I wanted to share something kind of personal with you all in this post, about transitions and opportunities-in-disguise, as it’s been on my mind a LOT these days.
Lately I have been meeting more & more people who are embracing change & finding new ways to “live their best life,” as Oprah used to say:) So in that spirit, here’s a bit about who they are, what they’re doing & how we can all learn from their experiences!
Read MoreMaybe it was the endless walking through so many showrooms, buildings and pop-up installations at the sprawling High Point Market, but I found myself oggling CHAIRS everywhere - comfortable, beautiful seating just beckoned me!! Here are my top 10 picks…
Read MoreOkay, I’m back with Part II of my High Point Market adventure with the Esteem Media “Fall Bloggers Tour” & am STILL dizzy from how much we saw & covered there! So as not to overwhelm you, I’m zeroing in on a few things that were really beautiful AND that we can all do in our homes, no matter style or budget…
I’m still processing the whirlwind 2-day adventure of High Point, as I was selected by Esteem Media to be on the High Point Market Fall 2018 “Design Bloggers Tour” along with 9 incredibly accomplished blogger/influencers. It was an amazing experience & I have so many insights I want to share with you…
Read MoreThe Serena & Lily Friends & Family Sale is on for just a few more days, so I’m trying to be a savvy shopper like my friend Janet who decorated her amazing house in style during the last “Friends & Family” event. EVERYTHING on their site (or catalog) is 20% off…
Read MoreIt’s summer & the living is “supposed” to be easy, right?? If that were the case, my whole closet would be dresses because they are the most effortless way to look pulled together - especially when you’re sweltering! To wit, here are a few new pieces that have helped me keep cool these days + a few I have my eye on…..
Read MoreI got to meet Kate Spade just once, a very long time ago at a family wedding in Napa. She had yet to officially kick off her handbag empire but there she was at the luau-themed brunch with - if memory serves me! - a little purse she made out of a REAL coconut. Classic. Adorable & so original, just like the style she came to be known for. SO I decided to dedicate this post to Kate Spade and her artistic eye, which brought beauty, warmth & personality into everything she did.
Read MoreI have been slightly obsessed with Carolina Herrera for years - from investing my own meager funds in college to buy her eponymous perfume, to more recently ogling her at NY Fashion Week. So you can imagine my shock when I opened the New York Times 2 wks ago to find she is “stepping down” and handed the creative reigns over to a young designer, Wes Gordon. What??! I’m in a bit of withdrawl so I decided to create a post on her and sum up the things I admire about her so much...
Read MoreI have been slightly obsessed with Carolina Herrera for years - from investing my own meager funds in college to buy her eponymous perfume, to more recently ogling her at NY Fashion Week. So you can imagine my shock when I opened the New York Times 2 wks ago to find she is “stepping down” and handed the creative reigns over to a young designer, Wes Gordon. What??! I’m in a bit of withdrawl so I decided to create a post on her and sum up the things I admire about her so much...
Read MoreIt’s the time of year when we all need a boost to stay motivated, right? For me, that energy almost always comes from entertainment or infotainment — some way to get out of my own head & think about or LAUGH about something else. I’ve been lucky lately, finding all kinds of stuff to keep me engaged. Check these out & feel free to add your own favorites in the Comments so we can ALL enjoy!
Read MoreIf you missed the epic Bunny Mellon sale a couple years ago, here’s your chance to ogle another great American collection, which Christie’s and all experts agree could easily be the highest-grossing auction of all time. But much more important than the sheer size of the collection is how clearly personal it is, representing a lifetime of thoughtful collecting by the late David & Peggy Rockefeller who were married for over 50 years.
Read MoreA few weeks ago, I had the privilege and fun of going to London with friends and discovering neighborhoods I’d never seen before - Shoreditch, Clerkenwell, and Islington - which were full of young professionals, working artists, graffiti murals and amazing original boutiques.
Read MoreIf you enjoy feeling all the highs and lows of every emotion, why not move from a big house in the suburbs with 25 years of marital accumulation and squeeze into a tiny rowhouse downtown? Oh, and don’t forget to bring the husband, the 2 kids and a couple of dogs - it will be fun!
Read MoreI’m not a real estate professional, but thankfully I work with a great one, my longtime friend Hans Wydler of Wydler Brothers! Hans sold our previous home in record time and did so again this time around, with contracts submitted just 1 week after first listing. My husband & I were not “planning” to move from our house below this Fall after 12 happy years here, but the chance to try a different lifestyle (moving from Washington DC suburbs to closer downtown, in Georgetown) kind of fell into our lap & so our move is ON — officially set for 10 days from now (gulp!).
Read MoreLast week was my husband & my 21st anniversary, bittersweet because it was same day as a memorial fundraiser for our late friend & Best Man, Bob Miller. So there was no celebration exactly but there was some talk about our time together. “You’ve done some CRAZY stuff in the decades we’ve been together,” Ted said, "but THIS... is by FAR…. the craziest yet,” shaking his head. “This” is our decision to put our house on the market and move to this place….a 19th century row house in a historic part of DC, Georgetown.
Read MoreLast week was my husband & my 21st anniversary, bittersweet because it was same day as a memorial fundraiser for our late friend & Best Man, Bob Miller. So there was no celebration exactly but there was some talk about our time together. “You’ve done some CRAZY stuff in the decades we’ve been together,” Ted said, "but THIS... is by FAR…. the craziest yet,” shaking his head. “This” is our decision to put our house on the market and move to this place….a 19th century row house in a historic part of DC, Georgetown.
Read MoreLeave it to the British to come up with the perfect word for that in-between layer everyone wants when it starts to turn chilly: the coatigan. Part coat, part cartigan, 100% comfortable & ideally not a mushy sweater fabric that loses its structure over time. I got a great one last year from MM LaFleur but couldn’t find any from them this season so I rounded up a few alternatives, below.
Read MoreI recently had a really cool experience in NYC as a guest panelist on Sirius XM’s “Tastemakers” show, hosted by the multi-talented Pauline Garris Brown, a friend and fellow Dartmouth classmate. Her show is packed with tips and inspiration for living a beautiful life, so I was honored to be included in the conversation!
Read MoreI was planning to post about something totally different when I came across an amazing new shop/service featured in the Sept. issue of House Beautiful & had to spread the word! If you live in Northern California, you may already know about The Well Made Home but it is completely new to me & fills a great hole in the market — offering individuals a custom look with designer fabrics in a way that suits them (ie; shopping affordably from home).
Read MoreAs a transplanted New Yorker living in Washington DC, I love it when I find other people with similar background. Anna Matthews is a design crush of mine & although we haven’t worked together (yet!), I adore how she creates lovely LIVABLE spaces, especially for families and dogs! A Parsons grad, Anna has a beautiful sense of color and scale — making each of her projects somehow both cheerful and yet sophisticated. DC is lucky to have her:)
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