Giulia has generously allowed her editor to post some pretty photographs (though the roses look a bit scary in that third shot). How generous of her; so no haranguing today. (Go immediately, if not sooner to...oh, OK. Sorry.) Marvellous black & white shots by Nina Leen for LIFE archives. Have a lovely Wednesday.
Did you know that you burn more calories when you're a a busybody pest? Yep.*
Have a good Monday. We'll be back to the usual haranguing soon. Meanwhile, enjoy the respite.;) Camels on parade. Here's the story (& eight additional photographs) about the Master of Miniatures, Nikolai Aldunin on My Modern Met. 
Giulia the Cheeky has ordered up this room (or similar) & we are to refer to her as GG the Great, Grand Poobah. Just what is the remedy for feline megalomania? [room interior via miss wallflower, via we heart it]
The 21st anniversary of an outrage. From Amnesty blog. Amnesty International (US section; see page for your country)
Have a beautiful weekend from us to you. Here is last week's bricolage post (GG's editor) using these gorgeous photographs by Rengim Mutevellioglu. RM's CV on Kropp Creative Database).
All types of egrets--we love them & associate them with Chincoteague/Assateague*. Here's a link to Birds of Assateague. That's where the little ponies hang out...you might remember Misty of Chincoteague. The link has some terrific videos of the scenery, birds, & sea. You just haven't lived unless you see the wild ponies running on the beach. A GGCM favorite place on the East Coast, perhaps in the States (outside of a few cities/towns). 
That's what Emily Dickinson said of herself & it applies to GG Central, too. We're preoccupied with gardens, lately/always. Tiger lilies were a favorite of Miss D. ( GG is a tiger lily). Here is the New York Times article Emily Dickinson's Garden at the New York Botanical Gardens. The exhibit runs through 12 June 2010. If you are near there (or will be), we hear it's fabulous. Since GG's editor ran a similar post on her blog, a veritable mountain of articles & stories has piled up & so we realize this is not news for many people. But you never know--one cannot follow everything. Judith Farr's The Gardens of Emily Dickinson (2005) was really the first book to combine the subject of the poet & her gardens & we salute her. Read it!
TAPS saves lives.
GG Central is on break for a few more days. Meanwhile, you can send a note to bricolage (GG's editor's site). Wouldn't you love to have a mail box like one of these? Especially in such a herd? [by talented Olga, via Benevolent Postcard Society]
GG celebrated her blog-birthday by watching Gigi for the first time. As she falls asleep during most films, her editor does not know if she liked it (or not). But her ears moved up & down, front & back quite a lot as "Gigi!" is pronounced (& sung) more than any other word(s), except perhaps "Paris" or "I'm bored!" These are especially charming images from the film (& one drawing of pretty Leslie Caron as Gigi - by Cecil Beaton). As ever, GG would love a hat & is still agitating for one that will accommodate her ear-tips. 
Giulia seems unaware of this turning point because her to-do list consists of two items: causing trouble, being cute. However, her editor must search for photographs, beg for money for various causes, & generally make a pest of herself. Caught up short (again) this year, we turn to Hazel at The Clever Pup who created this marvellous multi-media geranium for GG's last birthday. We love it & are happy to show it today. 
We've no idea if this is Alice in Wonderland but she is to us. Hope Monday is not too-blue. [image via we heart it]
GG & her editor wish everyone a belated Happy May Day. One of our very favorite flowers is the lily-of-the-valley. If we must, if you insist, if we are tied to a railroad track as in the silent pictures & forced to choose our favorite, well then...it would be muguet. Here is a charming post from French-Word-A-Day 2006 May Day about the significance of muguet (& you can learn a song, too!). Shortly before GG's editor was born, her mum's friend was a bridesmaid for a very beautiful princess. The poetry-loving princess carried a bouquet of muguet & maybe that is why we love it so much. 
Have a wonderful, lively weekend. GG & her editor are resting (although GG may be entertaining a notion of busting out like this cat; hard to tell, she has her poker face on). You should check out a colorful post on Jimi Hendrix & his fabulous coat-of-many-colors; it will be on display this summer at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. Intrigued? You should be. The Clever Pup, she's rather colorful herself, will tell you all about it. [photograph via the things she loves/tumblr, via we heart it]
Darfur Peace & Development Organization (DPDO) is building the Gangy High School of Peace in El Fasher, Darfur, Sudan. Considering the news, things are moving along. We'll have on-the-ground news (& more photos) sometime in late May. Meanwhile, we don't ask that often. (No, we really don't.)
It's a Wednesday & GG is not allowed to go to the museum (again!). A GG dream come true would be AH, another cat, & a café . [undated photograph but via Audrey1.org; lots of fun for the admiring legions.] 
Look at that face -
A rare shot of GG. She how she's contemplating going to the Human Rights Art Festival this weekend? Actually, this was taken on Easter weekend...& GG seriously, really, no kidding perks up every time she hears Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl. Which is just about every day. She expects to fly & dance, too. She's one cool cat & her editor will never compare.
"There is within these peoples' souls a tremendous amount of beauty and [conviction] that they can actually make a difference.." - Tom Block, artist & activist
It's a busy week, therefore some fun is most necessary. Last night GG & her editor were looking at hats & old French fashion magazines. These are covers from Les Modes (a French fashion magazine) to entertain & inspire you. All are watercolors by Félix Fournery, 1908 (via LIFE archives). Look at those hats in the first image. Wow. GG is desperate for a summer hat...but her ears, where do we put her ear-tips? (She does not like the cut-out option. We can never win with her.) It is our considered opinion that GG should wear green feathers in her red-orange hair (like the third lovely lady). Very fashionable & chic, non?
GG is rousing from Spring Break. She & her editor are still under-the-weather but invite you to the Human Rights Art Festival in Silver Spring, MD this Friday through Sunday (23-25 April 2010). We will be posting this week about the festival, but consider this your official invitation! Stay tuned. If you can't attend, we'd still love it if you clicked the links & read what it's all about (& see all the exciting sponsors, events in our neighborhood).
GG is on spring break. 
GG & her editor wish everyone who celebrates the holiday, a peaceful & lamb-like Easter. (Or happy spring, you get the idea.) We've asked GG to behave in polite company this weekend. We live in hope.
Hello friends in Australia. This early bun's for you! [photograph by the dashing Sam Hood, 1945 for Smith's Weekly. Via State Library NSW]
GG is up to something. We know it. Watch out for Fools (of all kinds) today & everyday! Here is a (French) explanation about the day. [image via Paris-Bali]
Buona mattina, bambini. Some photographs while waiting for espresso. (Giulia is still asleep.) We hope to be back today; allergies & such have laid us (GG, too) quite low. Mimph.