Card-Carrying Cat Lady News

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEELY AND FIONA!
Best wishes to birthday girls Fiona and Keely! These sensational sisters are celebrating their very first birthday today! Their Cat Lady Alison (No. 333) has big plans to commemorate the day--I hope I get go see photos! Here is the original post about Cat Lady No. 333 and the girls: Sisterly Love



It's easy to join the Card-Carrying Crazy Cat Lady Club! The membership kit includes a personalized I.D. Card, a members-only pinback button, Club Guidelines, and Club Creed. Gift memberships may also be purchased--just provide name, city, and hair color of the recipient. ABOUT THE CCCCLC

Attention Cat Ladies and Lads! Do you have any news or stories to share? Send them to art@undertheoaks.net with "365 Cat Lady News" in the subject line.


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A Birthday Surprise!

There is nothing more fun than being in on a Top Secret Birthday Surprise, so I was VERY excited when Skeezix the Cat and his Food Lady asked me to create a portrait of Daisy the Curly Cat for her birthday! Daisy is a famous and talented cat who writes one of the most popular blogs in the entire Pet Blogosphere. She is an adorable dilute calico Devon Rex cat who has the most stylish and extensive wardrobe of any cat I've ever seen, and she loves pink! Daisy has beautiful curly whiskers, and she shares her home and adventures with the handsome rascalcat Harley who occasionally engages in a bit of sibling rivalry...

It was very hard to decide which of Daisy's beautiful outfits to use for the portrait, but Skeezix and the Food Lady narrowed it down to three. I went with the Pink Lady outfit because that poodle skirt is just so darn cute!

Yesterday was Daisy's birthday and you can read all about what she thought of her surprise here: The Best Present, Ever. You can also see a photo of Daisy actually wearing the poodle skirt! I am SO honored that the Food Lady and Skeezix chose me to make this special gift, and SO delighted that Daisy and her Mommeh liked it! (Get well soon, Food Lady!)

Thanks for visiting!

Cat Lady No. 349...A Thing or Two About Gifts

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. ~Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

The only gift is a portion of thyself. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons. ~Ruth Ann Schabacker

We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers. ~Seneca

If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give. ~George MacDonald

An empty gift box--the ultimate gift filled with adventure and contentment that keeps on giving -Ernie the Cat

Thanks for visiting!

Cat Lady No. 343...The Perfect Bow

Cat Lady Alicia takes great pride in her bow-making skills. Whether it be a pompom bow, a florist bow, starburst bow, or single-ribbon loop bow, her bows are always picture perfect.

Feline friend Harold takes great pride in his bow-deconstruction skills. Best done in the dark, when the bow-maker is nowhere to be seen, bow deconstruction can take 60 seconds or less using Harold's special technique involving both claws and teeth...

Test your own bow-making skills using the simple instructions for four different bows at this link: Bow How-To. Just be sure not to leave your bows alone in the dark...

Cat Lady No. 342...Wrapping It Up

Cat Lady Shannon is always looking for creative and earth-friendly ways to wrap gifts. Wrap Art by artist John Boak is one of her favorite resources for great ideas using scraps of paper and found objects from around your house.

Newly adopted cat Aretha cannot resist the lure of paper scraps, ribbons, and an empty box and is always at the ready to help where she can. She considers herself to be the ultimate "found object"!

To kick-start your inner creative wrapper, visit this link: Wrap Art


Have you entered the 365 Cat Ladies Giveaway for December yet?
Click on this link to find out how you can win one of these three prizes. Contest ends Sunday night.

Tote Bag

Mini Poster Porcelain Ornament

Cat Lady No. 328...Don't Crowd Me

Cat Lady Lara and tuxedo cat Tindra both experience enochlophobia, which is the fear of crowds.

That's why Lara has been quite content to pass up all of the mall madness and do her shopping this weekend from the comfort of her armchair. Tindra has been delighted to help out from the vantage point of a very uncrowded lap in a blissful one-cat household.

If you should become disoriented, frightened, or overwhelmed in a crowd, Tindra has a tried-and-true solution: go to your nearest empty box and sit in it awhile. Serenity and inner peace will prevail.

Enjoy!

Give the gift of original art without breaking the bank! This ACEO watercolor illustration has just been listed for sale in my Etsy shop:
Cat Lover No. 76 Original Art

Cat Lady No. 317...In Training

Cat Lady Joni is a crazy-cat-lady-in-training-- she just adopted her very first cat, Precious, and is already both enchanted and enslaved by her new furry friend.

Joni has been carefully studying the comments in the 365 Cat Ladies Giveaway for November, and was particularly interested in Cat Lady Karen's CCL qualifications:

[editor's note: Karen forgot to mention a rather important one--she is author of The Cat's Meow, which is Catster.com's official cats and kittens blog]
-I lie about how many cats I have and never include Garage Cat in the tally.
-I'm crazy.
-I'm rarely more than an arm's length from a purring ball of fur.
-I do not go to animal shelters because I would come home with another half dozen cats.
-I don't go on vacation because my Siamese suffers from severe separation anxiety.
-All of my cats (except the aforementioned Garage Cat) have their own blogs.
-I dress up my cats in cute outfits and photograph them.
-No kids. And I was a spinster for 46 years.
-I have conversations with my cats.

Joni is looking forward to shopping for an all-new winter wardrobe for Precious and helping her pick out a name for her new blog. Joni is not so crazy about the spinster idea, but if that's what it takes to find someone called "Mr. Tasty Face", it might be worth the wait...

Thanks for visiting!

Give the gift of original art without breaking the bank! This ACEO watercolor illustration has just been listed for sale in my Etsy shop:
Cat in a Box Miniature Watercolor

Cat Lady No. 313...A November Giveaway

Cat Lady Clarice and assistant Bojangles would like to announce the 365 Cat Ladies Giveaway for November.

To enter, vote in the Very Scientific Poll "How Many Cats Does It Take to Make You a CRAZY Cat Lady?" in the right-hand column, then leave a comment at the end of this post stating your qualifications as a CCL.

Giveaway ends at 7 p.m. PST on November 22 when one name will be drawn at random. Winner will receive their choice of one of these jumbo Cat Lady tote bags from my Cafepress online shop.

Note: Please make sure you include contact information in case you are the lucky winner, such as a link to your blog or e-mail address, or contact me directly at my e-mail with your info...

Also, if you encounter trouble with the Comments feature, you may send your entry by e-mail by clicking "view my complete profile" at the end of "About Me" where you will find an e-mail link...

Thanks for participating!

Cat Lady No. 312...Art History Lesson

Cat Lady Constance loves her work as an art history professor and also has a weakness for orange ginger cats, like her friends Rusty and Paprika.

So it is no surprise that one of her very favorite paintings is "Woman With Cat" by impressionist painter Lilla Cabot Perry (1848-1933).

To take a peek at this beautiful painting, and to learn more about the artist, visit The Pet Museum website and enjoy the article Orange Cat, Left Shoulder.

Thanks for visiting!




Remember your old scouting canteen? Well, it's all grown up now! These beautifully designed SIGG water bottles are earth-friendly...just re-fill with filtered water and you will never throw away another plastic water bottle!! Now available at: www.cafepress.com/susanfaye

Cat Lady No. 309...Kitty Kindness

Cat Lady Laurie knows about the health benefits of kindness first-hand. Each week she and Miss Mildred visit the convalescent hospital nearby where the residents enjoy petting and visiting with such a soft and purring cat.

According to www.Care2.com, numerous scientific studies show that acts of kindness result in significant health benefits, both physical and mental. "Helping can enhance our feelings of joyfulness, emotional resilience, and vigor, and can reduce the unhealthy sense of isolation".

Tomorrow is World Kindness Day--an excellent opportunity to engage in kitty kindness!!

Enjoy!


Another creation by Etsy crafter ElleJays featuring one of my quilt blocks! You'll find this mini quilt wall hanging just listed for sale in her Etsy shop

The individual fabric squares are for sale in my Susan Faye Etsy Shop

Cat Lady No. 307...Happy Birthday Scorpios!

It's birthday time for Bixby Boy. He was born under the sign of Scorpio, which makes him a bit of a Lone Ranger of a feline. Cat Lady Lorinda doesn't mind his independent streak because underneath all of that fur and aloofness is a heart of gold, not to mention a real party animal!

To find out more about Scorpio cats, visit CatScopes at Catster.com.

Thanks for visiting!

Cat Lady No. 275...Happy Birthmonth, Libras!

There comes a time in every Cat Lady's life when she becomes too old to get carded, and too young to take advantage of the senior discount at the all-you-can-eat buffet.

That is precisely why Libra Cat Lady Caroline has decided to give up celebrating birthDAYS in favor of celebrating birthMONTHS, with the help of her purrfectly balanced pair of party animals, Bob and Barry.

The month was kicked off with luncheons with various friends, a barbeque, and a day at the spa. Festivities will continue with chocolate cake every Tuesday and the receiving of gifts every day from 3 until 7. Harmony and balance are important to Libras, so the singing of "Happy Birthmonth To You" is entirely optional, unless you have perfect pitch.

If your cat is in middle-age, you may want to consider celebrating its birthmonth with a catnip-toy-a-day theme. Is your cat a Libra? Click these links to check out its profile and its horoscope.

Thanks for visiting!

Cat Lady No. 256...Party Animal Turns Five

Skeezix the Cat was just three months old when Cat Lady Karen (aka Food Lady) brought him home as a surprise for her Feline Fella Jeff (aka Mr. Tasty Face).

Skeezix, who was almost hairless and often cold, began wearing sweaters with the help of the Food Lady. His penchant for pink and the Food Lady's love of photography soon made Skeezix a famous feline fashionista of the cat world.

Food Lady is a wildly talented writer, photographer and artist, and in no time at all her young apprentice showed great promise at the computer. Skeezix began helping the Food Lady write The Cat's Meow-- Catster's blog for cats and kittens, AND writing his very own blog: Skeezix's Scratching Post.

So it is with great love and adoration that the Food Lady and Mr. Tasty Face join with great friends like Shabby and Katie Tulip and angel Kalin in wishing Skeezix the Very Happiest of Birthdays!



Congratulations to Cat Lady Danielle,who also just happens to be Cat Lady No. 122! Her name was drawn at random and she is the winner of the September Giveaway No. 1. Thank you to everybody who participated!

Cat Lady No. 157...Bliss In A Box

Cat Lady Chandra is a Mathematics Professor and when she adopted Krayola Kitty she discovered a brand new equation:

Cat + Box= Blissful Contentment

Whenever she needs a smile, she visits one of a plethora of websites devoted to Cat Bliss In A Box. Here are a few samples:

http://catinabox.com/

http://www.catsinboxes.com/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/catsinboxes/

http://catinabox.org/blog/

Thanks for visiting!

Cat Lady No. 156...Tropical Birthday Wishes

Cat Lady Lucinda and feline friend Tig are ready to blow out the candles on Tig's birthday cake. This terrific tabby shares her birthday with painter Paul Gauguin, which may explain her passion for exotic tropical fish and post-impressionist artwork.

Tig's favorite painting by Gauguin is Mimi And Her Cat, a little study painted with gouache on cardboard in 1890.

As for her birthday wish, Tig is hoping for a 50 gallon salt-water aquarium, but may have to settle for a 3-pack of brightly colored catnip mice.

Thanks for visiting!


Ready to celebrate? Whether it's a birthday, holiday or other special occasion, you'll find Cat Lady cards, invitations, party favors, hostess aprons and more at my Cafepress shop:
Party Animals

Cat Lady No. 33...Happy Whistle Pig Day

Like any good Party Animals, Cat Lady Janelle and her sidekicks Dapper Dan and Dame Dora will kick up their heels and bask in confetti at the drop of a party hat.

Groundhog Day is just such an occasion. Dan and Dora have spruced up their tuxes, and Janelle has the confetti and noisemakers at the ready. Soon they will be decorating the Woodchuck Tree and singing Whistle Pig carols and sipping 'hognog.

The best part, though, is the exchanging of the Groundhog Day gifts. Dapper Dan and Dame Dora always ask the Great Groundhog for rodents under the tree, but usually get catnip toys instead. This year Janelle will be especially surprised with her gift... a little something that Dan and Dora caught just this morning...right before they saw their shadows!

A delightful selection of Party Animal giftware, including invitations, party favors, and t-shirts can be found at: www.cafepress.com/SusanFaye.

Thanks for visiting!

Cat Lady No. 19...Let's Party!

Cat Lady Darshana and feline friend Damini always enjoy a good birthday party, especially when it involves confetti and balloons.

Today the confetti is flying in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. As an American whose grandparents were immigrants from India, Darshana greatly admires the work of Dr. King. He reminds her of another great hero of hers: Mahatma Gandhi, who also was a man of great vision and inspiration. As Darshana tells Damini: "Both men believed in peaceful resistance to tyranny and were able to accomplish great things for humankind using this principle. In India this principle is called satyagraha, a word coined by Ghandi to mean truth-force or love-force or soul-force."

Damini appreciates the history lesson, but thinks it's time to break out the birthday cake and tuna. This party animal wants to party!

Send me your Cat Lady story: If I use excerpts of it in this blog, you will receive a free Susan Faye Cat Lady Refrigerator Magnet. Send to: art@undertheoaks.net with "Cat Lady" in the subject line.

Would you like a Custom Cat Lady Portrait? ...A one-of-a-kind and very affordable gift for any cat lover...For pricing and options, please visit my Etsy online gallery by clicking here: CUSTOM CAT LADIES

Thanks for visiting! I'd love to hear your feedback...

Cat Lady No. 1...Happy New Year!

CELEBRATE!
Cat Lady Juliette and her faithful feline companion Rupert Ripsnort have donned their finest party attire and now await the arrival of their honored guests. Due to Juliette's herbivore tendencies, attendees will dine on a selection of vegetarian delicacies...with the exception of appetizers featuring the finest tuna available, selected by Rupert, seafood connoisseur.

Bon Apetit and All the Best for a Happy and Fulfilling New Year!

Celebrate your finest day with tees, tote bags, magnets, mugs, and more all featuring these two party animals at www.CafePress.com/SusanFaye. You'll find great gift ideas for your favorite Party Guest, Birthday Girl, or Neighborhood Cat Lady!

Send me your Cat Lady story: If I use it in this blog, you will receive a free Susan Faye Cat Lady Refrigerator Magnet. Send a brief story and description of cat lady and cat to: art@undertheoaks.net with "Cat Lady" in the subject line.