That's One Expensive Diet Coke

When my friend Shelly popped in on Friday I asked her to accompany me to the bottom of our street so that I could get my daily mid-afternoon Diet Coke fix. Cokes in hand, we meandered further down Wisconsin Ave...

First stop was Vineyard Vines where I immediately latched on to the Galley sweatpants. I behaved myself and left empty handed but, those sweats are as good as mine...

Next stop, the always dangerous Ralph Lauren...

I found what would be my off season replacement of the recently retired CKB Tenley...

The Livia Tux Shirt would be perfect under just about every cashmere sweater I own. (and, speaking of cashmere...there was a black cashmere cable knit cardi wrap number that stopped me dead in my tracks. The price of which would stop Babe dead in his tracks)...

Of course, if I got the blouse I'd just have to get these bull dog cuff links I've been mentally saving for just such a shirting occassion...

We eventually wrapped up our Diet Coke run with a swing by Sherman Pickey where I left with a verbal "save the date" from owner Ethan Drath for a private party to benefit the Lab School. A private party where there will be tables set up for shopping. I returned home having only spent $1.49 for my drink but, the potential for damage made that one pricey Diet Coke run...

Kindness of Shelly Darling who will never be allowed down Wisconsin Ave with me again once her hubby Chris reads this...

Sigg And Civics

I was afraid it would be a less than exciting post but, bff Kimba says I have a "civic duty"...

There's been a recall on my Sigg habit. The water bottle that has become like another appendage wherever I go. It's with me on the beach...it's with me at the gym...it's with me in the car...

I'm such a fan that I've gifted them to all my nieces and nephews...

Turns out the old liners contain toxins. Or, as Babe is quick to correct me, "may" contain toxins...

So, if the mouth of your Sigg liner looks like this, you're okay...

But, if it's this copper color, like all five of mine were, then go here to get all the information needed for exchanging them...

I'm hoping it's a quick turnaround time cuz I've been relegated to the water fountain at the gym and I'm back on my less than green plastic bottle habit in the car. Unfortunately, the beach is no longer part of the habit equation...

Kindness of Mel, who turned me onto Sigg several years ago, thus reducing the amount of plastic bottles with Allie DNA collecting in a landfill...

Bridal Shower Envy

Last weekend I attended my aide-de-camp Lizzie's bridal shower in Baltimore. You'll notice me on the end in the item du jour, my Lilly Peacock dress, next to Maris (of Mason Pearson hairbrush letter writing fame) who is next to the honoree, the soon to be Mrs. Casey Lawson.

It seems that Lizzie comes by her taste maker skills quite honestly. Hands down the best gift she received was the Tiffany blue Miele Neptune Canister Vacuum from her mother. That thing was mentally logged into my wish list queue before she even had it fully out of the box. In the meantime I drowned my gift envy in pink cupcakes...

Or, shall I say, my envy and horror. Seems while we were outside having the group pic taken I stepped in some dog poo and then traipsed it all through the host's home on the bottom of my little gold Reva. And, you thought the donning of the traditional bridal shower hat of ribbons was embarrassing? Child's play Lizzie, child's play...

Kindness of aide-de-camp Lizzie Prenger for signing the picture release form, our gracious hostess who handled my doggie poo faux pas like it was no big deal, and Mrs. Prenger for elevating my taste in vacuums...

You can stalk Lizzie through her fiancé's blog Dirigo in Balto. Truly one of the best written blogs out there. And, this coming from someone who usually just goes for the pics...

Hostess With the Mostest Generosity

Bff Kimba in Charlotte sent this note out to the 25 guests she and hubby Bryan hosted for dinner this past Saturday night...

Of course, being the humble friend that she is, she did not mention this part of her plan leading up to the dinner during any of the gazillion phone calls between us. Cuz, if she had, I would have insisted on complete documentation for a post. Instead, I mostly heard how her lemon of a Viking dishwasher was not going to be fixed in time for clean up duty...

So all I have are her generous intentions and three lousy pics none of which depict what I am sure was as a glorious spread and shots of their just completed outdoor kitchen. But, what I can offer, minus the terrific idea, is a snapshot of the hostess in pink pants, a teensie glimpse of hubbie Bryan in the white shirt and a smidgeon of the new patio...

The evening was a huge success in more ways than one and even the small guests came bearing piggy banks. They raised nearly $400 for Feeding America all of which Macy's matched. Hey Kimba, maybe you could've just put the dirty dishes AND the muddy kids on the lawn and killed two birds with one hosing?

Kindness of Bryan and Kimba Howlin and family for their doing their part. Also, kindness of her friend Shannon Aveson for contributing the only three pics of the evening to the post cause...

Gifts Galore

While in Montauk I got a call from Babe alerting me that a package had arrived in my name. Return address, one Meg Carter...

Well, I was barely in the door on Sunday when I tore into my surprise delivery and found not one, but two pair of beautiful earrings. That Meg, not only extremely talented but nice as pie too. Just so happens the green ones go perfectly with the Lilly Peacock Dress that accompanied me home from New York and the Babe Paleyesque black pearls go with darn near everything else...

Then yesterday I got a pic text from Hilary who had just received a package at college from illustrator to the bloggeratti, Patricia Van Essche at PVE...

Also included was a pic text of her thank you note to Patricia so that Auntie Alice knew she was showing her good breeding...

One day later Emma received her thoughtful, and preppy to boot, gesture from the lovely Mrs. Van Essche...

What a couple of great gals Meg and Patricia are. I'm super blessed to have met such wonderful, talented women through my blog...

Kindness of Meg at Meg Carter Designs and Patricia at PVE. I can not rave about their work enough let alone their kind spirits...

The preppy frames can be found at Marnier's MRR Design Etsy store here...

And, upon request, here tis the link to Emma's shwanky zebra stationary...

"R" Is For Oysters

Poet Anne Sexton saw the dozen oysters before her arranged on the plate like numbers on a clock, like time, and she looked from her father's satisfaction with his "clear as tears" martini and platter of oysters to her own plate of "twelve eyes...running with lemon and Tabasco." Like all difficult experiences, the first swallow was disconcerting, "a large pudding" going down. But by the time that 'one o'clock' and two were eaten, there was laughter and "I was fifteen/and eating oysters/and the child was defeated./The woman won."

Anne Sexton, "Oysters", from The Book of Folly


The absolute best part of fall is that we get into the "R" months and my favoritest food in the whole world, oysters (any way), are in season. Oyster recipes will become a reoccurring theme here and to kick things off I thought I'd start with a short tutorial on proper shucking. My Nana always had a raw bar at family gatherings with her faithful helper Rosie shucking for us but, I'm not so spoiled that I can't hold my own with the best of them at any oyster roast. Time to sharpen the ole skills cuz the Urbanna Oyster Festival in Virginia is November 6 and 7 and I have BIG plans for a weekend of oyster gluttony...

I never turn my nose up at any oyster cookery, being the ardent oyster lover that I am, but I prefer my raw oysters (Chincoteague please!) on the half shell naked in all their salty glory, minus a generous squeeze of fresh lemon and a dollop of cocktail sauce. For those less inclined to the briny taste of sea I shall suggest an accompaniment of Mignonette Sauce and a glass of Pouilly-Fumé. If you are of the same school of thought as Prescott here, at least go for the glass of Pouilly-Fumé...

Mignonette Sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper

Mix thoroughly and serve well chilled

Kindness of fellow oyster aficionado and friend Alexandra Lee Small for alerting me to the "must attend" annual mollusk event...

Guest Blogging On Pink Monkey

I was so flattered when Liz Powers at Pink Monkey in Charlottesville asked me to guest post on my must haves for fall. Well, anyone who reads my blog knows that I'm all about the summer wardrobe. During the "other" seasons, I generally default to my uniform of sweats, Koolaburras, and cashmere sweaters. And, when I do buy something, I'm either going to wear it into the ground or take it to my grave. Below follows my baker's dozen of must haves for that "period" before my blessed summer rolls around again...

Before I can even think of making a fall purchase, I must see The September Issue to get me in the mood. Fingers crossed I can find it playing at a "Vinegar Hill" type theater in DC with the good popcorn and real melted butter just like in C'ville...

My fleece loyalties have waxed and waned between North Face and Patagonia. This year, I'm back on the Patagonia bandwagon and eying their Women's Classic Retro-X Jacket. By the end of the season this baby will be begging for a day off...

The next edition into my Belgian Shoe fold will be these navy velvet beauties. Please, please, please don't let the wait list be too long...

Dying for the Garmin Forerunner 405CX watch for my runs. Babe thinks the 405 would be sufficient but, I beg to differ. The "calories burned" feature is well worth the extra seventy bucks.

Last year if I broke out of my sweats it was for the J. Crew Pixie pants. This years version, the Minnie, seem even better. No more hook and eye to wrestle with every time you use the ladies room...

I've been mourning the loss of these B.D. Jeffries shotgun cartridge cuff links for many years and it's time to get a new pair. It's the Eastern Shore in me...

Last year I wore my Petite Bateau nautical shirt at least twice a week. I'm so excited to be able to put it out to pasture and debut this years St. James version I found at Calypso...

I know, I know...the Gucci Horsebit Hobo is sooo five years ago...Jessica Simpson kind of tainted it's classic, preppy image...but, I still want it...

I do own some schwanky, pretty underthings but, nine times out of ten it's Patagonia's Active Mesh bra that I'm sporting. I load up on them every year...

Oooo the Christopher Ross fox belt buckle...très high on my wish list. Hopefully, the beginning of a collection and definitely a "take to my grave" (and possibly bed) piece...

My niece Emma has been patiently waiting for me to purchase a new Chuck Pinnell ostrich keyring so that she may inherit my old Tiffany blue one. Not much longer Em, just trying to decide between the navy and the Hermes orange...

I've just shipped my sister, Genevieve, twenty skeins of Karabella Cashmere Elite yarn in color 12530 to custom knit me a scarf. It is sure to be a pièce de résistance upon completion...

I've mentioned this item twice already on my blog and, hopefully, the third time's the charm. Minus the custom knit scarf, the Burberry Peacoat is my most wanted item of the season. If I don't get anything else on my list besides this, I'll live til summer...

Kindess of Liz Powers for inviting me to guest post on Pink Monkey. Only for a fellow Hoovillian...

Farewell Summer: The Finalè

It was a fabulous summer...

I was good...

And, sometimes a smidgie bad...

I had oodles of family time including, a week with my brother Keith and his girlfriend Nancy in from L.A...

I had a great birthday and a yummy cake. Thank you Genevieve!

And, clearly, my item of the season was the CKB shirt, replacing last years contender, the white Ralph Lauren skirt.

So, one last request was put in to my mother for Southern Mint Brownies for our Labor Day crab feast...

And, then it was goodbye beach...

Thank you for the Harvest Moon salute on our last evening there.

Kindness of Julie, Emma and Hilary who let me squeeze into their beach house practically the entire summer. And, a special thank you to Emma who got me running again after an eight year hiatus...