Have yourself...

... a merry little Christmas.

From my home to yours, wishing you a holiday that's merry & bright. xox, m

Beautiful to look at.

Versailles gardens in winter

I'm a sucker for a stunning photograph and lately Pinterest has been overflowing with beautiful wintery images. Snowy wonderlands like this:

bison.

and this...

reflect.

and this:

bah.

Winter can be oh so very glamorous...

yes please.

May your weekend be wintery and merry and bright!

Diner Love.

Diner date night heaven.

I'd like to take this opportunity to declare my love for diners. Diners. Are. Awesome. Where else can you go to get breakfast at any time of day, or enjoy chicken parmesan, a gyro, matzoh ball soup, a milkshake or a massive chef salad all on one menu!? No where. It's almost too much when you open their multi-page, inexplicably culturally diverse menu and are forced to pick just one thing. Plus, unlike many restaurants, diners happily accommodate groups. Roll up with however many friends, at any hour and they've got a table for you and a friendly Greek man (stereotype, yet usually true) ready to ring you up when you're finished.

In a city filled with celebrity chefs, culinary "experiences" and table wait times that are often longer than the meal itself, it's refreshing to sit down at a diner. I'll order a club sandwich stacked high while Dr. H enjoys his non-pretentious french onion soup in our cozy patent leather booth. Neon signs are a plus. Because sometimes not fancy can be fabulous.

Hump Day Distractions

Mind = BLOWN

Welcome to your weekly installment of Hump Day Distractions. If you're able peel your eyes away from the miracle of nature that is "The Ducktato" check out these other awesome distractions I've rounded up for you:

* A crafty way to ensure you never say "I don't know what to do/eat/watch/read" again.

* Holy crap. Ho-ly CRAP.

* Tis the season of tips and gifts. Click HERE for a handy guide on how much is just right for everyone from your doorman to your cleaning lady.

* There is something stunningly simple and chic about this dress...

* I'm allowed to think this is hysterical because I too am an Instagram junkie.

* How to make the perfect BLT, peel an egg, eat a cupcake, make a taco and a ton of other handy tricks.

* Back for another year of snow-licious evil surprises.

Tis the season of mail!

keep up the good work little buddy!

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the sudden influx of "snail mail" I receive. After months of nothing but catalogues, solicitations and even the occasional empty mailbox, I'm now greeted daily by snowmen, photos of smiling children and glitter (obviously I love holiday cards with glitter). Come December, I look forward to collecting my mail  each evening because the holiday season is like a retro, pre-email moment in time when checking your mailbox is cool again (did anyone else LOVE getting the mail as a kid or am I the lone dork here!?)

Though many complain that holiday cards are a pain to send out (they are) I'm really glad that people still do it. I admit, it's tempting to opt for the speed and convenience of a digital hello or to let the hustle of the season eat up your "addressing envelopes time", but for me, nothing beats a colorful envelope bearing some ridiculous USPS stamp with my name on it. So dust off your address book, find the most beautiful/absurd/sentimental cards left on the shelf (or make a photo card, you know peeps dig the photo cards) and get mailing.

The Monday after...

For them and for us...

I keep trying to write a post, and everything feels inappropriate. Too cheery or superfluous when just last night our President was reading the names of children whose lives ended in the most horrific and unimaginable way. Even the stories of incredible bravery, love and courage from teachers and administrators at Sandy Hook Elementary School are not enough to be "uplifting". Like the rain hovering over New York, refusing to budge, I feel it's appropriate to have just one more grey day. One more day to hug children closer and  hope, pray even, that solutions exist in the areas of gun control and mental health to ensure that something like this will never happen again.

Hear it, read it, make it, LOVE it

It's Friday! High fives for EVERYONE!!

The sun is shining, the air is crisp and wintery and it's Friday. Life is not too shabby:) To send you off into the weekend, here's the second installation of "Hear it, read it, make it, LOVE it" for your listening/reading/crafting/buying pleasure (first edition HERE). Have a good one!

Hear it

Proof that I was absolutely not kidding about the whole "Jew who loves Christmas" thing? I actually have a favorite Christmas album - Christmas Songs by Sinatra. Though there's no denying the fan-freakin-tabulousness of Mariah's "All I want for Christmas is You" or the Peanut's gang Christmas collection, there's something quintessentially Christmas about Frank's smooth voice belting out the classics. The perfect soundtrack for your holiday hosting.

Read it

Turns out Kelly Kapoor is just the tip of the iceberg folks! Reading "Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me (and other Concerns)" by the insanely talented Mindy Kaling is basically a laugh out loud 150 page conversation with Mindy, packed with stories from her real life and her thoughts on everything from best friends to boyfriendsand being an average bodied woman in Hollywood! If you're looking for some light, fun reading during the otherwise hectic holiday season, "hang out" (hehe) with Mindy.

Make it

Perfect for the little girl in your life (or in your heart:) these simple snowflake ballerinas are the perfect craft to work on while listening to the Nutcracker and sipping on hot chocolate. (Simple step by step tutorial including free printable template HERE).

LOVE it (/make it?)

When Dr. H said "wouldn't it be cool if you could like make a chalkboard out of this wall?" and I responded with "You can! Let's do it!" there were two very excited people in my apartment. He gets to doodle (sweet nothings!?) on the walls and I get to take on a sa-weet home DIY project. Chalkboard paint is available just about everywhere and perhaps a trip to Brooklyn Flea next weekend for a funky empty frame!?