don't be textin' at the alamo drafthouse, y'all.

mondrian soho.

so i will post more photos of the nyc project at some point, after we're done professionally photographing and then done whoring it out for awards and possible magazine attention, but until then, here are some new york things. please forgive my lack of organization on the mondrian photos... i am trying very hard to hit up the ol' b-log more often, and that may or may not mean i spend less time finessing these posts.

1. we stayed at the brand, spankin' new mondrian hotel in soho. it's new and super fly and had giant bottles of tequila in the rooms, which is probably why we rode the elevators with people like eva longoria's ex-piece tony parker (totally the shortest basketball player ever but much cuter in person than in those horrific eyebrow-featuring photos you see in us weekly) and 15-YEAR OLD (yes i am shouting) current it-model daphne groeneveld. she has the blondest eyebrows on the planet and like most adolescent females, travels with her mom. we also ran into noel fielding, which caused carolyn and her sister to FREAK OUT and make me feel like a nerd for not knowing who he is.

2. when not devouring the room service, we ate at imperial no. 9, the restaurant conveniently located inside the mondrian. if it sounds familiar, it's because you just saw it in your us weekly or in this month's elle decor. even though city correspondent stefon would describe it as a new york hot spot, we ate there because we are a teensy bit extremely lazy when we travel for work because of the schedule. this is also a super opportunity to mention that due to mad concrete jungle busy-ness, we were either at the jobsite or at the hotel, so i am real sorry i didn't get an opportunity to text, see, have coffee with or even think about any of my nyc peeps, including my brother-in-law and some college pals. lo siento folks; i'm a doucher. anyway. hot sam from top chef is at the helm of IN9, and we were able to play it cool when he walked by, although paul, our jonathan rhys meyers look-alike waiter was not so lucky.

you're a corker, shannon. what a corker you are.

i have a habit of saving wine corks. in my head, it's still 1992 and i'm watching far and away thinking that tom cruise is SO. HANDSOME. and i live in a tuscan house where decorating with wine corks is a great and modern idea. bad news, folks: tom cruise is a level-seven weirdo and wine cork decor is not a good idea. so muster your strength and let's all let donate our corks to a WONDERFUL cause. if you are in the houston area, you can drop off your excess corks at SPECS and become a part of The Cork Project. (let's face it: you're headed there anyway to stock up on holiday booze. you learned your lesson at thanksgiving, right?) not only will your corks will be recycled, Specs will donate money for cancer research for every cork collected. i hate to state the obvious, but we're all going to get some sort of cancer eventually, so just look at it as paying it forward. find more information on the project, which has been ongoing since MAY for crying out loud, at specs online or here.

for the millions of loyal readers not in the houston area, you can still participate in cork recycling via TerraCycle or ReCork America. or do a google search for cork recycling in your area.

{via lauren w., the gal with a heart of gold}

the new year is upon us...

i might have to test out this number. you know, quality control for the new year's party. i can't be serving kool-aid.

pomegranate-champagne punch

ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 750-ml bottles chilled brut Champagne
• 1 1/2 cups white rum
• 1 1/4 cups pomegranate juice
• 1 large lemon, thinly sliced
• Pomegranate seeds
• Fresh mint leaves
• 1 ice block*

preparation

Bring 1/2 cup water and sugar to boil in small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Cool syrup completely.

Combine Champagne, rum, and pomegranate juice in punch bowl. Add enough syrup to sweeten to taste. Mix in lemon slices, pomegranate seeds, and mint leaves. Add ice block to bowl.

*ice block can be made by freezing water overnight in a pan, such as a fancy-shaped bundt pan.

{via east side bride}

maker's mark bourbon eggnog.

if christmas season is going to start the day after halloween, can we at least get the ball rolling a tad sooner on this magic elixer? i feel like the booze-nog doesn't rear his head until nearly thanksgiving, which, let's face it, is not nearly soon enough. so if your season isn't merry and bright just yet, whet your whistle with this and make the holidays go down a little smoother.

Maker's Mark Bourbon Eggnog

1 Liter Maker’s Mark
1 Quart milk
1 Quart heavy cream
2 Dozen eggs (pasteurized eggs if you can find them)
1 1/2 Cups sugar
Nutmeg for garnish

Separate eggs and beat the yolks until creamy.
Whip sugar into the yolks, then beat the whites until they stand in peaks, adding a 1/2 cup of additional sugar if desired.
Beat the yolks and Maker’s Mark together and add the whites.
Beat cream into a froth, then add milk and cream to the egg mixture.
Add nutmeg to taste and garnish each cup with a dash of nutmeg for a dash of color.

Makes 2 1/2 gallons.

{via maker's mark}