Happy Holidays!

T'was the holiday season
and we haven't been posting,
our idea box (brain) is empty
and there's no room for boasting.

So here's to all our friends
who bring us joy and cheer,
thank you for your support,
we'll see you next year (with beer)!

play for change

illustration friday - balloon

I am very late posting, I did this on the airplane home from our t-day trip, but couldn't think of anything to put in their thought balloons, so I've decided to leave them as blank as I am.

And now I've realized that they are thought "bubbles" not balloons, which would explain why they're empty.

illustration friday - opinion

I'm already stressing out about Thanksgiving and dealing with the family and all their strong opinions.

Any tips you have would be welcome.

illustration friday - pretend

Kitten hopes that if she just pretends they're not there the pups will go away.

We are now living in a "gated community" and I hope our pies will be able to sleep at night knowing they are a little safer from drooling dogs.

illustration friday - wise

It is not wise to get a bag of chips stuck on your head. While we were out today buying pet gates our new pup broke into the kitchen and ate an entire Julian pie! ummm pie. sigh.

List to date of stolen-consumed items: 2-bags of cat food, 1-bag of dog food, 2-loafs of organic bread, 1-banana, 1-blackberry charger (plugged in), 1-yoga block, 1-starfish, 2-sand dollars, 1-bag of cat treats, numerous items from the litterbox (ick), 3-chocolate chip cookies, 1-chicken thigh (apprehended in mid-chomp), 1-loaf of olive and rosemary bread, turned the gas stove on trying to get to 1- stew pot, and 1-Julian apple and berry pie.

VOTE!

Well I voted. Strangely it's pouring rain here and I've heard told, it never rains in southern california, just ask my lawn. I guess the gods are crying tears of joy that change is happening, I know I am. With luck Prop 2 will pass to protect our animals.

Voting here is so odd. Last year I voted in some dude's garage, just there among the old boogie boards, tools and holiday decorations were two voting machines. This year it was equally as strange, if not peaceful, voting, sitting in a pew, in a church. Really wish I had a picture of the garage.

illustration friday - vacant

My idea box (aka, brain) has been vacant lately, sigh.

illustration friday - repair

I'm late again this week, in addition to work I've been trying to "repair" my relationship with my kitten. She has "repaired" herself to self-imposed exile in my office, which got ransacked this weekend by the new dog, searching for cat treats––he found them. I've even cooked for her, a nice little dish by Chef Eric Ripert. I think she is pining for the good old days, pre-dog drool.

illustration friday - late

I'm late this week with "late" and very, very late with last week's "strings". I can't complain (oh, but watch me) since it's because I'm busy with work which is a blessing in these troubled economic times. My idea for last week, which I never got posted, was guitar strings. I had just seen the Blasters at a benefit and was pining for my old groupie surf guitar days. So I dusted off my old axe and proceeded to pluck out a creaky rendition of Misirlou.

illustration friday - sugary

While I don't know if they were filled with "sugary" goodness, our new puppy certainly thought they were tasty, when he raided my seashell collection and ate the starfish, some sand dollars and a number of other shells. ummm, starfish.

illustration friday - packed

My poor, little kitten is all packed up and ready to move. We have visitors who are staying in her room (aka our guest room), so she had to relocate to the office until they leave. Will she get any peace!

illustration friday - clique

Feeling guilty over not spending enough time with my kitten we decided to form our own little clique and hang out together in the office sans dogs. The puppies are none too happy and are sitting right outside the door pouting.

illustration friday - island

My poor kitten, despite her claims to the contrary, is so attention starved since we have been fostering this new black lab. I, on the other hand, haven't gotten any peace, both the dogs think it's funny to tag-team wrestle me (me, not so much). Now that we have decided to adopt this maniac, who knows when our next kitten-private-island-moment will happen. Maybe when my husband returns from Oahu.

illustration friday - clutter

Okay, I always try to go with the first thing that pops into my head when I read the word of the week unless it's a truly awful idea, then I try to think of something else.

While my first thought this week was indeed truly awful I just couldn't let it go. Not sure if it's my gloomy mood or I'm just a truly awful person, but all I could think of was the Clutter family from the book In Cold Blood. So here's their farmhouse with a couple of curiosity seekers hanging out in the yard.

illustration friday - memories

Our foster dog is singing the blues today because he got a little snippity-snip yesteday and is now only left with memories, ouch!

Our kitten is a little smug today and enjoying the much subdued puppy.

woof

Even though our queen bee thinks cats rule and dogs drool, we are pleased as punch to accept this wonderful award from Mônica over at Art | Books, Arte | Livros. The award was designed and created by Eunice Rosado from This nice dog. Thank you for thinking of us! Woof!

foster dog

illustration friday - routine

Our entire routine has been turned upside down with the addition of our new foster dog. He is such an affection hound and wants attention all the time. I haven't been able to get through my morning ritual of coffee and crossword without interruption.

WOW!

The wonderful, awesome, terrific and extremely talented Mônica at Art | Books, Arte | Livros has nominated the awed, honored, stunned and quite frankly tickled pink Rapture Pet Sitting for an award. Mônica has been so inspirational and supportive, I cannot thank her enough and all the other artists who give me an inkling of hope that I may rise to their stature.

Thank you Mônica!!!

Here are the rules:

1-Display the logo on your blog

2-Link back to the person you received the award from.

3-Nominate 7 other blogs

4-Put links of those blogs on yours

5-Leave a message on their blogs so they know they've been nominated.

Now for my picks, which are by no means the only ones, in no particular order,

Mônica at Art | Books, Arte | Livros
Val at ValGal Art
Krisztina at Sketchpause
Linda at Sketched Out
Connie at Drawing to an End
Laurel at Studio LoLo
Bella at Bella Sinclair

illustration friday - detach

Ummm, tastes like chicken - please detach that cat from your mouth and back away slowly.
We are fostering again and had a little "incident" this morning with some very enthusiastic dogs and one very pissed off cat. She is hiding quietly in her room plotting her next move.

Olympic fever

I was trying to catch a little of the Olympic rowing today, but all I could find was beach volleyball.

Wow, what's up with the women's uniforms or should I say, WHERE are the women's uniforms! I think they should rename the event "Wedgieball". Then when the men came on, well, they were practically wearing burqas. Throw a girl a bone here, a little ankle, maybe an elbow.

Anyway, as a nod to the bunnies over at Sketched Out, which all gold medals winners, here are my playboy bunny volleyball players in their "official" Olympic uniforms.

illustration friday - sail

Here's a quick doodle, couldn't really get what was in my brain onto the paper, sigh, I think I'll give it another try later.

We love sailing and are very lucky to live so close to the bay which is especially beautiful when all the colorful spinnakers are out.

Happy 8.8.8 to everyone, is that infinity cubed? Lots-o-beach weddings today, best wishes to y'all.

illustartion friday - poof!

I just had a great idea for illustration friday, then "poof!" it vanished just as quickly as it appeared.
I'm not sure if it's old age or the jackhammers outside my window.

Since we just returned from a trip, I'm going green this week and recycling an old illustration.

illustration friday

since the girl wouldn't give me her email password I don't know what the word is for this week's illustration friday. I came up with this, err, well it sort of came up by itself.

day 3- bored

I've been trying to get that stinky-breathed dog to do my bidding
but he's not falling for my jedi-kitty mind tricks like the girl did.

day 2-feels like a year

missing girl: warm lap, hands out treats liberally, answers to the name of "meow"

they left me alone with this stupid dog

that mean boy took my girl away with him, who is going to wait on me hand and paw?

illustration friday - canned

Okay, here is my "canned" response to today's topic. I know I've used canned cats before but I just couldn't think of anything and didn't have time to draw can-can cats, which would have been funnier, I think, ack, maybe not. Hmmm, that's quite the existential question, which is funnier, canned cats, can-can cats or perhaps pickled cats?

at the cat-ta, cat-ta cabana

okay now that that song is stuck in your head, my mission is complete...

shrinkage

Whenever my husband returns from one of his long trips away he goes a little overboard in helping out around the house, bless his heart. Inevitably I end up with kitten size clothes (no everything doesn't go in the dryer and no it's not because I'm eating that much ben & jerry's).

Where's my lemonade?

queen of the castle

tempest in a tea cup

illustration friday - enough

Haven't you had ENOUGH sleep?

Cat-fad of the week:
waking me up at 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 am
(yes, the little darling is fast asleep NOW)

NOGFAT

This award goes to Linda over at Sketched Out for making me spew green tea all over my keyboard and always putting a smile on my face.

down the shore

Our morning walks on the beach.

spa day

We're kicking back a little today to let the dust settle.

...and they lived happily everafter!

We're celebrating here!! Our crazy lab foster is getting adopted, and I quote, "We have fallen in love!" Yea!! They have named him "Otter" probably not an Animal House reference but of course that's where my mind went.

It's so bitter sweet, I know he was too much for us to handle on a permanent basis, but a girl can dream can't she, sigh. I think I even saw the kittie's eyes getting a little dewy.

p.s. I drew this in photoshop and I'm not sure if it's better or worse than my usual scribble.

Puppies are like a box of chocolates ... let them eat cake

No news is good news on the puppy front. I miss our little tempest in a teapot.

It just goes to show that with a little training (he learned sit and down in just four days) and a lot of love the most unwanted dog can turn into a cherry cordial. Our foster puppy was dumped in a shelter, probably because he was an exuberant chocolate lab puppy, which need a lot of training. He languished there for six weeks and became very depressed. One of the shelter workers couldn't let this little guy sink deeper into despair so they contacted Lab & Friends a rescue group who scooped him up and saved his little life. He came to live with us and learn some doggie manners and is now in his new adoptive home with lots of love, a yard and an alpha female name Foxy who will help continue his training.

Rescued dogs are the best! Our black lab is a rescue and he's the bomb, despite what the cat says.

Now everyone go eat cake and enjoy Bastille Day!

Red Carpet

I was given this wonderful award, with no help from that stinky dog. My fellow feline, Bobo, was kind enough to think of me, people of fur unite!

Thank you so much Bobo, we love reading about your adventures at Bobo's Fun Place, thanks also to Julie for providing you with a computer.

While I am hesitant to let this well deserved award out of my paws I will gladly share it with other deserving felines and some equally deserving humans.

First the the rules of accepting are as follows and as I see it and there's only one:

Be a super kitty like me.

If you did not meet this stringent requirement and happen to be human than please skip down to rules 1-4.

1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

Arista Blog
Art Books, Arte Livros
Drawing to an End
Jennifer Morris Illustration
J. L. Meyer Illustrations
Sketched Out
Studio LoLo

Actually this is such a limited list, everyone at Illustration Friday and beyond has been such an inspiration and over the top supportive, it's better than therapy! Thanks to everyone!

dog day afternoon

I made this sign for our dog in illustrator, the dog only took about ten minutes and the font is classic calvin & hobbes. We had a goodbye party last night (yawn) for my husband's right-hand-man who is moving to Japan (he's actually on a plane right now, talk about cutting it close). Our dog is such a mooch and usually overeats at these events, or should I say gets overfeed, by yes, you Mike! People are such suckers for his big brown eyes.

The party started at five, and in his office that means 5:00 if not eariler. At approximately 4:30 Jenny, super-lab-rescuer, stopped by to take the crazed chocolate lab puppy for a sleepover at his potential forever home. 4:45, husband leaves front door open as he shows the caterers where to set up (best tacos ever!) 4:46 puppy sprints for door, past hubby and caterer, across street, inching by white lincoln ltd (people still drive those boats?), proceeds in an erratic zig-zag motion toward freedom and the promised land down our street with his captors in hot pursuit. Caterer guy provides laugh track. Neighbor catches dog while simultaneously doubling over in laughter induced convulsions, we return to house and the audience of guests which has now formed. I still haven't showered or vacuumed. Party On!

illustration friday - foggy

I'm wiped out from this crazy week of work, husband, husband's work (his entire office will be here in five hours) and puppy-mania. Good news is our crazy, lovable foster pouch is having a sleepover tonight with what maybe his forever home (fingers and toes crossed). I will miss him, the alliance of cat, dog and husband, who all voted him out of the house, will not.

bad dog, down!

It's been like herding cats around here, calgon take me away!

zombies

Every summer the island fills up with visitors escaping the Arizona heat.

the challenge to post continues

Still posting stuff I sketched but didn't have a chance to scan and post with all the mayhem going on around here.