Roses in Winter

The David Austin Handbook of Roses 2012 arrived in the mail yesterday. We really do place it on the night table for a flip-through (often). It also makes lovely gazing when in a bubble bath. Definitely order one here (it's free & beautifully photographed). Even if you don't have a garden, many of the roses do well in pots. And if you don't have a place for a pot, you might consider giving a rose as a gift. (If you're not in the States, click here.)

ciao-meow/GGCM

PS: For a short list of wish-list catalogues to order, a post from Bricolage.

(lovely photograph by Cindy Prins via Automatism)

Venice, Now & Then

Both residents of GG Central are under-the-weather. We can tweet & look at photographs, though. We love these gorgeous 1890s color photochromes of Venice. They're in the Library of Congress collection on Flickr, but a nice edit was done by Retronaut.

Some things to consider for the week. Groundhog Day. Yep. It's here on Thursday. And if you are a Downton Abbey fan, Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham) is live chatting on PBS today. Click here.

ciao-meow/the management

(photograph by Andrew/Cuba Gallery)

Lost & Found

Oof. What a day, what a week, what a year. OK, it's only been 27 days but still...we'll be back sometime over the weekend. Our favorite thing from today's internet travels: Here Comes The Sun: The Lost Guitar Solo via Open Culture. Go see it! And then blast the song on your music blaster of choice. (If you don't have it, gasp.) Remember to visit The Beatles website.

Have a lovely evening.

ciao-meow/GGCM

Sunday update - We'll see you tomorrow!

(lovely George via The Beatles)

Winter Night Sky

"For most of the world, the moon and the blazing planet Venus will be closest together for the month this evening, on Thursday, January 26, 2012. It’ll be hard to miss this brilliant couple in the southwest or western sky at dusk and early evening. The moon and Venus rank as the second- and third-brightest celestial objects, respectively, after the sun. They’ll set in the west at early to mid evening."-via EarthSky/Tonight

It's a bit daunting to go outside at night to look at the sky (in the winter, in the city). So we're "watching" via EarthSky's Tonight & also by following NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on Twitter. Superb photographs & videos at the click of a mouse.

We're busy here doing some research for friends on their way to France & Italy in the coming months. Venice is on one of the itineraries. Hence, the moon-over-Venice photograph. For beautiful photos of Venice & the moon (& many other subjects), visit our friend Julie at Being Ruby. And heads-up, carnevale starts on February 11th!

ciao-starry-meow/GGCM

(photograph by Alex Hanoko)

Winter Fruit

Don't despair of the slim fruit pickings available now. One thing we've done recently: purchased a 99 cent package of mint to perk up oranges. The other: remember that pineapples are in season now. And while GG's editor is not overly fond of fruit in savory dishes, investigation of fruit salsas is on the to-do list.

Smitten Kitchen has two wonderful recipes: citrus with feta & mint and winter fruit salad with a star anise spiked dressing. (We bought star anise for the first time last month.)

If you have fruit on hand that's beyond redemption for your consumption but is not spoilt, consider offering it to a squirrel for supper.

ciao-meow/GGCM

PS: Giulia eats fruit but she doesn't know it (& we're not telling her!).

(photograph by liivia)

Valentine Prep

Remember last late January? Or the year before that? Surely, sometime in the last few years, you've thought: I would love to make valentines (or a present) for _____. Or many ____. If you have children or work with them, that goes without saying. You probably have it written down already: start the Valentine's Day crafts.

Or not.

Then...oops. It's February 12th (or worse). Well, we here at GG Central (OK, the editor & the redheaded feline) have decided to do a few prompts for Valentine's Day. Starting now. Maybe GG's editor seems to rely too much on Martha Stewart, but why start elsewhere? The site has links by holiday. Another excellent site is Poppytalk; here's their 2012 valentines label. We'll work our way through some other sites the next couple of week & post them (also on Twitter).

ciao-♥-meow/GGCM

(photograph by the lovely Beata Rydén)

FEED Peace, Love & Nature

It's a dismal, rainy, foggy day here. So we thought we'd cheer up with a post about FEED Projects. If you bought gifts for everyone but yourself during the holidays, check out FEED Project Peace, Love, & Nature bags.

The (white) Peace bag generates 25 meal donations to those in areas of high conflict or war. The (green) Nature bag, 25 meals to areas devastated by the effects of natural disasters. A purchase of the (red) love bag donates 25 meals to those who live in areas of high HIV/AIDS infection. All of these meals are provided by the World Food Programme.

ciao-peace-meow/GGCM

(photograph courtesy of FEED Projects)

Animal Alphabet

A Monday morning smile for Casey Girard's typographic series "Animals in Alphabet." We bring you the letter G for Giulia. And giraffe. See more here.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph by Casey Girard via Illusion)

Sunday Squirrel

Don't talk to GG's editor about hating squirrels because we love them. They wouldn't have to hog the bird food if you fed them, too. Right? If they seem low on food right about now, you might look around your home. If you have some fruit, gourds, pumpkins, things you've decorated with (but not sprayed with paint, for heaven's sake), make a present of those. They love them. Also, of course, nuts. So make a squirrel some supper. Naturally, don't allow a squirrel to chomp on your finger, etc.

Hope your weekend is cozy & warm.

ciao-meow/GGCM

PS: We didn't even know until now but yesterday was Squirrel Appreciation Day!

(North American Red Squirrel by Gilles Gonthier)

Winter Weather

A winter storm is creeping in from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest to...eek, here. Soon. If you're child wrangling tonight or this weekend, check in with the fun, interactive Weather Channel for Kids. The site is filled with games, climate change information, & more. (It's for grown-ups, too, we just decided:)

A related favorite site is EarthSky, especially the Tonight page. (The site is available in Spanish, too)

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph by Taesang via Автор)

Sandwich Artist

This Mondrian sandwich made us smile (just like Lori at automatism). Check in with Brittany Powell to see sandwiches based on Christo, Hirst, Pollack, Duchamp, O'Keefe & more. We're off to think of additional possibilities.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph by Brittany via Swiss Miss)

Daydream a Garden

Because actual planning this moment may be too daunting. Whether you have a plot of earth or a balcony (or not) though, few things beat the pleasure of flipping through seed & nursery catalogues while lounging in your pjs. The catalogues are usually free (or very low cost). We pore over the lovely White Flower Farm offerings that arrive regularly.

Read this Washington Post article for a seed catalogue review. Check in with Martha Stewart for some ideas. And then click over to Terrain for some serious staring.

Then repeat (to yourself): Spring is 6 weeks away. (Give or take:)

ciao-flowery-meow/GG's gardener

(lovely photograph by Le Portillon)

A Free Internet

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

If you do not understand why certain sites are not available to you today, please watch the video. If you think you do understand what SOPA/PIPPA is & think, "but people should be paid for their content, it's a good idea," please watch the video. Every seemingly good idea is not implemented properly, causing wreckage. Please make your voice heard by following the links to the online protest. If you aren't in the States, believe us, this affects you - a lot. (Thank you to Swissmiss for the video link)

ciao-meow/GGCM

(image via Comically Vintage)

The Art of Victorian Photocollage

Sixty years ahead of the avant-garde, aristocratic Victorian women were already experimenting with photocollage. The compositions they made with photographs and watercolors are whimsical and fantastical, combining human heads and animal bodies, placing people into imaginary landscapes, and morphing faces into common household objects. With sharp wit and dramatic shifts of scale akin to those Alice experienced in Wonderland, these images stand the rather serious conventions of photography in the 1860s and 1870s on their heads.--from Playing with Pictures, Art Institute of Chicago

So sorry that we missed this 2010 exhibit (curated by Elizabeth Siegel) but were reminded of it this morning on Retronauts. Read a review of Playing With Pictures in the New York Times. Not all bunnies & hearts, those Victorians.

ciao-meow/the Management

(photographs via Retronaut)

Monday Night at the Movies

You can go to the movies any night of the week, even with just a laptop, by checking out Open Culture's listing of 450 Free Movies Online. Most of them are accessible in all countries. There are Westerns, silents, drama, documentary, film noir, & more. A favorite here, especially in these difficult times, are comedies. Check out His Girl Friday with Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell. It's funny & has several points to make that will seem quite 2012.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph via Dr. Macro)

Love in a Cold Climate

Quick few suggestions for a Saturday afternoon (or evening, hi friends in Britain & beyond)/Sunday:

--Winter poems from the Poetry Foundation

--Three-minute Ice Cream from Anne in Sweden. (Ice cream maker not necessary.)

--Read (or re-read) a Nancy Mitford novel

--Watch Bob Dylan's tribute to Martin Scorsese from last night. It's great.

ciao-meow from Giulia. She's asleep in a sunbeam. xo

(photograph by Don Hunstein)

Prepare for MLK Day

There's no shortage of information for ideas on how to spend the holiday. Mainly, we favor a mix of commemoration & service. If you agree (or would like to find out more), check in at the MLK Day of Service page at Serve.gov.

If you will be child-wrangling on Monday (or anytime this three-day weekend), check out the excellent ideas, cute photographs & free download printables at Preschool Daze. It's absolutely wonderful. We applaud Kristin for her generosity.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(MLK image collage via Preschool Daze)

Haiti, Two Years On

Two years ago, on January 12^th, a powerful earthquake hit Haiti. The quake left approximately 3 million people in need of emergency aid and destroyed or damaged more than 300,000 homes. Americans responded generously to this disaster. So generously, in fact, that one poll reported that half of American households had donated to Haiti relief efforts. - Charity Navigator blog

Please click through to read the rest of this short but important update from Charity Navigator's blog. There are a few links & also a suggestion, which we strongly second, that if you gave in 2010, if you can, please follow up with another.

The art of Haiti continues to inspire. These gorgeous flags by Evelyn Alcide of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. You can see more of her art here & here.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photographs via Indigo Gallery)

Wednesday Wishes - Paris in Winter

While we are catching up on work, some links to Paris in the winter. Also a big recommendation for people to visit Strasbourg (& all of Alsace) anytime but the wintertime is lovely. The Alsatians know how to do cozy.

Kiss My Spatula has a persuasive (if you need that:) list of 10 Reasons To Visit Paris in the Winter. Hop over to look at rental apartments at Haven in Paris (& also the HiP blog) - the photographs are wonderful. Then think about an itinerary for next winter (or sooner if that's a possibility). As we've said before, if you don't begin to plan, you will go nowhere - ever.

ciao-meow/GG Travel

PS: Paris & Beyond blog has lovely carousel photographs

(This photograph is everywhere w/no attribution. A combined 4-hour+ search turns up nothing. The only reason we're posting this is to find the photographer & give credit. Please contact us here or on Twitter)

Chocolate Leftovers

We can hear the screams now: how could anyone have leftover chocolate? Calm down. Here's how. GG's editor made orangettes for Christmas gifts, remember? There's leftover, melted chocolate from that enterprise in the fridge, discovered this a.m. In the French manner of leaving no crumb unused, a hot chocolate break, using this recipe as a guide, is in our future. If you want another idea, these melted chocolate sandwiches look delicious.

We're also catching up on many household matters, virtually & off-line so posting remains lighter-than-usual. Have a great day!

ciao-meow/GG Choco-Central

(photograph by Kung Fu Bonanza)