{ Dashus:land }

Midweek Libations.

Halloween is a night for celebration and partying. However, just because many party foods are dressed up in vile orange and black colors, does not meen you have to sacrifice the quality of your cocktail. The solution: a Kir Royale. A popular drink for receptions and soirees, as well as the cocktail hour, the Kir Royale blends crème de cassis, a dark and slightly bitter blackcurrant liqueur, with crisp Champagne for a velvety taste sensation. Named after Canon Felix Kir, mayor of Dijon in Burgundy, the original Kir was invented in France and was made with still, dry white table wine from the region. Following the commercial development of crème de cassis in the 1840’s, the cocktail became a popular regional café drink under the name of blanc-cass, but has since become inextricably linked internationally with the name of Mayor Kir. When ordering a Kir, waiters in France now normally ask whether you want it made with cassis (blackcurrant), mûre (blackberry) or pèche (peach). To get the “Royale” treatment, however, brut (dry) Champagne is essential.

Super Easy Directions - Pour one shot of Crème de Cassis into a chilled champagne flute then slowly top up with chilled dry champagne. Garnish with a small twist of lemon peel or impale a raspberry on the edge of the glass and serve immediately.

Thank you RJH! If you have missed any of the past Midweek Libations, you can catch them all HERE . xoxoxox.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

YIKES!
Don't try this at home!

New Mary J. Blige!

JUST FINE - the first single from Mary J. Blige's upcoming eighth studio album, Growing Pains. Enjoy. xox.

Mary J. Blige - Just Fine [Clip]
Uploaded by Get-Me-Bodied

Madonna Monday!

In early 2006, Madonna released her second single from the Confessions on a Dance Floor album entitled Sorry. The immediately catchy track was produced by Madonna and her very talented musical partner Stuart Price. Stuart worked on many of the songs on the Confessions album. While the song failed to make a huge impact on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts, it was a massive success on the Billboard dance charts. The song reached # 1 on the Hot Dance Airplay chart and the Dance Club chart. One great thing about new Madonna singles is all of the remixes that are born. Madonna has always kept a keen ear to what is is hot in the DJ world. For the Sorry mixes, she commissioned some of the best in the biz. Paul Oakenfold, Green Velvet and even the Pet Shop Boys put their unique twist on the song. The music video was directed by Madonna's longtime friend and choreographer Jamie King. Jamie began working with Madonna back in 1995 when he choreographed Madonna's Human Nature video which remains one of my favorites. The video is the sequel to Madonna's Hung Up video. The Sorry video picks right back up where Hung Up left off. As with Hung Up, Madonna is rocking the leotard and doing dance moves that many of the younger pop starlets couldn't dream of. The video is super duper fun. The song was featured twice within her Confessions Tour - once as a straight up performance and then a remix video was also put together as an interlude between songs. In the remix video there are images of Madonna against a neon electric background which are interspersed with footage of prominent world leaders, as well as visions of poverty, deforestation, and war. Madonna's spoken vocals emphasize the words "lies" and "talk is cheap". Featured below are various Sorry videos including the director's cut of the video, the performance of the song from the Confessions Tour as well as the interlude mentioned above. Enjoy. xoxox.

It's an illusion...

Congratulations!

My two friends Sarah and Cara are getting married today, y'all! I've been friends with Sarah for yeeeeeeears now. We went to high school together, then college and then became co-workers when I first got out of school prior to my move to the Big Apple. I've seen Sarah grow in to such an amazing woman. I'm so so so happy that she is getting hitched today! Her lovely and funny partner Cara is such a sweet heart. These two make the cutest couple. I'm unable to attend their ceremony today but I wish them all the love and hugs from up here in New York. I hope you have many many many years of happiness ahead. xoxox.

Penelope.

I think Kristen Wiig is one of the most talented cast members that Saturday Night Live has had in a very long time. Her timing is impeccable and all of her characters are brilliantly unique. One of my favorites is Kristen's character named Penelope. Penelope is a "one upper". If you have never experienced a "one upper" then you are quite lucky. I knew a few of these growing up. Some find this new character hilarious and some find it absolutely annoying. If it is the latter - my apologies - if not, enjoy. xox.

Penelope - The Dinner Party

Penelope - The New Tenant 

Right by our side...

No matter where me and my boyfriend are in the apartment, Alice is always right by our side. She sits close by as we eat our meals. She hunkers down and watches some TV with us. She watches curiously as we brush our teeth. She looks on intently as I type on my laptop. She is such a good lil' friend. If ever you are wondering if a adopting a cat is a good idea, I say an overwhelming "YES". Alice agrees. xox.

The fire in Jason's eyes...

My friend Jason just flew back home to California from London. He was greeted by the wildfires that are ravaging his neighborhood in Southern California. His single tale is one among milions in this awful tragedy but it speaks volumes. Check out the story in his own words by clicking here. Keep your fingers crossed that the winds die down and less destruction is amassed.

Disturbing.

She always has that crazy look in her eyes...

Midweek Libations.

The bartender took last week off but he has come back this week with a boot scootin' cocktail capable of whetting any cowboy's whistle. Take it away, RJH.

When you begin to lose inspiration in your cocktail making and you find yourself tapping your fingers on your home bar racking your brain for a new and unusual cocktail, you can count on Midweek Libations to satisfy your needs.

Today we venture out west for a boot scootin’ beverage that is sure to please. Cowboy traditions are not generally associated with good cocktail mixology but they can still be a source of inspiration. In the larger towns and cities of the Southwest there are plenty of cowboy hats and even more boots in evidence, but that doesn’t necessarily make the wearers cowboys! But that’s just fine because these drugstore cowboys are more likely to sniff out a quality watering hole that no real cowboy would be seen dead frequenting.

The Horse’s Neck is an unusual and refreshing cocktail and has similarities to the well known “7 and 7” (which is merely a weak imitation of this drink). Dating back to the 1890s, this prohibition-era drink was originally a non-alcoholic beverage (shock) combining ginger ale, ice and lemon peel. That is until some clever cowpoke had the inspiration to add liquor to it. By the 1910s, brandy or bourbon would be added for a "Horse's Neck with a Kick". Eventually, the non-alcoholic version was phased out. The name of the cocktail is probably derived from the shape of the long piece of citrus peel that is used as garnish.

With a channel knife or vegetable peeler remove a spiral of peel from a fresh lemon. Start at the base and peel around the fruit until you get a long coiled piece of peel. Place the lemon peel spiral in a highball glass so that one end hooks over the rim of the glass and hangs down the outside. Half fill the glass with fresh cracked ice. Pour 2 generous measures of blended whisky, bourbon or rye over the ice and add a few dashes of Angostura Bitters. Top up with ginger beer or a good quality ginger ale. Some people also like to add just a dash of fresh lemon juice to the mix. Add a straw and you’re ready to go. YeeHaw!

Thank you RJH! If you have missed any of the past Midweek Libations, you can catch them all HERE . xoxoxox.

Congrats!

I wanted to send some good luck vibes to CACKLES all the way down in Philly. Today she begins a new chapter in her professional career. Those of you who know me or know this site should be quite familiar with CACKLES. Cacks was in desperate need of a change from her last job so we all wish her the best best best in her new endeavor. The folks that she'll be counseling are lucky to have her! I know we are! xoxo.

BJORK ~ BACHELORETTE

I haven't seen this in a while and I looooove it. You may need to watch it a few times to take it all in. Just do it - your work will be there when you get back. Watch it now. It's brilliant. xoxox.

BJORK-BACHELORETTE

Madonna Monday!

In the early part of 1998, Madonna released the first single from her smash album Ray of Light. The song was called Frozen. I was in my senior year of college at that time and I remember listening to this album again and again with my roommate Ashby. We could not get enough of it. This song was the first of many big hits from the Ray of Light album which would highlight a drastically different sound from Madonna. Frozen was written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard (Think: Live to Tell) and was produced by Madonna, William Orbit and Leonard. William Orbit was the true mastermind behind the entire Ray of Light album. His funky plucky dance grooves mixed with drums and guitar were a new sound that Madonna had never tried and it has become a signature sound for her. Almost every album following the Ray of Light album has been a mix of high energy dance beats coupled with a slightly rock edge. A perfect example from Madonna's Confessions album would be I love New York. Frozen was a world wide hit when it was released. Many fans were hungry for new Madonna music. Her last album of all original music was her Bedtime Stories album released in 1994. The dark techno based beats, eastern strings, her new vocal range (thanks to her training on the film Evita) and slightly Goth appearance was a new direction that Madonna hadn't taken previously. Don't get too used to it though - she shed the dark look quickly for her follow up single Ray of Light! The video for the song was one of the most dark and elusive creations that Madonna had every done. In January of 1998, Madonna went to the Indian Well Valley of the Mojave Desert in California to shoot the music video. The clip was directed by Chris Cunningham. Chris was known for his video work with Aphex Twin, Björk and Portishead among many others. The video was inspired by the movie The English Patient as well as The Sheltering Sky. Madonna's character in the video is tough to explain and can be interpreted in many ways. In my head it appears that Madonna is a haunting and mystical character warning of lost love if her suitor doesn't open his heart and soul. You may get something else from the video. As always, what I love about much of her work is that it speaks to people in different ways. The special effects in the video, which include Madonna morphing in to a crow as well as a vicious doberman, won Madge an MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects in 1998. Madonna would go on to perform the song during her Drowned World Tour in early 2001 (among other tours) and was one of the most stunning songs in the show. The following clips are the actual video directed by Mr. Cunningham as well as that live performance from the DWT. I also found a clip of Madonna performing the song on Rosie's talk show. This song marked a new era for Madonna - the sexiness was no longer in the forefront - instead a more thoughtful and spiritual Madonna was born. xox.

'Tube'alicious!

A little Celine Dion 4 u.
New Leona Lewis.
A new performance by Kelly Clarkson.

Been there...

I know this all too well...love ya, Alice.

Thanks to WOW for the clip!

Through the eyes of Joe...

As always, Joe Holmes' photos come across with such richness. They capture New York brilliantly - the color, the grit, the beauty, the uniqueness. I've featured his work here before and it never ever gets old. Enjoy. xox.

Check out more of his work at www.joesnyc.streetnine.com.

Now which way do we go??

The New York Times recently published an article about a handy new tool that will hopefully be coming to a subway station near you. Back in 2000, when I moved here, I could always rely on the World Trade Center Towers to aid in getting my bearings when I got off a train, climbed the stairs to street level and wasn't sure which way to go. Without such a fantastic beacon to guide us in 2007, the city is slowly adding compass-shaped decals on sidewalks where commuters pass when leaving busy stations. The new decals list a few different important pieces of information. For the skilled New York commuter they list the simple north, east, south and west points. If you are still a weeeee bit unclear, the names of the nearest streets are also listed. Cool, huh? Right now they are only located around Grand Central Terminal but, based on positive responses from most New Yorkers, that could soon change. The ones added around Grand Central were put in place by the Grand Central Partnership. Additional funding will be needed city-wide in order for New Yorkers to have this resource elsewhere in the city - only time (and $$) will tell!

Just breathe...

Take_a_breath
Uploaded by culinor

Get more...