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Season's greetings to everyone — Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and all other bounteous celebrations in which you may partake this holiday season.
Here we are with friends at our bash yesterday. My brother kept digging out ancient bottles of delicious intoxicating elixirs. Twas fun.
Gallo Nero means black rooster, the name of a wine bar on 44th street off 9th avenue with a huge assortment of wines. And speaking of color, the red of the Pinot Noir we had — deep and bright both — reminded me of an art film where a main focus is on a certain red that keeps appearing.
Offering a refined rustic atmosphere, the food menu is amazing. I had thickly piled masses of vegetables and cheese on thick crusty bread that they called bruschetta but which is unlike any you've had before — and a beautiful salad. The service was superb.
Unassuming on the outside, enchanting on the inside, La Paella in the East Village features a tapas menu to make your mouth water.
The food is pretty much perfect. I love the decor, down to the menu design, which has a beautifully distressed thick cover on it. The place is small and intimate, perfect for a date.
Good things come in twos. More evidence of the sublime evolution of my cat household, which was once a scary zone if these two were near each other. Now, there's a place for everything and everything in its place.
My kitty has started using the stairs and loft I put up originally for my other kitty over a year ago — and loving it.
Naturally, I had to paint the stairs in a cool color to coordinate with my office. The stairs and loft are by my web client, Kitty Cat Loft. I loved them as soon as I saw them. On cat is very light so bounding up the stairs is easy for her. The other is 11 pounds, which isn't heavy but she is voluptuous and maybe the stairs are too close for comfort. Still, the one using it has been with me for a year and has only just started using this awesome piece of cat furniture. She hangs out on the loft and has appropriated it.
The stairs are extremely space efficient, taking up only 14" of floor space. They fit in any corner or the middle of a wall. The loft sits over any doorway. I think you could put it over a window too.
Lace with an edge — the allure of empty or cutout space is a feature often overlooked. But not by savvy artists and designers, whether they work with music, writing or fashion.
Two examples of cutouts used beautifully are above, in a skirt by Robert Rodriguez and boots by Luichiny. The cutouts have a sort of inside out lace effect. Fill these beautiful empty spaces with your imagination. To me, they conjur romance and possibility. Like a night sky at twilight as street lights start to go on, shadows emerge and a great event awaits.
Chestnuts have started showing up this time of year. They are so delicious, with their steaming insides. They are so stubborn too, with their thick shells that defy opening unless you are willing to endure some finger pain (worth it). I've had them from New York street vendors forever and also had them from a Paris street vendor — equally wonderful. They are one of those small things that make the changing of seasons fun.