Author: Clare at CatsEatDogs

Cape cod soul photo challenge

Published by

The Cape Cod Soul photo challenge.  I found the list on Instagram and decided to play along while I was on holiday in lovely Cape Cod. I started on number 3. 3. Blue 4. Smile 5. Organic 6. Favorite Place. Buddha and Beads 7. Kindness.  Bodhi bought me this lovely cup and saucer at a flea market. 8. Simplicity 9. Light. Gorgeous light on a little fairy castle at The Cape Cod Lavender Farm. 10. Peace 11. Silhouette.  A flock of birds on a foggy morning. 12. Selfie 13. Green 14.Balance 15. Wild Thanks Cape Cod Soul for a fun challenge!

Mint & basil & sun tea

Published by

I have a mint patch with aspirations to take over the world, one garden at a time. So, before it achieves that, I thought I would put a few handfuls of it to good use. Mint tea sounds nice, but mint, basil and lemon with some honey sounds like a summer dream in a hammock. Mint and Basil Sun tea 2 quarts water (I used filtered, but tap or stream water will be good too I am sure) 2 handfuls of mint 1 handful basil 1/4 cup honey 2 lemons – juiced I am taking these measurements as a start as I expect to need more lemon or mint or something (vodka?!). Wash the herbs and give them a squeeze to release the herby flavour. Mix everything together and put the tea in a sealed glass jar or two and stand it in the sun for a couple of hours to brew. I would think this would also work in the fridge, but then you would have to call it ‘fridge tea’ to avoid misleading …

New York City almost made me pop.

Published by

As soon as I started my journey to New York and back, my brain popped wide open due to stress and excitement. It stayed that way nearly the whole trip and even though I document well, it feels like it hasn’t been me. I think I need a lie down in a cool dark room followed by a notebook session with all of my photos,  an attempt to make it all mine. It doesn’t feel like it was my trip, mainly because it is something I can’t believe I did by myself and didn’t throw up, not even a little bit. I did have a super amazing time and met some new people, listened to some great speakers and got to share cocktail time with some wonderful friends. Couldn’t ask for more really.  So when I have sorted my brain out, I will post my ‘New York city/Alt Summit Greatest Hits’! How are you with travelling by yourself?  Are you a scaredy cat like me or are you a brave little engine?

catseatdogs goes to New York City

Published by

I found some cool books and an intriguing CD at the library. Zakka is a style I have only just heard of, I recognize it, but didn’t know it had a name and books! I am so inspired to bust out the sewing machine and make fabric into lovely stuff. The clothes book has some lovely versatile patterns in it. Clearly I am in need of a good fabric shop. Any recommendations? I am tempted to hit up a few in New York this weekend, but I fear I will not be able to contain myself! Did someone say New York? Guess where I am off today, I know- today! I am the perfectly hysterical mix of excited and nervous. My destination is Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia for the Alt Summit design blogging conference. I may well pop with inspiration and ideas by Friday morning! I will be posting photos on Instagram using the hash tag #catseatdogsnyc. My user is @catseatdogsmakes and you can use the link on this page to my Instagram too. Can’t …

Veggies from the Garden

Published by

We are back in humid St Louis and the garden and flowers are looking great thanks to our neighbours watering skills. I planted garlic way back in October last year and I harvested this weekend.  It is now drying in the basement.  I am fairly sure I will be roasting some sooner rather than later. So far we have dug all of the garlic, some turnips and the snap peas and snow peas are wonderfully ongoing.  I love to have a big mint patch and a healthy parsley plant, so that I can make mint tea and add the herbs to salad.  My basil is doing well, in fact I think I feel home-made pizza in the air!  Even the cucumber plant has itsy bitsy cucumbers growing. We are going to have lots of turnips, but I really don’t know what to do with them!  Mash them with potatoes or add to a stir fry.  I did see a recipe for turnip crisps which I may try.  I will let you know how they turn …

Nearly going home

Published by

Aren’t holidays brilliant? I love them and this has been one of the best ever, two weeks in Cape Cod. We have have had all the weather available except snow and loved it! What else is brilliant about holidays? Going home! I love the going home part. I don’t love the trip to the airport and the waiting and waiting and taking your shoes off and holding up your jeans while they check your belt for any deadly metal. Mine has no deadly metal, it is a very kind belt, but it is needed in the ‘holding up my jeans and not flashing anyone while I take off my potentially killer shoes’ department. The boys went fishing and caught weed and something so huge it chewed off the fishy lure thing on the end of the line. We spotted lots of wildlife, including horseshoe crabs, gray seals, a coyote which was very cool and just behind our cottage (eek), birds birds and more birds, fiddler crabs (whoever invented those things was clearly drunk) and chipmunks …

More fabulous finds and Hanger B Eatery

Published by

I can’t wait to hang these on a pendant or two when I get home to my jewelry equipment, they even have natural holes. I have also collected some more smooth shell shapes and pebbles which I am hoping to drill and make jewels from. We found these empty oyster shells attached to rocks at the local beach. They are like little ready made display items or little ornaments. Yesterday Bodhi wanted to bring back a big sea star which was a bit whiffy to say the least. After a lot of huffing and puffing he was persuaded to leave it and I said I would find him a more desirable sea star, expecting to make a trip to the gift shop which sells dried out sea critters. Little did I know that today I would find this teeny tiny fella washed up and dried out with some seaweed. We ate at Hanger B Eatery today and they had this fab weather station! My favorite is ‘tornado = no stone’! Hanger B at Chatham airport …

Ten on the 10th June 2013

Published by

For this month’s ten on the tenth, I decided to use Hipstamatic and use ‘shake to random’, so I don’t have to spend time agonizing over the best film lens combo. Some seem to have turned out well and some a bit crazy. My Hipstamatic seemed to like the bonkers Salvador film today! I have put the film/lens combo under each picture. Melodie and Ina’s 1982 This casual sign on the beach makes me smile in a nervous manner. The nonchalant mention of seals, jellyfish, sharks, strong currents….. Should it not read seals, jellyfish, SHARKS (aaarrrrrggghhhhh), strong currents? Tinto 1848 and BlacKeys B&W Bodhi trying to catch a shark James M and Rock BW-11 My reading matter even though the beach was bloody freezing! Salvador 84 and Big Up Crazy bonkers photo of the Chatham Light. Salvador 84 and AO BW Very pretty flowers made creepy I think I cheated here and forgot to shake to random. Watts and RTV Ice? GSQUAD and Rock BW-11 Shark! Salvador 84 and Blanko The fish market was open …

Sunset and Driller Moon Snails.

Published by

We tripped over to Breakwater beach in Brewster to catch a Cape Cod sunset and what a stunner it was. We arrived at the beach about an hour before the sun was due to slink down the horizon. Plenty of time to explore tide pools and check out the Moon snails and Hermit crabs. I liked the buoy’s waiting patiently for the tide to come in. A pretty impressive sunset, thanks Brewster! Here is a lovely slimey Moon snail. I learned that they can drill holes into other shellfish in order to eat them up. Which explains the perfect round holes in some of the shells we have found. Delicious!

Abandoned towers and weeds

Published by

After much research and unhelpful YouTube videos, we found the way to the abandoned Air Force Base of North Truro and the infamous Jenny Lind tower. I imagined a spy mission, scaling chain link fences and possible barbed wire and dodging ‘keep out’ signs. Amid no drama whatsoever, we arrived with no problem and parked next to a wooden box with ‘trail maps’ and a sign explaining the area and the base and the trail around it. Not very James Bond at all. The base now houses the Highlands Centre and has lots going on. Seashore research, buses coming and going and a performing arts centre. Having said that, the whole area still looks to be completely abandoned, the grass is tall, the plants overgrown, ‘keep out’ neatly stenciled on most doors and out of service fire hydrants. The buildings which are in use are only apparent by the signs on the doors and in the tall unkept grass around them. It is almost as though they are enjoying the solitude and peace the old …