Presents! The First Annual Christmas EP - UPDATE!

Inspired by a cover of the First Noel by my current neighbor and fellow former Kansas Citian Matthew Dunehoo (The Baby Teardrops) and his former band mate, Mike Walker (Olympic Size), I asked the great Duquette Johnson (Duquette Johnston and the Rebel Kings) and Chris Edwards (Jonathan Vassar and the Speckled Bird) if they, too, could croon out some old carols for the blog.  Lucky for us all, both of these boys from Birmingham sure came through.  So, here we have the blog's first annual Christmas EP (well, three great songs you can all download). Merry Christmas, everyone!  Hope you enjoy!  (And thank you so, so much to Matthew, Duke and Chris!)

1. The First Noel by Matthew & Michael

2. Oh, Holy Night by Duquette Johnston

3. Little Drummer Boy by Chris Edwards

(And for extra fun...Where we Americans may shed trou or smooch co-workers with reckless abandon at our evening/night time corporate holiday parties, the Danes face up to the annual ritual midday - with a bit more herring, a lot more Aquavit and riotous barrel-chested chanting.  Here we have Bjarke Bendtsen (The Migrant) leading a crew of snaps-filled Christmas lunchers belting out Bjarne Haahr's 1974 classic (to some), Nu Skal Vi Ha Gilde (Now We're Going to Have a Feast!). 

Nu skal vi ha gilde

Nu skal vi ha gilde, ja nu ska’ vi ha fest!

Vi ska’ ha det stor kolde bord med våde dramme,

sild ….i karry, sild .. i sherry, portvinssild og norske sild 

og sild i dill med akelejer, så små postejer,

til slutt en og’ gammel ost!

Wrappin' Up

In order to stay on theme (Frontier) and maximize use of the 1,346 branches of cotton I now own, this year's Christmas presents are going out wrapped in black or brown packing paper and twine with, of course, touches of that truly versatile plant. 

Weekend Viewing | Crazy Heart

The Dude goes Bad - and it looks (and sounds) so good.

(That's the great gravely voiced Ryan Bingham singin' "The Weary Kind")

HHH Holiday Shopping Guide | Frontier!

{1} Infant’s Fringe Bootie, Minnetonka, $18.95

{2} Davy Crockett Doll, Tonner, $89.99

{3} Boys’ Trucker Jacket, Levi’s, $40

{4} 12 Foot Great Plains Teepee, Stacks and Stacks, $279

{5} Hansa Bella Life-Size Grizzly Bear, Posh Tots, $590

{6} Child Sheepskin Mittens, Kiwi Sheepskins, $39.95

{7} Hansa Monty Ride On Buffalo, Posh Tots, $2,500 (Monty can give rides to kids big and little - up to 250 lbs!)

(I spent so much time focused on the Frontier party, that I've yet to start Christmas shopping...hence the ridiculous tardiness of my shopping guides. But for my fellow procrastinators!...)

Medicinal Toothpaste Couto

Launched in the early '30s to help the Portuguese stave off gum disease, Medicinal Toothpaste Couto hit its cultural high in the '60s with a famous commercial featuring a man with teeth so strong he could chomp down on a chair and spin it around.  It's now available in the States...just in time for you to perform some super human dental tricks at the office holiday party.  (Legal note: Neither HHH nor Couto should be blamed/sued if you lose any teeth at your office holiday party).

Tunes: Oxford American's 2009 Southern Music Issue

Oxford American's annual Southern Music Issue CD never ceases to be a pure gift for the ears -- and this year, it's even sweeter.  Besides the incredible disc of blues, soul, country, rockabilly - and even funk - we get the best of Arkansas in the magazine's first-ever Southern States series. Sonny Burgess discusses his boogie urges on the main disc (and here).  So great. 

(An additional treat: the editors' December CD guide).

HHH Holiday Shopping Guide | City Boy

{1} Nebb Frames, Moscot, $179 (lenses additional)
{2} Want Organic Kansai Computer Portfolio, Want Organic, $450.00
{3} Superfine Peruvian Alpaca Tie, Alexander Olch, $140
{4} Limited Edition Suede Bomber, Belstaff, $907
{5} Century Flask, Tiffany & Co., $750
{6} Simulated Ivory Shaving Set, Geo F. Trumper, £129.50

A New Frontier for Hostess Gifts

Peter Pracilio's mom is a huntress.  He called her on Saturday morning.  "Shhh, Peter...I'm in the bush!" He must've called after concocting the best hostess gift ever given (outside of the Ottoman Empire or the French Courts, I assume).  He painstakingly created new labels and tags for a bottle of Woodford Reserve (amazing enough!), to completely re-tool it as a bottle of "Hovey's Hooch." It is just perfect in every way. Talk about above and beyond. 

(Take a look at his site.  His Choplery set may be one of the coolest, most beautifully simple things I've ever seen). 

A Frontier Holiday at the Hoveys' | The Party

These don't really show the crowd, but it was packed to the gills. The entire saga can be seen on Porter's flickr page. 

Above: Rollickin' tunes from Zeke Healy, Ferd Moyse (from the amazing Hackensaw Boys) and Morgan O'Kane...

 

Melissa Baker and Port...

Mister Mort...

Print Magazine's James Gaddy and Lindsay Bodanza...

Mara Palumbo and Drinkin' and Dronin's Brandon Capps...

Ralph Lauren boys Sean Crowley and Joe Hicks... 

Ralph Lauren's Sara Brown and book cover designer and Ancient Industrian Megan Wilson...

 

Interiors photographer Matthew Williams and his wife, Allison...

Michael Gregory...

War paint...

Against Nature's Simon Jacobs and Ryan Matthew (who made our amazing belts)...

Porter in her Ralph Lauren dress and Ryan Matthew belt...with Ryan Matthew... (the wonderful Jessa Blades did our makeup, too!)

Mike Blain and BillyKirk's Chris Bray...

For Office Use Only's Anh Tuan Pham and Photographer Ian Tong...

Simon Psaric and Port.

A Frontier Holiday at the Hoveys' | The Set Up

Porter and I spent the last week and a half transforming the loft into a Frontier Holiday wonderland for what turned out to be a wild, rompin', whiskey and Root swiggin' costume extravaganza.  Here's some photo evidence of the calm before the storm:

Above: The whiskey and Root station.  We served drinks in mason jars...

Our 9' tree - decorated only in white lights and gold pine cones...(we also swapped out the black mantelpiece for this mahogany one, the venetian mirror for the gold leaf and the zebra for the cow...and added oodles of cotton and all of our outdoorsey accessories)...

A close up on the mantel...

The result of Porter turning into a baking machine...

Our great friend Rob "Bobby Ack" Ackley spend hours upon hours marinating and dehydrating meat for this incredible jerky bar - tofu, venison and beef.

A new cotton-filled home for Swan #2 -- a fitting compliment for the jerky bar.

(Photos by Porter Hovey)

Because it's 65º in New York - And That's Just Wrong

Holiday Trooper (A Pseudo HHH Shopping Guide)

These shopping guides can be tough because I only want to recommend items that are photographed iPhone style with immaculate white backgrounds - you know, to make charting process easy. That means no Ralph Lauren or J.Crew (all objects on their sites are on faded grey backgrounds and/or on models). It also means a litany of cool vintage stuff is forced by the wayside. So, in order to show off some of the cool vintage stuff, I'm making a chart exception! The following all come from the Billings Army Navy Surplus Store.

Row 1: French Wool Blanket, $39.95; WWII Cat Gut Snow Shoes, $249.95; Swedish Red Cross Sign, $49.95; WWII U.S. Army Towels, $24.95

Row 2: Swiss 1950s Folding Shovel, $29.95; Norwegian Field Pharmacy Case, $99.95; German Military Alpine Ammo Sled, $149.95; Bulgarian Wrist Compass, $49.95

Row 3: Duofold Midweight Union Suit, $46.95; Canvas Water Bucket, $9.95; GI Hospital Bed, $169.95; Swiss Avalanche Shovel, $69.95; Burlap Mattress Cover, $14.95 (not the most comfortable thing for sleeping, but it'd look great on a day bed!)

On the Frontier!: Fess Parker Sings Davy Crockett