Cloth Napkin Challenge

This is why we think we can't have cloth napkins!  Get off the table!!  Okay, since you're so adorable, you can stay on the table for five seconds while I take your picture.  Now, Psst!  It's possible that I send mixed signals to my naughty cats.  

One day last week I had have my blood drawn to make sure I still have the right amount of antibodies for rabies.  I get quite a few vaccines since I work with contaminated streams and also with wild animals, particularly bats, who can carry the rabies virus.  To reward myself for my good behavior while my blood was withdrawn, and since they didn't even offer me a cookie or a sucker, I stopped at the Peddlers Mall on my way home.  Look at all the goodies I found!

Recently, I've had discussions with several friends about cloth napkins.  One of my friends said that she can remember the first time she visited someone's house and was presented with cloth napkins.  She said that it made such an impression, that she can still remember the visit, and that she has them now and it makes her feel nice to use them.  She recommended that I get some.  

I like cloth napkins too, but I've never thought I was a good enough laundress to keep cloth napkins in a presentable state.  I just run things through the washer, and hope that most of the cat hair washes off.  It's not uncommon for us to need to use the sticky roller on clean clothes, so hairy napkins seem like a bad idea.  But, since cloth napkins have been on my mind, I couldn't resist buying these pretty embroidered ones from the Peddlers Mall, especially since they were so inexpensive!  

I spent six dollars and got twenty-three napkins, most with hand stitching.  I can't even buy a multi-pack of paper towels for six dollars, so I thought this was a great deal. They are all either brand new, or have been so well cared for that they aren't stained or contaminated with cat hair.  Well, at least they weren't contaminated with cat hair until I brought them home and the cat tried to take a nap on them!   We'll see if I can keep them in a condition worthy of use.

I didn't stop with napkins though.  I bought a pink pillow case that is embroidered with pink dogwood flowers, and a glass chick water dish.  I have a glass chick water dish already, but with all the baby chickens in my life these days, I can imagine a time when I might need two, and it's not like you can pick up a glass one at Tractor Supply these days.  All they have are the flimsy plastic ones.  

With my nieces birthday in mind, I paid just a few dollars for this cute purse.  I showed it to the cats, and my girl kitten seemed to think it was pretty cool.  

Puck seemed mostly offended that I wanted him to model it, and when I asked Brandon if he thought my niece would like it for her birthday, he wanted to know if I meant her eightieth birthday or her eighth?  Oh oh.  I remember getting some funny presents from my grandmother who shopped at yard sales.  Maybe it's an inherited trait and I've now taken her place as the relative that gives the weird unique, previously owned, gifts.  

I've been on a shopping hiatus for the past months as we try to focus our energy and resources toward finishing the house renovation and planning for a big trip. I could tell that I had a built up reserve of shopping stamina when I finally allowed myself to peruse the hundreds of stalls at the Peddlers Mall, because I critically examined at least a dozen old picnic baskets before I exhausted my shopping reserves.  

I knew I needed the picnic basket when I found some pretty embroidered tea towels while looking at cloth napkins.  Logical, right?  Who wants to go on a picnic?!