Entre Nous.

Top of the Pops

Shows I'm eagerly awaiting in 2010:

1. She & Him, at the Savannah Music Festival in March. 'Indie boys' movie-star crush of choice Zooey Deschanel and rootsy guitarist M. Ward pose as a great lost Seventies AM-gold couple.....they sound like they wish they were cruising in their Le Car, hitting the beach at Martha's Vineyard with James and Carly to pound strawberry daiquiris and sing 'Mockingbird.' -Rolling Stone

2. The Avett Brothers, where and when is still up in the air. 'Hailing from North Carolina, The Avett Brothers' members embody the best elements of Southern roots music. Their vocals are earnest and earthy, they have a knack for musical storytelling and they obviously have an appreciation for family ties — singers Seth and Scott Avett are the guitarist and banjo player, respectively. The band also possesses an all-inclusive Southern musical sensibility: Its unique mix of folk, rock, country and bluegrass adds up to a uniquely catchy regional aesthetic.' NPR

3. The Magnetic Fields, either in Seattle or NYC. 'Singer-songwriter Stephen Merritt's ironically morose lyrics, Tin Pan Alley stylings, sugary melodies, and idiosyncratic sound have earned his band the Magnetic Fields cult status and the adulation of grad students everywhere.' Mike McGonigal

Santa Baby,

Part of an ongoing peek at my Christmas wish list. Another themed post.

No. 1 Yeah Dave's Guide to Livin' the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy Through Wine, Chocolate and Your iPod Playlist by David Romanelli. Romanelli, a Yahoo! blogger and co-founder of a "progressive" Phoenix, Ariz. yoga studio, shares his Zen approach to happiness in this guide to the care and feeding of a live-the-moment lifestyle: "Everyday, if you can enjoy one delicious moment...you will soon recognize a meaningful life is no further away than a box of chocolates... your walk to work, and a little... laughter."

 

No. 2 Restoring a House in the City by Ingrid Abramovitch. What do a fashion mogul, a Williams-Sonoma executive, a museum curator, and a design-savvy actress have in common? Good taste, of course, but more than that: a shared passion to "bring back," to carefully restore and artfully embellish, their houses. They are among the twenty-one real-life renovations featured in this essential resource—from stately town houses to brownstone fixer-uppers—to give the true experience of creating an urban oasis on any street.

   

No. 3 The Marchesa Casati: Portraits of a Muse by Scot D Ryersson. 'The story of the Marchesa Luisa Casati's life resembles a fable for our times. Ryersson and Yaccarino present a compelling collection of images to tell the story of Italy's richest heiress at turn of the last century, whose married aristocratic life and progeny were cast aside to indulge in a dramatically theatrical existence...She emerges a heroine, living the fantasy, all the way to the end.' Glass Magazine

   

No. 4 You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas by Augusten Burroughs. 'Burroughs is a natural storyteller... as brilliantly witty, waspish and self-deprecating as ever.' Daily Mail

 

No. 5 The City of Your Final Destination by Peter Cameron. Peter Cameron's sublime, beautiful novel concerns true love and a young academic's struggle to break free from a life he's molded but doesn't want to live.

 

Happy Holly Days

I don't have any trouble getting into the "holiday spirit". In fact, I typically have to restrain myself from getting too excited about the season too early, like say October. I find the first element necessary to really set the holiday mood, is the music. This year I waited until it was precisely November 1st before breaking out my stash of Christmas music. Every year I buy a few more Christmas CDs to add to the collection. After perusing the new offerings, (Bob Dylan? No, thank you), I decided to just stick with my trusted Starbucks Holiday compilation. I will admit to attempting to coerce a Starbucks employee into selling me a CD a day early, they were released on November 17th. But I was informed that even though the CDs were in their possession on the 16th, they weren't allowed to sell them before the 17th. Talk about ba-humbug. Oh well, it was worth the wait. The CD, Making Merry, has been playing on a loop since it came into my possession.

 

After the music the next step is to fill ones home with the scents of the season. My two go to holiday candles this year are Diptyque's Pomander and Agraria's Bitter Orange. Neither are "holiday" scents per se, but both evoke the season to me.

 

Then there's the local holiday activities. Tonight is the start of Holly Days on Broughton St.. Picture Savannah's own winter wonderland. It starts tonight with outdoor ice skating, wine tasting, and shopping under the stars. Tomorrow is all about the snow they're filling Reynolds Square with. Cookies and milk with Santa. A Christmas carol sing along. Not to mention the holiday movies (It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story) by day at the Lucas Theatre, then the holiday movies (How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Elf) by night outside on the wall of Il Pasticcio. Next is the lighting of the tree ceremony. Then the finale to the day is the holiday boat parade. The parade features twinkling yachts and sailboats, navigating up the Savannah River and along historic River Street. It's just all too much. I can't wait!

Catholic Corn

My friends here in Savannah whom I've spent the last couple of Thanksgivings with make the most decadent of side dishes, something they refer to as "Catholic Corn". I'm not sure where the name originated. I suspect that one feels the need to go to confession once you taste this dish. It's that sinful. But more than likely the name stems from some inside joke. It's the simplest of dishes to make and the most rich, but without out fail it's the first to go.  It's one of those midwestern/southern dishes that you probably couldn't get away with on the west coast.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds whole corn kernels, cooked
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

Directions

1. Combine the corn, butter or margarine and the cream cheese in a medium sized saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lost + Found

I wondered what had become of Rita Konig after the demise of Domino. She had a plum job writing the city shopping guides for the magazine and had her "Girl About Town" blog on the Domino website. I actually met her almost a year ago when she was doing an article about Savannah and she came into the store I worked as a buyer for. I stumbled across Rita's new 9 to 5, just this morning. She's writing for The New York Times Style Magazine blog The Moment. Good times are here again!

Santa Baby,

Part of an ongoing peek at my Christmas wish list. Clearly this list has a theme.

No. 1 A peacock feather preening pen from Anthropologie. "A proud peacock feather flaunts its beauty as you write love notes, shopping lists and novellas."

 

No. 2 Engraved peacock notecards from Cane & Co. "For personal correspondence that will really get their attention. This note features an intricate engraving of a stunning peacock plume."

No. 3 A peacock print sandpiper dress by Lilly Pulitzer. "A lush peacock print cascades across the front of this fine silk twill style."

 

No. 4  A peacock pattern sleeve by Kaarskoker. "True Peacock, well, vous êtes très bohème. Each kaarskoker sleeve is fully saturated with color. The matte finish gives the candle sleeve a nice hand, which adds to its refinement."

 

No. 5  A pair of peacock feather earrings from ModCloth. "Peacocks are beautiful and unique - why not invite the comparison? A classic wardrobe staple for the current fashion savvy."

 

Santa Baby,

This is going to be an ongoing post up until Christmas of items on my wish list.

No. 1 An 18" brass Greek key tray by Nate Berkus. "Classic design and modern panache come together in this tray. Blending Old-World appeal, contemporary chic and loads of versatility, this tray offers bountiful uses." Oh, the places you'd go. 

 
No. 2 A holiday pajama set from Tory Burch. Someone once told me their families tradition of everyone opening a pair of new pajamas on Christmas Eve. Isn't this a clever idea? I'm making his tradition my own, starting this year.

No. 3 A "Go Mini" - My Little Steamer by Joy Mangano. "Produces steam within 2 minutes, making it the essential device for traveling and those last-minute wardrobe changes." I'll take cornflower blue OR lavender. I'm not picky.

  

No. 4 Tickets to see the Magnetic Fields in NYC next year. Another excuse to venture to the city? Yes, please! Making this the third time I will have seen them perform in NYC. Yeah, I'm a fan.

No. 5 The Livia tux shirt by Ralph Lauren."Luxe pin tucking defines our cotton poplin Livia Tux shirt, inspired by formal menswear but given an alluring feminine look with a tailored slim fit and chic French cuff at the elbow sleeves." Darling, no? 
  

"Fashions fade, style is eternal." YSL

  
This month I'm crushing on my new fall bag, the Besso by Monserat De Lucca. A slouchy microfiber shoulder bag with a leather handle. The bag is available in teal, purple, green, ivory, mauve, silver and anthracite. Every color better than the next. The perfect go to bag for fall.

Gild the lily

Last weekend I had my first taste of something that's now turned into a bit of an obsession really, the Frito pie. Never heard of it? Me neither. For those of you, like me, who did not grow up in Texas, a Frito pie is a dish containing three ingredients: Fritos (the original only, of course), chili (Wolf Brand, traditionally), and cheese (melted Velveeta, or any orange cheese, apparently). But the thing about Frito pie isn't necessarily about the ingredients, but how you eat it. Purists only eat Frito pie out of a Frito bag.

Belles, Bourbon, and Bullets

So, I'm minding my own business, watching The Office, when I hear Michael Scott utter, "there's been a murder in Savannah." Because the office is alarmed that Dunder Mifflin is on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, the unconventional manager that Michael is, he decides to play a party game to get everyone to stop thinking about the possibility of losing their jobs. The game is called Belles, Bourbon, and Bullets ("What in tarnation?! Someone took a shot of Bourbon then a shot at Bourbon -- Bill Bourbon, the local magnate, that is. What's the motive? Did someone catch him stealing magnolias? Who done it? Play and see if you can get to the bottom of crime in the south!"). Everyone in the office takes on an identity and tries to figure out who the murderer is. "What you really want is more of a Savannah accent which is more like molasses just sorta spillin' outta ya mouth." I do declare, this episode was hilarious.

View from the top

  
     
This is the building I gaze upon while at work, one of the loveliest buildings in Savannah.

C'est la vie

There's been a lengthly delay between posts due to the lack of a functioning laptop. Over the summer my HP of 7 or so years began a slooooow descent into becoming a large paper weight. It finally completely stopped functioning about 3 weeks ago, so I promptly ordered another laptop. My order coincided with the release of Windows 7, which unfortunately just prolonged the delay of my laptops arrival. I tracked its travels from Shanghai to Anchorage, where it was held captive in customs for 3 days. It was finally released and arrived in Savannah only to be held captive again by FedEx, who refused to release it to anyone other than me. FedEx apparently doesn't understand the concept of my having to be at work, and refused to let my friend sign for it. Talk about aggravating. So my friend and I ended up having to traipse to the FedEx facility to pick the thing up. This turned into quite the ordeal, due to out of date information on MapQuest. I picked up the laptop last Monday and have had it in my possession for 10 days, but only just now unpacked it. Between the Savannah Film Festival last week (picture this: 19 films in 8 days) then getting ill on the heels of the festival, I just haven't had a free moment to get it set up. So, in conclusion, sorry about the delay, but I assure you, I am back. Oh, and I should add, Windows 7, I like your style.

"Movin on up..."

For the past 2 1/2 years I held the position of assistant buyer at a home decor/lifestyle boutique in the downtown design district of Savannah. I had an impulsive moment (so out of character for me) over the summer, I went into work one morning and promptly gave my 2 weeks notice. Then hightailed it to Washington for several weeks of R+R and regrouping. Yes, clever girl that I am, I left a plum position in these tough economic times without another job lined up. Several nail biting weeks were spent looking for a suitable replacement, and I found it, at a high end French linen shop. After working with such lines as SFERRA, Matouk, Pine Cone Hill, Scandia, Roberta Roller Rabbit, I know my linens. So, like The Jeffersons, I'm "movin on up".

Haute Chocolate

Last week I tried my first bar of Vosges chocolate. Being that I'm a fan of the savory and sweet (Fran's Smoked Salt Caramels being one of my favorite indulgences) I picked up a petite bar of Vosges Mo's Bacon Bar from Wright Square Cafe. Despite the petite size, .5oz, it came with the hefty $2.50 price tag. Care for a bit of back story? The creator of Vosges, "Katrina Markoff, utilizes the original methods of French confectionery artistry which she learned during her training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Having graduated from Le Cordon Bleu and having worked extensively in France, Spain, Italy, Southeast Asia and Australia her collections of haut-chocolats have great, worldly inspirations. The infusions of rare spices and flowers combined with premium chocolate give a delicate balance of flavor, leaving you with a layered and lingering sensation of spice and chocolate, a true haut-chocolat experience." On the back of the bar Katrina advises you to do the following:

Breathe...Close your eyes and take 3 deep ujjayi breaths.

See...There should be a glossy shine to the chocolate bar, indicating a good temper.

Smell...Inhale the chocolate, fruit, herb or spice notes deeply through your nose.

Snap...Hear a crisp, ringing pop.

Taste...Take a small bite, within thirty seconds, the chocolate will slowly being to melt around your tongue. Take a deep breath and notice the lingerings of flavor and sensation.

I'm such a sucker for this kind of copy writing. Even though I admit to doing all of the above, even if I had not, I still would be raving about the deliciousness of this bar. Applewood smoked bacon + alderwood smoked salt + deep milk chocolate = perfection. This is just one of many intriguing exotic (Ginger + wasabi + black sesame seeds, oh, my!) bars created by Katrina. And how about the whole candy bar library? Yes, please.

Wright time, wright place

Was invited to dine at Sol with S, her husband, and her friend R who is assisting with the casting for the Robert Redford movie, The Conspirator, which is set to be filmed in Savannah at the end of October. The period drama is based on the true events following the assassination of President Lincoln and revolves around the story of Mary Surratt, the only woman among a group charged with conspiring to kill the president. R brought along the art director for the film to dinner. Both men were a delight. They imparted all sorts of interesting tidbits about the film, which I wont divulge here. They confirmed rumors about which house was selected to be Mary's. It's located just a mere block away from my apartment. Robin Wright Penn has been cast in the roll of Mary. While the other lead, Frederick Aiken, Surratt's lawyer, will be portrayed by James McAvoy. The art director told me that that I reminded him of Surrat's daughter Anna. He asked if I'd submitted photographs yet to casting. I told him I hadn't. But after the evening was over I started mulling over the idea. The evening was one of those random Savannah occurrences where you never know who you'll be introduced to and what will come of it.