Giulia Geranium

Bees, the Sweet Alternative

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:50:00 +0000

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)

Catapalooza 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:35:00 +0000

Catapalooza 2012: a Valentine’s Day adoption open house and celebration of all things feline at the Washington Animal Rescue League (71 Oglethorpe Street, NW, DC 20011). More than 50 cats for adoption. All cats spayed or neutered, vaccinated, examined by a veterinarian and a behavior specialist, and tested for feline leukemia and FIV. This day only the adoption fee for all cats is a “just the two of us” $2. Free mimosas, cake and cookies, cat-themed grab bags, children’s Valentine card making. Admission is free. For information call 202-726-2556 or write warl@warl.org.--via WARL

GG's editor, a cat nerd, looks forward to Catapalooza with a somewhat disturbing enthusiasm (according to a few friends, ahem). Even if you're not in the market for a new family member, you should make plans to stop in. Check your local shelter for similar goings on because a quick search showed 'Catapalooza' events.

ciao-♥-meow/GGCM

(Andy Warhol illustration via Warhol Museum)

Happy Birthday, Mr Dickens

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:20:00 +0000

There is no shortage of online material for Charles Dickens enthusiasts for the natal day (& year) celebration. Those fortunate to live in London, should visit the Charles Dickens Museum. Online, they have a creative writing project for students. There are resource links for parents & teachers, as well. (The museum will close in April for renovations so plan accordingly.)

A new-to-us David Perdue's Charles Dickens Page looks excellent. So many links to good sites, synopses, illustration information, & much more. And, of course, Dickens 2012 is birthday central.

ciao-pip-pip-meow/GGCM

(photograph by Bob Penn)

Winter Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:25:00 +0000

The White House is celebrating the second anniversary of Let's Move, the program the First Lady started to solve the problem of childhood obesity. Visit their website & be inspired (no matter where you live).

Whether you live with children or not; whether you wrangle a redheaded feline (or not), you need to get out for a walk. Even if you're not living in one of the 25 best walking cities (we do, hooray), you need to get out for a walk. If you use the word flâneur you'll feel even better about the whole business.

There you go, out for a stomp...but remember to stop at a café or to admire a view.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph by Aya Brackett)

Sunday Charade

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:10:00 +0000

Here at GG Central, we will be juggling the Super Bowl (yep) & Downton Abbey. But perhaps you're not interested in either option.

What about whipping up something French for supper & watching Charade with Audrey Hepburn & Cary Grant? You can watch for free online (in America). It's also on Netflix Instant. The movie is a lot of fun & actually kind of scary (spoiler alert: Audrey & Cary survive). There's pretty Paris scenery (& the witty opening is in Switzerland).

Have a great (rest of the) weekend, wherever you live!

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph via Doctor Macro)

Make Vintage Valentine Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:05:00 +0000

We quite understand that you can't time travel to make some valentines. (Please tweet us if we are mistaken, for it would be utterly cool to receive a time travel tweet.) What we mean is, visit Vintage Holiday Crafts, The Graphics Fairy, Karen's Whimsey, & The Vintage Moth to download images you like (there are many different styles of vintage) & then put together some cards. (Or get everything ready & then have children or friends make some cards.) If you'll be hand-delivering, these doily envelopes are pretty, easy, & inexpensive.

ciao-mushy-meow/GG's editor

Something Sweet - Dulce de Leche

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Idea for a frankly less-than satisfying afternoon: make something sweet from the cupboard/pantry for coffee, sauces, ice cream, baking, what-have-you. Do you have a can of sweetened condensed milk? We do & here is David Lebovitz's easy peasy Dulce de Leche recipe. We're off to make it now.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph by Francine Zaslow)

Maps as Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:21:00 +0000

...for travel plans or for your walls at home. Or both.

You can download beautiful vintage maps at the Graphics Fairy (for free). Hang them by your desk or in the kitchen, anywhere you want a pop of color & a reminder to plan that trip - now.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(Vintage NYC map by Sam Rogers)

Roses in Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:35:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:05:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:11:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:42:00 +0000

"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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:25:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:08:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:02:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:21:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:55:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:32:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:17:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:19:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:38:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Giulia) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:58:00 +0000

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)