IT'S THE WEEKEND!

Let the Weekend begin!!!

If you haven't tried this Hendrick incarnation, you don't know what you're missing! You know the Casa du Borghese is endorsed and stocked with gratuitous amounts of Hendricks! Cock-a-tail of the night...

Mistress Gin Spritiz

In a tallish glass with ice.... a Healthy dose of Another Hendricks, 35 ml Apple Juice,35ml Sparkling wine, 50ml of soda, 5ml Cherry Liquor, 3 slices of cucumber, 1 cherry, 1 orange twist. Drink and repeat. Cheers bitches! 

And now for something different and my latest obsession....grab a houseboy and hit play darlings.

MARRIAGE?

It had been a while since I was at a wedding. From the post yesterday, you read I had just gone to my good friend's wedding reception they had for family and friends. While I will go to weddings, solo, with friends or the Lad, I always dreaded them. It's like clockwork someone always asks, You're so handsome and have many interests... when are you going to settle down? While I want to roll my eyes, I always say I can respect marriage and those who marry, but I don't think it's me. The sassy lesbian, who feels much the same way, and two others asked if I ever been married yet? I said MARRIED???? I was married four times already! The first was to a banker. Then I married a ringmaster and circus owner. The next was to a priest and the last one was a funeral director. Our friend Stacy said, "My god Maddie, why such diverse careers?" I said, "Well it was 1 for the money, two for the show, 3 to get ready and four to go."

Then on top of that, the Dames assistant made a comment about the gins I was putting away. Tallhlah Bankhead would have been proud. She said to me. "Maddie, did you know that drinking alcohol kills you slowly?" I said, 'Really? Well, that's ok...I'm not in any hurry."

Then I was outside enjoying a cigar when security came up to me and the Dame's hubby and said Madame, you can't smoke a cigar right here at the entrance, I said "All right buddy, now why don't you act like your hairline and take a few steps back."

Which could be why my word of the night was Ambitchious. It's the desire to become better at being a fucking bitch. Thanks heavens my tall, dark and handsome swept me off my feet. And onto my back. 

Till the next wedding.

THE DUCHESS

Whilst in Baltimore this weekend we made a quick pitstop on the way back home to say hi to some boys I know who own a delicious home accents shop, which hit the wallet hard I might add, and we dined at a stop I enjoy, The Duchess. You may be thinking it's Duchess Deedles's house. I wish! But she is on the other coastline! But every time I see this place I think of our Duchess Deedles and think the place is named in her honor. The Duchess is a corner pub, but don't expect shepherd's pie or Yorkshire pudding here. Rather than serve traditional pub grub, the Duchesss  is the ultimate hangout in Hampden brought to life by owner Tony Foreman and Chef KiKo Fejarang, with a sometime weekly rotating menu I hear. With a vibe inspired by the friendly spirit of a English pub, it's a place where great food and good time come together for sure. The food and even drinks infuse the Chef's vibrant Chamorro heritage and rich with culinary roots from Western Pacific, Guam. She has a melting pot of taste on the menu from Filipino, Japanese, Korean and even some Spanish cuisine. It's definitely a friendly place, with welcoming staff and attentiveness...the place is a true original fitting right into this quirky town of Hampden. I have always loved the vibe of the place. By time we left from an early dinner, the place was packed and we caught just enough of a live performance from a singer on stage, which I hear is a new weekly addition. And we made pigs of ourselves!

I already can't wait to go back!

I came across this video from a year ago of the place for more info. I just adore Chef. And yes, she does a lot with Spam! And it was delish!

SCENE IN PHILADELPHIA

A glorious weekend!!!! The weekend jolly was nothing more than a mere weekend getaway, spent with a few friends just to get out, drink and be merry. It also became a small celebration of sorts as I learned Thursday I got a company award for Visual Showroom Manager of the year! Quite a surprise!  Who knew my Joan Crawford standards and OCD would pay off?  I got back to the Casa this morning met with cooler temps, some drizzles and cool gales. Yesterday was warm and sunny and we even caught a glimpse of the Obama's, and Clintons arriving at the Kimmel Center. Earlier at lunch at my favorite Cuban eatery, we had seen a huge motorcade and had no idea what or who it was, but no fear it was the dump. He hates Philly and would never show his face again. It was later while walking we caught the glimpse of the Obama's and Clintons at the Kimmel Center. I learned later all four former presidents were present along with Jill Biden and the likes of Tina Fey, Kate McKinnon, Nicole Kidman, Hoda Kotb, Garth Brooks, Tom Brady and many others were all present for talks and interviews on American History, the past and current times, immigration and what it means to America, democracy, social justice and healing division. The event was apparently sponsored by the History Channel. Again, in Philly one never knows who you'll see. Anywho...some nice sights on a wonderful spring walkabout. Most of our time was spent in the fabulous Rittenhouse Square neighborhood this trip. 

Rittenhouse Square one of my favorite places to hang out was planned in 1682 by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas Holme making it the fourth oldest park in the US. Of the five Philadelphia parks they planned, Rittenhouse is the only one to continuously retain it's original intent: an urban square to be used as as a place of retreat and respite. And the park is very well tended to. If you live there no doubt you've seen the staff and volunteers cleaning benches and weeding and other chores to keep the park a lovely place to visit.

And no visit to Rittenhouse is complete without dinner and cock-a-tails at the Parisian inspired brasserie, Parc!

Lobster cocktail

There's always time for a cock-a-tail!

And dessert...profiteroles.

Enough said.

HOLIDAY SPIRITS

I don't know if it's just me or not, but because of the state of the country and this lousy administration, people seem to yearn for some relief and seems to be in the spirit of the holiday more than usual. I have seen more homes with lights out then then last few years. I don't know. But it was good to finally get out and enjoy some time with friends. I departed Thursday as I and the clan got together for a bit of a jolly in NYC which didn't disappoint. We took in some of the sights, a trip to the lovely John Derian shop, and even enjoyed my first cocktails since the surgery... just enjoyed time being away, with no schedule. As always, the city didn't disappoint, but being visual, I did return last night very mentally spent. We even beat the crowds, planning out times at places smartly. But the getting up early could have killed me. 

Rockefeller Plaza! It's been a minute since I've been there.

Of all things, my favorite thing to see is the Public Library lions with their wreaths on. And the tree outside of Aster Hall inside was stunning.

Byrant Park

St Patrick's Cathedral

Inside Bergdorf Goodman. 

You can see the windows I posted early in the week here.

Meanwhile over at my old Alma mater of 18 years, Bloomingdales, I thought their windows were pretty clever. Knights Before Christmas. 

Christian Dior window.

Hudson Yards.

A trip to John Derian's is always a treat for me.

 I came out of there with four more bird clip ornaments.

Before heading back on the train, our little clan concluded with some "holiday spirits" at the Algonquin Hotel this year at the fabled Blue Bar...and spotted the hotel cat, Hamlet, who gets free reign of the hotel. It's quite funny and part of the hotel's charm. He must be the 8th in the line of Hamlets.

It's been ages since we enjoyed drinks there, But I always love it. A stop at the Blur Bar is an opportunity to sip where history was made and sit in the very space that helped shape New York's literary and theatrical scene. Everyone from Dorothy Parker to James Dean, to Alan Jay Lerner and Fredrick Loewe who composed over days the music to My Fair Lady in the hotel, to the likes of Harold Ross, founder of the New Yorker, Robert Benchley, artist and illustrator Neysa McMein,  playwright and humorist, George S Kaufman, Harpo Marx, Tallulah Bankhead, and later, wasn't uncommon to see the likes of Maya Angelou, a young Harry Connick Jr, Liza Minelli and everyone's favorite booze hound, Elaine Stritch, among a long list of others. After Prohibition, the bar reopened with a unique touch- John Barrymore, a frequent guest, convinced the hotel to install blue lighting gels above the bars' fixtures, believing the cooler hues were more flattering to everyone's, but mostly his, complexion. Today, the same lighting still reflects off the cocktail glasses held by guest and patrons, who knowingly or not are partaking in a timeless tradition, and are in a place graced once by so many colorful camp characters. For over a hundred years they have been serving cock-a-tails, it tickles me to be just a small piece of scrap in it's overall fabric.

It was a good time and an even better lie in today.