Happy first Stellaversary!

What on earth, you may very rightfully ask, is “Stellaversary”? Well, it just so happens that the word Stellaversary is a completely homemade term I created as a way of marking the date when we first brought our darling cat, Stella home. As today, the 23rd of November, is the one year anniversary of when she came into our lives, I am hereby proclaiming this date to the first annual Stellaversary!

Though both my husband and I had the pleasure of growing up in homes with pets, as a couple, Stella is the first animal that we can jointly call our own. We’re both massive animal lovers and had known from day one that we wanted a pet (or two...), but for the first few years of our relationship our lives were in too much of a state of flux (several moves – including overseas, waiting for life altering decisions from Immigration Canada, etc) for us to have responsibly taken on a pet.

Last year, for the first time ever in our life together, things began to settle down, (positive) outcomes were finally reached, and we knew that at long last it was OK for us to consider bringing home a pet. We didn’t set out on this exact date one year ago with the intention of bringing home a cat, we’d actually gone out to buy a dining room table, of all things! Well, we succeeded in finding a beautiful one of those (on sale!), and afterwards continued bopping around to various places in that part of town.

As the evening wore on we found ourselves at a PetSmart which just happened to be one of the locations that includes an in-house animal rescue adoption centre. All of the cats at PetSmart are ones that have found their way their from animal shelters (such as the SPCA) and who are looking for loving “forever” families of their own. Both my husband and I are huge supporters of adopting shelter animals, so when we saw two adorable, 11 week old kittens staring up at us through the viewing glass of the cat corner (of the store), we instantly asked if we could look at and hold them.

Though we would have loved dearly to be able to have brought them both home with us, we knew that it would be much more economically responsible for just get one cat. The pair that batted their sweet golden eyes at us were brother and sister, of whom we decided to adopt the girl, Stella (at the time she was the calmer of the two, a trait that we thought would make her a good house cat – as we live in a high rise apartment and she wouldn’t, and isn’t, allowed outside...little did we know then that she had a secret rambunctious side that would put the Energizer bunny to shame!).

After speaking with the person in charge of the cats (who told us that the kittens were feral strays, but had no further information about their background other than their age), we loading up a shopping cart (at PetSmart) with everything (and then some) that a young kitten might ever want or need, paid for our kitty supplies, and with hearts bursting to the breaking point with love and excitement, brought our new kitten home.

For the first few days she was very, very shy (she camped out under the sofa for the most part), yet after a little while our new baby cat warmed up to us. We named her Stella (the Italian word for star, as her grey fur and sparkling yellow eyes both reminded me of stars in the night sky) and suddenly we came to realize how very much our lives had been missing without this wonderful animal in it.

Jump ahead a year and Stella is every bit as adorable today as she was back then. Full of spunk and energy, she’s a bright, inquisitive, massively energetic cat who loves to run around the apartment, exploring ever nook and cranny, play with her (plethora of) toys, sleep in her kitty condo (a gift from my parents to their “grandkitty”), and curl up with my us from time to time for a good snuggle.

Stella is not the most “lap cat” of felines, but for all her playfulness, she is exceedingly sweet and often seems to know when I’m feeling extra rough health wise. On such days she’ll curl up with me in bed or on the sofa as I watch TV, purring loudly and nestling her little grey face into against me. Whether she knows it or not, Stella is a therapy pet. Though it was us that saved her, in so many ways she has also rescued us.

She is also a joy, a blessing, and a truly wonderful animal. It’s nearly impossible to fathom how life would be today if we’d not brought Stella home. Though we may very have adopted a different cat at some point, they would not have been our darling Stella. Just as with children, no two pets ever exactly alike, and when it comes to wonderful kitties we could not have found a more darling pet than our sweet Stella.


{1. Even the best of us must rest sometime, 2. A vision of cuteness, 3. "Mommy, mommy", purred Stella, "I saw another one, it's up there, look!", 4. I'm not vicious! You just caught me mid-yawn :), 5. Contemplating everything that flutters, flaps or flies, 6. Pink is the love you discover, 7. Stella wishes everyone a sunny Sunday, 8. Stella ponders whether or not she should steal yet another strawberry from the "human's" curious display of temptation, 9. Sunshine makes me sleepy, 10. What is this strange, warm, wonderful light?, 11. Reach for your dreams, 12. Such a very serious look, for one so young, 13. I'm so precious. Twelve images, to represent each delightful month that we’ve had her, plus one more to symbolize my love for Stella, make up this mosaic that shows the many expressions and moods of our precious grey tabby. All photos were taken by me and are from my Flickr stream.}

My dear friends, please join me in celebrating one year of a life filled with the pitter-patter of four tiny paws, and in the merriment of my endless love for my cat, as we mark the first ever Stellaversary!

Five For Friday {August 14, 2009}

...Halfway through August already, a little over one more month to go before (if only on the calendar) autumn swings into gear. I’m eager for its arrival, but have also found myself enjoying summer’s alluring, almost intoxicating temperatures more this year. As another weekend approaches, it’s time for things that make you smile as though you’ve just recalled a wonderful memory, a massive dose of cuteness, and a scrumptious treat that’s worth heating up the kitchen for...

♥ ♥ ♥


{To ensure even the dollies in your house are accessorized with vintage elegance}


{Isn’t this vintage set of child and doll sized watches (and the gingham print packaging they come in) wonderful? Even if you don’t collect dolls, this set would look amazingly sweet as a display piece. Vintage “Dolly and I” matching wristwatch set, $12.00 (US) from etsy seller REdesignkc.}


{To capture one of summer’s finest tastes in a flakey pie crust}


{Whether made with fresh, frozen or canned fruit, there is little denying the incredibly delicious taste of a freshly baked cherry pie, especially if you opt to serve it a la mode! Photo from, and recipe for Easy Cherry Pie on, Country Living.}


{To melt your heart...the stifling summer heat having likely long since melted the rest of your body ;D}


{Ask anyone who’s known me for a while and they’re likely to tell you I have an unfathomably humongous love of animals, especially those which are in some way a little out of the ordinary. When you add in megawatts of cuteness, the critter equation almost becomes too much for one’s mind to grasp! :D Such is the case of this incredibly adorable miniature pony named Koda, who aside from being small naturally, was also born with equine dwarfism (he’s scarcely taller than a house cat). Take one look at this bundle of sweetness and tell me you wouldn’t want one just like him to call your own? (Image via the Daily Mail.)}


{To wear on hot nights spent lounging up with a good TCM marathon or your favourite vintage movie}



{While the cut is on the modern side, the image on this charming t-shirt certainly transmits an alluring old school Hollywood vibe. I Love Film Noir t-shirt, available in sizes small to 3XL and both standard and “ladies fit”, $9.95 (US) from Neatorama.}


{To pass the time between rounds of ice tea, dips in the lake, and counting down the days until it snows again}


{Like something you could easily imagine a group of F. Scott Fitzgerald characters leisurely using on days when it was just too unbearably warm to run around on the tennis court. Set of four red and cream hued vintage badminton racquets, $38.00 (US) from etsy seller Corrnucopia. (And be sure to check out this listing from Flamingo Vintage, if you’d like some vintage shuttlecocks to accompany your racquets.)}


This very post is a milestone in its own right; it’s the 100th piece to make its way onto the pages of Chronically Vintage. Started nearly four months ago, this blog has become a truly joyful and fascinating element of my life. I want to thank each and every one of my deeply incredible – and very dear – readers, without you this blog simply would not be the same. I adore you all very much and hope that you’ll love what the future holds in store for Chronically Vintage from post 101 onwards!

Wishing you each a shimmering, beautiful weekend!