VBP Thursday: The One When It Ended

[Still not sure what VBP is? Check here.]

Dear Furriends,

Today, we have a special announcement regarding the VBP Blog Hop.

On January 17 of this year, Jet, Savannah, and I started a blog hop called VBP – Vocab Building Project (Check above link for more information).

We had lots of fun using new words, and I loved looking for French/English idioms (VBP) that were similar or not and which included the word cat. Unfortunately, life being life, we cannot get the energy needed to continue it right now. So we have decided to stop it, at least momentarily.

I would like to thank all the furriends who collaborated in this project:

Jet and his human, for coming up with the original idea for the blog hop! We’re sending you lots of purrs and hugs!

Savannah and her human, for their perseverance (VBP) and patience, and for posting when we couldn’t. We send you hugs and purrs too!

Miss Ann from Zoolatry for creating all the graphics that you see on this post, as well as the badges. Again, hugs and purrs!

Last but not least, thank you to all the furriends who pawticipated! We hope you had fun in the process. We certainly loved reading your posts! Lots of purrs!

A special shout-out to The Tabbies O Trout Towne for participating to all but 2 of the total of 11 hops! Thank you! Lots of purrs! And salmon!

So, for now, we are closing the VBP dictionary and stopping the hop. But one day maybe…

P.S.: If you had planned a VBP post and plan to post it, please post the link in the comment and I will post a link in a post next week. Thank you furry much for your understanding!

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VBP Tuesday: After-Pawty

[Still not sure what VBP is? Check here.]

Hiya my dear furriends!

Thank you all so very much for your wishes and for coming to my purrthday pawty! I was – am – both blessed (VBP) and blissful (VBP) to have had you all here!

Here are two more cards that I received. The first one is from Mollie and Alfie:

Thank you guys! This mousie looks very yummy!

And the second one is from my furriend Easy:

Loved, absolutely loved the beret and the baguette!

I am yet to visit each and everyone of you to thank you purrsonally. Sorry to be so late.

But you see, on top of my human having little time, I did need some time to offset (VBP) the effects of nip… I had to nap a little…

And so did Kitshka…

We were exhausted (VBP)!

So we’ll be back to blogging and visiting your bloggies starting tomorrow!

Also something else impawtant: we’ll have an announcement regarding VBP on Thursday. But for now, mum’s the word! (VBP)

Below are the past week’s pawticipants. As always, click on the bluey badge at the bottom of this post to enter your link for this week. And don’t forget to grab the badge! Thanks to everyone!

<a href="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vbt-badge-v2-texas_150.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="182"></a>

da tabbies @da tabbies of trout twone

savvy @savannah’s paw tracks

texas @texas, a cat in ny

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VBP Thursday: Some News Ahead

[Still not sure what VBP is? Check here.]


I take a break from my weekly bilingual VBP post to dispatch (VBP) some news.

First, little-no-so-old me is literally (VBP) in the news! Yes I am!

No, not the newspawper! But I’m in a magazine. You know this bundle (VBP) of glossy (VBP) papers the humans (especially female humans) read. Want to know more? Consider visiting me on Saturday (well, yes, today is VBP day, I can’t take all the glory ;-)


Second piece of news is that little-not-so-old me is turning 7 in exactly one week! I don’t feel like I am aging (VBP)! Can you tell this face is almost 7?

Look at this strong body of mine (Hello! Lady Cats!)

Doesn’t this paw look brand new?

Ah! I knew it! So you are all invited to my purrthday next Thursday. Remember, April 4.


Last and least, my human is abandoning me to go to going to the Blog Paws Conference in May. Everything’s booked (VBP) but the transportation. You think there’s still hope she’ll stay with me?

Below are the past week’s pawticipants. As always, click on the bluey badge at the bottom of this post to enter your link for this week. And don’t forget to grab the badge! Thanks to everyone!

<a href="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vbt-badge-v2-texas_150.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="182"></a>

Gizmo @Terrier Torrent

Ann @Pawsitively Pets

Pepi @PepiSmartDog

Savvy @Savannah’s Paw Tracks

Texas @Texas, a Cat in NY

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VBP Thursday – This IS The Cat’s Meow

[Still not sure what VBP is? Check here.]

I admit it, and not reluctantly (VBP), I have been having fun finding idioms and expressions related to kitties both in English and in French. This is my third post (first here, second there) and I want to mention all the expressions you shared.

Yes, I think this bi-cultural (VBP) interest is the cat’s meow… or the cat’s pyjamas.

Unfortunately, there is no exact French translation for these expressions, at least none with the word cat. An appropriate translation, depending on the context, could be le fin du fin (the best of the best, or la crème de la crème – nom!).

Now, let me illustrate the cat’s meow according to Kitshka (we hope we get it right).

Would you say my tocks are the cat’s meow for Kitshka?

If you are interested in learning more about French expressions that are about cats, we would like to suggest this page done by our furriends at Autour des Chats. It is very well done!
We will also keep on featuring (VBP) French and English expressions here =^.^=

Below are the past week’s pawticipants. As always, click on the bluey badge at the bottom of this post to enter your link for this week. And don’t forget to grab the badge! Thanks to everyone!

<a href="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vbt-badge-v2-texas_150.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="182"></a>

da tabbies @da tabbies o trout towne

Savvy @Savannah’s Paw Tracks

Texas @Texas, a Cat in NY

We had a post from Ann, of Zoolatry but for some reason the link has disappeared?! I don’t understand what happened. Ann, if you want to resubmit your linkie, we will gladly add it!

Happy VBP week, furriends!

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VBP Thursday – More bilingualism and kitty expressions!

[Still not sure what VBP is? Check here.]

Two weeks ago (already!), I posted a VBP post about French and English idioms that were related to kitties.

My dear furriends and readers shared some other idioms and expressions that I would like to start sharing with you today.

First one was suggested by Easy.

to put a spoke in somebody’s wheel: to spoil someone else’s plans and stop them from doing something

We knew the literal translation in French, that is “mettre des batons dans les roues”.

But Easy knew another translation that we like better – kind of:

“to throw a cat in someone’s legs” or in French, “jeter un chat aux jambes de quelqu’un”.

Sammy mentioned the expression “cat got your tongue?” which in French would translate into “tu as donné ta langue au chat ?” (“you gave your tongue to the cat?”).

Source: Didier Francini francini (dide) on Myspace

Clowie reminded us of the expression “when the cat’s away, the mice will play”, with translates exactly the same in French: “quand le chat n’est pas là, les souris dansent.”

More next week =^.^=

Below are the past two week’s pawticipants. As always, click on the bluey badge at the bottom of this post to enter your link for this week. And don’t forget to grab the badge! Thanks to everyone!

<a href="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vbt-badge-v2-texas_150.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="182"></a>

da tabbies @da tabbies of trout towne

Ann @Pawsitively Pets

Easy @Easy Rider

Loy @Yikes! Loy Turns 60

Dash Kitten @Dash Kitten

Savvy @Savannah’s Paw Tracks

Texas @Texas, a cat in NY

da tabbies @da tabbies of trout towne

Gizmo @Terrier Torrent

Ann @Zoolatry

Socks @Alasandra, The Cats & Dog

Ann @Pawsitively Pets

Savvy @Savannah’s Paw Tracks

Texas @ Texas, a cat in NY

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VBP Thursday: Let’s make it bilingual!

[Still not sure what VBP is? Check here.]

Because my human has a cold (again!) and because of a funny thing she told me recently, I decided that I would use my polyglot (VBP) skills to do my post. Of course, right now, you can’t see the link with my human’s cold and the funny thing she told me, but keep reading.

When my human went to the Architects for Animals event, she met one of my favorite human bloggers, ailurophile (VBP) Layla, of Cat Wisdom 101.

I’ll spare (VBP) you the details, but at one point, my human learnt a new expression:

To have a frog in one’s throat

Well, guess what kitties? In French, the exact translation of this expression is:

Avoir un chat dans la gorge

or “to have a cat in one’s throat.”

Source:cheezburger.com

You’d think the French would prefer the frog! You’d be wrong!

There are a couple of other French expressions using the word cat. In the comments of my last post, Sparky Spitfire asked me how to say “peek a boo” in French. There is no exact translation for it (something like “jouer à/faire coucou” would do), but it made me think of another expression.

“Play tag” translates into… you guessed it! “Jouer à chat” or “jouer à chat perché” (literally “play cat” or “play off-ground cat”).

I knew that my smart readers would not simply “give up” and… “donner sa langue au chat” (“give one’s tongue to the cat”)!

Illustration : Zelda Zonk
Source: TV5.org

Can you think of other expressions with the word cat, in English or another language?

Here are last week’s pawticipants. As always, click on the bluey badge at the bottom of this post to enter your link for this week. And don’t forget to grab the badge! Thanks to everyone!

<a href="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vbt-badge-v2-texas_150.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="182"></a>

Daisy @Everyday Adventures in Havachon Heaven

da tabbies
@da tabbies of trout towne

Ann
@Zoolatry

Loy
@Yikes! Loy Turns 60

Misaki @The Misadventures of Misaki

Dash Kitten
@Dash Kitten

Ann
@Pawsitively Paws

Nylablue @Nylablue & SherriEllen’s Purrfect Pad

Amy
@Training Toby

Gizmo
@Terrier Torrent

Jet
@Hey It’s Jet Here

Savvy @Savannah’s Paw Tracks

Texas @Texas, a cat in NY

Here is the linkie for this new week, to enter the link to your post (permalink).

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VBP & Kitshka Friday: Is Kitshka seeing hearts everywhere?

[Still not sure what VBP is? Check here.]

So we are a day late posting our VBP post this week. Sorry about that. But I can use this very human mistake to remind you that you have an entire week to post yours! You don’t have to post on Thursday, you can post between Thursday and the next Wednesday! Isn’t that a nifty (VBP) blog hop?

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, as you know, and someone here was very excited because she got mentioned and invited to play.

Kitshka got invited to play tag with Quill, at Housecat Confidential. She was mesmerized (VBP).

Kitshka was actually so thrilled (VBP) that she thought she could travel to Quill’s through the laptop screen. Tsk tsk tsk.

I say no chaperon, no playing tag. Yep.

In any case, Quill, we all hope your Mom is doing better. Kitshka says she sends special fluffy purrs!

Last week, we mentioned bloggers playing with words. Sparkle pointed out that we had forgotten our good furriend King Spitty. That’s the human’s fault, of course.

Spitty @Spitty Speaks with his dictionary of Acronyms.

Here are last week’s pawticipants. As always, click on the bluey badge at the bottom of this post to enter your link for this week. And don’t forget to grab the badge! Thanks to everyone!

<a href="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vbt-badge-v2-texas_150.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="182"></a>

Amy @ Training Toby

Da Tabbies @Da Tabbies O Trout Towne

Misaki @The Misadventures of Misaki

Ann @Pawsitively Pets

Jet @Hey It’s Jet Here

Savvy @Savannah’s Paw Tracks

Texas @Texas, a cat in NY

Here is the linkie for next week, to enter the link to your post (permalink).

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VBP Thursday – It’s all about words

[Still not sure what VBP is? Check here.]

We have not told you yet (I think) but this little project, initiated by Jet and her Mom, was started several months ago. The humans’ lives being what they are, they sometimes got in the way and hampered (VBP) its realization. But everything comes in time, and in the meantime, we have discovered that several other bloggers have a keen (VBP) interest in words.

So today, I thought I would present to all of you a potpourri (VBP) of those we have discovered.

Austin @(CAT)achresis with Dr. Austin Tuxedo’s Word of the Day at the end of each post. Dr. Austin sure knows how to play with words!

Liousha & Tiki @Liousha & Tiki and Graffiti, Zingara & Romeo @La Voix aux Chats-Pitres with Charabia (check here and here) give us French kitty vocabulary lessons!

Saffy, Cosmo, and Phoebe, and their human Angie @Catladyland with Fanglish, or the “the underground feline code of lingo known as Fanglish.”

Nerissa @Nerissa’s Life with My Personal A to Z Challenge (here is the latest post in the series)

I am perplexed (VBP). I think my human is forgetting some bloggers…

If you happen to be regularly playing with words and expressions on your bloggie and you are not on the list, we might either have missed you or the human has forgotten to include you. Leave me a message and I will do a sequel (VBP) next week!

Happy VBP everyone!

And now, please check this past week’s pawticipants:

Easy @EasyRider

Da Tabbies @da tabbies o trout towne

Penelope @The Cat from Hell

@Dogs N Pawz

Gizmo @Terrier Torrent

Ann @Pawsitively Pets

Kirby @Kirbys Dawg Blog

Loy @ Yikes! Loy Turns 60

Austin @(CAT)achresis

Savvy @Savannah’s Paw Tracks

Texas @Texas, a cat in NY

Here is the linkie for next week, to enter the link to your post (permalink).

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VBP & Thankful Thursday: New Boxes!

Today, I am emulating (VBP) Savannah’s post last week: I am posting our VBP post and I am pawticipating in the Thankful Thursday blog hop!

[Still not sure what VBP is? Check here.]

Killing two birds with one stone (VBP) click.

I have good news for all my furriends who were concerned about my welfare because the humans had killed the boxes. We I got brand new ones!

And guess who was determined (VBP) to play with my tail?
[you can click on any pic to biggify it]

So, what are we thankful for, this week?

Me, for my boxes. Kitshka, for my tail. Jet, Savvy and I, for your pawticipation in our blog hop.

<a href="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vbt-badge-v2-texas_150.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="182"></a>

Here are this past week’s pawticipants. You will find the little blue badge to enter the linkie to your post for next week at the end of the post.

Thank you & Happy VBP!

da tabbies o trout towne

Roxy @ Roxy, the Traveling Dog

Penelope @ The Cat from Hell

Loy @ Yikes! Loy Turns 60

Dash Kitten @ Dash Kitten’s Mewsings

Austin @ CATachresis

Gizmo @ Terrier Torrent

Moses @ Lily Pad Quilting

Ann @ Pawsitively Paws

Jodi @ Heart Like a Dog

Spitty @ Spitty Speaks

Misaki @ The Misadventures of Misaki

Savvy @ Savannah’s Paw Tracks

Jet @ Hey… It’s Jet Here

Texas @ Texas, a cat in NY

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VBP Thursday: Words spoke as loudly as action

Today is VBP (Vocab Building Project) Thursday!

What am I talking about? One cool, versatile (VBP), and funny blog hop for those who love to learn new words.

You can enter a new entry each week. The hosts, Jet, Savvy, and me post every Thursday but YOU, my furriends, can post anytime you want from Thursday to Wednesday each week, and then all you have to do is enter your permalink (VBP) to the collection of participants by clicking on the little blue badge at the bottom of our Thursday post. All the details can be found here.

Mark Twain is supposed to have said that

Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.

Well, our furriends did just that this past week: their posts (action) were loud as often as their words… if that makes any sense! (No I didn’t have nip. Yet.)

Here is this first week’s collection of pawticipants: 9 PAWTICIPANTS! (If I take away Savvy and I, as well as Spitty, which I believe said he mistakenly entered his post? Spitty, easy on the nip, pal)

Here they are (click on the image to visit the VBP post, on the name of the blog to visit their blog):

Bama from Shat Cast

Fenris from Alasandra, the Cats and Dogs

Ann from Pawsitively Pets

Loy from Yikes! Loy Turns 60

Easy from Easyrider

Misaki from The Misadventures of Misaki

Mollie and Alfie from Mollie and Alfie

Gizmo from Terrier Torrent

Dogs N Pawz (I am not sure about your name, furriends, sorry)

Isn’t that dazzling (VBP)? THANK YOU so much for your pawticipation!

Now, since I had to input each furriend one by one (because wordpress.com doesn’t allow script – whatever that means!), I think I need a little nap.

Before that I would just like to remind you that I have a giveaway for two pawsome 2013 created by The Creative Cat. Check it out here and don’t hesitate to pawticipate (wherever you are)!

We are looking forward to your next VBP entry! Purrs y’all!

[Blue badge I was talking about]
↓

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VBP Official Launch Party!

Hey It’s Jet, Savannah and Texas Here.

By now, you probably figured out that Texas, Savannah and I have put our collective fur together, (ok, our Moms helped, too), to make the Vocabulary Building Project an official Blog Hop!

We enjoyed giving you hints all week: click here for Savannah’s post, here for Jet’s post and here for my post in case you missed them.

How did we begin? Texas and Savannah turn to Jet…you better tell this part, Jet…

Oh, Ok…Jet Here… let me tell you how Mom and I started this a long time ago on our blog:

Mom’s Papa always asked his children and grandchildren to keep pen and paper beside their beds so when they read their books and came upon an unknown word they could jot it down to look up later. When the family got together they played lots of vocabulary building games. So, when Mom and I began blogging, she wanted to avoid word ruts.

Last spring, Mom inquired whether Savannah and Miss Linda might like to collaborate (VBP) on making VBP a hop… Savannah and Miss Linda introduced us to Texas and Miss Carine creating the VBP Planning Committee.

We’ve been working diligently (VBP) ever since! Miss Ann, Zoey and Maggie from Zoolatry created a pawsome badge, which Miss Carine did really high tech thingies to! Check out Zoey, Prop Mistress extraordinaire, helping with badge arrangements.

First, she made sure the dictionary was sitting properly (VBP) on the table… (notice it is our very special dictionary with all our initials on it)…

Then she had to hop up to make sure it was going to stay straight for the photo shoot and she wanted to see if she could get the bookmark stuck in too…

Great job Zoey, thanks for the help!… as you can see, our VBP Badge is pawfect!

So let’s all talk about what to do now…

How to pawticipate

The Vocab Building Project, or VBP, is a blog hop that invites you to

learn new vocabulary and how to use it,

have fun in the process, using new words in a weekly blog post,

discover new blogs and make new friends.


What do you have to do? It is very simple.

1. Every Thursday, Jet, Savannah, and Texas will write a blog post containing 2 to 3 words or expressions that are not often used in their blog posts (see examples here, here, and here),
2. If you decide to join us in the fun, you have one week (you can pick any day you wish, from Thursday to the next Wednesday, that’s how flexible this blog hop is!) to write a blog post containing 2 to 3 words or expressions that you do not use often – it does not have to be the same as the hosts’, this is your choice,
3. Pick one of the following badges by copying its code below (select the text in the box, right-click on selected code and copy), paste the code in your post (you have to paste it in the Text/HTML section when you write your post), write your post and don’t forget to add (VBP) after each new word you are using. We strongly suggest you only use 2-3 just to keep it easy and interesting,
4. When your post is online, enter its URL/permalink by clicking on the Inlinkz image that you will find at the bottom of our Thursday VBP post,
5. The following Thursday, at the end of our VBP posts, we will link to all the participating blogs, so that we can all visit participating blogs.

Any question? Leave a comment below and we will get back to you as soon as pawsible!

Jet	Savannah	Texas
<a href="http://heyitsjethere.wordpress.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://heyitsjethere.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/vbt-badge-v2-jet_150.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="182"></a>	<a href="http://savannahspawtracks.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://savannahspawtracks.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/vbt-badge-v3-savannah_150.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="182"></a>	<a href="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://texascatny.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vbt-badge-v2-texas_150.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="182"></a>

Another great Vocab Building Project Blog Hop day!

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