Holiday Bling

Don't be caught out and about without your holiday accessories!

Love you Marco!

Decorating Like Adam: Cheese Plates

Impress your family and friends this holiday season with an elaborate cheese plate. Follow these easy steps and you'll have snacks that are both delicious and beautiful!

1. Pick out a board or plate. Here are a few suggestions, available at Crate and Barrel:
The Orion Cheese Plate (cost: $10) is a glass serving piece with two raised edges that allow you to tuck and layer cheese, crackers or whatever!
A slate cheese plate is also a good idea--as MartzoInc has pointed out in the past, you can write the types of cheeses in chalk on the slate boards!
For a rustic look, it is always nice to use a wooden board--traditional and classic!

2. Pick out your cheese(s). For a simple plate, maybe you'll only use one cheese. For most plates that I create, I like to use 3 different types of cheese: cheddar (you can safely bet that most people like cheddar) a soft, spreadable cheese (like the boursin herb cheeses or a brie) and a blue cheese or goat's cheese (for people who like a little spice and flavor!)

3. Pick your add-ons. This is where you can really make or break your cheese plate. For the two plates below I picked two different meats: procuitto and salami. I used baguettes and wheat crackers. For fruit I chose grapes, apples, and cranberries (the herb cheese I found was flavored with apples and cranberries, so it went well together). And I added cashews as well.

4. Enjoy your cheese plates.

Adam is out shopping!

Adam's Blog Names New Fashion Editor

Huge news this morning...or should I say Big(gy) news....Adam's Blog is very happy to welcome to the editorial staff, Christopher, aka Biggy--our new fashion guru.

Christopher took time away from his welcome reception to answer a few probing questions....

What attracted you to the fashion business?
What an existential question. Three words: HOUSE-OF-STYLE, haha....i'm only half kidding. I loved it when it was Amber Valetta and Shalom hosting, because they were so young. Also, when I was in middle school I saw 'Unzipped', which was a documentary of Isaac Mizrahi putting together a collection. I remember thinking...that looks like a fascinating room to be in. Also around that age, I obsessively watched the fashion programs on E and VH1 with hosts Jeanne Beker and Tim Blanks, and would memorize the models just for fun and see how many I could name per episode. All of my parents were very mannered in their style as well and I think that imbued me with an interest in what fashion was at a very early age.

What do you find most rewarding/ most challenging?
It's most rewarding when you see a collection or an issue and you know you had a part in it; that it would have been different without the collaboration of everyone. Or knowing the inside story behind an image or garment that millions of people will see.

Who has been the biggest bitch to work with?
.....you know I have done work in the theatre as well, right?

Holiday fashion--love it or leave it?
Like red and green? Love it, if you can laugh at yourself, and it works for you in the context of the moment.

Red or green?

Red.

Tell us something about you we don't know.

My favorite movie is 'Out of Africa' which was surprisingly part of the inspiration for the spring collection of the label I was working for this fall. I love Karen Blixen, and was in heaven working on that show.

What do u love most about Adam's Blog?

He updates a lot....blogs are a lot like fashion...if there's nothing new to interest the public, people will forget about you and you're over.

Wear Adam's Blog!

Now you can own a piece of Adam's Blog! Right now our shop is carrying products for the Holidays! Swing by and check it out and check back often as more and more merchandise is added!

ADAM'S BLOG SHOP

Winter Mantlescape

Since Ryan's aunt gave me such a hard time about my cranberry cones (...long story...and who doesnt love my cranberry decorations, come on!), I decided to nix the idea of doing a mantle based on cranberries. I had two large glitter cones from crate and decided to create a few more!

I wish I had these movies while I was out sick....

Growing up, I loved this version of A Christmas Carol. But it seems like they don't ever show it anymore. Wha' happened?



Come in and know me better man!



Merry Christmas you old Bob&Co. Building and Loan....

Hello All!

Adam has been out sick for a few days so he's asked me to post a question of the week since he is at home, in bed, stuck watching Christmas movies all day(without internet) until he feels better. So the question is this:

What is your favorite Holiday movie and why?

MM: White Christmas

Today I am still sick at home in bed, wishing that I had more Christmas movies to watch...I only have National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation here, so I've been watching it on loop.

One of my favorite Christmas movies is based on a musical. Irving Berlin's show, Holiday Inn, was turned into the Christmas classic White Christmas. It surprises me that some people are not familiar with this movie. Let me use this posting to whet your appetites...make White Christmas a part of your holiday season.

What is not to like about this movie? Its got singing, dancing, comedy, and Mary Wicks (who plays the old nun in the Sister Act movies). In the movie, two buddies get involved with two sisters--conveniently they all sing and dance and decide to put on a show in Vermont to help out an old friend from the army. You know what? Vermont should beautiful this time of year with all that snow... BUT THATS THE TWIST! There's no snow! snow! snow! snow! snow! Will it snow by the end of the movie? You'll need to watch to find out!

If you are lucky enough to have White Christmas on DVD, watch the movie with Rosemary Clooney's commentary. She plays the sister with the better voice in the movie. In her commentary, she is so nasty to Vera Ellen (who plays the sister who dances). Vera Ellen only sings one little part in the movie, all her other songs are sung by someone else. Rosemary Clooney goes out of her way to point out how bad the one part Vera Ellen actually sings is--and then brings it up later! Its great!

The Holiday Video Blog

I hope this adds to your enjoyment of the holidays....

Kathy's Cranberry Fun Fact

I want to go home and make a Cranberry Wreath now!

Kathy's Fun Fact of the Day!

Did you know that cranberries are one of only three commercially grown native fruits in all of North America? The other two are blueberries and concord grapes. Contrary to popular belief, the orange is native to China and was brought to Los Angeles in 1841. Today, 40% of North American Cranberry growers are in Massachusetts. The cranberry is Massachusetts' top agricultural crop.

So follow Adam's lead! Go out and support our local cranberry growers!

Decorating Like Adam with Cranberries!

Today's decorating segment is inspired by Martha Stewart. I feel like people often have mixed feelings about Martha, but no matter what you think about her as a person, her finished projects are always quite spectacular.

I first learned of this Cranberry Wreath when I was a little boy. Our family friend used to make this wreath every year and display it outside. I prefer to display it inside--but it really doesn't make too much difference in how you construct it.

So let's get to it: Making a Cranberry Wreath for the Holidays

1. Grow at least 2,000 cranberries* They should all be EXACTLY the same size and shape. *the number depends on how large you make your wreath

2. Take a flat styrofoam wreath (there are round forms that you should avoid) and wrap the form with red floral tape. This will keep any white styrofoam from showing if there are any spaces between the berries-which there shouldn't be-but just in case, the red tape will allow you to cheat.

3. You will need 3 bowls: 1 large bowl for the 2,000 cranberries, 1 smaller bowl for you to discard any bad berries, and 1 small bowl which you will fill with toothpick halves.

4. Buy enough tooth picks for all of your cranberries. They should be the round toothpicks, not the flat ones. Split the tooth picks in half--I have tried cutting them with a knife or scissors, but the easiest thing is to just break them in half.

5. Begin along the outer edge of the wreath form: Take one cranberry at a time and poke the toothpick into the end of the cranberry. Then, very gingerly, push the cranberry into the form.

6. You should try to put the cranberries in using a hexagonal form with one berry in the middle, like this:

7. You can hang the wreath with ribbon or use it on a table. To maintain the life of the cranberry wreath, keep it refrigerated while not on display.

8. Enjoy your wreath!

"What do you want for Christmas?"

For me, the answer to the question is THIS WATCH. However, I'm beginning to believe that this watch does not actually exist. The watch is a Hamilton Ventura... I've been online to hamiltonwatch.com. They don't sell their watches online. I requested a catalog thinking that I might be able to do a little catalog shopping--all they sent was a Hamilton Watch Newsletter. And I've been to the stores the website list as locations to buy Hamilton watches, but no one ever has this one. There are other models (like with black leather straps) but never this one. I had an associate try and track one down and all he could find was the watch band, not the whole watch. Peter may have gotten another lead on this, so keep your fingers crossed. The watch is expensive, but seriously, if you ever see this watch BUY IT and I will pay you back!

Since the watch is only a dream, I will have to settle for Zac Efron for Christmas this year:

I am obsessed

I saw Enchanted this weekend.

I can't get this song out of my head.....almost like my blog theme song!

MM: Linda Eder

There has been a great response regarding Musical Monday requests. And I will answer them all!

This week, though, marks the beginning of my Christmas Blogs! So I thought it would be appropriate to relate this Monday to Christmas and Broadway....

Linda Eder starred in Jekyll & Hyde as Lucy--the woman Edward Hyde lusts after. Linda's voice is quite amazing and was made the most of in that musical and in subsequent songs written by Frank Wildhorn, her ex-husband.

It is not her performance in J&H that I love her for, however. She has performed with the Boston Pops many times. The first time I saw her, she sang her signature song, "Vienna" and blew up the house. She also rocks it out in her version of "The Man of La Mancha."

Buy Linda Eder's Christmas Album! She has fantastic versions of many traditional carols, plus some original work. The best original piece is a song called "The Bells of St. Paul."

The video below is of "Bring on the Men," a song cut from the Broadway version of Jeykll and Hyde....I am still not sure why. Here are the notes from Linda's website:

• Although a "fan favorite," "Bring On The Men" was cut from the Broadway production of JEKYLL & HYDE.
• "Bring On The Men" was replaced with "Good 'N' Evil" on Broadway.
• Every production of the show before Broadway, and since Broadway, has included "Bring On The Men."