Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Etsy Valentine's Day Gift Guide

I'm really excited to bring you my second annual Etsy Valentine's Day gift guide! I wrote a 2012 Valentine's Day gift guide, and it was so much fun that I'm going to make it a yearly deal!

$2.50 for a single card, $8 for a set of 4 cards, $10 for a set of 6 cards, $15 for a set of 8 cards.
My friend Bernadette, from The Creative Cat/Portraits of Animals, has a beautiful array of Valentine's day cards in her Portraits of Animal Etsy shop. My favorite are her lino cut card set, full of beautiful pink and purple colored cards. I cannot wait to get mine - I think I know the perfect little someone to send them to...(hint, it's a cat!)

I'm a HUGE pin lover, so this little kitty pin totally fits my fancy! It's a purrfect way to tell someone they're important to you. A thing I love about Etsy, is that everything online is unique and one of a kind. Chances are, you're not going to get anyone something they already have!

$3 on Etsy (get it before I do)!

My family is obsessed with coffee, our coffee cabinet is unbelievable! Hundreds of coffee cups and mugs - and there are certainly a few with cats on them. So for the coffee lover in your life, this vintage kitty cat love mug would be perfect...

This mug is $10 on Etsy.

Another thing that my family totally has too much of...is cat statues. Could you imagine that? I couldn't even begin to tell you how many ceramic cats are currently in our beach house (The Cool Cat Cottage). So if cat statues are perfect for your house (because really, they are) you definitely need to check this vintage retro white ceramic cat out.

A sweet face for $18!



And because you absolutely need a gift for the feline(s) in your life...treat them to something fancy...

Piper would love these toys, and I spoil her rotten...should I get them for her?

Hauspanther's Etsy shop has a wonderful selection of Valentine's Day themed cat toys. My favorite is the Valentine Cat Toy Gift set, $20. It has seven toys (including the Piper approved modkicker toy) and a tube of nip.

One of my favorite jewelry sellers on Etsy is Susan Faye - who makes jewelry and such for feline fanatics and nature lovers. Here is her Facebook page, where you can find sales and new items announcements! One of her Valentine's day cat necklaces is a pink background with a heart, and a cat. I love this one, because it reminds me of Piper. You can purchase this charm on Etsy for $14.

Susan's necklaces come in all shapes, sizes, colors, cats, etc! I have a fair share of her jewelry and a few on the way :)


AAAAANNNNNDDDDD because it's not Valentine's Day without chocolate...

Yum, now I'm hungry. $12 on Etsy.
Treat your feline to a Box o' Catnip Chocolates, because you know that is what she really wants ;)

Monday, February 4, 2013

Book Review & Giveaway: Purrs of Wisdom by Ingrid King



Life moves fast in the 21st century. Days blur together, work gets done (or not…) and life can sometimes be stressful. So how do you unwind and relax when you’re stressed?

When I’m stressed, my de-stressor is curling up in bed with a good book and a cat, of course! So what better book to be curled up with, on this cold and snowy Sunday night, than Ingrid King’s new book, Purrs of Wisdom.

The cover of Ingrid's Purrs of Wisdom. Image from Ingrid King.

Purrs of Wisdom is a go-to book of essays with words from a wise soul, my friend Ingrid, and how to live a life with balance, and find your bliss. 

Every chapter in Purrs of Wisdom offers a different technique for taking control of your life. In the chapter “Navigating Turbulent Times” Ingrid offers the sage advice, to “Spend time with your cat!”:

“Spending time with cats is one of the best ways I know to instantly shift your vibration from negative to positive. It’s impossible to be fearful and worried when you watch a kitten play or when you have a purring cat in your lap.”

Ingrid's Feebee, what a little beauty. Photo from Ingrid King.

What I really enjoyed about Purrs of Wisdom was in the beginning, reading about how Ingrid‘s cats came to her. She was twenty years old when she got her first cat, Feebee, from a childhood friend of her ex-husband. Amber was a stray brought into the animal hospital, which went home with Ingrid “just for the weekend” – and she never came back, remaining at Ingrid’s house as her new kitty! Buckley was the office cat in which Buckley’s Story:Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher is inspired from. This brings the reader to Ingrid’s current cats, tortoiseshells Allegra and Ruby. 

And in the second chapter of the book, who is featured but my own mother! She interviewed Ingrid for her blog – Helitzer Blouse Girl in this post: A day in the life of Ingrid King, author, blogger, cat expert and Reiki Master Practitioner. In Purrs of Wisdom, Ingrid mentions the blog post and how she has “been on a journey of following my bliss for more than two decades now”. 

Ingrid, like so many people, didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up. From translating ad copy, travel agent to receptionist in corporate America. For twelve years, Ingrid “worked in various facets of the veterinary profession.” 

Ingrid with Amber. Photo from Ingrid King.

Ingrid found one of her passions as a Reiki Master Practitioner. She started her Healing Hands Reiki practice, as a trained Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki. She publishes her free online newsletter News for You and Your Petwhich you can subscribe to here.

Ingrid found her latest passion, writing! She began her blog, The Conscious Cat and soon started composing Buckley’s Story

Ingrid’s story of her different jobs is very interesting and inspiring to me. I’m one of the lucky few, who know exactly what they were born to do (though some days it definitely does not feel like that). I love writing and know that I want to be a journalist.

I really enjoyed Ingrid’s new book, because it gave me a new perspective not only for my job aspirations, but as a sensual human being. I never bought into the “breathing” relaxation tips, couldn’t do yoga and screaming into a pillow isn’t always an option. Purrs of Wisdom is a great book to learn how to be wise, relax and find balance in our crazy, stressful daily lives. 

 GIVEAWAY INSTRUCTIONS! I'm very excited to be able to give away a copy of Purrs of Wisdom. Ingrid has offered to give away a signed printed copy, or an electronic copy - winner's choice! The print version is US only, but the eVersion is a giveaway open to everyone (if outside of US wins, they will get an eVersion). 

To Enter:  Please leave a comment with your email (you will not be entered if you do not leave contact information). Let me know where you will snuggle up to read the book, or how many cats will sit on your lap while you read! 

Giveaway is open until Sunday February 10, 2013 at 12 am EST! Winner will be promptly contacted by email.

Receiving a  complimentary book did not influence my review.