DAILY IDEAS FOR YOUR STYLISH PARK AVENUE LIFE:
FOR YOUR MUST- DO LIST: We just picked up the fiftieth anniversary edition of Tiffany’s Table Manners for Teenagers (amazon.com). I plan to read it to my 9 year old tonight at bedtime. It is a tightly edited, fast read— very efficient! Written by Walter Hoving, the former Chairman of the Board at Tiffany’s, and illustrated by Joe Eula (whose work has also appeared in Vogue & Harper’s Bazaar over the years) this clever little book quickly covers the do’s and don’ts— and everything in between).
PARK AVENUE POLISH:
We love this polished look for fall, fresh from the streets of Paris but perfect for Park Avenue. Courtesy of Vogue.
WITH LOVE, EMILIE GHILAGA: We were fortunate to recently meet designer— and Nightingale alum— Emilie Ghilaga for coffee, to hear about her exciting collection called With Love, Emilie Ghilaga. The Spring/Summer 2011 collection was sourced and designed in Jaipur, while Emilie lived there for six months to design and produce its various groupings. She worked daily with her own Rajasthani tailor, Rajneesh— and the results of their partnership are well worth their time, effort, and commitment. Emilie hosts her own wildly successful trunk shows (documented by GuestofaGuest for example), but you can also pick up her pieces on her website emilieghilaga.com and create your own collection (at her price points, why stop at one?!)— just in time for time spent stylishly poolside or elsewhere. On her site, you can check out my absolute favorite piece which is her long pink halter dress with elephants called “Daytripper in Jaipur”.
Emilie at work in Jaipur…
“Daytripper in Jaipur” from emilieghilaga.com
THE LATEST FROM ROBERTA ROLLER RABBIT We love this little girl’s dress for summer from Roberta Freymann (it comes in little girl’s sizes 2, 4, 6, and 8). It can dress up or down, and at $60 seems like a fabulous find. RobertaFreymann.com
Roberta Freymann
March 22, 2011
A reminder that spring is indeed coming, from This is Glamourous.
PLANTSCRIPTION SERUM We bought Origins Plantscription serum about two weeks ago, trying to turn things around after one long cold winter that wreaked havoc on the skin. Having tried all kinds of other remedies for the past two months or so, we had all but given up hope, at which point we heard about Origins Plantscription. It offers immediate positive effects, and after two weeks you can really see and feel the difference. Best of all, it is free of the suspicious chemicals and preservatives that we should work so hard to avoid, and while not organic it appears to have integrity with regard to its “natural” billing. We are so happy to have found it that we went back and stocked up by buying two more bottles. Dieu merci pour Origins Plantscription.
LA PARISIENNE We are reading La Parisienne by Ines de la Fressange (with Sophie Gachet). It is en francais bien sur. La Parisenne sold out all over France this fall, and we actually had to spend nearly three months on the amazon.fr website waitlist, before receiving it in the mail last week. It lives up to the hype, and is a chic and easy read. It comes out in English this spring, and is sure to be a big hit aux Etats-Unis. So there, that should give many of us a little something to look forward to…
GOURMET ITALIAN KITCHEN We are eager to get our hands on Gourmet Italian Kitchen, the second Special Edition under the Gourmet brand that quite recently launched on national newsstands. Much of the content was mined from Gourmet magazine’s archives at Conde Nast. Yet at the same time, it has been infused with exciting new recipes and thoughtful additions, including “kitchen tips with insider strategies from Gourmet test kitchen experts” (Ah the Gourmet test kitchen…during my own Conde Nast days I used to hear the most fabulous stories about said kitchen).
Gourmet Italian Kitchen also includes “three regionally inspired Italian menus”—plus wine pairings for each, courtesy of Belinda Chang, Wine Director at (the MOMA’s) The Modern (one of my favorite restaurants, since its opening).
This Special Edition was edited by Catherine Kelley, Executive Editor, Content Development at Conde Nast. Kemp Minifie, former executive food editor of Gourmet magazine, served as food editor.
Look for it at your favorite newsstand, or you can purchase Gourmet Italian Kitchen online at condenaststore.com
The cover of Gourmet Italian Kitchen, courtesy of Conde Nast.
K. JACQUES We LOVE K. Jacques sandals from St. Tropez, which we discovered on KeepitChic (please see Preston’s “March To Do List”). Spotlighted on KeepitChic is their Triton sandal in navy (GORGEOUS), and upon visiting their site I also loved “Columbia Nubuk”, “Coriolan 2″, and ”Diane Zebra” (I think the latter would look fabulous paired with a spring trench coat as the weather warms up). Their little girls sandals are cute too, and I am toying with purchasing “Picon” (en bleu) for my own nine year old. As spring is just around the corner, K. Jacques was certainly an exciting discovery. Needless to say we are huge fans of KeepitChic, and look forward to their continued reporting…
K. Jacques sandals spotlighted on KeepitChic.com (“Triton” in navy)
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE ARTS: For those of you who are looking for fun things to do with the kids— may we recommend a trip downtown to the Children’s Museum of the Arts at 182 Lafayette? (between Broome and Grand). We brought the kids this past Saturday, and they loved the hands on activities, the intimate setting, the friendly instructors, and the gallery of children’s work on-display on-site, some of which even dates back to the 1930s. For more information, please visit cmsny.org
DITCH PLAINS (restaurant): After our museum visit, we stopped by Ditch Plains, the restaurant at 29 Bedford Street named after the Ditch Plains Surfer’s section of Montauk. The food was really delicious (great appetizers, lobster rolls, and killer cocktails one of which is named Guava-Guava and melts in your mouth). They also have a fun kids menu, and their macaroni and cheese accordingly was amazing. Last but not least, for dessert they make and serve their very own “Ditch-wiches”— a huge hit with ice cream sandwich fans big and small. Ditch Plains: 29 Bedford Street 212.633.0202
PRIVATE CHEF. EatFuelFood.com “Food by design to fuel your life”, by chef Caroline Lee Jackson. You too can experience what it like to have a top (and nutritionally minded) chef shop for you and prepare thoughtful meals for you and your family— in your own home. Fuel provides meals that are “fresh, healthy, light and local” offering a variety of menus made according to your taste and food preferences. Best of all, Caroline will do everything for you. She plans the menu for the week, and once you have approved it she does all of the shopping on Fresh Direct, using your account to place the order and coordinate delivery from them. Caroline then shows up in your kitchen, and makes magic happen. For more information, or to learn more about Caroline Lee Jackson, please visit eatfuelfood.com or call 212.920.1997
J. POCKER. We love this pair of geometric giclees, with their clean but bold statement making quality. They are on offer at J.Pocker’s right now. Each one measures 31×25″, and with a fabulous custom silver frame they are $560 for one— or $1,120 for the pair (which measures “31×50″). In my opinion, they would add fabulous flair to any space which is important, since we collectively seem to spend so much time hunkered down inside these days. J. Pocker describes them as “evoking a vintage reference to minimalism using texture and shape organic yet urban, mixing well with any decor”. Well put. And what a possibly brilliant Valentine’s Day gift? For more information, please contact Leba Wise at lebaw@jpocker.com To learn more about J. Pocker, please visit JPocker.com
A scene from hipparis.com, “Merce and the Muse, Paris Eatery Marais”.
A scene from hipparis.com, “Paris’ Secret Supper Club” (spotlighting Hidden Kitchen hkmenus.com)
LITTLEBROWN PEN. We love LittleBrownPen.com, a “multi-discipline creative studio” owned by Evan and Nichole Robertson—spotlighting their own Photo Collections and Illustrations. Evan and Nichole wander around Paris to “record” their discoveries, and “curate” what they see. Everything is themed, for example “Paris in Blue” (or yellow, or red, or green, etc.) “Markets”, “Tuileries”, etc .
All images above are from LittleBrownPen.
Just the visual pick-me-up that we all need during these dreary days of winter, visiting their site is like taking a momentary trip to the city of light.
Special thanks to Karen Farina for this “Idea of The Day”.
EVERYDAY ICONS. We can’t wait to get our hands on former Vogue Editor Kate Betts’ “Everyday Icons: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style“, to be published this week. We plan to bring it with us to Vermont, and sit with it by the fire… It will be available at Womraths beginning Tuesday, February 8 (337.0199) or on Amazon. Enjoy.
READING JACKIE, HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN BOOKS: We just started “Reading Jackie, Her Autobiography in Books“. It is much substantive than we would have thought, and so far is quite an enjoyable read… Amazon.com
LE WEEKEND. We are lucky to live close to many great weekend getaway spots. Stratton Vermont is a great one, just four hours from the UES. They have great ski programs for kids (and childcare for the younger ones), a wonderful spa, fun restaurants— and great nighttime activities like ice skating, tube sledding, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. We love it up there, as do our children. For more information, please visit stratton.com
BATTLE HYMN OF THE TIGER MOTHER. We just started “Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother“ (aka “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior”) by Amy Chua. It is gripping all right— and deeply disturbing at times, but a real page turner. This new release is causing a furror in certain parenting circles, and in the media at large. The Wall Street Journal ran a piece last Thursday, and it was covered in this past Sunday’s New York Times Style section. But it is today’s NYT editorial by David Brooks that I think hits it out of the park and provides a fascinating— and blessedly refreshing— persepective/counter argument to Amy Chua’s at-times-extreme-and-very self-assured preachings.
Here is David Brooks’ column from today’s New York Times: nytimes.com
ANNETTE MCLOUGHLIN PHOTOGRAPHY. My friends have told me about her work during the past few years, but apparently I did not pay close enough attention to their absolutely rave reviews??? I checked out Annette’s website last night and was absolutely blown away by her portfolio. It turns out, Annette has shot commercially for the past 8 years for children’s clothing collections and others. For oh say the likes of Best & Co.— who enlisted her expert eye to bring their spectacular collections literally to life. Annette’s advertising work has appeared in Town&Country, Conde Nast’s (sadly now defunct as in I loved it) Cookie, and other print publications. Luckily for the rest of the world, Annette also works outside the commercial domain, and the very smart among us can enlist her talents and abilities for our own purposes. Last but not least, Annette is a mother of three, so she certainly knows her subjects— and best of all she has a really great and individual sense of style herself which I have long admired. Please feel free to check out her gorgeous website: annettemcloughlin.com
AIGLE. For the smartest children’s rain and snowboots oh say ever (think, “what would terribly chic French children wear”?), please go to aigleboots.com. We have stocked up on them in past years thanks to the kindness of small downtown Manhattan boutiques who have carried them in an admittedly random fashion, but now you can find them online in a selection of colors. We purchased “The Lolly Boot” in red— for all three children no less. You will not be disappointed, we promise. Best, of all— they wear so well thanks to their quality construction that they are easily handed down to younger siblings, making the not too terrible up-front price that much better over the course of many years of wear. Directions: when you visit the website below, click on “Children” on the left sidebar to find the full selection of kid’s boots …
ELSON & COMPANY. Please visit www.Elson&Company.com for the most beautiful and dhurries and rugs. Diane Bankoff, Founder & Creative Director, has collaborated with some of the biggest names in fashion and design to produce their unique works of art that can be yours. Please visit her website and take a look at “Fashion Under Foot” spotlighting rugs designed by Carolina Herrera, Narcisco Rodriguez, Reed Krakoff, and Lambertson Truex among others. The Oscar de la Renta Dhurrie Collection is also not to be missed. Gorgeous!!!
SFERRA.COM offers really gorgeous cocktail napkins that appear to represent remarkable value against the dollar. “Modern Monogram” cocktail napkins come in a set of 4 ($28 per set), in either white linen with single letter black embroidery, or stone linen with single letter chocolate embroidery. The perfect hostess gift, or well-priced pick-me-up for your own well-appointed house.
WORKING CLASS. For the best authentic coats, accessories, and haberdashery with an authentic U.K. working man’s aesthetic, please visit WorkingClassEmporium.com. You can view the merchandise online, but you need to purchase by actually visiting it’s downtown Manhattan store, or by calling them. We swear by the real McCoy “Scottish Firefighter” coat that we purchased four years ago— it comes in children’s and adult sizes and is basically a tricked-out and very warm yellow rain slicker that actual Scottish Firefighters wear (which should be a hit with any 2-6 year old boy in your life?). The address of the store is 168 Duane Street, and you can reach them by phone at 212.941.1199.
DR. BRONNER’S SOAPS: When filling the liquid handsoap dispensers in your bathrooms and kitchen this winter, consider filling them with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps in “Lavender”. Consisting of Pure-Castille Soap— made with organic oils— not only will Dr. Bronner’s Magical Soaps smell wonderful, but you will protect yourself to the best of your ability (we hope) from harmful chemicals that are bad for people and the earth. We are also a huge fan of their “Peppermint” liquid soap. You can also have your housekeeper create her own concoction for cleaning wood floors, countertops, kitchen tables, etc. Your home will smell clean and wonderful, without exposing you and your family to any harmful chemicals. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps can be found at your local green market, or nearest Whole Foods. DrBronner.com
NANNY TAXES. www.4nannytaxes.com They do everything for you with regard to state and federal nanny tax payments, which can otherwise be a huge headache, trust us. And with regard to payment of nanny taxes— it is always a darned-if-you-do, and darned-if-you- don’t situation. This way, you can do everything properly and above board, but not have to worry about the administrative headache of it all. Phew. Just fill out the forms that they provide, and write them checks— they do the rest. People who use their services absolutely swear by them.
PASSPORT RUSH. 290 Fifth Avenue, 4th floor NY, NY 212.714.3503 passportrush.com Planning a trip over the holidays and found that you need to update your passport or get one ASAP for your child? Passport Rush will come to your rescue, and magnificently. All you need is proof of travel dates (flight numbers etc.) to request rush service. Or, even if you are not terribly pressed for time, you can still have them make things much easier for yourself by having them take care of everything.
CHILDREN’S BIRTHDAY PARTIES Kidville.com Kidville was named “Best of” by New York Magazine and given a five star “extraordinary” customer rating in The Lila Guide: New Parent Survival Guide. Kidville founders include: Tennis stars Steffie Graf and Andre Agassi, philanthropist Laurie Tisch, and Rammy Harwood. Kidville offers a wide range of developmental classes including “Little Maestros”, “Run Wiggle Paint & Giggle”, “My Big Messy Art Class”, “Big Muscles for Little Babies” and on and on with regard to amazing programs. Birthday parties for children up to age 9 and Kidville University (Kidville’s Pre-School Alternative Program) also available.
SOLEIL ORGAINIQUE. So while we are on the path to eating healthfully and avoiding unnecessary poisonous toxins (please see recent posts below), why not take time to learn more about how scary most sunscreens can be? Valerie McMurray of Soleil Organique was so alarmed by the news within the medical establishment that she took the time to develop a suncare line (sunscreen and aftercare) for you, and your children. To order visit soleilorganique.com. And check out her great blog: soleilorganique.
FROMAGES.COM The secret that true Francophiles have been keeping from you. The best cheeses from France— the real McCoy so to speak—literally delivered directly to your door from La France itself. Fromages.com embodies the height of luxury, but also represents true bang for the buck at the same time. In our opinion it is pennies incredibly well spent (especially with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and future very fun dinner parties in mind?). Better yet, give it out to your friends/family to mark the holidays. Heaven on earth.
AVERILL FARM, WASHINGTON CT. Apple picking season is now upon us!!!!!!!!! We cannot recommend Averill Farm in Washington Connecticut more highly (to put it mildly). This farm has been family owned since the late 1700′s, when the family bought it from Native Americans. Lucky for you (and the rest of us), you can take your children apple picking in perhaps the most beautiful spot on earth, in the least commercial area you could possibly imagine. Stop for lunch immediately afterward at GW Tavern (860.868.6633, Children welcome). Averill Farm 250 Calhoun Street Washington Depot, CT 860.868.2777.
BISCUITS FROM THE WAVERLY INN (Graydon Carter boite)/THE RECIPE (from habituallychic.blogspot.com):
4 cups all-purpose flower, sifted
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 tablespoon baking soda
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound very cold unsalted butter
1 pint very cold buttermilk
2 eggs (for egg wash)
Directions: A Kitchen-Aid style mixer would come in handy here. You can also use a large mixing bowl and a manual pastry cutter to combine the butter and flour.
* Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl
* dice butter into small squares
* sprinkle butter cubes with a little flour, so they don’t stick together, and toss them in the bowl of dry ingredients. Using the paddle attachment on the mixer, combine the butter and flour mixure at medium speed for approximately 2-3 minutes until the bit of butter are the size of peas.
* with the paddle still chruning, add buttermilk. It will take approxinately 20 seconds to fold in. The mixture will be fairly wet and will look like chocolate chip cookie dough.
* place dough onto a well-floured cutting board. Sprinkle more flour on top of dough. Using your fingers, gently fold dough over itself a few times and flatten a bit. It should be lumpy and a bit loose, not smooth like bread dough. Sprinkle the cutting board with more flour if you think the dough might stick.
* using a heavy rolling pin dusted with flour, gently roll dough out into a broad oval, about 1/2-3/4 inches thick.
* using a cookie cutter or other straightedge, cut dough into biscuits— they do not need to be perfectly shaped. Place each biscuit on the baking tray. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to bake.
* preheat oven to 375 before baking. Remove biscuits from the refrigerator. Beat the eggs and brush the top of each biscuit with them. Bake for about 7 minutes, or until nicely browned and fragrant.
Serve immediately. Makes 18 biscuits.
WHITE FLOWER FARM With fall bulb planting season approaching, some very organized people have spring blooms on the brain. So join them to ensure that your house in the country is properly in bloom next spring. For the best of breed, no one compares to White Flower Farm in Litchfield Connecticut. Go online to order, or request their catalogue. WhiteFlowerFarm.com 866.466.8849. Better yet, plan a visit to the premises— and have lunch afterward at The West Street Grill (43 West Street, Litchfield). www. whiteflowerfarm.com weststreetgrill.com
WOOD PRAIRIE FARM You can find them (purple potatoes) at http://www.woodprairie.com 1.800.829.9765. This small certified organic family farm located in Bridgewater, Maine markets their own homegrown products, as well as those of other local certified organic farmers personally known to them. Wood Prairie Farm specializes in potatoes— of the highly orgininal variety. Choose from the “All Blue” (yes blue, especially inside), “Cranberry Red” (yes, inside too), or the “Easter Egg Potatoes” (per their website: “colorful baby potatoes…blues, reds, yellows, purples, and whites. Perfect for salads, potato salads, wild hors d’oeuvres, or just to brighten up your plate on a winter’s day”). Your kids, big and small—and their friends— will be beside themselves with excitement at the thought of eating such strangely and surprisingly colorful vegetables (organic no less?). We say claim a healthful victory wherever you find one… Order online now and stock up.
VARTALI SALON May we suggest a mother-daughter trip to Vartali Salon for haircuts? Chic mothers can bring their young daughters to Vartali (say age 5 and up?). Afterward, you can stop for lunch or afternoon tea at Mangia at 50 West 57th. Best of all, a Vartan haircut for my 7 year old will last a good six months or so—making the splurge somehow seem like long range planning. If you do decide to visit Vartali salon for the mother-daughter visit, definitely request to work with Vartan— the salon’s fabulously chic, French and incredibly lovely owner, who has styled the Vogue Editors and top models like Linda Evangelista in her prime. Vartali Salon: 48 West 57th Street (between Park and Madison). 212.935.4640 vartali.com
Hi, this is a comment.
To delete a comment, just log in, and view the posts’ comments, there you will have the option to edit or delete them.