C without Chanel

C stands for Cinderella, and this Cinderella is going to a ball in January. And you know what that means, right? (OK - at this point, all of you XX's out there should be hopping up and down, hands raised high, shouting "A new dress! A new dress!".)

Since all of my famous designer friends have hunkered down in their Paris and Milan mansions, sulking about the nasty weather currently sweeping the continent, I would have liked to take advantage of today (it's Boxing Day, people!) and go to the shops.

But since the Middle East has probably never even heard of this particular ode to spending, I have had to rely on plan C (C for Cinderella - see how that works?).

In short, I have decided to have a dress custom made here in Kuwait. Fortunately, I have had a vision of sugar plums what I want this dress to look like dancing in my head for a while now. Since I couldn't sketch an item of clothing if my life depended on it, my only option was to Google pictures of dresses in the hopes that I would find one that comes close to what I desire.

So, with no further ado, I present to you my ball dress: a dark blue silk, Roman-inspired affair.

It will essentially look like this dress (complete with a silk cord that wraps around my midsection, giving the dress shape).

It will, however, have the less plunging neckline and split three-quarter sleeves with clasps that this dress has (yes, this is Lucilla from Gladiator).

Much to my delight, Kuwait has an amazing fabric souk and no short supply of talented seamstresses - and all at such reasonable prices! My trip to the said fabric souk has already resulted in the following: the perfect blue silk for the dress, a shimmery white transparent silk for the long wrap that will go with the dress, dark blue silk cord for the midsection, and gorgeous silver clasps for the sleeves.

I already have a beautiful pair of chandelier earrings and a cuff bracelet that will match the dress perfectly - they both look like antiques (in a good way).

Now I just need to find a dainty pair of dancing shoes. I'm thinking ballet flats from London Sole... What do you think?

a Christmas carol

"O Holy Night" is easily my favorite Christmas carol. So at the risk of making your ears bleed, here's a little music from me to you.

and then there was one

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house

Not a creature was stirring... except my dinner guests.

We drank, we ate, we talked, we laughed, we watched Pride & Prejudice, and a good time was had by all.

All in all, my day of slavery a la maman resulted in a lovely Christmas party, and because I like to have my cake and eat it too, I also opened my mystery presents. They were from my absent friends (the ones that went home for the holidays) and centered around the theme of tea.

As some of you know, I love tea and adore tisanes (a tisane is an infusion that doesn't actually contain tea leaves; herbal teas and fruit teas, for example, are technically tisanes). As a result, people tend to buy me tea-related presents, and this year has been particularly good to me in that I now have a lovely collection of new pots, cups, and blends.

I also received a stocking with Lindt chocolate (my favorite) and a gorgeous little 'Arabian nights' bell that would normally serve as an ornament on a regular Christmas tree. But since my tree is... well, look at the picture below and judge for yourself.

And now, let me present tonight's menu:

Vichyssoise
This is one of my favourite soups; it consists primarily of pureed leeks and potatoes, and although this soup is equally delicious cold, I served it hot with a wedge of soft French cheese.

Cabbage Rolls
This is a Christmas staple in my family. Ideally, the cabbage rolls should melt in your mouth as well as in your hands (mine did) - when paired with the yogurt and the polenta (water, salt, and cornmeal) they become the ultimate comfort food.

Trifle
While I prefer raspberries, there were none to be found, so I ended up making a strawberry trifle. The combination of pound cake, chocolate custard, ripe strawberries, and whipped cream is divine. And surprisingly light.

(I didn't have a proper trifle dish, so the glass bowl made for some wonky layers, but you get the idea.)

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.