Merry Christmas

I was just made aware that it is already Christmas Eve in some parts of the world. Hello, Antipodeans:) So all hemming & hawing about which photograph & links is over - now. A merry Christmas & a Happy Hanukkah to all. If you are feeling grumpy, remember that today is Festivus & air your grievances. (History of Festivus clip.) But as I exhort people on Twitter, air them stylishly with your Shakespeare Insult Kit.

Yesterday I met up with a friend & we walked around the city. A quick check-in at the holiday market was nice but it ain't Strasbourg. We had fun though: a drink, a quick errand to buy this beautiful liqueur, & a last-minute decision to walk to the White House to see the Christmas trees. A good evening.

Tomorrow I'll lunch with a friend who will be wildly busy as she is a makeup artist. But after we lunch, she'll hand me over to colleagues for a facial & a manicure. I'm so looking forward to it.

If you have little kids--or are one, occasionally--have a look at the Santa Tracker. It's fun. Also some last minute ideas are always on Martha Stewart's site. My friend Mary Kay swears by these cocktail & punch recipes.

(photograph via Pinterest but years ago I chose it as a Christmas card from Galison. Still looking for ultimate source. If anyone knows, please leave a comment.)

Street Shopping

I cannot take a man seriously if he does not own a real coat. This bothered me way before Mad Men was a twinkle in Matthew Weiner's eye. I'm tired of walking amongst 6' tall toddlers. If you are a Canadian lumberjack (I just looked at Googley-tube Analytics, eek), no offense. You shouldn't be reading this anyway. It's not (or shouldn't be) a class thing. My maternal grandfather was a steelworker & he always wore a coat & hat. If that makes me a cranky whining baby boomer, I do not care.

I've no idea if Paul Newman was left or right-handed but I notice that he's carrying a monogrammed leather portfolio (or notebook?). Here's an Etsy seller with excellent feedback who has a left-handed journal. I'm sure there are vegan alternatives but this isn't a shopping post. It's just a plea for some men (you know who you are) to smarten up. (I saw some wonderful coats at a secondhand thrift recently--no excuses.)

(Gordon Parks for LIFE)

Let's Bring Back...

Those of you who read The Huffington Post probably know Lesley Blume's column, Let's Bring Back. (It's a new book) Here is the latest slideshow of 30 Things That Need to Be Brought Back - Pronto! You can waste some time (you know you want to) by clicking on your favorites. Most of them are on my list. Lesley's related Icons of Style series includes Suzy Parker. Another is the Marchesa Casati, someone about whom Hazel at The Clever Pup & The Clever Pup's Paris Notebook knows a lot. Here's a 2009 post, The Muse That Blew a Fuse. (I can relate. Ahem.)

I'm trying to pull together posts/drafts on Venice & Strasbourg, but way behind. I'd like to do them justice. Possibly I have spent too much time today looking at cool men in hats, supper clubs, manual cameras, library indexes, pocketbooks, etc. A bit of a Sunday (or Monday - hi Aussies!) distraction. (Suzy via LIFE(dot)com via here)

Peek into la Pup's Paris Notebook

Hazel of The Clever Pup is writing about her recent Paris adventures (warts & all, what a relief) at The Clever Pup's Paris Notebook. I hope she's working on a badge because the little Pup who went to Paris is sporting a Breton shirt, beret, & ballerinas. Mignon. Please hop over & say bonjour. (Cartier-Bresson photograph via Christine Haynes, who, oh happy day, has a sewing blog. Which is sort of like saying Cartier-Bresson took snaps. The artist & cute little girl in Monmartre is by Eisenstaedt via LIFE Archives)

Week's End - Leetle Feet

Am attempting to redo Giulia Geranium's template. That scream you hear might be me. Anyway, on GG there's a post on New York City Ballet's website, the children's section. Wow. I just printed out pages from the coloring book. (No, I'm not coloring them in myself, I'm sending them to a niece. Well, OK, I did color one. Zen.) If any of you want to entertain your children or yourself for nearly-free (using the printer means not totally free) this weekend, especially someone who might begin to pester you soon about The Nutcracker, give these a try. Meanwhile, aren't these the cutest little feet?

Back later....Update, nope. That's it for today.

(little Italian tootsies by Alfred Eisenstaedt/LIFE Archives)

The Real Dream/The Current Nightmare

I thought I'd be able to stand watching this but it's beyond anything I can possibly explain. I'm about to crack another tooth. It's like being in the middle of Being There & Network. Toss in Dr. Strangelovian bizarreness. Where are the new Paddy Chayefskys? Glenn Beck is now having a predictable meltdown & boohooing as the invited speakers (those he invited) spray blessings over him. He is being compared to Jesus, among great personages. He (Beck) is being called The Great One. (Jackie Gleason?) Oh, yeah, & toss in Elmer Gantry.

Also, as this nonsense is being held in the honor of veterans...as the sister of a veteran of Afghanistan, regular visitor to Walter Reed Medical Center, & the friend of many Vietnam veterans...I object to this cynical use of our veterans & their vulnerable families.

I am not being a reactionary. I'm reacting to a real threat. Ignore people like this at your own peril., in every country. Freedom of speech is here in my apartment, too. Below is a quote from Totally Mad, Man.

"...History demonstrates what a mistake it can be to treat a crazy fringe as merely that—particularly one with unfettered access to its audience and little sense of responsibility to distinguish between truth and fiction.

How else do you explain the fact that presently, according to a Research 2000 survey, nearly 60 percent of Republicans questioned were unsure if Barack Obama..".read the rest, here. And then weep.

Dancing on Wine Bottles

Valued Exposure:17 year old Bianca Passarge of Hamburg dresses up as a cat, complete with furry tail and dances on wine bottles, June 1958. Her performance was based on a dream and she practiced for eight hours every day in order to perfect her dance. Photo: Carlo Polito/BIPs/Getty Images

Via BBC while doing some research. Utterly unrelated to people acting out their cat fantasies. On wine bottles? I'm too tired to make up anything sillier.

Sunday Shopping - Sleep in a Persian Garden

It is no secret that I suffer from sleeplessness.

I just removed 700 words of fairly amusing drivel but it needs to be edited. As the tree near my desk is being whipped to a froth, the silvery undersides of the leaves showing, & the prospect of another power outage looms, I shall simply go straight to the shopping bit. The edited drivel will magically show up (in Parts I & II) next week.

In early June I finally tired of washing out a navy silk made-by-enslaved-masses sleep mask & needing it before it dried. So I went looking for another one & did so much better by visiting Bonnie, mask-maker extraordinaire, of BibBon on etsy. Bonnie has over 100 hundred masks to choose from, including a plain black one (which is important, I think, not just for men but for minimalist moods). I chose the one above, Persian Garden.

The two adjustable straps idea is wonderful & the sewing is sturdy & tightly done. I will never ever ever buy a mass-made sleep mask again. Not only that--it was less expensive than buying that popular navy silk deal in Whole Foods, ULTA, or wherever you found yours. Yes, really. The version I chose was $12.00 (yes, you read that correctly) + shipping = $US 13.30.

Bonnie will ask your choice of inner linings & guide you to what you want/need. That's it. It arrived quickly, washes beautifully, & I feel more glamorous than I should. If I am able to begin working (for money) again soon (please), I'll climb BibBon's luxury ladder for one of the silks.

Oh & a major side benefit about these masks from my perspective: Julie the Cat cannot budge the thing off my face as she can the other. While she seems to feel this has diminished her quality of morning mischief, I could not be happier (about that, at any rate). Go visit Bonnie at BibBon.

Have a great Sunday/Monday & I'll be back soon (if the power is on). Cheers & here's to a good night's sleep.

PS: Un grand bisou, Phoenix Olivier. Bon anniversaire!

[photographs via BibBon with permission, all rights reserved; Shell Cure for Insomnia via LIFE Archives]

Week's End - Paul, Scene Stealer

Here's a link to Top 10 Paul Newman Movies on Scene-Stealers. How cool was Paul? Paul Newman & legendary newsman Daniel Schorr, who passed away this morning, were both proud to be on Nixon's enemies list. That's the spirit!

(Beautiful Joanne Woodward deserves a post to herself. 'Cause of the scene hog, above. He couldn't help it. He was born that way.)

Tuesday, 27 July update: I've been without power since Sunday, it returned about an hour ago (4am EDT). While I recover & assess the damage to finances & everything else, not to mention my one last delicate nerve, thanks to everyone who stopped by with comments & to queries in my email about 'are you OK?' Til later today, xo

[photograph via, where else? Paul Newman tumblr]

Week's End - Be Cheeky

Like this duo. Will be back before I take off. Huh? It's been that sort of day. Hence, silly photograph. Ciao from Julie the Cat's abode. (Take a look at her week's end, Très Charmant - Hanna Rides to the Sea.. I'm trying to convince people that the video I posted here is darling. It is.) Now, I must go; I have a date with Richard Burton.

[a coupla kitties via obscure objects tumblr]