These hand-felt creations from designers Rebecca Welsh and Lesley Hansard—and crafted by Nepalese female artisans—are the perfect way to stay cozy this winter. The hand-made “foot petals” are not only made of 100 percent sheep’s wool to keep your toes warm, but they also have lush felt chrysanthemums to make your feet a work of art. Now that’s the easiest way to see something in bloom on a snow day.
gaby
Spend some time this winter catching up with old Friends. Matthew Perry returns to prime time on February 9 with Mr. Sunshine, a comedy that chronicles the mishaps of a self-involved manager of a sports arena. The series has gotten some early mixed reviews, but the cast shows promise: Alongside Perry, it stars West Wing’s Allison Janney, Las Vegas’ James Leisure, and Lost’s Jorge Garcia. And here’s one more reason to cuddle up with Mr. Sunshine: Perry’s love interest is played by Andrea Anders, the real-life girlfriend of Matt LeBlanc—aka Friends’ Joey. Could a televised reunion be far off?
ABC
There’s nothing like hot chocolate and spices to give you wintry jolt. Best to drink after a snowball fight, Mexican hot chocolate takes the traditional beverage and adds ½ teaspoon of chile powder and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon for an extra kick. Plus, there’s a special edition for after a grown-up snowball fight, with tequila and Kahlua.
Via
Racheal Ray:
- Ingredients:
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 1/3 cups (8 ounces) chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch salt
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients and 1 cup water over medium heat, whisking constantly, until hot but not boiling, about 8 minutes (the mixture should smooth). Pour into 4 large mugs.
Don’t let its title fool you – this is a rollicking, hilarious coming of age novel whose protagonist (this isn’t exactly a spoiler) indeed meets his maker, which you learn as early as page 5. Before that happens, however, the reader becomes fully immersed in his adolescent life, from flawed attempts at love to the dramas of high school. Nearly 700 pages, it should last you till spring.
Combining the therapeutic relief of a massage with the deep, permeating heat of a sauna, a hot-stone massage uses thermal stimulation to increase blood flow and relax your muscles. You could go to a spa to get one from a professional, or go the cozier route and give one to your partner at home. This YouTube video makes it easy to learn, and you can heat the stones in a saucepan of warm water.
AP Photo
It may be the lightest, warmest hat ever made. Weighing less than one ounce, this little beanie is condensable enough to fit in your jeans pocket once you’re indoors. It’s also stuffed with “900 fill” Canadian gray-goose down (most down clothing is 500-600 fill, not nearly as light or as insulating) and it’s lined with a soft wicking fabric that wraps your head in comfort.
Amos Lee’s fourth album, Mission Bell, consists of 13 rich, soulful tracks that could thaw the iciest of winter blues. Produced by Joey Burns of Calexico with guest vocals by Lucinda Williams and Willie Nelson, the album mashes up soul, funk, and a touch of gospel, resulting in an album that sinks into your ears like warm bath water. You can download the first song, “El Camino,” for free on Amazon.
This Oakland-based artisanal roaster’s facilities are reminiscent of an alchemist’s shop, with beakers and tubes channeling Blue Bottle’s organic espresso and slow-drip coffee from vintage German roasting machines. Started by a freelance musician in 2002, the company roasts packages its product in compostable bags and gets them to your door within 48 hours. If you’d prefer hot chocolate, Travel & Leisure rated their piping hot cocoa the best in the nation.
Blue Bottle Coffee Co.
You haven’t truly defeated the month of January until you’ve stepped out of the shower and into a freshly heated towel. Warmrails' chrome towel warmer puts a buffer between you and the morning’s hot-water-to-freezing-apartment transition, and its reviewers on Amazon couldn’t be toastier. “When are American hotels going to jump on this bandwagon?” writes one. “We are missing out on a wonderful, but inexpensive luxury!”
Being snowed in will leave you plenty of time to puzzle over British street artist Banksy’s Exit Through the Gift Shop, a maybe-documentary about the rise of aspiring artist Thierry Guetta. Or does it? Part of the fun is trying to figure out who exactly is filmmaker and who is subject in this zig-zagging semi-reality show. The film was a smash at Sundance, part of the festival’s “Secret Spotlight” series, and The New York Times hailed it as “a new subgenre: the prankumentary. Audiences, however, would be advised simply to enjoy the film on its face — even if that face is a carefully contrived mask.”
You’re not getting out from under that blanket, so you might as well pair it with a heaping bowl of popcorn. 479°, a San Francisco company, makes its batches by hand in flavors like Fleur de Sel Caramel, Ginger Sesame Caramel, Black Truffle/White Cheddar, and Madras Curry Coconut with Cashews. Warm it up in the microwave and snuggle in.
Layering is fine if you’re cold-weather camping, but winter doesn’t have to mean piling on clothes until you’ve disappeared into a shapeless, bulky mass. This elegant pullover sweater from Brunello Cucinelli with its banded hem and stand-up collar is toasty-warm and perfectly suitable for happy hour.
Some days it feels like spring will never come, so artist Will Ryman has created a reminder that you can’t ignore: a strip of 25-foot-tall pink-and-red roses “growing” along Park Avenue in New York City. Enormous, intricately detailed, and defiantly vernal, the fiberglass and steel flora are covered in outsized ladybugs, aphids, and thorns. They’re on display through May 31.
AP Photo
