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Dolce and Gabbana - Spring '08

When I first moved to New York, I lived with an amazing and talented friend of mine named Dan. He was my go to guy for fashion. He lived, loved, and labored in the fashion world and I was lucky enough to learn a thing or two from him. He works in make up and has been fortunate enough to pretty up the faces of some of the biggest fashionistas. Dan got me to appreciate fashion and make up as an art. Each year as the Fashion Weeks play out across the globe and designers unveil their latest lines, I find myself more and more interested in the collections they create. I love how, for the most part, a designer's clothing line tends to tell a story. There is a mood and a feeling that can be portrayed that can read consistently in all of the pieces. I'm only a spectator in all this though. I just don't make enough money here in NYC to be able to wear all the clothes that I love but I can always admire from afar, right? Even with a well paying job here in the city, I can only manage a few good bags, jeans and accessories every now and then. On style.com you can peruse all of the most recent fashion shows. Out of all the various men's shows, the one that I loved more than all the others was the Dolce and Gabbana Men's show. What I love about their entire Spring 2008 collection is the way they present various military inspired shirts and pants but each is done with very luminous fabric. The look is very tough but sleek - all in the same breath. The pairing of some simple multi-pocketed cargo pants with a tight fitting sleeveless top looks so good. The idea is not groundbreaking but it's all about the fabric. It's beautiful. Even when the models are dressed in many layers, you still get a feeling of sexiness and not weight. The clothes all compliment one another perfectly. Dolce and Gabbana also highlight a more formal ascetic in this collection with their skinny vests and even skinnier ties. It's all very very yummy. I'm generally not one to write too much on fa' fa' fa' fashion but I liked it so much that I wanted to share. This would be the one that, given the funding, I'd buy up in a second. My favorites are below. You can see the entire collection HERE.

Alice in her tunnel...

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Alice under the furniture...

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Alice in the clothes hamper...

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More French and Saunders...

I've highlighted the lovely and talented Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders before. A few weeks back, my Madonna Monday post was all about these two. Well, these two ladies can do no wrong in my eyes. Their new season has begun and they have taken aim at Tyra Banks this time. The results are hilarious. See for yourself. xox. 

We all have reason to cry...

Midweek Libations.

When you get a little bored of the classics and feel the urge for a refreshing and unusual cocktail, there are few better bets than the Caipirinha to satisfy your needs. The Caipirinha (pronounced kay-pih-rin-ya) is Brazil's national cocktail and is a rustic yet potent combination of Cachaça, sugar and fresh lime. Cachaça is Brazil's everyday spirit of choice. Like rum, it is made from sugar cane. However, Cachaça is made from cane juice whereas rum is distilled from molasses, a byproduct of the sugar refining process.

The International Bartender Association has labeled the Caipirinha one of the 50 greatest drinks of all time. It gained its popularity in the 1950s and 60s on the beaches of Rio and Sao Paulo during the days of Jobim and Bossa Nova. To the non-Brazilian, the Caipirinha has similarities to its muddled cousin the Mojito and the lime-based Margarita. Outside of Brazil, particularly in the United States, the availability of Cachaça can be limited, so relatively few bars have served the drink. Now that higher quality brands of Cachaça are available outside of Brazil, the popularity and prevalence of the Caipirinha in the US have increased.

The word "Caipirinha" is a version of the word "caipira", which refers to someone from the countryside, being an equivalent of the American English “hillbilly” or even “redneck” ! There is an old saying in Brazil: “quanto pior a cachaça, melhor a caipirinha” or “the worse the Cachaça, the better the Caipirinha” (within reason of course). Consequently, it’s generally better to use clear colored (white), non-aged Cachaça rather than a heavier aged Cachaça. Pitú, 51 or Ypioca are all brands that are ideal for making a great Caipirinha.

A Caipirinha must also be made with fresh lime to achieve an 'authentic' taste. In Brazil, the very best Caipirinhas are made with limões gallegos, what in the US are called key limes.

To make the perfect Caipirinha, wash one whole key lime and roll it on a flat surface to loosen the juices. Cut the lime into eight pieces and place them in the bottom of a rocks or old fashioned glass. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) of extra fine white sugar. Too much sugar, and the drink becomes flabby, not enough and the lime will overpower the drink. When everything is in balance, the cocktail shines. Do not be tempted to use simple syrup as the abrasive quality of granulated sugar actually helps to extract extra flavor from the lime during the muddling process. Mash the pieces with a pestle or muddler to release the juices and citrus oils. (Some bottles of cachaça even come with a special wooden muddler). Add 3 measures of decent white Cachaça and stir to mix. Add plenty of fresh cracked ice and stir again. Serve with a garnish of lime peel or fresh mint sprig.

Alternative – try using a different citrus fruit like pink grapefruit or blood orange instead of the lime. When using sweeter fruits, make sure to use less sugar to keep the drink balanced.

Thank you RJH! I'm gonna make this tonight! If you have missed any of the past Midweek Libations, you can catch them all HERE .

Welcome Home, Cackles!

Cackles is back in the States! After a week long trip abroad, Cacks is back! Welcome home, Ma! We missed you. I mean...come on...who wouldn't miss that face?!

around and around...

We want the funk!

My friend Mark forwarded me the following commercial by MasterCard. It is just too too too cute! Enjoy!

Thanks MPS!

Madonna Monday!

When I was in high school, I used to convince my buddies to perform songs with me at our choral spaghetti dinners. It was a little bit like a talent show but it was in front of an audience of our friends and family. The purpose was to raise money for our choral department so we could afford sheet music, performance outfits and that kind of thing. We would sing and perform songs that we weren't able to perform elsewhere. One year, me and my buddy Jason did a sweeeeeet version of Madonna's Deeper and Deeper. We knocked our performance out of the park that night (We thought so, at least!). We had back up dancers hitting every mark. We had lil' outfits that were spot on. We were having a gooooood time. I mean come on - it was high school. Who really cared one way or the other? Not us! Which brings me to the subject of this week's Madonna Monday post. This week it's about Madonna covers. Jason and I did our best back in the day to cover a little bit of Madonna goodness and today the story is the same. With the help of YouTube.com, we get to peer in to the bedrooms and basements of America and see the talent that wants to take a favorite track and make it their own. Although, it must be noted that covering Madonnasongs is not limited to the non-famous. Just last year, Kylie did her own version of Madonna's Vogue. Below you will find a selection of folks covering some really great Madonna tracks. The fact that a simple search on YouTube.com yields a ton of Madonna covers shows that these peeps had a connection to a Madonna song so much so that they had to do a version of their own. As I have said 100 times, what I totally dig about Madonna is that we all have a Madonna story, song or moment that lives in our memory. We all have some Madonna song that has made some impression on us in some way. For some folks, it has gone on to inspire them to pick up a guitar and rock out with their own version of the song. As long as Madonna continues us to inspire us to think a bit more, sing a bit more and dance a bit more then she is certainly doing her job. Mrs. Ciccone has been doing this for the past 25 years and I assume (or can hope!) she'll be doing it for many many more.

Dallas Green sings Love Don't Live Here Anymore 


Rudi Douglas sings Get Together


Darren Hayes of Savage Garden sings Ray of Light


Adam Smith sings Take A Bow 





My buddy Jerry sent me the following clip this morning - See below. I had heard of this but forgot to actually look for it. In keeping with the Madonna cover theme, I bring you something quite similar. Kelly Ripa from Live with Regis and Kelly has never been shy about her love for Madonna. She admitted to Madonna, during the occasions that Madonna was on her show, that she attended her concert every time she could. I think she had said she went 9 times - something like that. Anyway, Kelly recently did her best Madonna impression on a her show and the results are stellar. Also, look out for Regis spinning some vinyl! There is no singing to be had but there is a ton of moving. Kelly has got a body on her!! Dang. Enjoy!

The Brave One

Yesterday I saw the film The Brave One starring Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard. The movie is %$&@in' unbelievable. Jodie stars as a woman who is the victim of a brutal attack that leaves her a different person. Her entire life, from the moment she is attacked, changes in to a world that becomes unrecognizable. At one point in the film, Jodie's character, Erica Bane, speaking with directness says "It is astonishing to find that inside you there is a stranger - one that has your arms, your eyes, and the stranger is all you are now - there is no going back." The attack has made her reassess the life she once knew. She must force herself to come to terms with the nightmare she lived through and make sense of what lies ahead. You can see as her feeling of defensiveness and fear evolve in to vengefulness as each scene is played out in front of you. Erica longs to make things right but in doing so she becomes the type of person she would fear. The movie is mesmerizing 100%. It wouldn't surprise me if Jodie was nominated for a Golden Globe or an Oscar for this. She really is THAT good - brilliant would be a better word. Terrence Howard was also quite fantastic in this film. I'd never really been a fan of his work before but I'm beginning to see what all the buzz is about. Check out a few of the various trailers for the film below and take my advice - see the film now. It's so so so good. xox.

The Brave One - Trailer

The Brave One - Alternate Trailer

Sex - twice in one day.

Via socialitelife.com comes more shots from the Sex and the City movie. The movie only started filming and there is already so much publicity and excitement - well, from me at least. I promise to not post any more shots of the movie (this week!). I'm just super thrilled to see this come to fruition. Even if the movie bombs, I still think it's gonna be fun. The show, in it's day, was a trail blazer. It was saying things that most shows had never ever said. Desperate Housewives just isn't the new SATC. Even in all it's over the top pun heavy dialogue, SATC was pushing buttons and making people talk. I'm glad to see it still is. Ok - all done for now. How cute do these girls ladies look?! xox.

Crazy/Sexy/Cool

Hmmmmm...what do you call a dress like this? Where would one get a dress like this? Love it or leave it? This is a new shot of SJP filming the Sex and the City movie in NYC yesterday. Dlisted.com brilliantly termed it the "Venus Fly Tramp". LOL. This dress must be the result of the zany and off the wall styling of Patricia Field. That lady makes crazy look fierce. I can't wait! xox.

*~*Cartoon Break*~*

Oh, just watch. You can work on that spreadsheet later, right? Enjoy. xox.

Donald and Pluto

New Carrie Underwood!

Enjoy! xox.

LoveStoned/I Think She Knows

Rebecca - This is for you.(ok ok and for me too!)

Midweek Libations.

For over 150 years, Italians, and other drink aficionados, have reveled in the seductive red hue and distinctive bitter taste of Campari. Campari is a unique alcoholic aperitif made by infusing alcohol with bitter herbs, aromatic plants and fruit, and forms the base of the old-school classic cocktail, the Negroni. According to many sources, the Negroni was invented in Florence, Italy in the 1900’s, at Caffè Casoni. It was named after Count Camillo Negroni, the man who invented it by asking a bartender to add gin to his favorite cocktail, the Americano. Others then tried the drink and fell in love with it. By the 1940’s reference to the Negroni had also appeared in English cocktail guides.

The Negroni is a sweet and very drinkable aperitif or "opener to a meal”. It is a simple combination of equal parts Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth. The Campari contributes an intriguing medicinal bitter edge to the drink which I find most satisfying, while the gin adds volume and depth of flavor. Unfortunately, Campari is a somewhat acquired taste, especially to the American Palate, and may not appeal to everyone. Of acquired tastes, Ted Haigh’s book “Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails” states:

We, as modern consumers, also still have some work to do. As a culture, we are quickly forgetting how to gain acquired tastes. If something tastes bitter or sharp it is bypassed for an easier-to-contemplate taste sensation. The majority of modern drinks are designed to utterly hide any tang of alcohol, much less the sharp piquant acquired taste of gin – and it’s not just gin we’re talking about either. It’s brandy, whiskey, and tequila, too.

The Negroni is a relatively straightforward cocktail to make. While there are a few variations on the method, the optimum way is to combine one measure each of good quality gin, Campari, and sweet red vermouth in a cocktail shaker with plenty of fresh clean ice. Stir (don’t shake) vigorously with a bar spoon until the ingredients are well chilled and ice begins to form on the vessel. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a burnt orange peel. (see Cosmopolitan post for details of flaming an orange peel). When done correctly, a burst of flame will come from the oils being released from the peel leaving a wonderful fresh aroma and adding a note of orange to the cocktail. Simply drop the twist in the drink.

Variations: Some people like to shake their Negronis, rather than stir them, and enjoy the thin layer of ice crystals that subsequently floats on the surface of the drink. I have no objection to this but personally prefer the clean clear result of stirring. Others like to serve the drink on the rocks or “over” rather than “up”. Again this is a personal choice but the inclusion of ice cubes may dilute the drink if not rapidly consumed. An interesting variation is the addition of Angostura or orange bitters to the mix. Try adding a couple of drops of bitters for a twist on the classic. Enjoy!

Thank you RJH! I'll have to give this a try!  If you have missed any of the past Midweek Libations, you can catch them all HERE .

"Sex" on the way...

The Sex and the City movie began filming today in New York City. I was a huuuuge fan of the show so I'm thrilled to see it finally get produced. The four leading ladies have put aside what issues they had in the past and have agreed to make the film. Sarah Jessica Parker returns in the role she was born to play as Carrie Bradshaw along side Chris Noth aka Mr. Big. Also returning to the Sex and the City set will be the significant others of Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) played by Jason Lewis (Smith), David Eigenberg (Steve), and Evan Handler (Harry). In very cool news, a new face will appear in the cast. Recent Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson will play Carrie’s assistant in the new film. Sounds pretty exciting! The film opens in May of next year. Yippy skippy!

Oh Sherri! Are you serious?

New VIEW co-host Sherri Sheppard made a big ol' fool of herself in yesterday's broadcast. It appears that she isn't quite sure whether the world is flat. Oh yeah? My lil' 3 year old niece could tell her that!! Check out the embarrassing mishap for yourself.