read cover to cover and laughed and cried at.  I could see the similarities, between my life model and hers.  Including the relationships with her pets/fur babies.  I could relate to her last days with her dog, in the end it was similar to when we lost Noah.  Then, the unthinkable happened.  My little Gizmo who has had a permanent ear infection for life (it's been treated, surgeries performed, it was her barn defect and permanent) finally got to where there was pressure or what have you and she was incapacitated.  We had her euthanized because it was the only option. She couldn't walk, her tongue  was stuck out of her mouth and she couldn't pull it back in.  She was older, but I wasn't ready.  I've always had that long lingering fight with the dogs, that "if we can get one more meal into you, one more treatement . ..  we'll beat this" but with Gizmo it was one day she was stealing french fries out of the take out bag, and the next she was unable to stand.     Understandably this put my Year of Martha off the rails, at least temporarily.  I couldn't find the motivation to keep up with anything.  I guess it's understandable, but I really didn't expect it.

Then Capone arrived.  Part Maine Coon, part short hair tabby.   He is a lovely addition, and of course right now we live in a house divided . . . or I should say tri-sected.   Capone likes everyone, Barney likes him.  Missy and Mischief have reserved judgement.  I shouldn't put Mischief with Missy.  Mischief tolerates him.  Missy wants to nose him, and he is just having no part of that.    With this return to some sense of balance, I was able to find my path back to my happiness project fairly simply.   It also opened up a completely new set of projects, as Capone needs a new bed, and he is a cat-nip-o-holic.  He also is the kind of cat who has the constant need to be involved.  This weekend we will start out with some simple catnip toys for my fat boy. Since they are 1.99 each at the store, and always prefers a fresher one, I am sure I can handle the cutting of squares and a straight zig-zag stitch and the packing of the nip.  Worse case they are lopsided and the catnip will fall out making us appear as sloppy marijuana users, we aren't but really, who would believe that the green shredded leafy material was catnip?, either way, I'm sure he won't complain.  If that works out well, we will move on to trying to construct/sew him a new cat bed.  

Of course after Capone settled in, I looked online and found out that Martha has a very large soft spot for the Maine Coon breed.  Jason asked if I had planned that on purpose.  Fact is I didn't.  Between losing Gizmo and Capone arriving, I hadn't been keeping up with my review of the copious amount of information and projects at www.marthastewart.com.  So it wasn't intentional, but it kicked me in the pants to get back to my happy.  We will see how our sewing projects end up.

and Yes I am aware that this weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving.  I am also much like Jen Lancaster in that with the other things going on in my life it snuck up on me.  Lucky for me it's traditionally held at my parents home, so I only have to produce a couple of dishes to contribute to the meal.  Christmas Eve will be my time to shine with my Martha-esque entertaining skills.  That is when my family will come to visit, and be awed by my culinary skills (which are already finally honed thank you very much).

Capone

Wish me luck that I don't sew my sweater to the catnip pouches :)

J.

One year (or until I go Crazy) embracing the way of life of one, Martha Stewart.

Welcome to my blog.  I have been living on my own quite well for 13 years now, a little longer if you count the time I was living in a dorm at college.  The house is always clean, except for a few dirty dishes in the sink now and then, and the house is fairly free from clutter.  I should be happy that I can keep the wheels on the cart and rolling.  I was dusting my bookshelves the other day (see already half on the right track) and came across a copy of Martha's Good Things for Organizing.  It was gifted to me years ago and I had glanced through it but shelved it with our other home decorating books without a second thought.  I then glanced over at my desk, which although clean I had been finding crowded.  I then thought of the bathroom, and the counter while although clean had a few errant bottles that had found their home there.  What could it hurt.  I pulled Martha's book off the shelf and settled in to see what could be done.  As I turned the pages and looked at the pages of beautiful photos of organized rooms through a 30 something's eyes (compared to my 20 somethings eyes that I had when I received it) I became frustrated with the house as it was now.  I wanted that peaceful serene environment that I saw on the pages.


When Jason arrived I declared that was it! I was cleaning this house from top to bottom and rearranging everything because if Martha Stewart could do it . . . so could I.  Jason gave me significant side eye but being the trooper he is he gave me his normal "well, don't try to do everything yourself, give me a list I will help"

So started my plan.  One year (or until I go Crazy) embracing the way of life of one Martha Stewart.

I gathered my cleaning supplies, and started washing the walls.  Which I found out quickly when I mentioned to my coworkers that I was washing my walls, isn't something that all people do.  I wash my walls twice a year (spring and fall) but I started early this year because I am not going to officially start my project till the house is in shape.  Why run from behind trying to do everything.  I have learned from my predecessors that they take on this LLM (Live Like Martha) project, and find themselves quickly overwhelmed, trying to clean, organize, craft, bake, and entertain all at once.  I'm side stepping this common pitfall,  I figure Martha didn't do it all over night, she probably started with an organized and freshly cleaned house before she started baking cupcakes and crocheting tea cozies - so, so will I. I plan to have the house turning along, perfectly well, then I can hit the crafts and cooking and the entertaining -  I think these activities will be the part I enjoy. 

The walls are now over 1/2 washed with 7 of the 9 rooms finished.   I also realized my first  permanent challenge. Although I don't have any mini-me's in the house,  I live with 2 cats and 2 dogs.  I am not sure where Martha Stewarts dogs live, possibly in some Martha-ized kennel somewhere on her sweeping property where spring water pours from fountains and they lounge on specialized down dog beds with silk covers in Martha's signature colours and nibble on freshly baked liver brownies, and frolic between the rows of the garden, but I can tell you where my 4 goons sleep and eat and live and play . . .  they do it - wherever they want to.  Currently my challenge is as follows:

Mischief D.F. - (pronounced with a Spanish accent. - Day - Ef-e) but her DF stands for Dirty Face.  Mischief LOVES to rub her dirty little chin on most corners of the upstairs walls leaving greee-zie (pronounced as if Pauly Shore was saying it) little marks on most corners upstairs.

Gizmo the Gooper - Gizmo is a barn cat I adopted back in 2003.  She is a great cat but because of her inbreeding has an ear condition where it weeps constantly.  The vet cannot fix it, and I cannot bear the thought of putting her down for an ear defect, so although I try and keep it cleaned out she likes to shake and spray her goopy "ear shmutz" whever she may be.  Which we found out her range is at ninja proportions. She can throw a piece of ear shmootzie to the ceiling with the accuracy of  a ninja with a throwing star.  She can hit you at 100 yards - right in the eye.  Jason's comment was we should call CSI because they might like to study the spatter patterns. Also while scrubbing said shmootzies that I found hiding in my big clean, they are not water soluable.  First you use Mr. Clean spray, let it sit. .. . . try and scrub, still won't come off, spray again, let it sit, usually they come off in 2 tries . . .  these shmootzies might possibly be caustic or if collected possibly might count as a WMD if used in large quantities against an enemy. (LOL LOL)

Barney-The Gut  Barney is our yellow lab, he is a stomach on 4 legs. Generally he is clean, he doesn't ooze from his ears or mouth, but he sheds like a fiend and previously had been putting the blame of hair everywhere to our old St. Bernard Noah.  Now that Noah's gone Barney has no option but to own his hairiness.  (even with regular furmination)

Missy the Mouth - A French mastiff who likes to lick and kiss and although is very tidy seems to drag mud and dirt everywhere she goes much like my own little pig pen. Although not as prone to slobbers/shoelaces like Noah our old Saint. She, at times can toss em like a champ, she also enjoys rolling in the dirt and also eating the odd mouthful.  If you haven't been over when Missy walks up and opens her mouth and its completely black from soil including her teeth . . . you're missing out, let me know - I'll call you next time she does it.

Jason's comment that the challenge for me would be battling the 4 goons who would be working against us was 100% correct.

I should also mention Noah, who although has been gone for over a year, was a 200lb, 37" legged Saint Bernard and  although I have gone through 2 deep clean cycles, I still find the odd reminder of a goober in a corner behind a bookshelf that he threw there obviously on purpose to remind me of him someday, he like Gizmo could hurl a goober and hit his mark LOLLOL!!!


So I think my plan to whip the house into shape prior to starting my experiment was a good idea.  Why run from behind.   Get everything ready - then kick it off.

Will I make it a full 365 from my point of kick off? . . . will I crumble under a pile of hair and goolies and ear shmutz? . . . I'm not sure, one task at a time and see how it goes.

Jax