look : birthday [glitter pimp]

drunch [drunk + brunch] is one of new york's finer innovations. on the table there were bottomless bellinis. on the dj booth there was a neon violin played by a raver in sequined shorts. savera's 21st birthday at pranna was a classy ragefest. as the clubbing ensued [at 3pm], savera's birthday dress became the center of attention. a human disco ball with a screwdriver in hand. we thought we'd bring it out of the archives and into the snow. glitter bomb. rage on.

sip : [elderfizzle]

new year's eve means champagne toasts, champagne fountains, champagne seven wonders of the world [if you're kanye]. we respect the tradition, but we wanted to start the night with something a little bit different. we met in italy, so this year we're cheers-ing with elderfizzle [the drink, not a new name for snoop dog] : prosecco + a dash of elderflower syrup. and for our resolutions? we'll deal with those tomorrow.

spot : czech republic [karlovy vary]

santa's pastel village. human-sized snow globe. karlovy vary is that place that your parents said you could only see in disney movies. eastern europe has been in on the secret of this town's mystical mineral baths and herbal liquors, but the rest of the world only knows it as the backdrop to casino royale and the last holiday, that queen latifah movie. take a peak at the fairytale-come-to-life, with buildings the colors of french macarons, powder snow and unlimited becherovka tastings. just make sure you are near a toilet. that enchanted water will transform you into queen of the porcelain throne.

fete : christmas [dinner & brunch]

we may be on different sides of the globe, but both our families are stellar at the same thing : eating. candlelit dinner. candlelit brunch. we don't care what the meal is as long as our plate is full and it has a matching cocktail. with the time difference, the christmas dinner in colombo and the holiday brunch in nyc were synched up. simultaneous boozing and carbo-loading.

look : birthday [pearl submission]

in prague, where beer is mixed in with the baby formula, 21 means nothing. so instead of a full-blown rager, jannah did dinner at the four seasons, spontaneous twerking at an empty club [it was a tuesday], a shot of absinthe & a viewing of pitch perfect. classy dress + a dinner table next to mark zuckerberg + aggressive alcohol + harmonized movie = birthday bliss. now, the holidays just ended, and we unwrapped a ton of gifts. so we decided to tie something back up. thank you 50 shades for the inspo : we just signed a contract with some pearls.

sip : [solstice sangria]

it's christmas eve and we want to forget that it's winter. so we brought back a summer favorite, with an elderflower twist. sangria is perfect for the holidays for three reasons: you can make it in bulk, you get a serving of fruit & you get a table-side decoration [look at that color]. so pull out that grecian urn you've been dying to use and make a vat of solstice sangria. don't forget to leave a little extra for santa.

taste : cake [magnolia carrot cake]

savera's food pyramid consists of chocolate on chocolate on chocolate. but in order to keep the red hair, jannah has to eat the occasional orange vegetable. we've tried carrot cake all over the city, but nothing comes close to magnolia. maybe it is the extra thick layer of cream cheese frosting. maybe it is the wall of walnuts. maybe it is the hidden pineapple in the stuffing. we're not sure, but this cake is so rich it could give bugs bunny a heart attack. carrots, nuts, raisins and dairy. look at that : a balanced meal.

look : birthday [ginger spice]

at the peak of viva forever and wannabe, jannah had a spice girls party. actually she had two spice girls parties. twice she rocked pleather, leopard and more pleather. #shorthairdontcare was not trending in the 90s [trending wasn't even a fake-verb yet]. so she slapped on an auburn wig, finished it with a dragonfly clip [one step up from the butterfly clip] and threw a bunch of peace signs. now it's 2013 and we're having a nostalgic moment. crop tops. flatforms. it's all back. and since savera is a south-asian benjamin button, she can still rock a 7-year-old's shirt. hi ci ya hold tight!

fete : christmas [new york city]

new york city around christmastime is weird. twilight zone weird. strangers hold the door of the subway, starbucks baristas take the time to get your name right and those peta and dominos flyer-fanatics disappear. manhattan becomes a friendly neighborhood, drizzled in fairy lights with a blanket of snow. of course, once the post-holiday sales start and the snow turns to sludge, everyone returns to blank faces and ignoring you when you wipe out on black ice. but for the moment, we're going to chug eggnog and marvel at our urban wonderland.

wildcard : [ice skating]

we've watched the tourists wipe out at rockefeller. we've swooned during the last scene of serendipity. but until this year, we had never actually gone ice skating in the big frozen apple. with the olympics coming up, we thought it was time we started our training. so savera put on her power pimp coat and jannah put her super thick juicy socks to use [when else can you wear socks that read "smells like couture" on the bottom]. we zigged. we zagged. we triple sow cowed. we quadruple goat milked. and in the end, bryant park awarded us with the gold medal [and a fine for using our camera on the ice].

sip : [elderzesty]

last minute stocking stuffing. overdo chanukah shoppping. kandle kollecting for kwanzaa [the holiday, not the kardashian]. these last couple weeks of december are super stressful. we know spa water is usually saved for the after new year's hangover and for resolutions of faux fitness and health. but we are drinking it early. make yourself an elderzesty to get through the next couple days of holiday hysteria. this spa in a glass will transport you from the overloaded kmart aisle to johnny depp's private isle in the early spring where you get hand fed grapes and fairy massages.

spot : czech republic [prague]

after the iron curtain fell, prague became a time warp where anything goes. fashion is stuck in the '90s with bootcut jeans and band t-shirts, the music is '70s disco, and the local cuisine is medieval [meat, bread and potatoes]. the city center has ancient roman arches, mid-century parisian cobblestone and a starbucks on the corner. in the winter, old town square clears out, tourist shops close up and the czechs do what they do best : drink. so let's grab a pint of pivo and make a toast. to kafka and hockey, na zdraví!

taste : cake [restaurant roundup]

cake is brilliant for every occasion. birthdays. holidays. finals week. a good cake can do more than turn your frown upside down. a luscious cream cheese frosting can make cows sing acapella, a gooey chocolate filling can make a bodybuilder giggle, and a clever fondant topper can start a war [see cupcake wars]. but it is hard to get the perfect balance. here are some of the places that got it right. as rihanna says, it's all about the cake cake cake cake cake cake cake.

look : birthday [bow-tastic]

every great birthday is chock full of bows. big bows mean big presents like a barbie car or an oversized bottle of champagne [yes, please]. savera's red birthday skirt was a bit betty draper and a bit 50s serial killer. all tied up with some cream cheese frosting and a glass of merlot, this natal day was bow-tastic.

fete : christmas [lego nutcracker part 2]

the nutcracker is one of our favorite parts of the holiday season. the balanchine ballet version. the local dance studio with scratchy soundtrack version. this year, we're doing it differently. lego-style. are you ready to crack some plastic multicolored nuts? if you missed part 1, here it is.

sip : [elder-wise]

to balance out the ugly sweater parties, we needed a tasteful holiday drink. in walked elder-wise, the elderflower edelweiss. this combination of delicate liqueur, gin and bubbles gives you superpowers in that next round of white elephant. fix yourself a glass, take a bite of that too-sweet-cookie and listen to some sound of music [the original, not the american idol vampire version]. blossom of snow may you bloom and grow, bloom and grow forever.

look : birthday [spy surprise]

jannah's 20th birthday was breakfast at tifffany's with a twist: the little black dress became the long black dress, and the pearls and cigarette holder were replaced by dangling gold jewelry and a silly straw. dinner was foie gras soup dumplings, wagyu beef with shaved truffles and champagne. the apartment party was friends, avicii and more champagne. now, it's been a couple years. jannah has gone from holly golightly to one part 007 three parts american-hustle-style amy adams. don't cross her. she's wearing at least five deadly weapons around her neck.

spot : czech republic [prague]

after the iron curtain fell, prague became a time warp where anything goes. fashion is stuck in the '90s with bootcut jeans and band t-shirts, the music is '70s disco, and the local cuisine is medieval [meat, bread and potatoes]. the city center has ancient roman arches, mid-century parisian cobblestone and a starbucks on the corner. in the winter, old town square clears out, tourist shops close up and the czechs do what they do best : drink. so let's grab a pint of pivo and make a toast. to kafka and hockey, na zdraví!

fete : christmas [lego nutcracker part 1]

the nutcracker is one of our favorite parts of the holiday season. the balanchine ballet version. the local dance studio with scratchy soundtrack version. this year, we're doing it differently. lego-style. are you ready to crack some plastic multicolored nuts?

the list : [december]

1. look: birthday

    2. spot: czech republic

        3. taste: cake

            4. sip: elderflower

                5. fete: christmas

                    6. wild card: ice skating

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

[inspiration]

  rupaul christmas special  .  old town square in prague  .  st. germain liqueur  .  barbie cake  .  high heel ice skates  .  scene from the ultimate christmas present movie  .  betsey johnson's birthday runway

look : [safari]

we've done the safari in sri lanka, so we decided to bring it to manhattan : make the big apple into simba's playground. before it was a web browser, safari meant dirt, elephants and acacia tortillis trees. we rounded up the zebras and the cheetahs in our east-village savanna. jump in ceylaroux's jeep, throw on your khakis and put those opera binoculars to use. we're about to see the circle of life.

sip : [pocket coffee]

besides finding each other, pocket coffee was the best thing we discovered in florence. pocket coffee wrote our papers. pocket coffee kept us out dancing till breakfast. each chocolate nugget is wrapped in gold and filled with a shot of espresso. just make sure you don't have more than three at once [leads to uncontrollable winking and hallucinations of horses]. for all of you out there who don't like the taste of coffee, this is your golden ticket.

fete : thanksgiving [special edition]

thanksgiving in connecticut just feels right. massachussettes' preppy neighbor has the burnt-sienna leaves, crisp fall air and a bit of that old world quiet. if you look hard enough, you may even find a pilgram hat that blew over the border. the menu this year was a little bit rebellious. every dish had a spicy or herbal twist. laughing with family, pretending to care about football, eating four two many pieces of pie, suffering from p.t.b.f.d [pre traumatic black friday disorder]. what's not to love about turkey day.

look : [safari]

we've done the safari in sri lanka, so we decided to bring it to manhattan : make the big apple into simba's playground. before it was a web browser, safari meant dirt, elephants and acacia tortillis trees. we rounded up the zebras and the cheetahs in our east-village savanna. jump in ceylaroux's jeep, throw on your khakis and put those opera binoculars to use. we're about to see the circle of life.

sip : [kopali]

this is a cheat. kopali's whole coffee beans do not fit through a straw. but they are chocolate covered, organic, costa-rican, fair trade, sustainable, and farmer friendly. can we please get a pass? we tasted them at abc carpet's new market, and we couldn't leave without getting a pack [or 12] for the road.  need coffee while traveling? throw these guys in your bag, tsa approved. the little caffeine nuggets make for the perfect mid-morning pick-me-up. and they're good on the conscience.

look : [safari]

we've done the safari in sri lanka, so we decided to bring it to manhattan : make the big apple into simba's playground. before it was a web browser, safari meant dirt, elephants and acacia tortillis trees. we rounded up the zebras and the cheetahs in our east-village savanna. jump in ceylaroux's jeep, throw on your khakis and put those opera binoculars to use. we're about to see the circle of life.

spot : spain [madrid]

madrid is the chic, cultured aunt of spain's family. picasso's cube faces, botero's plump hands and dali's melting legs fill the countless museums. you can go window shopping at the prado: check out that dress on las meninas and that full collar on el greco's knight. hungry? make sure to stop for some tapas before you run into saturn devouring his son. you might lose your appetite.

fete : [lorde]

in concert, lorde is a goth serpantine minx : her spastic dinosaur hands meld into snakelike hip rolling as she hypnotizes us with her wild hair and feline eyes. the girl can smize. someone in the audience yells "dayum! sixteen!" and our trance is momentarily broken as the new zealander flips her hair and breaks character with a quick giggle. she lets the full kiwi out as she raps a kanye song and says, "nah, not gonna tell you to put your hands in the air. do what you want." 

sip : [bubble coffee]

plain coffee was getting boring, so we added a little taiwanese twist. boba is confetti for the mouth: a little bit of pizazz and a whole lot of texture. talk about entertainment. its like fast & furious 6 when the smooth tapioca balls fly through the straw. in the morning for breakfast, at night for dessert, or just as a little afternoon delight. thank you cassava root for giving us these little orbs of flavor.

look : [safari]

we've done the safari in sri lanka, so we decided to bring it to manhattan : make the big apple into simba's playground. before it was a web browser, safari meant dirt, elephants and acacia tortillis trees. we rounded up the zebras and the cheetahs in our east-village savanna. jump in ceylaroux's jeep, throw on your khakis and put those opera binoculars to use. we're about to see the circle of life.

taste : food truck [paris sandwich]

in the military-esque line of food trucks on west fourth street, the eiffel tower on wheels caught our eye. the paris sandwich truck is one part haute cuisine and one part vietnamese street food. pickled carrots, spiced meat, warm crunchy bread. paris is always a good idea : especially when your baguette is filled with curry.

spot : spain [toledo]

toledo is a medieval fairytale come to life: the tagus river doubling as a moat coils around the ancient city known for its mystical swords. lounging among the fertile greenery, visigoths, charles the first and puss in boots take a sangria-infused nap. the cathedral is always full, the meat is always red and the cheese is always manchego. go squeeze an orange into your wine, open a pack of it's-never-too-early-for-christmas-at-cvs marzipan and inhale the faintly metallic air of spain's "imperial city."

sip : [affogato]

mondays are the worst. frozen yogurt is the best. so we made our last minute monday espresso into a decadent italian delight. don't early-morning wallow : join us and affogato.

look : [safari]

we've done the safari in sri lanka, so we decided to bring it to manhattan : make the big apple into simba's playground. before it was a web browser, safari meant dirt, elephants and acacia tortillis trees. we rounded up the zebras and the cheetahs in our east-village savanna. jump in ceylaroux's jeep, throw on your khakis and put those opera binoculars to use. we're about to see the circle of life.

spot : spain [barcelona]

the behive buildings melt into a set for a more colorful version of a series of unfortunate events, while football fans faces drip blue and red onto la ramblas' pristine tiles. climb, dip and stroll through gaudi's gargantuan park to listen to the hidden musicians. if you get lost, you may find a catalonian statue or some spotted stilettos that the cheetah girls left behind. here's a spoon for your paella and a straw for a slurpy sip of sweet spanish sangria. the night starts at 1 am and the tapas just keep coming. this is barcelona bebé.

fete : [lorde]

lorde is one part anti-establishment goth chic,  one part high fashion model, one part lana del rey / adele lovechild, and 80 parts musical prodigy. her name alone set the stakes for greatness, but as the lorde of lords her royals went platinum. let's go through the whole aristocratic family : lorde is the queen of the alternative hit.

the list [november]

1. look: safari

    2. spot: spain

        3. taste: food truck

            4. sip: coffee

                5. fete: lorde

                    6. wild card: sleepover

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

[inspiration]

  mud food truck  .  park guell in barcelona  .  chloe spring 2014  .  sergio rossi boots  .  lorde  .  diane von furstenberg spring 2014  .  mary-kate and ashley's sleepover party  .  cappuccino

fete : halloween [special costume edition]

new york must have done something in a past life to piss off gaia: the last two halloweens were snowy and sandy. to make up for it, this year we made it into a 48-hour event. two costumes. two wicked nights. two attempts at a candy coma. we brought the spooky all the way into november. and the costumes this year? let's just say its: ceylaroux - 1 | heidi klum - 0.

look : everyday costume [vampire]

vampyres [old-world spelling] are slick, smart and forever young. with red-stained lips and jet black attire, they make a pasty girl into a mythical porcelain predator. buffy + anne rice - edward and bella's sap = kickass creatures of the night. let's do halloween right. [blood] suck it.

wildcard : [flying trapeze]

flying was peter pan's key to fresh skin and perpetual youth. add a harness and a "hep!" and it also made a typical friday morning into a fly-day afternoon. beyond an abandoned warehouse and rain-rusted train tracks, tsny gave us wings [and matching calluses]. ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, take a chalk-dip and come fly with us at the ceylaroux circus.

fete : [llyn foulkes]

llyn foulkes' art provides a social commentary on america that is both beautiful and brutally honest. our idols and superheros are minimized to brands and propaganda. llyn's show at the new museum this summer chronicled his work from the 1960s until today. he has evolved, from simple prints, to more recent multimedia pieces [in the paintings, using shirt fabric for shirts and hair for hair]. he paints. he draws. he composes jazz. he makes his own instruments. llyn foulkes = one man fete.

taste : pumpkin [curry]

the bangkok style pumpkin curry at klong was an overflowing bathtub of orange-y sweet spice. while waiting for our linner [that awkward time between lunch & dinner when you used to eat cheese sticks as a kid], we got lost in the never ending abacus. every restaurant should have ancient calculating devices. tipping would be a breeze.

look : the everyday costume [ghost]

goblin. apparition. phantom. whatever you call it, the alabaster lurkers always b.y.o.b. : bring your own boo. this fall, new york fashion week went for texture over color with white on white on white. the only color came from pop lips [so the models wouldn't get lost in the mist]. spring 2014 will be draped in ivory, just like the toilet papered trees this halloween. now, do you wanna hear a ghost story?

sip : fireball [hard-ish cider]

nothing screams thursday night like hot hard cider. with all the furs and parkas emerging from their summertime bunkers, we needed a little warmth in our bellies. these layers on layers of cinnamon did the trick. back of the textbook answer time : garlic is to vampires as cinnamon+fireball+apple is to mid october shivers.

taste : pumpkin [restaurant roundup]

from deutschland's cuisine in midtown, to asian innovation in the east village, to theme park eats in los angeles. sweet. savory. saturated. sugary : pumpkins have conquered the menu.

look : the everyday costume [witch]

there is no halloween without witches. that gourmet brew. that seductive cackle. you can't go trick or treating without getting lost in the wave pool of chic black hats. elphaba, sabrina and the girls at p3 were all down with the occult, casting spells by day and hooking up with whitelighters by night. wingardium leviosa. now it's your move.

spot : [venice]

venice is one of those cities that is lost in time. during carnivale, the quiet streets transform into italy's pseudo halloween. bambinos dressed as mini princesses and bears. cobblestone streets lined with venetian masks and muddied confetti. if you're nice, shakespeare's merchant will give you a bargain on fresh gnocchi. here: grab a mask, a bellini in a bottle and join the nonnas in their bewitching bustles.

taste : pumpkin [cracker snack]

everybody loves tapas, and the crunchier, the better. these pumpkin cranberry crisps are trader joe's seasonal special and they are perfect. the little toast shapes bring you back to your doll's birthday party. but the rosemary and pumpkin undertones are a bit more mature than barbie's white bread. layer them with a bit of jam, a glob of goat cheese and a walnut topper. or stack them into a multilayer sandwich. that fine line between the perfect sweet and savory snack lands right here.

[pumpkin cracker snack]

trader joe's pumpkin cranberry crisps

trader joe's pumpkin butter

goat cheese

walnut