It’s officially here folks and I have to say, today it actually feels like Spring in my neck of the woods. It’s 55 and sunny- who can believe it! Here are a few of my favorite things for Spring.
1. A Batch of Lemon Thyme Bars- because who doesn’t want a little citrus and fresh herbs with their sweets- done.
3. Some Sabre Tortoise Salad Servers- I can’t get enough of the Sabre spoons from Paris. I love these salad servers and Spring is all about fresh veggies- the better to toss them with, my dears. I’ve got to get my hands on these teaspoons too, sold exclusively in the US at Happy Bones Coffee in NYC’s Nolita. (They’re currently out of stock but are expecting more in late April). Aren’t they great.
4. A Great Rosé: a list just isn’t a list without a good rosé on it- any time of year. But Spring beckons for a mineral and crisp glass of salmon-y pink juice. I’m loving this one imported by the can-do-no-wrong pioneer, Kermit Lynch. When in doubt, reach for one of Kermit’s bottles, he doesn’t disappoint. This one’s $15 and lip-smackingly good.
5. A Darling Baby Zebra Print: Springtime reminds me of freshly hatched chicks and fuzzy baby animals. How sweet is this little zebra. Sharon Montrose’s lovely animal prints start at $25.
8. An Octagon Embellished Terra Cotta Planter: ’tis the season for planting and gardening and stuff of the green-thumbed sort and also, I love an octagon. And also, I have a backyard! Say What?!
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.
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.
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.
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).
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)
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).
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.
Happy Valentines Day dear readers. Are you all celebrating this lovey dovey holiday? I have to admit, I have always loved this syrupy-sweet day. But let’s get down to brass tacks on this one already, its origins are not as sweet-hearted as you may think. While I admit, I don’t love this lover’s day for the doilies and bon bons as much as I do for the excuse to celebrate, I had no idea the possible origins of St. Valentine’s Day were so dark.
It all started in Rome as much in our Western history has- those Romans really had a way with making some serious history. Apparently, young women would line up at the chance to have Rome’s men hit on them and by that, I do mean quite literally hit them. What seems nuts to us, was ceremonial for them- part of the annual feast of Lupercalia. The women of the time thought that these whippings and lashes would make them fertile. A (potential) mother’s love knows no boundaries. Not exactly the Hallmark holiday we’ve come to know and love, filled with cut-out hearts and tangy candy, is it?
In any case, we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Well, I do anyway. My hubby does by default. If it weren’t for me pointing out this day on a yearly basis sometime around say January 15th, it would come and go without him batting an eye. I don’t blame him, it is sort of silly. Why celebrate love on this one specific day? Why not show it in small ways throughout the year? But then again… why not? For me, any excuse to take time and celebrate is aces in my book. I’ve officially put C on Valentine duty. He has obliged and apparently planned something fun and wacky (which is one of my specifications) for us this evening.
Valentine Cocktails and a Few More Thoughts on Love and Some Other Random Things:
What I’m Drinking:
This lovely little Valentine rosé champagne cocktail cut to be a bit less sweet (nothing worse than a super sweet cocktail- blech!) to start St. Valentines evening off the right way- a classic cocktail and it’s pink. And… maybe this Prickly Pear Fizz too.
A Few Things:
1. 10 Best Love Stories. Says who? Says Jennifer Rose Smith at Camille Styles. Ok, I was a bit dubious when I clicked on this article but it had me at Paul and Joanne- pretty much my personal all-time favorite couple in the history of coupledom- so much so that one of the dinner tables at our wedding was named after them (we had a favorite couple theme for our long family style tables). Paul and Joanne- it just doesn’t get any better than you two.
5. Is this custom heart stamp cute or what? What a great engagement or Valentines Day gift, if you go in for that sort of thing.
6. Rome. The obvious choice for a destination Valentine getaway. I mean come on, as far as we know this whole holiday originated there, a couple of people by the name of Valentine were executed there and above all else, the eternal city is absolutely dripping with amor and gigantesco Italian passion. Paris- nah, it’s Rome all the way. At the very least, we should go and pay homage to all of those poor souls who endured those ridiculous whippings in the name of love- read the full story here.
And A Few More Things:
When in Rome… check out American food and travel writer/sommelier/art historian/travel guide Katie Parla’s Rome Restaurant Guide and App. She’s an expat whose been there for years and knows the eternal city like the back of her hand. An insider’s guide to eating well in Rome, to be sure. Do as the Romans do, right?
And while we’re still talking about Roma, this recipe for the classic Roman pasta dish, Bucatini all’Amatriciana looks divine. This dish was my dad’s favorite so I’ve always had an affinity for it (mine senza guanciale)- a great dish for a cold winter’s eve and a good bet if you’re staying in tonight and want to make something molto bene.
A fun look at a day in the life of designer Clare Vivier.
Want to make some cute heart-shaped cookies for your cupid but no cookie cutter in sight? Fear not, here’s a great little DIY heart-shaped cookie cutter.
The dinner party plates of my dreams- vintage Fornasetti Malachite- Come. On. If only I could find a full set. Pricey but totally worth saving up for.
Ha ha. I would love to be sitting next to this guy.
And totally randomly, don’t you wish you were here right about now?
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.
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.
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!
Portrait of Francoise With A Bow In Her Hair, Picasso 1946.
I love the drawings of Francoise, Picasso’s second to last wife, and this one with the little bow is my favorite. His interpretation of her is so lovely. It’s interesting to compare his artistic representation of Francoise to the other women in his life, especially Dora Maar- whoa.
Well hello dear readers. Please excuse the radio silence as of late. We closed on our house, my hubby’s still in Istanbul, I’m trying as hard as I can to wrangle 2 spots for the kiddos in a great preschool (which translates to tons of time spent at open houses) and my mom and I were busy playing with the bebes and enjoying long lunches out- it was a momentous week. I promised some photos and inspiration boards for Miss Virginie (our new abode) but clearly did not muster up the time to do so. Next week… there’s always next week.
I hope you all are off to some swell adventures this weekend. We have no big plans and I don’t even know what I’m drinking, though I may try this. I’m in the mood for something big, bold, a bit funky and cheap- our reno budget is loomly large over my brain.
Eat like it’s summer using winter seasonal veggies- a great salad to cure the winter blues.
Girl Scout wine pairings anyone? ‘Tis the season for the Thin Mint and… Syrah? A little scary maybe, but fun for an over-indulgent girls night in. My sister-in-law Lauren sent me this- fun.
Now this is the kind of hostel I’m talking about. I did my time in the blech hostels of Europe during my student roaming days and vowed I would never do so again, but the new wave in luxe hostels might change my mind. If anyone’s headed to Venice and low on cash (an oxymoron of sorts, right) check this joint out.
While we’re talking about furniture, my heart skips a beat when I find something like this on craigslist. I would need to have it reupholstered and maybe even repainted a high gloss black or white, but it’s pretty fabulous.
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
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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