O Canada!

Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland

Rome was great and I’m sure Paris will be fun as well, but, my next trip will, hopefully, be to Canada. Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, specifically. I want to start in Portland, Maine (my favorite state) and end on Fogo Island, Newfoundland. This trip has been on my list forever and now feels like the right time to go. Recommendations welcome.

Bits & Bobs

I’m going to catch the Louise Bourgeois Paintings exhibition at the Met before it comes down August 7. I love Ms. Bourgeois’ sculptures and am curious about her early works as a painter. Can’t say I was much of a Dakota Johnson fan until I saw her in The Good Mother where she was terrific. So, I’m eager to see her in the new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. The summer I was 13, I read every Jane Austen novel. The summer prior, I read almost every Agatha Christie novel and remember only a few. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is in my beach bag. There is a lot of amazing music this summer and Rüfüs du Sol’s dance remix of On My Knees gets in your head. After our trip to Rome last month, I’ve been making Cacio e Pepe more often than I care to admit — it’s just so easy. And my favorite small indulgences are sunglasses and fragrances. When Ray-Ban had their Memorial Day sale, I went a bit overboard —  my girls have taken a few pairs so I feel less guilty. It took me a long time to find a new fragrance, so I’m going back to the source and ordered Louis Vuitton’s Afternoon Swim. It’s by Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, the genius behind my beloved On The Beach.

Father’s Day Fare

For us, Father’s Day is about family, food, and al fresco dining. One daughter is home this weekend and will bake with her dad, and I’ll assemble a cheese board and kitchen clambake. Here’s to a lovely weekend!

The Perfect Pink

I’m completely smitten with these pink beach towels and umbrellas. And the white piping, sigh. The towels will be easier to hunt down, in the meantime a new lipstick and bandana would be fun.

Images courtesy of @vikagazinskaya and @virginiemouzat

Sleek Summer Dressing

I spied this image on Net-A-Porter and it’s one of my favorite summer evening looks. I have the Anine Bing skirt and pair it with an old Matteau top. This summer I’ll add the chunky link necklace I bought on sale and is now really on sale. And, I keep eyeing this Saint Laurent tote, but haven’t gone there — yet.

Proenza Schouler top, Manolo Blanik sandals.

FT’s HTSI

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Jo Ellison, editor of Financial Times’ HTSI (formerly How To Spend It), and the current issue is particularly good. At first glance, I thought A Newport Summer by Ruthie Sommers was just another coffee table book chronicling the lives of the idle rich. But, the review set me straight — it’s a much more in-depth look at Newport today and a very good read. An article on an exhibition at Les Beaux-Arts de Paris that explores botanical influences in jewelry was so compelling I changed the dates of our trip to Paris to catch the last day, September 4. And, if I were going back to an office, this Loro Piana shirtdress would be ideal.

La Droguerie From Diptyque

Perfect hostess gift alert!  Diptyque’s recently launched La Droguerie is a line of eco-friendly household products — so good.

Chloé Resort: In Black & White

Broderie anglaise, laser cut leather, and a collab with Barbour — Gabriela Hearst hit the bullseye with the Chloé Resort 2023 collection.

Designer Agnes Baddoo

The Agnes Baddoo line has expanded well beyond the original sacs aka the world’s best totes and bags. Sandals, leather kerchiefs, belts, and now baskets are just a few of the items under the brand’s umbrella. Everything Agnes designs is infused with her own personal style, which derives from her NYC upbringing and current life in LA. It’s all just very cool, Agnes is the ultimate cool girl. Here are earlier posts on my dear friend.

Next up, Agnes’ list of things she can’t live without.

Long Weekend Vibe

My 2021 New Year’s resolution, to create a home where I can entertain spontaneously, has extended to the outdoors. This small patio is off the kitchen, which makes it easy to dine al fresco. We are here this weekend awaiting an excavator to come collapse our 18th century root cellar — it’s under the lump at the tree line. There is a lovely fieldstone wall behind it that will finally be visible from the house. The meadow, at the right of this picture leading up to the barn, will then extend behind the pool. My husband and daughter are building a tuleur/teepee for the near right corner of the fenced garden — perfect for peas. Then we’ll start work on the back side of the hill that goes down to a river. My husband changes the subject every time I suggest a paddle court…

I hope everyone has a safe and restful long weekend.