Bees, the Sweet Alternative

Perhaps you aren't so excited about the consumerism surrounding Valentine's Day. GG's editor isn't but doesn't want to ignore it all together. That's why we enjoy looking for free or inexpensive card projects, cookie & candy recipes, & DIY craft projects.

But on the theory that people spend money anyway, why not consider a gift of bees for $30.00 via Heifer International? Especially if you're looking for a project for an annual year of giving (as suggested here). Heifer has a little valentines section with suggestions & a PDF of (free) cute vintage-inspired kid's valentines cards.

ciao-meow/GGCM

PS: Here are two more wonderful DIY card ideas: A sweet easy watercolor project & a whole Flickr set from generous Samantha Hahn (see her pretty Maquette blog, too).

(illustration via Reusable Art/GG collage)

Sufganiyot Swoon

To our Jewish friends around the world: enjoy the latkes & sufganiyot tomorrow & the rest of Hanukkah. Any of you lagging behind in preparations, it's not too late. (You don't have to have every recipe every night--no matter what your bubbe says. But don't tell her we said so. You think we need the tsuris?) Here are some easy peasy recipes from Martha Stewart. Also a good group of recipes & a yummy slideshow from the New York Times. (images via Martha Stewart)

ciao-shalom-meow/GG Holiday Central

Hanukkah Crafts

Hanukkah begins at sunset on Wednesday, December 1st this year. (Crept up on you, didn't it?) Visit Vintage Holiday Crafts & Clip Art to download templates for projects. Also, click over to Martha Stewart for lots & lots of ideas & templates for gifts, decorations, & recipes.

We'll remind you later in the week, but if you live in the Washington, DC-area (or will be visiting), you might want to attend the lighting of the National Menorah. If that's the case, be sure to request tickets. They are free but they go fast. (images via Martha Stewart, Vintage Holiday)

ciao-shalom-meow/GG holiday coordinator

PS: Invite us over for latkes. Giulia promises to behave this year!

Hallowe'en Flower Girls

Need Hallowe'en costume ideas? Flower mad like GG & her editor? Here are a few from Martha Stewart. The top photograph is our ideal & is definitely do-able. (Don't forget about FEED Projects Halloween Trick-or-Treat bag.) Adult costumes & masks up next. (Very simple ideas, too.) (photographs via Martha Stewart & bricolage)

ciao-meow/GG Central

Fresh Flowers for Tough Times

For those of us residing in the State of Penury, here is an excellent idea by Sarah of Blossom and Branch, via Design*Sponge. It's a definite upgrade from our parsley-in-a-creamer. This is Sarah's second post in a twice-a-month series, Flowers A-Z. Take a look, you might be surprised by the ingredients.

ciao-meow/GG's floral designer

(images via design*sponge, GG collage)

Daring to Design - Week's End

You don't have to be designer, nope. Visit Shabby Apple's website & learn all about it. GG's editor loves Shabby Apple & thinks that you ought to consider some creative activity this weekend. The contest opened on August 15 & closes October 15. It's really, really not too late. You can find out more on their blog An Apple a Day.

As loyal readers know, Giulia does not need a dress--she has the perfect outfit every single day. She's incredibly chic. It's also very chic to have good manners & care about others. That's why we are pleased by the following from Shabby Apple Dresses website:

We at Shabby Apple Dresses love to help women dress but are also commited to helping women live as well. Thus we are supporting the fight against global poverty by partnering with Unitus-a non-profit organization that accelerates access to life-changing financial services for those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Shabby Apple donates 5% of its net sales to support work in India (where Shabby Apple Dresses has sourced many of its dresses and the textiles used to manufacture its dresses). In addition, each Shabby Apple Dresses customer has the opportunity to donate an extra five dollars to Unitus every time she buys a dress. Shabby Apple Dresses and Unitus are involved with 10 of India's most promising microfinance organizations that provide financial services to more than 1.6 million hard-working women and their families.

Every $100 donation from Shabby Apple Dresses provides at least 20 women with access to financial services - and the chance to live a life without poverty.

Each new Shabby Apple Dresses dress features a unique hang tag with a micro-credit success story.

Now, isn't that fabulous? Go forth & design!

ciao-chic-meow/GG Central

(Christina Hendricks of Mad Men via AMC; Shabby Apple dresses collage)

GG Garden Reminder - Flower Bulbs

Though the illustrations & exhortation below are from the archives, we're running it a month early. There are sales everywhere online & in stores on bulbs. GG is sorry that her editor did not buy more bulbs last year (before they ran out...see? Happened to us, too). Giulia likes to lounge in front of floral displays, so as to set off her expensive highlighted fur to best advantage. Oh, & on another note, The Harmless, Necessary Cat is starring on her editor's blog, bricolage, right now. ciao-meow

***************
This is a reminder to lay in some bulbs--soon. We don't have a garden either (anymore) but are fairly adept at 'persuading the paperwhite.' Actually paperwhites are easy & in stores now. However, if you buy some bulbs on the weekend, you can force those as well. (We prefer the word persuade.) Follow-up links & reminders to articles forthcoming but you have to buy the bulbs really, really soon. Or you'll be green with envy over all those displays of tulips & other bulbs from the holidays into next spring. We really don't want to hear complaining! (And while you're at it, what do you mean you don't have a pumpkin yet? OK. Well, neither do we...)

ciao-meow/GG's gardener & pumpkin carver

(vintage illustrations via Free Vintage Flowers & Seed Packets/GG collage)

Sunday Shopping - French Sailor Stripes

GG's editor had a bit of a fit last month & wrote about Sailor Stripe shopping. The gist is that we cannot stand seeing consumers taken advantage of, especially when in the throes of fetishizing French(style) material goods. It happens to the best of us; we're not judging.

Satisfy your stripe-y longing & read here (or click directly over to brittany-boutique.com). Usually, even with shipping, it's less expensive to buy these items directly from France. GG Central knows this from experience. People around the world do not want to wear stripes made by an exploited labor force. At the same time, stop spending at stores like J. Crew when they overcharge for items they stock (like the shirts above) from other sources. It's the same Saint James shirt. Yep.

ciao-meow/GG's personal shopper

[collage photographs via brittany-boutique (dot) com/Audrey T. from a cute site Pink Peony--to the author: props to you for discussing cruelty-free diamonds/Picasso by Doisneau from goodness knows where; tragic but lovely Jean Seberg via Elle (France)]

Made4Aid Monday - Spring Lecture Edition

Update: Monday afternoon: Photographs have disappeared from both of our blogs; we do not know what is going on but we are most irritated. We will try to upload over time. Cheers & we hope the same is not happening on your sites. The Management

Peeps! Please do not tarry--race over to Made4Aid. At least tell them how much you care about their work. Everyone needs a pat now & again. Look here at Rod, another creature by UK-based The Devil Makes Work. You could give him a home.

Also, there is a gorgeous blue, window-paned handmade bag; two beautiful hanks of hand-spun, hand-dyed yarn; & a marvellous selection of photography cards. The cards are not by auction but a set price.

It's so very easy to participate in this. GG's editor hears from nervous Nellies about bidding & paying. Stop yer whinin'. If you're in North America, you can write a check (or cheque, if thou preferest). There's PayPal. Whatever. We know very well that those who have e-mailed buy things on-line nearly every bloody week. Do we sound annoyed? We are. Well, OK, GG is asleep (presently).

Soon, there will be a break at Made4Aid & perhaps it will return in another format. Meanwhile, these items are available through 3 April 2010.

ciao-peevish-meow/GG's editor

[all images via Made4Aid/all rights reserved/used by kind permission]

The Plum Plum

Even though GG is a feline, one of her favorite people is a very Clever Pup. Big news: The Clever Pup's artistry is available via her new shop The Plum Plum. See here for a hint about the name if you're in a fog. (We were & it's one of our favorite novels & film! Evidently, we need to do more crosswords.) Anyway, GG Central awaits an order of The Plum Tarts & we're quite interested in the new notebooks as well. Everything is very well-priced & there's more to come.

Yesterday while marketing, we looked at cards & pretty journals for this month's birthdays in GG World. They were quite nice but nowhere near as lovely those above (& they were twice the price, too). Congratulations to our pal, C-Pup!

ciao-woof-meow/GG & her editor

[collage of images from The Plum Plum/The Clever Pup-used by kind permission/all rights reserved]

Made4Aid Week - Bags for Haiti

While GG is busy attending to her ailing editor (lap sitting), we bring good news. Now go away. OK, a little joke. Please visit Made4Aid & see a number of lovely & varied bags for sale to benefit Haiti, via Oxfam, this week. This is a bit of a detour from their Darfur WFP project & a worthy one, of course. There is a very cool stripy laptop bag that beckons. There are also gorgeous photographs available for a set price. Please do visit & perhaps make a bid. It is easier than you can possibly imagine. We can vouch for them completely, having made three transactions last summer & autumn. All these auctions end on Sunday 31st January, 9pm New York time.

ciao-meow/the management

[photographs via Made4Aid & used by kind permission]

Yéle Haiti - Week's End

Yéle Haiti has announced a partnership among several organizations, including AmeriCares, called Haiti Earthquake Alliance. This is to avoid duplication of effort. Here is text from today's website (Friday, 15 January):

"Yéle Haiti has pulled together a group of like minded organizations and first responders in order to help coordinate the delivery of emergency services and materials needed by victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Each or the organizations will undertake their own fundraising and on-the-ground operations, but have agreed to share resources, collaborate when it makes sense and avoid duplication....Just formed in the last day, the Alliance has already pulled together four airlifts of medical supplies, food and other emergency supplies – along with teams of doctors. These airlifts will go out beginning Saturday. Keep checking back to this website for details."

GG Central asks that you continue to support your favorite organizations. Do not fall prey to scams. Do not open e-mail from sources you do not know. Doctors Without Borders is a good place to start as well; more on them next week. Today they are expanding surgical facilities on-the-ground.

We like to highlight Wyclef Jean's Yéle Haiti because it is very important that Haitian citizens are involved in development & rebuilding--real rebuilding-of their country. There were concrete efforts, planning, & progress being made. Many people do not know this fact. We are already hearing uninformed people criticizing Haiti. Not helpful, people. If you want to be involved for the long haul, please visit the William J. Clinton Foundation.

[GG collage from photographs courtesy of Mia Farrow & Haitian paintings by P. Brantle & Valmidor via American University & MedaliaArt--also raising money for earthquake aid]

FEED Projects - Week's End

One of our most favorite gifts, ever, was the FEED bag last year. GG still hops in for a twirl around the house..so it doubles as a cat toy. The little bear is sold out (until March 2010), but the big guy (who goes by 'Plumpy') is still available. See here for all you need to know about FEED Projects & the variety of rucksacks, bags, pouches, & bears. Happy weekend!

ciao-frosty-meow/GG Holiday Central

[GG collage/images via FEED Projects]

1 Dollar is a fortune

IKEA's 2009 Soft Toy Aid tag line.* It matters not if you purchase a teensy rat (eek!) or something larger. IKEA donates the equivalent per soft toy purchased to UNICEF & Save the Children. A double-dip thought: adopt one more toy than you need & donate to Toys for Tots. (*£1 in the UK, €1 elsewhere)

ciao-early-merry-meow/the Management

[GG Central collage from IKEA images]

GG Garden Reminder - Flower Bulbs

This is a reminder to lay in some bulbs--soon. We don't have a garden either (anymore) but are fairly adept at 'persuading the paperwhite.' Actually paperwhites are easy & in stores now. However, if you buy some bulbs on the weekend, you can force those as well. (We prefer the word persuade.) Follow-up links & reminders to articles forthcoming but you have to buy the bulbs really, really soon. Or you'll be green with envy over all those displays of tulips & other bulbs from the holidays into next spring. We really don't want to hear complaining! (And while you're at it, what do you mean you don't have a pumpkin yet? OK. Well, neither do we...)

ciao-meow/GG's gardener & pumpkin carver

[vintage illustrations via Free Vintage Flowers & Seed Packets/GG collage]

Flamenco chic, repeat

[repeat from 17 September 2008... but with additional photo & new collage. Still love these earrings & boots & still read Flamenco World. The power struggle with the cat is mostly over; we give up. We won't give up on the causes on this site, though. But we do need to rest...so more repeats this week. Apologies.]

GG & her editor love these accessories from Flamenco World. We've read the online magazine for years & still can only daydream about a flamenco class. GG likes to stomp around on her pink paw-pads, & has done so for several hours. GG covets a pair of Spanish earrings. Honestly, can you see how she would be able to wear them? No? Didn't think so. The GG vs. editor power struggle continues...

Ciao-meow,
GG Central Mgmt.

[Additional photograph to original post: Portrait of flamenco dancer Maria Albaicin by Dean Loomis, Madrid, 1960. Go here to view full-size print. Wow.]

Some people who give a damn...

...and those who portray them in film.

GG Central is over 100 degrees (F) & the editor will tell anyone who cares (or not). Semi-regulars to this mostly-photos-due-to-computer crisis blog are aware of our friends abroad. We don't deny we worry. But we've been there & back & little is accomplished by worry. One stays alive by one's finely-honed sense of danger & anxiety. It's a razor-sharp line, how deep the cuts cannot be predicted. Why try? This may be more random than usual but fever-induced heat gets us off the hook for today & tomorrow. Maybe?

[Darfur photographs are by Susan Burgess-Lent/DPDO & used with permission/all rights reserved; contact us if you would like to use one; CG film credits (Focus Features) here; Yvette Pierpaoli, here; Ashis Brahma in Oure Cassoni/Darfur, permission by AB; Casablanca credit; Hotel Rwanda & Paul Rusesabagina credit. We'll be back with specific photographer's names. These are not easy to track down, inexplicably. Must go to the source.]

a cheeky-stinkin'-hot-in-DC-meow/GG/mgmt

Greek Wildflowers for Earth Day

A quick collage for our readers. Still under storm threats & therefore computer meltdown. These are from Santorini & Crete; the basilica in the center is in Oia, Santorini. We didn't have the advantages of digital cameras & fancy stuff...so decidedly amateurish. But that can be charming (we tell ourselves...)

a ciao-green-meow/GGCM

Felinity, Part II

More charming illustrations from our Italian book....see here for part one. Computer troubles again.

ciao-meow/GG

Felinity

Well, the book to which we refer is titled Giochi per gatti di casa (Games for house cats) by Rita Persichini & it was a gift from our friend Maria Caterina di Perugia. Here are some of the darling original illustrations by Lorena Dominici. We keep the book propped up on one of the bookshelves...not that many people notice; there's quite a mash-up on those shelves. But someone noticed recently & GG immediately started to show off her silly ability...she didn't need the book, of course. It's just for our amusement. For lots o' cat drawings (& other art), visit Small Expectations. We do every day.

ciao-meow,
GG/mgmt

(images in the collage via scan; we've searched high & low for a way to give credit where it's due. The booklet was published in December 1996 & says "Copyright MCS editore, Perugia."