Lots of Lincoln Center

My two favorite conductors, Valery Gergiev and Paavo Järvi, are in town this week (and yes, I'm that much of a classical music geek that I have favorite conductors).

Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra are doing a round of Mahler symphonies (7, 3, 9, & the adagio of 10) and Järvi is guest conducting the NY Phil doing Beethoven, Britten, and modern piece by Estonian composer Tüür.

When my two favorite conductors come to town, I go to Lincoln Center...

A lot.:Seven days with lots and lots of concert tickets -- yippie! I cannot wait to hear all the fantastic music.

If you're in or near NYC, go check these guys out in concert: Gergiev/LSO and Järvi/NY Phil.

Punta Mita

Chappy and I went down to the Four Seasons Punta Mita last week and had a lovely little mid-winter break.

The resort is on the west coast of Mexico, about 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. Punta Mita juts out into the water with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Bay of Banderas on the other -- there are gorgeous views of the rugged, rocky coastline everywhere.

Looking out over the resort's pools from the hotel's lobby:
The lobby is an open and airy palapa-style building complete with thatched roof:
From the lobby you take these winding jungle paths to your 'casita':
Our casita's big balcony outside and sitting area inside:
The casita's comfy bed:
The pretty beach below our balcony:While we were at the resort, Chappy played lots and lots of golf, and I spent a lot of time exercising and getting treatments in the hotel's spa. We both were very happy with those activities.

We also relaxed together poolside:
And snuggled up after dinner to listen to live music:(A side note... I didn't wear make-up, high heels, or contact lenses all week - so that shot above is me in my 'low maintenance' mode.)

And we watched these spectacular sunsets every evening:Mexico and the Four Seasons were a prefect break from all the snow and cold in CT -- gracias ambos por unas vacaciones relajantes.

Monty Monday - Mini Sombrero

I picked up this mini sombrero in the airport gift shop on my way home from Mexico:I thought it would be the perfect size for a certain someone...

Perfecto indeed!:
Monty rocked those sequins:
He looked super stylish in his mini sombrero:
And the chin strap provided a handy necklace option for when Monty was on the run:But any way he wore the mini sombrero, the result was the same -- muy guapo!

Margaritas en Mexico

Algunas de las margaritas I have known this week in Mexico...

The classic Margarita:On the rocks, with salt - perfect during cocktail hour.

The frozen Margarita:Pink, green, and oh-so-pretty - perfect while lounging on the beach.

The exotic, specialty Margarita:Tamarind flavored from local trees - perfect for adding a tropical touch to dinner.

¡Salud!

Post-Game Party Report

I've been having a busy, fun week...

On Monday night I went to another black tie and wanted to try a different updo for the evening.

Here's my gravity defying combover mid-style:Take that Donald Trump.

And here's the finished product -- I called it 'the black tie Billy Ray Cyrus' because it was kind of mullet-esque:The benefit was for The Drama League - a wonderful organization that supports artists and works to grow theater audiences.

Here I am with my gorgeous friend Barbara Regna during cocktails at The Pierre:The Drama League honored Patti LuPone and presented a star studded show during dinner. The performance featured song and dance numbers by many actors including Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Sieber, and Ann Hampton Callaway.

Here's Patti and 'Private Practice' actress Audra MacDonald singing 'Happy Days Are Here Again':
The next day I went to The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering's 3rd Annual Associates Council Luncheon at Rouge Tomate. The lunch was sponsored by Milly and honored Dr. Farid Boulad, a renowned doctor from the MSKCC Pediatric Department.

Here's a shot of the sleek dining room and the stylish crowd:
That night we tried out a new(ish) restaurant in New Canaan, The Pine Social. We were all smiles for this delicious addition to our little CT town:...and doesn't Chappy look cute in pink?

Yesterday I headed over to Assouline's boutique in The Plaza for their Social Media Week cocktail party:I chatted with lots of fellow bloggers like Anisha Lakhani and What2WearWhere's Karen Klopp.

Here I am entering their giveaway contest - I didn't win, but it was still a fun party:Photo via Assouline's Facebook page.

I'd like to own pretty much every single book in Assouline's boutique, but this leather MCM trunk is beyond divine:It's filled with fashion, art, and design books AND it has my initials all over it!!! (Sweetheart, if you're reading this, it would make an excellent Valentine's Day present. Just saying.)

I also saw Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice on Broadway (wow!) and went to a rehearsal of the New York Philharmonic playing Shostakovitch 5 and Beethoven Piano Concerto 3 (double wow!). Unfortunately you're not allowed to take photos in/at either venue, but both the play and the concert were intense and terrific.

And now on to the Fashion Week fun...

How to Stock Your Home Bar

One of the keys to a successful dinner party is having a well-stocked bar.

When preparing for our party last weekend I took some notes and pics on what you should have at the ready in your home bar.

Here's my fine-tuned list...

The basics:-Vodka
-Gin
-Scotch
-Bourbon
-Rum
-Tequila

Pick whatever specific brands suit your taste and budget - they don't need to be top shelf or super expensive bottles of alcohol, just something solid and quality.

A few extras, including cordials and after-dinner drinks:-Cointreau
-Campari
-Vermouth
-Cognac
-Grand Marnier
-Port

We've got plenty of space in our CT house, so we have lots and lots of other alcohol choices in our home bar:If you've got the room, you can add:

-Flavored Vodkas
-Specialty liqueurs like Kahlua
-Calvados and/or Brandy
-Bitters

For non-alcoholic beverages and mixers, I keep this assortment in the kitchen:-Sodas (Coke, Diet Coke, Ginger Ale)
-Juice (Orange and Cranberry)
-Iced Tea
-Club Soda
-Tonic Water
-Sparkling Water

Fresh citrus and martini mixers are great for anyone who wants a twist, spritz, or a Gibson:
Plenty of wine... we were 12 people total at our party, so I pulled out six bottles of red:
Two bottles of Champagne, and three bottles of white:We ended up drinking those 11 bottles of wine(!) plus one more bottle of white.

However much you've got on hand it's always a good idea to have a few extra bottles of wine just in case...

Next week I'll go over bar tools, glassware, and other 'musts' for your home bar.

Cheers!

Monty Monday - Party Pictures

We had a little dinner party at our CT house this weekend.

The dinner was just for friends, but Monty joined in the après dessert fun. He mixed, mingled, and sniffed everyone -- he found it extra exciting to have a house full of guests.

Here's my happy boy with Chappy in a few Polaroids snapped during coffee/after-dinner drinks. My handsome pair of social butterflies (click to enlarge):
Fast forward to a few hours later... after all the guests left, after everything was cleaned up and put away, it was time for a little snooze together on the sofa:A tired and pleased as punch pair -- the sign of a successful evening.

Young NYers for the Philharmonic benefit

Last night we went to the Young New Yorkers for the Philharmonic benefit.

This is a fancy-schmancy black tie soiree, and it's a cause I'm passionate about, so I wanted to get all gussied up for the party. I headed over to Yann Varin Salon beforehand for some hair primping...

Here's the 'before' pic of my hair down:
My updo prepping with giant rollers under the hair dryer:
Mid-style with Yann -- I looked like a rooster:
The sleek and chic finished product. I felt very movie star-esque:
The sweep in the back, my favorite part:
With my beautiful pal Barbara Regna during cocktails at the Rose Club in the Plaza Hotel:
With Chappy before dinner at 583 Park:583's grand main space:Three musicians from the Philharmonic played a brief, but lovely concert in between dinner courses. I especially enjoyed their Dvořák's Terzetto for 2 violins and viola. 583 Park used to be a church so the acoustics were perfect.

After dinner and Chappy and I won a raffle prize -- afternoon tea at The Plaza's Palm Court. Yay, bring on the cucumber sandwiches!Photo via Luxist.

I got to sport a fabulous hairstyle, hang with a glamorous crowd, hear some terrific live music, and a win raffle - all in all it was one successful evening.

For more information on Young New Yorkers for the Philharmonic, please visit their website.

Strawberry Vanilla Angel Food Trifle

I wanted a yummy, fruity dessert this weekend, but didn't feel like going all out making pie crusts and baking elaborate tarts. So, I created this quasi homemade Strawberry Vanilla Angel Food Trifle and it was a big hit in our house.

This recipe is quick and easy; it requires some assembly, but no real cooking or baking. It's perfect when you're in the mood for something sweet but are short on time.

Ingredients

- 1.5 lbs of frozen strawberries
- 1 angel food cake
- approx. 25 oz Greek Yogurt
- 3/4 cup vanilla sugar (see Martha's recipe)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons Grand Marnier
Preparation

Heat strawberries, vanilla sugar, and 3 tablespoons of the Grand Marnier in a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir gently until the strawberries have softened and the sugar has dissolved - about 5 minutes.

Raise heat to medium high and bring mixture to boil for about 1 minute. The liquid should thicken slightly and the strawberries should be warm and soft.Remove saucepan from heat and allow mixture to cool, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.

Tear angel food cake into 3-4'' pieces.

Arrange a handful of cake pieces in a loose layer at the bottom of a clear, flat bowl.

Cover cake pieces with a layer of Greek yogurt, followed by a layer of strawberries and syrup.

Add another layer of angel food cake and top with Greek yogurt and strawberries.

Continue layering ingredients loosely until all have been used. (Note: I only used about 2/3 of the angel food cake because I prefer a creamier dessert - adjust the amount of cake to suit your personal preference.)

Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of Grand Marnier over the top of the assembled trifle. Chill in refrigerator for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Enjoy!