Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

On this Christmas Eve 2013, I am thankful for LIFE, friends, love and the possibilities of my new chapter in the coming year. Bless us one and all, cool cats. Below, one final Christmas, Brooklyn Heights-style.

And, alas, my last NYC Christmas, truly, when the city shines its brightest... *

It's Beginning To Sound A Lot Like Christmas!

One of my top 10 favorite artists of all time, Kim Wilde, has released her first-ever Christmas collection "Wilde Winter Songbook," featuring a video clip for
emphasis track and original song "One" (see below). The originally written ballad delivers everything I love about the softer side of Kim.

Kimmie's new album joins a bountiful crop of seasonal releases in 2013, including CDs from Kelly Clarkson, Jewel, Erasure, Kimberley Locke, Jim Brickman and even George & Tammy! *

At Last... Celine Dion's "Loved Me Back To Life" Hits Retail!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013... The day that launched a million albums! After six years, Celine Dion releases her first English-language album since "Taking Chances." At last!

Leona Lewis "Christmas With Love": Cover Art First Look!

What's better than a Christmas collection from the wondrous Leona Lewis? How about this madcap retro album cover? Bravo! The disc hits December 3 from SYCO/RCA, and includes seven classics, new single "One More Sleep" and two more originals, "Your Hallelujah" and "Mr. Right."

Idol Perfect: What A Way To Celebrate The New Year

Dear friend Fredly Bronson returned to NYC once again as the writer for ABC-TV's "New Year's Eve With Ryan Seabreast," and tonight brought together a fab posse of his pals for dinner at NYC's iconic Sardi's... including "American Idol" finalists Diana DeGarmo and her fiance Ace Young, and my beloved Kimberley Locke. Can you imagine a more festive way to usher in 2013? *

Oh So Right: New Years Eve, East Village Rock Dive Bar Style...

Man, New Year's Eve can be such a fussy affair, can't it? This year, my pal Alex came up from Washington, D.C., and we joined my NYC extended family for what turned out to be an absolutely perfecto event. Met many friends at East Village dive rock bar Manitoba's and hung... complete with seating, no overtly unnecessarily loud mayhem and an ideal festive welcome to a new year. That felt oh so right! *

Happy New Year, Cool Cats!

May your New Year be filled with wine and roses! See you on the other side of 2013!

Happy Pre-New Year's Eve!

Ayhan hosted a festive gathering in the East Village Friday night for longtime friend Ulf, who was an Ambassador to Sweden in Turkey when Ayhan first composed his musical "Swedish Style." Ultimately, their connection led to Ayhan meeting Bjorn & Benny from ABBA, one of the highlights of his career.

Ironically, his equally long-lived pals Emrah and wife Punar from Turkey were simultaneously in NYC... It was, in fact, Emrah who collaborated with Ayhan to connect with the Swedish Embassy at the time... Quite a reunion, complete with a spread of combination Swedish & Turkish culinary delights. *

Christmas Eve With NYC Family

When you're single and have no kids to indulge, Christmas Eve is open to all possibilities... such as celebrating with friends at an NYC gay bar. I joined Leonard and Ayhan at Boxer's in Chelsea for festivities early Monday evening, followed by a final Christmas cocktail a couple blocks west at G Lounge. Above, three pics, three different iPhones!

Amazing to walk the streets of New York... empty. Not a car or cab in sight... so odd.

This is the second Christmas that I've been single, after a 10-year relationship, where we traditionally decorated the tree, watched "Mommie Dearest" every year and opened dozens of gifts on Cmas Day. It's an odd sort of phenomenon, being solo during the holidays... Despite decorations and good cheer all around, it maintains a dull, ground-level buzz, never quite penetrating my emotions.

I have a stack of Christmas cards sent to me over the past several weeks; they remain unopened so far, simply because reading each card, sitting by myself, feels like a lonely affair. Better to wait until the holiday has passed, when I hope to enjoy them without attaching the meaning of "Christmas Without You" to warm wishes.

Yes, Christmas is a bit of a bummer. It's pretty, it's warm and wonderful, and yet, it's truly the loneliest day of the year. Sometimes life is an empty highway, indeed. *

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE SMOKING NUN!

Happiest of holidays from your pals at The Smoking Nun. As always, thank you for stopping by! *

A Very Merry Tom Daley Christmas!

Olympic diver Tom Daley continues to indulge his many minions with a series of sexy Christmas pics... Too bad Santa couldn't deliver a cute Brit under the tree this year... (I swear, in 2013, this young man is going to come bursting out of the closet... and the masses with celebrate!)

Ooh La La! Merry William Levy Christmas!

The holidays are ever so much joyous with a sexy Santa, yes? The Smoking Nun's 2010 Sexiest Man Alive William Levy hopes you've been good boys & girls in 2012... Coming soon: Our bid for the 2012 Sexiest Man Alive, an annual tradition as wondrous as any holiday, indeedy. *

A Brooklyn Heights Christmas

Above left, the 63rd-annual Brooklyn Heights Christmas tree along the Promenade... right: apartment entry way and below: The Empire State Building is all dressed up for Cmas. *

Happy Holidays! A Stony Point Christmas

Last weekend a posse of pals headed to Rockland County, N.Y., for my dear friend Donna's annual family Christmas party in Stony Point, N.Y. In attendance: Leo, Christa, Jenn, Patty & Tina, Donna's fab parents Elsie & Frank, her man Ty, and dozens and dozens of Italian relatives.

I felt like I was in a combo of Bloomingdale's decorated for the holidays, the "Godfather" set and a hot porn movie. Much testosterone among the clan!

Good thing it was a warm and wondrous occasion, because getting there took some effort: subway to a Port Authority bus to a New Jersey Transit train to a car to their beautiful home... We actually spent the night at the Howard Johnson's (who knew the hotel chain still existed?!) in Suffern, N.Y., and took the train home the next day.

This is as close to a Christmas celebration as I'll have this year. Good to spend it with extended family. Happy holidays! *

After Eight Weeks, Renovation Wrapped!

After eight weeks, at last, my apartment renovation is signed, sealed & delivered. What started out as a fairly simply cosmetic redo in the living room turned into new hardwood floors throughout the unit, an extended bathroom and—god bless my contractor, Angelo—so many extras to make this joint feel like new.

After enduring this five times over the past 12 years, I must say, this is the first time I've blown open champagne to share with my contractor and his son Mike... because it was such a positive experience.

And yes, of course I teared all up while thanking them for so much pristine work as I bid farewell. It's hard to even imagine mornings without the two of them knocking on door and preparing A's coffee with milk and 3 sugars...

And now... so many possibilities: sleeping in a bed, opening cabinet drawers, accessing food in kitchen cabinets and best of all, wearing different clothes each day. For the past two months, I've pretty much donned a uniform of black jeans and a black sweater (yes, clean undies and undershirt). And now... access to my entire winter wardrobe. Oh, the wonder of it all!

Of course, now comes the grand clean-up and oh what a mess it is. Layers and layers of dust, sawdust, sanding dust, dust dust... One room at a time. Good thing I foster great satisfaction with a rag in my hand. Happy holidays, indeed!