Tag Archives: cat

At the table with Leo

Mealtime is a constant struggle for our cat, Leo. He’s definitely a cutey, and he knows it. But I don’t think he’s quite figured out that no amount of purring, meowing, or general rubbernecking is going to get him a bit of our food. Even though we’re pretty strict about not feeding him from the table, he doesn’t give up on trying to get our attention.

I snapped these at breakfast today. Yes, he sits at a chair with us. And yes, this took place in the span of oh… 15 seconds? It’s always dramatic with Leo…

leos-struggleleo1leo2leo3

A Case of the Mondays

Because it’s too good to not share. At breakfast this morning…

Pete is so cute (oh, and Leo, too). Don’t you feel this way about Mondays sometimes (or all of the time)?

I had a pretty good Monday, actually. Woke up to a very clean house (hurray for cleaning spree weekends), had my work ladies over to the house for lunch, went to an eye doctor appointment (boo, I’m getting more and more blind each and every year), and will be attending a Minnesotans United for All Families meeting at their new headquarters in my neck of the woods tonight. I’m so excited to get involved with this organization to defeat the amendment this fall!

This week I’m looking forward to:

  • A much-needed haircut
  • Health-at-Work sponsored yoga and Pilates classes
  • Seeing storyteller Kevin Kling perform at my work’s summer concert series
  • Working in the beer tent during my town’s outdoor concert series (different from the one we do at my work)
  • Seeing Beirut at the Cabooze on Saturday
  • Going out to dinner with the fam for my sister’s birthday

Anyway, I hope you have a happy Monday!

weekend recap

Hello all! I had a pretty busy, yet relaxing weekend. It didn’t seem like I did much, but now that I’m typing, it all kind of came back to me. It looks like I actually did get quite a bit done!

Because I worked both nights this weekend at the Paramount, Pete and I had a Saturday day-date at our favorite place in the world – Bravo Burritos! If you’ve never been (which I’m guessing a huge majority of people who read this have not) please make it a goal of yours to get there. We both ate smothered burritos, which is a deviation from our normal fare. My personal faves are the chicken verde super burrito and the vegetarian smothered. Holy yum.


I spent a little time shopping this weekend, too. I hit up Old Navy, which for me is kind of weird. I haven’t set foot in that store in years and years, but for some reason… I think I saw a cute printed shirt somewhere online and was inspired to go? Anyway, the store was so bright and full of fun, trendy prints for spring. Not usually my thing to buy mass-produced trendy stuff, but eh. I couldn’t pass up this bird-print silky blouse.

And of course, I made the compulsory stop at Goodwill to atone for my big-box retailer outing. The place was overrun with screaming children and poorly managed carts getting in the way of everything. Let’s just say I wasn’t feeling very patient. But I found a set of dishes I really liked, but did not purchase. The pattern of the stoneware reminds me of my Grandma Mar’s dishes from her old house. A call to my sisters: Maim, Maddie, do you agree with me or remember? Or am I just crazy?


Today I found out my hair is still JUST long enough to curl, so I had fun with that, too. I also bought new nail polish and had to give it a go. The basecoat is a neat matte polish, but I covered it up with a new sparkle topcoat. Kind of pointless to use a matte underneath a glossy coat, but oh well. I feel pretty fancy now!


Pete drove to the Twin Cities for rehearsal this afternoon, so Leo and I spent some time hanging out around the house. I discovered a row of Thin Mints in the freezer (I think we stashed them to prevent ourselves from scarfing them down) and had a delish afternoon snack (not the whole row, don’t worry!). Leo has been a lunatic pawing at the back door to go outside, so I’ve obliged him with little 3-minute breaks. It’s about all he can take before he’s jumping up and down at the door to come back inside.

I spent the rest of my weekend watching silly movies, working out, and setting up a painting studio in our vacant downstairs bathroom. Yes, I’ll paint soon enough! Having a semi-permanent setup is half the battle. It needed to be somewhere I could get messy and leave things set up without the cat getting into it. Luckily, we never use the downstairs bathroom, and it has linoleum floors and a closeable door. Now I just need to figure out what to paint – I’ll keep you updated on my progress!

How was your weekend?

cat and mouse

Pete and Leo like to play this silly game of peek-a-boo every once in a while, which ends in Leo bolting down the hallway to pounce on Pete, and Pete exploding in laughter. I swear our jungle cat is sometimes more dog than feline. He loves games, belly rubs and fetching bottle caps (and even bringing them back to play again). However, the laser pointer we got him a few weeks ago is probably his MOST favorite thing in the world. We had to buy a second one because we wore out the battery so quickly!

Blue all over

Blue all over. All over my dress, not my spirits. Don’t worry, I’m in a great mood today! I was sorting through my closet and COMPLETELY FORGOT that I bought this amazing dress from @BourbonAndLace at the last @MightySwell vintage sale. Forgot! What?! Since putting it on, I’ve been absolutely smitten with the color. I don’t think I own anything that is THIS blue. Even Pete got up this morning and the first thing he said to me was, “Woah, blue! You look so… fancy and… blue.”

One thing you can’t see are the killer wedge booties I’m wearing. Darn photobooth. I love these shoes. They’re Etienne Aigner from TJMaxx and I got them for $25 or something crazy like that. What you CAN see in these pictures is of course my silly cat, but more importantly, some non-fuzzed-out pictures of my office. I am loving this room.

Anyway, I’m off get on with my weekend. Are there any colors you don’t have in your closet that surprise you when you wear them? Blue (and yellow) get me every time!

Oh, nothing.


Nothing new here, except I’m blogging to you from my new office. Well, the room has always been here, I just haven’t had a desk, lamp, chair, and all of that good stuff set up that makes an office an office. But I had some time last night to get around to arranging things and hanging up my art. I’m surrounded by some of my favorite things which makes me feel really cozy and happy in this space. Even Leo came to hang out for a bit. I think he likes it in here. We’re camping out upstairs because Pete got a brand new beautiful drumset today (he currently has FOUR. Three? No, I think four. Wow). Anyway, I’m gonna drink my tea, make some lists for the weekend, and he’s gonna pound some drums. That’s just how it is around here. I don’t mind it… well not too much.

Also, sorry if I don’t post for a while. I work quite a bit this weekend, and we’re finally getting around to having a little housewarming party. Only two months late. Oh well. We’re really looking forward to having friends over. Can’t wait!

Day Off – Right On!

Yesterday I took the day off, which was amazing. There’s something different about days off during the week. I felt like I got a ton more done. I was still in “work mode,” but it was “work for ME mode.”

I had time to do laundry, make a tasty recipe, run to the consignment store to sell some clothes, and hit the thrift store. I also got a haircut and drove home to see my family. Phew! While home, I took a cardio class with my mom and auntie, and stopped to see my grandparents and their new cat, Princess Phoebe. She came with that ridiculous name, but isn’t she purdy? She makes my grandparents really happy – it’s so cute!

While I was home, I loaded up the boyfriend’s car with furniture my auntie was holding for me. Two book shelves, a large mirror, a rolling cart, and a neat new lampshade. She also let me take home this sweet little tsotchke. Kind of like an early version of a bobblehead, she sits on a base that makes her body and head rock back and forth. Did I mention she’s a family heirloom? My great-grandma (Nanny) gave her to my thrifty auntie, and my auntie thought I’d appreciate her (which I do!). I put her on a shelf right above my new desk in my office so I can see her all the time. I think she looks a little Dutch. What should I name her?

Happy Birthday, Leo!

Today is Leo’s birthday!

Some of my favorite snapshots of the furry dude:
L -R 1. the first picture of Leo after adopting him / 2. On his favorite perch
3. My boys hanging out / 4. A cozy night
5. Getting ready for the big move / 6. Posing for the fancy camera
7. Me and the little dude / 8. Duh!
9. Being weird / 10. Hanging out on the coffee table
11. Jungle cat in the tall grass / 12. Helping Pete

Well, we don’t actually know his birthday because we adopted him from the Humane Society and our little guy (15 pounds little) was a stray. But we DO know that one year ago today Pete and I met “Silver” (we quickly changed his name to Leo) and that he has been an amazing, cuddly, and hilarious addition to our home. Since adopting him for $10 (yes, I even got a bargain on my cat), I’ve instantly turned into a cat lady. His cute little eyes and squeaky meows melt my heart every day.

He’s the most silly, good-natured cat I’ve ever met. He’ll pretty much let anyone pick him up, pet him, or play with him. He is perfectly content letting us squish his little face or fold him up into a burrito. Leo makes us laugh on a daily basis. He’s a bit needy, but don’t worry – he gets plenty of attention at our house.

Thanks for making our lives a little more silly, Leo. We love you!

Leo’s first night with us. You may want to watch this on mute. My squeals are a little much – my apologies.

Cozy time

Well, the weather finally took a turn and it really feels like fall. Pete and I foolishly thought we could be proactive and tackle the backyard leaves in one evening. Boy were we wrong. The three trees in our backyard spewed oh… eight or so humongous leaf piles. We are required by the city to bag them up in these special compost bags that cost $10 for a roll of 10. Pretty good deal, right? WRONG. It looks like we’re going to need at least 45-50 bags to just get the backyard done. That, and lots more time. Not quite sure how we’re going to get it all done before well, you know… the s – n – o – w flies. (Just for reference, you can’t say it out loud. Or type it in full. It’s bad luck in MN).

Despite the leafy and semi-rainy setbacks this week, this fall weather sure is pretty. My drives to work each morning are so peaceful and colorful. Just look at our tree in the front yard:

And in typical cat fashion, Leo is spending his days watching the leaves fall and desperately trying to go outside to play in them. The little bugger and I are cuddling a lot lately, too. Some really crummy and confusing health things popped up for me recently, and I’ve been needing lots of lovin’ to help me get through the rounds of doctors visits and annoying non-answers I’ve been getting. Just trying to be patient (har har, patient?) and ride out the complicated healthcare system’s ups and downs.

These last couple of weeks I’ve also been trying to stay on top of my home life, because with all of the health, work, and volunteering craziness, it’s still so helpful to come home to a clean house, stocked fridge, and cozy atmosphere. A glass of wine, a few episodes of 30 Rock, and a half-dozen pink roses don’t hurt, either.  And although I haven’t been experiencing fall in the typical apple-orchard-hay-ride-pumpkin-carving sense, relaxing at home with hot drinks and cozy blankets feels really, really good right now.

i’m alive!


I’m alive. I swear. And I apologize for my hiatus. I thought that doing a fun sponsor spot would help kick my butt in gear for keeping up with content. But apparently life decided to get in the way in the form of working a lot of night events, joining a marketing committee, joining a gym, and trying to be healthy. And when two days of not blogging turned into five, turned into a week, turned into two weeks… well, I just started lacking motivation and generally fearing my blog. Weird, right?

But then my family found my page and that turned into poking and prodding for more content. (Side note: I sheepishly withheld the fact that I was writing a blog from my family. Why? I don’t really know. Mostly felt a little embarrassed. But it turns out that they really like it! Yay! Hi family! They subscribe now – how cute!)

They found out about my little corner of the internet through my younger sister’s blog. She just left the US about a week ago to spend a year teaching English in France. She asked me to update her travel journal/blog template, so I did. You can see her banner image I designed below. I’m so excited for my sis – she’s moving into her new French apartment this weekend and visiting the ocean with her French boyfriend! Sounds like she’s settling in well! Bonjour, Sissy!

Well, despite the regular time commitments of life, I HAVE been finding some pretty great thrifty deals! My local Goodwill has been OUT OF CONTROL with good finds! I’ll be sure to post more about those in the coming days (I promise)! I’ve also had a chance to hang up more pictures and art in our new place. It’s looking so cute and oh-so-kitschy: just the way I like it!

Anyway, I’ll do my best to stay on track from here on out. More updates, more thrifty good deals, recipes, and all around more Meg (and Leo, who says hi).

Thanks for sticking with me!
And hi to all of my new readers!

*Also, regarding my picture. Don’t worry, I DO have all of my fingers. I just don’t know how to pose. My boyfriend brought home a fancy camera from work, so we had a little photoshoot. That’s all!