Kitty Miracle

So maybe this isn't your typical miracle, but to me this story is as close as it gets.

The story begins one morning last July, when I was headed out my back door for a shopping errand. I was delayed by some adorable kittens in my backyard. I counted at least 5, including the mama. They were probably only 3 months old. I hung out for a while to see if I could get close to any. Not this time, but they'd be back.

Bran, Brave, and Mama one of the first times I saw them.

Throughout the summer I got to know all the cats - turns out there was a mama and 5 kittens. I started feeding them and they would often sleep on our covered porch, all 5 kittens snuggled up on one lawn chair. At first only mama would let us pet her, but by the end of our time together I could even pet the pipsqueak a little. We have an organization in Grand Rapids called Carol's Ferals, who supports the TNR effort (trap, neuter, return). I was able to have all 6 of my friends fixed before going on a 2 week vacation abroad. When we returned I was worried they wouldn't show up again, but after a few days there they were. This was around the time when they were letting me pet them and I was hoping I could find homes for my friends.

From left to right: Brave, Bran, Princess Pipsqueakers, Mu-Mu, and Grey.

September 17th, 2013 was the last time I saw 5 of the 6 cats. They straight up disappeared, and I was upset to say the least. I was so worried about what could have happened to them because they knew they had a steady meal at my house and had consistently been there each day. Brave came back a day later, alone and looking slightly bewildered. We brought him inside the house for a night to protect him and our friends adopted him the next day. I was happy that I had at least saved one.

Brave - my friends Brad and Kate adopted him (taken before his family disappeared).

Flash forward to this morning. I was scrolling through my facebook newsfeed and saw a story from Carol's Ferals about a new cat they have in the shelter named Decklan. I thought, "wow he looks so much like Bran," one of the kittens from last summer. So much so that I had to compare a photo I had taken to the ones posted on Carol's facebook. Turns out, if this isn't Bran then he has an identical twin - check out these photos!

This photo is one I took of Bran last summer after I got him neutered. Btw, I named him Bran as a Game of Thrones reference - I once startled him so much that he fell off of the porch (he was fine).

These photos are of Bran now, AKA Decklan. If you look at all his features, they are the same cat! Wow!

Isn't that a modern day miracle? I was so happy I almost teared up. What are the odds not only that he is alive, but that he ended up at the same shelter that I got him neutered through and I happened to see the post on facebook? Thinking for almost a year that this little guy probably didn't make it and now here he is. I still wonder where the other four are, but if Bran made it then maybe they are out there somewhere, too.

2013 In Review

You likely don't care about my year, especially since I gave up on blogging for the majority of it. Anyway, if I don't post it somewhere, I might never remember what I did in 2013, so with the help of my Outlook calendar and Instagram feed here it goes!

January
Stevie was still a relatively new addition to the family, and I enjoyed very much getting to know my little lovebug.

February
Not a whole lot happens in Michigan in the winter. Especially by February when we're all burned out. We did have a fun Valentine's Day bowling outing with friends!

March
Even though I didn't officially get hired until later this year, March was when I found out that I would be hired and I also helped begin Steelcase's first young professionals group. We started super grassroots, just organizing volunteer events and happy hours, and we took off from there. Now we even have a budget!

I also got to see the one and only Kate Nash perform for the first time. Best show I saw all year!

April
There was a crazy flood in Grand Rapids! According to my twitter, it also snowed. Ugh. I almost forgot how short this summer was.

May
I got to attend TEDxGrandRapids! It was such a great event!

I finally was hired at my first 'real' / 'big girl' job at Steelcase in Grand Rapids. I love everything about it - from the culture, to my role in social media, to being a mobile worker. Getting this position also allowed me to really de-stress about money, which feels so, so good!

Right before I began working at Steelcase, Andrew and I visited our friends Ricardo and Kathryn in Palo Alto and also my cousin in San Francisco. We got to go north of SF one of the days and saw some real beauty in California. Andrew and I spent our last day in Napa, which was gorgeous!

June
I helped plant three trees with the United Way for Filler' Up Fuller. It felt so good!

I also hit the streets for Festival of the Arts in Grand Rapids. I was on the PR team, and we launched an Instagram contest. It was a ton of fun!

I also got to see Hillary Clinton speak and Lord Huron play a show in the same night.

July
Andrew's sister got engaged. Her wedding is in about 2 months! I also had a great 4th of July, visiting my Grandma and shopping at the nearby outlet mall. I apparently was pretty engrossed in Pretty Little Liars in the month of July as well. Lastly, I won tickets to see Rodrigo y Gabriela!

August
I went on an amazing vacation in Turkey and Greece with Andrew and his family! I can't believe I didn't take a break from not-blogging to blog about it! I will have to soon.

September
I was able to find one of the stray kitties (Brave, below) a home with friends. They love having him so much! The other five kitties disappeared a couple days after my birthday and I haven't seen them since.

I turned 25. Two weeks later I rented my first car when I took a business trip to Alabama. Booyah!

October
Andrew and I attended our third annual Alpaca Fest.

I got to attend JiveWorld in Las Vegas. It was my first time seeing the city, which I liked better than I thought I would! Plus, the first snow in Michigan fell and melted while I was away, so that was a bonus.

November
I won an iPad mini from the conference I attended in October for participating in their gamification series. So awesome! Thanks, Jive!

Also, Kate Nash followed me on Twitter!

December
I received my first pair of boots that fit over my calf. Although snug, I am so happy they zip up all the way! I also got to visit my Grandma and my Grandpa and spend a week at home with my family and my cats. A very nice December!

Helping Kitties through TNR

I've made a few furry friends lately that have caused me to feel so many different feelings. The six little guys below are living around my house, so being the cat lover that I am, obviously I had to help. I can't find anyone to adopt, all the no-kill shelters are full, and I refuse to take them somewhere that will euthanize them. I decided instead to go the TNR route through a local organization called Carol's Ferals, who's aim is to end feline over-population. TNR = trap neuter return, so that means getting these babies fixed and then setting them free again. 

So to make a long story short, I've taken in two so far to be fixed - the white mama, and one of the black and white ones that we named Bran. I just picked them up tonight, and Bran seemed just fine but Mama had some scratches under her eyes and her face was puffy. I also agreed to have their ears 'tipped' - the top tip of their left ear is clipped off to show that they've been fixed. This stuff isn't easy! I also felt guilty that she was away from the rest of her babies for a couple of days. Everyone is reunited tonight, though, and I'm going to try and get the other four in before we leave for our Turkey and Greece vacation. 

Have you ever done anything like this? I hope the kitties know that I'm just trying to help! Anyway, if you want to help out, I set up a fundraiser here. Even a dollar helps, friends!

Beautiful mama!

Brave, Bran, Pipsqueakers, Moomoo, and Grey

Bran, Brave, and Mama

Brave:3

Currently

Since I have let myself go without blogging for so long, I need a prompt. Currently...

Watching
Game of Thrones season 3 has two episodes left. I read ahead and finished the corresponding book. I've been stressing about how they will fit everything into this season, when I found out they are not covering the whole book this season. Who will die?!?!?
Also, Arrested Development season 4 is happening this Sunday. I am so excited! We are also having a couple fun things like frozen bananas and catering by ICE. Are you doing anything for the big day?

Listening to
Not enough. NPR, Kate Nash's newest album, and random stuff on Spotify. Music suggestions? Send them my way!

Planning
Our trip to Turkey and Greece in late summer. We bought the plane tickets a while ago and haven't done much else. Now it's time to start booking a boat, a villa, etc. It's getting kind of expensive, but otherwise I'm excited!

Thinking about
Lots of things. I just started a new job, got some good news from the doctor, and had a fun trip to San Francisco and Napa. But I'm a worrier as well, so I always have something on my mind. I'm so happy that it's finally warm outside and that my allergies are finally letting up!
Oh, and I'm thinking about those in Oklahoma. That's scary stuff.

Looking forward to
My first paycheck from my first "real job."
Also, this weekend! We are celebrating Memorial Day with friends and also watching Arrested Development. If it's warm enough, I think we'll head to the beach as well.

Reading
Well, I finally finished the third Game of Thrones book, and then I whipped right through Lean In, which I highly recommend. Now I'm working on re-reading our book club book (my pick!), The Lords of Discipline, and a couple other books like Change by Design and Quiet.

Making me happy
Watching my cat Stevie sleep right now. He's all sprawled out on his back like this:

Goodnight!

As of Late: Instagram

I haven't posted much at all lately! Besides being busy, which I really have been, can you believe all the flooding we've been having and on top of that it's not even been warm - it snowed three mornings ago! The forecast finally looks like winter might be behind us though, so I'm eager for sun and inspiration. In the meantime, here's what I've been up to.

The sun's been coming up earlier and the birds are singing songs again. Stevie is enthralled by them and often tweets back.

Andrew and I finally tried out Two Beards Deli in downtown Grand Rapids. It was hard to choose what to get because they have several vegan and vegetarian choices! We'll be back again.

I made puppy chow! There have to be unhealthier ways to eat chocolate and peanut butter, I'd imagine.

Just another Stevie shot. He is such a sweetie.

Grand Rapids has a place called Marge's Donut Den. It is totally authentic and wonderful, and I realized I don't even live too far away from it! Marge was nice enough to donate her treats to a press conference I was a part of.

The press conference was for the 2013 Festival of the Arts poster unveiling! I am a volunteer on the PR team. Above is artist Abbey Bradley with her design. I also found out that she is going to TEDx, as am I! Cannot wait for that.

And here is my baby girl Ellie, who is not such a baby anymore. She has been a little cranky this weekend, but last night she looooved playing with her feather. ^.^

Follow me on Instagram!

My Giveaway Prize Arrived!

I recently won a fun "winter essentials" giveaway from Hey Miss Pickle, and my prizes arrived yesterday!!! (I actually have an additional prize too, a credit to Stranger Bird Vintage, so I'm waiting for the perfect piece to pop up in her shop). Anyway - here's what I received!

The contents were neatly contained in this lovely mesh bag from lolobag. This bag is super fun!

This is the loot! I'm excited to try the Nivea lip moisturizer! My lips are very picky and I currently use carmex, which is just stinky.

Stevie was very interested.

Hey Miss Pickle's adorable little zines! These are so cool and creative. Thanks for sharing: )

A pretty nail polish, some lovely bracelets, and two hair clips as well!

A brooch that was made out of recycled paper! Sustainability!

Here is the necklace from IndigoBean! (Sorry about the spit stains on the mirror). I love it! Thank you!

Thanks Miss Pickle! I LOVE everything! I'll let you know when I pick out my piece from Stranger Bird Vintage as well! Happy Hump Day!

Weekly Wrap-Up

I marvel at his sweetness everyday! We have had him for just over three months now!

Here are my favorite posts from the week:

Alice at Sweet Dreamer traveled to the U.S. and shared her first batch of photos from Disneyland! I loved scrolling through them and am overdue on a visit to L.A.!

♥Elycia recently shared that she is pregnant, and answered some questions about it on her 21-week mark. I have no interest in being pregnant anytime soon, if ever, but I love hearing about her experience! Congrats!

Wow, Katie of Chestnut Mocha posted the most gorgeous photos of spring in South Korea. I want to go there now!

Melissa from So About What I Said posted the results by gender of one college's survey. The subject - what's your favorite color? I can't believe so many people like blue!
Mmm, Jess from Vintage Pie really spoke to me with her post about Italian coffee terms like espresso and affogato. Coffee in Europe just tastes so much better!
Spring is definitely on my mind and way overdue around here, so I love this simple post from Sandra at 5 Inch and Up celebrating her spring favorites.
Finally, green tea donuts? They look amazing! Emma from A Beautiful Mess shared her recipe.

Best thing I ate this week:

All the sushi my belly could handle! Our friend Elise is moving to Hong Kong very soon for work and we had a going away party the other night. She supplied all sorts of treats, including lots of sushi that was amazing and wonderful. Thanks, Elise!

Favorite day of the week:

The day of the party, which was Saturday! Not only did I get lots of great sushi, I enjoyed some ginger ale and whiskeys, AND we played Just Dance 4 on the Wii U. If you haven't played, make a friend with someone who has it because it's so much fun! (And a great workout).

Best purchase of the week:

We bought our tickets to Istanbul this week! We are going at the end of the summer. Now that we all have our tickets, we'll start to plan. Many updates to come!

Something I learned this week:

That my job prospects are looking really good! I think I'm really close to my first full-time salaried position, which is awesome! I feel like I graduated so long ago, so I'm really happy to finally be this close!

Happy Monday. What does your week have in store?

Weekly Wrap-Up

I have felt a little uninspired and a lot busy this past week! I plaaaaan on updating more next week. Today is the last day to enter the sweater clip giveaway from my friend Kat! Good luck!

Stevie and me (he doesn't really like to be picked up, but we love each other)!

Here are my favorite posts from the week:

Kanelstrand had a great guest post from Vivid Please about DIY constellation cards! Such a neat idea for Valentine's Day!
I just love the concept of The Little Brown Book - Ella reviews great places in London in her handwritten brown book and shares her experience on her blog. It's a really beautiful result! Her latest post is about a place called The Riding House Cafe.
Anna-Rosa has another gorgeous blog that I drool over, especially with her post about homemade chocolate-peanut butter cups! Yum!!
Um, Moorea Seal has some absolutely gorgeous amethyst rings in her etsy shop that she shared in her blog, I wish I was that talented!
Not only is Shell's (from Kitty and Buck) backdrop and entire outfit theme amazing here, but the red bow in her hair is beyond rad.
I love when other bloggers share (which is partly why I started sharing), and Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard did a nice post highlighting some great Etsy and Storenvy shops. Simple and sweet!


Best thing I ate this week:
Truffle Fries, in particular, the ones from The Green Well

Favorite day of the week:
Wednesday actually ended up being really great. A friend handmade us ravioli, which was amazing, and we all drank too much wine for a Wednesday.

Best purchase of the week:
Kate Spade had a super secret sale on Monday and I finally bought myself a bag! And then it came like two days later. Pictures soon: )

Most useful thing I learned this week:
How to remove borders from the pictures on my blog! That was realllllly annoying me!


Hope you found a new great blog to follow! I'd love to hear your favorite bloggers in the comments, or yours; )!

Happy Hump Day!

So, is the weather as crazy where you are as it is here? It was t-shirt weather here yesterday! (When you live in a cold place and then it's 55 degrees, you feel like it's appropriate for summer clothes). Anyway, supposedly the big freeze is coming tonight, so I hope I can make it into work tomorrow morning.

I'm super glad the week is more than half over, and I'm enjoying a night to myself while Andrew is at class. First I played with Stevie, then I did some dishes, and now I am updating the blog while drinking a Blue Moon. Exciting, huh?! Since I don't have much to say, here's a couple instas!

It's black coffee, if you were curious. Verona, if you're a Starbucks connoisseur!

Portrait of my main man

While we were listening to the story on the Nightly News regarding cats killing birds. "Who, me?!"

Enjoy your evening! P.S. - if you like the Strokes, visit this link to get a free download of their new song "One Way Trigger"! It's suuuuuper catchy! Let me know what you think: )

Friday Feline // Meet Stevie!

It's pretty crazy I haven't done a proper post about our little bundle of love sooner, but I want to formally introduce you all to our new cat, Stevie. We got him at the beginning of December from a shelter called Crash's Landing in Grand Rapids. He wasn't our original pick, but every time I went to the shelter, Steve Purry would just be lounging around somewhere, calm, cool, and collected. Andrew and I just loved how mellow and handsome he was, so we took him home. He is such a good boy, and suuuuuper soft, and very friendly. Here are some photos!

Don't you just love his little white paws? ^.^

He loves to do the Kate Winslet "paint me, Jack" Titanic pose; )

: ) I just love him so much! And you can look forward to lots more adorable photos in the future!

Happy Hump Day!

I don't have time to do a proper update before work, so good morning from Stevie and my owl slippers! More on Stevie this Friday, stay tuned! ^.^