Merry Almost Christmas.

ASPEN

It’s almost here! Just another day! This is my second Christmas in Paris. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand… Paris for Christmas is beautiful, subtle, elegant, refined and demure. I appreciate all of this. The decorations warm your heart and make you feel like you are living in a previous era. In Paris, no one runs around like a crazy person last-minute gift buying. Everyone is walking calmly with a bag or two in their hands… Most likely on their way to a café for a vin chaud. There is definitely a quality versus quantity school of thought here. One black high-quality cashmere sweater from Eric Bompard versus three cotton sweaters from The Gap. One bottle of Le Labo Rose perfume versus a giant basket of body products from Bed Bath & Beyond. A succulent Christmas goose versus a giant Honeybaked Ham. An afternoon Christmas walk through the Jardin des Tuileries versus a Christmas afternoon movie theater outing to see the latest blockbuster… Most likely violent. There is a calmness to Christmas in Paris and I like that… Sort of.

In full disclosure, I have to admit, I miss Christmas in America. There, I said it. I do. I miss all of it. I miss people getting trampled at Walmart on Black Friday. I miss maxing out credit cards. I miss a two hour line to sit on Santa’s lap. I miss those creepy Salvation Army Christmas volunteers dancing for donations in front of Bloomingdale’s New York. I miss the New York City Christmas windows. I miss those Christmas freaks who put Christmas wreaths on the front of their cars. I miss colored lights. I miss corny Christmas music. I miss Christmas at my mom’s house with the entire family.. I miss a Christmas Beef Wellington with mashed potatoes. I miss the opulence, the decadence, the hustle and bustle, the Christmas rage, snow days at school, Gracie’s Christmas pageants, regular American Christmas music at church like O Come All Ye Faithful and Silent Night, the old-school snowman in your front yard, the good cheer, the Nesbitt’s over-the-top Christmas party, Hickory Farm salami and cheese baskets, Barnes & Noble Christmas books, American Christmas movies, American wrapping paper and especially American Christmas trees.

If I got my wish for Christmas my dream would be…to go back to Aspen for Christmas. This is where my best memories are. I have been going there since the 70s. I even lived there full-time when Gracie was little. There is nothing like Christmas in Aspen. Snow, skiing, cashmere sweaters, ski lodge sipping hot toddies, afternoon après-ski at Little Nell’s, early dinner at Mezzaluna, late sushi dinner at Matsuhisa, drinks and American hamburgers at the Jerome, shopping at Amen Wardy, hot chocolate at the cart, ogling at the Ralph Lauren windows, breakfast muffins at the Paradise bakery, stocking stuffers at the pharmacy. Driving down Valley in an old school Wagoneer to Walmart, salami sandwiches at the Butcher’s Block, my brother, sister and I skiing all day at Buttermilk and having funnel cakes in the afternoon. And who could forget Boogies! Live bears walking in the streets of Aspen. Skiing old-school Ajax, watching Seal perform at the Belly Up, sledding, horse drawn carriage rides, midnight hot tub runs, dancing until dawn at the Caribou club with Susan, Yolanda, Taren, Ursula, Diandra, Todd and Paige. Oh what fun we had! The good news is that Gracie has all of the same memories of Aspen as I do (except maybe all the bars and dancing) and for that I am grateful. The bad news is that David has never been to Aspen so he doesn’t “get it”, not that he would anyway. Maybe that will be my goal for next year… Get back to Aspen.

So, for today’s blog I thought I would go down memory lane…through pictures. I was going to add all of these Christmas photos in my Christmas book but Gracie said that no one wants to see our family photos. So, if other people’s family photos bore you… Skip the rest of this blog. Here we go…

 

MY LITTLE BROTHER, MATT IN MISSOURI 

 

 

 ME IN ASPEN

 

 

MY SISTER, MOTHER, ME AND MY BROTHER IN ASPEN 

 

 

MY SISTER AND ME IN ASPEN 

 

 

MY SISTER AND ME RECEIVING OUR FIRST PAIR OF CALVIN KLEIN JEANS FOR CHRISTMAS IN ASPEN 

 

 

OUR HOUSE IN ASPEN IN THE 80'S 

 

 

SLEDDING IN ASPEN 

 

 

MY BROTHER, ME AND MY SISTER IN ASPEN 

 

 

MY PARENTS IN ASPEN 

 

 

MY BROTHER AND HIS DOGS IN ASPEN 

 

 

YOLANDA AND ME AT THE NESBITT'S CHRISTMAS PARTY IN SANTA BARBARA 

 

 

CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK AT MY APARTMENT

 

 

YOLANDA AND ME CHRISTMAS EVE AT MY PARENT'S HOUSE SANTA BARBARA 

 

 

GRACIE AND ME AT MY PARENT'S HOUSE SANTA BARBARA 

 

 

 GRACIE AND SANTA IN MONTECITO

 

 

MY GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE IN THE SNOW, MISSOURI 

 

 

MY GRANDMOTHER AT OUR HOUSE IN MALIBU FOR CHRISTMAS 

 

 

MY SWEET LITTLE BROTHER AT OUR HOUSE IN MISSOURI WITH OUR DOG 

 

 

MY GRANDMOTHER'S CHRISTMAS TREE IN MISSOURI 

 

 

OUR CHRISTMAS TREE IN NEW YORK APARTMENT 

 

 

GRACIE, IMARA AND HUDSON AT DIANDRA'S HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS.

(NOTE THE FABULOUS CONSOLE, VASE AND LAMPS) 

 

 

DIANDRA AT THE PLAZA HOTEL IN NEW YORK FOR CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS 

 

 

ME, URSULA AND DAVID AT URSULA'S CHRISTMAS PARTY 

 

 

LITTLE GIGI, YOLANDA, LITTLE BELLA AND LITTLE GRACIE CHRISTMAS EVE AT MY PARENT'S HOUSE 

 

 

CHRISTMAS IN PARIS 2013 

 

 

CHRISTMAS AT MY PARENT'S HOUSE 

 

 

CHRISTMAS AT MY PARENT'S HOUSE 

 

 

CHRISTMAS AT MY PARENT'S HOUSE SANTA BARBARA 

 

 

 CHRISTMAS AT MY PARENT'S HOUSE SANTA BARBARA 

 

 

CHRISTMAS AT MY PARENT'S HOUSE SANTA BARBARA 

 



DAVID FOSTER, YOLANDA, LITTLE GIGI, LITTLE ANWAR AND BRUCE JOHNSON

AT MY PARENT'S HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS

 

 

CHRISTMAS AT DIANDRA'S IN SANTA BARBARA 

 

 CHRISTMAS AT DIANDRA'S HOUSE SANTA BARBARA 

 

 

CHRISTMAS AT DIANDRA'S IN SANTA BARBARA 

 

CHRISTMAS IN PARIS 2014

 

Merry Christmas!