Holiday Supplies!

You wanna know what's better than sugarplums, tinsel, and Christmas cookies combined? Spending the holiday with a brand new kitten!

Flannel

Meeting Flannel, the new addition to the Alison Rose/Mr. Sketch/Grace family, is my happy surprise present. I didn't ask Santa for kitten snorgles this year but this little fuzz bundle might just end up being my perfect Christmas wish.

Yet, on the opposite end of the surprise spectrum, a friend's mom was trimming the tree this past weekend and fell off a ladder and broke her leg! Yeouch! [Update: She is doing alright although confined to the couch].

So have you been hit with any holiday surprises - good or bad - yet? Or maybe you have a memorable anecdote from the past to share with us. Other than playful kitten kisses and Coquito, laughter is the best salve for holiday anguish.

White Velvet & Unwhite Fur

Velvet Grommet Window Panels, at West Elm

Ooooooh, Velvet Grommet curtains in white (Ivory, really). They're so luxurious and decadent and ON SALE.

But then I remember that I've got a few of these guys at home...

Cardboard's Bird & Mille

...so my wintry white windowscape would end up looking something like this:

Rough Time for Scruff

We've got a situation, people. Although this is (mainly) a home design blog - sheets, candlesticks, renovations, paint - we do step outside the definition when it's important. You followed our emergency posts about the whereabouts of Grace; now help up find a home for Mr. Scruffy.

Mr. Scruffy lives across the street from Mama Cardboard in a sunny neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. This all sounds grand but his guardian suddenly passed away and he can't swing the rent alone.

Mr. Scruffy is a stunning cat (see above) but he's also a "...male cat (5-6 yrs old), very friendly companion/lap cat, indoor/outdoor." I don't know how he is with other pets/children but Mama C says that he's always been friendly when she finds him outside on her neighborhood walks.

Mr. Scruffy is paid up through Wednesday and then he's being sent into the system (ie: scary-ass shelters). If you live in/near Denver and have ever thought about getting a furry little beast of your own, send me an email so we can keep Mr. Scruff's trauma to a minimum.

2008, In Summation

Before we step foot into '09, we thought it only fair to pay tribute to '08. Skimming through the past year of bloggity posts, this is how design boner sums up 2008:

Cat Collection

We take a lot of cat photos. Sorry. We are not crazy cat people. Really. We just love our little beasts and find them excellent Weekend Photo material.

We also seemed to have two minor obsessions with an odd pair of celebrities: Cindy Crawford and Christian Bale. Cindy, we poked due to her new line of overstuffed furniture and tendency to deny her children. Christian, well, plainly put: he's big time sexy time and worth the double mention.

Getting back to reality (or virtual reality, rather), we picked up a couple new and vocal readers. We want to give e-hugs to DNfromMN, Lady Briggles, and, most recently, Preston, for reading often and not being shy to comment. Preston even gave us an award! Mucho merci to you all!

Porcelain's past year of posts reveal her big quests to be finding a bed and a table...a table...and a bed. She's still scouting for a bed frame (suggestions welcome!) but November saw the addition of a new dining/work table into her space. One down!

Cardboard's Dining Room/Office, In Transition

I, on the other hand, have been needing to clean house. This past year has been a series of now you have it/now you don'ts so I need to re-center around what's really important. Two of my big missions have been to budget my spending and to fix what is broken (literally and symbolically) in my home.

Formica Folds

Then design boner turned two! Naturally, P & me * drank a crapload of Michigan beer and constructed an even bigger fleet of paper airplanes.

As for general '08 trend alerts, Porcelain dived into ceramics, glass, and paper for the walls. I posted often about rugs but went plain C-R-A-Z-Y for lighting.

OBAMA!

EJ Holmes, Our First Fling of 2008

Lastly, we really got into our Flings. These not-necessarily-design-related mementos create much fun and laughter in this little blog so focused on bed frames and lights. We found new artists, rehashed memories, and even met a couple Fantastic Men. We might call them Flings but that doesn't mean we don't love 'em.

Welcome to 2009!

* Grammar sacrificed for rhyme.

Full of Grace (!)

Reunited: Alison Rose & Grace

Grace has been found! I don't know if it was St. Francis, luck, or fate but I think it might be a bit of all three. Here's the happy story:

My sister and her BF were hanging out last night, post dinner and jammie wearin', when they got a phone call. Mr. Sketch answered the ring and yelled to Alison Rose to put her shoes on 'cause someone might have found Grace! Turns out that, after nine scary days outside, skinny and tired little Gracie walked right into their neighbor's house, not even caring that they had a big ol' dog.

Hen Hao, Indeed!

The wildest part of the story is that they had Chinese food for dinner, right before receiving the call, and shown above is the true and actual fortune that Mr. Sketch cracked out of his cookie.

Reunited: Mr. Sketch & Grace

A Graceful Update

Little Grace is still missing. My sister (and her long-time friend) are losing hope. New DB reader Becky wrote in to tell us that she's always consulted St. Francis about her cat concerns. A quick google search tells me that St. Francis is not only the patron saint of animals but also of Colorado. Hear that, Alison Rose & Mr. Sketch? That's the sound of a good sign fluttering by!

Kneeling Saint Francis with Bowl, at Garden-Fountains

I feel so helpless being so far away from the action or lack thereof. So I'll sit here in Chicago and make silent requests to Francis to hurry up and bring Grace home. If the price tag wasn't such a killer, I'd also buy this garden ornament and tell them to fill it with CatMilk.

Thanks, Becky, for the wisdom and happy thoughts.

Seeking Grace

My sister's cat, Grace, has been missing since last Tuesday. She's a little indoor princess so the idea of her being out in the Ohio cold is heart-breaking.

If you live in the Columbus area, please keep an eye out for her and grab her if you see her. If you have any information at all, EMAIL US NOW.

Lost : 11/25/2008 Status = Found!!! Cat , Female Where Lost : Ohio , Franklin County Specific Location: Grandview area of Columbus, OH. Near King Ave. and Ashland Report Created on: 11/27/2008

Pet Name: Grace Color: white Features: Not spayed Height: Medium: 1-2' Weight: 5-10 lbs Coat: Short , Smooth Age: 7 years Collar: None

Pet Portraits by Bamboo

Mille

Bamboo took some lovely photos of the catties over the weekend. A few of my favorites are the intensely whiskered Mille (above) and Bird's work ID photo (below).

Bird

Click HERE to see more super pics. Thanks, B!

Bonus Bone: Beehive Birdcage

Beehive Birdcage, at Flutter

It's expensive - sure, sure - but is it not one of the coolest birdcages you've ever seen? I love its bulbous, stacked shape and its massive size. The color is rather sweet and, if you didn't yet notice, it mounts right onto the wall. This is as bad-ass as a birdcage can get.

For these reasons, I, Cardboard, declare this a Design Boner.

Bonus Bone: Bootsie's Bunk Cat Bed & PlayRoom

Bootsie's Bunk Cat Bed & Playroom, at Doctors Foster and Smith

Can we all agree that cat furniture is generally hideous? The multi-leveled, carpeted monstrosities that tower in the corners of rec rooms and dens across America will simply never find a way into my heart. I'm not being snobby or hatin' on cats, I just don't want to have nightmares.

Recently, there's been a contemporary tweak in the world of feline furnishings. I've seen some items that look well-designed and modern but, to me, they still look like they're trying too hard.

This boxy cat castle and recliner, on the other hand, is just plain cute. It makes me think of toys, like Legos and Connect Four, I used to play with as a kid. Also, with the basic frame and inoffensive quilted kitty pad, it's not trying to be fancy.

I won't be buying it for my catties because I do have unrestricted access to PLENTY of cardboard boxes. But, with a name like Bootsie's Bunk, I couldn't resist showing it to all of you.

For these reasons, I, Cardboard, declare this a Design Boner.