Big Lil - AKA The Claw.

Today's post, rather than discussing some aspect of art, fashion, creation - is instead, an observation of animal behavior - or more specifically, feline behavior.

I once had a cat - a beautiful Mae-West-feisty Maine Coon - named Lillian, whose size and boldness earned her the rather Hip-Hop sounding stage name Big Lil.  She was a saucy, sassy, spitfire - with a fluffy lioness feather-boa-looking neck ruff... and her profession was destroying furniture, manually. (That sweet tabby you see atop the blog is not Big Lil - but Good Luck Employee Number One, about whom you can read at the Catwalk Today page near the Art Fashion Creation archives... but let's return to Lillian and the subject at hand... paw... claw.)

On the sly, she attacked upholstered furniture of all types - but it seems pleather, or naugahyde, was Lil's preferred prey.  During Big Lil's very long lifetime, her confirmed furniture conquests/victories included:

• a brown naugahyde rocker belonging to my grandmother (which suffered a later attack to the legs by my Boston Terrrier's jaws - not my grandmother, but the rocker).
• a small, ladylike (but ugly) chartreuse and wooly boucle chair
• another unsightly velvety mauve chair
• an avocado green naugahyde footstool (from the '70s)
• a black vinyl weightlifting bench

Wait a minute... in composing this list, I suddenly realize Big Lil was perhaps acting in my favor - and in the name of Heightened Aestheticism.

Although, the injuries she inflicted upon my cream leather sofa seem unwarranted.

All these memories were produced while observing March 2013 Elle magazine's Paris Review fashion spread.  My first thought was "Big Lil Has Been Here!"

Spritz Overload: A Tale of Sniff and Run.

Hook, line, and stinker... the perfume packaging reeled me in.  I spritzed each arm with several of these sprays - packaged in charming boxes resembling miniature bohemian-artsy apartments.  I hurried out the store with a pretty good idea of the names - Gina, Rita, Carmella, Bella - and arm location.  For Mother's Day, I asked for Gina - but now that she's here, I'm pretty sure the scent that enticed me was actually a melange of the migrating fragrances.

Nevertheless, Benefit's graphic design artists outdid themselves with the boxes housing the eau de toilette sprays!  My imagination ran overtime thinking about how I would wear Mary Katrantzou creations and live in this box if I were a 2-dimensional and tiny person.

Photo Toile La La.  Benefit Packaging.

Photo Toile La La.  Benefit Packaging.

Photo Toile La La.  Benefit Packaging.

Photo Toile La La.  Benefit Packaging.

Note to Gina:  Fed the flamingo.  I had a lovely stay!

Photo Toile La La.  Benefit Packaging.  Collage using Mary Katrantzou dress design.

Suitcases ready.  Flamingo at right, blushing with health.  I designed a velvet rose-petal hat to wear for departure.  The lampshade dress was a bit short - but in the smaller photo above you'll see I added to the hem a modest indigo lace border.

Photo Toile La La.  Benefit Packaging.  Collage using Mary Katrantzou dress design.

The dress center bodice features a glowing chandelier, so a chandelier chapeau seemed in order.  Please pay no attention to the one hand looking like a foot.