It’s not everyday that we find ourselves Popeless. What does a Popeless world look like? At the risk of coming off completely sacrilegious and materialistic, it looks like this:

I’m not a Catholic though I do suffer a bit of Catholic-envy- I love a ritual- but this whole Popeless phenomenon is pretty fascinating. Rome is all a twitter (quite literally, with even some Cardinals tweeting in) as the College of Cardinals prepare for their Papal Concave to name the next Pope. Meanwhile the streets and souvenir shops of the Eternal City are buzzing with fire sales of Pope Benedict keepsakes and memorabilia. I’m a sucker for a Popener. When I lived in Italy as a student, I actually stood in St. Peter’s Square as the Pope blessed the crowd while holding out about 30 Popeners. I gave out Papally blessed Popeners as gifts for years- big hit. But let’s get serious here, you’d better get your Pope Benedict Soap On A Roap it while it lasts because these goods are going going gone, just like dear Benedict himself who has already hightailed it helicopter-style out of Rome. He’ll be back to live out his days within the Vatican but for now he’s outta there. The Gammarelli tailors are busy making three different sizes of Papal robes in the hopes that one of them will fit the next leader of the Church, and an online Papal betting bonanza has hit full stride. Sites like paddypower.com are taking bets on everything from who will be named the next Pope (Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana is the odds on favorite at 5/2 with our own Cardinal Sean O’Malley not so terribly far behind at 25/1), to the length of the Papal Concave, to how many ballots will be held and bets on when the next Papal resignation will happen. Seriously. Today’s stats:

Holy Concave! I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the Sistine Chapel when the voting begins. Can you imagine the politicking going on within Vatican City. Those Cardinals really know how to bring the drama. While some refuse to speak to the press, others are media darlings, some are even blogging (read Sean O’Malley’s blog here). However, once the Conclave begins it will most likely be mum’s the word for all Cardinals involved. And the world will be waiting with bated breath. Those lucky enough to be in Rome during this history making event can convene outside St. Peter’s to watch the black smoke rise from the Vatican signaling the ballots being burned until finally… the white smoke appears announcing that the Cardinals have made their decision. It’s all so Hollywood- you can’t write this stuff. Dan Brown wishes.

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Stir ingredients together slowly and simmer throughout the day.

Serves: 1-however many you may be sharing your snowy day with.

My kids are still pretty little so when a snowy day arrives, I don’t have to scramble for fun and creative indoor crafts. We’re good just singing, playing and reading. So for now, I enjoy a good book during their naps, a nice smelling clean scent in the air, warm and comfy clothes, comfort food and vino once the bebes have been put to bed and old school game with the hubby. This makes for a pretty spectacular day. Let’s break it down.

1. Candles: as long as they smell delicious and burn clean, we’re good. If you read my blog, you know I’m a huge fan of the Tisane candles. This one smells of “a stone cottage in the Welsh countryside; rain drops and moss. Walk down country lanes in a landscape where magic fills the air.” Ok, works for me. These little candles really are magic.

2. Jardin des Orangers cashmere pullover. It ain’t cheap, but you’ll have it forever- provided you don’t have moths.

3. Tevana Blueberry Bliss Rooibos Tea. Just delicious.

4. The best hot chocolate on earth. Ok, I didn’t have this today because I’m not in Paris. But soon Angelina Paris’ world famous hot chocolate will be available online. Yippee Kay Yay!

5. What can I say- I love Terry Gross. I’ve loved her for years and she never disappoints. I usually just catch Fresh Air in the car but snowy days are a great excuse to search the archives. She’s on a Supreme Court roll this week. Her interview with Sandra Day O’Connor is quite something- now that’s a lady that doesn’t give anything away- tough crowd. An uncomfortably fascinating listen.

6. Books! Yay for books- the old fashioned kind. I dug out my hardcover copy of Reflections Of A Wine Merchant. My husband gave this to me just after we were married and it is what got me into the wine business. A romantic and nostalgic look at wine merchant and importer Neal Rosenthal’s life, he tells tales of tasting with Italian winemakers in cellars that their great grandfathers tasted in, spitting vino on the proper angle into the corner of said cellars, hiking up sheep filled hillsides to meet with vintners and the hits just keep on coming. Such a fun read if you’re into that stuff. And we broke out Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day. Can I just say Wow! The story is so endearing and illustrations- Fabulous. My favorite is that of the bathroom floor- see above. I think the kiddos liked it too.

7. Backgammon- because who doesn’t like a good old fashioned game of backgammon. In our next house, I am designating a corner for a game table. I think it’s important to devote time and space to game playing in one’s life. Games are the best- an afternoon playing games is one you will remember. And what’s life about other than making memories, right? Vintage seafoam green backgammon set on etsy.

8. And last but not least- comfort food. This kind of seals the deal on a cold wintery day. You just sort of have to indulge- it’s the rules, isn’t it? My comfort food of choice- an authentic margherita pizza and a Sagrantino wine. Paolo Bea is my first choice. If I could afford it, I’d go for the straight up sagrantino- 100% sagrantino grape but alas, it’s not a $60 bottle night. I’m going for the San Valentino blend instead. Anything from Bea is pretty killer and at half the price, this will do.

What are your ingredients for the perfect snow day?

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I’m on a quest to create 5 Meals a la Mom (me) that my kids will grow up with, (hopefully) love and want to pass on to their littles. I’ve got my (or the Barefoot Contessa’s slightly revised) Chicken Picatta in the bag and this is my official 2nd recipe. Tried and true, I’ve been making this one for a few years now. I hadn’t had it in over year since I was off the shellfish while prego and nursing- so happy to be back in clams. This recipe is super easy and molto delicioso! Courtesy of the 2 Frankies from Frankies Spuntino in Brooklyn, if you enjoy pasta and clams, you’ll love this one. I amended it a bit here and there and add a splash of white wine in the pan while steaming the clams. The most fun part is seeing the little clams open up. It always looks like they’re flashing you a big grin- this is the part I think the kiddos will love.

How You Make It:

1.  Cook the tagliatelle until al dente in a large pot of boiling and generously salted water. Drain well.

2.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large and deep skillet. Add the chopped garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook over medium to high heat while stirring until the garlic is lightly browned- 1 to 2 minutes. Add the clams, water and wine. Cover and simmer until the clams open and are just cooked through- 5 to 8 minutes. Discard any clams that don’t open.

3.  Add the drained tagliatelle and parsley to the clams in the skillet. Generously season with pepper. Toss over medium to high heat just until the spaghetti absorbs the juices- 1 minute.

4.  Serve pasta with clams in bowls right away.

5.  Voila and Cin Cin!

We drank an Alsatian white with this dish mostly because it was staring at me and I couldn’t wait any longer to try it. Not the best pairing- too steely for the clams. I recommend pairing with something a bit heavier, like a Sicilian white. Planeta’s La Segreta Bianco 2011 IGT pairs perfectly with this dish. Always a crowd pleaser and at a great price (around 12 bucks), this is one of my go to wines.

For a perfect pairing:

Smiley, Happy Clams! This is my favorite part:

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Is it just me or is L. Ron Hubbard totally channeling Dr. Evil in the above photo? All he’s missing is a pinky in the crook of his mouth. And that E-Meter- can it really tell if I’ve lived a past life and or is it just a souped up lie detector posing as a mind reader?

If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m currently reading Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief. Wright takes a deep dive into the history and practice of Scientology through a series of over 200 interviews. Widely refuted by Scientologists as biased falsity, it is an eye-opening look into the religion.

I love the old story that Scientology came about as a result of a bet between L. Ron Hubbard and Gene Roddenberry as to who could start a successful religion. Oh how I wish it were true, but alas it is just a myth. It seems Hubbard was much less cavalier about setting his sights on building a religious empire. You gotta give it to the guy, as un-kosher as he may seem, the guy did invent a religion followed by thousands of people. A visionary he may have been but (apologies to my Scientologist readers) he kind of comes off as a complete nut job here. In Wright’s recounting at least, Hubbard is busy throwing church members overboard as part of the church’s RPF (Rehabilitation Project Force) while sailing the high seas for years at a time with his clergymen (the Sea Org). He perfects the art of pathological lying telling tall tales to all those he meets and woos into the church and takes to locking up his followers for months at a time as slave laborers in the RFP. The Church claims these stories as untruths and backs up its RPF by stating that no one is ever held against their own will. Maybe not. It is all very strange. And what’s with the all the alien stuff? It is truly fascinating and terrifying at the same time. Whether Wright’s accounts are biased or dead on, it makes for a very interesting read. I highly recommend. Read one of the most jolting chapters of the book, Spanky Taylor’s (great name, right!) escape from the church, excerpted here.

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My mind is a bit of a jumble today as I scrambled to make my 8am train from NY back to DC. Made it. Did get on the wrong train, but it’s all good- headed to the same place. Whew. This is what 9 month old twins do to a 37 year old brain and I even had the night off.

A few random thoughts for the day:

1. Tick Tock, Ya Don’t Stop

You gotta love NYC Cabbies. I left my friend’s West Village abode at 7:43, hailed a taxi and was inside Penn Station at 7:49. Yes. In DC, the cabbies operate on an entirely different clock. You actually have to ask them to make it snappy. NYC cabbies- for all their faults- know what time it is.

2. Motown Mary

While zipping through Penn Station trying to grab a last minute latte and NY bagel, I spotted my pal Ariana Debose all dressed up as a young Mary Wilson, smiling down at me. Well, lookie-loo I thought, there she is, Little Miss Broadway. At 22, she’s on her 2nd Broadway show with a giant poster splattered all over NYC to boot. Hooray and go girl. More from Miss Ari later this month as she gives us a sneak peak into her Motown world working with legend Berry Gordy and costume fittings with Project Runway favorite and Motown designer, Emilio Sosa.

4. The Crib Dibbler

Need I say more? We gave this to my friend Katy last night at her baby shower as a gag gift. She stared at it for about 2 seconds before saying (1/2 laughing 1/2 horrified), “Is this for real?” Pretty funny. There’s a whole slew of prank boxed gifts here. I love a good prank.

5. “Hey, Twitter Twat-WTF!”

Lastly, let’s talk about House of Cards.

I’m probably the last person on the planet that’s watching this series to STILL be watching. I couldn’t subscribe to the binge viewing that is sweeping the nation. Not because I don’t want to, but because I’m literally too tired to. My twin-induced octogenarian sleep habits prohibit me from staying lucid past 9:30. Sad, right? Well, what can I say- the bebes are still not sleeping all the way through the night. Well, one of them is, but alas… In any case, I am on the early bird special so after I get the bebes to bed, I’m good for an episode of Jeopardy and 1 episode of House of Cards. I know, so dorky right!

I have to say, I am really digging it. It took me a few episodes in to really get hooked. I didn’t really know who I was rooting for as the characters all seemed really cold and unlikeable but the onion has started to peel its layers and I am Team Claire all the way. Robin Wright’s portrayal is nuanced, calculated and vulnerable all at once. I’m kind of in love with her. The best lines of the series though have to be the words that come out of Janine Skorsky’s mouth. My favorite line of the series to date “Hey, Twitter Twat- WTF!” Now, that’s good writing.

Any random thoughts flooding your brain today? Do tell…

{Images: wired.com, stuartwilde.com}

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I had to laugh as I trekked out to Williamsburg to co-host a baby shower last night. The Linda Evans Dynasty Fur Phenomenon is in full swing on the literal shoulders of the young twenty somethings of Hipsterville, USA. It’s been a while since I’ve ridden the L Train- it’s always good for some great, if not a bit obnoxious, people watching. On my way out to the ‘burg, I noticed that not one, not two, but five young things were sporting Dynasty-worthy broad shouldered vintage fur coats. One or two I would expect, but FIVE on one subway car. I know Williamsburg is a caricature of itself, but this was so ridiculous, it was kind of awesome.

After hopping off the train, as I booked it down Bedford to South 2nd on my way to the fab ISA, I started fur spotting. I spotted 4 little Lindas clip clopping their way up the avenue- Bedford Avenue that is. Nothing earth shattering about this observation- just so saturated, I had to make note of it. Noted.

Would you hop on the figurative L train and join these little Lindas in their retro camp craze? I wonder how many of these cute young things have actually seen an episode of Dynasty? I’m no fur wearer myself, so I’ll stick to my military wool coat for now (plus, based on last night’s numbers, I do believe this trend is a bit played out) but I do enjoy Miss Collins and Miss Evans circa 1985. I remember my mom telling the babysitter on Friday nights back in the day, that I would want to watch Dallas and Dynasty and then I could go to bed. Thanks mom, you really are the coolest.

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A few favorite looks from Christian Siriano’s fall collection. I’m in luck- I’m attending a Siriano fashion show this weekend. Ok, so it’s in Baltimore and not New York, but hey, I’ll take it.

The bebes turn 9 months tomorrow- whoa- and my father in law is paying us a visit. I’m going to make this and drink this (a full report with tasting note to follow), we’ll hang with the bebes and head out to the Baltimore School of the Arts gala. My hubby has choreographed a piece for the school that debuts tomorrow night with the fashion show to follow. An alumni of the school, Siriano will be chairing the gala and bringing his looks from the NYC runway to Bmore. Woohoo! As a loyal Project Runway fan, I love me some Siriano. Sunday, I hop a train to NY to co-host a baby shower for my dear friend, Katy Robbins- Volatizing’s resident style maven extraordinaire. Things are usually pretty low key around here but this weekend looks to be kind of stellar. How about you- what are you up to this weekend?

{Images: fashionista.com}

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I spy 5 pretty cool exhibits. If you’re in the neighborhood- that is, NY, Chicago, LA and/or DC- these exhibits look to be browse-worthy.

1. Barbara Kruger sets up shop in the lower level of the Hirschorn where her Belief + Doubt exhibit will hold court for a few years. No rush on this one but it looks like a fun and graphic event. This one would be especially fun with the little ones.

2. Kubrick fans rejoice! The Stanley Kubrick retrospective runs at LA’s LACMA through June. The first ever exhibition of Kubrick’s full body of work, the exhibit showcases his LIFE photographs through Eyes Wide Shut and everything in between including Napoleon and The Aryan Papers- projects still in development at the time of his death. If you are a Kubrick fan or a fan of film at all, this one is not to be missed. I need to get my behind to the west coast pronto.

3. The Art Institute of Chicago celebrates its relationship with Picasso in Picasso and Chicago, on view through May 12th.  In 1913, the AIC made art history by becoming the first American institution to show Picasso’s work. This show is the largest Picasso exhibition in Chicago in nearly 30 years pulling from private collections throughout Chicago and the museum’s pieces.

4. Applied Design at the MOMA aims to show us why design is not just about pretty chairs but how modern design is now woven into our cultural context through science, technology, politics, and you name it- pretty much every aspect of our lives. The exhibition highlights design that improves the world we live in through sustainability and acumen. An interesting example is the land mine detonator above, made from the desert sand and powered by wind. Pretty cool. Applied Design opens Saturday and runs through January   of next year.

5. And lastly- this is just wacky- an entire room sculpted out of beeswax is now a permanent installation at DC’s The Phillips Collection. The Laib Wax Room is a tiny little wax sculpted room for two lit by a single lightbulb. Sounds like a party, I’m there.

Any good shows to catch in your neck of the woods? Do tell.

{Images: The Hirschorn, Kubrick on the 2001: A Space Odyssey set courtesy of Warner Brothers, the Art Institute of Chicago, Rene van der Hulst, Lee Stalsworth}

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