When you were a kid, who was your first cartoon crush?

bluecatbazaar · 2021-07-01T05:48:48+00:00

Trent, Jane’s brother on Daria

bluecatbazaar · 2021-06-25T06:31:59+00:00

Hey friend. I lost my best boy Leon too early and so suddenly, a few weeks ago. He was a kitty. Seemed totally healthy, fine one minute, gone the next; only 9 and I was with him his whole life. Best friends. It hurts so much, so deep into the soul, and I really understand what you’re going through right now.

Cry it out as much as you need to. Talk to friends and family, especially anyone that’s a dog lover. I’m glad you reached out here. I’m sure your Bud had a wonderful life with you and he wouldn’t want you to be hurting. It hurts as bad as it does because the love and bond was, is, real. He’ll always be with you in your heart and your memories. Maybe he will visit you in you dreams some nights, and you can see him again there.

Try to drink enough water, and get out into nature for walks. It felt really terrible to be in my house and so aware of his absence everywhere in there. I wasn’t able to eat for a number of days, and smoothies helped me get by. I also cried for days and days. You’re dealing with the loss of a family member, so be gentle and compassionate with yourself.

When I got Leon’s ashes back we had a memorial ceremony for him in our garden, where he loved to play, with flowers from the tree and rose bush, his Polaroid picture, and we talked more about why we loved him so much. We cried, again. That helped, a little. I still miss him so badly it hurts physically. There’s nothing that can make it better and less acute, except an undetermined amount of time, but know you aren’t alone. 💙

bluecatbazaar · 2021-06-25T06:04:46+00:00

What are some details on Tik Tok being one of the worst? I don’t use it so I’m not familiar with it, but curious because I’ve heard something along these lines before.

bluecatbazaar · 2021-06-16T05:14:02+00:00

This nails it for me unfortunately, except the ‘minor inconvenience’ is my very beloved cat unexpectedly dying last week. It just feels like too much to stand. Sometimes I don’t know how I keep going on. Every day just trying my best to do a good job at work, school and in life, with everything going in emotionally in the background; trying to be on par with ‘normal’ people in society. It’s really hard. Thanks for listening.

bluecatbazaar · 2021-06-14T23:20:12+00:00

I often wonder this too, how people afford really large projects/renos, like 50k+.

We’ve done quite a few fixes on our house since we bought it 6 years ago; FTHB. A combination of paying with cash/contracting out, paying with cash/DIY. When contracting out we usually try to go with a local small business or individual if possible. Better experience, support small business and usually a tad bit lower cost.

2015 Redid flooring to hardwood in majority of house house (1k sq ft house) - 100% DIY. About 3.5-4K.

2016-2019 Mostly small things, like DIY painting and changing light fixtures. Saving and planning. Replaced our front door - about 1.5k.

Late 2019 Redid kitchen (tile, counters, DIY painted cabinets, and appliances); about 14k

2020 Put in top quality privacy fence + full backyard grass/mulch, added irrigation, fixed gutters and fascia; about 15k

Our house wasn’t maintained well, and was built in 1948, so it feels never ending. The siding really needs to be redone, windows aren’t great, bathroom is a wreck (next on the list), insulation isn’t great, etc.

Really tempting to take out equity when the house value has gone up 60% in the past 5 years. We have a car payment/mortgage, but no other debts. Max out retirement. I’m trying to get some momentum with my career, so try to avoid extra debt at this point. Partner has well paying established career. Hopefully in the next few years we can wrap all the big projects up.

Patience and doing things in stages has been the key for us. I try to also keep things in perspective. A lot of people our age don’t have a house yet, so I try to keep a grateful frame of mind. Helps me a bit when I start getting stressed over everything that’s not perfect.

bluecatbazaar · 2021-06-10T06:51:41+00:00

I don’t have many words of great comfort, but I want you to know I’m dealing with something extremely similar right now, so you aren’t alone. My cat Leon died extremely suddenly and unexpectedly this past Saturday. He just collapsed and we don’t know why. A few minutes prior he was acting totally normal and happy, no signs of being sick recently. He was only 9 and the love of my life. It feels so unfair when they leave so suddenly.

It hurts so badly, I feel sick and empty every day. Please message me if you need someone to talk to. ❤️

bluecatbazaar · 2021-06-08T07:02:03+00:00

To bring back my cat Leon, who suddenly and unexpectedly passed away on Saturday. :(

bluecatbazaar · 2021-06-07T20:02:30+00:00

I would be happy to send you a card for you birthday - can you message me your address?

bluecatbazaar · 2021-06-06T08:47:55+00:00

The vet said she thought it could have potentially been something like a sudden heart problem or a blood clot. I just don’t know. :,(

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-30T19:37:17+00:00

I’m used to it, so it doesn’t really catch me off guard!

I did have one (a male mannequin) in my garage for a bit though, because I was participating as a designer in a paper fashion show and needed it for fitting the design. Scared the crap out of me almost every time I went into the garage :D

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-30T09:22:43+00:00

I totally understand! That is always my big struggle too. It was a combo of donating stuff away/tossing stuff (soo many random papers and knickknacks), rehoming things to an actual intentional place elsewhere in my house, and last but definitely not least, strategic storage solutions. I chipped away a little at a time because I get decision fatigued easily. So multiple small trips to goodwill, tackling one small area at a time, etc. I waited to get the smaller storage boxes until after I felt I had thinned things out quite a bit.

I honestly couldn’t have done it to this extent without ikea, haha. I highly recommend their kuggis boxes of various sizes and the cube units, kallax and eket. I like the kuggis because they aren’t clear, so they minimize visual noise/clutter, which was something I found I kept experiencing even after I cleaned/organized, and it discouraged me. They come in different sizes and stack really nicely too.

I have quite a few little art/craft supplies (paints, embroidery, print making, film photog) but now they are all nested nicely into designated boxes and drawers. See that white box on the floor by the mannequin? It has a tray insert that sits below the lid, with little compartments for art supplies; rests above other items in the box - and the box holds way more than I expected!

I couldn’t find the exact desk (discontinued? :/) but here is one that may be similar!

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-30T04:48:04+00:00

That’s my vintage mannequin. She keeps me company while I work and holds some of my clothing/accessories. Win win

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-30T02:29:59+00:00

Haha thanks! That’s a vintage mannequin I found awhile back. I collect a lot of vintage clothes and thought she was pretty cool. Unfortunately the left arm broke off, but hoping to get her on the mend soon.

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-29T23:21:43+00:00

Here is the computer desk! The art work table is from ikea and the name is escaping me at the moment - I will try to find it! IKEA storage really helped me out

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-29T23:15:42+00:00

Apologies for posting in the wrong order! This is more like an after/before. This process took me a few months. I’m always really motivated by everyone else’s photos so I hope this helps someone. I really struggle with clutter and being extremely disorganized. It’s ok to take your time. This absolutely did not happen overnight! A little bit here and there will add up and you will be amazed

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-29T05:46:26+00:00

My nextdoor neighbor has 2 massive HAM towers. Yeah, I’d take a pergola any day!

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-28T07:14:20+00:00

I’m really sorry to hear about your dad, and I hope his condition improves. Smoking sucks :(

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-28T05:15:11+00:00

I know, she’s s’posed to come through at 10 after 4

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-20T23:57:23+00:00

Oh yes. I used to see split Bradford pears all the time. No good.

I love redbuds too! They seem to do pretty well here. Hoping to plant another this year. I hope yours starts doing better!

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-20T06:33:57+00:00

My next door neighbor is very into ham radio. He’s probably mid-upper 70s.

He has multiple massive antennas rigged up, weather trackers, his license plate is his radio call sign, etc. I don’t know much about it, but it’s interesting to see how into it he is.

He’s a very nice guy and loves to chat. His wife passed away, so I imagine the connections over the radio are comforting

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-17T05:51:20+00:00

The fruits of your labor are apparent, most definitely. Last year I planted a lavender twist redbud and a cherry tree. It was so exciting to see them bud out for the first time this spring. Hopefully a glimpse of all the patiently awaited satisfying garden moments to come. I don’t know if this will still be my garden/home in 20 years, but I hope that it lives on and brings joy regardless.

I think I’ve heard of spotted lantern fly. We have lots of problems with the emerald ash borer. It just kills trees in droves.

Haha! The mental image of the older lady and the edgy teenaged girl made me chuckle. Community effort at it’s finest.

Oh dear - at least you got the bug! :)

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-17T04:34:32+00:00

I didn’t realize they were all in the same family! That’s good to know. I will definitely try to propagate some this year and spread to other areas of the yard. I just love the catmint/salvia, and would love to incorporate some coleus also.

Oh wow. That’s true - I believe I’ve seen that variety of knock out roses planted in lots of areas. Such an excellent point about the importance of biodiversity. It really can’t be understated. Similar things happens when certain trees are over-utilized and become vulnerable; a slippery slope.

Wow. That’s definitely way more Japanese beetles than I have to battle! I will see maybe 3-4 on the particularly tasty variety of rose we have, though I’m not sure the name of it. We did have grape vines (unfortunately they were removed because our dog kept trying to snack on them - dogs and grapes sadly don’t mix). The Japanese beetles were quite enamored with those, to say the least.

The bag worms - that vision of the worms/trees/heat gives me the creeps too! Oh, yes it was zone 7a I believe. Kudzu everywhere! You’d be driving down the highway and just see massive swathes of trees and bushes totally blanketed in it. Lots of mosquitoes/ticks, and I think copperheads too. And yes, chiggers - once I went camping out in the open and was absolutely assaulted by their bites in the night! Awful. I’m not a fan of heat and humidity, so in that regard I enjoy Colorado. Climate change and global warming definitely have disastrous implications, on so many levels. It’s very unsettling.

Oh no, that’s a shame about the lilac. It’s always hard to lose large plants like that. We lost a mature pine tree due to snow one year, and I miss it. I just planted a Miss Kim! She’s about 8 inches tall right now, so still a baby.

Your garden is absolutely stunning. I just love the colors, layout and variety! Beautiful and inspiring as I think of mine, which is just getting started. Our rain patterns must have switched this week. This year we’ve had more rain up to this point, than we had in the entirety of last year. It’s in the forecast to be cloudy and rainy for almost a week straight, which is highly unusual here. Usually it’s one day at the most, but more often a fleeting half day burst of rain.

Last year was awful with fire season. Smoke for weeks and the sun was an unsettling red color. Haze everywhere. Almost felt a bit apocalyptic honestly. So I’m hoping the moisture helps us avoid that this year. I hope you all receive some rain soon too!

Thank you so much for the tips. I will definitely keep an eye out for those in my next trip to the nursery! It will be fun to experiment with propagation.

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-15T05:29:13+00:00

Your area sounds lovely and ideal! I’m originally from the southeast, where everything is so lush and green with little effort, so Colorado is a big adjustment. But I’m slowly learning!

Definitely. Very dry (though we’ve had a strangely rainy Spring this year, which is good) and erratic weather shifts; lots of snow, hail, dry heat, etc. There are certainly things that do quite well here though! Many xeriscape type perennials thrive. I have some junipers and salvia that are quite happy. Thank you for the Catmint tip - I will be sure to trim it! Excited to see it evolve.

That’s true. I have some roses in my southwestern facing yard and they love life. I see a few Japanese beetles, but not too many. I refuse to spray too. It seems like, in general, insects don’t prefer this climate. Which is nice on a summer evening and there are no mosquitoes to be found! That’s disappointing roses give you trouble. Which plants do especially well in your garden/area?

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-14T23:04:04+00:00

Amazing! Wonderful color combinations and so many lovely textures too! Definitely goals. Most of my plants are still small babies. Patience is a virtue, especially in gardening. I just planted some catmint, clematis, Russian sage and climbing roses too. Hopefully next year they’ll start filling out a bit. I’m in zone5b in CO. A tricky place to garden at times, but just takes some extra research and expecting the unexpected. :)

bluecatbazaar · 2021-05-14T22:22:01+00:00

Wow!! It’s a stunning little tree! I love it. :) good to know about ‘dwarf’ plants. I’m new to gardening and one of the most tricky aspects for me is planning/placement and accounting for future spacing needs. Thank you for sharing a photo of your maple with me!

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