Labour of love

This year, as last, I took the train from The City to Grand View-on-Hudson on Thursday to spend American Thanksgiving with The Entertainment Mogul and his extended family. This year, there were 24 for dinner. Four children under the age of 7, various and sundry aunts and uncles and cousins and grandmothers galore. Some were from Italy, some were from Germany, which meant crostada in addition three other pies, and braised red cabbage. There were two tables, and the daughter in charge had clearly been reading her NY Times Thanksgiving articles. Let's just say there was a plan.

The hostess had also been reading the Times, and, rather than spend the moments after the turkey came out of the oven making gravy, spent the day before with a second bird, making gravy from scratch. Amazing.



Twenty four people is a lot, even in a large house with multiple levels. At some point in the evening, two thirds of the party headed home, and the children went to sleep, which left a lovely group of nine adults to debrief, relax, and share family stories. And there was a spectacular view of the George Washington Bridge on the way home.

Fashion is art

In lieu of a winter exhibition this year, the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art introduced on Tuesday its first fashion audio tour of the museum, describing the importance of clothes as seen in a portrait by Jacques-Louis David or a fourth-century B. C. Greek statue or a German suit of armor.

That may sound like a dull substitute for a fashion show, but the tour — because it is narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker, who talks about art history with the same breathy relish and melodic rhythm she might deploy to deliver a pun-soaked voice-over as Carrie Bradshaw — becomes a sassy exploration of dress that both reveals and titillates. That’s more than you could typically say for Asmat body masks or a Peruvian nose ornament resting in a glass case.

NYT

Wednesday's Wordle: Gobble gobble

Happy Happy!

Shuesday: And I'd wear these with ... ?

Suggestions?

I think these would make me feel as though I had hairy legs ...

All Marilyn

all the time ...

Sometimes

you just have one of those days.

Wednesday's Wordle: It's still pumpkin season

It never gets old. I watched it over a serious pedicure at Bliss this year.

Shuesday: Over the top

You say you like evening sandals? You say you like camouflage print? Bejeweled ankle straps? then Manolo has something for you.

The vesper

It's back ...

The drink, that is. Like the dialogue, it just gets better and better.

(Previously: Shaken)

Happy birthday

Mr. Big ...

Wednesday's Wordle: Bleed a little while tonight

Wordle

Shuesday: String theory

The fascination with fringe continues - these are from Gucci.

Design-a-Muppet

OMG OMG OMG!

OK, I don't seem to be able to save a photo of the one I designed, but how fun is this?


Muppets at FAO Schwarz

Shopaholic: Part One

It's not that I'm that organized, but November's full of birthdays and the holidays are coming (not that the 60 degree temperatures outside are any indication), which means hostess gifts, stocking stuffers, and so on. I find it helps to spread things out, so here's the first in a series of pre-season shopping posts.

I confess that Daily Candy sent me to this website after these, for the LPI and his crazy roommate, but there are a number of fun items at the site, and the holidays are coming.

• I love the scent of roses, and the practicality of the one-use soap sheet these provide.
• I have a little container full of pins that would be far better off in one of these.
• I'm told that satin pillowcases really do make a difference, if preserving your blow-out and minimizing wrinkles is important to you.
• And I've always wanted one of these graphite drawing tools - I always visit their case at ABC Home.

The Spoon Sisters

I miss Jim Henson...

But that doesn't mean I'm going to walk around in Muppet fur ...



The Sartorialist

Wednesday's Wordle: Hello Chicago

Thank the gods this is the wordle this week.

transcript

Shuesday: Vote already!

And then pick up a pair of these to celebrate.

It's that time again

If you're celebrating, or drowning your sorrows, this week, the NY Times has election-themed drinks for you.

Is it possible to detect bias in a drink? Not at the World Bar, across the street from the United Nations building on First Avenue, where Jonathan Pogash has been serving blue and red cocktails since September.

Even the drinks’ names bear a staid impartiality: there’s the Obama Cocktail, a blue Curaçao-spiked variation on a Mai Tai, and the McCain Cocktail, in which gin and a Cognac-vanilla liqueur get red-state coloration from a dose of house-made grenadine. “Very neutral,” is how Mr. Pogash described his approach. He wouldn’t even divulge sales figures except to say that they seem to track the polls.

If Mr. Pogash is the David Broder of the mixological world, then Jackie Roberts may be its Keith Olbermann. Ms. Roberts owns the Pink Door, a Seattle restaurant where her Obama-Rama cocktail helps raise funds for the Obama campaign. There’s no McCain drink on her menu, but she rejects “the theory that politics and business don’t mix,” she said. “I feel good about standing for something.”

Every four years, I try not to get entirely wrapped up in it all, and this year is worse than ever. With the trying, I mean. I'm just saying.

Satan made me do it

Busty Satan, that is.

She posted something from J.A., which led me to this ... and this, which isn't entirely wrong/bad/evil ...

Ultimate first date is a cozy corner booth, sitting not across from each other but kitty-corner diagonal, with soft lighting (soft, soft, sofffft) lighting, music that is not too loud, and preferably just drinks -- wine is classiest -- not dinner, as it's too much pressure to eat in front of him the very first time. Kiss her without making her kiss you, then drop her off at her apartment and go home.

I'm just saying.