Farewell Summer: Part Trois

We wrapped up our Montauk reunion weekend with the perfect alfresco dinner. After an afternoon of shopping in East Hampton we returned to a bonfire, some chilled Kim Crawford and the guys manning the grill...

The mood was set right down to the strung white trailer lights...

...and, tiki torches.

Our send off meal included glorious Long Island tomatoes, the last of the sweet corn, and fresh striped bass and steaks from the grill...

And, most importantly, good company.

One last donning of my Tenley Shirt and white jeans to wrap up my final summer weekend in style.

A quick pit stop at the Montauk Bake Shoppe the next morning for tea and a scone for the road and it was back to G'town. Back to facing fall...

Kindness of Annie and Pino Daddi for their incredible hospitality and Ellen Ciciotte, Meggie Trainer and her fiancé Russell Raad for traveling such a long way. Love you guys...

Farewell Summer: Part Deux

There was one last summer hurrah to be had during a long weekend in Montauk and, once in town I headed straight to Lobster Roll to get my fix...

Post Lunch there was a momentary panic as I misspelled the address of our rental cottage in the Garmin and took a dirt road ending us here. Freddy Krueger's place we decided. We didn't know whether to laugh or cry or hightail it back to the St. Regis...

After finding our rental (flat screen and Oprah, CHECK! paved road, CHECK! no Freddy Krueger, CHECK!) we went to explore our friend Annie's surfing compound which is a cluster of cottages that a group of surfing buddies have summered in together for years...

Jasmine pruned in the shape of a heart is just one hint that the guys now all have wives and girlfriends weekending too...

Annie and Pino's trailer is as authentic as it gets and a compound in and of itself...

There's the outdoor kitchen...

The outdoor shower...

And, the outdoor entertainment area...

You couldn't ask for a better view...

Even though it was rainy and cold all weekend you were still on the water. You were still in Montauk...

It was too wet and cold for surfing but, we still swung by Ditch Plains to see what we were missing. Apparently, we were missing a whopper of a parking ticket...

In addition the the fat ticket, I contemplated adding bike theft to the day's violations...

Ticket and rain, pshaw! It was a reunion with three dear friends I hadn't seen since I was 18. We were at the beach and nothing else really mattered...

To be continued...

Farewell Summer: Part Un

It was a perfect last week at the beach capped with a summer feast of crabs, shrimp, Silver King corn and Chris's infamous margaritas...

The entire week was filled with family, lots of sun, endless good eats and tons of laughter...

My Aunt Carol, and moi, determined to wear the "shirt of the summer" into the ground before it's packed up for the season...

The legendary Uncle David of obit fame and my cousin Melissa's husband Chris, of yummy margarita fame...

Twin sisters Mairin...

And Chase, poised and practicing to inherit their mommy's All-Ivy Lacrosse crown. Sorry, Hilbils...appears there's an usurper to your throne...

And, my cousin Melissa, aka mommy, MAC, and lax goddess with my father and his roadie...

Speaking of roadies, someone needs to take mom's from her cuz she was just nearly swept away by a rogue wave..

I started out facing my first ever summer not at the beach but, through the generosity of my sister Julie, I managed to eek out a good one...

All in all, a grand adieu to my last week in Fenwick Island...

Lilly Mission Accomplished

The entire mission was hinged on timing...

I had a one hour window to slip away from the St. Regis, cab it to the Lilly Store on Mad, meet the design team and procure my target; one Sandpiper "Peacock" Dress...

Things got momentarily hairy when I was told the only Peacock Dress left was the one on the mannequin. THE ONE ON THE MANNEQUIN?! That's sure to be too small pour moi! Not for this Cinderella, not on this glorious night. 'Twas a six and it fit juuust right...

The Lilly moons were truly aligned that evening for then I met Stacey, one of the designers, who just happened to have designed the "Lilly in the Leaves" Jubilee dress I was sporting...

She introduced me to the entire design team including Janie (in the killer Lilly skirt and Jennifer Miller earrings) who writes the Lilly blog. All very much worth the moola I paid a car service to hightail it back to the Reeg in time for a quickie shower prior to my engagement at the Soho House...

My beautiful purchase debuted to tons of compliments including one from the doorman at Soho House, and wrapped up a long, wine soaked reunion at Casa Mono with old friends. Thank you Lilly gods...

Kindness of Stacey, Janie and the entire Lilly design stars for taking the time to talk to and take pictures with lil ole moi...

Is It Monday Already?

We've been doing a mess of traveling lately and we are plum tuckered out...

Just one more day to recuperate, detox and lick our end of summer wounds s'il vous plaît...

All's Quiet On The Southern Front

Well, the big move-ins at the respective colleges went off with nary a hitch...

Hilary was the first to get settled in Columbia and all four of us worked fast and fashionably to set up the dorm digs just so...

Next up was Emma who parted ways with us in Charlotte and headed to Greenvulle on her own to handle her move-in with roomie and bestie from high school, Caroline.

I had to shed a tear of pride when she emailed me the pics of the finished product...

Just goes to prove the ole adage, the apple doesn't fall far from the preppy aunt tree...

It wasn't long before the girls reunited for a weekend of tailgating and football at Furman...

And, then a road trip to Charleston for some much needed sun and shopping. Looks like they're doing just fine on their own...

Although...I may take it upon myself to send this pic of Emma sporting vintage CKB at the tailgate to Camilla for her "Caught in CK Bradley" album. Even several states away, an aunt's work is never done...

A Kindred Summer Spirit in Meg Carter

Dear Alice,

I too have returned from my summer away, and as always, came home with a large case of farewell to summer blues. I find myself clinging to all things summer - wore the all white pique dress to church yesterday for the last time, had chicken salad, corn on the cob and sliced tomatoes for dinner last night.

I don't have time for a blog of my own, but as you can tell, am perhaps a frustrated blogger. With your blog title, I thought we would surely be kindred spirits on this one, so why don't you write something on "Rx for end of summer blues" ... here are a few random thoughts that you can tighten up and expand on:

- Local tomatoes will still be good for about another month - be grateful for that

I am kicking myself Meg for returning from the beach with only one local tomato in tow. And all those roadside stands we passed on 404 while creeping along at a snails pace on Sunday...I could have gotten out, loaded up on fresh maters, and gotten back in the car having never needing to pull off the road!

- Wear all black everyday as a sign of mourning for summer (plus you will look chic and it's so easy to get dressed)

Easy peasy! Already have head start on my black/navy wish list beginning with the forerunner, the black Burberry Peacoat...

A pair of your "still managing to look chic while in mourning for summer" Big Grey Pearl studs. Perfect transitional beach to town beauties...

And lastly, the Star Navy Stubbs and Wootton needlepoint slippers to complete my look of bereavement.

- Ease your withdrawal by planning a quick trip to the beach - any beach - sept is the most beautiful month and beaches are empty

Check! Leaving for Montauk early Friday morning for a reunion with the Loyola College besties...

- Plan an ichat with all your summer friends - have a glass of wine at the appointed hour and commiserate on being back in the real world

Skype account all set up for communicating with the parents when in Mexico and the nieces in college. As for the commiserating cocktail party, you my friend, are invited. Plan is in the works for drinks with Maxminimus, Hillbilly Debutante and Southern Gent in the very near future and we'd love to be seen with the jeweler to the Grande Dame of Prep herself, Ms. Lilly Pulitzer.

- Admire your black suede boots in the closet and think how fun they will be to wear

Well Meg, my Koolaburras walked out of here on their own after one too many wearings last winter so, I'm definitely in the market for a new pair of boots. I'm thinking tall chocolate this go round...

- Start looking forward to sleeping under a pile of blankets with the windows open

Audible groan from Babe as this reminds him that I am still determined to get the Hermes Horse Blanket for sofa snuggling...

- Pull out all the gangly old geraniums and fill your pots with yellow mums.
- Go apple picking

A planned trip to Charlottesville in early October will definitely include pit stops to the Ivy Nursery for loading up on orchids and to my little haunt in Crozet for pumpkins and apple cider...

- If symptoms worsen, buy a fur coat (or a fur caplet on ebay)

My Nana'a fur caplet is on standby in storage Meg and ready for another season! The opera, Whole Foods, over pajamas...my fur caplet doesn't discriminate.

many thanks,

Meg

Kindness of Meg Carter for her lovely email and her smashing, any time of the year, jewelry designs. See you for that drink real soon Meg. I'll be the one in head to toe black wearing a fur caplet...

And, I must mention that the awesome Montauk watercolor is a Lilly Pulitzer original...