It’s no secret that I have always loved cats, and most of my life have shared a home with at least one cat. Most recently, I was a contented 3-cat household. After having 2 cats for much of my adult life, I had to make the difficult decision a couple years ago to have my sweet Claudette euthanized due to old age and declining health. 

 Claudette

Mr. Bud and I were doing OK, but both missed Claudette. I thought long and hard about the best way to integrate another cat into the household and after speaking with fellow cat-lovers, decided to bring two kittens into the mix. The kittens, I was told, would spend a lot of their energy playing with each other, hopefully giving Mr. Bud some time and space to adjust.

Thus, Arlo and Coco joined us last summer, and while there was certainly an adjustment period, within several weeks, all three cats were getting along swimmingly. 

And everything was going along just dandy. But sometimes, life has other plans for us. Around mid-September this year, someone dropped off a kitten here at the warehouse. Well, I can’t leave a stray out to brave the elements, even one that was a little wild and unsocialized. I kept him in the warehouse until I could get him into the vet's office to be checked out and vaccinated, so that I could then find a loving home for him. Of course, by the time that all happened, I had fallen in love with him and he had become much more sociable and friendly. After having his vaccinations and being given a clean bill of health by the vet, we made the transition into the house. We call him Itty Bitty Kitty for now, and he is making friends with the others. He is especially smitten with Arlo and that is the story of how I officially became a “Crazy Cat Lady.” 

Last in our series (for now) about the origins of all our glassware designs, we focus on our Chalk Black & White Collection. Often, I come up with a concept, then work with my artist, Sarah, to sketch an initial design. We kind of collaborate to make the vision I already have in my head come to life. 

However, this one kind of took a backwards trajectory. Quite honestly, I didn’t have this in mind at all, until I stumbled upon this fantastic paint, that works like a chalkboard. Yes, it’s true, this paint adheres to the glassware, and not only can be written on with chalk, but can also be erased and re-written on, time after time. 

When I learned of this, only then did this design start to form. I wanted to make it really different from all our other designs. Getting away from florals and intricate swirls, we created a very modern, block type pattern that can work with classic to contemporary décor. 

It’s great for children’s parties, graduations, weddings and anniversaries. And when you gift it to someone, they can use it for a multitude of events throughout their lives. Head to our website for more of our Chalk Black & White Collection.