House & Bounty

February Link Ups

AI-Generated Images

My family is obsessed with AI-generated images like the ones above. The technology is fascinating, amazing, and hysterically bad at times. I generated these using the free website Craiyon. There are many other generators, all of which seem to vary in quality. While I get tremendous entertainment from these, it also brings up ethical questions that I’ve been trying to wrap my head around. It appears that the generator is taking parts of existing artwork/photos and mashing them together, and applying filters. I’m sure as this industry continues to grow and people begin applying them in commercial ways this will bring up interesting questions about ownership, creativity, and art in general.

Katie Kime really likes collars. Me too.

I am enjoying the Netflix show Ginny & Georgia. It has an early 2000’s WB vibe, which I find comforting.

January Link Up

Welcome back to my resurrected blog. After a long hiatus, but not as long as the time between Jack Ryan seasons, I decided to get the site up and running again. I’ve missed the creative outlet and can’t wait to share how things have changed over the last half year or so. I’m easing back in so I’m starting with something easy and fun – The Link Up. I hope you enjoy these tidbits of happiness.

1. Blue and white tiled building: I can’t stop looking at this gorgeous building in Porto, Portugal, via Studio Lolac. It feels like a dreamy dollhouse came to life. Swoon.

2. Pink and red dress: This may be the color pairing of 2023 for me. I used a pink and red pattern for our Christmas card background, and this dress perfectly fits my vibe. It’s also a shirt dress which increases my love of it 10 fold.

3. Spare: I know everyone is reading and talking about Prince Harry’s memoir–me included. I purchased the audiobook and sped through it over two days. Overall, I liked it, and would recommend it if rebellious but earnest princes are your thing.

4. Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street: This documentary shows how Bernie Madoff, the once-renowned and famous financier, built the biggest Ponzi scheme ($64.8 BILLION) and how he evaded the SEC (The Securities and Exchange Commission) for so long.

5. This Instagram post perfectly captured how I felt as a new mom waking every few hours to breastfeed while watching my husband happily sleep all night. We can laugh about it now. 🤣

May Link Up

Should I start a ceiling porn Instagram? If so, this may be the first image.

10 Stunning Greenhouse Conservatories Around the World. Get ready to drool.

I recently watched the Marilyn Monroe documentary on Netflix. Her life story is incredibly sad from start to finish. While the documentary provided a little peek into her life, I want to learn more. I’ll be searching for a good biography.

This rainbow frame makes me happy.

April Link Up

I just finished The Case Against Sugar. It is the most impactful book I’ve read in years. The book focuses on how the addition of large amounts of sugar to our diet has wreaked havoc on our bodies, but it also touches on the complicated relationship between science and industry. We like to think science operates only in cold hard facts. But, unfortunately, the reality seems a little different. I particularly liked the biochemistry of sugar metabolism (kudos to the author for making it easy to understand).

Want to re-establish trust after it’s been broken? This is how.

I binged several documentaries about fraud and con artists. The bottom line is that where there is money, there is fraud. I was shocked by the lengths people will go to accumulate large amounts of money and how quickly they spend it. It is bonkers. Here is a quick summary of the ones I watched: The Tinder Swindler, Bad Vegan, Made You Look.

My dream pool.

March Link Up

Dolly Parton did something great again – Dollywood employees will be eligible for free tuition.

It’s time to re-think pre-school. A recent study found poor long-term outcomes of low-income children that attended a public pre-school program. The results perplexed the researcher and challenged some of the traditional beliefs about PreK.

I’ll be making these Kids DIY Art Frames.

An odd but adorable little building.

February was a good month for television. I enjoyed Shonda Rhimes’ Netflix show Inventing Anna and HBO’s The Gilded Age.

February Link Up

Design Mom has the best newsletter. I spent hours reading all the materials she linked to in the January 7th edition. You can read it for free or sign up for a paid subscription (that’s what I did).

100 Tips for a Better Life: I enjoyed this list very much. Lots of truth in here!

Daniel Kanter of Manhattan Nest made a web video series about his friends and their houses in Kingston, NY. He’ll release one episode every Monday for four weeks (the first one drops on January 31st). I love the concept and can’t wait to watch it.

Are you stressed? I find these Olly Goodbye Stress Gummies really help when I feel overwhelmed.

Why Content Creators Are Mad At Apple: Nice food for thought.

The Best Curved Sofas

Curvy furniture is all the rage right now and it’s not always easy to find this modern style at big box stores. Luckily there are some great curved sofas available online at any budget and for any style. I found ones that are glam (#1,#3, #7), mid-century modern (#4-5), and even traditional (#8) styles. I’m not in the market for a sofa right now, but if I was, I would order #8. Although, #3 is very fun and would be a great pick for a contemporary house.

Best Curved Sofas
  1. Curved Blue Sofa with Gold Trim | $1,243.00
  2. Armless White Boucle Curved Sofa | $1,758.00
  3. Cognac Modern Round Curved Sofa | $1,525.00
  4. Pink Mid-Century Modern Sofa | $1,257.00
  5. Blue Velvet & Leggy Sofa | $1,295.00
  6. Gray Channeled Curved Sofa | $2,051.00
  7. X-Large White Curved Sofa with Metal Base | $3,599.00
  8. Traditional Curved Sofa | $3,007.20

Best Kitten Essentials For New Cat Owners

My family adopted two kittens from the local humane society over the winter break. The adoption process was pretty quick, but there was a surprising amount of paperwork. We joked it was like buying a car. We haven’t owned any major pets (no shade to our hamster Kevin) for almost a decade, so I had to do some research to find the best kitten essentials. I thought I would share this list for anyone else newly adopting cats.

Kitten Essentials: Litter Box

Kitten Essentials - Best Automatic Cat Litter Box

We splurged on an automatic litter box to make the transition to cat ownership as easy and simple as possible.  Cleaning and scooping poop and pee is probably the least fun thing about being a cat owner. 

This automatic one will alleviate all that unpleasantness. It’s expensive (around $200) and you need electricity,  but I find it 100% worth it.  The instructions do not recommend it for kittens under the age of 6 months, but we started using it right away with no issues. The kittens are always very interested in the raking when it starts and watches it intently.

The litter itself has a crystal-like structure and is very rarely dragged outside the litter box compared to other litters. The kittens were using a standard litter at the shelter but made the transition seamlessly.

To change the litter, you simply remove the bottom tray and replace it with a new one. These trays are disposable, so you never really need to “dump it.” Each tray is ~$19. For two cats, the manufacturer estimates one tray will last 10 – 15 days. A single cat can use one tray for 20 – 30 days. It’s a premium product but one that I find worth it.

As a side note, I will scoop out the poop from the compartment after 5-7 days if I smell it. I also put baking soda in the compartment, too.

Kitten Essentials: Kitten Food

Kitten Essentials - Best Kitten Food

After some research,  I bought Blue Buffalo Healthy Growth Chicken and Brown Rice kitten food.  I spoke to the representative at the pet store and they recommended this one.  It’s one of the best sellers and has healthy ingredients and key components for a balanced diet for growth and development.

The brand clerk also recommended starting the kittens on kibble. She explained that if you give them wet food first, they’ll refuse kibble in the future.

A couple of things to keep in mind when picking food. First, consider the ingredients.  The primary ingredient should be real food  (chicken,  seafood). In addition,  try to find out where the ingredients came from.  People usually recommend US-based products to ensure quality. 

We also picked up some treats. We bought the smallest bag of chicken and seafood flavors. The brand clerk explained that cats usually fall into two camps when it comes to flavor preferences: chicken or seafood. She made it sound like they rarely like both. For this reason, she suggested getting a broad range of flavors to see what your kitten likes best. We picked up a couple of flavors from the Temptations brand. Guess what? The kittens do not care about the flavor and will happily eat any treat.

Kitten Essentials: Food and Water Dish

Kitten Essentials - Stylish Food Dish

There are tons of choices for water and food dishes and lots of different things to consider. For example, you can think about materials, aesthetics, if you want it elevated or at a ground level. I picked out this faux wood double bowl with removable steel bowls.

I really liked this one for several reasons. First, the removable steel bowls are easy to clean and refill. In addition, since it’s a double, it’s less likely to get pushed all around the kitchen. It’s also slightly elevated. For now, the kittens love it. I bought each their own but they tend to eat/drink from either bowl with no real discernment.

Kitten Essentials: Cat Bed

Kitten Essentials

We thought a covered cat bed would be best because it will help the kittens feel safe and secure. The one above was the only decent-looking one in the store. While the kittens do go in there. It seems they much prefer to sleep in a chair. So maybe it’s not essential but nice to have?

Our family rule is if the kittens are in their bed/ house, we leave them alone. I have no idea if this is scientifically proven, but I was told that it teaches them that they have a safe place to retreat to if needed.

Kitten Essentials: Toys

Our kitten’s favorite toys are chasers (sticks with toys attached, likes this one or this set) and soft toys that they can carry and bat around. Of course, they also love a laser pointer. Every cat has their own preference, so I would recommend buying a multipack of toys and seeing what your kitten likes.

Kitten Essentials: Scratch Boards

Kitten Essentials - Scratch Board

I would highly recommend getting a scratch board to provide your cat with a safe and acceptable place to scratch instead of your furniture or carpet.

They pretty quickly figure out what to do with it. I try to direct the cats gently to the board and away from my furniture if they start stuffing their claws into something.

Kitten Essentials: Carrying Case

Kitten Essentials - Best Carrier

Lastly, we purchased this cat carrier. It does the job but any decent size one will be fine for kittens. We plan on picking up a second one now that the cats are already getting bigger. We’ll just grab this affordable one from Wal-Mart.

There you have our list of kitten essentials. We’ve had the cats for a little over a month and they have adjusted well and seem very happy! I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated on other things that we love for the babies as we learn more.

We’ll get back to our regular topics (decorating) later this week.

Round-Up: Console Tables with Storage

There are so many choices when it comes to console tables – especially those with storage! I rounded up my favorite ones available on Amazon. I was pleasantly surprised by the choices and think they have something that could match anyone’s style or taste. Maybe one of these will fit well in our family room.

Console Tables
  1. Glam Mirrored 3-Tier Table $177.86 | I know this one doesn’t have built in storage, but you could easily add baskets or boxes to the shelves. I love it because it feels versatile and modern.
  2. Classic two Drawer Console Table $227.99 | This adorable sofa table comes in multiple colors and wood tones. It has a traditional vibe, which will fit right into the 2022 trends.
  3. Console Table with Two Drawers and Open Shelves $176.99 | I can’t get over this table! The drawers in the middle of the console gives it an updated and modern feel while still having traditional elements, like the turned legs.
  4. Extra Long Cream Sofa Table $298.98 | This sofa table is 72″ long! It’s not easy to find a table that long at this price point, making this a great deal!
  5. Storage Galore Console Table $279 | This little table provides ample storage. Beyond it’s 7 drawers and 1 cabinet, the bottom shelf could hold an additional basket or two for more storage!
  6. Greeny Dreamy Console Table $238.61 | This console with it’s sleek lines and simple design could fit into any home. I personally love this green color (they call it Tiffany Blue), but they have it in other color ways too!
  7. Beefy Wood Console Table $389.41 | This console table has a good visual weight to it. If your room needs something to ground it, this could be the perfect table for you!
  8. Apothecary-Inspired Console Table $235.99 | A nice long and narrow sofa table with multiple drawers. The apothecary-inspired design makes a rather simple table a little more interesting.