My Christmas From Babe

I had a wonderful holiday with Babe...

And, his generous gift giving started shortly after this shot on Christmas Eve when I turned down the bed to find a familiar orange box peeking out from under my pillow...

Inside, a belt I have lusted over since high school...

The next morning's gift opening brought my much coveted Burbery pea coat and looong awaited Gucci Horsebit Hobo bag. Hilbils has already volunteered to take my new purse off my hands should I ever tire of it. Generosity abounds...

My last big gift, unfortunately, is up on blocks til I can properly heal my Achilles tendon at which time I'm on a 5 mile restriction per Dr. Babe. Fooey...

My stocking contained some familiar items...

And, some surprise gadgets...

Apparently, my gratitude was bittersweet for Babe. According to him, even though he took care of the top contenders on my wish list, all it meant was that the items cued up behind them were scooched up to the top. Poor Dil. There's always Valentines Day...

Kindness of Babe for giving me an amazing Christmas. Although, I must admit the best gift of all was having him all to myself for two solid weeks...XXOO

Babe's Christmas From Moi

I was told by Babe, that unless I could give him a Porsche or a house in the Hamptons, not to buy him a thing for Christmas. And, he added that, unlike me one birthday, he would not say this and then cry when he didn't receive a gift...

So, I figured the above book was small enough to slip through the no gift cracks...

And, since the T. Anthony dopp kit would be used for "work" purposes it also technically bypassed his request...

Although, not quite in the league of a Porsche or Gin Lane cottage, a couple of Hermes ties could also fall under the umbrella of "work" items...

But, I expertly detected a flicker of doubt cross Babe's gorgeous face when he layed his eyes upon my raspberry selection. Ever on high alert for any tear inducing reactions he expertly reeled it in and was extremely gracious. Pink tie and all...

Kindness of Babe for truly not caring a lick about gifts and leaving all that concern for moi...XXOO

Republicans, Reagan and Stilton Cheese Soup

Turns out my dad and Amy's have a mutual love for not only the Republican Party but, also Stilton cheese. So, I am sure it made my dad's day when I let him know, via Skype, that the past president of the RNC during, his favorite president, Reagan's time in office was now in possession of his Stilton soup recipe kindness of moi. Does that count as public service?

Barry's Stilton Soup
Serves 6

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb Stilton cheese, rind removed, grated
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup light cream
garnish with snipped chives or black pepper

Heat the butter in a saucepan and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute longer. Stir in the cheese and the flour and continue to cook over low heat until the mixture is well blended, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the stock and wine, add the bay leaf and bring to a simmer, whisking from time to time, for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cream and cook just long enough to heat the soup through.

Garnish with snipped chives or with a generous grinding of black pepper and serve with some good pumpernickel and a fantastic Riesling.

"On Boxing Day the Edwardian upper classes went hunting and an ample "shooting lunch" was part of this tradition, including a creamy soup flavored by the king of English cheeses."

PS...I received another Skype call from my mother in Mexico this morning with instructions from my father. Apparently 'tis très gauche of moi to just recommend a "Riesling". The German was coming at me so fast it was all I could do to write it down, never mind context. So, here goes; should contain the words Kabinet, Mit and/or (can't recall which) Predick. Also, Spätlase means it's from a later, sweeter harvest. And, good regions include the Mosel and Saar River area. And, something about Auslase. Got it? Me neither...

Kindness of my dad for providing me with conversation fodder with Mr. Fahrenkopf, thus saving me from drawing on and revealing my political ignorance...XXOO

Brethren Sale

We hit up the big sale at B2, or the Brethren as ADG fondly refers to them, this past weekend and Babe kindly let me slip a women's fitted Non-Iron French Cuff shirt into his pile at the counter...

It's debut is set for dinner at Sam and Harry's this Friday night along with my recently dusted off love em or leave em Lilly cords...

And, my in seasonal semi-retirement Varinas. Good thing this restaurant's a stones throw from G'town. That way, if I run up against any preppy discrimination, I can hightail it back to safe ground...

Kindness of Amy Fahrenkopf for keeping our dinner date even after reading the outfit spoiler alert...XXOO

Babe's Gonna Kill Me

Much against Babe's out of town wishes, I went on an eight mile run (really only qualifying as a jog) after convalescing a flared up Achilles tendon for the past couple weeks. I knew it was too much too soon but, I could just feel the fat creeping on throughout the holiday. Sooo, now I can add a flared up Iliotibia band to my list of injuries...

Back to convalescing on the sofa which gave me the perfect excuse to finally watch Valentino's The Last Emperor sans subtitles with Hilbils...

I think I'm going to ride this wave of an excuse right into bed with my new needlepoint belt kit and a hot cup of green tea...

And, lest I forget my new Ralph Lauren candle bought last weekend in an attempt to give a scent makeover to an otherwise musty hotel suite. Now...how to dodge the looming lecture headed my way once Babe finds a moment to call...

Kindness of Babe who hopefully got all his lecturing out in his bbm missives sent earlier today??? XXOO

Galleria Of Christmas Cards

Thought I'd share some Christmas cards from a few recognizable faces round these parts including, my own Paperless Post easy way out version...

If I hadn't been so overwhelmed with the recent move, and an ohhhsoooclose to a move abroad, I would have most definitely commissioned the illustrious PVE to illustrate us a Christmas card. Once again, the card she created for Mel was hands down one of my absolute favs...

The blue ribbon for creativity went to my Loyola gal pal Ellen Ciciotte in Naples who sent her holiday wishes out via picture text...

Then there was thee infamous Uncle David of much fame pictured with my Aunt Carol and their grand babies...

The bff...

Aide-de-camp Lizzie and her Tracy Anderson guns...

Carol of Canfora sandal fame...

Joanie of Belgian Shoe fame...

Now qualifying as an old friend, the ever popular (although, I suspect not merely for his writing) Maxminimus and his partner in crime LFG...

And, new friend, the beautiful and talented Jules Reid and family. Okay, I now have 350 plus days to get it together and put in my order for a PVE pièce de résistance for next Christmas. I'm officially reserving a paintbrush in the name of the Richardson family...
Kindness of everyone included above for humoring me while I trot out your card for one last hoorah...XXOO

Soft Start

We have had a good two weeks of pure Christmas gluttony...

And, some of us our not quite ready to face the end of the face stuffing, gift receiving, shop til ya drop, movie going, gym skipping holiday train...

Annnd...some of us are going to be at a loss once the girls head south mid week and we can no longer bed hop to our heart's content...

I suspect Meile, my in-laws baby, has utilized the twilight bark, aka the all-dog-alert, to communicate to Templeton and Pilgie that the gluttonous times are about to come to a screeching halt and the tree skirt fort is soon to be dismantled and packed up til next year...

Kindness of Meile for including me in any future bark chains that have anything whatsoever to do with warm weather and white bikinis...XXOO