LottieBlog

This Sunday Marc and I are off to Prague, Budapest and Vienna for a Christmas trip. Flights were cheap, luxury hotels were almost free, and the Euro is 1.2 to the dollar. YAY! We fly into Prague, then take the train to Vienna on Christmas day and are in Budapest for New Year’s, we return to the USA on the 1st. I’ve never been to any of these cities, but I’ve done some research and read “36 Hours in ___” for each one. Thanks New York Times!

I will do some travel blogging on the road, but here’s a quick run down of our trip:

Praha

We are staying at the Mandarin Oriental, stay two nights, get one free. I am excited to check out the sights, go to the Christmas markets, and drink mulled wine. The only thing I really know about Prague is from Manu Chao who says in one of his songs ”Me Gusta Mala Strana, me gustas tu…” The Mala Strana is the old quarter of the city where we are staying. I love to say the word, can’t wait to tell my cab driver “Mala Strana Prosim (please).”

Mala Strana

Wien

I’ve always wanted to go here, ever since I saw the Sound of Music when I was little. We are staying at Le Meridien. I can’t wait to see the Cathedral, which I wrote a paper about in college. We are going to a Mozart and Strauss concert and I’ve been told I must take a cheesy carriage ride. We will! I also can’t wait to buy sausages on the street and eat apflestrudel.

Wolfgang

Budapest

The castle looks amazing, so does our hotel, the Sofitel. We are looking forward to the thermal baths and cheap massages (per Maggie and Kathleen’s recommendation) and will be spending New Year’s on a boat in the Danube listening to DJ Parov spin his Eastern European tunes. The website for the event tells me: “Werar the clothes of the 20-ies – charleston – if you like. The music will fit for a party like that.” Hmmm, should I bring my flapper dress? I”ll let you know what I decide.

Buda Castle

Bon Voyage and Merry Christmas to all!

All girls raised in affluent New England suburbs who attended small liberal arts colleges have encountered toile fabric at some point in life. Whether it was the pattern on their pink canopy bed, a CK Bradley Bag, or perhaps a summer dress.

Yesterday I was reading Domino Magazine (I subscribe to Lucky Magazine and sometimes they send me their sister publication Domino, all about decorating) and came across a lovely toile filled page. They were featuring walls covered in toile fabric, essentially my dream room. For some reason, I just love the classic patterns and have always wanted to wake up in a toile filled boudoir, preferably at Versallies.

Domino’s article was talking all about how to “toile-a-fy” your walls. Though they were talking about fabric-ing walls, quite a costly process, and probably a bit out of place in my studio apartment, I thought it would be a lovely touch to find a toile bedspread, or perhaps a toile wall hanging, to almost get that wall-to-wall look (without making my boyfriend want to throw up in the process). A quick online search came up with a plethora of bedspreads, fabric and wallpaper. However, Domino’s examples were much better:

The black is fun and funky (and the example of fabric-ed walls), the yellow is oh so classic, especially for a kitchen, and the blue room is exactly what I want my study to look like in my Park Avenue or Parisian pied-à-terre. Of course, before decorating with such an iconic fabric one really should know its history, and luckily Domino gave me just that.

Toile as we know it is technically called Toile de Jouy, its name comes from Jouy-en-Josas, a town in France and can be defined as any printed motif featuring people, architecture, animals – or all of the above. Domino’s “textile authority” told readers that toile became popular in Europe in the mid-1700’s, when France revoked a 73-year ban on imported and domestic printed cloth, inspiring a competitive frenzy among French manufacturers.

A mill near Versailles led the pack with intricate patterns so refined they caught the eye of the Anna Wintour of the day, Mary Antoinette – thus establishing toile as a decorate staple among upper classes. Over centuries, toile has evolved to reflect the times, featuring everything from Manhattan skyscrapers to the moon landing. However, this blogger prefers the more classic patterns and simply cannot wait to add some toile to her boudoir.

I recently bought into the skinny jeans trend after snagging a pair of Paige Jeans on sale at Saks for $35 (yeah $35 not a typo), thanks recession. Yeah I know I’m about a year late, but better late than never right? Obviously I had to get some boots to match, those were on sale too, but not as discounted.  Check out my lovely Seychelles from CUSP.

I broke the jeans out for the first time this weekend and kept getting annoyed how they still bunched a little under my boots. When it comes to fashion I need perfection and even though the bunches were not noticeable (said Allie) I still wished there was something holding them down. My sister solves this issue by wearing her socks over the jeans (and under the boots), sorry males readers I’ve probably lost you by now. I tried this, but it still looked kinda dumb.

Then, yesterday morning my prayers were answered. DailyCandy DC introduced  me to Stiruppz, skinny jeans’ answer to mitten clips! Two local DC girls invented these little guys that clip on to your jeans, keeping your pant legs nice and straight inside your Seychelles, Frye’s, TB’s, or Louboutin’s (if you got extra lucky at that Saks sale). I will be ordering a pair pronto!

If Oprah can do it so can I! Here is my first annual list of  “Lottie’s Favorite Things.” Followed by my wish-list for 2009. One lucky reader will be the recipient of something on this list (except maybe the MBA). Please send me an “essay” of which Favorite Thing you would like to receive and why. The best entry will be published on my blog and the gift may or may not be granted, depending on how much money I spend on my European vacation…

Lottie’s Favorite Things

1) Gossip Girl: As any reader can see I really love this show. I am still insanely jealous of guest bloggers Christie and Melinda and their night with Derota!

2) Fresh Sugar Lip Gloss: I’ve been searching for a lip gloss this good since I was 12. Though it’s a little more expensive (retails for $25) than some stuff, it truly is the best. I have it in “Sugar Baby.” It won’t stick to your hair when the wind blows, it tastes yummy on the lips, and the color lasts.

3) Baking tools: This year Lottie has tried a lot of new recipes, from cookies, to stew, to stuffed chicken breasts. I’ve also added to my collection of baking gadgets. The best purchase so far was a Cuisinart electric hand mixer, almost as good as the real Kitchenaid  deal, but won’t break the bank or take up precious studio apartment counter space. If you use your coupons from Bed Bath & Beyond you get 20% off!

4) Twilight and other “young adult” books: Everyone knows I LOVE Harry Potter. However, as we know, I’ve recently been introduced to the Twilight series. READ IT (even you Joel Harris)!

5) Ceres Juice:When I studied abroad in Ecuador during college I always looked forward to fresh fruit juice at lunch. My favorites were Guanabana (a white coco-nutty fruit), Maracuya (passion fruit) and Mora (blackberry). Ceres, a company based in South Africa, whips up a mean Maracuya. You can buy it at Whole Foods or at YES Organic Market on Columbia Road. I sometimes mix it with a little water too, it brings back those Ecuador memorias.

6) L.L. Bean Suitcases: During my first job I had to travel to many exciting places such as Harrisburg, PA and Dayton, OH and needed a good bag. This L.L. Bean carry on sized roller is the best around, durable to the max, fits way more than you think, and doesn’t break like my boyfriend’s crappy Swiss Army suitcase. Worth the investment, it will last forever and if it breaks L.L. Bean will send you a new one for free. Does Swiss Army do that MZ?

7) Cookies from Levain Bakery: Thanks to Bobby Flay I discovered this little bakeryon the Upper West Side near Melinda’s house. These are the biggest bestest cookies you will EVER try and they are well worth the $4 price tag, I’d say one cookie will last you two days. Yes, they are better than mine.

8 ) Brunch at Logan Tavern: This is the best brunch in DC hands down and will probably be a future post. Their coffee is divine, their menu is classic and their prices are just right. Beware of a long wait if you get there after noon, but you can usually snag a seat at the bar! They are also good for dinner.

9) Bobbi Brown Bronzer: I’ve been using this stuff since high school, it’s the best bronzer around, doesn’t make you orange or too sparkly. I use it in place of foundation and it evens out the skin just marvelously. It comes in three shades (light, medium and dark) and I also recommend buying the bronzer brush. As long as you take care of it you’ll never need a new brush again. I’d say each bronzer lasts me about 6 months, I buy light for the winter and medium for the spring/summer.

10) Frye Boots: This is something your parents also wore or have at least heard of, so when you tell your Dad you want some new Frye boots he will think it’s cool you wear them and usually buy them for you! They last forever, but they do take some time to break in. My favorite style is the Campus and I have them in short and long.

11) Annick Goutal Charlotte Perfume:The smartest boyfriend out there discovered there was a perfume by Annik Goutal called Charlotte, oddly it was also created in 1982, the year of my birth. Of course I’d already heard of it (thanks to Mom) and wanted it, so when I got it for a birthday present, he earned like 69 more best boyfriend ever points. Annik Goutal also makes many other scents like Hadrian, her most popular. All of them are light and sweet, perfect for daytime, and with such a large line there is something for everyone, even if it isn’t named after you!

12) Book Club: Ever since Kate’s brilliant idea this summer the second Tuesday of every month has been filled with literary discussion, appetizers, wine and fun. I encourage you all to form one with your friends! And, try your hardest to actually read the book each month por favor… Still, even if you don’t, it’s a lovely way to get to know new people and spend more time with your friends during the week.

13) Gruet Blanc du Noirs: Allie introduced me to this sparking wine from New Mexico. It’s no Moet, but for $14 a bottle it’s some of the best bubbly around! In D.C. you can buy it at Whole Foods, or you can head to Enology on Wisconsin Ave and drink it by the glass!

14) GChat: Does this one even need an explanation?

15) YES to Carrots: This brand was featured in Glamour Magazine awhile back, Mom and I both read about it and got their body butter. It’s the perfect wintertime body lotion, a nice subtle scent (you can wear it under your perfume), not greasy, and moisturizes like no other! Their eye cream is great too. You can get it at Walgreens, won’t even break the bank.

16) Mom: She’s the best and she’ll always be my most favorite thing ever.

Now that I have shared things I do have, here are some things I WANT (insert Veruca Salt song from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory here)!

Lottie’s Wish List for 2009

1) Nars Orgasm Cream Blush: A really versatile color that looks good on everyone, the cream blush would be nice because you can stash it in your purse and use it on the go. I never touch up my makeup during the day, but if I had this I just might.

2) A new Louis Vuitton purse: Preferably a speedy. Every girl can dream.

3) An MBA: But in this economy who knows if ‘ll even get in.

4) A Burberry Duffel Coat: Meredith Viera wears a grey one every morning on the Today Show and I’m starting to get jealous!

5) A Beach Vacation: A week somewhere warm midwinter por favor.

6) A new MacBook: My iBook G4 will turn 3 years in April and it already won’t accept certain upgrades and applications. It’s almost time for a new one.

7) A spot in next year’s Nike Women’s Half Marathon: I tired to register this year, but I was too late. The half marathon takes place in San Francisco each October and is all ladies. Instead of a medal you get a Tiffany necklace or key-chain upon completion. COUNT ME IN!

8 ) David Yurman Bracelet: I’ve wanted a classic David bracelet forever, but alas my wish has never been granted. Maybe this is the year?

And so concludes my first annual list of favorite things and wishes. Maybe someday I will host a talkshow and all my friends will go home with goodies!

For our January book club meeting we all have to read a different book and do a little report, a la Mr. Lombard’s class in 4th grade. Since I am going on a two week jaunt to Europe I will have PLENTY of time to do some reading on various trains and planes. The problem is, there are so many books I want to read I don’t know how I’ll be able to narrow it down for my assignment. Below is a list of titles I have on deck. Let me know which one you’d most like to hear a report about!

Breaking Dawn: Book Four of the Twilight saga. Does Bella finally become a vampire? I have my theories… This book will definitely be read on the trip no matter what, I ordered it from Amazon today. However, it might not be the best pick as I don’t want to ruin the series for the rest of the club. Except of course Michelle who probably finished it in 2 hours flat!

Under the Banner of Heaven: A non-fiction work by Jon Krakauer (author of Into the Wild) about Mormons. The author uses the chilling story of offshoot Mormon fundamentalist brothers Dan and Ron Lafferty, who in 1984 brutally butchered their sister-in-law and 15-month-old niece in the name of a divine revelation (opiate of the masses, opiate of the masses) to explore the history of the Mormon Church. I’ve been told it’s pretty fascinating and I am oddly obsessed with all that weird Mormon stuff ever since that South Park episode where Cartman went back in time to learn about the religion.

The Other Queen: Phillipia Gregory’s (author of The Other Boelyn Girl) latest work, about Mary Queen of Scot’s and her “imprisonment” in England by Queen ElizabethI. Petty girl fight to the max, Elizabeth was not as hot as Mary and man was she jealous. When the Scot’s Lords drove Mary out of Scotland Liz didn’t help her get that throne back. She cut off her head instead! Historical fiction at it’s finest.

Nicholas and Alexandra: Another non-fiction work about the lives of the Last Tsar and Tsarina of Russia by Robert K. Massie. I’ve been told it reads more like a novel than a historical work (plus points for me). It was published before the fall of the Communist regime, so a lot of records about their “execution” weren’t out yet, but supposedly the author really dug up some good stuff. Though I’ve always been obsessed with the British Royals I’ve never dabbled in Russia, it’s time.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard: This is J.K. Rowlings latest. A collection of five Wizard Tales (think Aesop or Brother’s Grimm) with commentary by Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard’s-eye perspective to the collection. Discovered “among the many papers which Dumbledoreleft in his will to the Hogwarts Archives.” Every witch and wizard has grown up with these tales, as is mentioned in the Harry Potter series. It could be a great one to report on since it will offer many lessons to wizards and muggles alike.

So readers what say you, Mormons, Bards, doomed Tsars, Vampires, or Queens (no not that kind Tommy)? Leave your opinions for me!

It’s been a rough week in LottieB’s world, so I apologize for the lack of posts. I had a recurrence of my June  fabric softener rash of death, but this time I think it was something else that I’m allergic to. I saw the best-est dermatologist ever and he made me a lot better with some pills and cream, but I still have to go back for one of those patch test thing-eys where they put stuff all over you and see how your skin reacts. Should be fun!

Last week the holiday season began in DC, so today I am going to give you a run down of all the holiday events I’ll be attending. Nothing to cool, mostly fun times with friends. But that’s what the holidays should be, right?

Thursday Last: Rum tasting hosted by the Society of American States involving rums from around the Americas. Unfortunately I am not a rum fan, so 10 year aged Guyana rum was wasted on my palette. The event was followed by nachos at Bobby Van’s steakhouse and plenty of wine.

Saturday Last: Holiday housewarming at Kathryn’s which earlier in the day involved a baking fiasco. I was making some maple pecan bars and dropped the whole dish as I was taking it out of the oven which then landed on my foot and fell to the floor. The bars were salvaged, but that incident is where this week’s bad luck began…  My foot was really sad and bruised. Oh the woes of being a contessa! The party was lovely, the appetizer spread was phenom, the conversations with Maggie and Kathleen about dollhouses, Playmobile and upcoming trips to Prague and Budapest were divine. The after-party at Porter’s was fun, that place is GROSS.

Tuesday: Book club, we read Lady Susan by Jane Austen. It’s a short work of letters from this slutty woman (slutty for the 1800’s) named Lady Susan to all her buddies. It was published after Austen’s death and it certainly is one of her more “racier” works. You can download it free from the Project Gutenberg website. Print it out and take it on your holiday travels. Our hostess Kim served up some lovely holiday treats including hot chocolate and blueberry turnovers, YUM!

Wednesday: An all girls “Naughty or Nice” Yankee Swap hosted by KAK at her lovely house in Georgetown. Basically everyone brings a gift of the girly genre, we drink champagne, eat girly snacks and exchange gifts Yankee Swap style. You pick a number, pick a gift, and depending on your number you can steal gifts from others. We did it last year and had a wonderful time. This year should be even better, mainly because I am bringing my chocolate chip cookies and we have more attendees than last.

Thursday: My team at work is hosting a holiday party for clients at CoCo Sala in DC, a desert themed bar and restaurant. We will be serving up champagne, churros, tiramisu and petit fours, along with a box of chocolates  as a “party favor.” Networking, desserts and champagne, professional yet fun!

Friday: A going away party for Ms. Michelle who is moving to London. We are sad to see her go, but so proud of her promotion and can’t wait to take a trip to London in the coming year! Can you meet a nice Prince of Monaco and invite me to the wedding? And maybe to live there and shop with you?

Saturday: My company’s annual holiday party. As Marc can attest, it’s usually a pretty “dank” event. Past years have included raw bars, sushi bars, and after dinner liquors. This year things might not be as extravagant, but my company don’t mess. They will keep it real and keep it classy. Sadly Marc has to study for finals, so KatyB is my date. We can’t wait!

Next Week: A happy hour or two and lots of prep for my upcoming trip to Prague, Budapest and Vienna for Christmas and New Years. I am urgently searching for a very warm coat. Bloomies is having a sale starting Thursday and I think I’m going to pick up one of these guys from the North Face, unoriginal, but warm. I think I’ll need it in the Eastern Bloc when I am writing my manifesto on a typewriter in a coffee shop under a statue of Stalin.

Mr. Stalin

I just peed my seven jeans, look who Melinda met last night! So jealous, moving to NYC right now…

Elly has requested I do a little summary of my Thanksgiving holiday with my family. We had the pleasure of hosting Elly’s family at our house a few years ago for the meal and since then we have both wished we could do it again, so in honor of her, here is the run down of my little vacay.

Travel was super easy, no delays, just hopped right on the metro to Washington National Airport and boarded the plane. Dad picked me up and I was in Wayland by 7pm. Paul, Mom, Dad and I had some salmon and asparagus for dinner, had to keep it light before our turkey feast. Paul and I did sprinkle plenty of Citrus Spice Borsari on our fish though, it’s the best.

After dinner Melinda, Danielle and I went over to an old High School friends house. Some Wayland parents were there too, big old party. The rest of our class was at a nearby bar, which was apparently packed, so we opted to stay at the house, and of course, everyone ended up coming to us. We win.

The next morning it was time to start preparing for the big dinner. Paul was going to teach me how to make biscuits and pecan pie. We staged a Food Network show, Paul was the host, I was the production assistant. Genny kept getting in the way of the cameras, but it was okay, we did multiple takes. The pecan pie was super easy and adding bourbon is key. Biscuits are a bit more difficult, the butter has to be at the right temperature and you can’t let it get too soft. The dough has to be crumbled up and rolled just right. Luckily, with Paul’s skills, ours came out perfect.

Later in the day we did the stuffing, with brioche from the bakery Paul used to work at. We added dried apricots, mushrooms, onions, celery, and pecans along with a lot of butter and chicken stock. Perfection again. Our last feat was the sweet potato casserole. We followed a recipe from a Southern Cookbook, modifying the ingredients a little bit. Instead of adding honey, we added maple syrup (Paul’s idea), a New England touch. They were creamy and just the right amount sweet. The pilgrims would have been so proud. Once the guests arrived at 5pm we were pretty much ready to go.

This year nobody really got seconds, mainly because it was so amazing the first time around plates were piled high. The best touch of all were my mother’s flower arrangements. Move over 1-800-Flowers, you are nothing compared to Lottie’s Momma.

After dinner and pie (pumpkin, apple and pecan) we retired to the couch for the rest of the evening. Dad has recently put a bunch of old family movies on DVD, so we watched those and cracked up for at least two hours. Baby Paul crawled like a spider monkey, 6 year old Charlotte complained that she didn’t get a Barbie Ice Cream set for Christmas, but then Dad told her “he heard on the news that the Barbie Factory burned down and there were no more ice cream sets left” (phew problem solved) and 4 year old Genny danced in circles in front of the camera, but then fell over because she got dizzy.

Friday I slept in and then Mom and I braved the Chestnut Hill Mall. It really wasn’t crazy at all and we had quite a pleasant experience. We both found some deals at Bloomies, I got a Marc Jacobs shirt on sale and ended up ordering some Frye Boots online (sale too, duh). That evening I met up with the Wayland crowd in Cambridge and reminisced about out High School days.

My new Frye’s which I will wear with my skinny jeans in Europe and be trendo.

Saturday involved more shopping with Mom (it’s what we do best), but we didn’t buy anything. That evening we continued our Mother/Daughter bonding and watched Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. I def recommend it, though Blake Lively started to piss me off. She was totally not wearing appropriate attire for architectural digs (in the movie she goes to Turkey for the summer and uncovers ancient artifacts). That evening we also celebrated Dad’s B-day a bit early. He requested lemon meringue pie in lieu of cake, and that is what he received (care of Chef Paul).

Sunday we all went to brunch at the Top of the Hub in Boston. Even though it was cloudy the views from the top of the Prudential Center were great, and our meal was even better. Three courses of prix fixebrunch dopeness, as Marc would say. I started with a salad, then a steak and boursin omelet (it should have had mushrooms too), and ended with creme brulee. It was just a bit filling.

I stayed in Boston until Tuesday morning, doing some school visits on Monday, and was sad to be back in the office on Tuesday after such a lovely break.

As my guest bloggers mentioned in this post Richard at Gawker.com does an amazing weekly re-cap of Gossip Girl. This week’s might have been my favorite yet. I was cracking up in cube-land and decided I needed to re-hash some of the best lines from his post:

• “Plus she has an older Mexican orphan come over and steal her boyfriend, just like you!” (in reference to Vanessa makin out with Nate who used to make out with Little J, no Mexicans have ever stolen my bf, but they did steal Tommy’s once, the pool boy did)
• “young Nathaniel, played semi-convincingly by Twink Android model number #542-fancyfeather (service name: Chace Crawford)” (yet another gay reference to Chance Gayford)
• “Like the lovelorn and world weary Odysseus, Jenny was drawn back to Penelope and dashed upon the rocks of her scheming bitchery.” (On Little J and that chick plotting to put Vanessa in the see-thru dress, great blog-cum-literary reference, Richard paid attention in Classical Lit)
• Chuck showed up to Chace’sbig elf debut dressed as a third grader’s bedroom ceiling. Seriously. It was like he had glow-in-the-dark stars and moons all over that sparkly jacket of his. (description of Chuck’s ball outfit, SO TRUE)
• “Well this one was the Snowflake Ball and it involved people dancing and mingling until midnight when Chace Crawford was lowered into the room on a disco ball, dressed as a sex elf named Snowflake. Or something like that.” (Richard’s description of the episodes party)
• “The real dramzwas unfoldingwhen V. told N. about stealing the letter and N. was all “evs,” (Don’t you just love abbrevs? No explanation needed)

And the best line of all (swears modified):

• “Because then Lily came rushingup and said “holy f*c*, there’s been a f*ck&%g accident. That old dude’s dead or something, holy s*i%t balls what am I gonna tell that s^i**y kid of his? Ohhh for f&*k’s sake I hate my f^*k%ng life.” I think that’s verbatim, actually. You can consult the clip above to verify that.” (In reference to the phone call Lily receives at the end of the ep)

Melinda also pointed out I missed the clueless reference:

“bwahahah, your man Nate is a cake boy!” and Jenny was like “what?” and then Blair drove on the freeway and everyone shrieked. Or you know, whatever happened.

That’s all for now… Richard is a genius.

xoxo GG