Tag Archives: Things I Like

The Christmas Tree Nazi

As I write this, I am huddled in my semi-warm winter coat, alternately shivering and rethinking my statement that the original windows in this house are so much more charming than new ones would be. Writing while shivering in a thin winter coat makes me feel like something out of a Dickens novel. Which makes me feel very literary. Or poor.

Either way, I get a warm inner glow every time I glance to my left and see the festive splendor of my own blazing Christmas tree. Yes – the lights are on, and will remain on whenever I am in close proximity to my tree. If need be, I’ll turn off every light and electrical appliance in the house to make up for this gluttonous attack on the earth’s waning resources. I’ll even turn down the already insufficient heat. I love my tree just that much.

As you may have guessed by now, I can decorate the hell out of a Christmas tree. It’s one of my great talents in life, and every year my home is graced by yet another Christmas tree triumph. This is one area in which I throw any sense of humility out the window. I’m can confidently claim that my Christmas tree kicks your Christmas tree’s ass.

You are probably thinking that my family is very lucky to have this kind of genius on their side. Well – I don’t know if they’d agree. You see the price that everyone pays for my mad Christmas tree decorating skillz is that they don’t get to have any fun with it. And that’s my Friday Confession this week. I am a Christmas Tree Nazi.

Brief disclaimer here: I am not in any way supporting or condoning the Nazi movement. My children are not joining the Reichs of Hitler Youth and I am not a racist psychopath with mommy issues. I’m basing the title “Christmas Tree Nazi” on the famous “Soup Nazi” character from Seinfeld. So on the almost impossible chance that you have never heard of this character and had no idea what I’m talking about – please be assured. I am not an actual Nazi.

That out of the way – I am a total bitch when it comes to my Christmas tree. I have definite ideas about where the ornaments should be placed and how the various colors and styles should be distributed. I like a symmetrical tree. A messy looking tree doesn’t bother me if it’s in someone else’s house (it in fact, just reaffirms my own superiority in the tree decorating realm). But the idea of a haphazard looking tree in my own home makes me die a little inside. The only way to achieve the level of perfection that I demand is to be very rigid and controlling, and even strategic about the tree decorating process. And believe me – I’ve got this covered.

I can currently get away with excluding my children based on their ages and lack of attention span. But I know that they will eventually want to participate. I just plan to cross that bridge when I come to it. And possibly buy a “kids’ tree” for them to do with as they like. Their father has fond memories of decorating his own kids’ tree with Star Wars action figures. So I expect he will be supportive my multiple tree plan. In fact, I’m sure he’ll be happy because he’s not currently allowed to help decorate our Christmas tree either. He may as well be one of the kids. The first year we had a tree together, I had to linger behind him rearranging his more bizarre ornament placement choices.

So the Hood family tree decorating tradition does not include the sound of laughter, storytelling and favorite Christmas carrols. There are no childish squeals of delight when someone finds the perfect spot for that favorite ornament (okay – maybe a few, but only if I’m really excited). And there is no closing ceremony of a tiny hand placing our angel at the top.

Instead there is about an hour of lights detail with meticulous care taken to make the tree appear to glow from within. Then there are about 20 minutes of bow placement. And finally, unlimited time is devoted to the actual ornaments.

My ornaments are packed away so carefully that the box would most likely survive a three thousand foot freefall from a cessna flying over rush hour traffic. Since they rarely break, I have finally accumulated enough to transition out the “filler” ornaments (plain gold balls from Michael’s) that I had to use for my first tree. I really do love my delicate antique ornaments and dread the day that they are pushed aside for the kids’ school project ones involving dry pasta or styrofoam.

But I also know that when that day does arrive, I will embrace it with the same pride and enthusiasm I apply to their current toddler achievements. Such as figuring out how to take off their pants and run around outside before I realize they’re gone. Just kidding – I really will be proud of those pre-school ornament projects. And after an appropriate amount of oohing and aahing, I will direct them to the kids’ tree where these masterpieces can be displayed to their best advantage.

Look – I know this sounds really obnoxious. But it IS a confession. So that should earn me at least a few good person points right? Being able to identify the problem and that being half the battle and all… But to give you a sense of where this Christmas tree decorating hubris is coming from (just a sense since no picture can truly do my creations justice), here is a picture I took yesterday:

And here is another one without the flash:

Photographer, I’m not – so like I said, these pictures don’t really capture the magic of this year’s Christmas tree. But they do capture the completely neurotic obsession with perfect symmetry which is at the heart of this psychopathic holiday behavior. And as far as holiday photography goes, capturing the true spirit of the Christmas Tree Nazi is half the battle.

Since My Blog Has become a Community Bulletin Board Today…Another Announcement: Kathin Argiro Trunk Show in DC

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Seriously! Recipes, giveaways and now a trunk show announcement? I’m all over the place! But I’ll keep it short.

I just heard from my favorite NYC designer, Kathlin Argiro that she will be in DC this weekend for an Inaugural Ball trunk show.

Here are the details:

Kathlin Argiro

Inaugural Ball Trunk Show
and
White Graduation Gown Trunk Show

Saturday, December 13th, 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday, December 14th, 12 pm – 5 pm

Featuring Semi-Custom Evening Gowns
Choose your Silhouette, Fabric, and Trim

Come view the collection and meet the designer at

Fornash
The Shops at Georgetown Park Mall
3222 M St., NW
Second Level, Suite W-229
Washington DC, 20007
202-338-0774

Private fittings with the designer, by appointment only:
917-543-1773
Kat@KathlinArgiro.com

BONUS! 10% off ALL Fornash merchandise!
www.fornash.com

And NOW back to our regularly scheduled program…

Almost As Good as Cake Recipe: COOKIES!

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A long time ago, my friend Nancy and I offered to make desserts for a holiday party we were attending. She suggested that we use a cookie recipe she got from the Italian grandmother of one of her childhood friends.

We made the cookies, and then life as I knew it changed forever (as far as cookies go, that is).

We continued to make these cookies every holiday season after that. Even now that we’ve lived in different states for many years (and for a while on different coasts), we still maintain this holiday cookie baking tradition. As far as we know, the cookies don’t even have an official name. We call them Italian Christmas Cookies – but that’s not really accurate. They are not supposed to be holiday specific – we just choose to reserve them for holiday baking.

The cookies have become famous among people that know us and know of us (and are usually referred to as “the cookies”). And the coveted recipe has been gladly provided to anyone who requests it. We are also famous for our generosity.

I mentioned these cookies recently in one of my posts and wasn’t surprised to receive requests for the recipe. Instead of e-mailing it out upon request, I thought I’d just post it on my blog. So honor of the season of giving, I’m giving you…the gift…of Italian Christmas cookies. I know! Last week it was Redneck Neighbor, this week it’s cookies, every week it’s December giveaways… What can I say? I’m a giver.

But back to those cookies…

Italian Ricotta Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the following in a bowl (in order):

1 stick (8 tbs) and 1 tbs butter
*Note: Cream butter before adding other ingredients.

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

Arrange tsp size drops on cookie sheets (space 2 inches apart)

Bake for about 10 minutes
*Notes: The original recipe states 15 minutes. But it came from an old Italian lady who was probably working with a 1950s oven, so I doubt more than 10 minutes is necessary. I’ve found that my cookies are done in 6-8 minutes. They can burn easily so make sure to check them early. Since all ovens are different, I suggest doing a test batch of a few cookies the first time you try the recipe. They should remain pale on top but will be firmer to the touch when done. If you notice them browning a little – they are definitely done.

Makes approximately 48 2-inch cookies

Icing (optional – but HIGHLY recommended)

Warm 1 tbs and 1 tsp of skim milk in a sauce pan

Add 1 cup of confectioners sugar and ¼ tsp vanilla

Once the mixture has thinned (should be thin enough to drizzle over cookies), it is ready to use.

*Notes on icing: This icing dries very quickly, so you have to use it immediately. I’ve had the best results when I’ve kept the saucepan over a very low heat and held cookies over the pan to ice them. Just watch your fingers. Molten sugar can give you a nasty burn. Also try to be exact about the measurements – whenever I add a little extra milk the results are disastrous. If it’s too thin it won’t dry. Finally – I usually make a double batch of icing for each single batch of cookies. I’ve never been able to stretch the original icing recipe enough to ice all 48 cookies.

Enjoy!

Twilight Time

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*Don’t forget to enter my giveaway from Angelina’s Beautiful Cards and Paper Boutique! Click here for details. Send me an e-mail letting me know that you’ve posted about my December giveaways on your site and I’ll give you a second chance to win! This one ends on Sunday – so comment soon!

This is going to be a short Friday Confession. Doing two memes in two days sucked me dry. Too many topics to cover for someone who doesn’t know how to be brief. I’m exhausted.

But I do have to confess that I have finally fallen prey to the Twilight obsession currently sweeping the country. I had heard of the books, and have now seen all of the hype surrounding the movie. And it inevitably sucked me in. The vampires beckoned, and I’ll be damned (yes – that was supposed to be a vampire joke). I couldn’t put Twilight down. I read it in two days.

Now, I’m not saying that it’s the best book I’ve ever read. Far from it. The writing is pretty bad and melodrama is at an all time high – but there is just something about the story… My aunt put it best when she said, “you just want to know what happens next.” It’s true – I had to keep reading.

There were two things about the book that kind of bothered me though. One was an ongoing theme and the other was a specific scene. The theme that tended to get under my skin was the way that Bella acted SO SUPERIOR. I know that she was riddled with teenage angst and dealing with a daily forecast for rain. But really – it’s like she’s SO much better than all of those shallow townies. She fit in much better with the aloof vampires than sickeningly wholesome Todd and Jessica. I also thought her moodiness got a little tedious. Of course, I probably just described myself as a teenager, minus the vampire friends. Maybe that’s why she got on my nerves.

The specific scene that struck me as entirely unbelievable (you know – out of all of the believable scenes in the book) was the beach party. Two large cars full of teenagers arrive at the beach, build a bonfire and….explore tide pools. I don’t know what high school you went to, but in my experience, a group of unsupervised teenagers is just a roundabout way of saying “keg party.” Now I understand that the author is Mormon, and Mormons don’t drink. But she didn’t say anything about her characters being Mormon or religious or abstaining from alcohol in any way. So when Bella walks back to the bonfire and finds her friends “passing around food,” I became skeptical. More like a bong I would think. Anyway – as someone who didn’t drink in high school but did go to all of the parties, I have a very clear memory of what teenagers do unsupervised. And I’m not buying the absence of drugs or alcohol.

In general, I’m an easy audience where an engaging story is involved, so I’m sure I’ll read the rest of the series. I’ll also see the movie as soon as it’s available on Netflix. But if Bella is in college by book four, and goes to frat parties where the brothers pass around “food” to their guests – then I’m officially labeling the series a vampire fairytale.

Famous Last Words

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I don’t know if they’re famous – but they have definitely been documented and acknowledged. I have gone on record as not liking memes. But I haven’t had much time to think about blogging this week (damn that day job) and I don’t have the will to dredge up anything in the way of inspiration tonight. So Q&A it is!

The first meme I was tagged for came from my favorite blog commitaphobe, Regardez Moi. She has decided to take a blogging hiatus two times in two weeks. AND postponed a guest post for me oh, mmmm….about….TWICE in two months. But what can I say – she is one of my favorite online friends and I think I’d forgive her pretty much anything. And when she decides to reopen the doors of Regardez Moi (which could happen at any time from three days to 30 days) – I will hold her at gunpoint for that damn guest post. I will not be ignored (name that movie – I’ve quoted it before).

So here is my first real meme:

All About Me

10 years ago: I was 26 years old and hadn’t been dating my now-husband, Chris for even a year yet. I can’t remember that much about what I was doing at this time since it was a blur of going out to dinner at restaurants without kids’ menus and meeting friends out for drinks. Oh right – and shopping at stores that don’t carry both women’s apparel AND dog food. It was like heaven, or Eden. Or a Disney movie.

8 years ago: I was 28 and had just gotten married. I was horrified by how much weight I managed to gain on my two week honeymoon in Spain (I mean – it wasn’t a TWO MONTH honeymoon in Spain). Apparently red wine and cheese aren’t diet food. Who knew! I was also vowing to never fly anywhere on Spanair again. I don’t know what it’s like now, but at the time, I explained it as: “I sat down in my seat, and then someone sat in my lap, and then someone sat in their lap…and so on and so on. Like a Breck commercial with no leg room, 30,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. When one of us wanted to recline and sleep, we all had to recline and sleep. And I wasn’t all that sleepy. I was too busy eating leftover cookies from my reception.

6 years ago: I was 30! I had been 30 since April though, so I was very worldly and jaded about it. Very “been there, done that.” I didn’t mind turning 30 at all. To me it was like being given a youth pill. Suddenly I was in a brand new context. I was in my “thirties” and I was the youngest thirtysomething around. I was like a baby to the thirties…a novice…an ingénue. I’m telling you – this age thing is all about context. Don’t compare yourself to people ten years younger than you. Compare yourself to people ten years older than you. THAT’S the ticket.

2 years ago: I was 34. Feeling like less of an ingénue, but too busy with my 18 month old son and newborn boy/girl twins to care. I may as well have been 94 at that point. I just wanted to sleep. I was on maternity leave and tried to follow the “sleep when the baby sleeps” rule. But guess what? Twins don’t sleep at the same time. So I generally looked like something from one of those Night of the Living Dead movies. And I barely ever left the house, unless I needed to go to Babies R Us. Which actually sounds like the beginnings of a plot for a horror movie – so I was already halfway there. But seriously – newborn twins! It was a magical time.

Five yummy things:
1. Egg nog lattes from Starbucks. I LOVE egg nog – could drink a gallon of it. Grossed out? Good – more for me.
2. Italian ricotta cookies with sugar frosting. I make them every holiday season.
3. Chocolate and heath bar blizzards from Dairy Queen.
4. Honey mustard anything (sandwich spread, salad dressing…anything – I’ll eat it with a spoon).
5. Red wine

Five songs I know by heart [that aren’t on any of my kids’ DVDs]:
1. Blue Bayou by Linda Ronstadt
2. Begin the Beguine (I prefer the Ella Fitzgerald version though, and couldn’t find a link to anything that does it justice. No even to close. So just buy an Ella CD.)
3. Best of my Love AND Desperado (Eagles) – there are more, but those are the ones that I will sing first.
4. September (Earth Wind and Fire) – actually I LOVE Earth Wind and Fire, but this is the only one that I know by heart
5. Beyond the Sea (Bobby Darin)
*I know my answers to this category sound really lame (not ONE song from the past five years) – but I was trying to be honest about knowing all the words. And these were the first five that came to mind.

Five places I would like to escape to [there are TOO MANY – so I’m listing five places where Chris and I have had great vacations]:
1. Spain of course! Andalucia with a long stay in Seville.
2. Quebec City
3. Italy (Anywhere really – but we were only in the Milan area together and we had a lovely weekend in Stressa.)
4. Iceland. No seriously – have you ever been there in March? It’s so cold that pretty much anywhere you go is amazing – if only for the reason that you are just thanking god that you’re not outside anymore. Freezing cold aside, Reykjavik was a fun city and we toured the surrounding area as well (lots of cool Viking history and GEYSERS! Who doesn’t love geysers?) And we went to the Blue Lagoon on our way to the airport. There is nothing like sitting in a hot spring while it’s snowing and people in parkas are walking around. Seems I have a lot to say about Iceland… Either I really loved it or feel defensive about my choice to include it in this list…
5. Rehoboth Beach, DE – but only if my friend Nancy comes with me.
6. BONUS: How could I leave out London – after I just wrote about our fine dining experiences there? I’ve never had a bad time in London (in all of the 2.5 times that I’ve been there I mean). Who wouldn’t love a place where even small children use words like “lovely” and “brilliant?”

Five things I would never wear:
1. Bangs or feathers in my hair (Does hair count?)
2. Boyfriend jeans – especially if they’re pegged (Famous last words again?)
3. Mother/daughter outfits
4. Purple
5. piercings that aren’t in my ears (Ouch! My various body parts hurt just thinking about it.)

Five favorite TV shows:
1. Lost
2. Heroes
(I know – nerd alert!)
3. Brothers and Sisters
4. Ugly Betty
5. Grey’s Anatomy
*I’m very mainstream when it comes to TV. And really girly when I think about it. My old favorites have included Designing Women, Friends, Felicity, Gilmore Girls and Sex & the City. I am on estrogen overdrive when it comes to TV.

Five things I enjoy doing:
1. Reading
2. Traveling (Even the actual travel part – I can read on a plane and listen to a book on tape in the car.)
3. Going out to dinner with my husband (Not that we’ve done that in like three years.)
4. Writing
5. Shopping (This sounds kind of obvious – but I really do love shopping. I’ve never had a runner’s high in my life. But a shopping high? Absolutely.)

Five Favorite toys:
1. Laptop
2. iPod
3. Jewelry and eveningwear (What – you don’t play dress up?)
4. Us Weekly
Okay I’m having a hard time with this one. I don’t really like toys or games. I’m just not a very playful person.

Five people who I am tagging to fill this out:
1. Anastasia at The Gift (to get her back for tagging me on the SECOND meme that I have to do
2. Marinka at Motherhood in NYC
3. Baking with Plath
4. Cyndy at Photocynthesis
5. Jessie at The Lucky Stone

That was a long meme! I’ll have to get to the second one tomorrow. And if you’re interested in doing this one? I tag you as honorary #6.

Do You Remember Redneck Neighbor?

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*Don’t forget to enter my giveaway from Angelina’s Beautiful Cards and Paper Boutique! Click here for details. Send me an e-mail letting me know that you’ve posted about my December giveaways on your site and I’ll give you a second chance to win!

Years ago, I came across a website that in retrospect, I now recognize as a blog. But back in 2002ish I didn’t know what blogs were. So I just thought of it as a website devoted to the various bizarre home projects of the blogger’s “redneck” next door neighbor.

Here are some highlights:

First, let me say that my redneck neighbor is not destitute or under-privileged. The guy owns a business, drives VERY nice new cars, he just doesn’t care about his house. In order to protect the ignorant, we’ll call him John Doe # 8 or JD8 for short.

October 1997 – They are here!

Well, it should have been a sign of things to come but my neighbors move into their brand new house. Inventory: 1 artificial Christmas tree, clothes, stereo system, TV, no furniture). The Christmas tree is nicely decorated (remember, it’s October). We can tell what the tree looks like because the windows have no miniblinds so at night, you can see right into the house as you drive up. They have also decided to wrap some strands of Christmas lights around their front porch railing. I guess there’s no electric outlet nearby because they never turn these lights on.

The Structure

In case you have not noticed by now, JD8’s favorite hobby is to build things poorly. His next project is yet unnamed. All my friends call it the chicken coop. There are several theories as to what this building really is. The theories include: chicken coop, two-story deck, two-story chicken coop, work shop, shed, etc. It would be easier for you to see it [link to picture] than for me to describe it. Once thing is certain, it is HUGE. Unfortunately for JD8, I called the city and he has been asked by the fine folks at “code enforcement” to stop building whatever that is. He needs to get a building permit. Luckily for the neighborhood, that thing will not meet building code regardless of what it is.

Neighborhood thugs

In case you don’t remember, long ago, JD8 had placed a basketball goal right outside our bedroom window. Unfortunately for JD8, some neighborhood thugs put a couple bricks through the back-board. Unfortunately for me, the same bricks also took a chunk off the side of my house.

JD8 decides to move the basketball goal to the curb to be picked up by our city’s waste disposal specialists (garbage men). Well, from the look of JD8’s house, the garbage men aren’t sure if it’s really garbage so they never pick it up. The broken basketball goal sits by the curb for several months when JD8 decides to put it back on his driveway. He does not use it again. Here is a picture [link to picture] of the basketball goal. See the Christmas lights in the background? This picture was taken in the summer.

A few years later, I tried to pull up the site to forward the link on to a friend – only to find that he had decided to pull it from the web. Maybe the redneck neighbor discovered the site? There were no details provided about the decision, but I’m sure that many cyber tears were shed over it.

You are most likely asking yourself how I was able to include these samples of the hilarity that was “Redneck Neighbor.” I can do it because I FOUND IT AGAIN! It’s not the site I remember, so it must be a different version – one that the blogger never got around to deleting or destroying or whatever it is you do to make a blog disappear (having never done it before, I don’t know the lingo). Anyway – pretty much everything I remember is there, so I’m thrilled. And in the spirit of the season of giving… I give you…the gift…of Redneck Neighbor. No thank you notes required – seriously, I just like to make people happy.

Note: If you are my mom, and didn’t realize that “I FOUND IT AGAIN!” was a link to the website, here is that link: http://www.joespc.com/carlos/redneck.htm. Love you mom!

UPDATE (1/5/09): Chuck from Beyond the Cheddar Curtain commented with the following:

I read somewhere that Carlos’ neighbor eventually sold his house and moved, and Carlos later did the same thing himself, so he took the site down, but someone archived his old entries, which he is cool with.

I believe his neighbor stopped acting quite so rednecky after a while (perhaps the police visits had something to do with this) but I’m not sure.

Then he e-mailed me the link: http://fuzzycats.com/redneck.htm. Thanks Chuck!

Love at Every Sight

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For once, I’m going to try to have a Materialistic Monday that includes more pictures than words. Let’s see if I can do it.

I’m in love with the Anthropologie catalog that arrived in the mail a couple of weeks ago. I usually get rid of catalogs once I’ve had a chance to look at them, but I just can’t bring myself to let this one go.

If I had unlimited funds, I could easily outfit myself for every season using Anthropologie finds alone. The vintage inspired styles allow for a much longer closet life. I mean vintage can’t exactly “get old” right? It’s supposed to look old – that’s the point.

My current favorites include the Fire’s Breath Dress in embroidered cotton poplin with silk habotai trim (incidentally – I hadn’t heard of habotai before – I’m just quoting from the catalog):

Elegant – no? And perfect for leaning against monochromatic kitchen backdrops.

I also love this simple Greying Oak Blouse in cotton voile with kimono sleeves:

It looks like it would be flattering on anyone – accentuating waistlines for the fuller of figure and creating curves for the willowy types (and suiting everything in between). It could also be dressed both up and down, which automatically adds outfit options to your wardrobe.

For “fancy” I’d go for this charming little number below:

The Bared Branches Dress in black and cream silk twill is something I could have worn to an event ten years ago. And I would imagine that I’d still be able to wear it ten years from now. Now THAT’S an investment dress.

Next up, one of the loveliest neckline and sleeves combinations I’ve ever seen:

This blouse (The Silent Constellation Blouse) of embroidered nude nylon is a favorite based on the cut and style. I’d have to see it in person since nylon can sometimes look cheap. I’m guessing that it wouldn’t look cheap – but the tulip appliqués are a bit much. The extra embellishments don’t seem necessary. As Tim Gunn would say, “I find them puzzling.”

Finally, I keep coming back to this dress of muted aqua silk:

The Tawny Garden Dress harkens back (people say “harkens back” – right?) to old Hollywood with the natural waist and gathered skirt. Another look that would suit both curvy and boyish body types. Pale gold embroidery provides subtle yet striking detail, and the blossom appliqués don’t puzzle me.

The only major point upon which Anthropologie and I don’t see eye is their choice of contemporary furniture for their home furnishings layouts. See anything familiar?

Ack! It’s “the chair.” I can’t get away from it. Ah well – at least it’s hidden in the corner.

So how did I do? Maybe a tad more description and personal commentary than necessary… But all in all, I think I displayed unusual restraint in the word count department. No promises for the future of course. But I’ll do my best.

Dolls from Inside a Black Apple

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Recently, I guest posted on this blog as myself at nine years old. One thing I remember most about that time is how much I still loved my dolls. I was in the end stage of dolls being age appropriate. I didn’t actually see the change coming, but this shift wasn’t lost on me at the time. I knew that it was becoming less common for girls my age to actually “play” with them – and more and more, I had to cloak my love of dolls in the guise of being a “collector.”

Of course, as I grew up, my interests diversified. But I have always just loved dolls. I live in fear that my daughter will be a die hard tomboy and I won’t be able to live vicariously through her as she plays with her own dolls.

So for this week’s Materialistic Monday, you can just imagine how much I covet THIS:

Emily of Inside A Black Apple has long been one of my Etsy favorites. Her whimsical paintings are sweet but always with a bit of an edge. And the little characters she creates are so original and lovable. But she really won me over with her dolls. This new one is probably my favorite so far.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any cuter…

Ohmygod it just did. I want ten please!

Sadly (for me) this one wasn’t for sale. It was made for a friend’s little girl. Kate Coveny, age nine, is currently writhing in jealously.

Here is another one that charmed me:

Seriously. A bear hat? I love it.

Even more frustrating, her wonderful dolls sell out of the shop within minutes (this seems to be a theme for my favorite Etsy stores…) So the chances of my ever getting a little blond one for my blond little girl – let alone buy one at all – are slim to none.

If I ever learn how to sew, I do have the option to make one. Check out her tutorial with Martha Stewart. Okay – since that’s never going to happen, maybe a friend will make one for me – I mean – Eleanor. So if you feel so inclined, my birthday is in April (come on – of course it’s for me!)

Lisa Leonard Designs Giveaway Winner

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And of the winner of the Lisa Leonard Designs giveaway is…

Congratulations Meagan of Tyler & Meagan! Please contact Lisa at lisaleonarddesigns@gmail.com to select your prize.

I’m so jealous. I totally thought my fake entry would win this… Of course, I’m kidding about the fake entry. I would never do something like that. Or at least I wouldn’t admit it.

Everyone who didn’t win – I’m sorry! But keep Lisa’s wonderful creations in mind for holiday gifts. Who wouldn’t love one of these necklaces? I already have several lucky family members in mind.

Check back next month for a series of holiday season giveaways! We’re all about giving here at The Big Piece of Cake. And you know what they say (at least in the DC Lotto area): You gotta play to win.

Love, Loss and What I Wore

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I wish I could claim that subject line as my own, but it’s actually the title of a wonderful little book I found about ten years ago. Ilene Beckerman, the author, published it when she was 60 years old. She wrote it for her five children whom, as she put it, “never thought I had a life before I was their mother.” This memoir is an account of growing up in Manhattan in the 1930s through the 1990s.

In this memoir, Ilene uses her sweet little drawings to represent the clothing she remembers as well as provide visuals for the stories of her life. This Materialistic Monday, I’m writing about it as a book to be read and a book to be gifted for anyone that loves fashion. Sadly – I was unable to capture my favorite images of dress styles, textiles and quirky trademark looks. But here are a few that give a feel for the illustrations and writing:

“My Brownie uniform.

My mother was a Brownie leader at Hunter College Elementary School, 69th Street, between Lexington and Park.

When I was seven, I went to Camp Brady, a sleep-away camp in Brewster, New York, for Brownies and Girl Scouts. My sister, who was five years older, was a Girl Scout and looked after me at camp.

There was no electricity. We had no flush toilets and had to go in an outhouse.”

“My grandmother bought me this dress from MacWise, a very exclusive store between 65th and 66th Streets on Madison. The people who owned the dress store were customers in my grandmother’s store, so my grandmother got it for very little when they couldn’t sell it.

The dress was much too sophisticated for a high-school girl, but my grandmother didn’t know that. It was strapless with rows of black velvet, alternating with rows of black faille. It was very tight.

I wore it to a party I went to with Dora on the West Side. We didn’t usually go to the West Side because we were snobby. We thought the boys on the West Side were too fast. I almost got into trouble at that party (very rare because I was so shy). I think it was because of the dress.

“This red T-strap was a favorite ‘going out’ shoe. Dora and I wore them, but Gay’s feet were too big to wear that style.

Most of the time, we wore black Capezio ballet slippers, which we bought on the 6th floor of Bonwit Teller’s on Saturday afternoons.”

After publishing Love, Loss and What I Wore, Ilene Beckerman wrote three other books. I gave one of them to my mother as a gift the year before I got married. It was titled Mother of the Bride: The Dream, The Reality, The Search for a Perfect Dress

. Of course I read it before giving it to her. Ilene says, “Childbirth is a lot easier than being mother of the bride.” We both loved it.

Front Cover

Back Cover

It’s only now that I’m writing about her that I’ve discovered the other two books,
What We Do for Love and Makeovers at the Beauty Counter of Happiness. The latter, written by Ilene at age 70, is said to include (unsent) letters to Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Marilyn Monroe, Mother Teresa and her eleven year old granddaughter. I think that may have to be my next purchase. As for the former, I found a list labeled “The Wisdom of Lillie Goldbert (Ilene’s grandmother).” Here are a few of my favorite items:

Stop looking for Prince Charming. Cinderella’s already got him.

A little charm, and you don’t have to look like

Hedy Lamarr.

It’s better to be alone than with someone who makes you feel lonely.

You never know what goes on behind closed doors. Even Miss America can have hemorrhoids.

To a ninety-five year old mother, her seventy-year old daughter is still her baby.

These books aren’t just memoirs. They are works of art. And they illustrate how women visualize memories in terms of how they appeared as well as what they experienced. We all do that on some level, and Love, Loss and What I Wore made me realize that so many of my memories include details about the outfit I put together and how I it made me feel.

Ever wonder what a 70 years old author who began her successful writing career at age 60 looks like?

I don’t know about you – but this does wonders for my own confidence in a future with limitless possibilities.

*If you love reading about past decades of fashion in New York – I highly suggest Lucia Lucia, a novel by Adriana Trigiani. It’s about Lucia Sartori, the beautiful 25 year old daughter of an Italian grocer in 1950s Greenwich Village. As an apprentice to an acclaimed designer at B. Altman department store on Fifth Avenue, Lucia provides a view into vintage couture and style. It’s also a great book, but I’d recommend it on the fashion flash back alone! And now I sound like an expert on vintage fashion – which is far from true. But I do love it, so feel free to suggest other books and films.