Want a little spice with your sugar? Cats and Sugar Bowls delivers with nine bite-sized stories about love between women. Rena and Sanae are like a pair of naughty kitties who act far more innocent than they really are. Touka, while looking for a lover willing to indulge her more extreme BDSM fantasies, runs into her boss at a bondage club. All these delights and more await!

An illustrated survey of the decorative arts in Alabama. This volume features painting, sculpture, furniture, handmade textiles, quilts, needlework, photography and silverware crafted in Alabama during the 19th century.

Edward C. Moore (1827–1891) was the creative leader who brought Tiffany & Co. to unparalleled originality and success during the late nineteenth century. A silversmith, designer, and prodigious collector, Moore sought out exceptional objects from around the world, which he then used as inspiration for Tiffany’s innovative silver designs. This informative, richly illustrated volume, the first study of Moore’s life, collection, and influence, presents more than 170 examples from his vast collection, ranging from Greek and Roman glass to Spanish vases, Islamic metalwork, and Japanese textiles. These are juxtaposed with sixty magnificent silver objects created by the designers and artisans at Tiffany who were inspired by Moore’s acquisitions. Included among them are the world-famous Bryant Vase drawing upon Greek examples, a love cup featuring ornate “Saracenic” decoration, and a chocolate pot incorporating novel techniques influenced by Japanese ceramics and lacquerware. The illuminating texts have been enriched by groundbreaking research into contemporary sources such as newspapers and periodicals, the Tiffany & Co. Archives, and a newly identified technical manual and supervisor’s diaries, all of which provide an intimate look at the firm’s design processes and Moore’s role in shaping them. A valuable contribution to the history of American decorative arts, Collecting Inspiration illuminates both the legendary Tiffany aesthetic and the legacy of a significant collector, designer, and entrepreneur of the Gilded Age.

Winner of the George Garrett Fiction Prize, Susan Lowell’s Two Desperados is a collection of southwest-flavored stories that feature a blacksmith, several smugglers, a mule, a jaguar, a runaway groom, a murderess, a witch, a basket weaver, a Gremlin, three cowboys, and a ghost. Settings range from a grand university library to a construction site, from an apocalyptic dream world to the coyote-haunted banks of the Rio Grande. A novella called “Captain Death” traces a journalist’s odyssey along the U.S.-Mexico border. Another novella, “Two Desperados,” follows a prodigal daughter’s return to her eccentric Arizona home. And although they grapple with love and death, many members of this motley gang still manage to find sparkles in the darkness and a few crazy moments of grace. These eighteen stories play a few games with traditional short story form, but by and large they remain in the realism camp—yet it is realism tweaked or enlivened with an occasional sprinkle of magic or a small electric zap. In length they range from a few words to many pages, from the brief text of a bumper sticker to a full-scale novella. In the words of Apuleius, author of The Golden Ass: “Reader! Pay attention! You’re going to enjoy yourself!”

There is hardly a cat breed about which there are more prejudices than about naked cats. For many people they are unfortunate creatures of a misguided breeder's ambition. In reality, nature produces naked cats again and again, which can even hold their own as outdoor cats. Also, there are several breeds called Sphynx cats that have nothing in common genetically. In this book, learn not only everything about keeping and caring for cats, but also about the origin of the breeds and the absolutely adorable character that is innate in all naked cats. Get answers to the questions: What to consider when keeping them? How do you have to care for the skin, claws and teeth of Sphynx cats? How can you recognize good cat food? Which vaccinations are important? Why is training useful for Sphynx cats? Of course, the book also briefly introduces the different breeds, which originated independently in Canada, Russia and in Hawaii. The contents of the book: 1) Origin of the cats 2) character 3) Demands of the breed 4) building instructions for cat furniture 5) Health and vet visits 6) Cat safe apartment 7) Education and training 8) Signs of diseases There are additional detailed instructions and valuable tips in the appendix. In addition, the book included over 10 illustrations. The book will teach you a lot of interesting facts about these adorable cats. Sphynx cats are robust, playful and very affectionate. Buy the book now and get into the world of Sphynx cats.

Cats are cuddly and adorable, but they are often misunderstood. Sadly, many cats are relinquished to shelters or rehomed due to normal behaviors that are incorrectly treated or mishandled. In this book, Elite Fear-Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified author Alana Linsay Stevenson empowers cat parents and teaches them how to address and modify challenging feline behavior. You will begin by learning basic kitten care and feline developmental stages; how cats differ behaviorally from group animals, such as dogs and people; feline body language; and how cats handle stress. Alana provides concise instruction on how to gently handle cats: how to pick up and carry them, acclimate them to carriers, the use of towels, alternatives to scruffing, and how our body language affects cats. Packed with photographs for visual reference, this book offers clear guidelines and easily implementable strategies for resolving feline behavioral problems, such as: failure to use the litter box play aggression petting aggression inter-cat aggression furniture scratching jumping on counters obsessing about food night wailing fear of people aggression to strangers The content is organized by topic for easy access to information, as you need it. The Good Cat Parent’s Guide to Feline Behavior Modification is for anyone who likes cats and wants to learn more about them. Whether you are a veterinary professional, a volunteer or shelter worker who regularly handles stressed cats, or a cat parent who simply wants to understand your cat, you will find helpful and useful information at your fingertips to give cats a better quality of life. No cat parent should be without this book!

What do you do to promote harmonious relations when your cat hates your fiancé? How do you raise kittens that will interact well with children? How do cats learn? Can you teach your cat to ring the doorbell or play dead? Are some cats despots? How do you know if a cat is depressed? Stressed? Sick? Happy? In fourteen information-packed chapters, H. Ellen Whiteley, D.V.M., answers these and hundreds of other vital questions. Each chapter includes a letter from a concerned cat owner and Dr. Whiteley's advice to that owner. Whiteley draws upon her experience as a house-call veterinarian for felines and her years as a pet columnist for publications such as The Saturday Evening Post, Woman's World, Cats, and others to write a book filled with interesting and insightful anecdotes about patients, clients, and readers that will keep you turning pages long after you've discovered the answers to your specific questions.

Authoritative, easy-to-follow guidance in giving your cat the best possible care Written by the former president of the Academy of Feline Medicine and the proprietor of a feline-only veterinary clinic, Guide to a Healthy Cat is the definitive guide to feline well-being. Dr. Elaine Wexler-Mitchell provides the most up-to-date information about cat health, including vaccine recommendations, new therapeutic diets, and the latest treatments for kidney disease. You'll find everything you need to know about raising a kitten, feeding the finicky feline, grooming for good health, caring for a senior cat, and keeping peace in a multi-cat home. From the scoop on litter boxes to the keys to feline mental health, this user-friendly guide is packed with plain-English explanations and advice to help keep your cat healthy, including: * A thorough discussion of feline disease-how to combat it and manage it * The latest on proper nutrition and the best foods for your cat * Sensible, practical advice on keeping your cat safe from household dangers * Chapters on how to tell if your cat is sick and whether it's an emergency; what the most common veterinary diagnostic tests are and what the results mean; and what items in your medicine cabinet are safe to give to your cat-and which ones are not * Information on what you can catch from your cat and how to control allergies to cats * The latest developments in keeping cats flea-free * A glossary of veterinary and cat terms Guide to a Healthy Cat gives you all the knowledge and tools you need to understand your cat and his or her health needs-and provide the best care.

The china used by the First Families, both at the White House and in their private homes, reveals a fascinating story of culture and society as it has evolved in the United States since its early days. In this handsome book, which documents over 200 rare items in the remarkably comprehensive Robert L. McNeil, Jr., Collection, a beautiful display of tableware unfolds as readers learn of trends in taste, style, and modes of entertaining, from George Washington to Ronald Reagan. Among the featured objects are Washington's white-and-gold Sèvres porcelain that he purchased from a French diplomat recalled at the outbreak of the French Revolution; James Monroe's gilt-edged French porcelain service, the first state service commissioned by the White House in 1817; and John F. Kennedy's understated Wedgwood creamware used at his Georgetown home. Collectors and historians will value the information on how the pieces were commissioned, designed, manufactured, and imported. Published in association with the Philadelphia Museum of Art Exhibition Schedule: Mount Vernon, Alexandria, Virginia (February 16, 2008 - January 21, 2009)

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Soon to be a Hulu Original series • The internationally acclaimed author of Wild collects the best of The Rumpus's Dear Sugar advice columns plus never-before-published pieces. Rich with humor and insight—and absolute honesty—this "wise and compassionate" (New York Times Book Review) book is a balm for everything life throws our way. Life can be hard: your lover cheats on you; you lose a family member; you can’t pay the bills—and it can be great: you’ve had the hottest sex of your life; you get that plum job; you muster the courage to write your novel. Sugar—the once-anonymous online columnist at The Rumpus, now revealed as Cheryl Strayed, author of the bestselling memoir Wild—is the person thousands turn to for advice.