Delusions of Hair Grandeur

Okay, so I could easily stick to my hair growing resolve over the next couple of years if I was guaranteed this end result. But, I saw a dime store version of this exact head o' hair in the Food Lion last night that made my toes curl and forced me to suppress a hiss. Do I too have delusions of long hair grandeur?

Maybe, if I break it down in stages, encouraging outside interventions along the way in case I also start to veer dangerously close to eliciting hisses...

And, maybe Patti Hansen bangs would afford me a mid-growth handicap...

Or, maybe I should cut my losses now and scamper back to the comfort and warmth of my Gwynnie P Sliding Doors safe place...

Better yet...I could refuuuse to cut my hair, kinda like someone fasting in protest, til I receive my VC&A Vintage Alhambra earrings. In mother of pearl and gold just in case anybody should be taking notes...

Kindness of blessed summertime, which affords me most days spent in and out of the ocean and on the beach sportin' a salt encrusted Simba/Capt'n Crunch doo (depending if the wind's outta the North or South), which makes this long vs short debate a temporarily moot point. My hair OCD summer hiatus...XXOO

Insalata Caprese

I've been churning out Insalata Caprese this summer like no body's business. I figured, if I couldn't talk Babe into that holiday in Capri, then I'd bring Capri to us...

Now, my Caprese family cult following will tell you that it's the thickness I cut the tomatoes that makes it a standout...

I say the secret is great salt flakes or crystals, hand ground in a mortar and pestle. Annnd, allowing the Caprese to sit at room temperature for least 30 minutes before serving...

I also suspect there's room for improvement with a great extra virgin olive oil and I've got the Sikorsky on standby for a delivery of O-LIVE & CO for test driving...

Insalata Caprese

local, tomatoes (more power to ya if you're from Long Island)

buffalo mozzarella

fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry

good extra virgin olive oil

great sea salt

freshly ground pepper

Slice the tomatoes, sneakily using only the best center cuts...

Slice the buffalo mozzarella keeping the thickness on par with the tomatoes. Top each slice of tomato with a comparably sized slice of the mozzarella...

Top each slice with one of the basil leaves, again taking care to match up sizes. Annnd again, sneakily discarding any with imperfections...

Generously drizzle with the evoo...

Generously salt but, modestly pepper...

We've become so addicted, occasionally eating leftover Caprese at breakfast, that I suspect they'll continue to grace our dinner plates til I bring home my traditional last sniffle, sniffle haul of Long Island beauties from my late summer trek to Montauk...

Kindness of my dear friend Ellen Ciciotte at Food Innovations for turning me on to, and supplying, my shhhmancy salts habit. Murray River flaked salts en route as we speak! And, childhood friend Robin Insley, who comes by her great taste honestly, for the heads up on the O-LIVE & CO evoo. Now if you'll excuse me, Radar says we got an incoming chopper...XXOO

Needlepoint Reminder Compliments Of, The Universe

I hadn't picked my ski scene needlepoint belt project since I was on the beach in Ixtapa back in March. And, before that I hadn't picked it up since Ixtapa the previous March...

But, then the Universe sent me a couple of gentle reminders starting with Mel's post on the Wimberly Inc Cream Bee Cuff Bracelet I had sent her Napoleonic Bee lovin' way...

Last I left her, she was waxing and waning between sporting the cuff on her bare forearm, or her Memorial Day to Labor Day bracelets laden wrist...

I didn't stick around long enough to hear the verdict cuz I was too busy scurrying off to the Wimberly Inc site myself. Her post triggered memory of having spied theee perfect Turquoise Buckle for my ski scene belt the same time I found the cuff with her name on it...

And several weeks later, when Meg Carter whipped out her gorgeous needlepoint backgammon project whilst visiting me on the beach, I realized the Universe was sending me a message...

Sooo, into the ole beach bag went my dusty, sandy belt kit...

I'm determined to complete this, stifling hot on the beach or not, and have it leathered by Chuck Pinnell and sporting it's Wimberly Inc buckle in time for our Breckenridge ski trip in February...

Annnd, since ski belt wearing season is a ways off, I may have found a couple other Wimberly Inc goodies to mollify my impatient self...

After all, I can't let Mel have all the Wimberly Inc summer fun...

Kindness of Melissa C. Morris and Meg Carter for the gentle reminders. I may not ski like I belong in Breckenridge but, I am determined to look the part. Minus the horse and bong...XXOO

Orlebar Brown +

When I read about Orlebar Brown swim trunks in my Hamptons mag last month I eeemmediately earmarked a pair of the Classic Bulldogs as theee perfect anniversary gift for Babe...

But, then cut to a disheartening convo on the beach a few days ago with Dr. Party Pooper...

Babe: I know exactly what I'm getting you for an anniversary present

Moi: Annnd I know exactly what I'm getting you!

Babe: I don't want anything

Moi: GASP! But, I want to get you something

Babe: Your gift to me would be to not buy (sharp intake of breath) me (exhale with relief) anything

Moi: whining But I already had something special picked out for you that I really, really want to get

Babe: Well. You can get me what I want, which is nothing or, you can get me what you want which is really more for you

Moi: defiantly mumbling...I'll opt for the later thankyou

thought but, most definitely not spoken How else am I supposed to piggyback my pair of their Whippet Classic Short Shorts on his order???

Kindness of Babe who will understand that for alllllll of eternity, I will never, ever think, utter, or entertain that phrase, "I don't want anything" in reference to a gift receiving occasion. When God was handing out the ability to string those four words together, I musta had a doctors note excusing my absence...XXOO

Soft Return

Welp, Babe's vacay is over and, sighhh mine's just beginning. Tonight I've traded in 5 full ball hoppers worth of tennis played in 100% humidity for hours obsessively pinning on Pinterest...

Whomever came up with the idea for virtual memo boards is a geeeniousss...

I've remembered small items from long forgotten wish lists...

And, item's from lists Babe wishes were long forgotten...

And, of course, the items he has to look forward to in the queue...

I've reawakened the should I go Gwynnie short again beast...

Annnd kick started the I ate too much junk this weekend guilt machine. Merci beaucoup Pinterest and Elle McP for reminding me of the looming Monday morn Insanity punishment that awaits my naughty self. Til then it's back to pinning in the AC. Sans my tennis skirt...

Kindness of Kristen at Summer in Newport for the tutorial on adding the Pinterest "pin it" to my tool bar. Now all lust items are a mere click away. And, ole RIP Maxminimus for the Benz pic I lifted a few weeks ago. I'll give ya (yeah, YA!) a ride. But, mostly Babe for a great week with our li'l fam. I miss you already Dil. Blinded by sweat in my eyes while tennis balls coming zippin' past me in searing heat, ahhhh not so much...XXOO

Gone Daddy Boot Campin'

We've decided to join Daddy with a mini vacay of our own...

And by vacay, we don't mean this. Pffft! No such luck...

More like Daddy boot camp with bike rides, runs, walks, bike rides alongside his runs, tennis, beach during the day, now a request for beach during the evening, dining out, grilling in, trips to the boardwalk for carni rides and junk food, a road trip to the National Arboretum, any excuse for a drive along the coast, more tennis, annnd new to the queue, a daily plank challenge since he missed out on last week's fun. Maybe it's next week I should be taking off...

Kindness of everyone for wishing me luck. I'm either gonna come outta this week really, really fit or really, really fat. Exhausted's a given. We'll see ya on Monday...XXOO

Alas, Defeat...

Only 3 days late, but who's countin'?

After nothin' but blue ribbons, I was finally dealt two bitter Cully Comps defeats...

First in the plank competition and then, the kip up. Video of that very unladylike melt down not fit for public consumption...

I take solace in the fact that I was taken down by my star athlete of a cousin...

DidYouALSOKnow...that Melissa sets up her competitors for failure by plying them with lethal margaritas?

Kindness of Melissa who will heed Uncle David's warning that, true to form, I will be practicing my li'l kip up heart out and by the time I roll into Greenwich I hope to be doing kip ups OVER you or die trying. That, annnd I'm revoking your mixology license. Let's leave the margarita making to the professionals please...XXOO

Better Late Than Never...

Been trying since last night to load video of my crushing defeat in the plank event of the Cully Comps with zero success. Guess losing doesn't sit well with my filmed self either...

I'll continue to work on it over the weekend right alongside working on my kip up...

Another event resulting in bitter defeat...

Oh, I'll be back. You hear that Melissa?

Kindness of any techie out there that could enlighten me as to why some people can see the videos I've posted this past week and others can not. And, why blogger would be giving me a problem with loading. Besides the fact that it too hates seeing documentation of my losses...XXOO

Cully Reunion Comps

Listen, that competitive apple didn't fall far from the Cully family tree. Day one of our reunion began with a dive off and yesterday's posted swim race. By night two, Uncle David was spearheading the one armed pull-up and wall sit contests...



Being inclusive, I devised a friendly handicap for my mother's attempt at a pull up. Guess those apples skipped a generation...

Kindness of Emma for whipping out her iPhone cuz she had the foresight to know this was gonna be rich...XXOO

Moi? Competetive? Pshaw!

Hilbil's boyfriend Rob; luuuuv him...mini Babe...treats our Hilly like gold...genuine...polite...BUT throw down a challenge with competitive moi?! Adios Mrs. Nicey Pooh Aunt...



Ummm, cheater, cheater pumpkin eater. Rematch!



All handicaps aside (no goggles for him...a bikini bottom hanging on for dear life pour moi...), looks like BroBible's poster boy took one stroke too many...

Kindness of Rob for being such a good sport. Annnd, good second placer...XXOO

Queue Up The Summer '12 Spead Sheet!

We had a birthday pool party at my sister Mandy's yesterday and for once my main focus wasn't the cake and ice cream...

It was her Multi Bellie Canforas...

I was like a heat seeking missile and the very minute she slipped those babies off to tend to Caroline...

And, left them momentarily unattended...

My whole size larger foot crammed their way in and declared them theee official inaugural item in the Summer '12 queue. Multi Bellie, meet Excel. Excel, meet next summer's first sin spread sheet entry...

ps...the bells actually jingle jangle when you walk. Lolls and Pilge are gonna have a field day...

Kindness of everyone who has sent an email in the past several days for please extending me a smidge of a grace period with my responses. I can not tell you how appreciative I am to receive such generous feedback. Every girl should be so lucky. Annnd, I always make sure to share them with Babe as gentle reminders as to who the lucky one REALLY is lest those stinkin' spread sheets start to say otherwise...XXOO

Hint, Hint...

It's as though Hermès knew I had a looming leoline gift receiving occasion birthday...

Annnd, would also be in need of something to cover my gold lamé'd shamed self...

Kindness of everyone for allowing me a couple weeks of short dispatches so I can spend time with visiting family and a soon to be on vacay Babe. And, fingers crossed, NOT convalescing from whatever is brewing in my throat that sent me to bed in a most uncharacteristic way in the middle of a glooorious beach day. It took a concerned Babe quite awhile to arouse an entwined, slumbering Lolls and moi. Dr. Fancypants diagnosed swollen glands, prescribed against my usual mania, opted for a hug over kisses and was off to the train station before the germs could migrate. Please, please, pleaseee let this be a diet maker and not, a diet breaker...XXOO

Hamlet Ponders Gold Lamé

Too much...

Or, not too much?

That is the question...

Kindness of QBS, my li'l sis in all things summer, for weighing in with her gold lamé expertise. If you saw me prancing round the CC peeeuuul in this number would you think, aging bathing beauty still clinging to the 80's? Orrrr, would you jockey for the empty lounge chair next to moi eventually working up the nerve to extend a cannonball challenge? One scenario ends with sun kissed chlorinated skin, laughter and T&T's by the diving well, the other with just me, my tears and a bottle of Tanqueray...XXOO