for a pair of black eyes.

a little while back i stumbled upon the blog, lovelydesign. it is such a delightful blog to read. not only does it hold such clever and lovely homemade design ideas it also follows Sharilyn herself who is a new mom with her daughter Addie. she posted a good while back with this picture, and it literally makes my heart melt.

is that not precious? she took this pic of her daughter while she was napping with their cat elliot who had cuddled up with her. i know a lot of people hate cats, but i grew up with them and i just love them. i love dogs too, and i know debo and i want to have one of both when we finally have the space and are in a place that allows them. however, i must say that along with longing for a pet, i find myself more and more really wanting a baby of my own. it's so funny for me to be saying this because, although, growing up i always knew i wanted kids someday, i've never been really the mothering kind of girl. yet, i think getting married and settling down, pretty much nannying a baby & 3 year old almost full-time, and totally adoring the tv show jon & kate plus 8, have left me truly looking forward to being a mom.

don't worry though, hehehe, i'm not in a rush just yet! i think it's good to enjoy the time i have right now just being a newly wed before i start thinking about having a family. i think debo and i will at least wait 3 or 4 years until we make that next step. however, it is fun to think about the future and all the possibilities.

right now though i def. do truly yearn for a pet. every time i return home to pittsburgh i get to cuddle, play with, and tease this little guy:

this is chance. i call him, "chancey pants." this grey beast is the best cat i've ever had. he's literally part-dog incarnate. he has so much energy, he loves people, he's a good greeter, and he's not afraid of anything (not even the vacuum cleaner). he loves to cuddle, and he is the softest cat (his fur is like silky velvet). i soak up my time with him every visit i get to pittsburgh. he's just so enjoyable. he's also super mischievous and gets into lots of trouble. i know people hate cats, or because of their allergies they hate cats, or because they think all cats are mean, or that they are stupid compared to dogs (which is ridiculous, esp if you are a cat owner, and you grew up knowing plenty of stupid dogs), but...i insist...please give him a chance! (pun intended, sorta).

on a completely different note i purchased one last piece of artwork (i need to take a break from buying stuff for my walls now). this beautiful original painting is from italian painter, vincenzo rizzo. it's water color on acrylic paper and the painting itself is called, "For A Pair of Black Eyes." as soon as i saw it i was drawn in. it's youthful, simplistic, and just lovely. not anything against men, but i love the way that God created women. i just feel He knew how to show the softness, the vibrancy, the nuturing soul from the inside all the way out. our Lord is a fine craftsman, and i think this piece by vincenzo does our Lord some justice in portraying his creation of women (at least in this particular painting).