Author: Clare at CatsEatDogs

Chocolate chocolate chocolate

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Really, that is what the place is called! Yesterday we visited the Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate factory in The Hill area of St Louis. It was an adventure as I don’t drive, but it turned out to be an easy peasy and successful one. I am pretty well versed on the public transit of St Louis (yes, there is an app for that!), so we caught the bus at the end of our street and off we went. The bus stop at the other end was about half a mile away from the factory, so we turned the corner and walked down South Kingshighway (sounds posh, isn’t), crossed the bridge and we were there. See, easy! < We had a lovely morning in this little chocolate factory, samples and smells and a good time! Didn’t see any Oompa Loompas though, bit disappointing. We did get to see huge slabs of caramel and vats of chocolate all around. So, that was the last day of school, all back this morning bright and breezy. Perfect morning for a …

August ten on the 10th

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A lovely day for today’s ten on the 10th. We headed into St Louis to explore a junk shop we like and to visit The Upcycle Exchange to check out some new yarn they have in. We lunched at the Everest Cafe on The Grove and came home and made a ‘base’ in the garden! The ‘base’ was built with supplies we got at the Upcycle Exchange and lots of imagination. I am going to do a post about it next week with lots of photos. Here are today’s terrific ten. A wonderful window at Anthropologie. I keep seeing this cool guy and managed to snap his photo today! Flowers on a painted screen, only slightly spoiled by water damage.  Still lovely. Vintage luggage on a barber’s chair. Lovely vintage Singer sewing machine. Best doll face I have seen. This can had dates in it still! Love this peacock. Piles and piles of wool at the Upcycle Exchange. Cumin seeds and sweet thingys at Everest Cafe. A fun day filled with treasure. You will be …

Whatcha doin’?

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We have been experimenting and spraying beads gold and watching lots of ‘Wild Kratts’ this week as my smallest has been sick. I have been keeping up with the A Beautiful Mess 30 day self portrait challenge on Instagram, it has been a tricky one, I mean not much changes from day to day! It does force creativity though, so I have enjoyed that so far. I am at day 23, nearly done. This experiment came from the new ‘Martha Stewart’s Favorite Crafts for Kids’ book. I was lucky enough to get a copy at the New York Alt summit and I have to say it is chock full of great crafts and experiments. Lots of ‘what a great idea, why didn’t I think of that’ ideas. For this one, you just fill a jar with clear water. In a separate bowl mix one tablespoon of vegetable oil with drops of food coloring (we didn’t have red, which I bet looks cool). Mix up the oil and colour and pour onto the water. It just …

Taking Stock 1.

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    I found this cool post on one of most favourite blogs Meet Me At Mikes and I copied the list and filled it in.  It was fun!  Want a go?  I will put the blank list at the end. Making : A pink necklace Cooking : Nachos Drinking : Coffee with frothy milk Reading: The Sisters Brothers Wanting: Rain and maybe some thunder Looking: At the cloudy sky Playing: Cluedo card game, Chomp, Game of Life Wasting: Paper when I try to sketch Sewing: Minions and scarves Wishing:  I had a pile of fabric to sew Enjoying: Marmite and cheese sandwich Waiting: For school to start Liking: Salty crisps/chips Wondering: If I should colour my hair red? Loving: My new bead mix, all vintagey pinks Hoping: I get some jewelry ideas to make Marvelling: At all the flowers in my garden Needing: That coffee Smelling:  Jo Malone Blueberry Wearing:  Flip flops, cargos and t shirt Following:  ‘Under the Dome’ Noticing: It is cool outside Knowing: I can make it when I think of …

Want. Smell. Love.

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I want this bag so badly, love love love it!  It is in the new Anthropologie catalogue, but I can’t find it online.  What a bunch of teasers!  It is out of my league anyway, so I will just gaze upon the picture of it. I am loving this summer fragrance. I waft it about generously! It is very light so can be wafted without anyone fainting.  I am not honestly sure what Salt Air should smell like, but this smells light and summery and just like salt air…. I bought these fab items at a sale last week. I use the yellow jug to water my hanging baskets and I just like to look at the colours and pattern on the mat. These are my very favourite bracelets to wear this summer. They are five wood elastic bracelets I got at Buddha and Beads in Cape Cod for $1 each and they are the best. This pile of summer is going to be a lovely bracelet this week. Snacks.  I don’t get my paws …

July 2013 ‘photo a day’

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July was a lovely weather month, it started off cool and ended cool with a few hot days in the middle.  Very nice. During July we completed reading clubs at the library, saw Despicable Me 2, visited some local parks and made lots of muffins! The future king was born and has my Grandad’s name – George. I made lots of notes about things to make when the boys go back to school, new jewels and scarves for the fall season. Here are the photos from July as usual using Fat Mum Slim’s prompts.  Here are the August prompts if you want to join in. Day 1. Happiness is …  Finding treasure in the woods, not sure what this is, maybe part of a fireplace or picture frame or mirror. Day 2. Shoes. Day 3. Cold.  Ice Cream Factory. Day 4. Red, white or blue. Day 5. Love.   Day 6. Fave smell.  Sweet Peas. Day 7. Where you are.  Maramec Springs State Park, MO. Day 8. Path.  Throwing seed bombs on the path through …

Make, eat, read, plus bracelet prizes!

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Today has been a lovely cool day again with lots of rain which has made my garden happy! I made some ‘Double Coconut Muffins‘ this morning with the addition of mini chocolate chips. I am so happy to be able to switch the oven on without the air conditioning having a nervous breakdown! This is a quite delicious recipe and I recommend it highly, I am even thinking it would work without the coconut, and with blueberries or even more choc chips. What are you reading at the minute? Do you have a list of books to read? I have a Pinterest board full of them! I want to read the new book by Rachel Joyce called ‘Perfect‘, but I am going to have to order it from the UK as I can’t stand to look at the US cover (the rose). It is not published here for ages and I want to read it NOW! Ahem. Yes, I do judge books by their covers, that rose cover looks like a 1980’s sleazy crime novel …

Sno cones

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Sno cones. They get me through swimming. There, I said it (kinda), I don’t like swimming. Which is unfortunate because we go almost every day. I dislike the clothing rules, I would happily jump in if I could wear leggings and a t shirt, or any all covering item.  In fact if someone could invent fabric that didn’t cling like plastic wrap when it gets wet, that would be great! I hate hate hate the chlorine in my eyes and my hair (getting drier and drier here). Not to mention the tight, dry chlorine skin effect. Maybe this is as close to Botox as I will get, the chlorine tightened face.  Tight but dry, lovely if you are going for the reptilian look! I digress, (don’t get me started on swimming, now you know). Sno cones I do like, I like to choose the crazy flavours and see what mix I can make.   The crunchy icy treat with way too much colour and sweet syrup. My favourites are ‘coffee and cream’ (here in Brentwood …

The art of celebrating the small stuff.

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I am so happy to be part of the ‘Declaration of You‘ blog tour.  The book is new on the shelves,  looks amazing and I can’t wait to get my grubby little paws on a copy!  “The Declaration of You, published North Light Craft Books and available now, gives readers all the permission they’ve craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do! This post is part of The Declaration of You’s Blog Lovin’ Tour, which I’m thrilled to participate in alongside over 200 other creative bloggers. Learn more – and join us! – by clicking here.” I enjoy celebrating the successes of life, my life, your life, their life, big or small.  Sometimes I can celebrate the unsuccessful if another opportunity presents itself instead.  Celebrate the knowledge that somethings just aren’t meant to be your success, because your door is just around the next corner.  A few more steps to your celebration of that achievement. Celebration is a big exciting word, it …

Grow it. Eat it.

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I bought a single cucumber plant back in April, popped it in one of the raised beds next to the garlic in our back garden and left it to it’s growing thing. Then the weather got cold and rained and rained and the little cuke was looking a little droopy. I harvested my garlic and left the cucumber plant the run of the bed and now it is growing like a crazy plant. Cucumbers all over the place getting big and green and fat! The garlic is being stored in the basement and is drying nicely. Of course the mint is on a garden take over mission which I really don’t mind, it is contained to one end of the garden so it can grow and grow and I can make tea and tzatziki. Tzatziki is calling the mint and garlic and cucumber tonight. Here is how I make it. A bunch of mint (mine is starting to seed but that just makes the bunch pretty! I only need the leaves) Half a big fat …