Our first snow fell yesterday in VA.,the kiddos played for a few minutes outside. Another fun milestone moment. Have a wonderful weekend. XO and Cin Cin!

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Meet Natalia Goldman, Volatizing’s very own Clever Girl. This is my new feature on cool crafty-wafty ideas from this creative mom of 4 and one of my besties since college. Go Blue! She’s got oodles of ideas.

What to do with all of those ridiculously adorable Christmas cards you’ve collected over the years. Shove them in a box never to be heard from again? Throw them out- Gasp- what would your Aunt Patty think?

My ingenious friend Natalia came up with another brilliant crafty idea. She insists that all of her ideas are recycled inspiration but isn’t that the best kind? And seriously- when is the last time someone had an original idea? No really, seriously… when? As I wax philosophic over here, please indulge me by chiming in below and telling me what you think the last original idea was. I mean, I know Al Gore believes he invented the internet, but come on. And while we’re at it, has there ever been a truly original idea? Will we ever really know? Where is that time travel machine when you need it? Oh, but then there’s that whole space time continuum thing- never mind. Sheesh, I feel like my head’s about to blow off my body- I could spend all day on this one.

But I digress- back to Natalia’s ingenious, recycled, modified, whatever crafty wafty idea: the Clever Christmas Card Flip-Through Ring. This one’s a keeper. She punches 2 holes in her cards using a 3-hole punch (so that the punching is easy and consistent with each card), trims down the oversized ones, and loops 2 oversized rings through to create a no-brainer nostalgic keepsake for your viewing pleasure.

Perfection.  Or as my friend Kristen put it, “Ridonk.”

P.S.: That’s Natalia’s Christmas Card this year, above. Brilliant, right!

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We just spent a magical week in Santa Fe where the babies saw their first snow and snowfall and spent time with family. The Southwest is a beautiful place any time of the year, but at Christmastime, it is so unique. Santa Fe glows at night with its farolito-lits rooftops, this is truly the Land of Enchantment. I love the big blue open skies where you swear you can see one of John Ford’s cowboys riding into the sunset. I always buy a bag of piñon coffee to drink in the morning, make a point to stroll the Santa Fe plaza, have a green chile something or other (enchiladas usually) with a salty margarita, and hit the road. There’s nothing like a long drive in the Southwest. We didn’t get to Madrid this year (pronounced MAD-rid)- a quirky little mining town on the Turquoise Trail, but I managed to snap a photo of its exit. Madrid is home to a hilarious little theater, open in the summer, and the great Mine Shaft Tavern which bills itself as one of the last great roadhouses- talk about people watching. If you find yourself in this part of the world, do not miss Madrid.

This trip, my Uncle Craig and Aunt Vermelle turned me on to Bobcat Bite. I’d never been and we swung by to see where one of the world’s greatest green chile cheeseburgers is made, according to the Bon Appetit, Gourmet, the Food Network, etc. It’s a great little roadside stop just down the highway from Harry’s Roadhouse, another favorite.

We got married in Taos so I have an extra affinity toward this part of the world and am always so happy to return. Thanks for the memories once again, New Mexico. See you again soon.

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I know it’s pretty last minute, but here are a few fun ideas to throw in those stockings:

Tom Dixon Candles- expensive but oh so pretty!

D.S.& Durga Brooklyn-based scents- Cowboy Grass (my favorite) – a beautiful blend of American sagebrush, white thyme and prairie switchgrass. Irresistible.

AFAR- simply the greatest travel mag out there. A subscription is that gift that keeps on giving.

A colorpop locket for pics of your love or your minis from Anthropologie. You can pick your chain separately.

Butter Yummy Mummy nail paint- no icky toxins, beautiful colors, this one is a particularly flattering neutral.

Une Bobine iphone tripod- great for recipe reading while cooking.

Crosley Songbird Radio- I love the orange, they come in a few other great colors too.  Just cute.

Jayson Home Farmer’s Market Baskets made of glossy bone china. Cuteness in the kitchen.

A mini 1/2 bottle of delicious Gruet rose sparkling wine. Who wouldn’t want to pop this open Christmas morning!

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Ahh, the West, can’t wait to get out there. We leave this week for 3 weeks of holiday tidings- seriously the most wonderful time of the year- thank you Andy Williams, R.I.P. And it’s my Minis’ 1st Christmas- so special.

We start in Texas with a side trip to Austin to see my brother and sister-in-law, with a stop at Vino Vino’s Oodles of Bubbles Champagne Tasting on Saturday. I haven’t been yet but have heard great things. Bring on the bubbly.

Then we’re off to Santa Fe to spend time with more family and soak in the Southwest scenery. Love that town at Christmas. I am looking forward to hitting Harry’s Roadhouse for some blue corn turkey enchiladas and maybe do some tequila tasting. Maybe we’ll take the twins on a walk down farolito-lit Canyon Road and definitely stroll the Plaza. Jackalope is a must for last minute stocking stuffers. I will definitely do a getaway post, post trip. I’ve been going to Santa Fe for years with my family and hit the jackpot when I married a man whose sister lives there & added bonus: I have an aunt and uncle that live there too. Great reasons to go back, and as often as possible.

Then back to the ranch where we’ll just relax, cook, eat, drink, bake, watch Christmas movies, play charades, watch bad movies (one of my all-time favorite things to do with my brother who is a master at Mystery Science Theater-speak) and REPEAT.  Life doesn’t get much better than that.

Lonesome Dove- Tim Love’s highly rated Fort Worth restaurant. I have not yet been and looking forward to a meal there this year.

William-Sonoma’s Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail recipe. I made this last week for a cocktail party without the Grand Marnier (because I didn’t have any) and it was a big success- my simplified version below- I look forward to making it again, this time with the Grand Marnier. They key to this is, just a few pomegranate seeds, they are sweeter than you think.

Coronaritas- what a great invention! The Exhausted Mom’s recipe here.

Ina Garten’s Fleur de Sel Caramels. I’ve never made caramels and am salty-sweet crazy, so I look forward to attempting the Contessa’s recipe.

The Ref. If you have not seen this movie- netflix it, order it, download it- whatever, IMMEDIATELY. Hands down my favorite Christmas movie EVER. Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey, Judy Davis and Christine Baranski are all brilliant. Seriously- what a crazy cast. The mother from Mary Poppins, Glynis Johns, even makes an evil appearance. So many great one-liners that I find myself repeating year round- “Slipper socks… Medium.”

And of course, Christmas Vacation. The holidays just wouldn’t be complete without the Griswalds. “Squirrel!!!!”.

My mom wants to tackle an easy seafood paella recipe. She’s got a bottle of Domaine de Cabasse Rose de Marie Antoinette that should go great with it. Mas de Daumas Gassac Rose Frizant would be killer with seafood paella too.

I’ll attempt to read 2 books, Where’d You Go, Bernadette and David Nasaw’s new Joe Kennedy biography. This is slightly ambitious as I just finished Gone Girl after 4 months of reading basically, 1/2 a page every night. That’s about all I can stay awake for these days with the twins still not sleeping through the night, so we’ll see how this plan shakes out.

Here’s my easy peasy Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail recipe:

Totally foolproof, this couldn’t be easier:

1. Fill your glass almost 3/4 full with Cremant (I use this as opposed to a champagne as it is very tasty and a lot less expensive)

2. Drop in 5 pomegranate seeds (no more as they infuse more sweetness than you would think)

3. Add a tiny splash of POM juice (because that stuff is potent)

And, Voila- a foolproof Christmas Cocktail (or Chanukah or Kwanzaa or whatever- everyone will like this little diddy)

CIN CIN!

{Image Credits: Farolito-lit by Diane Brumberg, Fleur de Sel Caramels by Gimme Some Oven)

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A few shiny windows in Alexandria and a beautiful red door adorned with a pretty wreath.
I’m having my wreath delivered tonight by the local Boy Scouts’ troop leader. I love that the Boy Scouts still operate on an honor system- well, of course they do- Scouts Honor. I ordered it at the farmer’s market in October without payment and they deliver it to your door when it arrives- gotta love it.
It seems owls are all the rage this year. Who knew owls had it over their fellow woodland friends? I love this pretty window display at our local Paper Source. Our little girl hoots like an owl, so we have taken to calling her mon hibou since she was 2 months old. With the current owl-craze, it’s been fun (and easy) dressing her up in all kinds of cute, owly things.

This giant Nutcracker holds court year round at The Christmas Attic- that requisite stop for folks looking for an ornament keepsake to document their time spent here. I love doing that too, makes decorating the tree each year a trip through your travels.

Well, I am certainly in the holiday spirit. I’m listening to Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams and Dean Martin croon those classic Christmas tunes as I post this little walk through my town. Between the local decor, Deano’s rendition of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and all the Rankin-Bass specials that flood the Christmas Countdown channels, I’m one happy lass.

Happy Weekend!

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Don’t judge, I didn’t drag my 6 month old kids across the country so that I could play craps and whoop it up Hangover-style. My mom got married last weekend in Vegas. Wow- that looks pretty wild in print. She did, she got married just outside of Vegas in the Valley of Fire State Park. It. Was. Awesome. One of the best parts about the weekend was bringing the babies to Vegas despite the face that: Las Vegas- not exactly baby friendly. I can’t tell you how many dirty looks I got while wheeling my double stroller through the casino just trying to get from the lobby to the elevators. I was kicked out of the coffee bar in the hotel immediately upon arrival. Overtired and under caffeinated from the cross country flight, the barista took one look at us and said, “Babies- no no no no no no, you gotta get them outta here. No babies allowed here.” It was kind of hilarious. I was totally confused, after all I was ordering a latte not a martini. “I just want a coffee.” To which he replied, “No, you can’t have babies here, this is part of the casino- you gotta go… NOW.”  Coffee-less and a little more weary for the wear, I took my brood on up to our room on the 27th floor where we stayed for the most part, with the exception of the wedding excursion and a few meals-our room service bill was quite impressive.

Turns out, you really can’t do much in Vegas with babies. I wouldn’t have known. I lived there as a 22 year old, performing in a show at the MGM Grand, my 1st real gig. I spent plenty of time playing blackjack downtown at the Binion’s Horseshoe and hanging fireside at the Peppermill, but I wasn’t exactly paying attention to new moms with babies. Oh well, it was quite the adventure and I kind of love that our kids went to Vegas before they were a year old.

Well, it’s not the real one, but it’s a pretty hilarious alternative. Oui, oui Paris.

Aww yeah- limo rides, bubbly and bottles. Keepin’ it real.

Sleep tight my little Vegas baby.

Fedoras- check. Where’s Deano?

The Wedding Party.

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My brother Matt had us over for Thanksgiving this year and my father in law, Jacques drove down from NY to be with us. It was a tasty good time and conversation about the Absinthe documentary- appropriately named Absinthe- sparked our curiosity to do a tasting, Matt just happened to have a bottle on hand- tastes kind of like ouzo to me. The Sea Smoke Southing ’09 Pinot was really a stunner with our bird- it was complex and subtle all at once, a really beautiful wine. I had been waiting to drink this one and it was a good time to break it out. I received it earlier this year after waiting for a spot on Sea Smoke’s mailing list for about 6 months. It was worth it. The vintage is showing nicely and was enjoyed by all.

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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!

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With New York, New Jersey and Connecticut still suffering from the aftermath of Sandy, this video below of Casey Neistat’s trip through Staten Island is worth a watch. If you are able to donate, please do so. The latest from friends in the area is that Staten Island is inundated with physical donations, the best thing to do now is to either volunteer your time and/or donate money or blood. Great places to donate: Food Bank NYC, Red Cross, and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NY.

In other less important news from the weekend, I’m always in the mood for a good C.I.A. movie or show.  One of my all time favorites is Three Days of the Condor and I am totally obsessed , like the rest of the country, with Homeland. I used to think I wanted to be in the C.I.A. and had visions of meeting with men in trench coats on benches along the National Mall, speaking to each other with our heads facing front. But me in an interrogation room would not exactly be useful to the intelligence community.

In any case, I was psyched to go see Argo. It was our 1st official date night with a babysitter and with a pit stop at our favorite local restaurant, Hank’s Oyster Bar, this little outing was definitely worth the babysitting fee. I have to give it to Ben Affleck- he has slowly but steadily resurrected himself from a borderline cheesy actor (post Good Will Hunting, of course) to a really good, solid and thoughtful director. I have to say, his movies in the last couple of years have been some of my favorites and I rather dig his new subtle style of acting too.

Argo is a great, what I like to call “adult movie”. I feel this way about Alexander Payne’s movies- especially Sideways. Hard to put into words- just really good adult movies. The story is unbelievable and it being true just makes it all the more compelling.  I’m not sure if the drama really unfolded to the minute the way it is harrowingly portrayed (it is a dramatization after all) but nevertheless, it is seriously unreal. I don’t want to spoil it by giving away details but the concept that Tony Mendez came up with to rescue 6 Americans from Iran during the hostage crisis is hair-brained and inspired all at once.  It’s pretty fantastic to watch it unfold. Ben Affleck manages to infuse the right amount of comic relief (anything with Alan Arkin AND John Goodman and I’m in!) into the suspense and does a good job of fleshing out the characters, a tribute to the screenwriter Chris Terrio as well. I dug it.

We also watched Happy, the documentary, on netflix. Really nice to ruminate on what’s really important especially during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The documentary takes a look at people from all walks of life: an Indian rickshaw driver, a fishing family on the Bayou, working men in Japan and centenarians from Okinawa (with the world’s largest population of people ages 100+ per capita). Happiness it seems basically boils down to, surprise- the usual suspects: family, community, nature, giving back- it’s a recipe for happiness no matter what your situation. The idea that the difference between making $5,000 and $50,000 a year is a huge disparity, while making $50,000 or $50,000,000 is not- is really interesting.  If you’re not poverty stricken and homeless, you’re really just talking about more stuff. A good reminder. There are some tear jerker stories in this one that really warmed my heart.

We have started feeding our little ones solid foods and my little T-Man had a terrible diaper rash- the very first one, so I was up to my eyeballs in rash cream. I love Mayron’s diaper cream but we also had to go in for the heavy stuff and use Boudreaux’s Maximum Butt Paste. It did the trick.

And lastly, Michigan managed to hang on to the Little Brown Jug this weekend in its yearly matchup against Minnestota. Go Blue!

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