Julia Child's cat

via Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Cats! Paris! Julia Child! Cutaways! Beautiful illustrations! Why do I not already own this book? Why I have not gifted it to myself? "Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat" by Susanna Reich and illustrated by Amy Bates tells the story of when Julia began her training as a chef at the same time that it's about Minette, the cat, who prefers mouse to anything Ms. Childs' provides it to eat. It looks sweet doesn't it?

via Dish "n" That

via books4yourkids.com

And I would love just a collection of the sketches that went into this book. The blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, was able to post a number of sketches and drafts by illustrator by Amy Bates that are just amazing:

(see more at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast)

Oh, and could this be the real Minette?

 

Picture of Julia's Parisian kitchen, photography Paul Child 

(from ancient industries via the conscious cat)

feline fashion

"Black Cat Print Dress" by leahgoren

For the most part, feline inspired fashion has meant, for this cat lady, going to work with a lap full of cat hair or one of these little numbers. But, boy, would I love to switch it up and start wearing any of these prints! Any fashion-forward cat ladies with me?

by I put deadly nightshade in your cup of tea. (via miss wallflower) 

ZARA dress via Jezzica's Closet

Miu Miu print via Things I Ate That I Love

Miu Miu print via miss wallflower

"cat gentlemen"

Yeah, I'll call myself a "cat lady" if that means I'm in the same company as these feline lovin' macho men...

Ernest Hemingway via The Cat's Meow

James Dean via somerset

 

James Taylor via Let Us Read and Let Us Dance

  Marlon Brando via Ab Imo Pectore

Date? Saved.

vintage Polish stamp via http://stampdesigns.tumblr.com/post/340299879/poland-postage-stamp-kitten-c-1966-designed-by

{lots more postal prettiness to be found on that tumblr too}

Slowly but surely I'm getting the hang of this wedding planning thing.

The reason is because I've learned to "delegate" as my mother would say, but I am not ashamed to admit that what I'm really doing is pawning things off on my loved ones.

Case and point: the Save the Date cards (which, thank goodness, we've finally sent off). My future Mister* designed the postcard, found an affordable printer, and patiently dealt with me when I gave him useful critiques like - But is it too orange? And then we have my lovely friend Ruby who addressed these beauties with her graceful handwriting and dealt with sending out all of the last minute ones I forgot about.

Anyway, thanks to my wedding team (and eBay for the stamps) I was so happy with our Save the Date cards that I couldn't help but photograph the crap out of them in all their bright and mismatched glory...

The photo shoot was, however, interrupted by my one true love (a certain green-eyed cat) as her jealousy sent the cards scattering before she then decided to take a nap on them. Little did she know that her actions just made the postcards more perfect... after all, who doesn't love to receive mail with little bits of cat hair stuck under vintage postage?

*Sorry to steal your blog's term of endearment for your man, Celia. It's pretty perfect, but I promise to come up with my own soon... unless, of course, you have any suggestions?? Hey now - that's an idea...

Dear readers,

Can I delegate that responsibility of nicknaming my husband-to-be for use in the blog - to you?

I've been referring to him as BF ("the boyfriend") thus far, but that's only going to work for so long (until November - to be exact). Plus, "BF" as a nickname technically doesn't even work anymore since we had to go and got all French and fiancéd....

Anyway, any and all suggestions to nickname my man would be appreciated and carefully considered.

Sincerely,
Vivi

M is for...

via k.james

Love to all the moms out there this weekend especially to the ones I love most - my own as well as my fellow bloggers, Lorelei and Mae! In honor of your day - here's a little round-up of some beautiful mom-centric illustrations just for you...

By the way, love the shades of red and oranges and yellows in these (especially when cooled with touches of blue or brown):

via SurrendrDorothy

via pipnstuff

via ART By MAR

via finsbry

via judibird (animal mothers count too!)

In terms of the next 3, I've got to point out how surprising similar these seemingly very different images are in color (green and a red maroon), composition, and just general sweetness:

by Laura Logan

via Little Cotton Rabbits

via "T"eresa

And here's a really beautiful poem by Hope Anita Smith from her really beautiful collection, "Mother Poems," that will make you want to call your mother today:

Q and A

I never thought to ask my mother
what I was like when I was a baby.
Did I laugh a lot?
Was I fussy?
Did I have a favorite toy?
What was my first word?
When did I roll over? Crawl? Walk?
Did I ever like carrots?
Mothers give us our stories,
at least the beginning.
My mother left before she got a chance to
give me mine,
and I forgot to ask.
God should have made me smarter.
I am remembering less and less about my mother
and wanting to know more and more about me.

{poem found here}

kitten season

image via FFFFOUND!

My boyfriend and I found a kitten outside of his house a few days ago. It is either a stray or a throw away, but either way it is in tough shape - a few singed whiskers, a couple of cuts, a nicked ear, and very skinny. I would prefer to think that these are the marks of being a stray because I don't want to imagine anyone treating an animal so unkindly (even though I know people do). Though initially skittish, turns out that July (as we've named her) is incredibly sweet and affectionate. We've also had her checked out by a vet friend and she's doing okay, we just have to feed her little belly slowly and with lots of rich kitten food.

It also looks like we've found her a home (neither of us can keep her since we both already have felines). Two people have expressed interested in her and will be visiting her this week. Both are also library students (who don't know each other) and both made fun of the librarians + cats stereotype. Which is such a silly thing to apologize for when loving cats is such a wonderful thing (says this cat lady).

image via Books Rule

Anyway, it is kitten season and lots of cats (grown-up and little) are needing homes so if you've been thinking about it... now is the time (if you are in NC - "The Goathouse Refuge" is an amazing no-kill shelter run by a wonderful artist, Siglinda Scarpa). And please don't these sweet and adorable pictures sway you.... that is totally not my agenda. :)

image by Geninne's Art blog

image via FFFFOUND!

image via dainty doll

image via aL-baum