A brood of 6 boys welcomes baby sister!

"She is cuter than I thought she would be."

That's what one of the six boys of Stephen and Cher Lair remarked with adorable candidness, referring to his new baby sister, whom he and the rest of the family welcomed in August with much anticipation. One of my sisters pointed out that the whole thing is quite impressive -- for one thing because we rarely come across instances (in mass media anyway) of young children in a family demonstrating such other-centered traits, "and they're boys at that," she added. Well, let me just leave it at that and let you read the story or watch the video (or both). It is quite uplifting even without the cuteness of the little boys.

Check out the video

He's having a ball

Well, what do you know? I was all set to write "Whoever came up with this awesome invention is a genius!" And then a comment below the video I'm sharing here led me to the website that gives the lowdown on how the ingenious ball launcher came to be. It's called the iFetch and, like many other tools and gadgets we easily take for granted nowadays, it was invented out of pure necessity -- in this case, a schoolboy needed a solution to his dog's incessant barking which was keeping him from getting his homework done. With the help of his grandfather he came up with one! You can read the rest of the story plus other details on the iFetch website.

And here is the cute little dog having some serious fun with the automatic ball launcher:

Chopsticks tips & etiquette, at a glance

Aren't the drawings below positively cute?! They were posted on the Facebook page of Japan Lover Me but you can check out its website, too.

As for chopsticks use, I simply ask for spoon and fork to make the whole dining experience more pleasant (and easier). But thank God for this guide -- through it I learned that sticking one's chopsticks upright on a bowl of rice or any other food signifies death or mourning. I remember doing this more than once...

Hope these help you out!

Like the beat of my art

Now where did I read that quotation which goes something like 'art makes life more bearable..."? It made me think of the posts I placed on this blog that delved on art, and here are some of photos I unearthed. Quirky art!

An interesting flower vase, but I think it can stand on its own and light up a corner even without the pretty blooms. See more of Curlin Reed Sullivan's art here.

This looks yummy but then it's not ice cream. In fact, it's not edible at all -- it's soap! You can see more yummy inedibles at Soapylove!

Fawna on your fingers... in sterling. Figs & Ginger is a husband-and-wife team and more of the couple's work is available at their Etsy shop.

Let me share some new finds I made, which I hope you'll enjoy:

Paper typewriter by Jennifer Collier

I saw some really charming pieces when I walked into a store called Heima at Cubao Expo a couple of months ago, and this telephone lamp was one of them.

Magnificent castles (though this one looks more like a cathedral to me) demonstrating the beauty of paper craft, by Wataru Itou.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Cartoon animation is one of my favorite forms of art, so I decided to add this one, which I find quite engaging:

Nostalgia in a bottle

Here is that which recently transported me back in time. The sight of it = sentimental reminiscing (for just a few moments, that is). The smell of it = unstoppable mental flashback of carefree days from the '80s.

If you're on the same page with me on this, I hope you delight in this picture as well! Otherwise, you can read about my interesting experience involving this 125ml bottle of cologne. Or you can do both :-)

Let the tiny ones speak...

... even though in reality, they need us born ones to be their voice.

* Translation of Tagalog text: I AM PRO-LIFE! Hopefully you are, too. The RH Bill is one step toward legalized abortion in our country.

* February is PRO-LIFE MONTH in the Philippines!! Information about the different events can be found here (update: the Eucharistic celebration on Feb. 26 will be held at the main church in Antipolo instead of the Manila Cathedral). International speakers Michael Voris of RealCatholicTV.com and Luana Stoltenberg and Kay Painter of Operation Outcry are flying in for a series of speaking engagements, the schedule of which is here.

(Not) Easy like Sunday morning

It was an early Sunday morning like no other. Yahoo and Perdita, the pups we had acquired just four days earlier, were beginning to warm up to their new home, and at around 6:30 a.m. I peered through the window to check up on the little pooches -- they were quietly horsing around.

I went back to my room and emerged again about half an hour later. Wanting to play with the two, I walked over to the area that was their temporary corner. Seeing that the gate was ajar, I made a mental note to bolt it the next time and to tell the others in the house to do the same.

"Yahoo! Perdita!" I called out in sing-song, anticipating some hide-and-seek game, which I didn't really expect to take up that much time as our house doesn't have many hiding spots.

As I passed the garage, I saw that one of the wooden planks which had been used to cover the narrow opening under the main gate was not in place. At this I semi-panicked, for the puppies could have easily slipped through the opening without much effort and wandered around the neighborhood. So I made my way quickly around the rest of the house, still calling out their names. Behind closed cabinet doors, underneath the car, inside every nook and cranny I could find around the yard and heaps of plywood and old chairs -- no sign of the pooches.

My heart sank as I concluded that they made their way out the gate and must be roaming the streets by then. Quickly I ran out the gate and walked to the nearest corner. No sight of any puppies.

"Yahoo and Perdita are missing," I told my mom quietly back at the house as I got the car keys and drove out of the garage. I went slowly down the street, hoping they hadn't been nabbed, run over or attacked by bigger dogs that were common sightings on these parts.

"Diyan lang po kami nakatira (We live just over there)," I told a woman who was sweeping the pavement outside her home, gesturing toward our house. "Nakawala ho yung dalawang tuta namin ngayon-ngayon lang. May nakita ho ba kayong umaaligid dito? (Our two pups got away not too long ago. Did you see any roaming around here?)"

She said no, and after describing the two and asking if she could keep her eyes peeled for them, I hopped back into the car and proceeded to make my way around the neighboring streets. My thoughts raced: They're not at the kitchenette at the corner... where else could they have gone? They're bound to be hungry by now... Could they have been dognapped so fast? God, please keep them safe... oh, how could this happen?!

After circling the block and asking several more people -- including a dog-walker in the next street -- for help, I went back home, dejected. It was now about 30 minutes after I first discovered that the two were missing. Could there still be hope of finding them? How far away were they by then?

Breakfast was one sad affair. My mom was worried, too, and had a hard time coming to terms with the loss. We tried to comfort one another in some way, discussing how excruciatingly tough it must be if the situation involved children and not animals.

"Sana hindi sila gawing pulutan," I said, feeling hopeful that fellows who fancied canines for their "beer accompaniment" figured out that full-grown dogs would make for a full platter while pups would fall short of that.

While going through almost the entire range of emotions (denial, self-blame, pity...) in the next few minutes, my sister -- who tends to say the most inappropriate if not the most irrelevant things in many instances -- said, "Baka nagtago sila dun sa kwarto ni....! (Maybe they went hiding inside the room of...!)" (referring to our house helper).

Smiling gently, I said the door was closed and dismissed the idea, but to at least show that her idea counted, I got up to check the maid's room just the same.

As I made my way, I thought, This early I'm already resorting to wishful thinking... because I thought I could hear some very faint whimpering.

I stopped and simply listened. Nothing. Gosh, I'm already hallucinating or whatever you call the auditory kind of hallucination... I told myself.

A few seconds later, I thought I heard another whimper. I pressed my ear to the wall. Wait a minute! What am I doing?? This is a wall! How could a puppy be inside a wall? I reprimanded myself, half-amused by what I was doing.

I called my mom and asked her to come out and check something. I told her what I thought I heard. We kept still and waited.

We stood there, alert for any sound, then... it came.

A soft whimper from somewhere and we couldn't figure out where it was coming from! Beside us was solid wall, beneath us the pavement. Looking down, I saw a drain -- too small for a puppy to enter. I removed the cover just the same, puzzled that the sound seemed to be coming from there -- at the same time overjoyed with a renewed hope since, after all, it wasn't only me hearing those puppy sounds! They must be alive then!

Can you imagine how it must feel to hear the whimpering of your beloved tiny pets and yet not know where it was coming from? Well, to make a long story short, we searched and searched and figured out that Yahoo and Perdita were trapped underground. And we somehow had to free them.

After giving my brother a call and explaining what happened, my mom and I nervously kept calling the little ones' names, as if telling them not to give up, that we were going to get them to safety soon (how, I had no idea, but I had visions of miners trapped underground and being dug out and rescued).

Within minutes, my brother arrived -- and with three other men in tow, each carrying some tool or contraption. (They reminded me of the Ghostbusters and the A-Team for a moment there). Boy, was I relieved to see them! They came equipped and looked like they were ready to handle anything!

Okay, so I don't end up dragging you through every detail of this story about my precious pooches and their rescue, we discovered that the two came upon a hole and -- like any curious young ones -- decided to explore it.







They were small enough to fit in, and in they went, one after the other. Then they realized they couldn't get out and their only course of action was to express their fear and discomfort -- hence, the whimpering.






The guys estimated the location of the pups based on their whimpers (plus the guidance of a flashlight which illumined the little tunnel enough to show their position) and we decided that hammering the cement was the only way to get them out.





A few minutes later, this was the opening through which Yahoo and then Perdita were pulled out -- hind legs first! Needless to say, I looked away for a few moments as the sight of their tiny bodies being pulled out (and the possibility of serious injury) was unbearable. *shudder*





I heard one cry as her body was apparently being pulled out, then I saw Yahoo scampering away fearfully after being rescued. She took refuge beside the garbage bin which was next to a heap of stones, visibly shaking from the experience.







Then came Perdita, who showed the same tail-tucked-in, ears-down, eyes-wide-open and body-shaking demeanor after being pulled out. I scooped her up and held her close for a few minutes. No words can describe how I felt during those moments! All I can say is that I have a new respect for mothers who hold it together when their children are temporarily missing (wandered off at the supermarket or mall, kidnapped by some unscrupulous characters, got lost in a crowd... and other such scenarios before being brought back to their parents)!

I brought Perdita and Yahoo back to their designated quarters, held them for a few more minutes, "talked" with them with the most affectionate (and devoid of scolding) tone I could muster. They were, after all, scared by what they had just experienced.

In about five minutes, the two were horsing around again as if nothing happened, with no idea what they put us adults through! They're just like children...






After the incident, the hole was temporarily covered using a hollow block, then a few days later sealed with a wire covering nailed in place. No more adventures for the little ones!

By now anyway, they've grown big -- too big to even squeeze their heads into that hole. But their horsing around -- more like wrestling -- with each other will seem to be a lifetime preoccupation. And I wouldn't have it any other way :-)

A canine code red... and a few other things

Sometime last week, I realized that our 3-month-old puppies -- the two tiny litter mates I acquired with much care and planning, and with much consideration for their well-being -- have a stronger attachment to our household helper than to me. It was somewhat painful but more because I couldn't understand why than because of some desire to be the only object of their affection and loyalty. I had discovered the reasons since then -- and am working on solutions -- so I don't feel as bad anymore. But first, some stories -- first of which is how they came to be part of our home.

I was walking back to the office one afternoon from a grocery where I purchased a snack when I caught sight of some dogs on leashes walking about near an abandoned building. "Abandoned" is probably not a suitable word because it turned out that the man who owned the dogs has made the building his home -- and the dogs, apparently his source of income.

A few moments later some pups emerged, prancing about as fast as their tiny legs could, and I thought, "Ooh, puppies! How cute!" It just so happened that my family was really on the lookout for a puppy since it had been over a year since Sabrina had died. And we wanted one just like her -- a mongrel, not some high-maintenance breed like a German Shepherd, Siberian Husky, Bulldog or even one of those kinds that had to be groomed a lot (Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier and the like). We wanted a dog to stay outdoors and preferably one that was reasonable on the budget.

I approached the canines, conversed with the man who owned them and struck a deal. That night I told my mother about my discovery, and we arrived at the conclusion that it would be better to take two pups instead of just one (two would mean the presence of a playmate!). So, preparations were made, which was fun but also time-consuming because it had been 15 years since the last time we had a puppy at home (Sabrina died at age 14).


All the preparations were made (I swear, at some point it must have been what anticipating the arrival of a baby was like!), and on November 23, a Wednesday, I brought the two litter mates home! We named them Yahoo and Perdita.

They were shy and somewhat withdrawn, to say the least. Their favorite spot, besides the old carton box that we provided for their little "house," was a corner which seemed to serve as a refuge for them -- especially Yahoo -- whenever one of us visited them to bring food, to play, give them a pat, to coo their names. But the attempts at first were futile, since they would either scamper to their box and remain out of sight or sit in the corner and act disinterested every time somebody dropped by.

"Pa'no kaya kung isa lang binili natin? Eh di ang lungkot-lungkot niya lalo? Buti magkasama pa din silang magkapatid..." were some of our remarks after observing the inseparability and forlorn expressions both wore (except when they were roughhousing when they thought nobody was watching them through the flimsy curtain through the windows). They always slept huddled together, with one's paw over the other's head, or one's body slung over the other's back.

Within a couple of days they were wearing collars (pink for Perdita, green for Yahoo) and running around more enthusiastically. They even lapped up their milk faster and dared to venture out of their designated space and looked happy about it. (I decided that being introduced to the experience of walking with a leash would have to be for later. Too many new experiences one after the other can't be all that good for the little ones so soon after being transported into a still unfamiliar place, away from their mother and original owner.)














I had decided that Sunday -- four days after arriving home -- would be the day to bring them to the vet for a check-up. Two days after the pups arrived, our house helper pointed out worms in their poo! They did, after all, live on the streets during the first couple of months of their life, so this shouldn't even be surprising.

Sunday afternoon at the vet. This is how Perdita looked while waiting for her and Yahoo's turn (Yahoo was somewhere in the box, too):






As it was a Sunday, there were more patients, as expected. Dogs would bark simultaneously once in a while, and on one such instance, here's Perdita's reaction to the noise:






You can see Yahoo lying in there, still oblivious to what was going on (or probably choosing to snooze to cope with the new experience). When their turn came, all went well -- no anxiety-inducing crying or spirited attempts to scamper away, just a couple of whimpers when stool samples were taken. They had loads of worms, the doc said! So that was dealt with.

Anyhow, I'll hit the "publish post" button even though I haven't even gotten to what I was supposed to really blog about in the first place. Something happened at home on the morning of this visit to the vet, the "code red" referred to in the title up there. But the excitement of the morning will have to be for another day's blogging -- soon, I hope!!

Here, kitty, kitty

A sighting I had less than a week ago was yet another reminder that I really should have my camera with me at all times.

What is it with these car owners who decide to embellish their vehicles with this cutesy feline character? And they're not feminine-looking vehicles at all -- one I spotted at a parking lot several months ago was a sort of pickup truck, though I have the impression that this is a company vehicle. It probably does deliveries for Sanrio or some other affiliate.

The latest sighting was a shiny, sharp-looking purplish pink four-door number about which I can remember nothing else. I was driving along Edsa, and I just happened to glance at the vehicles on the opposite lane and spot that standout just as it was passing me. It may have been a girly shade of purplish pink, but the car seemed to be fully loaded (how I can tell that with just a 3-second look is beyond me). Still, it would have been nice to get a snapshot of it.

Nothing, however, can beat the first Hello Kitty-adorned vehicle I saw not far from where I live, which I remember from time to time with much fondness. When there's horrendous traffic and rude drivers to contend with, sightings like that one can make my day and actually ease a disgruntled spirit.

Tropical smiles

The cover alone can make one hanker back to carefree days of childhood. Did you ever experience splashing about in a swimming pool (or at the beach) and not wanting to get out of the water till your teeth were chattering and lips were turning blue? The mere smell of chlorine beckoned to me every time, and it usually took wrinkled fingers to get me out of the water :-)

Only five days to go till the end of the month, but summer ends a long time from today! Practically a whole month -- or more -- of skin-scorching sunshine and sweltering humidity. Well, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the sun :-) In the meantime, let the infectious smile of this 12-month-old baby cool you down.

If you're happy and you know it...

Better late than never... so here's the cover of the magazine's March Issue. We're big on things natural, homemade, "low-tech" at Baby -- ideas, play things, concepts that are more real than manufactured images, authentic than contrived, nature-based than commercial. I guess you could say that we do our best to keep things real. So when it comes to the covers, we strive to remain as genuine as possible in presenting the babies. Only natural blush on the little ones' cheeks, not too much sparkly accessories that spell "high-end" or "expensive" and nothing that would make the child look like an adult. Class does not have to be equated with luxury.





I love the way the paper garland gives the child a close-to-home look (I'm not sure what exactly that means, but I liken it to being down-to-earth and really friendly). These were made from pages of old glossy magazines, and 9-month-old Amara had a ball crushing them in her hand (good thing we made several for the shoot!).

In the course of completing this issue, the pursuit of happiness was on my mind a lot. In fact, some of the things that Rev. Fr. Eugene David (one of the people I interviewed for an article on the search for happiness) said makes for substantial rumination. I had asked him about what he thought of the oft-used line that goes "Gawin mo kung ano'ng makapagpapaligaya sa 'yo (Do what will make you happy)." His reply:

"I remember a quote from St. John Bosco which summarizes my thoughts on this matter. He said 'Run, jump, shout and do whatever you like as long as you do not sin.' I would then add something to the dictum you mentioned to make it complete: 'Gawin mo kung ano ang makapagpapaligaya sa iyo basta huwag kang lalabag sa utos ng Diyos at huwag kang mananakit ng iyong kapwa' (Do what will make you happy as long as you do not disobey the commands of God and you do not hurt your neighbor)' ...It does not matter what you want as long as you are happy and contented with your life without offending God and anybody else."

"Only in God will [man] find fulfillment and happiness because he will find soon enough that he exists and is created for the sole purpose of loving and uniting himself to God, who is the only one who can fill his emptiness."

Is it surprising, then, that insulting others, or prioritizing huge profits over time spent with the family, or maintaining an illicit relationship makes one feel miserable at some point? It seems that no matter how much we try to deny it, doing the right thing and finding happiness are meant to go hand in hand.

So, if you wanna be happy for the rest of your life...

Overloading on cuteness

For now, just a photo of the magazine's February issue! Can you feel the love? :-)






(Clockwise, from top left: 9-month-old Marco, 6-month-old Cross, 12-month-old Range, 12-month-old Ginger)

Precious child

Talk about dreamy.

"French country" is how I call it -- the theme that characterized a precious baby girl's 1st birthday celebration I attended a few days ago. "Sweet soiree" couldn't have been more apt (which is how the mom referred to the gathering in the invitation). Here are some snapshots I took around the place. How nice and refreshing it is to be in a kiddie party that is devoid of the usual cartoon characters, fastfood table fare and eardrum-blasting banter of overzealous hosts. This was one pleasant gathering that celebrated a sweet child's coming into the world.

A special edition

I can't help but think back to days when the cover shoots I took part in normally involved people whom society refers to as "celebrities." Whether I was a freelance/staff writer assigned to interview the subject, or one of the editors tasked along with the rest of the team to come up with a striking cover concept, having a celebrity as part of the package always meant a certain degree of... shall we say, "studied spontaneity" in front of the camera. At least in my experience. I say this because I now have the benefit of perspective, seeing things in the context of the kind of pictorials I have been taking part in since joining Baby Magazine three and a half years ago.

Capturing images of a person accustomed to kleig lights, to doing and saying things for a crowd, and to the attention/open admiration of fans, is radically different from that of a person who is still beginning to get acquainted with his immediate surroundings. There is also a world of difference between being able to tell someone to hold a certain pose (and to ask him to do the pose again) and being at the mercy of a little person who has no concept of poses and to whom requests of poses will make no sense. A model is trained to project in front of a camera; a baby goes about with complete spontaneity. Which is why when a baby ends up flashing a most adorable and animated expression, while still being natural -- and long enough for the photographer to capture it -- it is always a cause for celebration and thanksgiving!

The cover shoot for Baby mag's September issue took place on a Tuesday afternoon. We decided to do it at the family's home instead of the previously decided play facility in a shopping mall so as to put 19-month-old Tio completely at ease. We wanted him relaxed, comfortable and happy. I think we succeeded in that.



For one thing, his entire family was there (even an aunt and cousin dropped by to join the fun). Also, there was no need for him to adjust to a new environment since he was completely familiar with everything in sight. The only "new elements" were the Baby mag staff who were there plus photographer Karen Ilagan.




So, when it was time to play over at the "little blue playground thing" in the garden, Tio was all set and raring to go! His mom said the Little Tikes play set was part of the boy's physical therapy sessions for months, which started when Tio was barely a few months old.




Obviously, he was having the time of his life :-) The minutes we spent out in the garden, after all, were during the latter part of the shoot, after he had warmed up considerably and was probably regarding the whole experience as mere play. Here he is with his mom as we were about to wrap up --




Earlier, he probably found it weird that we seemed to be trying to keep him entangled between his mom's knees and attempting to have him stay on the floor the whole time! He was pretty dynamic, though! He wiggled, he crawled, he broke away from his mom, then for some moments he would smile, stick out his tongue, cover his mouth or wave at his "fans" who were cajoling him the whole time. Then we moved him back again, far enough from the camera in case he broke free and crawled his way toward the photographer. This was the routine for quite a while.




Photographer Karen was one patient shutterbug! She gamely waited, slid across the floor to catch a good angle, called out to Tio to coax a smile, shot away, called out some more, laughed with us everytime the little boy did something amusing. And she was quick to keep shooting when Tio -- as I personally had been hoping and praying for -- stayed put for close to a minute, I think, seated beneath his mom's legs, looking happy and animated. Was it going to be a good shot?




I think we got six or seven shots framed almost perfectly, in the way we were hoping for. We selected what we deemed the best one, where the charming 19-month-old boy with the extra chromosome that made him even cuter, looked absolutely happy and contented, just like the way a child who is loved and cared for by his parents and siblings ought to look.




Baby magazine is published by Marathon Publishing Co. and is sold at major National Bookstores, all SM baby department stores, Babyland (Robinsons Galleria, Shaw Blvd. near Cherry Foodarama and Eastwood Mall), Bufini, Mio Magazine Shops, selected Powerbooks outlets, and Big & Small Co. Shangri-la Mall.

Are you going with the high-tech flow?

I have often wondered how -- amid all the apparent advantages of growing up in this age of computerized, push-button and automatic everything -- children and teens will learn the art of waiting.

How would one teach his child the virtue of patience when things can be accomplished quickly and easily? Need to find a piece of information? Go look it up in a library. Need to find a book? Head for the card catalogue and look for it. Need to talk with a friend on the phone? Go to the telephone and dial his number.

Want to play a song from an audio cassette tape? Hit fast forward or rewind till you find it (and learn estimating in the process).

Planning a meet-up with friends? Set a time and place (no "bahala na, will text you later" option). Wait if someone is 5, 10 minutes late (no "wru?" option and no re-sending the message 3 minutes later out of impatience when there's no reply).

Looking for entertainment? Create your own games, make your own playthings, use objects around the home and transform them into a bridge, a bahay-bahayan, a fort for the toy soldiers... the options are endless. Use your imagination.

Want to make a "Happy birthday!" or "Welcome home!" streamer? Get some Manila paper, pencils, colored markers, crayons, and use your creativity (no computer-aided printouts).

Want to communicate with people from foreign countries? Write letters by hand, seal the envelope, go to the post office and mail the letters. Then wait at least a month for a reply. Be patient.
The way I see it, there's a lot that today's world has to offer kids, but these kids are somewhat deprived. Of what? Well, unless their parents are pro-active and discerning, they miss out on opportunities to learn and grow in patience. There are invaluable life lessons that cannot be learned from texting messages and spending hours on Facebook.





Check out Baby Magazine's June issue for some insights on all this high-tech gadgetry surrounding our children and (almost) taking over our lifestyle. More about it from Petrufied.

Reasons and seasons

Well, a lot has happened the past several weeks. Work has piled up, the sweltering heat has become a daily "force" to reckon with (and made daily productivity a mighty challenging goal), campaign season came and went, and the national and local elections took place. Now we have a President-elect and the inevitable post-election controversies.

It was a very eventful past month, and much had me quietly pleading for divine intervention. Needless to say, the outcome of various undertakings didn't go the way I would have wanted them to; other situations had me seeing just why God is spelled with a "G" instead of a "g" and that entertaining even for a moment the notion that a creature would know better than the Creator is plain silly (and more importantly, indicative of a lack of faith).

Still, some situations continue to be baffling while keeping me hopeful that we shall one day see the entire tapestry of life's goings-on, understanding and appreciating the non-intrusive orchestration of events by the One who knows all things, as well as the reasons behind those events.

As for less complex matters, the reason behind the appearance of this fuschia-clad baby on the cover of our current issue is clear and simple: she is endearingly cute!





That's Kara Judielle Sacrez in all her lacy cuteness, photographed by Kristin Rodriguez of Little People Lifestyle Photography at Cupcakes by Sonja.

Baby magazine is published by Marathon Publishing Co. and is sold at major National Bookstores, all SM baby department stores, Babyland (Robinsons Galleria, Shaw Blvd. near Cherry Foodarama and Eastwood Mall), Baby & Co. (The Podium and Power Plant Mall), Bufini, Mio Magazine Shops, Procreation Shangri-la mall, Big & Small Co. Shangri-la mall.

Four-legged buddies

A delightfully touching (if confusing at first) photo, from Cute Overload:




Check out the toddler and his feline friend with their version of a WWF match:

He's got the look

Ready for anything in the cold climate -- Pitti Uomo

Classic for the gentlemen -- New York City

Style ought to be effortless, darling




Uh... right. And suited to the weather.

Haha! Effortless and suited to the weather.

Too cool to care about image -- Paris

Color can dictate your palette of emotions for the entire day -- Florence

Style, ease, economy of movement -- Milan

Effortless style, comfort, and moves whichever way he wants. Loves the tropics.
Ready for anything.

* All photos except tropical baby and freezing girl in bonnet from The Sartorialist