Hello, friends…I hope you have all had a great week! Here’s this Sunday’s seven in wine, food, lifestyle, design and travel. (Ok, well if I’m being honest I skipped food this week—aren’t we all stuffed?! Haha)
Cass Calder on Standout Houses
I love the work of SF-based architect Cass Calder Smith. He has created sleek and welcoming homes on both coasts, ranging in scale from cottage-cozy to grand and sweeping. In this article he talks about how to transform ordinary into the extraordinary. But, you can also just hit the link for the eye candy!
The Venerable Madame Cliquot
I am obsessed with the story of the woman behind Veuve Clicquot. In 1805, Madame Clicquot’s husband died of fever at the age of 30. She was a young mom and just 27 at the time. Her father-in-law, Veuve Clicquot founder Philippe Clicquot was devastated at his son’s passing and set about selling the company. Madame Clicquot ended up proving that not only that she could take on the business, but that he should invest to help her do so. She was an original boss babe who overcame unimaginable hurdles to transform Veuve Clicquot (whose name translates to “Widow Cliquot”!) into one of the world’s most sought-after houses today.

Classic Cocktails from Classic Hotel Bars
A set of classic and storied hotel bars known for their signature famous cocktails! With hotels in cities like London and New York serving as regular hangouts for some of the biggest names in literature, film, art, music, and political history, the inspiration was there for some of the worlds most famous cocktails to originate. This link shares 11 hotel bars that are still serving the cocktails that made them famous — the Bloody Mary/Red Snapper @ The St. Regis New York, The White Lady @ The Savoy, Serendipity and Sidecar @ Hôtel Ritz Paris, and more. It would be fun to check these off a list one by one.

The REAL Champagne of Beers!
Introducing the Brut IPA. I love an IPA but this is different—the brut IPA tastes and even looks like Champagne! It’s dry, clear, and highly carbonated, but also has the tropical flavors of new and exotic hops strains. Brut IPAs’ signature dryness comes from the addition of a naturally occurring enzyme called amyloglucosidase, which is available to brewers as a pure extract. It breaks down the sugars in grain, making beer with almost no residual sweetness. The enzyme itself is not new, but it’s never been used like this. Has anyone tried these beers? I want to!
An Absolutely Dreamy Wine Country Compound
Y’all. This pair of Sonoma houses are $6.9 million but they are amazing. There are two residences next to each other — want to bring your best friend and move in? The main house is composed of three connected pavilions, with the main living/dining/kitchen space at center, the pool house to the left and the master suite wing to the right…and the second house is accessed via a bridge across a seasonal stream. There walls of glass that effortlessly disappear everywhere, blurring the line between outdoors and indoors as only California does so well!
Kate Moss — The Next Thing
Kate Moss is a fashion icon and yet also somehow an approachable girl-next door we all love. I always think she looks so effortless and chic. She is now the creative director of Decorté, a cult Japanese beauty brand, which got her talking to Bazaar. I’m always interested to see and hear what she’s doing next.

Get Into the Christmas Spirit
Talk about really getting into the holiday spirit—in Europe! True European Christmas markets have crafts, carolers, ice skating and more. They are essentially amusement parks for the winter holidays, bringing the spirit of the season to life year after year. They’re not exactly hard to come by in Europe—Germany alone has almost 70, but a roundup of them are here. I have to admit, I love the idea of sneaking off to Europe for a quaint and charming Christmas one year (sorry, Mom)!
I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing rest of your weekend!
xx—BB
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