I’m a sucker for Hitchcock- the style (which may be more Edith Head than Hitchcock), storytelling and images of his pictures are so memorable and nostalgic. This collection is extensive with 15 movies including the biggies- Psycho, Rear Window and The Birds.

Go Macy’s! I love that they commissioned former graffiti artist and current art world darling, KAWS, to design a Companion character balloon for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Kind of ballsy Macy’s. Love it.

Kir Royale- the perfect little drink. My sister in law, Lauren, reintroduced to me to love of a good kir royale- my new favorite and seriously divine. But done wrong, they can be absolutely terrible. I like mine light on the creme de cassis and heavy on the champagne. To be exact 1/4 oz. creme de cassis and 2 1/4 oz. sparkling wine.
*For Holiday Feting: add a little red decorating sugar around the rim and drop a couple of cranberries inside the flute. Voila.

Ok, I know it’s been out a while now but I just saw it and loved it. I love the intensity that Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes bring to this Bond. He’s a completely different animal but- dare I say- Daniel Craig rivals Connery in the badass department. Connery- yes, more smooth and debonair, but Craig- a total badass.

Falconwright’s handmade clutches are graphic and spot on. I would love to find this under my tree.

I have one of these Lucky Strike smoking Santa ads framed and proudly displayed on my credenza every Christmas season. It just makes me happy- so wrong yet so right. I figure I have a couple more years before the kids are really aware, then I’ll put it away until they’re old enough to share in my appreciation for this ridiculousness.

{Image credit: Kir Royale by oprah.com)

Related posts:

  

Back in the day, I was a showgirl in Sin City (the top-wearing kind) and I returned there for a couple of days last weekend.  I was both inspired and a little miffed by the changes since the late 90s, but some things never change.
Here are my picks for a razzle dazzle Vegas weekend.

1. The Bellagio- most of the rooms here have been recently renovated and have a great modern feel. Swanky, Classy (dare I use the word- not sure it belongs anywhere, especially Vegas), and centrally located, the Bellagio is always a great place to stay. Dale Chihuly’s 2,000 hand-blown blossoms still shine over the lobby. Other great lodging options are the Cosmopolitan, next door and the Golden Nugget downtown where you get more bang for your buck- although taxis to the central Strip will cost you.

2. A great tip from our blackjack dealer- when ordering your complimentary cocktail while playing at the tables, be sure to specify a top shelf liquor. Hey, it’s the one time the house actually pays and it only costs you a tip to your cocktail waitress. Grey Goose vodka tonic, please.

3. Cirque Schmirque- if you want to catch an old school Vegas review, head over to the Planet Hollywood hotel to see Vegas the Show. My pal, Tiger Martina is the talented choreographer. They’ve got showgirls and Sammy Davis- seriously, what more could you want.

4. Love this cute little cutout sheath from Club Monaco- would look great at the craps table.

5. Loving this glittery number from Club Monaco as well- shines next to the slots.

6. We had a great meal at the Vegas outpost of LA’s Comme Ca at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Great wine list with a bargain basement section where you can find fantastic bottles for a deal. The beet salad with whipped feta, sunflower seeds and arugula is a must. The view  makes you feel like you’re in Tokyo- the Strip’s bright lights sparkle outside its windows.

7. Big fan of all of Kevyn Aucoin’s matte lipsticks- especially the Forever shade. I wear this one for day and night.

8. Scoot down to the Chandelier Bar after dinner at Comme Ca and if you’re lucky, the Jennifer Keith Quintet will be jivin’ up the joint. This is one of the best swing bands I’ve seen and I lived in LA during the overblown Swingers era. Great people watching to boot as Vegas’ Swing-hards hold court in the bar’s booths. Dressed to their hipcat nines with some talented moves to boot, it’s a pretty fun scene.

9. Get outta dodge for a few hours and head up to the Valley of Fire State Park. This Land That Time Forgot-like landscape is album cover worthy. After you soak in its beauty, turn your excursion into a photo shoot. It doesn’t really matter what you look like, with this radical backdrop, you’ll look like a badass in every shot.

10. The Peppermill Fireside Lounge is one of my favorite spots in Sin City. While I’m not a fan of its most recent update with its flat screen tvs, it still maintains its 70s charm. Sit around a fire pit and sip a giant exotic cocktail.

11. Do yourself a favor a B.Y.O.B. when it comes to champagne. Vegas will take you for all you’ve got in more ways than one and to get a decent glass of bubbly will really set you back. Bring a luxe grower’s champagne like this Vilmart Grand Cellier 1er Cru Brut NV and feel like a King even if you do lose your butt at the roulette wheel.

12. Get your Showgirl on with these Gasoline Glitter Flame heels from Topshop.

Related posts:

  

Weekend in Winnetka with the Wilsons

That’s a lot of W’s and there were lots of kiddos.  My mom and I took the bebes up to visit our friends in the northern suburbs of Chicago. We’ve all known each other since the 70s- that always sounds so funny- Carrie and I have been friends since we were 1.

It’s all too easy not to make the effort to visit friends that live a plane ride away- especially with little ones in tow- but time spent with loved ones is kind of what life’s all about. We were treated to a beautiful roasted pork tenderloin dinner prepared to perfection by Carrie and Patty, using one of Ina Garten’s recipes along with Patty’s famous twice baked potatoes (just think boatloads of butter and sour cream with some seriously whipped potatoes in a crispy skin shell-mmmm!), which we paired with an ’07  Casanova di Neri Brunello-awesome.  We also ventured out into town and shared a Dr. Frank Dry Riesling at lunch with a stop at the amazing local accessories and design shop, Maze Home and the beautifully edited neapolitan boutique.  I bought the colorful wool Christmas garland above for my tree this year at Maze and lusted over a vintage 70s necklace from House of Lavande- unsigned but looks like a Courreges to me- on the wish list.

When we returned home to VA., we went to a birthday party for a lovely little 3 year old where Rocknoceros was playing.  Straight from their Austin City Limits gig, we were psyched to hear them jammin’ out live.  I loved the little handwritten signs that the birthday girl’s mom posted all over the walls.  The one above was my favorite- it’s so true isn’t it!

Related posts:

  

Jessica’s Biel’s Giambattisa Valli Haute Couture wedding dress is spot on.  What a bold choice- splotchy pink and white brush strokes, classic lines with a modern edge- it’s like a little candy confection and an abstract painting made a baby (or a wedding dress).  I just want to eat it.

Olive and Sinclair’s Salt and Pepper artisanal chocolate is one of my budget busting vices. I would eat a bar of this every day if I let myself, and I almost do.  I discovered it in Nashville last year while having brunch at Marche. I brought home a couple of bars and was thrilled to find them at my local eatery, Society Fair, here in Alexandria. Made by native Nashvillian Scott Witherow, it is a stone ground, slow roasted, small batch, handcrafted bean-to-bar confection. With all of those adjectives, its bound to be good- and it is. The perfect mix of pepper spice, salty tang and subtle sweet.

Sugar Paper presses these friendship cards.  A perfect little spot of glamour and love.

Domaine Tempier is a long time favorite.  I love every wine they produce.  I am partial to it because when I first started studying wine, I read and was completely romanced by Kermit Lynch’s Adventures on the Wine Route. This led me to the Tempier Peyraud family. While working at Balthazar, I attended a staff tasting with Kermit and heard stories about the family firsthand. I became fascinated with Lulu Tempier Peyraud- but more on her in a later post- and bought her and Richard Olney’s cookbook, Lulu’s Provencal Table- a must for Francophiles and lovers of Provencål cuisine.  Her recipes are not exactly short and sweet but well worth it in the end. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt so proud of making a dish than when I attempted (and sort of pulled off) her Roast Chicken with Ginger, Macaroni and Roasting Juices recipe.

Lulu’s father gave her and her husband, Lucien Peyraud, the Tempier vineyard as a wedding. Lucien led a tireless quest to put Bandol on the map and resurrect the Mourvedre grape to noble status, and in turn is now beloved as the Godfather of Bandol. Tempier’s blends are now among the finest in the world and have achieved cult if not iconic status. Not just a great rose but a great wine, it is well-crafted and complex. The full-bodied rose sings with bright fruit, garrigue notes and wild spices. A great fall wine as its spices pair beautifully with roasted vegetables and fall dishes. I am a fan of drinking it all year long especially well into the winter, when you really need that splash of pink to pick you up.

No wedge has any business being this comfortable.  Tom’s Desert Chestnut Wedges are a fall must for anyone that values comfort as much as style.

I love this print by Anne Harper.  Its splotchy burst of colors make me any room happy.

Related posts:

  

Another 20 minute iPhone photo challenge.  Love the Old Man Cactus, so deceivingly fuzzy.

Related posts:

  

1. Burlap Wreath // 2. Halloween Signage // 3. Vintage Anatomy Print, 1950 // 4. Skull Studs // 5. Skellington Wreath // 6. Wool Cat Pillow // 7. Personalized Trick or Treat Bag // 8. Spooky Yard Art // 9. Vintage Metal Letters 

Related posts:

  

Lately, I’ve been challenging myself to 20 minute photo shoots.  I pick a spot and spend 20 minutes taking photos with my iPhone and when time’s up, see what I’ve got.  Sometimes they’re kind of cool and sometimes not so much, but nevertheless, it’s an amusing little way of cramming some creativity into my time-challenged day.

Related posts:

  

Jordan Matter’s new book, “Dancers Among Us” is full of fun and inspiring images of dancers doing extraordinary things in our ordinary world. Well, maybe not so extraordinary to the dancers- really just another day in the life- but that’s what makes these images so engaging. Still shots from a moving art form have never been so fun.

Guerrilla dancing in the streets, on the subway, in the laundromat, over the train tracks, in the library and my personal favorite- in the operating room.  You have to love a cabriole over the operating table. And I gotta give it to New Yorkers- we manage to keep our cool and remain aloof but ever-observant even in perhaps the most bizarre moment of our day. Check out the video below to see Jordan and the dancers in real time.

Dancers Among Us

Related posts:

  

A weekly date with the local farmer’s market and a bonus vintage pickup sighting- will have one at some point in life complete with dog chilling in the back.  A Saturday morning wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Planet Wine- one of my favorite little wine shops. Picked up a Gavalas Santorini white, great $15 wine. Nice minerality- loving the volcano lately.

Related posts:

  

Thank you, Italy! I realize I am a little late to the game on this one, but my brother in law recently turned me on to a more respectable way to have my morning coffee. I am a sucker for espresso but don’t own an espresso maker and always thought it was a bit too much fuss to make in my own kitchen. Lazy? Maybe, but with all the steaming and the frothing and the banging… Oy, gevalt. Then, Presto- I had a cup from his stovetop Bialetti.  Serious near perfection.

There is something so satisfying about this industrial, simple and perfectly Italian little piece of machinery. Manually putting together the pieces of my cup of joe each morning makes me feel like a part of the design and gives me a sense of territory over my cup, like I’ve earned it.  Not that it’s difficult, al contrario, it is simple (unscrew, add water and espresso, screw, place on stovetop, pour coffee, drink), relatively inexpensive, and the taste of freshly brewed espresso with a bit of milk is quite like heaven, I imagine. Ahh, those Italians- when it comes to the good stuff (design, art, style, food, wine… coffee)- they really do know what they’re doing.

Stovetop happiness- Grazie Mille.

Bialetti Moka Express // illy Moka Ground Espresso

blueprint image- Frollein M.

Related posts: