Happy New Year

One of my book illustrations from The Best Man's Handbook.

Another year is behind us, I am older and hopefully wiser, wise enough to abandon idiotic New Year's resolutions I have no intentions of keeping, I leave that to the young or foolish, people who can abide disappointing themselves.

I enjoy my small vices and refuse to face a shadowy new year without them. We all need to lighten up and be kind, especially to ourselves.

An old dog cannot learn new tricks which is why I suggest the hair of one the morning after... here is a recipe from my favorite NYC hotel bar.

Algonquin Bloody Mary
2 oz Vodka
4 oz Tomato Juice
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
6 dashes Tabasco Sauce
Salt
Black pepper
1 Lime wedge

Feel free to adjust this recipe as you see fit. My friend James in LA uses Lawry's seasoned salt (he refers to it as "the Brother's salt" ) and it is delicious, maybe it's the MSG. I prefer V-8 juice but will drink tomato juice if my cousin Bill adds a jumbo shrimp as garnish. My adventurous friend Monica uses Clamato juice which makes my blog designer gag but to each his own.
As it is a full moon this evening, I am going to call it an early night, but if I don't, I will be kind to myself tomorrow.

Out of Town and Out of Touch

I do like Christmas on the whole.... In its clumsy way, it does approach Peace and Goodwill. But oh, it is clumsier every year. ~E.M. Forster
I borrowed a quote here because my own words are clumsy. I am not quite sure how to wish a Merry Christmas to everyone in my life, Buddhists, Protestants, agnostics, Catholics, Jews, nudists, Muslims, Mormons, atheists... my friends from Mumbai, Iceland, Japan and that convivial little dog on my street that I am pretty sure is a giant rat. You are all a part of my daily life in this melting pot of a city we call home.
So, interpret this as you see fit, it is said with love, Merry Christmas.

As Lit as a Christmas Tree

Fedora, West Village, NYC

All tarted up

NYC is lit all year long but lately I have been as well. This holiday season I have been going "old school",  revisiting the iconic establishments that never go out of style. I ordered a Manhattan at Sardi's which still offers up complimentary cheddar cheese spread on Ritz crackers, peanuts and pretzels at the bar, while downtown, Fedora herself pours martinis alongside pretzels and cheese puffs, no nuts, except for the one sitting next to you.

It's Beginning to look a lot like...

The onslaught of Christmas has sent my blog designer, Paul Volpe, running to his psychiatrist more often than usual in anticipation of the holidaze. My sister Nora and I have never sought psychiatric help despite the fact that we were assured Santa would make deliveries from a cardboard fireplace and that Wimpy, our dog, had moved quite suddenly to a farm.

Variations on a Holiday Theme

Holiday cards for D.P. Accessories over the years

Sometimes clients become friends and friends become clients, I was introduced to Lisa Bayer at AREA through Paul Volpe. I was stuck in one of the club's art installation pieces, a vintage Winnebago, she and Paul helped pull me out through a tiny window. We became instant friends and Lisa has since given me illustration work whenever the opportunity arose in her world of fashion accessories.
These images are of her business holiday cards, we also created many outré full page illustrated ads together for WWD which I will share in another post.
Lisa takes visual risks with everything she approaches, including her own personal style, she does not need to wear a strand of Christmas lights around her neck to light up a room but she could pull it off if she wanted to.