A Tail of Two Cats

Ahh, puns...

What a tender moment captured between my Boots and me. He can be a real sweetheart. Almost obnoxiously so, when he crawls up by my face when I'm trying to sleep and nuzzles and licks my chin. Or when he climbs on my lap when it's clearly occupied by a laptop. He can be funny, when he jumps and tries to shimmy up the door frame towards the light switch I just touched. Or when he runs circles around me while I drag a mouse on a string around me on the bed. He also puts up with me when I pick him up like a baby, either under the armpits or cradled on his back, or when I scoop him up and spin around dancing with his legs flying out from the inertia.

But sometimes he can be a real pain in the ass. He bites me everyday. Not in an aggressive way, in a playful way, but it's really obnoxious. I had his front paws declawed soon after I got him. I had him neutered too, since he was still fairly young, not yet a year. I think maybe that's why he bites, to compensate for the lack of claws, but I had hoped his crazy antics would settle down after he was fixed. I haven't noticed any real change. I've had cats for forever, and I've never had one as naughty as this one. I've also never owned a male cat either, though. Maybe that has something to do with his energy and destructive personality. I also hoped age would settle him down. He just turned a year this month (so says me, since when I got him in June, and his past owners told me he was 6 months old), and he's still pretty much the same. Maybe he needs some more time, and some healthy discipline (I've tried so much. I'm on squirting him with a water bottle now, a couple weeks in..). I'm still hopeful. I mean, he loves me, he just doesn't RESPECT ME. Ugh, he's like a teenager... I assume...

-Anna- 

dress: H&M

sweater: Old Navy

shirt: The Gap

tights: 8 Seconds (here in Korea)

necklace: American Eagle

bow: hair (cool, right?)

here comes the attack....

Ahhhhh!!!

Boots! Why you attack me!?!

A well, we'll keep pluggin' along...

So, I'll be coming home for three weeks at the end of January until mid February and I couldn't me more excited! There are so many foods I want to eat and places I want to go see and foods I want to eat.. oh, yes, and my family of course, I can't wait to see them... so they can go with me to all the restaurants I want to visit... 

Also, my girl, Pinot. Pinot is my cat. She's my baby and I'm her mama. Almost two years ago, Bette found this little darlin' and took her home (as she is known to do). For the full story, read here. So, once I graduated, I got to take my girl back home with me! We lived a glorious 7 months together, until I decided to move to Korea, and not take her with me. I figured it was too much of an ordeal getting her over here, and I knew she was happy and welcome at home with my parents where she could roam around outside (she definitely needs that, and she would definitely not be able to get that here). But I am so excited to be reunited with her again very soon! I hope she still remembers me and loves me and missed me as much as I her. 

 

I'm comin' home, baby!

BYE!

Anna

Nautical Nonsense

Who lives in a hut close by the sea? AN-NA FLO-RES! Who drinks lots of beer and eats bacon and cheese? AN-NA FLO-RES! Her nautical nonsense is not something to miss. AN-NA FLO-RES! So jump on aboard, there's a new kitty to kiss! AN-NA FLO-RES AN-NA FLO-RES AN-NAAAAA FLO-REEEEES

Eh, it's not my best work... and much of the rhythm is a bit of a stretch, but I had to commit once I started! There are quite a few things I want to mention, so bear with me....
 

Firstly, this outfit is from school today. I usually opt for dresses, because they're just one piece. But then I remember that I have skirts I like to wear, so I make the effort to pair them with something. Also, white and navy horizontal stripes just screams nautical to me. Ahoy! 

It had been too long since a last post, so I took upon myself to update. Now, Bette just got back from her cruise this weekend (that's her excuse for the lack of posts), so I'm sure she'll be posting pictures of that soon enough. I'm sure there will be pictures that I will be so jealous of (Wizarding World of Harry Potter anyone?), but I want to see all that she saw. Make this happen, Bette.

 

 

-Anna-

shirt: thrifted

skirt: Forever21

shoes: ebay

necklace: garage sale

earrings: Icing (sale!)

belt: Toona (Korea)

watch: gift

 I had an open class this week. That means that faculty from our school come and sit in our class. It can be kind of nerve racking because their essentially critiquing your performance. I mean, the people who sat in on ours were not cynical people, so that helped. It also helped that the vice principal, who was supposed to show up, didn't.

Elly chose our topic, and she chose to teach about race. No, not the kind like the tortoise and the hare and winning and losing, but in that the tortoise is black and the hare is Asian and the hare is kind of racist (a whole other kind of loser). Anyway, a tough topic to teach children, especially if they don't understand much of the target language. But we had is planned carefully and the kids responded well to it (we taught them the "Don't Laugh at Me. Don't Call Me Names" song, Bette, hahaha!) and we got through it. Yaaay! Now to repeat for next week, different class with regional representatives, not just our school faculty.

 Also, bonus, on my walk around to find somewhere to take pictures/eat, I came across a lady with her birds. Kissy kissy, 'dawww their so cuuuute.

 Next! I went to the eastern island of Muuido for a friend's birthday. We stayed in these little huts on the beach, or it was so cool! The tide, though, was crazy, so when we arrived there (after walking a lot, a ferry, and a hot, sweaty bus), the tide was soooo far out. Like, maybe a half mile? I don't know, they were talking in kilometers and I just knew it was a long walk over wet sand and small crabs. It was wonderful when a few of us actually made it to the water. It got even better when they tide moved it's way in. It felt so good to frolic in the water. I've missed it. And I miss our pool back home...

But anyway, I digress, food, drinks, water, and birthday wishes and even a slackline (again) made for a fun, interesting weekend.

Aaaand.... we all had some stories to tell the next day. A personal favorite was the brief, beach romance between a friend of mine, and this chinstrap-clad guy named Amma Bear. Yeah. AMMA BEAR.  Say it out loud. Go ahead. Hahahaha!







And last but not least, I adopted a cat! Or more like took him off someone else's hands... He was going to be sent to a shelter otherwise...

He's a rambuncous, curious little guy who can be super cute and affectionate one moment, and a manic warrior the next. Also the curiosity is a little much.. he opens drawers, knocks shit over, climbs on EVERYTHING... but gosh, he is very darling... when he's calm, which he is at the moment of writing this post.

i mean, he watches psych with me, we have to be friends.

Until next time, my friends,
Anna

Big Kid

We're getting a little childish today. Cartoons. Polka-dots. Dinosaurs. Who doesn't love a good romp around outside? I even hopped a fence to get to this location, which was just fun for the sake of climbing shit. I could've walked around to the gateway, but that's not fun... I've always been a big fan of climbing trees, but I don't remember the last time I climbed one.. I was never a very physically active kid. Bette was always better at that, but tree climbing, I liked. There's not much opportunity anymore, I feel. Sure there are tons of trees around, just asking to be climbed, but it's just not as easy to decide out of the blue to climb a tree. Maybe I should designate my next excursion to be a tree climbing one. Go tree climbing hunting. What did you do as a kid that you don't do much anymore?

Korean shopping: I got this "Totoro" sweatshirt at the traditional market near my apartment for 5,000 won, which is the equivalent to, like, $5. Huzzah! Who doesn't love Totoro? Who hasn't seen Totoro?! Because you need to experience Totoro. He's just so cuuuute and funny. He's like my dream man. Er... Anyway, the tights are from a subway station. Yep, subway stations here have a lot of shops including restaurants and convenience stores and clothing stores. I usually just walk by because I'm on my way to meet someone, but I decided I wanted to stop one day and buy these fun polka-dot tights. And they've been so much fun to pair with different things.

 -Anna-

Totoro

sweatshirt:

 Korean Market

 shorts: ebay

 tights: Hapjeong subway station

 shoes: Target (they say Divided?)

 dino earrings: thrifted

Go do something fun this weekend! I'm going to a lantern festival today! Yaaay!

Also, this post is dedicated to our floofy cat, Chippy, who passed away this week. She was our sister for 19 years, most of our lives, and she'll be missed a lot. She went while being outside in the sunshine. We love you, girl. 

 

-Anna-

Stoop Kid

Here's what I wore subbing yesterday. I went to a high school, but taught multiply handicap kids, so they were  little developmentally behind. I also supervised (and I use that word lightly) another, more severe, developmentally delayed class of nonverbal kids. In the latter class there was a girl who loved looking at my watch, but she was also kind of a biter so if she got too close, she'd try to have a nibble!  Really sweet kids though, all of them. It was a fun and interesting experience. It's amazing the patience those teachers have with them.

One girl in the higher level class was telling me how she was going to be switched to be in regular classes next year as a sophomore and how excited she was. Sometimes I wish I were a more permanent in schools so I could check in with students or see how/where they end up. I mean, how much impact does a substitute have on someone? I only remember subs who we teased or were unpleasant. Maybe I'll instill some type of knowledge that they will tuck away until they need it, but can't remember where it cam from. On the other hand, when I get to teach in Korea, I will be a permanent fixture in these kids education for a whole year! They'll HAVE to remember me. How crazy is that! Someday those kids will be adults speaking English partly because of me! .... oh god, hahaha.

-Anna- 

sweater: Forever 21

skirt, shoes: thrifted

tights: i don't remember

earrings, necklace: Icing (closing sale!)

watch: gift

and, uh, sorry about the wrinkles. i had just gotten home from work.

I had two kittehs join me on the photoshoot, Pinot and Chippy. I almost had a third but Bette scared Josie away! She can be kind of skittish. And I don't believe you've met Chippy yet. She's out geriatric granny cat. She is a whopping 19 year old, as far as we can remember. She's still got a lot of spunk too! Even if sometimes she look a little haggard...

also, please ignore the cat hair. we've learned to.

mreow!

Adios mis amigos,
Ms. Flores

Wandering Away From Home

We left the comfort of our yard to take some location shots near downtown Elgin (which I don't know why we don't more often...). Our city is pretty historic, dating back to the 1850's! We became known for our famous Elgin watches, which became the largest producers of fine watches in the country. The factory switched to making supplies for World War II and it eventually went under, but the legacy remains. In fact, the clocks in Union Station, in Chicago, still bear the Elgin name! Supposedly...

I've decided that I need more crew neck sweaters. I only have two, and they only go so far. They're great for layering! Over dresses, button ups, t-shirts... plus they can carry themselves on their own.... and my chest won't get cold! Haha.

 on Anna:

sweater, shoes, coat: thrifted

dress (as skirt): Modcloth

tights: Betsy Johnson

headband: yoinked from mom

major tomcat!

Adios mis amigos,

Anna

Topgun Tomcat

Here's an outfit from the other day. I wore this awhile ago to Trivia at the Public House in Elgin. I sort of feel like a biker chick, except I the jacket is from the U.S. Air Force. Either way I feel cool and tough, but with a some sass and sweet mixed in too. The flowers are a given; they're one of my favorite prints (flores, flowers, you know...). The bright red lipstick is also fun seeing as I don't ever wear any. It can seem so intimidating. But I bought some for a wedding I went to a couple weeks ago, and it was expensive ($12 is a lot for someone who never buys make-up!) so I swore I'd wear it everyday. And, well, I haven't really done that, but I'm definitely on my way to evening out the value.

dress: borrowed from Bette, thrifted

jacket: borrowed from Bette, vintage

tights: Target

boots: thrifted

lipstick: Kohl's

Jump shot! One of many...

Storm's ready for the HIGHWAY TO THE DANGER ZONE.

A rare moment of peace between the two cousins.