'Tis the Season for Stuffing Mailboxes

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is checking the mailbox to see if we've received greeting cards! It's better than opening a present! The hard part is deciding which card to choose. I find myself agonizing over the card selection because there are simply too many beautiful options. With so many to pick from, deciding can be more overwhelming than picking a family moment worthy of mailing. These are some of my favorite cards. I hope these ideas will inspire you to send your love and holiday cheer this season. 

The Newsletter...Updated
A holiday "year in review" is a more updated way to share the highlights of the year with your friends than the standard newsletter. Newsletters have never been my favorite...they're usually too long and too cheesy! These "report" cards keep it short, sweet and clean.  Snapfish AYear in Review, Minted Annual Report and
Minted Year in Review are classy and colorful.

A Bit of Whimsy

There are several holiday cards have an extra oomph and pizazz that can make your card stand out from the rest. Some of them you can even add to your tree. Peartree Greetings Cheer  , Peartree Greetings mittens, Peartree Gigham photos on a string and  Rifle snow and sled ornament have a special whimsy that delights and dazzles.

Thick Paper
I am such a fan of ultra thick paper. The paper from Pinhole Press has a red candy center that makes it as good as a sweet candycane. Pinhole Press 2013 is a classic and classy way to say "Happy New Year!" Minted Joyeux Noel made with thick paper is a treasure. You can even choose to design it with rounded or scalloped edges.

Extras and how to make them last
My other favorite part is dressing up the envelope with bonus pictures on the label and stamp. Create your own stamp on Zazzle and add a label that shares a preview of what's inside. It's like the whipping cream on top! Here are a few ideas on what to do with your holiday cards to make them last and enjoy them longer...make a photo book and turn your cards into contact images on your phone.

The Moma store has the ever whimsical Robert Sabuda pop up cards. For the past several years, I have favored the accordion-style Christmas card. Below are some of my past creations.

Christmas cards are the best present of the season. 'Tis the season for stuffing mailboxes!

Places to browse: Pinhole Press, Tinyprints, Snapfish, Peartree greetings, Minted, Rifle Paper, Moma Store, and Shutterfly.

Let It Out...Dance All Day!

Dancers are a different breed. They dance ALL the time in regular everyday settings. A dancer doesn't just bend over to pick something up, they ponche, plié, cambre...I think most everyone has an urge to break out and dance. We are ALL dancers!

There is great joy found in movement and if we celebrate that happiness and dance when the mood strikes us, we'd be happier! Dance is magical; it makes us feel alive! How many of us look forward to getting into our car so we can blast the speakers and let go of the day with a song that makes us happy and feel like dancing? That feeling escalates when we can fully move to it. If that mood strikes and the feeling to dance takes over in the middle of the work day instead of at a concert, club, when you're cleaning your home...dance anyway and you'll bring smiles to those around you.

Jordan Matter is a photography genius for capturing this feeling in an exquisite book, Dancers Among Us. Matter photographes professional dancers in unconventional places like offices, crossing a busy street, climbing a tree...Dancers can tell stories with their body's and an everyday person can relate to the feeling they create. This book is a reminder that there is beauty and joy in all of us and we should jeté whenever and wherever the mood strikes. 

This is just a taste of photographer, Jordan Matter's Dancers Among Us. It's one of those books you can keep flipping through and continue to find inspiration and imagination over and over again.

Similar to Jordan Matter's photography is a dance music video that follows three dancers (Anne Marsen, Daisuke Omiya, and John Doyle) across New York City. It's fascinating to see how people interact to dance in a public space. Jacob Krupnick's "Girl Walk//All Day," spreads the joy of movement and inspires you to find that joy in your own everyday scenario.

The soundtrack to Girl Walk//All Day is a dancer's best friend. D.J. Girl Talk is a master mashup musician. Play a Girl Talk remix and you will have the urge to boogie around the town too! I can't get enough of Let It Out! You can't help but move and shake in a joyful way. Think: Rihanna, ELO, Devo, General Public, Jay Z...See Girl Walk//All Day for yourself here. Watch it on your lunch break and you'll have an extra zip to your step.

Be inspired by artists Jordan Matter, Jacob Krupnick and Girl Talk then DANCE like no one's watching!



Family photo of me and my children dancing at the beach.



Holiday Fête …Disco Style!

I have holiday “disco” fever. I’m ready to don my sequins and eat, drink and boogie during holiday season. Bring on the glitter...it’s time to celebrate and have some fun!

Shine: 
The holiday season is filled with fête after fête which require us to fill our closet with glittery frocks. My motto is that you can never be too overdressed or too sparkly during the holidays. It’s so much fun to get all dressed up and pile on the sequins, fur and jewelry. A little black dress is quickly pushed aside for eye-catching clothing that shines, moves and sparkles! Bring on the shine with these Sparkle Uggs, Kate Spade glitter phone case and Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe nail polish.

Wear:

My favorite collection of the moment is Haute Hippie. The designs are chic with bohemian glamour and disco pizzazz. The fringe tank would be so much fun to dance in and the sequined dress is a show stopper. Kate Spade always does holiday style with lady like sparkle. Wearing these Kate Spade Charm shoes would be like a disco ball for your feet. These 7 skinny electric blue jeans  will turn heads and inspire all night disco dancing. 

Sip:

A Prosecco Gold Rush is the disco fête drink for the holiday season. 

12 ozs sparkling wine (chilled, prosecco)

2 ozs gold flaked vodka (chilled)

1 12 ozs schnapps (cinnamon, goldschlager)

Pour Prosecco into a clear glass without ice. Add vodka and cinnamon schnapps, and stir to mix gold flakes evenly through the drink. holidays with a bubbly-based

Decorate: I love the cheerful glamour that disco adds to the home. Walking up these stairs and cooking in this kitchen would make me smile...and dance! 

Listen:
My favorite dance soundtrack has to be The Last Days of Disco. If you like to dance, you'll love it too. Other songs for a disco fête would have to include:

Bee Gees, Stayin' Alive
Deee-Lite, Groove is in the Heart
Chic, Le Freak
Jamiroquai, Virtual Insanity
Michael Jackson, You Rock My World  

Pinkalicious the Musical is Pinkeriffic!

Pretty in pink, tickled pink, pinktastic, pinkeriffic are just a few words that come to mind when describing Pinkalicious. Pink is the color of happiness and Pinkalicious is just that...a colorful explosion of pink sparkly fun.

How many times as parents have we heard, "Just one more?" It's a phrase Pinkalicious Pinkerton says when she wants another pink cupcake. Pinkalicious turns pink from eating too many cupcakes and is diagnosed by Dr. Wink as having "Pinkititis." The only way to cure it is with a healthy dose of green foods.

The Dallas Children's Theatre had an audience full of giggly girly girls in their pink tutus and tiaras but also little brothers who tagged along. My daughter's little brother was one of the boys in the audience who was tickled pink to be there. Boys like the color pink too!

Most of the boys in my second grade classroom like pink. I was listening to a conversation between some boys after one of them chose a pink Expo marker to work a math problem on the whiteboard. Another boy said to him, "Dude, pink is NOT a manly color!" In his defense, several other boys commented on how they like pink and for the whole math lesson, boys kept picking the pink Expo marker. I decided it would be a perfect time to read the Pinkalicious book to my class. Then there was more discussion...about how pink is awesome dude!

The DCT Pinkalicious musical followed Victoria and Elizabeth Kann's book beautifully. Walking into the theatre you see a plethora of pink. The lobby is decked out in pink hearts, dots, fabric, twinkle lights, tulle and they have Sprinkles red velvet pink cupcakes in the concession stand...It's a mecca for lovers of pink, a pinkapalooza!

Pinkalcious Pinkerton has the average American family (mom, dad, brother, sister) who do everything together...baking, going to the park and the doctor office. One of my favorite scenes was when Pinkalicious turns pink and the family hops on their four person bike to ride to the doctor's office. 

The music has lively numbers reminiscent of old classics. "Buzz Off" is a number when butterflies, bees and birds mistake Pinkalicious for a flower made me think of Guys and Dolls, "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat." The scene when Dr. Wink diagnoses Pinkalicious as having "pinkititis" brings a Bob Fosse style that reminded me of the musical Chicago. All the songs are enjoyable for the adults as well as the children. My little boy loved the "Cupcake Dream" where the cupcakes sing during the night.

Pinkalicious and her brother Peter are pinktastic! The family literally finds their true colors along with lots of laughter love. The show is high energy and a lot of fun. Go see it, you'll be tickled pink!

Pinkalicious is playing now through October 28th. Get your tickets here.

A Taste of Vienna

Austria is beyond rich in history. This little landlocked country has gone from being the grand Habsburg Empire to being nonaligned. Vienna was left with little to rule as the Great Depression swept the Nazis to power. Austria’s neutrality in 1955 led to better days but the past is still hauntingly present.

Our book club recently selected Daniel Silva’s, A Death in Vienna and to match the Austrian theme we ate at Jorg’s Café Vienna. My friend Margot is Austrian and it was through her that our little book club became a history lesson that we could taste.

On a cold October day a hearty Austrian meal hit the spot. Think...Traditional goulash, Gurkensalat (cucumber salad), Wienerschnitzel with red cabbage and spatzle on the side. It made for very happy stomaches. This was all found not Austria but Plano, Texas at Jorg's Cafe Vienna.

Nestled in between quaint antique shops in charming “old” Plano you can find Jorg’s Café Vienna where our book club enjoyed a taste of Austria. The atmosphere is warm and cozy with an accordion player encouraging an involuntary body sway to the oompah sounds as the friendly waiter brings another round of Austrian beer.

After eating hearty warm Austrian cuisine the belly is full but the waiter kindly asks, "How about some homemade bread pudding with Austrian rum"…you simply must say, “ja bitte!” Then when the waiter comes back with shots of jagermeister, you smile and say "prost!" Once again the belly is happy.

Jorg’s Café Vienna reminded me of an Italian Osteria where the dishes are rustic, not fancy and you feel a communal experience with the biergarten style seating and home style food and service. The Austrian "guesthouse" type restaurant is very family friendly and full of babies that all look like they've been raised on sausages. Reading "Jorg’s menu tells you that many of the recipes are old family dishes from his Mutti and Oma. When you taste Jorg’s food, you taste old world Austria and the love that went into the preparation (today and decades ago).

As soon as Margot sat down at Jorg’s restaurant, Jorg saw her and with such exciting intensity beckoned her to come meet his wife. The three of them became instant family. They share something that only expats can understand...a connection with their first home.

Many expats who live abroad can be found in restaurants like Jorg’s because there’s something about being there that reminds them of their home. The food, music and nostalgic atmosphere can link them together.

I have often thought that my Austrian friend seems to have two hearts...divided by countries. Expats have unbreakable bonds with friends and family in both places but they are torn between their old and new homes. So much of who we are is based on where we are.

Talking about Daniel Silva's A Death in Vienna (the third book in a series) stirred up many feelings. There are characters in the book that would rather ignore that the Holocaust ever happened. It’s a thought provoking story that conjures up many emotions about the sensitive subject, the Holocaust and those who helped the Nazis escape punishment.

Gabriel Allon has the cover of an Italian art restorer, but is an Israeli assassin. He is not anxious to go back to the city of Vienna where his wife and son were victims of a car bomb. Gabriel learns that a man named Max Klein may have had something to do with the bombing. Klein was a Jewish violinist in the Auschwitz camp orchestra and remembers a Nazi named Erich Radek who killed camp prisoners. Gabriel is on a quest to find him as he remembers his mother.

History shapes and molds us all. Enjoyment of literature like the book A Death in Vienna is certainly a good way to raise awareness and heighten sensitivities about how the history of an “old country” like Austria has contributed to the personas of its citizens. Notwithstanding the benefits of literature however, actually hearing, seeing and tasting culture as we did at Jorg’s Café Vienna was truly a delightful educational awakening.

I'm Eloise, I'm Six

"Hi, I am Eloise.  I am six.  I am a city child.  I live at the Plaza," said my daughter Zooey twirling around the room. Zooey recently told her grandmother that she's changing her name to Eloise. When I asked her why, she said it's because she rawther likes the sort of fun that Eloise has...throwing parties at the Plaza, ordering room service, having tea in the Palm Court in the Plaza Hotel and learning French.

I think I'd like to change my name to Eloise too! If life could be as simple is pretending you're sick so you can play, ordering room service so you don't have to cook dinner and saying ,"charge it please!" Let me try!

Hi, I'm Eloise and I'm thirty-six. I am a mom and a teacher. I like to play dress-up and wear fancy shoes and drink tea everyday...not bad, I would try on Eloise's Mary Janes any day!

Oh, to be a kid again...not just any squirmy, wiggly six year old, but a kid who has a love for the finer things in life (circa 1950s), the color pink and rooms on tippy-top floors. Oui, I am that thirty-six year old kid at heart and my daughter could easily be six-year-old Eloise.

Eloise was created when the author (also actress, singer and dancer), Kay Thompson, showed up for dance rehearsal ten minutes late. MGM's dance instructor, Rober Alton asked Thompson, “Who do you think you are?” Thompson responded in a little girl voice, “I am Eloise. I am six.”

Kay Thompson created one of the most cherished children’s books of all time that follows the adventures of spunky Eloise who does whatever she wants and gets away with it. You may have read Eloise books as a child or have seen the movies inspired by the books. It's easy to love Eloise. Her "enfant terrible" character as an overprivileged six-year-old, the terror of the Hotel Plaza in New York is hilarious.

I rawther love that Eloise is never bored! Think about all the good things that come with being the age of six...the world is still a playground. While Eloise's mother knows Coco Chanel, my little Eloise (my daughter) has a grandmother named Coco...not too far off. My grandmother, who we call Gigi, reminds me of Eloise too. She's sassy and always up for a party. Even at eighty-years-old, she has that enfant terrible personality. That's the essence of Eloise, there's never a dull moment.
 

My grandmother Gigi who is so much like Eloise

Eloise has a great big imagination and confidence to match. I love her free-spirit and the way she makes my daughter laugh. Eloise is one of those classic books that is still enjoyed by ALL ages.
I can hear Eloise reciting the poem that my dad had my brother and sister and I say when we turned six:

When I was one,
I had just begun.
When I was two,
I was nearly new.
When I was three,
I was hardly me.
When I was four,
I was not much more.
When I was five,
I was just alive.
But now I am six,
I'm as clever as clever.
So I think I'll be six
now and forever

Be like Eloise, keep your days busy and never be bored! Now go and read the book, watch the movies and charge it please, thank you very much!


My little Eloise



Five Fun Fab ways to free yourself for fall part deux

Wear: Imagine a pile of rose petals falling like leaves...that's what Tom Ford's Cafe Rose smells like, mixed with spices, Turkish rose oil and coffee. When the leaves are whirling, scents are more intense and so are the colors. Chanel's Vertigo nail color is fall in a bottle and Bobbi Brown's sparkle eye shadow makes autumn eyes shine like glitter. 

Inspire: When I was in the first grade, I played the Little Red Hen in the class play. I always loved the hen's spirit! "Who will help me cut the wheat?" Be like the Little Red Hen and bake your own bread. These French inspired hens will help give you the right attitude. You know these Three French Hens (in a print by Will Bullas) don't mess around with any lazy dogs, sleepy cats or noisy yellow ducks and of course they all wear berets. The red beret on the JCrew sweater is my favorite. 

Dress Up: Halloween is a holiday you either love or hate. I love it! I especially love dressing up my children. We talk about costumes year round. For three years in a row, my children complimented each other...Elmo and Abby Cadabby, Raggedy Ann and Andy and Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. This year, because my daughter is missing SEVEN teeth, she's going to be the tooth fairy! Halloween is so much fun! My favorite place to find Halloween costumes is Chasing Fireflies.

Watch: For all those hopeless romantics, Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights is coming to theatres this fall! I bet I've seen the 1939 Wuthering Heights starring Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier a hundered times. I think it is the most romantic story and I can't wait to fall in love with characters Cathy and Heathcliff all over again in the new Wuthering Heights this fall.  Another intense love story coming this fall is Anna Karenina. Fall is the season for romance.

Eat, Drink and be Merry: It's pumpkin time! Who knows how to bring in fall better than Bobby Flay? His throwdown pumpkin pie with cinnamon crunch and bourbon maple whipped cream will make you passionate for pumpkins! Pumpkin muffins are one of my favorite thing to make in the fall. The Pioneer Woman's recipe is by far the most moist and delicious ever! Nobody does cocktails better than Sandra Lee. Now is the time to stock up on pumpkin puree for not only pie and muffins...but pumpkin pie martinis too!  

If you missed "Five Fun Fab Ways to Free Yourself for Fall" part one look here.

Oh how we love pumpkin season.  You did know this gourd-ish squash has its own season, right?  Winter, Spring, Summer, Pumpkin.... We anxiously anticipate it every year. ~Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer

I'm going to France today...sort of!

À quelque chose malheur est bon. Every cloud has a silver lining...if you can't go to France, bring France to your home.

Wear: Something French and fabulous! If I had on one of these French inspired outfits, my day would surely be wonderful! Kate Spade has a French flair with a great sense of humor...especially this season. I love the Pardon My French and Joie de Vivre shirts. Anything striped seems French to me...bien sur! Stripes never go out of style. I love the color contrast on the Madewell shirt and the simplicity of the striped dress.

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. ~Coco Chanel

Use: Paper that makes you smile. Wouldn't you love to receive one of these merci or global greeting cards in your mailbox. The cities calendar will be a treat to use for the coming new year.

Tout arrive en France. (Everything happens in France) ~François de La Rochefoucauld

Read: When I need an escape, I tell my friends and family, "I'm going to France!" I do go to France...through books! These books make me happy: At My French Table, French Essence and Lunch in Paris.

Toute chose appartient à qui sait en jouir. (Everything belongs to those who can appreciate it) ~André Gide

Listen: To French Cafe Radio on Pandora and hear music from Pink Martini, Nina Simone, Madeleine Peyroux...jazzy artists that will have you imagining you're in France as you clean your house.

Art is the most beautiful deception of all. And although people try to incorporate the everyday events of life in it, we must hope that it will remain a deception lest it become a utilitarian thing, sad as a factory. ~Claude Debussy
Buy: It's the little things in life that make us smile! I love a rainy day when I can carry my red Merde il Pleut umbrella. The merde pillow is a happy little accent to any chair. Who wouldn't love to open this box of colorful macaroons?

Shit always sounds better in French!

Pardon my French :)

Five Fun Fab Ways to Free Yourself For Fall

fWhen you're busy, it's essential to find the time to do what makes you happy.

Call a good friend, find your downward chien, make a plan to do something that excites you.

Work, dinner, children, laundry, cleaning, bills, relationships, exercise...all need tending to.  Take it as it comes and when you have a window, here are some suggestions on how you can find comfort and fun in a snap.

Sip: hot tea. Tea is comforting and soothing to the soul. I find that most things can be solved with a nice cuppa. Try Mariage Freres De Stress green tea. 

Do: yoga. Practicing yoga can help to center and inspire you to be the best mom, wife and worker. Namaste! Find a yoga class near you here.

Eat: comfort food. Chicken Pot Pie is my go to comfort food and Ina's recipe just can't be beat.  I like to deglaze my vegetables with a German beer. Eating comfort food makes you happy from the inside out. Chicken pot pie is one of my favorite things to make in the fall.

Wear: whatever makes you sing, "I feel pretty!" Feeling feminine in wearing pretty clothes does wonders for your confidence and it seems to add zip and pep to your step. You could always wear the ever so feminine Austrian dirndl to your local Oktoberfest and feel like Leisl in the Sound of Music singing Sixteen Going on Seventeen...sounds like fun to me! 

Plan: something fun to do that you can look forward to. Fall Football games, concerts, Oktoberfest... Dr. Suess said, "Fun is good." It's is simple as that, you just can't beat it. My husband and I recently went to the Alabama/Michigan game and had the best time. We both graduated from the University of Alabama and were in our element surrounded by Bama fans. Fall football is fun...simple as that! Beer goes so well with football, why not sample some German beer at your local Oktoberfest? Make fun a priority! Prost!