Happy Weekend dear readers. It has been such a tumultuous, sad and mysterious week in the world with so many tragedies and the Malaysian Air mystery. My heart and prayers go out to the families. I hope we can find some answers soon. Prayers to the victims of the Austin and East Harlem accidents as well.

This weekend we’ll be bidding adieu to our beloved Old Town as we prepare for the big move out to Fairfax County. In reality, we’re only moving 15 minutes away, but in spirit it is another world entirely and the beginning of a new and ‘burby life. Bring on the adventure.

What I’m Drinking:

It’s still cold around here so I’m still craving an earthy, chewy red. This is one of my go-to’s for under $15. I just picked up a case at my local Whole Foods. Great with pizza and burgers. A casual and rustic, while still complex, expression of the Tuscan Sangiovese grape from the Maremma region near the sea. A solid and yummy budget red.

’11 Ghiaccio Forte Vigne de Passegno Morellino di Scansano (what a mouthful!) , $15

A Few Things:

An awesome DIY Sculptural Hand Dish a la the highly coveted Kelly Wearstler design- this one comes at a much cheaper price tag (and isn’t sold out). I’d like to find time to make this, mostly because I just love the way a fresh block of clay feels.

How to style your space like a Wes Anderson movie. I will find a place for that fabulous Scalamandre Zebra wallpaper one day.

Roahhhhr! Carly- what a tigress. I’m always inspired by the divine Ms. Simon, her style and her timeless sound.

Picasso as your pen pal. This is so cool.

A super quick tour through SJP’s NYC Brownstone as she answers 73 quick questions (and very well). Her brownstone is fabulous. I love all the books, there is a real live dictionary and those globes!!!

I can’t wait to read this. Walter Kirn, author of Thumbsucker and Up in the Air, shares the details of his friendship with the killer and con man, Clark Rockefeller and how it felt to be duped.

Bringing Down Bebé- a year in Paris brings this mother and her kids to their knees. This is a great read for any parent who has wondered why their kids can’t patiently play and self-amuse like those well-behaved Frenchies.

Teach your kids how to hustle. Frank Deford is my new favorite- how have I never heard this guy before!

Oh Shirley, how I love ya. This is great.

Gettin’ Freekah with Chicken and Kale in salad form. Thank you Bon Appetit- this one looks delish.

And A Few More Things:

My new favorite show. Talk about mind blowing. This guy is my 2nd favorite new favorite.

You’ve probably seen this video of parents lip-synching to Frozen’s “Love Is An Open Door” while their daughter yawns in the backseat. Last night, C and I performed an entire rendition of Sesame Street’s “La-Di-Da-Di-Dum What’s The Name of That Song” (quite possibly one of the catchiest tunes ever and the reason for my recent insomnia- I CAN-NOT stop singing it- all. night. long.) for our kids, and while our daughter bopped right along, our son repeatedly hit himself in the face. We didn’t blame him. We are pretty obnoxious when we get our full-on musical theater game faces on. And he was sort of trapped and forced to listen to us in his car seat. Seriously one of the funniest things ever. T- not a fan of musical theater (or maybe he’s just not the biggest fan of our singing voices).

Cin Cin all and Happy Weekend!

Photo: Hand Dish by Mandi Johnson

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Well, it’s official folks. After 30 years on the Great White Way, my sister-in-law, Charlotte d’Amboise, is officially a Broadway legend. She’s got her illustrated mug on the walls of the legendary Sardi’s- that bastion of Broadway glory. If you ask me, it’s a little late in the coming, she’s only been nominated for a Tony twice over and starred in over 10 shows but I digress… I’m thrilled that her lovely and sparkly face is now hanging on those legendary walls alongside the likes of Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon, just where she belongs.

If you’ve never been to Sardi’s, it’s worth a trip. Saddle up to the bar on 44th St. right smack in the heart of Broadway’s best theaters and order up a classic NYC cocktail. They serve lots of Rusty Nails, Cuba Libres and Manhattans here, the usual suspects in the tried and true midtown drink lineup, but my favorite at Sardi’s is The Sidecar. It just feels right. Pre-show at Sardi’s with a Sidecar- yeah, it’s good stuff.

Vincent Sardi wrote the Sardi’s Bar Guide back in ’88- it’s chock full of “drinks of the rich and famous” and reads a little bit like you’re sipping champagne and sharing caviar dreams with Robin Leach. Old. School. This is the stuff of dreams baby- I can’t get enough. The whole place is oozing with Broadway lore. You can hear the industry chatter pouring out of the walls from decades past and admire the smiles and smirks of the stars that have adorned the walls at this institution since 1927 . If you’re a fan of the old guard and the theater, Sardi’s is a spot to put on your list to be sure. Pop in for a cocktail and a whole lot of ambience- it’s kind of perfect.

As a toast to my sis-in-law, here’s a very classic Sidecar cocktail recipe- you can never go wrong with this drink.

Cheers Char!

*My hard and fast rule is that you MUST use brandy and never vodka in your Sidecar. This classic drink’s rep was tarnished for years with the onslaught of the 90′s vodka cocktail craze. It’s brandy all the way or it just doesn’t work at all.

Photos: Ariana Debose, AMC TV

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Happy Weekend dear readers. I hope you are all off to some fun adventures this March weekend. We are busy renovating and beginning the big move. It’s still absolutely freezing here and we Virginians (I can’t believe I’m actually calling myself that!) are over it as I know much of the country is. I’m taking my little man to the barber today for his very first official haircut. Milestone alert- this will be one for the baby book (if I had one, I WILL get to that someday).

If you’ve not had the chance to vote for moi in Saveur’s Best Food Blog Awards, ante up- of course, if you are so inclined. I would feel so honored to be be nominated amongst the talent of the blogosphere for Best Wine Blog.
Nominate Volatizing here. Grazie Mille and Thank You!!!!

What I’m Drinking:

I’m dreaming of Spring and warmer weather so I’ll be busting out one of my favorite rosés. Even though I drink this stuff year round, it still signals warm weather for me. From the house of Mas de Daumas Gassac, it’s their Moulin de Gassac Guilhem ’13 Rosé - it’s French, it’s organic, it’s $10, it never disappoints, and it’s made by a wise man (seriously- if you haven’t seen Mondo Vino and you are a fan of naturally made wines, check it out. Aimé Guibert of Gassac is truly a philosopher when it comes to making wine). Perfect with seared salmon, Domaine LA (one of my favorite wine stores in LA) sells this pink beauty so if you live in La La Land, you’re in luck. It’s widely available too so you can pretty effortlessly procure yourself a bottle. Pop that top and dream of balmier weather along the Southern French coastline. Ahhh… That’s better.
Moulin de Gassac Guilhem ’13 Rosé, $10

A Few Things:

This asterisk print is so fun. This would be fun to recreate- filed away for that rainy day when I break out the easel.

10 Rarely Seen Images of Jackie O. What a rockin’ grandmother. That hat is killing me.

The greatest little side dish courtesy of Anna Watson Carl at The Yellow Table. Her cookbook is cooking along, this is my latest favorite recipe.
P.S.: The Yellow Table is one of the best food blogs around. If you don’t read it, you should and if you agree, nominate The Yellow Table for the 2014 Saveur Best Food Blog Awards here.

Fennel Orange Cocktail anyone? Sounds like Springtime to me.

A Few More Things:

This made me happy.

So did this.

This made me sad. Come on- you can’t leave out Jonathan Winters and Dennis Farina- really people. Shame Shame.

Particle Fever- The Search for the Higgs Boson. You know, just some light movie material, like particle physics and the structure of the universe- no biggie. Our pal Matt Bennett was involved with the development of this doc (he also married us- fun fact). A worthwhile subject to be sure, I can’t wait to see it. The trailer looks mind-blowingly cool.

A DIY even I can handle- a spray paint-splattered cowhide rug. This is great.

The “Ugly Marble” trend. This stuff is so delicious, I just want to eat it.

The PBS American Masters tribute to Marvin Hamlisch is fabulous and worth a watch. Seeing him light up all of those great 70s variety shows and specials makes me so nostalgic for those days (not that I much remember them, but I’ve always felt akin to the 70s). I have so many Broadway friends who were fortunate to work with him, he was so loved. What a talent.

The Great Baby Escape. Ha ha.

And A Few Really Random Side Notes:

My friend Matt Miranda brought to light an interesting ponder this week:
Read this.
And then think this: “Skynet IS the virus. It’s the reason everything’s falling apart!” – John Connor
Things are getting a little too Terminator-esque, if I do say so myself.

And lastly, Lorde- you make me want to sit in the dark corner of a smoky bar with a well-made drink and act all moody. Thank you Lorde for sending me straight back to my early 20s. We all need a healthy dose of moody youth in our lives now and again.

Happy Weekend! Cin Cin and Enjoy!

Haricots Verts photo: Signe Birck, Moulin Gassac photo: Domaine LA

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Happy Weekend dear readers. Two things: it’s Oscar weekend and February is OUTTA HERE! Hoo-to-the-Ray! Will you all watch the Oscars? I am religious about watching- it’s one of my favorite nights of the year. I used to throw an Oscar party every year, but I could never really hear anything and didn’t ended up really watching, so now we just watch it sans party. I make a little toast to realized dreams each year as I danced on the Oscars in 2000 realizing a dream I’d had since I was a wee lass. Good times. I love these vintage photos of chic ladies and the fabulous Warren Beatty from the 60s. What style. Natalie, Audrey, Grace, Liz… does it get better? Maybe. I can’t wait to see what Lupita wears.

What I’m Drinking: 

Bubbly. Of course. Please, even if I am watching the Oscars in my tiny condo in Virginia, you better believe I’ll be bubbling it up Hollywood style. My wallet can’t handle a bottle of Champers this weekend so it’ll be a Burgundy Cremant Rosé Brut please: Bailly-Lapierre. At $18, how can I go wrong? (Well, I can but I’ll let you know how it all shakes out.) Tasting Note to follow. Good times indeed.

A Few Things: 

If you haven’t already printed this out and made your bets, here’s your Oscar ballot.

The Ice Age Cometh?

This makes me happy. My beat-up old grey Converse are getting a stud-ly makeover just as soon as I have a free hour (which will be never).

A DIY Moroccan Wedding Blanket pendant? So chic.

Oprah auctions off nearly all of her material possessions.

How to get a glimmery smokey eye.

Zagat’s Hottest Coffee Shops in the U.S.

Cin Cin!

Oscar Photos: Alan Grant- Time/Life

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Happy Weekend dear readers! I like to think this lounge chair is waiting for me, it’s a nice thought anyway. What are you all up to this fine February weekend? The temperatures are finally warming up over here so we’re going to try to spend some quality time with outdoors. I’ll be soaking up every last bit of city livin’ that I can while we still live smack dab in the middle of Old Town Alexandria. I love walking to the Saturday Farmers Market, strolling King Street and its fabulous local shops and restaurants (Oh Hank’s, how I’ll miss you and your dollar oysters!)- I’m  so sad to leave this darling town. Granted, we are only moving 15 minutes away but I know how these things go- it’s never quite as easy as you think to get back. I have vowed to make the tiny trek to the Old Town Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning- weather permitting. It has become such a happy place of mine and I’d love the bebes to continue to enjoy the fresh flowers, colorful produce and live music every weekend. I think it’s one of the country’s best small markets. Sigh… I am clearly preparing to say Sayonara to my beloved town and hit the mean streets of the ‘burbs.

But let’s change the subject and get to the vino…
What I’m Drinking:

Let’s talk Tempranillo. A beautiful and versatile Spanish grape, this is the grape of the famed Rioja region. It’s also used all throughout Spain in single varietal bottles as well as blends. The traditional Rioja winemaking method uses American oak. If not well-balanced, I can’t get away from the intensity of the dill that comes through on the nose and I’m not the biggest fan. I’m trying a budget-friendly bottle(because that’s the way we roll around here as Miss V.’s reno slowly steamrolls out of control- Ahhhhh!), Val de los Frailes Tempranillo from Spain’s up and coming Castilla y Leon wine region (hence the lower price tag than a Rioja or Ribera del Duero). I’ll let you know what I think of this one. Tasting note to follow.

A Few Things:

1. This house! Those windows, those trees, all of it. (La Dolce Vita)

2. This girl- that skirt kills me. (The Sartorialist)

3. This leather and pipe DIY wine rack. (Design*Sponge)

4. This cute little scalloped mirror (is $28).

5. This bike with a bucket.

6. This Garden to Table Harvest Party! A garden between the sidewalk and the street- now that is genius. (The Yellow Table)

And Another Thing(s):

The James Beard semi-finalists are out. Any in your neck of the woods? I’ve already made a date with my friend Maddie to get to Rose’s Luxury here in DC.

Bucket list hotels.

Sucks to be this guy.

Beck- the Silver Lake Springsteen? I don’t know. What say you?

Charlie and Meryl, how we love thee, but boy do I love their moms even more!

I’m not quite sure what to think about this. Now with the Op-Eds? Franco, you’re pushing it.

It’s almost spring, time to break out the leopard flats. I found these at Target for $14. Stick an orthotics insert in there and you’re good to go. (I sound like I’m 80, but let’s be honest- a $14 shoe is not going to be big on arch support).

Top 10 Spring Break Destinations via The Glitter Guide.

Great clutches- not exactly budget-friendly, but fun to look at.

An oversized navy cable knit pullover with a couple of zippers for fun at $38? Ok.

And lastly… Yuna Kim was robbed, I’m just saying.

Cin Cin ya’ll and Enjoy the weekend!

Image

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Just a quick roundup of things that are making me happy nowadays.

I’m wearing this spotted shift to an arts gala next month. I can’t resist a good dalmatian print.

These plates make me smile. I just bought a set for Miss V. (aka: our new house).

Washington’s Beltway through the lens of Rashmi Pappu’s camera. Rashmi is a talented local photographer here in Old Town Alexandria. I love following her Instaworld.

If I can’t eat there (anytime soon anyway), I might as well read about it. Faviken is the first cook book penned by critically lauded 28 year-old Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson. His restaurant, also named Faviken, is situated on a 20,000 acre farm in the Scandinavian countryside. Talk about a destination meal- this is the stuff of dreams.

This little baby really puts a smile on my face. I have shopped high and low for an affordable espresso machine that is easy to use, makes delicious coffee and is above all, great looking. I’m a big illy fan, so this one takes the cake. Sold. C thinks it looks like a Panda Bear, I think it looks like it knows it’s awesome.

And the fabulous Miss Stritch- she never disappoints. If you didn’t catch this appearance on Kathie Lee & Hoda… you’re welcome. Not only does she drop the F bomb, but she’s got her feet in Kathie Lee’s lap and she’s wearing a floor length fur. What is happening! DI-to-the-VA. Love her. I can’t wait to see this new documentary. And if you haven’t seen Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, do yourself a favor and see it pronto, her stories are unbelievable.

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Can you stand this fabulous image of Jacqueline Bisset from Casino Royale circa 1967? That eyebrow says it all. Oh Jackie, I love your wily ways and your crazy award acceptance speeches. What a hot dame.

Happy Weekend dear readers! What are you all up to? My mom is in town- hooray- so we’ll be hanging with the bebes. They are cracking us up these days. My little lady has some seriously fancy footwork and the little dude can really jump- they love their after-dinner dance off- we do too, it’s quickly become my favorite time of the day.

What I’m Drinking This Weekend:

It’s the Olympics, reason enough to celebrate. Bust out the Champers. It’ll be Moutard this weekend, which I haven’t had it in a while, I’ll let you know what I think.

A Few Things:

Did anyone watch the Olympic Opening Ceremonies? This image pretty much sums it up.

Olympic Cocktails! Get your Sochi on- Sochi Sugared Champagne- ok, sure.

If you’re not that psyched about Sochi and don’t know what in the what is going on over there, here’s a pretty good breakdown.

Sharpie art for your walls.

Annie Leibovitz’s Celebrity Disney Portraits

More Celebrity Portraits- this time by Chuck Close.

Shaken not Stirred? Well, actually according to The Kitchn, Bond will go in for a glass of champagne over a martini any day. Interesting- a man after my own heart.

A DIY feather pendant? Love this. I’m not nearly crafty enough to pull this off but it’s pretty great.

10 incredible clips from the late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s career.

Cin Cin all and Enjoy!

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Philip Seymour Hoffman’s passing has left such a sad mark on our country. He was one of Maker|Changer’s of this world- I’m so grateful for his work and so sad to see him pass too soon. The quote from Willy Wonka (well, really from O’Shaughnessy) always comes to mind when I think about individuals that truly light the world with their artistry, “We are the music-makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams”. To lose such a brilliant artist to drugs is a scary and sad reminder that the drug problem is rampant.  I don’t want to dive too deep into addiction here but instead want to remember and celebrate Hoffman and his remarkable life’s work.

I always thought that Hoffman would be one of our National Treasures carrying the drama torch well into his octogenarian years, winning the Kennedy Center Honor, gracing the silver screen and New York stages and most importantly challenging and entertaining his audiences. But he is gone too soon. He used to live directly upstairs from my best friend Amy in the West Village, just across the street from Corner Bistro. I used to see him out on the stoop in the late 90s just after he hit big with Boogie Nights. He remained in that small apartment well into his early success and seemed like such a nose-to-the-grindstone, grounded New Yorker to me. He always had that half-smile twinkle revealing that so much more was going on in that head of his.  He was a force.

I wanted to share this interview from 2008 with Fresh Air’s Terry Gross. I found it very insightful and interesting to hear him talk about his addiction. He doesn’t so much divulge, but the way he talks about one glass of wine versus the entire bottle is illuminating. I wish there was a better system of treatment for personalities with addictive tendencies. It seems that it is such a mind over matter battle and the matter usually wins. Knowing people with addiction problems myself, his death really hit home. If you are a fan of the late actor’s work, you will enjoy this interview- I love the way he talks about his mother.

RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

Image: Gabriel Bouys

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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.

What I’m Drinking:

If you read yesterday’s post, you know it’s the Perfect Super Bowl Beer Cocktail. Yum.

A Few Things:

An old shipping container turned guest house. I. Love. This. If I only had the big backyard for it- so cool!

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!

This is pretty darn funny. Alan, Alan, Alan!

A drone beer delivery? Say it ain’t so, says the FAA. No drone delivery for beer drinkers. The skies are not for sale so to speak.

What it’s really like to play in the Super Bowl. From the mouth of “Jaws” Jaworski- what a great name!

Beware playas- a bra that can only be opened with “true love”- ha.

A DIY ginormous pearl choker a la Lagerfeld. Love. Thanks for sending this one mom.

Another DIY- this time a necklace hanger. Love this. Maybe I’ll actually be able to see my jewelry if I ever get around to making this.

I’ll be serving up this healthy take on the loaded baked potato at our Super Bowl fiesta. Mini Loaded Sweet Potatoes- yum.

Cin Cin and Happy Weekend!

Image: Mark Merton

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I love this hand drawn map, from Mapping Manhattan: A Love (and Sometimes Hate) Story in Maps by 75 New Yorkers. What a cool idea. I lived in the artsy, busy and bookish neighborhoods of NYC during my tenure there, never the “stylish” according to this New Yorker, but I may beg to differ.

Happy Weekend dear readers.  I hope you all are off to some exciting adventures. My mom is heading into town as my hubby heads to Istanbul. He’s working on a ballet there so he’ll be gone for over a week, thankfully CiCi (aka my mom) is hightailing it east. What would we do without our moms!

We are closing on our house next week (fingers crossed) and then we’re going to … Release the Kraken. We’re tearing down walls, repainting, staining and refinishing the floors and completely gutting and creating an entirely new kitchen (yay!). There are a million things I want to do this house. Every room is just so wrong right now and desperately cries out to be fixed but budget dictates that I must exercise some serious patience with her (my house, that is). I am the type of person that likes to tackle everything all at once, I can’t stand to leave things undone, but I don’t much have a choice here and will have to channel my inner Zen-ness.

In the meantime, I can’t wait to start scouring flea markets, vintage stores and craigslist to round out my decor. Stay tuned next week as I’ll be posting BEFORE pictures of Miss Virginie (after our dear newfound home state of course) along with some mood boards with a slew of ideas for design. I’m trying really hard to curb my enthusiasm for a California late-mid century house and respect the fact that Miss Virginie is of course a Virginia native with an unfortunate Colonial-ish vibe. Now, I pretty much hate anything Colonial, so you can bet that those ridiculous faux columns embracing the front door will be first to go. Inside, she’s a blank slate so I can really do anything but feel like I need to keep reminding myself that I’m in Virginia and not Laurel Canyon.

I would love your thoughts! We haven’t done a big reno project since our New York apartment and I’ve never done a kitchen, I’m pretty psyched.

What are you all up to this weekend? I’m going to hang with the kiddos and CiCi and watch Tina and Amy light it up on the Globes- my favorite awards show of the year, no one really takes it that seriously and everyone’s just drunk and happy, really the best kind of awards- and those two ladies kill me, they can get away with anything.

What I’m Drinking This Weekend:

I’m sticking with Southern France. My post this week about the Languedoc made me nostalgic for that part of the world, so I think I’ll try this inexpensive bottle from the Cotes du Rhone. Tasting note to follow. I once heard a Somm say that you really could never go too wrong with a bottle of Cotes du Rhone, but I would have to disagree with that as I have gone very wrong indeed. Let’s hope this one is promising, especially since it’s $12.

And maybe this ode to Maggie Smith: the Dowager Countess Cocktail for my Downton Abbey viewing.

A Few Things:

The Northern Lights- I have got to get to Iceland to see this fantastical sight. Anna Watson Carl’s posts about her recent trip to see the galactic display, are so inspiring. And this hotel blows my mind.

15 30-Minute Meals from the gals at A Beautiful Mess.

Crafty Winter Activities for the kiddos from Handmade Charlotte.

A True Artist- this is so sweet.

This looks amazing. Big Thornbirds fan- totally looking forward to this.

CBK, “the Original Gwyneth?”, I don’t know what do you think? I know that I love me some CBK, looking through these photos is kind of fabulous and makes me so nostalgic for the late 90s.

Cin Cin ya’ll! Have a great weekend.

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