Beatrice, Colin, & Toby
Beatrice, by definition, means "one who brings joy" - and that's exactly what she is to me. I volunteer at a local Cat Cafe and one typical Saturday in January of 2022 introduced me to a scared grey kitty who wouldn't get down from above the cabinets. Someone came in wanting to meet her and adopt her and didn't seem to have the best of intentions. She was terrified of them and to prevent them from adopting her, my mom suggested we fill out an application for her and we did. Cats are adopted out by best match rather than first come first serve and we took her home the same day. We stopped for dinner on the way home and while in the drive thru, I unsuspectingly blurted out "Beatrice" and that was instantly her name. She slept curled up in my arm like a little baby for the rest of that evening. I had been wanting a cat as an adult after growing up with cats and never felt like it was the right time until I realized our paths crossed for a reason. She has become my Bea baby, my soul sister, and my bringer of joy.
In September of 2022, we came to the conclusion that Bea needed someone to play with. While she is sweet as honey, she had some pent up energy and because she spent her entire life as an only child, she didn't really know how to play. Truthfully, she still isn't quite sure, but she's learning something new everyday from her little brother Colin. We adopted him from the Cat Cafe when he was 4 months old. The one thing we said we'd never do is adopt a kitten... but just like with Bea, there was a place in our hearts waiting for him. For a kitten, he has been fairly calm which made him a perfect match for her. He's a good boy and you can tell he tries hard to be. He's quirky, sweet, and loving. You may see him mentioned on my Instagram account as our Intern.
What's one more? In February of 2024, we took yet another trip to the Orlando Cat Cafe and found an itty bitty grey kitty. His fur was fuzzy and his eyes were full of warmth. He has a raspy little voice and loves nothing more than cuddling with his big brother and sister. He's learning something new from them each day and instantly became our baby Toby.
Before Colly entered the chat, I internally committed to the name Honey Bea Market if I were to ever make my hobby into something bigger. It was important to me that my magical Birdie girl be the center of what my business represents. My business is yellow, warmth, light, and sunshine. When I think of Honey Bea Market, I see my craft room with the sun's rays shining through the window, Beatrice in her tiny house bed tucked in the corner, and our craft room playlist on repeat always starting with Our House by Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young... "with two cats in the yard; life used to be so hard."
I feel very lucky to have this opportunity to share my admiration for these creative mediums and my love for these kitties. They are my joy. And my hope is to take that joy, add to it, and keep it moving. Thank you for being here. May you always feel welcomed, wanted, and warm here.