Cat Fur fer Kitty Pants

Whenever Grandma didn't want to bother answering my "What for?", she would reply, "Cat fur for kitty pants."

I don't think I ever thought to ask who made these kitty pants and if they were sewn or knitted from homespun cat fur.  I suspect that was beside the point, but if I were to make kitty pants today, I would prefer to sew them.  However, as I'm sewing them, I could also collect the cat fur from the project fabric and spin some cat fur yarn with what the cats leave behind.

As you can imagine, I haven't been overeager to set up shop where the cats are ever looking for that novel surface to lie on.  Until...

We weren't using the cracker jar in the kitchen.  Perfect!  Now I can decorate with the pretty fabrics I'm sewing together even as I keep them safe from the cats and their kitty pants.

I'm very happy with the solution.

Capture that Cat!

She plays with words, yet somehow she doesn't understand, "Get off, you silly little cat!"

These kittens provide so many opportunities to learn the tools of our trade... when they hold still long enough for me to secure a good focus!  While I don't ultimately approve of Pipes' perch, I did chuckle and run for the good camera.

I like this picture because in it I notice the colors of the stained glass window reflected on the Scrabble board. The shallow depth of field naturally draws my attention to Pipes' beautiful markings while communicating enough of her environment to contrast that innocent look with her obvious misdeed.

Since our fledgling family business includes video shooting, this summer we invested in the purchase of a Canon EOS 7D, a digital SLR camera with excellent high definition video capabilities.  As a digital SLR camera, I find it much easier to approach than a video camera, so I'm more apt to pick it up and practice using it.  Paul finds that he needs to adapt his thinking to this different mode of shooting, but my mind is a blank slate in that regard.

I enjoy learning how to use it, but I have to admit that I don't usually mess with the manual settings; the creative auto setting is good enough for me.  Instead, I focus my attention on composition, lighting, and, well... focusing.  Shooting in video mode particularly requires the operator to not only be competent, but quick.

I suppose that's why it's a good thing I like to practice on our spunky kittens.