As anyone familiar with Workman will tell you, we really love cats. We also love stories with happy endings—which is why we were excited to read this story of a missing cat who was reunited with his family almost a year after he disappeared.

Zach was selected as a winner of the 2012 365 Cats Page-a-Day Calendar, but by the time his owners were notified last fall, he had gone missing from their yard. Happily, after seeing a picture of Zach in an article celebrating his appearance in the calendar, a neighbor realized that the cat she’d been feeding for months was a certified cat celebrity! She reached out to the owners, and the happy family has since been reunited. Hopefully now Zach is back for good.

Zach's photo appears on Nov. 9 of the 2012 "365 Cats" calendar.

Full disclosure: I didn’t think a Hat calendar would be all that great.

I was so, so, so wrong.

Below are some behind the scenes snaps from our very first 365 Hats Picture-a-Day Calendar photo shoot. Was it a lot of work? Yes. Was it insanely glamorous and high fashion? Double yes. Did it make me wish we lived in an age where hats were an everyday kind of thing? Uh…YEAH. I’m hoping this calendar turns the fashion tide in my favor because today I saw a few chapeaus that are crying to be worn. By me. At work. Every day.

It all starts with a bulletin board and a vision.

Each hat required different hair and make-up. It was amazing to see how something as simple as a change of lip color could transform an entire look.  Below, Gabriella (left) gets a marcel wave while Susie gets prepped for another hat.

We spent a lot of time pairing the hats with the right model: Not everyone can rock a vintage sequined coolie. Jessica (below) managed it pretty much better than anyone. Actually, she looked so amazing in it, she kind of ruined it for those of us who thought they’d found their new “going out” look.

And here’s Natalia in a showstopper of a hat.  Those are feathers. REAL feathers. (Superstar stylists Prissy, left, and Amy work their  magic.)

I know 2012 is only 10 days old, but unless Prince Harry surprises me with tickets to the Oscars, this was by far the most glamorous day of my year.

And if I DO go to the Oscars with Prince Harry, be sure to look for me: I’ll be the one in the sequined coolie.

It’s August, and summer is very much still in full swing here in New York City. But despite the chirping birds and blazing sun and ice cream trucks on every corner, I can’t help but think about…January! Call me crazy, but I’m kind of excited for winter this year. That’s not to say that once the snow starts falling and my usually pleasant (if muggy) walk to work becomes a miserable, wet slog I won’t wish I were in a hammock on a tropical island somewhere; no, I’ll definitely be wishing that. Still, there is something quite pleasant about the first month of the year, and I’m not talking about resolutions. I’m talking about calendars.

This (well, next) year’s crop of Workman calendars is pretty epic. There are of course the old standbys, such as the 365 Cats and 365 Dogs Page-a-Day Calendars, two of our most popular titles. And there’s always space on the wall for the gorgeous 1,000 Places to See Before You Die Wall Calendar. But I’d like to take this time to introduce some titles you’ve never seen before. Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present the New Workman Calendars for 2012!

LEGO: The Calendar
If you were ever a kid, you’ve probably played with LEGO bricks at some point in your life—if not every day for 15 years (and beyond). Now you can bring your obsession out into the open with LEGO: The Calendar, a year-long celebration of all things LEGO. Twelve images of spectacular LEGO constructions are accompanied by fun facts about LEGO history and lore. Plus, enter your own construction in the LEGO Calendar Contest and let your creation grace the walls of LEGO enthusiasts the world over!

Peel It. Design It. Birds in Flight and Tropical Paradise
In the category of Most Innovative Calendars I’d like to nominate the Peel It. Design It. series. Decorate your home or office space with beautiful bird- or tropical-themed wall art that also helps you keep track of the days. The decals will stick to your wall or any hard, clean surface, and they won’t leave a mark, so you can move them around during the year as your design sensibilities evolve.

Gallery Calendars: Birds and Flowers
Joining the line of beautiful Page-a-Day Gallery Calendars are two new nature-inspired titles: Birds and Flowers.  Thanks to the brilliant colors and exquisite detail of the exceptional photographs, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a natural park with either one of these galleries on your desk.

Nudes Having Fun
You know Nuns Having Fun—now here’s Nudes Having Fun! That’s right: twelve (tasteful) black-and-white images of people having a good time without letting clothes get in the way. There’s a nude sing-along, naked mountain climbers, even a wedding in the buff. Cheeky (ha!) and adorable.

Daily Muse: Writer’s Diary
Everyone knows an aspiring writer (the novel’s almost done, I swear!), and even someone who’s quit his day job to hone his craft needs to keep track of his appointments. Give the budding novelist in your life the portable Writer’s Diary and watch him be encouraged and inspired by quotations from and images of his favorite authors.

Unlikely Friendships
And last but certainly not least, there’s the Unlikely Friendships calendar, based on the New York Times best-selling book by Jennifer S. Holland. Featuring twelve remarkable stories about inter-species camaraderie, this calendar is guaranteed to make you go “aww!” all year long.

Happy New Year!

Hi again! It’s Jennifer, friendly intern and your eyes-and-ears into the Workman office. By now you’ve heard about my time in sales and at Algonquin Books. My next stop was the Workman editorial department.

I’ve had a great time sifting through “slush,” which is a colloquial publishing term for the unsolicited proposals sent in by people without agents. At first, I was armed with just the guideline that Workman does not accept fiction or memoirs (that’s the domain of Algonquin), so my “Maybe” pile soon towered above the “Yes” and “No” piles. However, after sitting down with one of the editors, who patiently pointed out the reasons why proposals would or would not be accepted, I gained a better understanding of what it takes to be published. It isn’t often that a proposal from slush is actually realized as a published title, and there are several reasons for that. For example, calendars, which I saw a lot of, usually do best when they already have a brand or book behind them. My Gift Sales boss has been talking about how popular LEGO: The Calendar is going to be; its success will be based on the timeless appeal of LEGOs.

That model of the Taj Mahal is made entirely of LEGO bricks.

The proposal also has to be well researched and backed with the proper credentials. Perhaps more importantly, the idea has to be original and innovative, and should not be too similar to titles Workman already publishes or is thinking about producing. There were some picture book proposals in the pile, but generally, the children’s books that Workman publishes are more than just picture books—they are machine-washable and “indestructible,” or interactive, or fun to touch; they are more than just a story. Submitters should take heart in knowing, however, that their proposals are not left to languish in a corner. Every proposal is looked at by a real person (and, no worries, not just an intern—proposals are screened after I look at them, too).

I’ve also done some fact-checking for 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and The Obits: The New York Times Annual 2012. For 1,000 Places, fact-checking has involved determining hotel rates with more calling (but fewer abrupt farewells, because hotel staff can’t really hang up on someone who might be a customer). Most people seemed unfazed by or indifferent to the fact that the hotels they work at are being featured in a well-regarded travel book, but it was nice when people, such as one woman at a hotel in the South, maybe one of the Carolinas, asked which book I was fact-checking for and expressed pleasant surprise when I told her. (The woman I’m talking about answered, “Who doesn’t know about it?” when I asked if she knew of 1,000 Places.) Fact-checking for The Obits has been more computer-based, but it’s still fascinating to read these posthumous celebrations of people’s life accomplishments. I especially enjoyed reading the obituaries for the distinguished Elizabeth Taylor and for Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run as a Vice Presidential candidate for a major political party, about whom I learned in US History class this past year.

I can’t believe I’m nearly finished with my internship. I could work here forever and may attempt to do something like that, as my experiences so far have really piqued my interest in working in the publishing world. I would love to do this as a career, although I am a little sad that I would have to choose a department and stay there instead of floating around to different ones.

Thanks for reading!

—Jennifer

When I was a stressed-out, overworked high school student, my dad would regularly drag me out of bed at 5:30 a.m. so that I could finish my homework. I would sit on the couch as he cooked, rubbing my eyes, waking up to the smell of breakfast tacos and coffee. Even now, when I make any kind of eggs, I think of my dad, who taught me how to make them. So what better way to repay him this Father’s Day than to return the breakfast favor?

Here’s a short breakfast-in-bed menu from Bob Sloan’s Dad’s Own Cookbook, so you can surprise him with your gratitude in breakfast form. (If your dad is like mine, though, you may be rising very early on Father’s Day!) Though this cookbook is made for dads, it’s filled with delicious, but simple, recipes. Let the tasty items below inspire you (or use the book as a prop on your breakfast-in-bed tray, hint hint), and serve them alongside some buttery croissants or biscuits.

Slow Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Sour Cream & Caviar

With its elegant presentation and delectable flavors, this breakfast begs for champagne.

Ingredients (serves two)

4 slices homestyle white bread
4 eggs
1/4 pound smoked salmon, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sour cream, at room temperature
2 ounces black caviar
Fresh fruit slices or whole berries

Equipment

Double boiler
Medium bowl
4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter (optional)
Whisk

1. With a cookie cutter or a paring knife, cut and remove a heart shape from the center of each slice of bread. Discard the hearts or reserve for another purpose. Place the remaining bread in the center of two plates.

2. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in the smoked salmon.

3. Put 2 inches of water in the bottom of a double boiler. Put the butter in the top and set the double boiler on medium heat. When the butter is melted, swirl it around to coat the pan, then add the eggs. Stir continuously with the whisk until the eggs are just about congealed, about 2 1/2 minutes.

4. Remove the eggs from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Spoon a quarter of the eggs into each of the hearts. Top with the caviar and garnish the edge of the plates with alternating slices of fresh fruit or whole berries. Serve immediately.

Note: Fresh black caviar, such as osetra or sevruga, is usually available at specialty food shops. If you can’t find fresh caviar, you may substitute the pasteurized or pressed caviar that is sold in supermarkets, although it is not comparable in taste. Beware that the distinctive fishy taste of caviar is not to everyone’s liking. If desired, substitute a pinch of chopped fresh chives or parsley.

Café au Lait

With this special breakfast, serve a cup of café au lait. Brew the coffee as usual, only slightly stronger, and add a pinch of cinnamon to the grounds. At the same time, warm some milk in a small saucepan. Pour equal amounts of coffee and milk into each cup just before serving.

A few weeks ago I rediscovered my love of origami in time for National Craft Month in March. I have an aunt who spent her childhood in Japan, and growing up she used to feed my addiction for paper folding with a steady stream of brilliantly colored paper: delicate sheets of red and gold, pink cherry blossoms, and angular bamboo poles. I had the patience to sit and follow the step-by-step instructions in my origami book, carefully folding and turning until the flat squares in front of me had transformed into three-dimensional majestic paper cranes, sailboats, fans, crowns, and my personal favorite: the jumping frog.

So I was more than a little excited to find instructions on how to make a jumping frog out of a business card in Margaret Van Sicklen’s Origami on the Go! It was perfect timing, because my Workman business cards had just arrived. Before I looked at the instructions, though, I tried to make one from memory and was pleasantly surprised to find that my fingers instinctively remembered the order of steps needed to turn my new business card into a toy.

Ribbit!

I went home to visit family and friends in Boston that weekend and proceeded to make business-card-frogs on demand—it made networking that much more fun!

Origami on the Go! is filled with 40 cool crafts that are a perfect way for kids (and origami-loving adults like me) to kill time in the car (especially with those summer road trips coming up!), on the plane, or just on a quiet afternoon. It even comes with assorted paper and stickers that correspond to the models (the Zambia Giraffe, Grand Canyon Rattlesnake, and Egyptian Mummy are a few standouts).

I'm not the only one in the office with an origami obsession...

Now that April’s here, and Earth Day is coming up, it’s time (as it always is) to think about our environmental impact. I’m resisting the urge to head to Chinatown for new paper in favor of utilizing the (many) forms of paper all around me. (I mean, I work in a publishing company!) The frog is a good first step, in a way, because who doesn’t have a stack of outdated business cards lying around? But what about pages from old magazine and newspaper issues (hey, publicity department, I’m looking at you)? Or snack wrappers, or…

The Bronx Zoo cobra strikes again!

I stole an idea from a friend and saved my favorite Christmas cards this year to use as gift tags next year, simply by cutting off the front cover of the card and hole-punching the top. It’s a good way to reuse old cards—and save money. I’ve been known to save wrapping paper over the years, back when I was going through a decoupage phase, so I’m going to dig that out for my next round of folding. If you’re feeling especially crafty, make your own paper from bits and pieces lying around: check out Storey Publishing’s Trash-to-Treasure Papermaking, out this month.

And if that’s not enough Origami for you, pick up a copy of The Joy of Origami or keep an eye out for our 2012 Origami Page-A-Day Calendar—a unique project for every day of the year!

Just watch out for paper cuts…

–Adrienne

Welcome to Inside the Author’s Studio, where we give you a peek into the minds of your favorite Workman authors.

Today we hang out with Kathryn and Ross Petras, the hilarious sister-and-brother team behind tons of calendars and books, including The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said Calendar.

Recent book you loved/learned from:
Ross: Tintin au Tibet, etc.—I’m enjoying rereading all my childhood books in French, and am learning how to  sound like a boy reporter in French.
Kathryn: I’m rereading John D. MacDonald’s (slightly cheesy!) Travis McGee corpus.  Have learned how to be a good beach bum circa the early ’60s.

Favorite bookstore:
Ross: Strand Bookstore—mounds of cheap books!
Kathryn: None.  Although I am often dragged to Strand by Ross.

Hidden talent:
We’re going to say each others hidden talents: Kathy is an amazing baker—her low-sugar fruit pies are truly unbelievable and should be declared national treasures.  Ross has an enviable knack for making up hysterical yet childish limericks–let’s just say Mozart comes to mind.  Why?  Don’t ask.

Bookmark, dog-ear, or virtuality?:
Ross: Dog-ear
Kathryn: Bookmark (always a free Strand bookmark!)

Book you are most ashamed never to have read:
Ross: I love the classics but have never finished the Odyssey. I’m not really ashamed of that, though—it’s just that I want it to be alive; the  parts I read are my favorites in literature, and somehow I feel if I finish it won’t be alive.  (I’ve seen the end in film, though.)
Kathryn: So many including a lot of Shakespeare, a smattering of Dickens, Jane Austen, etc.  And I have a horrible talent for sounding like I’ve read all the biggies, even though I haven’t.  (Don’t tell anyone.)

Most frequent form of writerly procrastination:
Ross: Go to a book store to buy a book, or look online to buy a book.
Kathryn: Anything and everything.  I’ll be at the computer and suddenly have a burning desire, nay, a NEED to prune my herbs.  Or cut my fingernails.  Or dust something.  Anything to get away from writing.

Favorite childhood book:
We’re ashamed to admit it but it would have to be British children’s author Enid Blyton’s books—including all of the Five Find-Outers series, the Adventure series (we especially loved River of Adventure),  the Adventurous Four, the ones with Prince Paul and Nora… etc.

Alternate ambition (i.e. If you weren’t a writer, you’d be…):
Ross: An expert philologist of ancient papyri  who gets to go on archeological digs to translate new documents as they’re discovered.
Kathryn: The second banana (the funny friend of the cute leading lady) on a sitcom.

Your perfect meal:
Ross: Oysters at this great French bistro.
Kathryn: Lamb in some form.

Big dream:
Winning Megamillions.   But recently we’ve been debating if it actually would be easier to win, say, 10 million instead of 100 million—avoiding the problems of whom to donate to, etc.  It is a dilemma.

Super power of choice:
Ross: Super Mind like Doctor Strange.
Kathryn: Flying.

You have a rawther unique working process. Please describe.
We’re like twins; usually we finish each other’s thoughts; so when we talk it sounds like code; we either sit next to each other on the computer or sit and talk via Skype; we have childish brother and sister arguments that ultimately end up with each of us switching to the other side (which, of course, spawns yet another debate…). We have a lot of fun!

Who’s funnier, Kathryn or Ross?
Take the fifth.

————————————————————————————————–

Kathryn and Ross Petras are the authors of numerous books, including, most recently, Dance First, Think Later, a book of inspirational (and not stupid!) quotes. You can follow them on Twitter @TeamStupidest, and visit their website Stupidest.com.

There are so many wonderful ways to ring in the new year. Plenty of people pop the cork and steal a kiss and watch the ball drop on TV, and plenty more can’t talk about the arrival of January 1 without mentioning the “R” word. But perhaps nothing marks a new year so visibly—and beautifully—as a new calendar.

Wouldn't you love to be there right about now?

We here at Workman know from calendars. Whether it sits on a desk or hangs on a wall, offers up a joke or a puzzle or a breathtaking image, makes you think or smile or go “awww,” we’re passionate about it; with over a hundred calendars on our list, we kind of have to be. And since, around here, the new year means new calendars everywhere you look, I thought it’d be nice to see what everyone in the office has chosen to decorate their workspace for 2011.

Not surprisingly, the calendars with beautiful nature imagery seem to be a big hit: From HR to sales, customer service to publicity, editorial to reception, I saw the stunning Islands wall and gallery calendars everywhere I went. Also popular are the gorgeous Audubon Green World calendar, Algonquin’s homey Out on the Porch calendar, and the charming Secret Garden calendar. Plus, cute animals abound, particularly in the promotions department: One Melissa B. is so fond of cute ‘n’ cuddlies that her desk boasts 365 Puppies, 365 Kittens, Cute Overload, the Cat gallery, and the new Cats Daily Muse planner!

I found Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell’s Fantasy Calendar hanging in the mail room; someone in finance is a fan of The Collectible Teapot and Tea Calendar; and at least one member of the art department likes to be creative even as she’s scheduling, because she’s got a Doodle calendar hanging above her desk. As for me—well, I’ve made a (ahem) resolution to be more organized, so in addition to my 365 Amazing Trivia Facts Page-a-Day, I’ve got to have the Busy Office notepad (it doubles as a to-do list, and triples as a mousepad!!).

That face. Eet is irresistible.

So what do our calendar choices say about us? I think it’s pretty simple: The calendars we choose are the ones that make us feel good. As much as we all love New York, it’s nice to see a picture of a tropical paradise or a flower-covered hillside during the cold and snowy months. And you’d have to be a real sourpuss to not swoon over these adorable baby animals. Our calendars are there to make us happy—and that, to me, is the perfect start to a new year.

“To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.”

-Benjamin Franklin

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

-St. Francis of Assisi