These pink roofs make me happy. Happy Weekend dear readers! What are you all up to this first weekend of February? Yay- it’s February, let’s hope Punxsutawney Phil is in the clear on Sunday- come on Spring! We’ll be drinking our Caip-beer-inhas and watching the Super Bowl, maybe take in a Frozen Sing-A-Long matinee with the bebes (their first official movie outing- we’ll see how that goes), make an IKEA run (AHHHHH! Am I crazy to attempt a weekend run?- Yes.), and continue our reno/home improvements. Our furnace conked out on us less than 2 weeks after owning our home. Ha. Homeownership- woohoo.
Tina Fey grabs coffee and a cronut with Jerry Seinfeld. I can never get enough Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Does Jerry Seinfeld have the life or what? Just driving around in cool cars grabbing coffee and pastries with the quirkiest and coolest cats- come on!
Happy Weekend dear readers. I don’t want to come off crass, but I have been known to use colorful language from time to time so when I saw this quote floating around on Pinterest, well- I kind of had to bite. The author of this illustrious quote is sadly unknown- pretty funny.
Well, at the risk of crying wolf, I regretfully did not get Miss Virginie’s (our new house) photos up here along with inspiration images and reno updates, as promised. We just brought down the demo hammer this week. Woohoo! Still, no time to post due to the freezing tundra that is currently Northern Virginia (I’m officially over winter) and the unbelievable amount of time it takes to get the kiddos in and out of the house (they look just like the kids all bundled up in A Christmas Story) and this insane preschool application process that I am currently enduring. Oh, and I started teaching at George Mason this week- I’m officially an academic. Pretty fun. I’m an Adjunct Professor and teaching the dance majors advanced ballet. I’m thrilled to be there, the program is run like a conservatory and the talent, faculty and studio spaces are outstanding- good times.
What are you all up to this weekend? We will start packing up our tiny apartment and start the epic move into Miss Virginie. We don’t anticipate actually moving in for another few weeks because of the reno, but we’ll get a headstart so that we can try to make this place look half way attractive to potential buyers (it’s current state is pretty much a toy explosion).
What I’m Drinking:
An old standby, this Morellino di Scansano. I crave an Italian red when it’s cold out and when I don’t want to splurge on my favorite region (Brunello!), I go in for this little beauty. It’s $15, rustic but not too rustic, tastes and smells of dirt, cherries and wild herbs, and is a trusty and excellent partner to pizza, pasta and my fancy homemade grilled cheese (mozzarella, pesto, tomatoes, and olive bread pressed with a grill iron- yum and eat your heart out panini!) .
A Few Things of Note:
A Somm who actually tries to sell his wine as cheap as he can? This is a guy after my own heart. I know I don’t live there anymore, but I can’t help following my NYC Eater feed and reading about the city’s latest and greatest eateries. Pearl & Ash has been on the list since it opened last year. Admission: I have their wine list bookmarked and sometimes… I just click to read and reread, dreaming up what I’ll order when I finally pony up to the bar. Patrick Cappiello has done a killer job with the wine list. Here it is, read it and weep.
How a working class couple amassed a priceless art collection- this is so cool.
How delicious does this little citrus honey yogurt tart look! I want to make this for a Sunday brunch party.
This brass hood kills me. I’d love to have it in my kitchen, they are really tough to find affordably, let me know if you come across one.
Ralph & Russo channels Grace Kelly- I wish I had somewhere to wear this.
These are some seriously inspired Ikea hacks. After pricing out dining chairs (sigh), I think I might just go Ikea and arm myself with a Sharpie to replicate the coveted Les Touche pattern on the seat covers like this clever gal did here. Inspired!
1. A return stamp in the shape of the sender’s home state. I absolutely love this. It won’t make it in time to be stuffed in a stocking, but a print out of this stamp will do just fine. Home State Personalized Return Stamp, $65
2. I don’t know if a Nutcracker is really a necessity these days, but this one’s pretty great looking. Normann Copenhagen Nutcracker, $56
3. I love a giant initial. Monogram Sweater, $30 (take 20% off with LASTCHANCE)
4. Because with the advent of the smartphone, everybody’s a photographer- myself included. These little lenses will up their photography game. iPhone Shutterbug Lenses, $49
5. A giant horseshoe magnet strong enough to hold your dish towel and still look cute on your fridge. Horseshoe Magnet, $14
6. What lady doesn’t want a great little lucite tray to display her jewelry? The better to see it with, my dear. Muji Lucite Tray, $28
7. Metallic loafers? Yes please. To be worn with everything all season long. Gold Metallic Loafers, $45 (take 40% off with GAPXMAS)
8. Provisions 52, the market brainchild of Food 52, has loads of great gifts for the cook in your life. I am partial to these little beauties: $260 Pistachio French Steak Knives, $160
A few last minute ideas for the gal who loves her baubles. It’s always nice to find a sparkly surprise in your stocking, isn’t it!
1. Signature Necklace by Brevity
-for the gal who loves an uber-personalized gift, this one won’t make it in time for Christmas but it’s worth the wait
2. Birds of Paradise Necklace by Lizzie Fortunato
-not for the faint of heart, this one’s great if you’ve got the bucks and your lady really has somewhere to go
3. Green Studs by Kate Spade
-sparkly and versatile, I wore the light pink version to the White House
4. Rosey Earrings by Moorea Seal
-statement studs on the cheap
I’m a pretty smiley person by nature, but I’ve never known a true cheek hangover until now. Not that I haven’t had some seriously smile-worthy moments in life- my wedding, opening nights- but those were all infused with a myriad of emotions. This one was pretty much just all smiles all the time.
I don’t usually do posts like this, I like to share my opinions and ideas and mostly highlight the lives of others, but this one I just had to document. I had the tremendous good fortune to accompany my amazing father-in-law, Jacques d’Amboise, to the White House and Kennedy Center for the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors this past weekend. Cue self-inflicted pinch times ten.
Knowing that I would be Jacques’ guest to this event nearly a year in advance, I planned carefully, which is very out of character me (you know what they say about plans…). I carefully selected- with the help of my fabulous stylist-to-the-stars pal, Katy Robbins- my two Rent the Runway gowns literally months in advance. There would be two nights of events- the dinner at the State Department and the White House gathering/meeting the President and the First Lady followed by the Honors at Kennedy Center. I was all set with an Alice Temperley gown and a David Meister on the way for a grand total of $125- oh yeah, discount codes were in full effect.
Then came last Friday night. 8pm, tick tock tick tock, No UPS special delivery as expected. After a long wait on hold with the parcel service, I learned that the dresses would arrive promptly Monday morning. Hmmm. I’m royally screwed, I thought. My babysitter is out of town, Christopher is working and I’ll have to haul two toddlers to Tysons Corner and frenzily shop for not one but two expensive-looking but reasonably affordable black tie gowns. What the what?
I prepared to wake early Saturday and make the mad dash to Nordstroms. Enter the Norovirus. Around 1am on Saturday morning, my hubby came down with a severe dose of the stomach virus. If you’ve ever experienced this, you know how intense it is. It hits you like a ton of bricks and you are violently ill for a solid 24 hours. Saturday morning 10am and Christopher was starting to come out of his nausea-daze when I started to feel a bit wonky. By noon, it was clear that I would not be going to the State Department much less Nordstroms. At that point, I can honestly say however, that I didn’t much care. We had two toddlers to take care of as two very sick parents who were doing everything we could to keep them from getting sick. How that works with a crazily contagious virus, I have no idea. If you’ve ever tried taking care of small children while you feel ghastly ill, you can empathize. It was a rough day, maybe the toughest yet in my newbie parenthood. These are the days you really want your mommy.
Then that beacon of the week, Sunday morning dawned and all started to look a bit brighter. I didn’t feel great, but Lord knows I was going to that White House. I made the mad dash to Nordstoms, gave the saleslady my budget and after a heartfelt wince from her, she brought me dozens of dresses all of which only emphasized my post-baby bump that has no business being a bump at this point, it’s more like a lump- let’s call a spade a spade. She finally brought me one last dress- this one revelatory -to my dressing room. It was like the popcorn ceiling opened up and the Angels sang “AHHHHH”. I had to have it, it actually made my lump look kind of great. I dashed up to the register only to find out upon ringing up, that this was indeed well above my fantasy and idealized price range. Oh well, it’s the frigging White House, I mean come on. So, dress bought, baubles on, we are ready to roll.
Off we went. At 3:15 on the dot, Jacques’ appointed driver Carl rolled up into my modest little apartment complex’s parking lot to escort me down the slick ice rink that was masquerading as a sidewalk. I somehow managed not to take a dive, even in my 4 inch heels- and believe me, this momma does not wear 4 inch heels- not since around my 34th birthday anyway. I lost my tolerance for the self-inflicted pain caused by ridiculously high heels, so I had to kind of pat myself on the back for this one.
We arrived at the front gates of the White House and all I could think about was that scene in Dave when Kevin Kline drives up to that very same gate and convinces the guards to let him out. Here I was, at that very gates. What next? We were escorted after multiple security checks up to the White House. Now I’ve never been to the White House, never taken a tour and although I’ve always wanted to, I never got around to writing my Representative about that one. But this was much better, I had an actual invite, I was actually invited by the peeps at the White House- ok as a plus-one, but still.
Entering the White House for a party that it is throwing was a kind of dazzling, surreal moment for this American girl. Another “AHHHH” moment with the angels harking all over the place as I was handed a glass of champagne upon entering. I found myself sashaying down the perfectly decorated hallways in my lump-licious dress, bumping into the likes of Garth Brooks and Sam Waterston all the while with a ridiculously huge smile on my face. Mind you I was completely aware that I was striding down these said hallways with a giant smile on my face, but I couldn’t do anything about it. I don’t want to sound like a naive fresh-off-the-bus farm girl here, I’ve had my share of star-studded evenings and shared the stage with the likes of Hugh Jackman and Tony Bennett (dreamboats- both of them), but this was something entirely different.
Sitting in my little seat with my very own name imprinted on its little white card, I couldn’t believe I was surrounded by less than one hundred people waiting for the President and the First Lady to arrive. They fabulously strode into this little room and almost knocked me over, not literally but quite figuratively. There is a reason why people get elected to office beyond their politics, it’s that old charisma thing. It’s the same reason the Clooneys and the Pitts of the world are our mainstays- star wattage, people. Despite what you may think of them or their politics, the Obamas are stars.
Enter my very un-Presidential comment to the First Lady. Meeting Obama himself was fantastic, he is charming and genuine with a firm handshake and an authenticity that oozes from his sparkly white teeth. He thanked me for coming (uh- thanks for having me!). Meeting Mrs. Obama, I just blurted out, “You are too fabulous!”. She graciously replied, “Thank you” and also thanked me for coming. Seriously, I was kind of mortified and I still can’t believe I said that to her, not the most Presidentially-appropriate behavior to be sure, but honestly, she is- too fabulous. She dazzled in her jade green Marchesa off-the-should gown, she oozed grace and importance and honestly, she’s a modern day Goddess.
Embarrassing moment behind me (I had to have one), we continued to make the rounds and that’s when I found myself standing next the the D-O-double-G. Oh yeah, Snoop. He jokingly asked the Marine Corps band to play “Gin and Juice”- one of my favorite parts of the night. They didn’t comply, too bad- what a miss. I snapped a picture with the hip hop superstah and ta-dizzle-fo-shizzle, we were off to the Kennedy Center.
I arrived at my seat to find my darling hubby all dressed up in his tux complete with bow tie, which I’ve never actually seen him in- he was effortlessly tieless at our wedding. The drumroll began and the the curtain went up. Attending the Kennedy Center Honors is like attending one of the greatest mulit-artist concerts ever. You get opera, you get drama, you get dance, you get music, music, music. In a word, it’s awesome. It’s a proud-to-be-an-American kind of evening. The show airs on December 29th, and is one to watch. The standout of the night for me is the tribute to Billy Joel with a rousing and tear-jerking number by Garth Brooks and a beautiful turn by Rufus Wainwright, not to mention a great performance by Panic at the Disco’s Brendon Urie. Snoop absolutely kills in the Herbie Hancock tribute- don’t miss it.
We capped the night off with a dinner under the giant mod chandeliers in the main hallway of the Kennedy Center surrounded by some of America’s most inspiring artists and Washington’s finest. I had a blast yucking it up with the legendary Eddie Villella all evening and was once again dumbstruck to find myself shooting the sh*t with Billy Joel, who is one of the most down to earth, coolest cats around. After commending him for his career (with lack of anything else to stay, being completely startstruck) he replied, “Hey, I’m just doing what I love”. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it.
Midnight struck and we were jolted back into our real lives remembering that we promised our sitter we would be home by 12:30. We dashed down the marble halls of the Kennedy Center like Cinderella running for her carriage, in this case our minivan, and raced home before the clock struck 12:30. We made it. No pumpkins here and the kiddos were all nestled snug in their beds. What a whirlwind, but how great to be back in our tiny home with our tiny bebes.
Happy Weekend dear readers. This powerful photo was captured outside the home of Nelson Mandela this morning. Isn’t it amazing. It kind of sums up his life’s work. What wonder one man can do, so humbling.
I hope you all are off to a fun-filled and festive holidayish weekend. Or something like that anyway. I’m attending the Kennedy Center Honors and all of the fancy dinners that accompany it with my father-in-law Jacques this weekend. I’m seriously pinching myself. He was an honoree himself and goes to the dinners and show every year, so it’s old hat for him. For me, I’ll be rubbing elbows with the President (say what?) in the White House (come again?) and with the likes of the Meryls and the Dustins of the world at the State Department and then again at the Kennedy Center. Hello. Not to mention the actual honorees this year including Billy Joel, Shirley MacLaine and Carlos Santana- so cool. I’ve rented 2 dresses from Rent the Runway, both of which were supposed to arrive at my doorstep tonight before 8pm and as of this post, are not yet here. What is a girl to do. It’s not like I can just reach into the back of my (tiny) closet and pull out a floor length black tie appropriate gown. Yikes. I’ll keep you posted.
What I’m Drinking This Weekend:
Lots of Presidential-approved vino. I’m hoping for a Virginia-made Thibault-Janisson sparkling- one of our great state’s best bottles of bubbly. It really is absolutely delicious, I know you might be dubious being that it’s Virginia-made, but trust me- it’s truly divine. They love the stuff up at the House that is White, as they supposedly regularly serve it up at State Dinners, but honestly I’d be thrilled with a cold can of PBR in the company of those peeps.
It is a heartfelt day in our nation. It’s truly hard to believe that 50 years ago, we lost our President Kennedy. I love this photo of the glamorous First Couple- so filled with hope, youth, and that fabulous toothy grin. To think how our world changed with the loss of this President is truly mind-blowing- if you haven’t seen the excellent documentary, The Fog of War, treat yourself and imagine how things may have been very different.
On to sunshinier things- I’m off on a solo road trip to visit my dear pal Lisa Shriver- Broadway choreographer extraordinaire- down at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. She zshushed up a few of their Christmas shows with her mad New Yorker skills and I’m going down to both take a look and revel in the thousands of Christmas lights. I can’t shake it- I’m a sucker for the holidays. Bring on the cheer.
In other news, we FINALLY found a house that we really love. It’s super cute and will be even cuter once I get my hands on it. Not the mid-century modern I was hoping for, but a great little house. It is truly deep in the burbs but still only about 25 minutes from DC and 20 minutes from Old Town Alexandria where I currently live- and if you read this blog, you know how I love me some Old Town. It’s very exciting but it does have one little quirk- it backs up to the community center and pool. I would love some readerly advice on this- what would you do? The house is great, the only one we’ve found after months and months of house hunting that meets all of our needs and passes the dinner party test- I try to imagine an intimate dinner party in the backyard of each house we look at complete with strung lights, etc. Not many pass that test, it’s a tough one. This one does and gives us plenty of room to spread our wings a bit and grow, not to mention the schools are aces. Advice needed!
What I’m Drinking This Weekend:
I’m going to pop open a bottle of ’05 Domaine du Grapillon d’Or Gigondas if we decide to go for (and get) this house. I’ve been saving this one up since my days as a French import rep. ’05 as you all probably know, was an absolutely stellar year pretty much across the board. Tip: if you’re looking for a great vintage, go for ’05, you really cannot go wrong. Well, maybe you can but it’s not likely. This wine is feminine and girly with hints of violets and flowers but packs a dirty punch and tastes like the earth- just the way I like ‘em. I’m crazy about it. A female winemaker is at the helm here which explains its finesse. I love the newer vintages as well. Find it a ’10 bottle here $27- a deal for a very well made Gigondas. This one is an excellent Turkey Day wine too.
Happy Weekend dear readers! Aren’t these leaves gorgeous? I snapped this yesterday on my daily walk through town with the bebes. I love the herringbone-bricked streets and those lavender-tinged leaves. I am really loving fall this year and trying to soak up this beautiful town while I still live here.
We recently sold our New York apartment (fingers crossed we will close by the end of the year) and while it is truly a bittersweet farewell from our little piece of the Manhattan pie, there is something satisfying about the resolute choice to plant some serious roots with family. We have decided to officially call Virginia home after a couple of years testing out the waters here. It is beautiful and a really lovely place to live with a kick ass wine scene to boot. A little challenging financially if you’re on the artsy side of things and not a lucrative lawyer or lobbyist but what’s new? We always seem to land in the most expensive places. We’ll find our little diamond in the rough. I’ve been scouring redfin trying to find that dream home that is somewhat architecturally interesting, close to a town with a vibrant and active community and in a great school district. It’s a tall order and a little tough-going with our budget, but I’ll keep you posted. Wish us luck. Northern Virginia real estate is not messing around, it is no joke here. Hot properties sell within hours of being on the market. Another rat race. Sigh.
In the meantime, I’m loving Old Town and trying to take in every moment here as we’ll likely head west to Fairfax County (still only 20 minutes from this cute little town but far enough that I can’t walk out the door and stroll the bebes along these Colonial streets). But we must make the move for the schools. Ahhh, parenthood.
What are you all up to this weekend? We have no big plans. Just hanging around, enjoying the fall.
What I’m Drinking This Weekend:
I’m going back to Cali. I’ll be sipping the ’10 Anthill Farms Syrah this fall weekend. Made by 3 rockstar winemakers formerly of Williams Selyem, my Somm friends love Anthill Farms, so I will give it a go. Tasting Note to come.
What I’m Reading This Weekend:
I’d like to say I’ll be reading Searching for Zion or something deep like that but I’m afraid I’m too tired for serious reads these days. Sleep habits of 17 month olds= not conducive to long lingering novels. Instead, I’ll sip my Syrah while reading about one of my best pals, Cristy Candler in the latest issue of Anthology, shot by the fabulous and talented Amy Dickerson (whose work and Sideshow Stories are constant inspiration).
Cristy is one of my best girls from back in the day. We grew up together on the Broadway scene. By grew up, I mean we were already in our 20s, but we hustled and got our first Broadway workshop together- Dirty Dancing directed by the now Tony-award winning Diane Paulus. What fun. Cristy is the definition of a free spirit, she cracks me up and always inspires me with her love of life, creativity and vintage-chic style. The whole issue is beautiful. Check it out.
I don’t know how to feel about this. Martin Scorcese directs this gorgeous ad for Dolce and Gabbana with Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johanssen. Is it just me or does it feel like you’re watching a student film with superb cinematography?
Cable knit floppy hat? Check. Newly purchased with a trusty gift card I dusted off from the recesses of my wallet. Sometimes it pays to be unorganized.
Happy Weekend dear readers! What adventures are afoot for you all this autumn weekend? I wish I could say we’re hosting one of our infamous backyard movie nights but we don’t have a backyard. The minute I get my hands on one, this is going down every Friday night that weather permits. Come on over, I’ll let you know when we’re outdoor cinema ready.
No-backyard aside, we have an action packed agenda (just the way I like ‘em). C and I are off to see Gravity tonight and then bar hop a bit through Old Town for an upcoming post I’m working on- gotta love when work involves sipping around town. Tomorrow my brother Matt and my sister-in-law Wendy are hosting their very first Hobbit Hole party. You read that right folks. They have built- strike that- constructed an entire facade that looks just like Bilbo’s Shire abode, right in the comfort of their own backyard. They enjoy their afternoon tea on the front porch of what they call their Bag ‘End. I love it, it is wacky and so them. I have yet to see the finished product, so we are looking forward to it indeed. Next up, an outing to the Kennedy Center to catch Hubbard Street while they’re in town. This is the one company in America that makes me wish I had pursued concert dance. I’m thrilled with my career and Broadway was the dream but Hubbard Street makes me swoon. Have you seen them?
My Weekend Wine:
I’m hooked on Lompoc these days, so I’m sticking with the Central Coast. I tend to do that- drink a certain region until I’m ready to dive into another. It makes me feel more connected to the region and gives me a greater appreciation for the wines.
I’m trying a Cab Franc from the Santa Ynez Valley, Lieu Dit. I’m a little dubious as the Loire and the Central Coast aren’t really anywhere near the same climate and we all know that the world’s most gush-worthy Cab Franc hails from that heavenly French valley, right? Please pipe up if you disagree.
The Loire is quite a bit cooler giving those delicious Cab Francs those classic lead pencil and green pepper notes. I’m thinking the Lompoc Cab Franc has got to be rounder, riper and less lean, not qualities I love in a Cab Franc. But I’m curious. This one has great pedigree, a joint venture between Somm Eric Railsback (of RN74 and Les Marchands) and Justin Willett of Tyler Winery, which turns out some great juice. These guys know what they’re doing so I’m excited to try it out. I’m pairing it with The Kinfolk Table‘s “Perfect Roast Chicken” from their beautiful new cookbook.
3. Speaking of moms, Kid & Coe is a genius new company devoted to family vacation rentals. LOVE IT.
4. This print is entitled Can I Get A Witness? I would buy it just for that title (well not really, but maybe). That and that bright pink splotch. 30% off now at Furbish studio with the code FALLWALL.
6. I can’t wait to dig in to this month’s Vanity Fair. I have to agree with the editors of VF, Jay-Z kind of is our the modern Frank Sinatra, the chairman if you will. I’m a fan. What do you think of Mr. Carter?
And Another Thing(s):
This essay by Amy Poehler in The New Yorker. A snapshot in the life of her teenage self , she reveals how a summer job scooping ice cream and playing the kazoo her career choice- thank you Chadwick’s Ice Cream Shop for giving us Amy Poehler.
Former showgirl, forever travel junkie, sometime sommelier, and mom to twin bebes. This little blog is a mixed bag of tasting notes, travels, tales of motherhood, and current musings. Thank you for stopping by. Cin Cin! (photo by Amy Dickerson for Anthology Magazine)
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