Tag: christmas

Ralph Lauren Holiday Bloody Mary

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I love this time of year, the seasonal cocktails you sip by the roaring fire and if you’re like me, Nat King Cole’s Christmas song filling the room. Tomorrow I head home to Texas to be with my family and I look forward to the mulled wine, hot toddies, and yes, even egg nog. I like indulging a bit during the holiday season, and there is always something fun about the idea of having a bloody mary with breakfast.

When Ralph Lauren Magazine sent us on assignment to the historic King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel to direct a short piece about a holiday twist on the traditional bloody mary I was all in. I mean, to learn from the original creators of this classic cocktail was such a honor, which you can read all about here.

Kevin and I had such a fun time filming this at the King Cole Bar which is one of my favorite places in Manhattan to have a dirty martini after a day of mid-town meetings. I also love any chance I can get to see behind the scenes of how a place operates and to have such a legendary bartender make nine bloody mary’s for us… for filming purposes obviously.

So cheers! And mom if you’re reading this, can you pick up the ingredients before I get home? 

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See the full story and recipe at Ralph Lauren Magazine  & Happy Holidays! 

Happy Holidays

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Holiday_Party_cover00How lucky are we that we get to work with our best friends? My friendship with Kelly began 3 years ago on a shoot in Malibu where we shot all day, and dreamed all night. Fast forward to now, another year in our friendship. We shared a house in Amagansett, she threw me the best birthday party of all, we collaborated on shoots from CHANEL to golden goddesses, cool kids to Victoria Secret models. Before we each go home to our real families Kelly and I had a Holiday Party here at the studio for our little New York family, the ones that buy you a drink after a hard day or make you laugh when work is stressful or keep you inspired though all forms of collaboration… and the occasional selfie.

Of course we had to go big and by go big we mean we decked the entire party out in Ralph Lauren from the table tops to the shoes! …so it was basically my dream party. Zach, Kelly’s boyfriend (who just opened a new restaurant in Manhattan!) made the most beautiful dinner of Coq au Vin (recipe HERE!) while Kevin welcomed our guests with a Suburban cocktail (see his story & recipe below!).

Kelly took care of the table with a focus on personal touches, my favorite being the way she did the place settings by using a small silver frame and having me print photos that I have taken of us through the years (which was super easy using THIS), as a way to mark each person’s seat at the table. I loved this touch. I thought it really represented our friendship and collaboration and was an amazing way for everyone to re-tell the story behind the image.

While she sat the table I thought it would be fun to put the photo studio in use even for a dinner party! I threw up a gray seamless and put some warm gels over a couple of kino flo lights and had the camera ready to go to take portraits of each other, to remember this time in our lives together, and this holiday season. As the night progressed the portrait studio turned into a candid riot of laughter and dancing and all out friendship silliness. I cherish this night, these real moments of laugher and wine, photography and art- all the passions that brought us together in the first place.

So here’s to the holiday season. I hope you find some inspiration in our intimate Ralph Lauren inspired dinner party for your own this December and remember to be with the ones that you love….

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Kelly has a method to her table-setting-madness! See here entertaining tips here! 

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Above~ keeping it classic in a Ralph Lauren Collection Cashmere Chunky Knit Turtleneck (I order a size up to make it extra cozy), Collection Pencil Skirt and Suede Blamina Sandal

Continue reading “Happy Holidays” →

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Happy Holidays!

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What a year we have had together. From New York Fashion Week to London, Paris and Malibu you all have been here as witness to one of the most extraordinary years of our lives and I can not thank you enough for the support.  Happy Holidays around the world, a very Merry Christmas to you & yours and Happy New Year…. From Me To You.

Recreated vintage dress by Sandra Murphy 

A Texas White Christmas

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Never in my life had I been able to wake up on Christmas morning to a White Christmas until this past one. It’s not that snow is a new thing to me, I have to deal just like everyone else with it in New York (see my Walkin in a Winter Wonderland story) to the point where I kick at it to go away. It’s just, this is Texas. The state where my mom wears her Christmas sweater despite the fact she is sweating. Where when I was little my parents made me change because I was wearing my Santa sweat shirt with shorts to school. So for the first time I got to wake up, look out my window and stare in awe at an undisturbed blanket of glittering white snow. These are the pictures from my morning walk, A Texas White Christmas, From Me To You.

Home for the Holidays~

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So there I am in my Santa Claus sweater my grandma made me some years ago when people could still by Polaroid film at the grocery store. Going home means finding little gems like this and creating new ones as time goes by.

We got new family stockings this year, I requested our names to be written on them as they’ve always been.. I’m special though, I got puff paint.

Grandma and Grandpa adorn the tree as we gathered for Christmas lunch at my Grandma & Aunt Sherry’s house.

My gift in this year’s White Elephant game. Growing up my Step-Dad used to draw cartoons on my brother and my lunch sacks so I had him draw Manhattan as a clue to what the gift was. I gave an original print and I won a pressure cooker!! Never used one before but they fascinate me on Iron Chef.

Grandma and my brother Justin on Christmas

My Aunt Deb and I got to babysit the newest baby in the family, Jake (or Jake-y, Jake the Snake or Jake Grant depending on what he was up to at the moment). I found him to be a complete lady charmer which can only mean trouble.

While I was home my brother turned 30, a milestone I could not miss.

I gave him our Dad’s journal from when he was born which talks about seeing him for the first time. I’m such a good sister… The restaurant the family went out to celebrate in Burleson called Babe’s makes birthday boys (my uncle’s birthday as well) dress up like chickens and dance. Genius.

Christmas with the family