Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts

15 January 2014

My Favorite Things for January


This crazy January weather has me in a mood…. and not always a good one.  Here are a few of my favorite things getting me through the grey days of winter.




 My fabulous Pratesi cashmere throw! 

Mine is the blue one on the 4th stool...Truly the color of Heaven.  It might be one of the most luxurious things I own. And truth be told… I scored it at a Pratesi sample sale while living in London… so it makes it even that more fabulous.









OK - my daughter received one for Christmas and I was totally smitten. I barely made it a week before having to run out and get my own.  It is amazing how actually seeing the number of steps you have taken for the day makes you want to run out and take the dog for a walk…and I don't even really like the dog.

BONUS FEATURE… while you are lifting your wine glass, it is counting that movement toward your FUEL points goal. (FUEL Points are Nike's propriety measurement for measuring the energy you have used throughout the day).
WIN WIN!

BONUS FEATURE #2… After I bought mine, I came across this article in Vogue…now it's almost as cool as my Pratesi throw!




Hands down, the greatest lip balm ever created. I have been using it for years and could not live without it.  (apparently, my girls can't either as I find it hiding in their rooms!)  Reason??  It actually works. Truly makes your winter lips feel like velvet. You can't get yours fast enough.






I have been hooked from day one.  I find it ridiculously therapeutic but don't always have the time to spend on it I would like.  These cold, rainy days have helped me find more time and I am loving my all my new inspirations!  Come and follow me here.!







My new book for the month!  For (literally) as long as I can remember I have been a Francophile.  The older I get, the more fascinated I become with beautiful French women, the way they approach life and how they seem to age effortlessly and with such grace.  Here is part of the synopsis from Amazon…Doesn't it draw you in from the from the first sentence?

For any woman who last saw forty on her speedometer comes a sparkling new primer for aging—the French way—with grace and style. Frenchwomen of a certain age (over forty) are captivating and complex. They appear younger than their years and remain stylish throughout their lives. They look at birthdays as a celebration of a life well-lived and perhaps a good reason to go shopping before they dress to perfection for a celebration of another anniversaire. American-born journalist and blogger Tish Jett has lived among the French for years and has studied them and stalked them to learn their secrets. Exploring how their wardrobe, beauty, diet, and hair rituals evolve with time and how some aspects of their signature styles never change, Jett shows how Frenchwomen know their strengths, hide their weaknesses, and never talk about their fears, failures, or flaws. After all, in France, beauty, style, and charm have no expiration dates!



I love having my nails painted a great color… I think it is such a reflection of one's sense of style.  However, the nature of my job (which consists of constantly lugging samples, furniture, plants, rugs, etc) usually prohibits me have indulging in my favorite red or navy blue.  This fab new color plays as a neutral but has a little more substance… and it is much hipper… than my usual Mademoiselle color by Essie.  It has just a hint of shimmer...which i do not usually like…but it seems to add a little bit of elegance to what could possibly otherwise make my pale hands look dead.  Highly recommend!


I would love to hear what your favorite things are getting you through this winter!

                                              xx,  







10 September 2013

THE LOST ART of the picnic












There is something about a picnic that I have always loved.

I can remember as a child going on picnics when we would be on vacation.  At the time, I really had no appreciation for what a picnic really could be... then, it was just a cold sandwich at a park table but some how it still was a fond family memory.  My husband and I enjoyed picnics when we were dating so shortly after I got married (many years ago), I was in Crate and Barrel and they were having an end of season sale on wooden picnic baskets.  I bought one with all the "things" that go inside...I was ready should the occasion arise but it would be years before I knew how to properly use it.   Not until moving to London in 2007 did I truly discover THE ART OF THE PICNIC.  

You see, it is really much, much more than a cold sandwich and some potato salad.  It is about creating a true dining experience, it is about making beautiful memories, it is about slowing down, and it is about bringing a little "luxury" into a very simple activity.

... and really, it takes very little effort.  Stop and think for a minute how just a pretty cotton blanket in a shady spot, instead of a picnic table, would change the atmosphere and makeyou want to linger.  You should think of planning a picnic in the same way you would if you were having guests for dinner.  What makes the setting memorable?

Here are my 10 favorite things for bringing a little luxury to the picnic:
  • A proper blanket (or blankets) to sit on that accommodates everyone
  • A great wicker basket 
  • Real dishes and silverware
  • Cloth napkins
  • Fresh flowers for a centerpiece
  • Real food...Grilled flank steak, shrimp cocktail, tomato salad, fruit salad, a beautiful cheese or charcuterie board... the possibilities are truly endless!
  • A bottle of wine or champagne (don't forget the corkscrew!)
  • Real glassware (I have even been known to take my crystal!)
  • Portable music
  • cutting boards and/or serving trays

Fall is the perfect time for a picnic with family or friends... I hope you will make some wonderful memories on your next outing.




 

Blog Design + Development by Fabulous K | Logo Design by Emily McCarthy