Hols Abroad Travel Bag

Hi there Summer Is A Verb . . .

Your blog is the way I start my day : ) You've always got something interesting to share and I love reading about your adventures. We have similar taste (Hermes, Goyard, Kiehls, Belgians, etc) so I'm writing to ask for your humble opinion about a travel bag.

I was re-reading your posts about the last minute winter dash to Paris and was curious which handbag you used. We are taking the kids to Scandinavia this summer, which will involve lots of planes, trains & automobiles, along with leisurely strolls through the European capitals of design. I'm desperately afraid of looking like a tourist (I've been obsessively reading Stockholm Style) and also afraid of being pick-pocketed while being distracted by 2 Lego obsessed little blond boys. Your story of the stolen LV scarf in Paris still sends shivers down my spine.

I will be leaving my Birkin at home and am looking for a chic, black or neutral bag and wondered if you might have some suggestions.

Cheers,
Laura P

"Humble opinion" is correct Laura cuz my bag collection is just that. Birkin, in my dreams! I took my Gucci Horsebit Hobo to Paris but, mostly used it for carrying goodies (such as an Hermès scarf to fashion into a sleep mask) on the plane. I carried it the day we arrived but, was so spooked by the pickpocket warning I had received that I walked clutching it to my chest and it never left the hotel room again. But, luckily, I had Babe to mule my lip gloss, camera and mobile. Annnd, I did not have kids who needed me as their mule!

Our dear friend, and traveling companion, Amy (muleless) carried a Longchamp Le Pliage which was totally appropriate and functional...

Très French, zips up, doesn't look too flashy, and can hold lots of kiddie necessities. Plus, you can easily throw those babies into a washing machine for removing travel grime...

If you want something a smidge more chic, I'm currently lusting over the Courage. b Andre handbag I spied in the June issue of Hamptons...

It could be your Birkin stand in. Btw, keep the cash/cc's to a minimum on your person or, better yet, have the hubs mule. Wishing you a safe, exciting, pickpocket free trip abroad Laura. And, may you always be mistaken for a local...

Kindness of Babe for never complaining about his mule duties. Althoooo, now that I think about it, if I'm hands free, that means I'm also purchasing power free. Mmmhmmmm, well played Babe. Well played...XXOO

The SIAV Book Mobile

The Netflix Police are hot on my trail for a très overdue Downton Abbey DVD that I refuse to relinquish before finishing both episodes on the disk. So, as I head to my parent's for an under the Netflix gun movie night, I'll leave you with a couple of requisite drool at the pretty pictures reads that have popped up on the SIAV radar...

PREPPY Cultivating Ivy Style for adding to my soon to need card cataloguing expanding library of prepster reference books...

And, the where was this during my recently lost campaign for a vacay jaunt to the Amalfi Coast in July Hotel Il Pellicano. Sighhh...there's always next summer which gives me 12 months of strategically placed coffee table book plotting...

Kindness of Janine Martinelli for the PREPPY Cultivating Ivy Style alert. It's intel like this from faithful readers like yourself that keep this hardly gets out around Bloggerville and mooonths behind in my magazine reading gal afloat...XXOO

Iceee Iceee Baby...

Totally slipped my mind that I was in the market for an ice bucket til the night of Babe's bday soirèe when I found myself scrambling last minute to borrow one from my parents. Sooo, let the pickin' commence...

I've been fantasizing about Indian giving the green Mr. Ice Bucket that I gifted my sister Mandy several summers ago...

The only thing that's kept me from doing so is my indecision between her green and the Tiffany blue...

Then again, my vote could swing the way of the madras Boatman Geller option over at The Preppy Princess which just screams Cocktail Hour!

Like my decision wasn't already difficult enough, I had to go snoopin' around Iomoi to see if they, per chance, had any ice bucket offerings. Boy, did they. Queue up the contenders!

After a sweat breaking narrowing down I'm left with the traditional, likely Babe approved, Lattice Pattern Navy...

The, reminds me of Ralph's signature blue and white porcelain look Floral Starburst French Blue and White...

The moi in one of my beloved Jules Reid Teddies Muffie and Babe James Green...

Or, the très Real Housewives of New Jersey Ralph Lauren Leopard Pattern Luggage? I suspect a text by way of Greenwich narrowing my choices down even further. Me suspects Babe no gonna likey da leopard or him in a pink smoking jacket opts...

Kindness of my own self discipline that will please kick in to keep me from continually returning to the Iomoi site and inflating rather than trimming my choices with the likes of Snake Pattern Blue and Turtle Cay Red...XXOO

Penance Monday

Welp. Babe's back in Greenwich and we're back on the penance train after a weekend filled with a whole lotta indulging and little else...

The only workouts I even thought about doing were the after dinz to DQ hustle...

And, the eating vs melting race always held with my DQ soft serve cone. I lost...

There was uncharacteristic workout ditchin' and lazin' about pour moi...

Although, très characteristic workout ditchin' and lazin' for others..

At least some of us managed to keep the soft serve off our mitts...

Kindness of the bff, who has been MIA for the past two weeks of morning workouts, for joining us for one last Insanity hurrah before she packs up her beach bags and says adieu to the beach for the summer. That "sick" card has no value left at this establishment Missy...XXOO

Flutter Tee

I have been wearing my très Chrissy Snow Calypso Flutter Tees in. to. the. ground.

Don't tell but, once a week I roll the Gilbert, white Crew shorts, silver Bonannos, sterling Elsa Peretti cuff combo...

Followed by the, also weekly, Sky, khaki Crew shorts, gold Bonannos and Hermès bangles combo...

With that kind of mileage I'd be foolish not to snatch up the on sale Navy...

And, Pink Orchid too. Foolish I tell ya!!!

Kindness of Emma and Hilary for not leaving any testimonial comments calling into question my donning of the above mentioned uniforms ONLY once per week. You and the peeps at Teeters keep that intel to yourselves please...XXOO

Shades

Hi Allie,

I'm in need of a new pair of sunglasses for the summer and don't know where to turn! Of course, I trust you - would you consider a post on eye wear?

Regards,
Monique

Well Monique, six years of beach life guarding combined with my creature of habit self makes for a tried and true albeit, smidge of a no frills answer...

At this point my eyes are so spoiled from wearing only polarized lenses on the beach that if I tried going without I'd be screeching, MY EYES! like I'd been blinded in some freak accident. I've pretty much been buying the same version of different pairs of Maui Jim sunglasses for over ten years annnd at least 1 sister, 2 bff's, both nieces, and multiple admirers on our beach (of the glasses, not us) will usually follow suit. Sandy at Shades At The Beach in Bethany knows that if one of us buys a new pair come spring, she can count on at least five more identical sales in close succession...

If I (and cultish fam) do stray on occasion, it's for Costa Del Mar which is what Babe happens to be sporting on the beach these days....

Then there's my collection of look good while driving glasses all of which happen to be Ray Bans. There are the Outdoorsman II Rainbows which I stalked spied on a lady walking down the street in Ixtapa, the Aviator Large Metal with yellow lens which I stalked spied on a well dressed undergrad at the Foxfield Races in C'ville, and the Cockpit which I stalked spied on Reece Witherspoon in US Magazine...

Hilbils was the first outta the gate with the retro Wayfarer purchase this season followed by Emma then Babe...

Sooo, heads up Sandy! I shall be swinging by shortly for my Twirl Yellow club membership pair. New whip calls for new shades...

(whispers) and, maybe these too...

Kindness of Babe who will recall promising me a pair of Wayfarers prior to the hammer dropping. And, Sandy at Shades At The Beach for always taking care of us and our cultish habits...XXOO

Hot For The Walsh

I fibbed. First up on the Greenwich agenda was not "checking out a promising Estate cottage rental". 'Twas the address to the Greenwich Lilly Pulitzer I programmed into the whip's navigation upon leaving the beach Friday morn and not the Delamar where Babe was patiently awaiting to hear of my safe arrival...

I squeezed in a covert mission for the Dark 'N Stormy Walsh Shorts...

Next morn I snipped the tags, shot off a quicky pooh pic to my fellow Lilly lovin' texting posse, Hopsy, BLC and Muffy, then merrily skipped along to my L'escale breakfast date with Babe...

Although, thorough enjoyment of my conquest was doing modest battle with my scheming for another pair in the Multi Summer Mix Machiavellian mind...

Unfortunately, Babe was not as easily lured by the Pied Piper's Multi Summer flute Mix. Seems I'm still in the post Lenten spree doghouse and my shopping spurs will be hanging, gathering dust for awhile...

It's okay cuz I got him back when I coerced him into snatching a no no pic of me and my coveted white St. Louis tote in Bergdorfs. I didn't give a hoot about the scolding taking place behind me but, Dr. Properpants headed for the Hermès counter hills never to be seen or heard from in the Goyard area again...

Kindness of the slaesgirl at the Greenwich Lilly for saving me a heap of embarrassment and plenty of helpful corrective comments when she clued me in on the Multi Summer Mix pattern being "cassette tapes" and NOT "licence plates"...XXOO

Whip Trippin' To The New Hood

I packed up the whip on Friday and headed to Greenwich for a scouting weekend with Babe. First up on the agenda, checking out a promising estate cottage rental...

Even though it had the perfect li'l screened porch for the Ti-Babes...

Right off the Master bedroom...

A très cute Hansel and Gretel stone fireplace...

And, was situated overlooking the tennis court, we unfortunately had to deem it a smidge too rustic for us...

And, by rustic I mean, no dishwasher. I'm supposed to be moving UP a station in life, not DOWN. What's that? Bernadette Peters lived here one summer? Hmmm, maybe I was looking at that kitchen through too harsh a lens. Let me look again...

No.

Goodbye li'l cottage...Goodbye Bernadette...Babe may have a change of heart...

Two muddy whip floor mats later and WHAM! went the window on that sliver of hope...

Sooo 'twas off to drown cottage disappointment in a Boxcar Cantina libation and gelato at Daniella's...

Annnd, back to serious Craigslist scouting business for Babe...

Well, as serious as one can get with a goofball, Jooo-EEE! from the pool hall ponytail wearing, zit pickin', gelato wearin' distraction...

Kindness of Babe for humoring all my wanna-dos this past weekend including the sport I'm valiantly attempting to take up, window shopping...XXOO

Great Aunt Mary's Sweet Tea

My great Aunt (pronounced "Ont") Mary's Sweet Tea is the only iced tea my maternal side of the family serves. It's perfection has made me quite the sweet tea snob...

Makes 1 Gallon

4 Lipton large iced tea bags (don't use decaf, tastes yucky)
1/3 can lemonade concentrate
1/4 cup sugar
fresh mint sprigs

Boil water in a large stock pot...

Add lemonade concentrate and sugar to bottom of 1 gallon pitcher...

Just as water starts to boil, pour to fill pitcher and add tea bags. Allow to steep for about 10 minutes. Remove tea bags and let pitcher stand, uncovered, on counter til cooled then refrigerate...

I like to transfer mine to a Simon Pearce pitcher for proper serving...

Be sure to add a couple of fresh mint springs once the tea has cooled...

And, when entertaining, I'll fill a bud vase with water and a handful of mint so everyone can add a fresh sprig to their glass. (whispers behind hand) Also, makes you appear très Martha Stewarty...

Kindness of my Great Aunt Mary for theee best sweet tea recipe as well as my first name. And, a VERY special thank you to my father who saved me from also being bequeathed her middle name. Mary Alice is woooorlds better than Mary Olive. That's taking a family name too far...XXOO