what are you doing new year's eve?

when mom and dad would leave me to babysit the girls in favor of attending a
lovely grown-up new year's party,
i'd usually get sloshed on martinelli's then put on
harry connick jr's "what are you doing new years eve?"

it sounded so sophisticated and adult.

i'd find mom's highest pair of heels,
dance around with the couch cushions,
and dream of the day when i would be invited to grown-up parties just like m & d.

now that i'm grown,
the luster of new years has tarnished into a decided opinion that new year's eve
is amateur night
and that time's square should be avoided at all costs.

but dancing around in fancy shoes.... that never get's old.

m & d generously sent some cash-ola to purchase new black boots (greatly needed).......

but who can resist a classic pair of 4 inch louboutin's at a quarter of the price!!!???

i think i did what any sensible woman would do!

dancing shoes are much more practical!

hope you dance your way into next year!

top 2 questions

when people discover that i'm mormon,

the following questions ALWAYS ensue (in no particular order-with my answers italicized):

1. "woah! how many wives does your dad have?!"
deadpan me: 7. my mom is number 5.

no, my friend. mormons don't have multiple wives...
even if "big love" tells you otherwise...



2. "do you know the osmonds?"
me: yes.

them: "seriously?!"

me: yes.

them: "well then maybe you know so-and-so.... that's the one mormon i know"

and more often than not, i DO know so-and-so.... it's a small world.

...happens every time.

pic by nic

spending the day

belting my face off with a celebrated composer,
creating my first of eight final grease performances on broadway ,
and

hearing bedtime stories (ie. n's newest luscious play) from a pulitzer prize winner

is why i love living in this fancy city with my fancy friends.

photo stolen from nic

never

spend an afternoon watching marley and me
while your very own brown-eyed puppygirl
is home alone with the stomach flu.

serious mommy guilt will ensue.

i thought

the curious case of benjamin button
was most exquisite.

so many beautiful life lessons.

i literally scribbled quotes thru my tears -- much to e's dismay.

mr pitt isn't so hard to look at either....

brooke shields

saw our show last night.
she
is
stunning!

i was dying to ask her about lipstick jungle.

bff

i'm completely obsessed with this ginette ny
best friend necklace set. ...

it's on sale.

too bad i have too many bff's to buy just one!!!

i think someone should give one to me!

for my solo-christmas, i

made delish sugar cookies but had to be inventive cause i forgot sprinkles/cookie accessories/cookie cutters...

babysat a tiny jewish princess on christmas eve, wrapped her in swaddling clothes and pretended she was baby Jesus.
she's divine.

sang "oh, christmas tree" around my festive lemon tree.

did a christmas gift exchange

with my lovies from b6

ate magnolia cupcakes after chinese christmas dinner with my jewish wiseman, e.

hoped stellie would be a good dinner guest
(eesh.. she wasn't... this is the view looking down from the table)

ate delicious homemade manicotti and other italian specialties that kris and doug (the ropers) and her parents made for christmas dinner.

if i was going to spend this year alone (boo), i had a LOVELY time with my adopted families.

thank you for making room at your inn!

passion, adventure, music

my pics of
"passionate, musical adventures in the big apple with abk"
are finally here!!

hurrah!

we saw "the tree."

ate cuban corn at cafe habana post sample sale-ing...

schlepped to brooklyn at 11:00 pm for grimaldi's pizza,
flirting with the russians,
and

pizza-zit popping.

listened to a xocai chocolate pitch

introduced abk to bloomie's fro yo after shopping in soho

saw a man wearing 4 shirts (on top of each other) AND an ascot at the balthezar bar
(he is an "artist")

ate yummy dinner @ balthezar, eye flirted with a strange German man, and did dessert @ mercer kitchen,

introduced abk to bff DD

posed for a "normal picture"

ate cupcakes at magnolia

kissed the angel/fairy at the bethesda fountain in central park

munched shake shack

forced ang to see me for her FIRST broadway show

had girl talk at dip dip

yum..... serendipity.

yes.
we ate our way thru the city.

i had the time of my life with one of my favorite people in the entire world!!

i love you!
come back soon!!!

the infamous hill christmas card

is apparently going in the mail today.

nic did a great job this year....
cept it looks like im lusting after her husband.....
s'wierd.

did you see the titles of both of our christmas posts?
we're clearly sisters.... and were raised on a healthy dose of the carpenters.

merry christmas, darlings.

ti-ti -hating her life.

we're apart, that's true.

but i can dream
and in my dreams,

i'm christmas-ing with you.

. the carpenters .

for sN and me, this is our first christmas as orphans.
thankfully, our sweet jewish and italian friends will be taking us in.
joy to the world.

hope you get to be with people you la la LoVe
and remember the true meaning of christmas,

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them,

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

luke 2 : 8-14

pics by nic, natch.

eight crazy nights!

ever since i played anne frank,
hanukkah has always been a favorite holiday of mine.
hope your celebration of light is bright!

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah
The sweet celebration
Around the feast we gather
in complete jubilation

Many are the reasons for good cheer
Now that the Season of Lights is here
Many are the reasons for good cheer
Now that the Season of Lights is here

Together we'll weather
whatever tomorrow may bring
So hear us rejoicing and merrily voicing
the Hanukkah song that we sing

photos by nicole

bye bye moldew

i'm usually more of a non-toxic cleaning product fan,
but x-14 is mildew- remover magic.
seriously.

thank you, x-14, for making my tub-scrub such a speedy event today!

steam heat

sN ti-ti got the sneezes every time i would swiffer my floors....
after all, the little dustbuster nugget is like 2 inches off the ground.

so i bought the shark steam mop.

much "green"-er.

much clean-er.

much less ti-ti allergic-er.

. pop . pop . pop .

in the midst of 5th avenue holiday hustle and bustle,
worthini and i happened upon pop burger.

(seems like we eat burgers, exclusively, i know... what'll i do once i don't hand jive anymore?!)

i liked it cause the burgers are mini.

everything is better mini.

however, it's no shake shack, folks.

HELP! i need somebody!

not just anybody!

help!!

my lovely sublettor fell thru..... eek!

so i'm cutting the price...
recession special/i'd rather have someone sweet and lovely rather than a total pig/stranger from craigs list.

$1800 or BEST OFFER

. january 5-31 .

i'm a fair weather fan.....

Mets 3rd baseman, david wright, caught the tail end of john's show.
.... that man is very fun to look at and such a nice guy.

i'm usually a yankee fan...... but i may just have to shout, goooo mets!

my very dear friend,

john pinette, headlined caroline's tonight.
he's freaking hysterical and even gave me a shout out!

the wait staff came up to me and said,

"YOU'RE no-gluten natalie?!"
(ij for john pinette fans)

yes. yes i am.
(or was... i eat everything these days)

thank you johnny for being my friend.

and thank you for being so funny i didn't have to do a courtesy laugh.

here we are in hairspray.
he's the mama in the front and i'm the pinky far left by the hot dog guy.
those were the days.

my spectacular grand-finnish-auntie nina

must have known this was coming....

because she made

this fab pom-pom hat.

just like the one i used to wear when i was wee.....

i love it so.

thank you | thank you | thank you

ugg-a-wugg

i think the back zip on the new uggs are rather fantastic.

easy-in-easy-out and more form fitted.

the other snazzier styles are pretty cool as well...

super.

this orbit flavor

tastes delish.... but smells like body odor.

not kissable.

i repeat. not kissable.