June 22, 2010
June 21, 2010
Provence on the North Fork: A Fairy Tale.
Once upon a time, not long ago, Susan and Serge had a country home on the North Fork of Long Island. One day, while looking at his garden, Serge had the desire to plant something and nurture it. He planted lavender. Leave it to a Frenchman to plant something so romantic.
The fragrant plants grew and the couple bestowed their harvest on friends. So, Serge grew more. Their friends exhausted their uses for the gifts so Serge and Susan put a little lavender stand in front of their home with a donation box. On the very first day, the couple discovered that honor was alive and well on Long Island. They came home to find the lavender was gone and the money box was full. Overflowing.
Serge continued to work his earthbound magic and stock the little stand. Soon, they bought a field on Gardiner’s Bay and laid it out in rows of lavender. They pitched a tent, posted a “U-Pick” sign, and customers wandered the field gathering the purple bounty to take with them.
Business was good and soon the little tent was replaced with a handsome shingled cottage.
Before too long, help was needed to harvest and bundle the lavender into precise little bouquets which were neatly stacked into wheelbarrows. For those so inclined, it is still possible to gather your own lavender with scythes to fill old-fashioned cutting baskets.
And the moral of this fairy tale is: Some things happen by serendipity. Watch for the clues and let life unfold.
*If you are wondering what I did with my lovely, little bunch of lavender, I dried it and made this magic potion –> click here
June 16, 2010
Beachy Orchids
The elegance of orchids and the laid back casualness of the beach seems, at first, like an odd pairing. At Topiaire in Southampton last week, they perfectly paired rustic beach signs with an abbondanza of orchids.
Conrad the man/boy left for three weeks of sailing in the Caribbean. We shopped for the perfect board shorts for weeks. Unfortunately, I didn’t discover these until yesterday. I wonder if he would wear these amazing beachy-chic board shorts from Shortomatic?
I found Shortomatic via Style.com and think it’s the most brilliant concept. Upload your own graphics and design your own board shorts. A wonderful spin on my love of all things personalized. The shorts come in sizes to fit both men and women. For the effort, I don’t think that any design I could come up with would please me more than these white and hot pink shorts emblazoned with variegated phalaenopsis.
The beach + orchids = my new favorite flavor!
June 14, 2010
Steven and Jack
I was travelling all last week. It was my favorite sort of big, adventurous road trip and for those of you who know me, it’s not uncommon. The original travel plan was to take me to New York City and then on to Boston. All business, mind you. However, I’m easily lured by temptation and while I was in New York I received and accepted an invitation to Southampton for a little fun with friends. Boston, you will just have to wait.
On Saturday, when it was time to head for Chicago, the day dawned perfectly bathed in brilliant sunshine. I have the most amazing adventures when left to wander as I please, and thus, decided to take the long way home. My first stop was a Jack Rogers trunk show in Sag Harbor to see my friend Steven Stolman.
Sag Harbor exudes pure Americana, and Sylvester & Company is perfectly suited to the locale and to hosting a trunk show. Located on Main Street and billing itself as a contemporary general store, it offers home furnishings and houses a wonderful coffee bar that serves up thier their own special “Dreamy Coffee”. Steven contends that if you haven’t tasted Dreamy Coffee, you really haven’t tasted coffee at all and I concur.
Exquisite chocolates in the goodie case called to me with their siren’s song but I resisted.
Steven and I met at a private sale in Boston years ago. The sale itself wasn’t much to talk about but the friendship I fell into there certainly is. Steven Stolman beacame the first, and still the best, retail customer that QoC ever had. Six years later, I am lucky to count this extremely talented man amongst my friends. He is generous, gracious and is the embodiment of sprezzatura. So, when I saw that invitation announcing the Sag Harbor trunk show, I knew where the road would take me.
Steven is now the Creative Director for Jack Rogers. Who could better update the look of Palm Beach chic that brands this label? Not another soul, really. And he has done a stellar job. The line is true to it’s original DNA but completely modern and elegantly simple. I’m crazy for the guipure lace tunics that incorporate the signature JR roundel. When is the next cutting, Steven? I’ll take two — black and white, please.
I have been wearing Jack Rogers classic sandals since high school but everything was so fresh and great looking that I couldn’t help by a pair (or two, or three). You can find these shoes on www.jackrogersusa.com and the bedazzled style at www.saks.com
I bought these
And these (in white)
and these
