One of my best girls, Amy Har-Even is Volatizing’s newest international contributor. She has been an expat in Hong Kong for the past 5 years where she lives with her family. Amy is a mom of 3 young girls, a writer and former copy editor for Elle Decor and a children’s wear designer with her own label, Ribbon Candy. Inspried by batik fabrics found in Bali, she designs the cutest little dresses for little principessas- seriously the cutest. She just gave birth to her third little one so she has put her business on hold for a minute, but we’ll[…]

  

A super cute last minute idea for Valentine cards. Scratch and See! These are adorable and super easy. Here’s What You Need:  Pink Posterboard or Construction Paper Camera Photo Printer (or your local FedEx Office) White Crayon Dish Soap Red Acrylic Paint Paint Brush- medium size Card stock Double sided tape Gold Glitter Pen Here’s How You Do It:  1. Cut out a big heart from pink poster board or construction paper. 2. Using red acrylic paint, pain a cute message, like “Kisses 25 cents” or “I Love You!” Natalia draws block letters and lets her kids paint in. 3.[…]

  

Four years ago, my dear mother-in-law, Carolyn George d’Amboise, passed away. I miss her dearly and just wanted to pay tribute to her and her amazing life. Carrie was a girl from Dallas, TX. who made her way to New York to dance on Broadway and as a soloist in the New York City Ballet. She worked with George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins who nicknamed her Tweety Bird for her giggly demeanor. She could out jump all the men except for her future husband, Jacques. Loved by everyone she met, she married and had 4 children, eventually stopped dancing only[…]

  

Doesn’t this look amazing? For $220/night, you can sleep in your own glass-ceiling igloo under the Northern Lights. Of course you have to get yourself to northern Lapland, Finland first but hey good things take a little doing, right? Put it on the list. Hotel Kakslauttanen’s Igloo Village  It looks to be a wintery white weekend for our friends in the northeast. Let’s hope they don’t get hit too hard. In the meantime, make yourself a great cup of coffee and drink in these winter days. If Punxsutawney Phil is to be believed, we are headed for an early spring so[…]

  

Our Clever Girl has concocted a baked Crayon Valentine Necklace for the little ones. So fun and easy, this is a great project to make with your minis. Ever the ambitious one, she and her kids are making these necklaces for her kids’ entire preschool classes. You could try that too or just make them together for your family or a couple of your bambino’s friends. Here’s What You Need: a bucket of crayons cord for the necklace Tekton letter and number stamp set found here hammer drill silicon heart baking mold found here  knife little hands to help you[…]

  

I’ve been hearing this word all over the place lately and I’ve always loved it. I’m glad it’s making its way into our vernacular. Thank you Brits!   Related posts:Beethoven Meets the Biebs?Mayor’s Fund for Sandy ReliefBottle Stock Brings It

  

How DO you manage to make your denim look so effortlessly chic? Was this ensemble a happy accident, just thrown on in a hurry? I think not. Everything is oh so perfect yet all at once casual and disarming. This kind of styling talent is years of practice in the making. Then again, maybe not. Maybe after growing up in such an absurdly stylish environment, you DO just throw this on in a huff and bolt out the door. Oh those Italians, they never cease to amaze. Yours Truly, Kd’A This stylish Florentine was found on my morning peruse of The[…]

  

Going on a fabulous holiday in the Greek Isles? No? Well, just do as the Romans do (or in this case, Italians in general), and make it up. Apparently over 3 million Italians have been found to fib about a phantom holiday. Embarrased, ashamed- whatever, Italians feel pressure to lie about their vacations, or lack thereof, to keep up appearances. If you can’t afford to take one, just make one up. Fake it ’til you make it? Hmmm. I came across this while reading Joanna Goddard’s Cup of Jo. The Guardian article is from 2003, I can’t imagine much has[…]

  

Love him or hate him- Ed Koch did some good for the Big Apple at a time when our great city desperately needed him. So long Ed Koch. The memory of him standing at subway entrances and on street corners asking, “How’m I doin?” will forever live on in New Yorkers’ memories. I’m not sure if he ever really had the time or the patience to stop and listen to the answers but at least he asked, gimmick or not. Highly criticized for his slow response to the AIDS crisis in the 80s, among other things, his 3rd and final[…]

  

“You are beautiful to me”, goes the literal translation of one of the Andrews Sisters biggest hits. And they were. We lost the last Andrews sister this past week. Patty Andrews passed away in her Los Angeles home at 94. What a life and oh, the stories she must have had. In honor of the Sisters, I am celebrating with a Cuba Libre, the lime infused version of their famous “Rum and Coca-Cola” hit. They will forever sing on. Maybe one of the easiest cocktails ever. Tried and true. Thank you ladies for reinspiring. You need: 2 oz. rum- I[…]