Give the Gift of Nespresso

"Open this one first!" Give the gift of Nespresso this holiday season.

I am all about practicality these days. Kevin and I love our Nespresso VertuoLine machine, the Evoluo, when we are back home in New York. Our schedules move at different paces throughout the day and some days I might want an afternoon pick-me-up, and other days he wants that extra cup in the morning without committing to an entire pot of coffee or french press that goes to waste.

Where it really shines is at parties. Guests may have an after dinner espresso or coffee (with or without caffeine) made to order without taking me away from the gathering or creating another thing to clean up after all the fun.

There are a variety of Holiday Grand Crus to choose from such as gingerbread and pumpkin spice cake which make it especially fun for the holidays! I like to keep mine in a beautiful pearl and silver box which makes each capsule seem like a little treasure plucked from a jewel box. I typically have my coffee black on the day to day basis for I find the rich, generous foam crema Nespresso is known for silky enough for me. If you prefer to have some milk, the Aeroccino milk frother is an amazing hands free way to make creamy foamed milk or preferred mixer for yourself or guests to stir in if they so please.

So when I came back this holiday season to do a little Christmas shopping and attend some friend’s holiday gatherings, I just thought about how practical the Nespresso Evoluo has been in our life and what great host gift it would be for friends not only in their personal lifestyle but in that moment, at the event they are hosting! “Open this one first” might be the most fun and exciting way to enter a loved one’s home and surprising them with a gift perfect for their lifestyle and which they can use right away for guests.

I can speak from personal experience to the peerless quality of Nespresso. Not only in the crema, and the coffees sourced from around the world but also in the sleek and sturdy design of the machine, which is important because it’s something you have to look at on a daily basis. We have enjoyed ours to a great extent and have gifted it to friends and family who have all reported back great pleasure especially in the practicality of meeting each person’s individual desires at the push of a button. Nespresso also has a painless recycling program which is a must for a capsule based coffee machine.

This holiday season let’s pay thanks to the amazing hosts from family members who spend days decorating and cooking, to friends who open their homes and hearts to us, to work colleagues who spend more time with us than almost anyone in our lives. I feel that it is important for people to feel appreciated by saying as sincerely as possible ‘thank you’ and if you are able, giving a gift fit for a great hostess. From a simple bouquet of flowers to wonderfully aromatic candles, or a special bottle of wine are all great starts but if you really want to give them something that will be a great addition to that night and all their days to come, think about Nespresso. It’s quite literally the gift that keeps on giving.

Happy Holidays to all the hosts and may we all give thanks in the coming together.

  "Open this one first!" Give the gift of Nespresso this holiday season. "Open this one first!" Give the gift of Nespresso this holiday season. Continue reading “Give the Gift of Nespresso”

Holiday Coffee Cocktails with Nespresso

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Tis the season, as they say. With all the up coming parties and family get togethers, I thought it would be fun to do a classic twist on the simple pleasure and ease of  Nespresso coffee as either a sweet delectable treat or seasonal cocktail to keep the party going. Whether it’s through holiday entertaining in good taste among family and friends or savoring a moment alone on the couch, these are great ways to be a stylish host without too much effort but maintaining the best quality. 

The new VertuoLine Evoluo Machine creates both a splendid cup of coffee or shot of espresso with Nespresso’s signature layer of naturally-formed crema. My friend Molly who is a food writer and stylist developed two holiday coffee cocktails based on these functions of our machine. Of course, it would be a great idea to gift an Evoluo for the holidays and break in the machine with a fun treat like these! 

Hot Mocha

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1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1 shot Nespresso espresso

handful marshmallows, to serve

dusting of white sparkling sugar & edible silver stars

to spike (optional)- add a shot of whiskey or bourbon

Heat the milk, cocoa and sugar in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until steaming. Whisk to combine. Make a shot of Nespresso espresso in a large mug. Pour hot chocolate mixture over the espresso and top with marshmallows. Serve immediately. *Makes 1 Holiday_Coffee_Cocktail_Nespresso_03 Continue reading “Holiday Coffee Cocktails with Nespresso”

A Cointreau Summer

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 Recently we shot a cinemagraph series for Cointreau, an orange-flavored liqueur produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d’Anjou, France, which brought in a flurry of butterflies and easy summer cocktail recipes into the studio. Light, simple and delicious I found them to be the perfect charming drink to serve your guests and friends this summer holiday weekend without finding yourself spending too much time crafting a cocktail. 

THE ORIGINAL COINTREAU RICKEY

– 2 oz Cointreau

– 1 oz  fresh lime juice

– 4 oz club soda

Pour Cointreau and fresh lime juice into a glass and add ice. Top with Club soda and stir. Garnish with a lime and orange zest. 

 

{styled by Kelly Framel || model by Karolina Wallce || Hair by Casey Geren || Makeup by Porsche Cooper || Manicure by Angel Williams }

More entertaining ideas and inspiration here

Lord Byron Woodring

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Being Lord of the Manor comes with a world of responsibilities…one of which is knowing which secrets to tell and which to keep hidden. He has navigated his business deals by holding his cards close to his chest and keeping his power as strong as the stone columns of the manse. Lord Byron Woodring is a reserved gentleman who appreciates peace and quiet and expects only the highest quality from everything in life, from his choice of wife to his L.U.C. timepiece down to the label of scotch in his drink. No time for play, he strategizes the evening ahead where guests become pieces in his chess game. What does he have in store for tonight’s dealings?

Wise, succinct, and most of all, discreet, there are not many #ChopardSecrets Lord Byron has not heard…but what of his own? We may never know…

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Lord Byron wears Chopard’s L.U.C. Timepiece // Caruso Tux & Shirt // Florsheim Shoes

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Lord Byron Woodring played by Sandor Johnson // Shot on location at Old Westbury Gardens by Ann Street Studio // Styled by Kelly Framel // Props by Zio & Sons // Makeup by Ashlee Glazer // Hair by Justin Woods // Manicurist Katie Hughes for Butter London // All watches and high jewelry provided by Chopard

Part III: Berlin

In the 1950s, my grandfather Beck was stationed in Berlin. Growing up as a child, I was always so fascinated by the old black & white photos of him from this era in this place unlike anything I knew on the country roads of Texas. I’ve always wanted to go and walk in his footsteps, to think of him as a young man, his family so far away, the devastation of war in front of him. We walked from East to West, we studied the differences from old photographs. We wandered the streets of Scheunenviertel and Kurfürstendamm. We had pretzels and beer, schnitzel and sauerkraut and look back in time of a city that changed so much.

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Summer & Wine

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Recently we enjoyed a dinner party out in the country, drinking wine provided by our friends at Ecco Domani, and spending time catching up with the people we love. As we grilled, chatted, and relaxed in each other’s company, the soft and subtle sounds of the playlist below served as a perfect complement to the meal.

Below is our summer & wine playlist – as we head into the weekend, we hope you  spend it with the ones you love, share a bottle of wine, create new memories & make the most of this glorious season…

Listen to more of our playlists here!

HUSK

Charleston's newest popular resturant HUSK.

Talk about COMFORT FOOD. Husk is Charleston’s perfect combination of modern day sophistication and down-home goodness. The second you walk onto the double-front porch and feel the coziness of being home, it’s like the whole experience has you wrapped in a cashmere blanket. The board on the foyer wall lists all the local farms, fishermen, growers who supply your food. It feels like one big Southern family here with roots that extend for generations. On the drink menu they serve things like cider made from the same recipe as its creation 100 years ago  or house-made soda concoctions and old classics like Cheerwine Soda from Salisbury, NC, the old soft drink company still run by the same family. With a menu that changes twice daily, it’s so hard to decide what to order! As far as the classics on the menu go, I’m always a sucker for southern catfish, which is outstanding here, but word has it they are the best burger in town. So add it to your must-eats list and feel free to take me with you when you go….

PS- the pig ear lettuce wraps are DELICIOUS, the selection of Madeira wine is fantastic, and their pimento cheese crostini haunt my dreams…

Charleston's newest popular resturant HUSK. Charleston's newest popular resturant HUSK. Charleston's newest popular resturant HUSK. Continue reading “HUSK”

Ecco Domani’s Spring Fling

EccoDomani_Spring_02 Last fall we had the pleasure of shooting the new packaging and in-store displays for the contemporary Italian Wine Ecco Domani at our studio here in New York. Just because it was a photoshoot and not an actual event taking place – in this case, a book-club party with a group of girlfriends at home – doesn’t mean the food shouldn’t be a great pairing for the wine!

My friend Molly who is an amazing food stylist (remember this series we did together?) created a few spring-time inspired grilled flat bread recipes for our shoot that were DELICIOUS with the crisp Pinot Grigio wine (after we wrapped, we enjoyed some ourselves!). I love Molly’s recipes, they are so fresh and seasonal. This past December she created two special wine cocktail drink recipes for our Ann Street Studio Holiday Party with Ecco Domani’s Pinot Grigio and Merlot. It’s very important to the global wine brand “to produce wines that are fruit forward and food friendly” so the pairings had to work in real life just as in our book club photoshoot.

I’ve really been enjoying the relationship with Ecco Domani this past year, a brand that also thinks about tomorrow not only in their wine but in the world around us. They do a lot in the fashion industry with the Ecco Domani Fashion Fund to help young emerging designers create their collections and present them to the world.  So many of the past EDFF winners have gone on to shape the fashion industry and be a driving force in our culture such as Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung, and Rodarte to name a few!

It’s been an amazing experience finding a balance between being creative and getting the shot the client needs for their messaging and display / box dimensions. And of course, it is always a joy and pleasure to get to work with your friends, the people you have a creative conversation with so seamlessly that it makes work feel like play. For this shoot we collaborated with food stylist Molly Shuster, stylist Erin Framel, and hair and makeup artist Ana Sicat. So perhaps you’ll be inspired to have some friends over on a Saturday afternoon, talk about what you’re reading, have some wine and try out Molly’s recipe, sounds like a perfect way to spend an afternoon to me….

PS-This light, floral, citrus-y and crisp top selling wine is also very easy to find in your local wine shop or Italian restaurant, and now when you see the advertising and packaging you know who shot it! Xx

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Continue reading “Ecco Domani’s Spring Fling”

The Pisco Sour

You know how I like a good drink from my champagne obsession, wines from around the world, beer on summer nights, and oh yes! my dirty martinis in Manhattan. Well, now I have something new to add to my favorite drink list – the #onlyinsouthamerica Pisco Sour!
We had our new friends at the Alto Atacama give us a step-by-step how-to for this light, limey, sweet drink. Of course, I don’t speak Spanish and they didn’t speak English, so the measurements are all educated guesses. My travel companion Gaby made her own version a little more accurately back in the States…either way, I’d go heavy on the Pisco *winks*
What you need & how to do it:

Bon Appetit!

Every time we go to Paris I take a list of newly recommended places to try mixing them in with simple brasserie meals. As it turns out, a few weeks ago at a dinner for Lincoln Motor Co., I sat next to a lovely Frenchman and took great pleasure in picking his brain on must-eat places! I was not disappointed (I mean how could you be!). Here are a few of the highlights mixed in with foodie snapshots from our weekend in Paris….

New to the list was BON with their chic and modern interior and AMAZING Asian food. We basically went down the left side of the menu in an array of small plates because I couldn’t be tied down to one dish. Crazy highly recommended.

With an incredible view, and I’m quite sure this is embarrassingly famous, I had the best burger of my life. It was almost like I never knew what a burger could be until Cafe Marly.

Continue reading “Bon Appetit!”

…and then we ate

I knew going to Italy was going to mean a couple of things…

Good wine, good food, and especially good pasta, and I was certainly not let down. Our mornings started with breakfast on the private terrace outside our bedroom overlooking Florence’s Arno River… but that was just the beginning. Pour yourself a glass of wine (and one for me too) and let’s tour a taste of Italy!

Continue reading “…and then we ate”