Christos Anesti!

The big day was upon us and Happy and I were WAY hung over. We emptied two super sized bottles of white wine while prepping the lamb. Some of her friends did a drop by as well, encouraging boozing, dancing and skinny dipping. Danielle was mortified at her uncle and mother. Uncle Mame strikes again!

Dad woke up at 5am to put the lamb on the spit (that he built with his dad 20 years ago) and by 9am when I rolled off of the bed the whole neighborhood smelled like lamb. YUM! If you look closely, when he sewed the lamb up with wire he gave him a very large appendage that had the kids in stitches.

After a homemade pancake breakfast we all helped with the preparations. Danielle and I were in charge of dying the eggs red (blood of Christ and amusing after lunch game where you see who can crack who's egg!) The dye was so intense we had henna hands all day and gave the dog a bindhi.

People arrived around 4pm and it was hoppin by 6. We ate at 630 and boy did I eat. Moussaka, Pastichio, lamb, dolmades, Tzatziki. OPA!

I didn't start drinking until around 8 and then the Ouzo came out. Nobody could pronounce OPA so we hear Oompah! Ofa! and of course Oprah!

Boozing continued well into the evening, Happy and I ended up in the pool once again and all the kids were sequestered in their bedrooms with friends as we hooped hollered and did what Greek people do- live!

An afternoon cruisin' and crabbin'

Well as you can all see, my stealthy YouTube test didn't work so well for the crabbing video. The lamb one went up fine. Alas!
Happy took mom (check out the shoes), Danielle, me and Danielle's friend Austin out on the fishing boat for a cruise around the harbor. Perfect weather, beer and crabs! After we toured the homes on the bay (the Kellogg mansion was my favorite) we dropped anchor for a bit and read and sunned on the shore (no manatee sightings but did see some dolphins) we motored over to their crab traps and found crabs in every one! The last trap had the biggest one. Making a special guest appearance was my favorite sea creature- the Sea Horse! Poor little thing was lodged in the corner of the trap but we wiggled him out, took a glamour shot and then set him free.

Austin's favorite part was witnessing me tinkle from the back of the boat. His family is fairly conservative and he just couldn't believe I whipped it out and let it go off the bow. As Danielle told him, "Better to wiz and bear the shame than hold it in and bear the pain!"
Is that my niece or what?

My ode to Damien Hirst- A Greek Tradition

Opa! Our First Annual Greek Easter at Happy's

Here is the deal-
My Dad is Greek, my mother English (heritage wise)
My sisters are my half sisters but grew up going to my Dad's family Greek Easter every year.

With Happy's love of food and tradition she has continued hosting Greek Easter even though she now lives in Tampa.
Ever seen a blond haired, blue eyed family roasting lambs and wrapping dolmades?

This year is the first time I got to join in the family fun and hot damn, what a blast!
Happy just happens to live near Tarpon Springs, one of the nation's largest Greek communities.
First day in town and we hit the Tarpon Strip of Greek restaurants, Zeus gift shops and Hellas bakeries.

YUM! I felt like I was back at the Greek church in Atlanta feasting on my Yaiyai's favorite foods.

For a very un-Greek end of lunch we headed to a famous Key Lime Pie bakery JJ Gandy.
Danielle and I had the next best thing to anything fried- anything dipped in chocolate!
How bout a mean slice of Key Lime pie on a stick dipped in dark chocolate? That was a little slice of heaven
right there in Florida.

Next up-purchasing the lamb! We headed to the Greek Butcher filled with little old Greek ladies with puffy feet popping out the tops of their little black heels, oh and the cutest butcher boys you ever did see.

We bought a spring lamb nicely gutted and perfectly wrapped, hauled him to the car and tucked him nicely in the big fridge before prepping him Saturday night.



Let the feasting begin!

Crabbing In Tampa

Not sure if this is going to work.
Trying to figure out how to paste YouTubes.
I know, this dandy is way behind!

Patrick's party at Verdura

During my first week back Patrick hosted a cocktail party at the swanky Verdura salon at 745 5th Avenue.
The space had an air of Mame's Beekman Place pad with gilded pagoda curls and bells over the doors, gold knotted door knobs and sweeping views of Central Park.

Patrick, in his usual fashion, invited a bevy of bejeweled damsels and dames from club world to couture. There were some boys invited too, I headed over with Andy Salzer from Yoko Devereaux and met Robert Richards, Michael Fink, Jason Witcher and Glen Belvario to name a few.

We sipped on prickly pear martini's and caressed and coddled cufflinks, Maltese Cuffs and other follies from the Verdura archive.
It was the perfect way to ease on back into New York and see good friends and always make new ones over a cocktail or two!

Thanks Patrick, oh and I'll take that Maltese Cuff second from right.

Congrats Philip Crangi!

On my way to the Verdura party I walked by the Gap to find my friend Philip's face taking up one entire window!
He is nominated for another CFDA award and was selected to create a bauble for Gap.
Pores are looking good brother!

Getting closer to my Vreeland dream room

Mama made me a 'star burst' throw to spice up my Billy Baldwin wanna-be guest bedroom/office.
It reminds me of the psychedelic needlepoint pillows that DV had scattered on her living room sofa.
Obviously I have a long way to go.

It also seems like Mabel's new favorite resting spot. Right in the middle, of course.
Thanks mom!

I'm gonna be a GodFather!!!

My first day back to NYC I woke up early and headed down to Tribeca for breakfast with Mary and her new little girl- Beatrice Greer.

We met at the Bleu Gans and Mary feasted on a martini glass of hard boiled eggs, while I dove right into the wild boar sausage and pretzel!. Little Bea is as cute as could be and Mama is handling everything like an old pro. Now we need to get poor big brother Alistair out of the dumps from no longer being the center of attention :(

The best news is that Mark & Mary asked me to be her God Daddy. YAY!
I get to carry her up the aisle at First Presbyterian in a couple of Sundays and I am about to pop with excitement!

Since her initials are BG she will definitely be heading to Bergdorf's BG restaurant for every birthday with Uncle Cator.
Ahhh, my little child, I will open doors for you, doors you never dreamed existed!

My love to Atlanta!

What an amazing month I had in my home town.
Living at the lake, home cooking, horseback riding and lots of QT with friends and family.
It was such a treat to be able to take this time off and work on le book down South.

Jim and Jennifer's engagement party

My last week in Atlanta ended with a swank reception at Bacchanalia on now hip Howell Mill Road.
Jim and I went to College of Charleston together and now he owns one of the most respected green construction companies in the South.
His soon to be wife Jennifer is a PR maverick for Star and West Side Provisions in Atlanta.

Jim came into town on Monday night and stayed with me and the parents at Hathaway. I'm not quite sure how the night ended but we polished off a bottle of bourbon, I jumped into the lake and we both woke up with killer hangovers. Not to fear! We have done this since 1994. We headed into town, toured the construction of the new West Side Provisions development and then got our shop on at my new favorite menswear shop- Sid Mashburn. It is a Traditionalists dream come true! Not to mention the service has Jeffrey beat. Thats right! Three divine Southern gentlemen to serve you and one splendid tailor.

The party that night at Bacchanalia was an intimate and lovely affair. Jenn's bosses, who own the developments, threw a party for about 40 people with food for around 60 (they knew I was coming!).

I must admit it was great meeting so many people who just love living in Atlanta. They all seemed like real in-the-know people who were enjoying the balance of nice old houses, great food and everything Atlanta had to offer.

Again, the night became a bit messy but we crashed at a friends house who was nice enough to bring us all a pile of McDonalds in the am! Haven't eaten there in a coons age!

Congrats Jim and Jenn!