Fashion, Fun and Sounds of Sweden

For us, an ideal day might just be brunch, a museum and wantonly neglecting all chores and errands.

This must be our week, because brunch will bring with it an opportunity to explore international sounds and a museum is offering a chance to sip sake and learn how to wrap a present like an art star. Chores? Ooh, sorry. We're not going to be available. We have a date to see a "Project Runway" alum dish about the fashion business.

· This weekend is the last one this year to grab Swedish coffee and pastries -- Swedes call this sort of coffee break a "fika" -- at the House of Sweden's new weekly Café Bites & Sounds event. Volunteers serve up Löfbergs Lila coffee and an ever-changing menu of handmade sweets that might include cinnamon buns or chocolate squares; you can get a snack and check out seven genres of music coming out of Sweden (even the indie pop, such as Jens Lekman's stuff). It plays in the cafe, or you can visit music stations to sit and listen through headphones, or sit in chairs that have speakers built in. A coffee and pastry will run you about $5. Free admission. Today and tomorrow, noon-5 p.m. (Note: If you can't make it, the event will return in the spring.) House of Sweden, 2900 K St. NW. 202-467-2600.

· Daniel V, how far you've come. Every time one of the "Project Runway" alums rolls through town, it seems all of Washington's beautiful people show up dressed in the edgiest things they own. But we're expecting that Daniel Vosovic's talk at the Corcoran next week won't be just another see-and-be-seen event, because the charming second-season runner-up is coming to talk about his new book -- which, refreshingly, is not just another makeover tome. The book, "Fashion Inside Out: Daniel V's Guide to How Style Happens From Inspiration to Runway and Beyond," is about making it as a designer, with all sorts of tips and advice for newbies. So grab your portfolios and put on your best creations but please, leave to someone else the questions about what to wear to the holiday party. $22; members, $18. 7 p.m. Monday. Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW. 202-639-1770 or get tickets at http://www.corcoran.org/calendar (select December on the pull-down menu).

· The Phillips Collection's next Phillips After 5, set for Thursday, is a collaboration with the Japanese Embassy, which means a couple of things. One: Sake. The cash bar will feature the Japanese rice wine in addition to the usual fare. Two: Furoshiki. Meaning: Guests can learn how to wrap presents for the holidays with colorful Japanese fabrics. You'll also be able to visit the galleries to see a show tracing Christo and Jeanne-Claude's next project: swathing the Arkansas River in Colorado in silver fabric, and see a documentary about the artists' 1991 installation of umbrellas in Japan and California. Admission is $12; seniors and students, $10; 18 and younger, free. 5--8:30 p.m. Thursday. 1600 21st St. NW. 202-387-2151.

Save the Date

ON STAGE: No Such Thing as Too Much of "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind" Chicago's Neo-Futurists first performed in Washington during the 2007 Capital Fringe Festival and have since made the city a semi-regular stop. Next month will mark the troupe's third visit to Woolly Mammoth, where its signature show is again on the bill. The conceit is this: The frenetic and intensely physical troupe aims to finish 30 mini-plays (some so short, they're practically haiku) in just one hour. The result is as funny as a nightclub comedy act. "Too Much Light" is different this time around: Expect some holiday-themed material thrown in. $30 (opening night, Dec. 15, is pay-what-you-can; New Year's Eve tickets are $50). Dec. 15-Jan. 4. Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW. 202-393-3939.

CONCERT: National Symphony Orchestra with Itzhak Perlman The respected violinist returns to helm the NSO after conducting the season opener in September. This time, he performs J.S. Bach's Violin Concerto in A Minor and conducts the NSO in selections by Mozart and Tchaikovsky. $20-$80. Thursday at 7 p.m. and Friday at 1:30 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600.

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