Sinchy English Monarchy

In honor of today's Royal Wedding, I thought I'd trot out this li'l gem from the archives. This way I can focus all my energies into waking up at 4am to watch the hoopla while propped up in the cheap seat bed...

Babe has a team in India that assists him with documents, I have my sister Genevieve. So as part of my due diligence, prior to seeing The Young Victoria, I was boning up on the history of English Monarchs. Being the good assistant that she is, Genny unearthed this Royal crutch to help me keep them straight forever more...



Sung to the tune of Good King Wenceslaus...

Willie Willie Harry Stee

Harry Dick John Harry three;

One two three Neds, Richard two

Harrys four five six....then who?

Edwards four five, Dick the bad,

Harrys (twain), Ned six (the lad);

Mary, Bessie, James you ken,

Then Charlie, Charlie, James again...

Will and Mary, Anna Gloria,

Georges four, Will four Victoria;

Edward seven next, and then

Came George the fifth in nineteen ten;

Ned the eighth soon abdicated

Then George six was coronated;

After which Elizabeth

And that's all folks until her death.

Kindness of Genevieve who will be receiving a "very strong" this coming review cycle. This makes up for her inability to put my tea bags and honey back on the proper shelf after each use...XXOO

Pair O' Blues

Mummy would give anything to have a pair of baby blues like her gorgeous boy but, sigh...I'll just have to settle for the kind that accept VISA...

My Jules Reid Leo blouse in Daisy Stream Turquoise just arrived and it even elicited an ohhh and ahhh from the bff during our recent show and tell. I've declared it theee item of my Summer '11 wardrobe and predict trottin' it out at least once a week...

And, since I need a pair of blues from Jules, I've got a hanger cooling it's heels in the closet awaiting the arrival of the Wyatts in Dragon Print Ikat...

I've been drooling over KEP's Maggie earrings for quite awhile and even more so now that I saw the bff's during her show and tell. But, I've been torn between the turquoise, which goes with more in my summer lineup...

And, the sapphire, which are just too pretty to pass by. Sooo, a pair 'tis...

The bikinis have stared rolling in and my inner Helen Roper is craving a couple new cover ups. I'll take this Lotty B Mustique caftan in turquoise and coral...

And, another Glamourpuss NYC Beach Poncho this time in Island with Blue Lagoon...

What's a good pair o' blues wish list without the requisite Hermès contenders? Snatched this quick pic of the mousseline stole in Paddock during my last visit and have lovingly carried around the card in my wallet since. My Machiavellian plan involves reclaiming my tan, getting another month of Insanity under my abs and working my scarf tying magic in the dressing room. Babe's a sucker for the scarf as a halter trick...

That's right. My pink one's getting lonely...

Kindness of Babe who will read of my Machiavellian plan and fall for it anyway. Men...XXOO

Barefoot Contessa's Tzatziki Dip

My sister Mandy has been serving up Ina Garten's Tzatziki Dip for years and Hilbils and I are it's biggest fans. We've gotten in the habit of placing our request for it the minute we hear she's hosting any family function. Lately, my sister Julie's been giving us some stiff competition and beating us to the punch with her request for blue cheese dip. Figured it was time to take matters into my own hands kitchen...

4 cups plain yogurt, whole milk or low fat (I used non-fat Chobani)2 hothouse cucumbers, unpeeled and seeded (I used regular cucs)2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined sieve and set it over a bowl...

Grate the cucumber and toss it with 2 tablespoons salt (reserve the 1 teaspoon for later); place it in another sieve and set it over another bowl. Place both bowls in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so the yogurt and cucumber can drain...

Transfer the thickened yogurt to a large bowl. Squeeze as much liquid from the cucumbers as you can and add the cucumbers to the yogurt...

Mix in the sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. You can serve immediately, but I prefer to allow the tzatziki to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to blend...

Perfect served with pita chips or, the more Butt Police approved crudités...

This recipe makes a whopping 5 cups which, not only generously served as an appetizer for 7 adults on Easter Sunday but, had plenty left for recycling Tuesday evening. And, forget the baking soda! Can I just tell you how good freshly grated cucs make your refrigerator smell?

Kindness of Babe who will not mind when this tzatziki dip gets a third life tomorrow night as I plan on spreading some on salmon filets before baking. The left over crudités shall be roasted. That's a lot of mileage outta one dip...XXOO

Thinking Pink

I'm about one month out from getting my Mrs. Roper meets Pamela Lee on for the summer and I need to start stockpiling the pink to keep me securely tethered in Prepville...

Speaking of tethering, I'd like to start my li'l pink spree with tracking down the reversible Hermès belt strap I spied over at q9y8 blog which would give my H buckle a whooole second season...

Rubis, which I guess is Hermès speak for reddish pink, on one side...

And, Iris on t'other...

After 60 days of Insanity and starvation healthy eating my legs should be Butt Police approved for Calypso's Tori Ikat Shorts...

I've been carrying a torch for these Tod's Suede Gommini mocs in fuchsia since I spied them in Paris. Along with the orange and white pairs...

A pair of the shocking pink J. Crew 5 inchers to add to my ever expanding pile...

And, the Lilly Seamus Dress Multi Dripping in Jewels which I've been stalking for months. Fingers crossed good ole Jack at Lilly will be able to track one down in my size...

And, if I start to stray too far from my preppy roots, I'll always have Summer in Newport to send me pink snapshots of her Twitter screen reminding me my Summer's Verb ilk are the likes of her, Hopsy, Rosemary and Camilla. Nooot so much Pamela...

Kindness of my UPS man for accepting that his vacay ended at midnight this past Saturday. And, QBS, a member of my white bikini wearin' ilk, for the Mrs. Roper Barbie pic...XXOO

Cat Nip And Buttercream Overload

Mummy wasn't the only one caught breaking into the Easter basket early...

Although it was Pilgie who was caught on the counter, nose in basket, digging out his trio of leopard mice, he may have had a li'l encouragement...

But, that's okay...

Cuz what's the harm in a load bit of buttercream and cat nip before bed...

Just means we'll be up all night wired on nip and Mummy won't fit her snausaged toes into her pink Varinas in the morn...

Kindness of the Easter Bunny for all our goodies. We promise it's back on the buttercream/cat nip Insanity wagon today...XXOO

Some Gwynnie Goodness

Just a li'l GP treat to take us into the holiday weekend. And, if you haven't gotten yourself a copy of My Father's Daughter yet, ya need to hop to it...



Speaking of hopping...Babe, Pilgie, Lolly and I wish everyone a wonderful Easter!

Kindness of my dear friend Ellen Ciciotte for my early morning GP email alert. Unfortunately, your autographed copy of Gwynnie's book is en route via snail mail since the Easter Bunny was unavailable as a Sherpa. Something about throwing his back out delivering cars to grown girls who pretend to still believe in him...XXOO

Mama Gibson's Buttercream Eggs

Every Easter, for as long as I've lived, my Mom has made my Great Grandmother, Mama Gibson's Buttercream Eggs. They are sooo rich, as children we were only allowed a sliver at a time. These days, I can polish off two before Easter sunset and looming Diet Monday...

1/2 lb. butter

2 lb. Confectioner's Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

Mix together by hand...

Additional ingredients may now be incorporated to make different flavors such as peanut butter...

And, my personal fav, cherry. Since this recipe has been handed down through four generations, exact measurements are mostly stored in memories. Unfortunately, my Mother's memory is currently sailing around the Virgin Islands and could not be tapped...

But, I do recall that you must add some of the Maraschino cherry juice to give the cherry eggs their pink hue. Other flavors that have graced our baskets over the years include coconut, pecan and chocolate...

*My mother arrived back in the country late last night and has been frantically calling to tell me you do NOT add cherry juice to the buttercream mixture. In fact, the cherries must be blotted with a paper towel to remove excess liquid. The pink hue will occur naturally once the cherries are added.

After experimenting with the flavors mixology, shape into eggs and refrigerate for 1-2 days. So, you'll want to start these as early as today and no later than Good Friday...

After your mandatory refrigeration period:

1/2 lb. unsweetened chocolate

2 inches of wax

Melt together in a double boiler...

Dip, or ladle as my sister is shown doing, to cover eggs in chocolate wax mixture...

Place on a wax lined cookie sheet and garnish so you'll know what flavor lies beneath. Place back in the frige til chocolate hardens. Individually wrap each egg in Saran and keep refrigerated...

Last year my sister Genevieve made the eggs and, since we have outgrown Easter baskets, my Mom distributed them in pretty, tissue lined boxes from Williams-Sonoma...

Although, I am a huuuge fan of the topiary baskets from Cliff Finch's Zoo...

I had the bunny one for years and 'twas indeed a show stopper. Great for buttercream eggs, jelly beans and Hermès bangles but, I kinda outgrew mine when I started asking the Easter Bunny for Benz wagons and Goyard totes...

Kindness of my sister Genevieve for providing all the pics of last year's egg making. And, as I requested yesterday, cherry for moi and plain for my other one Babe please...XXOO

Lilly Pickin' Under The Gun

When we swung by Lilly on the Avenue to grab a hostess gift for my cousin Melissa, I wisely sent Babe to the counter to pay so I could covertly use that window of time to do some recon...

Since Babe has a sort of sixth sense about these things time was of the utmost importance and I nearly blew it all when I got hung up by the Little White Dress collection. The online pics hardly due them justice is all I can say...

As I hustled towards the back of the store my recent Whitley Skirt purchase was validated when I spied one of the salesgirls looking fab in hers. Mental shorthand note of her white tee and hot pink cardi was dispatched to the mouse on duty for immediate filing under, "what to pair with"...

As I continued along my route the Tiernan Maxi nearly sprung from the rack and called me Mama. All composure was lost, Babe heard my squeal, and the jig was up. I literally saw a shadow cross his face as the alarms inside his head triggered...

As he began corralling me towards the door my bionic eye started furiously ferreting out winners like this sold out online Eryn Dress in pink stripe...

And, the good thing I stopped to fondle it on the way in Shell Shocked Clutch. Less than a week til Easter marks the end of Lent all my lovelies...

Kindness of all the Greenwichians who sent me welcoming emails, tweets and invitations to meet. It was super flattering to find out I had so many readers in the land of milk and honey pink and green...XXOO

Greenwich On A Lenten Leash

I know the très welcoming Greenwichians are waiting to see their village through my eyes so, let me begin with this disclaimer; it's Greenwich through my chaperoooned eyes. If I had been let loose on the Avenue, there'd have been a weeks worth of posts returning in my T. Anthony duffel...

Babe had the reins this weekend and expertly rolled us into the Delamar Friday juuust in time for cocktail hour...

We strolled (code for shopping Police in tow) the Avenue where I bestowed my seal of approval on the town of Greenwich at the Fahrenkopf highly recommended Richards department store when I spied the display in the front window...

The whip We charmed our way into gated Indian Harbor to send one of my besties a pic text of her childhood home...

Then moseyed over to Babe's hot spot, Boxcar Cantina...

I had the organic salmon and goat cheese burrito, my beloved Patron margarita and looots of Alhambra sightings. The only thing that could have possibly made this meal any better was if one of those sightings and been around my neck...

And, 'twas a good thing I had a full meal at Boxcar cuz lunch the following day at Super Duper Weenie in Fairfield was all for Babe...

I made it a record breaking halfway through my New Yorker before my dislike and distrust of hot dogs could no longer hide behind all the yummy homemade condiments and made fresh daily bun. Babe polished off his Cincinnatian and my abandoned half while I turned my attention to the fries and ketchup bottle...

And, ranking right up there with the Hermès display window and the sea of Alhambra was my Daniella's Gelateria discovery. Ohhh, I'll be back alright Greenwich...

Kindness of my cousin Melissa for the fabulous dinner Saturday night. I'm sooo getting a crepe pan now. Seeing you, Chris and the girls was the perfect ending to our Greenwich weekend. We're just sorry the rain and cold kept an ill dressed us from watching you help coach the GA girls lacrosse to their Saturday afternoon win. I now see that a coat would have been a wiser use of tote space rather than three pair of Belgians...XXOO