Caturday + Garlic in My Socks

Well, it's nearly 1 o'clock, so it's a little degenerate to say good morning. So hey -- happy Saturday! Gratuitous cat & boyfriend picture aside, I hope you're all out there having a great weekend. I've been fighting a terribleawfulnasty cold + fever the majority of the week, but I'm feeling pretty ok now. While I was more or less incapacitated, I took some over the counter meds to combat the shittiness, but also dabbled with a few all-natural remedies.

Turns out that I didn't have many of the ingredients needed for the homeopathic recipes I found online (apple cider vinegar, grapefruit seed oil...), and I wasn't about to venture out of the house. But, I did have garlic. Sweet, glorious garlic. You guys, it's amazing for chest congestion via, wait for it ---- your feet.

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I know it sounds insane, but it's honestly miraculous. I did it twice, thinking the first time might have been a fluke. It wasn't. It works.

Here's what you need to try it out for yourself:
garlic | olive oil | plastic wrap | socks

Here's what you do:
1. Crush a clove of garlic under a knife, then let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Put it in a little bowl & add enough olive oil to cover it up.
3. Wait a half hour or more, then slather the oil on the bottom of your feet.
4. Wrap your feet up in plastic wrap & throw on your socks.
5. Sleep, or don't, but try to leave the oil on your feet for at least 5 hours. The longer the better.

Within a few hours your breath you will stink of garlic, but the tightness/congestion in your chest should be gone. I kid you not. It's wild, and I highly recommend that you try it out.

Do you have any favorite all natural remedies for what ails?

Zombie Halloween

I knew Halloween was going to come and go without much fanfare this year. Most parties took place on Saturday while I was at a fabulous wedding, so I put no thought into a costume. Hurricane Sandy came and all hell broke loose in New York. When she passed, we were left thankfullyluckilyblessedly unscathed but somewhat apartment bound for a few days. Late Wednesday night I coaxed E into some pictures with me. It's amazing what difference some concealer and dark eye shadow can make. I lit a few candles for the mood & our post-Sandy-low-key-Halloween-kitty-eating-zombie photoshoot ensued.

It's been very weird around here since the storm. I've been personally unaffected, and the same goes for my parents a few miles away. E's been home from work all week because the power's out at his office in the city. I'm not sure how we got off so lucky. So many others have been so horrifically devastated. I'm glad to have a bunch of clothes to donate (it's been a purging week or two around here). I can't stop watching the news or checking updates to see what's going on. However, if I read another facebook status from someone complaining about their lack of electricity or gas I might just scream. Be thankful for a roof, assholes.

In other news: I'm still working hard on the rebrand project.. chug chug chugging along...

Happy Birthday Trey!!

Ten months ago today, we picked up our allegedly 8 week old, itty bitty, lynx point Siamese kitten from the humane society. That means it's Trey Cat's very first birthday!! As a first time cat mama & papa, other than a few stressful sick spells - E & I couldn't have asked for a better, more playful, cuddly, puppy-like, tolerant little dude. (Although, he's starting to loathe the camera.)

I know that he doesn't have much more transformation to go in terms of his look, but it's been a blast watching him mature over the past year. I can't even believe how tiny and white and unstripey he used to be! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN :)

It's time for us to head out to north Jersey for Kaity's birthday dinner, I hope you're all enjoying your Sundays! I'll be back tomorrow with a peak at our hiking adventures in Sam's Point over the past month. What's been going on by you this weekend? Can you believe it's almost August?

Basil Garden

I've been growing this basil for about a month. I'd previously had some mint, but couldn't imagine using it much - and therefore, didn't really give a shit if it grew or not. I gave the mint to mom and we picked up some basil for me on our mother's day farm stand trip. It's coming along.. slowly, and surely. BUT I need a whole cup of basil for my absolute favorite summer dish. 

Even Trey looks bored with waiting.

tick  tock,  tick  tock

how does your garden grow?

with basil... and basil...

but it feels like it's going so slow.

Kitty in Motion

Interwebs, meet Trey. Trey, interwebs (though he should be very familiar from his propensity for lounging on my keyboard). I'm mildly addicted to creating moving pictures of this guy.

I've had my camera set to continuous shooting for a few months, making it so easy to intentionally, or unintentionally get some of the cutest action. Sometimes I only get two or three that work together and make a gif. Other times I take so many that I have to create mini-timelapse videos (naturally including quirky little soundtracks).

Here's a little "best of" what I've managed to capture in the past few months:

1. lounging in the kitchen

2. an introduction to cacti and succulents

3. a third of the most epic bath i've ever seen (following the removal of an Elizabethan collar)

4. snuggling with dad

Check back for a more in depth Trey post, soon!

TGIF!