Chicks With Guns

This is the time of the year when I'm most nostalgic for the Eastern Shore...  

That's why I will most definitely be adding Lindsay McCrum's Chicks With Guns to my Holiday wish list...

It may help fill the void left by the lack of gunshot ringing across the bay to wake me in the morn...

The lack of guys in head to toe camo grabbing sodas and Tastykakes in convenience stores...

And, where are all the pickup trucks with gun racks and Hitch-Hauls?

Yeppers. Shoulda known I was in trouble when the movers refused to load our shotgun shells and bullets on the truck...

I'll just have to fill my li'l Igloo with some Chincoteague oysters and venison next trip home... 

And, curl up with Chicks With Guns whenever I'm feeling that ole familiar tug...

Cuz the only camo I'd likely get away with in the new hood is of the sequined variety...

*Last two pics are of yours truly, sadly, but understandably, not featured in the book...

Kindness of Keep it Chic for the heads up on Chicks With Guns book and Tomboy Style for the Alexis Bittar camo sequined clutch find. Those prepneck gods work in mysterious but, fashionable ways...XXOO

Quick Cheap Change Artist

Since Halloween has come and gone, 'twas time to redress the entrance table's holiday decor...

True to my laziness word, I kept October's look and gave it a new face by adding some scented pine cones from Whole Foods and a few pheasant feathers...

 Et, voilà! November...

The life expectancy of those pheasant feathers wholly dependent upon a couple of eyes; Babe's critical one...

And, the opening on you know who's other one post nap. Yup, that'd be the sound of a timer starting...

Kindness of Babe for taking note of my ability to recycle. Taking NOTE annnd possibly taking advantage of Ralph Lauren's current 40% off sale ooone last time. Nothing says positive reinforcement like fuschia pink or purple cashmere cable knit...XXOO

Ralph's Private Sale

After a lovely Sunday brunch at Versailles with Babe and Amy we all popped into Ralph's on the Avenue for a peek at his private sale. Continuing in the tradition of what Babe refers to as our cashmere "Arms Race", Amy and I beelined it to the sweater nook... 

I went into the dressing room with three, and came out with my allotted one. A Mitered V-Neck Cable Knit in navy made the difficult cut...

 While I had to leave the Slim-Fit Cables in fuchsia...

And, royal lilac behind. But, not before whispering vows to be back...

While Babe footed the bill I searched furiously for the gorgeous Darwin Silk Top in navy I had whispered the same vow to several weeks ago...

And, that's when I heard it; the Hand-Knit Blanket Coat that was whispering to me...

Apparently Babe and Amy don't speak the secret language of Blanket Coat and deemed it, not my style. Well, not only do I speak Blanket Coat but, happens I'm also fluent in not my style. Translates to, GASP! I see four figures on that price tag and how would that affect my lead in the Arms Race? respectively...

*40% off at Ralph Lauren stores and ralphrauren.com now through Monday, November 7. Receive and additional 15% off upon checkout at ralphlauren.com with the code NOV0307. Not sure how you parlay that extra discount in the stores without the actual card I received in the mail but, it's certainly worth a sob story shot...

Kindness of Babe for buying my navy v-neck thus, allowing me to grow my cashmere army. Never mind that Amy left with grey, cabernet AND Range Rover green. She may be the cashmere military super power but, I believe I have the pole position when it comes to Ralph's silks...XXOO

The Awrets

At the lunch following Grandpa Flynn's interment, I had the great fortune of being seated next to the Flynn's dear friend and artist, Irene Awret, after yearsss of trying to finagle an introduction...

Irene and her late husband Azriel, a sculptor, meet and fell in love while in a Nazi internment camp. Mrs. Awret told me, over a lunch I barely touched, when they moved to the states they were introduced to a small group including Mr. and Mrs. Flynn...

She fondly spoke of the Flynn's open mindedness and how, at her very first stateside show, Babe's grandfather was the only one out of that group to buy a piece of her work. Giggling she said, and it was a nude! I could tell, by the way she spoke, how much that support had meant to her and that it was more than likely the precise moment a lifelong friendship had been forged...    

Babe and I drove Mrs. Awret home after lunch and were rewarded with a private tour of both her and Azriel's studios. I fell in love with this life size sculpture by Mr. Awret but, unfortunately I would have had to leave the whip in exchange...

After another 45 minutes of generous free reign in Mrs. Awret's studio I settled on this large oil painting. Once again, my talent for ferreting out something outta my financial league proved not be waning with age...

Naturally, Babe's gifted eye and sixth sense unearthed this watercolor in a giant file drawer. Turns out it's thee very same model used in Mr. Flynn's 40 year old purchase. How about them apples? And, a third generation patron of the Awrets was born...

While I save up my pennies Benjamins for the oil, or a more modest sculpture, I'll keep myself both distracted and focused by curling up with Mrs. Awret's book chronicling her time in a Nazi concentration camp and how her gift saved her life. Meanwhile, mine'll be the death of me...

Kindness of Mrs. Awret for inviting us into her home and her studio and Mr. Flynn for guiding Babe to the piece that was meant for him in so many ways. Also, LFF for the fantastic R. Van Loan Custom Framing rec where my saved up Benjamins will initially be funneled once the hand moon-gold leafed frame ransom note arrives in a month...XXOO

C'ville Haul

We hit up all the usual suspects while in the old C'ville hood a couple of weekends ago and managed to haul back a few additional trinkets and lbs...

There was our traditional first night in town Christian's Pizza, were it was slim pickin's after the ice hockey kids beat us to all the avocado and feta slices...Bodo's on the Corner for a bacon (moi), sausage (Babe), egg and cheddar on sesame bagel breakfast...and my beloved Montpelier (extra rare on the roast beef s'il vous plait) to go from the Gourmet Exxon for the next leg in our journey... 

We mostly shopped for antiques but, I managed to squeeze in just a few personal gits including the all important sweats of Winter '12... 

And, disappointed to find And George wiped clean of any Chuck Pinnell key rings in navy, I consoled myself with a new desk calendar with easel for the coming year...

Found this cute lidded fish dish at Artifacts which is ideal for storing my stove side Kosher salt...

The lid is key for foiling Lolly's nightly urge to create her renowned salt works of art; her brushes being her paws, her medium, about a tablespoon worth of salt, and her canvas, kitchen counter top and floor...

Best find of all, was the mink bolero Babe bought me from the Vintage Vixen off the downtown mall...

Broke the seal on that puppy at our King Family Vineyard's wedding mere hours after the purchase...

It took every ounce of self control I had to reign in my greedy self from also tossing this vintage Hermès polo on the counter as Babe was generously paying for my mink. Just my size too, gosh darn it...

Kindness of Babe for buying everything my li'l heart desired during our day of Hooville shopping. Although, now you know my li'l heart was really a greedy wolf in grateful mink clothing. And, G'wich follower Kenny for the Vintage Vixen tweet alert. sighhh Poor Babe, he's now doing battle against a virtual team effort...XXOO

Hot Flicks

Babe and I risked life and limb whip driving to White Plains, NY through Saturday's snow storm just to see the movie Margin Call. And, it waaas WORTH it...
 
The big disappointment ended up being my date who doesn't beeelieve in making a PEEP once the lights go down;
(in a very reasonable whisper) Haaave you ever been in board room situations as tense as thaaat? (in a whisper only audible to dogs) Yes, when we were working on a big deal shhhhh... Is he like the CEOhhh of  ___? (very clipped) yes shhh... Whyyy are banker's suits always so shinyyy? No answer. Where dooo you get shiny suits like thaaat? Armani, Brioni shhhhh... Hooow much do thooose cost? (quite terse) thousands SHHH!
 
Good to know I can always turn to the Internet to fill in any lingering banking vs consulting questions I may have...

And, remind me to see the December release of Carnage with either Kimba or Amy. I can just tell from how funny the trailer was that it would not be in my best interest to be seated next to General Shhh for 90 minutes of suppressed cackling...

Kindness of Babe who does not put a crimp into my spending by insisting upon shiny Armani and Brioni suits for himself...XXOO

Eeny Meeny Minie Tunic...

This year I'm not getting caught with my white AG jeans down again by arriving too late to the Sheridan French tunic party...

Nope. This time I've got the Adelaide Tunic in Turquoise all queued up for October's limited preorder...

Or, do I want the Petra Tunic in Raspberry to assuage the residual bitterness from missing out on any left in my size last May? Hmmm...think this is exactly how I got tripped up last year. Welp, I've got til Monday to decide before Sheridan's October pre-order/free shipping boat sails leaving me and my white jeans at the dock. Again...

Kindness of BLC for last month's heads up on the Sheridan French 2012 roll out. This time I'm prepared; I'm going in with my shesellsoutfast eyes wide open and I've broken the news to my swimmers shoulders that they can give up on the size small dream...XXOO