London Lights

A little calm in the midst of a political storm. We'll be visiting our Washington, DC holiday market today. Meanwhile, you should visit Annie's lovely blog Insideology. She posts on photography studies, architecture, interior design, London (lots of great London posts), & much more. Really worth a visit.

And from last year, Coldplay's Christmas Lights. It, too, is a popular search again this year. We confess: it's one of only 3 songs we own of theirs, but we do like the video of London. And even though it references Oxford Street, these photographs are from Carnaby Street.

pip pip & a merry ciao-meow/GGCM

PS: Liberty London Girl's Bond Street decorations.

(photography & collage by Annie)

Holiday Wallpaper

...of the computer kind. We're under-the-weather & also trying to troubleshoot Spotify, the music service. It downloads but then does zip. This is causing all manner of upset here. (Well, Giulia is not bothered one bit, of course. She likes the Christmas music/Beatles iTunes playlist currently in rotation. But her editor will not rest until she has more more more & can tell everyone about it.)

We decorated for Christmas on Twitter, take a look (you can, you know, even if you're not signed up). We're decorating our tree today/tonight (it's an ongoing process:), & also our laptop. Here's one of a million free Christmas wallpaper sites. We chose a glittering Paris scene; no doubt we'll switch it up to London, New York City, Rome, & Strasbourg before the holidays are over. We feel more festive already. Joyeux Noël!

Merry ciao-meow/GGCM

Eye Poetry

That's the name of Irene Suchoki's shop & it's apt. We're posting this now because the holiday order deadline for her beautiful prints & calendars is December 5 for the States, December 8 for Canada. The deadline for international was November 22. But if you like something (love the calendars), then why not order? Subscribe to the idea of The Twelve Days of Christmas & feel the stress decrease. Seriously. This photograph makes us want to whip out the fairy lights. Right now.

Here's a link to Irene's discounted print sets. There's New York, Paris, carousels, butterflies, Italy, & fairy lights. Some of our very favorite things. Happy Sunday.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph by Irene Suchoki)

Italian Holiday Notebook

Have you visited Italian Notebook yet? It's written by an amusing bunch of expats in Italy. These photographs are by GB (in Rome). The modern LED fairy lights are rather a clash of modernity & the ancient but Rome is trying to find a way. Here is a message from Caesar Santa Claus (!) via the website.

ciao-bella-meow/GGCM

Sparkly Sunday Night with GG

Regular visitors here know that Giulia rarely makes an appearance. She's rather demanding when it comes to grooming (in addition to suggested remuneration fees--which we are ignoring, thank you). Here is a rare moment of calm between fairy lights & GG. She alternates between suspicions that fairy lights suddenly coalesce into a monster to yum, these sparkly lights must be tasty. Otherwise, why would her editor shriek the moment a snaggletooth makes contact with a light tip? Oof.

Here's a new Simon's Cat video, Santa Claws. Even if you don't have a cat, it's funny. Have a good Sunday evening!

ciao-sparkle-meow/GG Holiday Central

Christmas Lights

A little overnight prettiness from us to you (via Vintage Rose Garden via Pinterest). And a song & near the end, fireworks over London. Cheers!

Fireflies

Fairy lights aren't just for the holidays. GG & her editor love Tim Walker's fashion photography. You can read a little more, here. These remind us of fireflies that light up a pine tree near our house.

Have a lovely, glowing evening tonight - wherever you are.

ciao-sparkly-meow/GG Central

ZooLights 2009 - Bid Adieu to Tai Shan

The annual ZooLights Festival is ongoing at the National Zoo. It's lots of fun & this year if you're in the DC-area, you have a special reason to go. This is adorable panda Tai Shan's last Christmas in America. He will travel to China & take up residence quite soon. Throughout ZooLights, the Giant Panda Habitat will be open for extended hours for those who wish to bid farewell to Tai Shan before he departs for China in early 2010. The Chinese have extended Tai's stay twice due to pleas from the public. This time the departure is for real, so go as soon as you can. [photographs by Rachel Cooper]

ciao-cheery-meow/GG & her editor

ZooLights in Washington, DC

The annual ZooLights display opens to the general public on Thursday, 18 December 2008. (Here for all details.) It's so much fun. Fairy lights in the shapes of selected animals. It's very easy to go to the Zoo -- right on the Metro. If you live in, near, or will be visiting, do go. This year the entire display, sponsored by PEPCO again, is constructed of LED bulbs. So no guilt either! (We wish we could take GG, she'd love it. Alas, it cannot be, so here's a tiger photo in her honor. )Photos © Rachel Cooper

bisou!

London Lights

Will Somerset House sue us? How mean would that be?* [No, no threats, we just didn't like the feeling; so see update & new public photograph info below.]

A post & a link to a cool photo of impossibly glam ice skating in London. GG is pondering how, just how, to go skating on the Mall or the canal in Georgetown (since she can't be in London). She doesn't need skates, just a fancy bow & an elegant wrap for her pink ear-tips. The post is from Wee Birdy & here is the beginning of her London-specific holiday list (but everything is available on-line & under £10).

*Update: a replacement photo by Michael Pead, used with permission of photographer via license.

Cheers!
GG & her editor