Monday, October 12, 2015

Hanger Trick

Your favorite cashmere V-neck has been hanging in your closet for months, and now, right when you’re ready to wear it again, you notice that the shoulder area is all lumpy and stretched out. Here, a super-handy guide for hanging your sweaters properly so they never get ruined again.
The Sweater Hanger Trick That Just Might Blow Your Mind




Wednesday, September 30, 2015

PALM BEACH CHIC


All it took was one look at this cover with those amazing parasols in their elephant stands set against a background of glorious glossy green palms and I was promptly whisked away to the wonderful whimsical world of Palm Beach Chic!



This gorgeous book arrived on my doorstep this afternoon and I simply could not put it down!


I was transfixed by the exuberance and creativity exhibited within its pages.


As Jennifer Ash Ruddick writes in the Introduction, "These homes and their magnificent gardens aren't slavish copies of interior design magazines or decorators' dictates but testaments to what can be achieved when inspired by the natural beauty of a unique locale and when imagination is one's only limitation."


One of the homes featured, Old Bethesda-By-The-Sea, is where Interior Designer Celerie Kemble grew up!

I wholeheartedly agree with her!

I think I must have lived a prior life in Palm Beach because this fanciful, whimsical, outside the box style completely resonates with me.



It's rare for me to find a decorating book that gets better and better with each turn of the page.


Jennifer, a long time Palm Beach resident, takes us on an insider's tour of twenty-five homes in and around Palm Beach.


These remarkable residences include newly restored  Mediterranean Revival fantasies by legendary Palm Beach architects Addison Mizner, Maurice Fatio, and Marion Sims Wyeth, cozy cottages nestled amid tropical foliage, an exotic Moorish casbah (my favorite), postmodern villas, homes that are ideal settings for extraordinary collections of cutting-edge art, a sprawling ranch, and Mad Men-era vintage condos.


Take my word... this is a must read and a beautiful book that you are going to want to revisit often!






Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Forever Grateful...




On the occasion of my 57th Birthday I want to express my gratitude for the countless blessings in my life!



My Mom showed me this photo of my 3 brothers and I back in the day. I think it was in the 1970's or 1980's, I'm not quite sure but it certainly made my day!!!

 Thank you everyone for the lovely birthday sentiments today via phone, mail, text, and facebook. 

All your well wishes mean the world to me!


Monday, July 20, 2015

Treasure Hunting in The Hamptons


I always look forward to a little thrifting when I'm on vacation.


Thrifting in The Hamptons was not what I expected!


I mean come on... look at this place!


It was more like going to an estate sale in a gorgeous home!


We happened to hit ARF the week after their huge fundraiser benefiting the animals and they still had the following amazing offerings!


Check out these donations!

(On a return visit they had Madeline Weinrib pillows on the daybed!)

I was completely smitten with this piece and could not get it off my mind the entire trip!


Definitely my favorite piece!


I was fantasizing about decorating a house in The Hamptons with thrift store finds :)







Sigh!





I did find a few small treasures in the basement I managed to sneak into my luggage.


LVIS
Ladies Village Improvement Society
East Hampton





I didn't get many photos here but trust me it was just as amazing as ARF and had an incredible book section, designer clothes galore, a bargain basement and then this furniture barn that I discovered on a subsequent visit!




I was intrigued by this solid brass frame with original built in picture light.





Fresh Air Home is a summer camp in Southampton for physically challenged children ages 7 -18.


The weekend we were there was the Annual Decorators - Designers - Dealers Sale and Auction Benefit Gala.


The morning after the Live and Silent Auction Event they open up the house at 11:00 am and pretty much everything is spoken for by 11:05 because they practically give the remaining items away



It was exciting to be there and experience this highly anticipated event or shall I say "sport" that local Hamptonians wait for all year!


A few spoils to tuck into my luggage as a reminder of my time here.


Southampton Animal Shelter Thrift Shop


I made a quick pit stop here on our first day.




And then saw that there was going to be a rummage sale at the First Presbyterian Church in Southampton on Fri. evening.


I couldn't make it because we were in East Hampton waiting for our son to arrive on the train from Manhattan.


 While looking for a few garage sales we came across this neat shop and a warehouse full of treasures tucked behind it


where I spied this amazing...
DESK!



We did end up going to several great garage sales in Sag Harbor, Southampton and Montauk.



(Some John Robshaw pillow shams,and an Ikat pillow found at an estate sale in tony Southampton plus a coconut cupcake from Lunch)



At this sale in Montauk we met a wonderful Irish family from Staten Island who have been summering here since the 1960's.


They were a family of firemen, policemen and teachers whose parents bought property and built a home here when it was still relatively undiscovered. In fact they told me that their aunt sold her waterfront property 2 years ago for $15 Million and that it was back on the market for $25 Million!


They took us a tour of Montauk pointing out some famous neighbor's digs like Anthony Bourdain and locales from the Showtime series, The Affair, before dropping us off at the Lighthouse where we were the last to go up and check out the spectacular views of Montauk or as its called, 



"The End."