What I'm Into: November 2014

November 8, 2014

November was something else!

I spent the month listening to Christmas music, trying to figure out the weather, and stocking up for WINTER.  

My brother and sister finished up their CYT class. We tried out Texas Roadhouse (the concensus was: Good food, lousy atmosphere. I think I'm getting old!). 

I got to see Heidi two different times this month! We made soap at her house and hung out at mine. I really wish we just lived right next door. I met a new friend named Joe and he's already taught me a great way to clean my microwave. 

My brother won the turkey at the Turkey Bingo this year (and Jay was the other winner at our table)! We had an early Thanksgiving at Jay's last Sunday and as usual the day was well spent and lots of fun!  Our table held new guests for Thanksgiving and we've been in game mode the last few days. 


What I'm Watching

I kicked the month off with a Christmas movie, but now I can't even remember which one!

We watched "Maleficent" two nights in a row.

"Gentleman's Agreement" (1947) is by far the best movie I've watched in a long time.

I've been watching "All About Eve" (1950), but I keep getting interrupted before I can finish it.

November 24, 2014

In the Kitchen

I made Joy the Baker's Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting from THIS book for my brother's 22nd birthday!

Porcupine Meatballs are an old favorite.

THESE dinner rolls were amazing. The only thing I'm going to change is to divide the dough into more rolls so they aren't quite so big. 

6:37 this morning

  
What I'm Reading

I've come to the end of my fall reading.

I really enjoyed "The Small Rain" and "My Life in France".

"The Christmas Cat" was my first Christmas book.

 I've been reading "Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Book Store".  I'm still making up my mind about it. Have you read it? What did you think (no spoilers please!!)?

I've got some great reading ahead of me in December...First up is a book club read that you're invited to join in on! Learn how to sign up HERE.

On the Blog

Liebster Awards are a great way to learn more about people.

I wrote about friendships.

Kiki and I hosted The Circle together! You can still link up.

A quick christmas read and my recipe for gingerbread hot cocoa all in one.

Lessons From My Mom.

You're Invited to "Read It" my brand new Goodreads book club!

What were you into in November? 

I'm linking up with Leigh for her "What I'm Into" link up!

You're Invited: Book Club

 I've decided to start a book club over on Good Reads!!!

This club will be dedicated to reading and discussing one book each month. The genres will range from literary fiction and mysteries to autobiographies/biographies and maybe even a little YA every now and then.

You'll need a goodreads account, but it's completely free and besides that, it's a great way to keep track of your reading! To join, simply visit THIS link.

We'll begin on Monday, so be sure to sign up and start looking for a copy of the December's book right away!

Lessons From My Mom

Last month Kiki wrote about "being good enough" and as I was typing out a comment, the idea for this post was born! 

March 3, 2012

I don't think I talk about my Mom on this space very much. She is hands down the most influential person in my life. We have been extremely close pretty much my whole life. She has taught me so many things and if I could just remember half of them I'd be sure to go places!

My Mom always taught me...

 To do my best - She pushed me to do things well, but to be okay with my limits.

To not be afraid of failure - Her exact words go something like this, "The only thing worse than failing is never even trying."

To listen up when learning opportunities show up - Her Dad told her "The only stupid question is the question that you never asked." and she made sure to pass that same wisdom on to me. Pay attention, ask questions, and GIVE IT A SHOT.

That I'm okay - This started when I was a baby. She would always acknowledge the pain and then quickly move on to helping me "brush it off" and reminding me that "it isn't any trouble just to S.M.I.L.E."

These pieces of advice have never let me down.

See , Mom? 

I have been listening!

And don't quote this post 

next time I'm struggling 

with something! :) 

I love you !

Christmas Reading

Every December something called Christmas comes over me! Picking out an Advent study, pulling out the decorations, heading to the library on a hunt for some quick Christmasy novels, and baking until right before December 25th never get old.

The only thing different this year is that Christmas came over me in November! I've held off as long as I can, today I'm going to spread some cheer to you. This is also my very first post feature pictures taken with the fixed 50mm lens that I just got a few weeks ago!!! I LOVE it.

"The Christmas Cat" by Melody Carlson was the first Christmas book that I read this year. It's a very short read, but true to Carlson's style, packed with several great plots! I've received a lot of teasing for reading this book...I am not an animal person, but that didn't keep me from enjoying it!

I've been reading Carlson since I was ten or eleven years old. If her name is on the cover I'm going to give it a try for sure. We all have our favorite authors and she has been one of mine for years.

Let's talk about her latest release and then I'll tell you about my Gingerbread Hot Cocoa recipe...

"The Christmas Cat" is mostly set in present day Vancouver, WA and begins just before Thanksgiving. A man named Garrison is the main character and he begins the book with a few things to sort out. After being a missionary in Africa, he returns to the states and finds himself single, living with a buddy, and without a job. To complicate matters even more, he ends up losing his Grandmother and becoming the executor of her estate which includes six cats who are going to need homes.

Garrison's dilemma unfolds in Vancouver with a fair amount of humor, a smidgen of romance, and some good lessons that we can all relate to along the way.

You'll become pretty fond of Ruby (the sweet older neighbor lady) and I hate to admit it, but even the cats themselves!

Sometimes you just need to read a good story and "The Christmas Cat" is exactly that. It's not one that will make you cry. The humor won't have you rolling your eyes. It really is the perfect book to enjoy with a hot drink on a cold winter day!

Grab a copy of "The Christmas Cat" today and be sure to tell me what you think!

* * * * *

A few years ago on my Grandma's birthday, I was baking up a batch of Ginger Cookies and I came up with the brilliant idea to use some of the spices from that recipe in hot cocoa.  This cocoa is pretty much Christmas in a cup if you ask me!

This recipe is not exact. I use less than an 1/8 of a teaspoon of each spice. You can adjust the amounts to your taste!

While the kettle is on the stove, pour your cocoa mix, a little ginger, ground cloves, and cinnamon into your cup.

Add your water and stir VERY well to make sure that all of spices are thoroughly mixed into the drink. Cinnamon can be a little stubborn, but it will come together. Pour in a splash of half & half and stir one last time.

Top with a dollop of whipped cream or some marshmallows and ENJOY!


12-12-12 Gingerbread Hot Cocoa
makes 1 serving

1 pkg hot cocoa mix
touch of ginger
little more ground cloves
little more cinnamon
water
splash of half & half (or milk)
optional: whipped cream or marshmallows

Set your kettle on to boil. Combine hot cocoa mix, ginger, ground cloves, and cinnamon in a mug.

Add water and stir VERY well until all of spices are dissolved completely. Stir in a splash of half & half.

Top with whipped cream or marshmallows.

ENJOY!

* I was provided with a review copy of this book by Revell. All thoughts are my own honest opinion.

Julep Friendsgiving Box

When the November box was released, Julep had a special "build your own box" option.  So far, I've found that Julep has great customer service and makes getting products that you are sure to love super easy. 

Customer service example: My first box came with a bottle of their Freedom Polymer Topcoat. I was getting ready to use it and I accidentally dropped it. It landed just right and BROKE. They offered to send me a brand new bottle free of charge. That's what I call customer service!

Getting products you love with ease example: The Friendsgiving Box. Is there even a better way to thank your customers than to offer to let them build a completely custom box? I don't think so!

The November box included:  "Sawyer" from the Boho Glam collection, "Marzia" from the It Girl collection, and "Devon" from the Classic With a Twist collection . I chose "Bonnie" as an add on.

They also included two little candies, a coupon, one of their little quote cards, and a couple of mini catalogs.

I tried Sawyer out first. It is one of those polishes that looks like different colors depending on the light. And I already know that I'll be layering Bonnie on top of EVERYTHING, all year long!

As always, Julep would like to offer a free trial box to you! Simply click HERE to take their style quiz and get started. I should note that they've just released the selections for their December boxes!

What are your go-to winter polish colors? 

Are you on the hunt for a specific color?  

* While this is not a sponsored post, I have included affiliate links.

The Circle: November

I'm so excited to announce that I get to co-host this month's The Circle link up with Kiki!!!

I met Kiki earlier this year and we have become great friends. She teaches pre-school and she has a serious knack for taking pictures of everyday things in ways that make them look beautiful. She is also the brains behind The Circle which happens to be one of my favorite link ups!

The theme this month is to share 5-10 of your essentials. What things make you you?
 

1. Reformation Study Bible - I received this Bible when I graduated from high school and it is something that plays a HUGE part in my life.

2. Walking and Photography - I snapped this shot during a walk on Cape Cod. Wherever I go there are two things that I always do: find a walking route and take pictures of things that catch my eye.

3. Reading - My favorite genres are literary fiction, mysteries, and auto biographies/biographies. I especially love reading outside.

4. Gardening - Thanks to Julie I use these gloves. Thanks to Alice I use steak knives. Thanks to both of them, my Mom, and my Grandma I have come to love growing flowers and vegetables.

5. Baking - My favorite room in every house is the kitchen. Cinnamon Biscuits are one of my go-to recipes.

6. Bags - I picked up this purse when I was supposed to be Christmas shopping a few years ago. I didn't "need" it, but it was THE perfect bag. I'm always carrying things for other people and I have quite a few essentials (remember THIS post?).

7.  Family Time - It's no secret, I love people. I love pulling out a board game and some snacks and spending time playing games with my friends and family.

So, what are the circles of YOUR life? I hope you'll join us by linking up!!!!

Friends

July 22, 2014

Last month I picked up "Cold Tangerines" by Shauna Niequist and I couldn't put it down. (You can read about that HERE.) The essay about friendship titled "Swimming" really grabbed my attention.

On p. 49 Shauna said these words:


  "Friendship is acting out God's love for people in tangible ways. We were made to represent the love of God in each other's lives so that each person we walk through life with has a more profound sense of God's love for them. Friendship is an opportunity to act on God's behalf in the lives of the people that we're close to, reminding each other who God is...We get to remind each other about the bigger, more beautiful picture that we can't always see from where we are."


It's true.

I have been blessed with so many friends. When I look back, I realize that facing the hardest times together have been some of the sweetest. Staying close and connected takes work and every now and then we need reminders that the work of friendship is worth it. (I wrote one HERE back in January.)

Today I'm writing to remind all of us of the treasure that we have in being able to be friends to one another. May we think about our relationships with people as a means to show them a little more of the God that created everything and holds it all together.

Whether it's a phone call, a card, a coffee date, or a cleaning party - God gives us so very many opportunities to reach out to one another. May our reaching out not be for worthless things, but for more of Him. May we love one another and be friends with one another in a way that points all of us right back to the very source of friendship, namely God Himself.

Every single one of our friends was once a stranger to us in the same way that God and His grace went completely unnoticed. May we be the type of friends who help our friends to be glad that they know us. More importantly, I hope that we can all be the type of friends that make ignoring God and His grace impossible!

Be a friend today, take time to be with God and then share Him with those around you.

Take time to thank the friends who stand beside you doing the same thing.

It's friendship and it's beautiful.

Influenster VoxBox Reveal

I was selected to receive Influenster's Moda VoxBox. As you can see, it was jam packed with some really great products! Let's talk about them...

* I LOVED the Swiss Miss Simple Cocoa. With only five ingredients, I felt better about drinking it and it truly was RICH and creamy.

* The Resource Natural Spring Water left my mouth feeling tingly. I do enjoy bottled water, but there was something about this one that I didn't like.

* I've been using JERGENS Ultra Healing lotion for years. They've got a new formula and have been running a 7 day challenge. I didn't realize notice a difference between the new and old formula, but I will continue using this lotion!

* Hair Food was new to me. This Moisture Hair Mask seems to work really well. I love the smell and the fact that my dead ends almost disappear after I use this product. If you're after smooth, silky, healthy hair (that smells nice) this is worth trying out.

* Whoever thought of a soft pack of Puffs is a genius! My Grandma always kept a box of tissues in her car and when I got my car I followed suit. When you have kids climbing in and out of the back seat, tissue boxes soon become rather crushed. This soft pack would fit under the seat or above the back seat perfectly. I love it!

I'm not a make up wearer. However, I've always enjoyed playing around with it. Since I don't wear makeup, my lips and skin stay pretty clear and healthy. That said...

* My lips are rarely chapped, so I don't feel like I can give an honest review of the Rimmel London Moisture Lip Liner. I think the idea is a good one, but it didn't leave my already moisturized lips feeling any different.

* I loved the Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick! They sent me a crazy bright color, but the name won me over because it is "As You Want Victoria"! I loved the way this lipstick covered my lips and felt on them. This will provide great color and leave your lips feeling hydrated rather than "under attack". 

* I have sensitive eyes so it's not a good idea for me to wear mascara, however I did try out the Rimmel London Rockin' Curves Mascara that was included in this box. It went on really well and the shape of the wand was pretty handy. I think it could take some getting used to, but overall, I think you'll love it.

BOTTOM LINE:

*Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa = $2.29 || Five Stars

* Resource Bottled Spring Water = $1.49 || Two Stars

* JERGENS Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer = $5.99 - $6.99 || Four Stars

* Hair Food Moisture Hair Mask = $14.99 || Four Stars

* Puffs Soft Pack = $1.99 - $2.49 || Five Stars

* Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lip Liner = $5.99 - $6.49 || Two Stars

* Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick = $6.99 - $7.49 || Four Stars

* Rimmel London Scandeleyes Rockin' Curvves Mascara = $5.49-$5.99 || Four Stars

To learn more about Influenster or to sign up, be sure to email me (victoria.mjfh@gmail.com) and I'll get you a referral link!



*I received this box from Influenster for review purposes. All thoughts are my own honest opinion.

All Kinds of Plans

August 1, 2014

I'm sitting by the fire with a hazelnut mocha that Wendy made me, hitting the pause button on life for just a minute. This week has left me kind of a mess and it's only Wednesday!

*

Sunday was my brother's 22nd birthday. This is the 5th birthday of his that I have not been able to spend with him. Sure, there is skype and that's all well and good, but it's just not getting any easier. I miss him.

Over the last week or so I was chipping away at Madeleine L'Engle's "The Small Rain". It was her first novel and I had ZERO expectations. In fact, I assumed that I would probably hate it. I didn't. I decided to take however much time it took to finish it on Monday morning.  I never do that and it made for a lovely morning! Monday also included lots of cleaning and laundry and a walk on what we expect to be the last "fall" day of the year.

Then there was yesterday. I headed to my friend Heidi's house for the day. We made soap and sunscreen and I helped her daughter make a necklace and kept her son out of trouble. We visited with Ruth and then Dennis and Darlene too for a bit before I had to head back home. As I sat down on the couch last night I was so glad that I set aside that time to spend with all of them!

And today...I finished up the last webcast for a poetry class I've been taking, took a walk to get the van, and then I met up with Joe to run some errands.

*

I had all kinds of plans for my blog this week and now none of it seems important. I might write or I might just take this week off, I haven't decided yet.

There are people around us and the pain and the fights with sin and the aging aren't easy. We shouldn't leave each other to deal with these things alone. I'm so glad that God prepared things for me to do in this life and right now my soul is just overflowing with JOY in Him.

Excuse me while I praise Him and pick up the pieces...I'll be back soon!

Friday Fun

November 7, 2014

I was nominated by Ladonna at A Dash of Encouragement for the Liebster Award! I only met Ladonna recently, but she has become a fast friend! She posts dashes of encouragement every Tuesday. You should definitely pop over to her blog!

Here's how the Liebster Award works:

    Post 11 random facts about yourself
    Answer 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you
    Nominate bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to do the same
    Let the bloggers you have nominated know they have been nominated


Part One - 11 Random Facts


1. My favorite color is purple.


2. I almost never measure anything when I cook. My Mom despises this habit.


3. I was talking in complete, understandable sentences by the time I was 16 months old. Yes. It's true. This should have clued my Mom in to what the years ahead would hold. (I talk a lot.)


3.  Up until earlier this year, I didn't have any dream destinations outside of the USA. Thanks to Fitzgerald, I've added the French Riviera to my list of places to visit.


4.  2014 was also the year that I realized that I want to be a librarian someday.


5. When I was 13 I gave my go-cart a complete overhaul.


6. I was in 4-H for one year when I was six. I showed a goat and earned the only trophy that is just mine...The trophy was because of my excellent barn duty skills! This is funny for so many reasons.


7. It takes most people a long time to call me Victoria. Kids can't say it. Adults can't remember it. And well meaning people are always trying to shorten it.


8. I almost never play games on the internet (I don't even know what to call them), but Diner Dash and Burger Bash are my games of choice.


9. My favorite arcade game is Ski-Ball.


10.  My favorite toy as a child was a cash register. I had several toy ones, but the real one my Dad let me play with was my favorite.


11. In October, I earned about 750 Swag Bucks.  It's so much easier than I thought! I'm planning to exchange the Swagbucks for Amazon gift cards to use on some of my Christmas shopping. Shameless plug - you should sign up HERE. 


Part Two - Answer The Questions

1. What is one thing God is teaching you during this season? To KEEP setting my hope in Him.

2. If you could travel any where tomorrow, where would you go and why? This is HARD. I would love to go back to Massachusetts to visit all of my friends there. However, I owe my family in South Carolina a visit first. While I'm there, I would be sure to get together with my blogger friends that live in the area too!

3. What is your favorite Christmas movie? It Happened on 5th Avenue

4. Team Edward or Team Jacob? I never read Twilight...Or saw the movies…Sorry!

5. What are you currently reading? 1 Peter, "The Small Rain" by Madeleine L'Engle, and "The Christmas Cat" by Melody Carlson

6. What is your favorite time of year? SUMMER

7. What is one goal you hope to accomplish this next year? I want to become efficient at using Illustrator.

8. Where and who will you be spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with? My house with my parents and two of my siblings and whatever other friends and family decide to join in on the celebration.

9. What inspired you to start blogging? It was just a new way to keep a record of things. I started in high school and never looked back.

10. Who inspires you the most in life right now? God. He is my everything!

11. Who is your favorite author? Mary Higgins Clark, hands down.


Part Three - Leave Eleven Questions

1. What is your favorite breakfast cereal?

2. What is the last book that you finished? Would you recommend it?

3. What is your DREAM car?

4. What is your favorite thing on the Thanksgiving table?

5. What are your go-to nail polishes for this season?

6. What Scripture do you go back to over and over again?

7. What is your favorite APP?

8. As a blogger, do you plan posts in advance or blog as you go?

9. Growing up, what was your favorite movie?

10. What person from history do you relate to most?

I now nominate the following bloggers for the Liebster Award:


                                                       Angela @ The Harrells on Hood

Jayda @ Avocado Grove

Jess @ Polished Arrow

Krista @ eitsart

Rachel @ Topaz n Pearls

Robyn @ Robyn's Nest

I know that some of you have more than 200 followers, so I'm breaking the rules a little bit. If you choose to accept the award,  please come back and comment with your post link so we can read your posts! 

Julep Mystery Box

Along with a monthly subscription service, Julep gives their customers some really great deals.

Last month, they chose ten special items and reduced their price to $10 each. I had my eye on their Mighty Cuticle Serum, but it was never in the box that I wanted and I couldn't see spending more than $10 on an item I wasn't sure I'd love.

When it went on sale, I jumped at the deal! With winter coming on, my cuticles are going to need a bit of help. And then came the "mystery box"....My Mom loves surprises, so she decided to add it to the cart as well!

The mystery box included...

Three polishes: "Nic" a deep red from the Bombshell collection, "Jet" a black from the It Girl collection, and "Layne" a sheer pink from the Classic With a Twist collection .

They also included a box of their Polish Remover Packets.


I'll admit, mystery boxes always scare me. I mean, what if I HATE everything in it?!?! But, I think that we were pleasantly surprised!

You can click HERE to take their style quiz and try Julep for free!

Do you like surprises?

What's your favorite subscription service? 

* While this is not a sponsored post, I have included affiliate links.

Currently pt. 7

October was a super busy month on this little space! It's amazing what we can accomplish when we get a routine going. I have been enjoying fall so very much this year. Everything looks so beautiful and it has rained several times each week, it's just great!

Currently I am...

appreciating: Spontaneous fun with my brother and sister. It happens almost everyday. We'll pull out a game or watch something together or spend who knows how long going on and on about anything that's on our minds and making us laugh. And my Mom....She is nothing short of amazing. She's the lady doing everything and yet worrying about nothing. And all of you...I've been really blessed with some great blogging friends! You cannot know how much you all mean to me.

1  /   2   /   3   /  4   /   5   /   6

wishlisting : Three extravagant things because of the cooler weather (a fancy coat, a counter top frother, and slippers). And three less extravagant things that would be useful (a donut pan, a replacement of my favorite knife, and a cute box).

PS: I've heard Hobby Lobby has that box, but I didn't want to search their site for it.


reading: Madeleine L'Engle's very first novel, "The Small Rain" and an advanced readers' copy of Melody Carlson's "The Christmas Cat" which will be releasing just in time for a little pre-Christmas reading.

Next up is "My Life in France" and I can hardly wait for that one!

 
loving: Fall. Chai Lattes. Movie Nights. Rain. Cooking.

Print Yours

creating: Lots and lots of food. Hearty dinners, yummy sweets. It's been great. I also made this calendar for myself and decided to share it with you too! Click HERE to make it yours!

What are you appreciating, wishlisting, reading, loving, and creating?

Link up with Jenna and Anne so that we can all hear about it!

What I Learned in October

October 2, 2014

It's fun to take note of the things that I learn each month. It's amazing how many times I say, "I never knew that!" So...Here we go, here are six things that I learned in October.


* Pluto is officially a planet again!!! You cannot know what this means to me. Change is never okay, especially when it comes to things like stars vs planets. * Update on Nov. 7, 2014 - My thanks go to Rach for finding THIS LINK for me!


* My Mom ran a 5k when she was 18ish with her sister (my Aunt Linda and her husband). Since she was the only one in her age group (how times have changed), she took first place in it! Way to go, Mom!!!

via

* I always think of Nature Valley Oat & Honey Bars as "new" and "exciting" and yet I've been eating them since 3rd grade when my teacher had them in the reward drawer for math games. Why am I still thinking this? They are not new at all.


* At the top of your gmail inbox there are quotes of the day.

October 27, 2014

* There's a difference between a pie pumpkin and a carving pumpkin. Pie pumpkins are smaller and their skins tend to be thicker and uglier. The meat inside is ideal of pies though. 1 pie pumpkin gives about 3 cups of pumpkin which should make you two pies!

October 18, 2014

* October 18th is National Chocolate Cupcake Day and frosting lasts two years in the freezer.  I whipped up a fresh batch of Joy's Chocolate Cupcakes and just happened to have some left over peanut butter frosting in the freezer...from two years ago. It tasted and felt like I made it fresh!

What did you learn in October? 

Operation Read Your Shelves: By Searching

This post is part of Lauren's "Operation Read Your Shelves" link up that takes place on the first Monday of every month. 

During the month of October, I read "By Searching" by Isobel Kuhn. 

My friend Darlene has been telling me about this book for years. I'm so glad that I finally took the time to read it!

I expected this to be a book about missionary life in China, but it turns out that it was about the years that led up to Kuhn's missionary days. It's set in the 1920's. We follow Kuhn through her late teens and into her 20's as she finds herself searching.

 I loved the perspective that she had to offer. This is the second book that I've read about young women in the 1920's and yet I didn't plan that at all. Both women have surprised me...I had no idea that they struggled with "worldliness" or that they found themselves in such horrible situations "back then". I knew the 20's were "roaring", but for some reason, I didn't realize the devastation that these years left behind in the lives of the women who lived through them. 

I am fascinated by God's hand in Kuhn's life and I'm going to look around to see if there's anything else that she ever had published. 

Let just say this short little book just placed itself right onto my list of all-time favorites! 

Check out my Fall Reading List! 

When's the last time you read a book that you've owned for a while?

What was your favorite October read? 

The First of November

November 1, 2014

It's the first of November. There's something about a new month that makes me want to stop and take stock of things. This morning, I grabbed my camera and took a few pictures of "November".

 I'm sitting here thinking lots of simple things...

My neighbor's cat is missing.

Michelle and Monica and Zachary are coming over this afternoon. I'm planning to make ribs and macaroni and cheese and baked beans and something sweet for dessert.

I should probably make something green.

Having a few games set out would also be a good idea.

My brother will be 22 in 8 days!

Thanksgiving is going to be really different this year. Jay won't be coming and we invited a couple that we've never invited before.

I'm still working my way through 1 Peter. I'm not sure if I'll finish it before winter gets here.

This mug cake never grows old. I had one last night while watching Downton Abbey. 

Tonight we turn the clocks back.

This is the month that things will slow down and other things will speed up. I think I'm ready.

Are you?

a blurry picture...but that cat!