A Cat-in-a-Cup Quest

Before we get started on today's "Quest," let's eat every crumb of this walnut coffee cake:


Now it's time to hit the road on a quest. It's a gift for a dear friend, a special cat cup. It can be old or new, preferably cafe au lait sized with flat handles on either side to rest one's thumbs. Preferably, it should have a cat in the cup's bottom.

This will be a snap, I thought. It's not an obscure cat artifact. It's a cup. Easy peasy. Right? But not too easy, I hope, because I love quests--especially if I am looking for a friend.

First, I made a beeline for the glass cases with the pricey stuff. No cups or mugs, but here's an old bronze cat.


This is an unusual cat figurine, and I can't see the price. The cat has an odd yellow glass tail.


This black cat is adorable, but he's not in the bottom of a cup.


Cat mugs! Success! But there are no cats in the bottom. So we move on.


I buy a little bag of cat nip for my friend's cat, Chicklet.


This case is filled with antique cat items, and lots of cat and dog jewelry.


A toy sleeping cat.


Cute cat plates.


A white cat


Dog art, mostly new, but very cute for a dog themed room:


Vintage dog art.


This oyster dish is $85. No discernable markings. My father grew up on the Gulf Coast, and I am specially fond of oyster dishes.


I'd hoped these cream soup bowls would have a cat somewhere. ::Sigh:: No luck. I'm starting to panic.


Now I'm getting warmer--cat mugs. Alas, no cat inside the mugs.


Dejected, I wander over to the cat perfume bottles and try to breathe in the fumes of "My Sin." (For those under 50, "My Sin" was dimestore perfume.)


More dog art


a glamor puss


Dog figurines




I look at this blue pitcher each time I come to this store.



Then I wander over to the vintage jewely case...and almost fall in love with the evening bags. While I don't smoke, I do love the cool, Art Deco cigarette case.


Years ago, a friend gave me a Limoges box. My eyes cross when I look at the triple digit prices on this collection.


The shop owner wasn't there, but I left her a note, asking if she could help me find a cat cup. And I'll check on Ebay. This is part of Questing, isn't it? But sometimes it makes me work up an appetite. So, in my mind's eye, I fly over to Austria, and sample some pastries--no calories, of course. Won't you sit down and join me?