farewell cupcake

Today, I sent my beloved childhood pet to the big litter box in the sky. I've loved her for 16 years and she's lived a full and pampered life. It was difficult to make the decision to let her go, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

When I hugged her goodbye at vet's office, she wasn't afraid. She relaxed in my arms and purred - she's never done that at the vet before. At that moment, I knew she was ready.

So farewell, Cupcake. I'll always love you!

guemes island

I went on an adventure to hang out with Caitlin, Sara, and Ana on Guemes Island this weekend. It's a tiny island off the shore of Anacortes. We stayed at an interesting artist's studio right next to the little cemetery. Here are some photos of our explorations.

three great covers

Recently, I've been obsessing over covers. Over the last few months, I've come across a few that stand up as equals with the originals, and the originals are really wonderful. So check them out!

First up, Going Up The Country. The original by Canned Heat is a twangy acoustic blues-rock piece. Imagine yourself sitting out on the porch with a cold beer while you listen to this one. The cover by Kitty, Daisy and Lewis is fantastic departure, in a '50s Hawaiian-rockabilly style. Tap your toes and start dancin!
Canned Heat - Going up the Country
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Going up the Country


Next is My Girls, or in the case of the cover, My Boys. The original by Animal Collective is a stunningly beautiful experimental indie rock ballad. Its serene, peaceful, and inspiring to listen to. The cover is performed by Swedish indie artist Taken By Trees, in a bouncy folk style. Sweet, lively, and just plain happy.
Animal Collective - My Girls
Taken By Trees - My Boys

Finally, one of my favorite songs of all time, Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Tears for Fears' original version is a piece of 80's synth rock perfection. It's the epitome of the genre. The cover by Clare and the Reasons is a cheeky orchestral indie-folk delight. This live performance for Daytrotter is honest and lovely.
Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Clare and the Reasons - Everybody Wants to Rule the World

I hope you envoy all 6 of these songs as much as I do. Happy listening!

PS - If you love them, go buy them! Support the artists, y'all.

kittens

A few months ago, word spread around the office that there were kittens in our warehouse. I set out to investigate. Turns out, there were 3 baby kitties and their mama. We trapped the babies old school style under a laundry basket with a stick and string. They came home with my sister and I, and soon became cuddly little house cats.

Catching their mama required a borrowed trap from the Humane Society. We got her fixed, vaccinated, and released her back into her warehouse home to continue killing mice. We give her extra food and water too, just to make sure she sticks around.

The kittens are doing very well as house cats:

Charlie here is the only one still around. He's inquisitive, rambunctious, and loves Christmas wreaths. We might end up keeping this little ball of energy.

Eddie was recently adopted by my buddy Dane. Eddie is sensitive, reserved, and loves watching computer screens.

Georgie was the most difficult to tame, but turned out to be the most cuddly of the bunch. She was adopted by a friend's mom, Carol, and she looooves her new mommy.

new home

The months before graduation were so hectic and stressful, there were a few times that I almost threw in the towel out of shear exhaustion. With a some much appreciated support from a few close friends, I made it through to the other side, dazed, confused, but with degree in hand! Needless to say, I needed a little time off to let my brain heal.

I decided to move back into my parents house so I could save some money and plan for the next stage in my life. Unfortunately, putting my adult life on hold wasn't exactly smooth sailing. Most of the pit falls were easy enough to patch up, but some of them are much harder to come to terms with. Maybe these things were all meant to be. Then again, maybe the answers are waiting just ahead. Only time will tell.

As planned, with the new year came a new living arrangement. Despite my yearning to live somewhere like Seattle or San Francisco, I actually really love my job here in Tacoma, so I decided to stick around for a while longer. My sister and I are now sharing a super cute vintage apartment in the heart of downtown Tacoma. It's the first apartment that either of us have payed for completely on our own. Needless to say, we are very excited for this huge milestone!

Being self sufficient for the first time in an immensely wonderful feeling. Not that I didn't enjoy hanging around my parents house, because that certainly had it's perks; but it's incredibly uplifting to come home to a beautiful place that's truly my own.

So cheers to having a job, a roommate, and a home that I love!

Here are a few photos to help everyone get acquainted with my new place. Forgive the darkness, but daylight is hard to come by this time of year. Maybe I'll capture some this weekend.

here's our 1920's original kitchen, complete with ice box

the pink and turquoise bathroom, matching paisley shower curtain is a must!

the very intimate sitting area with its vintage love seats and Chinese tea tables

and my little boudoir. I haven't been able to hang my art yet since no store in town seems to carry hooks for picture molding. I had to order some from a catalog!