Caught in the act

As it turns out, Luke is not the only one in the household who's a fan of Ryobi power tools.

Is this the face of guilt, or what?

She didn't feel guilty for long...

Luke wasn't around when this happened, or he would have shoo'ed her out immediately while grumbling about cat hair. I, however, was quick to grab the camera instead. :) As far as I'm concerned, this is what he gets for leaving his tools around the house, no?

Phoebe's Perspective

Hi there. I'm Phoebe, Amanda and Luke's only fur-child. I thought you might like to take a break from all this "home improvement" nonsense and get to know a little more about me. Because let's face it, I'm the one who really runs the show around here.

Random Facts:

At night, I occasionally get a crazy look in my eyes and begin darting back and forth across the house at full speed. This is my last attempt to get them to pay attention to me and play with me once more before going to bed.

I love to curl up on laps and feet, and nestle into the nook of elbows and knees. Really, anywhere that will render movement impossible for my owners. I especially like to do it to Luke, because he pretends to be so annoyed by it.

 

This is my absolute favorite spot in the house. Amanda calls it the Couch Crater.

 

Amanda bought this Christmas ornament just because she thought it beared a striking resemblance to me. I have to agree. 
 

I like to be around my owners. They've tried keeping me out of the bedroom at night so that I won't lay on the comforter. In such cases, I meow incessantly until they let me in.

Every once in awhile I like to stop and smell the roses.
 

I am sometimes more dog-like than cat-like in the way that I follow my owners around. I like to be in the middle of everything, although I still try to act nonchalant about it.

I sometimes curl up into a ball and cover my eyes when I'm trying to sleep.

 

I have made it very clear that I do not like other cats. Although I prefer being an only child, I'd much rather tolerate a dog than another cat if given the choice.

As much as I love laying on the couch, I also loves me a good plastic bag.

I shed like crazy.

I enjoy basking in the sunlight.


I really like the hole in the wall that Amanda and Luke made just for me.


Amanda takes way too many pictures of me, but who can blame her? I mean, just look at me!

 

Enough about me for now. You people can only handle so much cuteness in one sitting.

That's a Wrap

Hi. My name is Amanda, and I'm addicted to wrapping gifts.

Ok, I feel better now.

I just finished wrapping my first few Christmas gifts and I am very excited about it! I like wrapping other people's gifts almost more than I like opening my own. There's something about the idea of transforming a plain box into a thing of beauty. The paper, the ribbon... It's like a work of art. I've even been guilty of wrapping empty boxes just to put under the tree.

Anyway, here's a look. I used some iridescent craft ribbon I already had on hand to tie a couple of pretty bows. Simple enough. But then I glammed them up by adding a dangly "charm" in the form of a mini, mega-sparkly star ornament from Crate & Barrel. I think I may wince in silent pain just a little when it comes time for the recipients to tear their gift open.

I can't help but give a little sigh of satisfaction every time I look under the tree. These little packages are so purty, I thought they each deserved their own glamour shot. (Sorry the pics are a little washed out... my camera sucks.)

I love how the ornaments add a little extra embellishment, but also double as another mini-gift. And if it's sparkly, that's even better in my book. There are so many cute ornaments out there, it's such an easy (and inexpensive) way to add some personality to each present. I also really like these colorful light bulbs from Crate & Barrel (just under $1 each!), which would make perfect gift charms, too.

And just for fun, here's another picture of the presents... with our cat Phoebe peeking out from behind them. One of her favorite places to lounge during the holidays is under the tree, especially when there are presents to hide behind! I'm sure this will be the first of many Phoebe-sightings on my blog. 

Wrapping gifts: do you love it or hate it? How do you accessorize them? And most importantly, am I a total dork for being more excited about what's on the outside than on the inside?