Norwegian Sweater Revival

As familiar a pattern as any Lilly...

Yesterday I unearthed my L.L. Bean Norwegian Sweater from high school and I've made the momentous decision that it's time for a revival. At the first sign of crispness in the fall air, I'm bringing back the Norwegian...

It's like opening a time capsule with my little hand sewn Mary Alice Frost name tag and everything. Ahhh, if that sweater could talk...Now, if someone would just breath new life into a pale pink Skyr turtleneck I'd be set for the season...

Kindness of Sean Ray for reminding me of my beloved sweater by referencing it in a Facebook message...XXOO

A Four Legged Halloween

Templeton and Pilgie can thank their lucky stars that they're indoor cats cuz it limits what I can subject them to on Halloween. My late dogs Gibson and Ginger ahhh, not so lucky. Nor twas the neighbor's sopping wet Golden in the low rider red tutu...

One year it was a duck hunter and a witch. Another year, JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. I have a vague recollection of needing all hands on deck just to wrastle them into that ensemble which, is probably why there's lack of any evidence...

Unfortunately for them, the Paparazzi got wind the year Peter and Lilly Pulitzer came to town leaving quite a bit of documentation...

Yup, Templeton and Pilgie don't know how easy they've got it...

Kindness of all my beasties for humoring their Mummy AND for always forfeiting to her all trick or treating candy earnings...XXOO

Blackberry Farm Take Me Away

If I could have one wish fulfilled right about now, it would be that I could escape to Blackberry Farm for a long weekend of decompressing after this move is complete...

Town and Country's right, it is the perfect location to spend Thanksgiving with family but, I will admit to a selfish fantasy involving a getaway just for two. Four if you consider smuggling Tatsie and the Pilge in our T. Anthonys...

We could rest our heads at night in Relais & Chateaux luxury (my very fav kind!) with nary a thought of boxes, packing tape or parking permits...

Diet ssshmyyy-et! I would put myself completely in the hands of the chef, the master gardener, the baker, the cheese maker, the butcher, the jam lady and most definitely the chocolatier and the sommelier...

After a long day of spa visits, fly fishing, skeet shooting and mucho overindulging in choclate and wine, Babe and I could watch the sun set over the Smokey Mountains and allow the whole ugly memory of the move to slip away...

Kindness of Tats and Plige for making room in the T. Anthonys so we could smuggle the chocolatier and the sommelier home with us. Also, kindness of world travelers Cricket and Rob who schooled me years ago on the importance of Blacberry Farm to one's well being...

PS...Chef/Owner, Sam Beall, debuted the Inn's cookbook on Martha Stewart last week. Perfect Christmas timing. Like I need a holiday excuse...

Sub-Q Fluids And Cupcakes

Sadly, there's a new accoutrement hanging alongside my belts in the closet. Our beloved Templeton is in renal failure and subcutaneous fluids have now become a part of our daily routine...

Our brave boy has been such a trooper through all his meds, symptoms, treatments and all around yuckies...

There was a bright spot this past weekend as we celebrated his 14th birthday and Daddy's brief return from Tokyo with cupcakes from our weakness du jour, Baked and Wired...

A few licks of icing for the birthday boy...

Then it was back to cleaning the ole leg...

Even Pilgie, RN indulged while on a break from his très important hospice duties. Duites that include tap dancing, swinging from the rafters, death defying leaps from the top of the fridge, playing fort in the closet and any other Cirque de Soleil antics meant to entertain out little patient. It was a great celebration with the fam...

Happy Birthday special boy. We love you more than you can ever imagine...XXOO

Tweet Jules Reid

Several weeks ago Jessica from The Love List tweeted about a post she just did on designer Jules Reid. Well, one peeksie at that post and it was love indeed. Love at first profile pic. Ummm, I wanna buy the shirt off Jules' back...Literally.

It's Milly meets...

Mrs. Roper...

...meets Elizabeth Taylor as a preppy Cleopatra all sewed up into one label. I fired off an email to Ethan at Sherman Pickey tout de suite with barely masked selfish intentions...

Alice,

Wow, you are good! We picked up a few things for spring from this line. Her clothes are amazing, tasteful and chic. Jules actually lives in Fredericksburg and shops here on occasion which is an added bonus. We are hoping to have her in the store for a spring show so be on the lookout for that. Keep passing along your suggestions, you are right on target!

Best,

Ethan

Oh nooo...will I move back in the hood in time for the event? Puhleeeze Ethan...throw a handicapped, moved out of town girl a bone and promise me you'll put aside the Teddy dress. Pretty please with lots of Am Ex on top..

Kindness of Jessica Nell Graves at The Love List for having smashing taste and Ethan at Sherman Pickey who I can count on to be one fashion step ahead of me at all times...

The Dreaded Move Is Upon Us

We're resting up cuz Daddy's on a flight home from Tokyo to help us start the dreaded move from G'town to the beach. We love the beach but, we'll dearly miss all our friends in the hood...

We're also gonna miss Whole Foods, cupcake joints on every corner, good Indian food, the WSC gym, gas lamps, the first mile of our runs being all downhill, and our daily George Stephanopoulos sightings. We will however gladly say sayonara to the traffic, Loudy McLouderson in the condo above us, the last mile of our runs being all uphill, and Daddy's fav, Cactus Cantina. Mummy's sick of daddy asking to go there for every meal out...

But, until that plane lands, and Daddy says konnichiwa, we're still pretending is all just a bad dream and we don't have to spend our weekend packing...

Kindness of Daddy who knows we kid. One for all and all for one in this family. Just don't expect us to do any heavy lifting...XXOO

Three Birds With One Post

Aide-de-camp Lizzie needs my help. She had her heart set on a certain pair of Meg Carter earrings for her wedding next month but, sadly they are temporarily sold out. She has asked for my help finding replacements but, I think I'm going to do her one better. A sort of an amuse-bouche wedding gift if you will...

I'm going to make a public plea to Meg, on Lizzie's behalf, to work her magic and get my dear friend her coveted "Babe" blister pearl studs in time for the big day...

As it just so happens, this month is Meg's birthday and in a grand reverse gift gesture she is generously offering a free pair of stud earrings of your choice (valued at $65 or less) with each website order...

So, in essence I may be snagging two pair of earrings for my gal while simultaneously spreading the word of this great deal annnd wishing my new friend Meg a Happy Birthday...

My version of a shopping hat trick...

Kindness of Lizzie Prenger for allowing me to leak a hopeful wedding day reveal and Meg Carter for taking this request seriously but, not too. It is your birthday after all...

Is It Or Isn't It?

Last week while perusing my latest issue of Elle Decor I almost fell off the sofa when I turned to this picture. Could that be Jennifer Holly? Theee Jen Holly we've been unsuccessfully searching for on Facebook in our quest to reunite everyone from the old Loyola gang? It says her name is Jennifer and, with the exception of the Bergdorf highlights, it looks like the same ole Jenn to me...

And, is this her manse in Tuxedo Park where we are already planning for her to host our next reunion?

I quickly scanned my Elle Decor pictures along with these two oldies I have of Jennifer (second from left in both pics) and myself and sent out an "All Points Bulletin" thread on Facebook. Everyone weighed in with a vote, heavy in favor of "no", but it was really her old boyfriend Chip's opinion that we waited on. Chip did not disappoint...

Hey Allie,

I haven't seen Elle magazine lately, but it would be oddly coincidental: I was perusing the latest issue of Guns and Ammo, and was SURE I saw her featured in an article about a woman who took down a 12 point buck in Mississippi with her bare hands!
HER name was Jenn, also! I took one look at the picture (in which she's kneeling over a battered and bloody deer in the back of a 1974 pickup truck.....resplendant in a Lilly Pulitzer sundress) and I thought, "Holy CRAP! I KNOW that chick!".
THIS one lives with about 16 cats in a single-wide in the woods......although it does appear spacious enough for this reunion I keep hearing about! Keep me posted. I'd love to attend, if it coincides with my parole date!
Talk to you soon.

-Chip

This hopeful Nancy Drew is still on the case and still accepting votes...

Tartanware Needlepoint Frame

Years ago I was pumping out these Tartanware needlepoint frames around this time to give as Christmas gifts. Of course, only really special friends were on the receiving end of my hard work and, I'm pretty certain these one of a kind gifts are still displayed in places of honor in a handful of homes...

I found the pattern in Glorafilia's The Miniature Needlepoint Collection and it was a relitively simple undertaking considering it was my first attempt at stitching to count. You know, the non-cheat way...

The cost of supplies was nominal and, once I completed the needlework, I just took it to a framer and had them finish it in a black velvet easel back frame...

If you are so inclined to attempt this Ralph Lauren vignette worthy frame yourself, click on the above directions and pattern to enlarge and then print out. Just be sure to put yourself at the head of the receiving line for any finished pieces, natch...

At least they better still be in a place of honor or I may have to send in the repo man...XXOO

Ohhh They Knew Me Well

I was rooting through storage prepping for our dreaded move when I came across my old Miss Piggy Autograph Book. It was just the laugh I needed...

Ohhh what I wouldn't give to still have that coveted OP collection. When is that revival going to come around?

This was my bestie Lorie, aka Pickle, who could make a mint writing a "tell-all" if I should ever happen to become famous. We were forever trying to grow out our overly chlorinated locks, convince our parents that they could indeed trust us to be sent to boarding school, and scheming how to "borrow" our parents credit cards to get the clothes we obsessed over...

This was my other friend Deanna, aka Peckie, who came each year to spend the summer with her mother. She would arrive each June a Jersey girl and leave each September a madeover prep...

The ironic thing about this entry from my sister Genevieve is that she does do a tremendous amount with Babe and I. No cruises to Hawaii or Hawii with us yet but, not that far off the mark...

Pshaw Mandy! I've still got a lifetime ahead of me and that dream...

My sisters sure envisioned me on a lot of cruises. Must have been during our Danielle Steele phase...

Kindness of Piggy, Pickle, Peckie (we were BIG on the nicknames), Genevieve and Mandy for picking up my spirits when the were dipping like the temperature...XXOO

A Rare Weekend Posting

There was a panic in the blogging (and female) community this week when Maxminimus briefly closed up shop. Who could fill those navy Weejuns?

As the elected official sent to snoop into this disappearance I thought it only fitting that I barter being the lucky dog to announce his return in exchange for his temporary gag order. So ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I give you in all his Flusser glory, the return of Maxminimus...

Kindness of ADG for bestowing on me the chance to be the big cheese. Welcome back, welcome back, welcome baaaack...

In Need Of A Crouton Intervention

A couple of months ago I branched out in my crouton selection at Teeters and hit pay dirt. Cardini's are hands down the best croutons I've ever had and it's become a bit of a problem...

I generally polish off half a bag by the time I finish even preparing my big salad which, kind of defeats the point of having "a big salad". In an attempt to curb my lack of discipline I've resorted to buying the less addictive but, equally as yummy, "Caesar" flavor. The above bag of "Romano Cheese" having been purchased during a relapse...

Mr. Cardini was the creator of the Caesar Salad which, makes them the perfect accompaniment to my late Uncle Jack's famous take on this recipe. At least, they will be if I can contain myself during the prep...

Uncle Jack's Caesar Salad

2 heads Romain rinsed, dried and torn into bite sized pieces
3 strips anchovies
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves
Mix til a paste then add:

glass of Sherry
4 ounces extra virgin olive oil
raw egg
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Poupon
1/2 (juice of) lemon
12 chopped, stuffed olives
Cardini's Croutons (Romano Cheese if you dare)

Rinse lettuce leaf by leaf and let dry. Now dry hands and drink glass of Sherry. Pour dressing over lettuce (but not til you see the whites of their eyes!), add Cardini's Croutons and serve on chilled plates. Some may prefer to skip the raw egg, or like my mom, just pretend to. It was years before she revealed to me that the small oval shape drawn on the back of her recipe index card was indeed her way of hiding that ingredient from my father.

Kindness of my mother for allowing me to reveal her family secret AND for running interference with my father on this post. Also, heads up for PVE who will eventually be called upon to put her spin on the family Caesar Salad illustration since no one seems to be coming forward with having "borrowed" mine...XXOO