Chocolate Sauce

I snatched up this homemade chocolate sauce from a NYC/Hamptons radio talk show that I faithfully listened to for years from my beach guard stand. For the life of me, I can't recall the name of the host but, her recipe I'll take with me to the grave...

1 bag good chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli)
1/2 - whole stick of butter (whole here, natch)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon ground instant coffee
chopped pecans

Melt chocolate chips and butter together over a double-boiler...

Mix in vanilla, coffee and pecans...

Serve over ice cream. Orrrr eat with a spoon straight from the glass jar whenever you're in the vicinity of the kitchen...

*don't judge the sauce by this pic as it was taken the next day when I was too piggy impatient to properly heat it back up.

Store in a glass jar and microwave to soften as needed. Refrigerate? Who knows! Mine never lasts long enough for it to matter...

Kindness of a doesn'tmissatrick Babe who will not call or text questioning my less than ideal eating habits this week when he notices the container of Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip that didn't exist when he left for Greenwich. (hangs head in shame) I missed Tuesday's wagon Babe but, I managed to catch the later one on Wednesday. Brace yourself for a, post indulgence, do I look fat line of questioning surely headed your way this weekend...XXOO

Pic Roulette

I hardly ever post pics of myself for two reasons; one, it makes an always traveling Babe très nervous and two, I am theee most critical person alive...

11pm July 4
Moi: Omg, I haven't done a post for tomorrow!
Babe: Just throw up a pic from last night.
Moi: Really? Alrighttt sirrrr...

Moi: How about this one? thinking, tan arm, check. blond hair, check.
Babe: No. Looks weird cuz you're taking a picture...

Babe: How about this one with you and Kimba, that's a really good one.
Moi: OmgIneedafacelift
Babe: You said you'd never get one cuz people can always tell when someone's had one and talk about it behind their back.
Moi: Welllll, right now they're talking behind my back about how I NEED one...

Babe: Okay then, what about this one?
Moi: GASP! With the horse face???

Moi: I'm starting to think I should go faceless...

Babe: Oh, this is the one. Use this.
Moi: I look like I need a hair intervention! Great. A mane to go with my horse face.
Babe: Come on, your hair looks great. It's super summery.
Moi: Oh, it's super somethin'...

groan...How about we just put up this pic of you? You always look gorg...

Babe: Nope. This is the one. Lobster, blond hair. Great summer shot.
Moi: defeated Where's that stunt double Lolly when ya need her?

Cut to a pastywhitenpackiningonthewinterinsulation moi longingly looking at these same pics six months from now...Oh maaaaan, look how tan and skinny I looked last summer. Wish I looked like that now...

Kindness of a blind as a bat Babe who will never, EVER get Lasik eye surgery...XXOO

Extra Long Weekend

Still indulging...

Kindness of everyone for allowing me to extend my holiday just a weeeensie bit longer. Trust me, the only thing you're missing is a whole lotta belly aching about how much junk I ate and how many workouts I missed. I'll reserve that pleasure for Babe. He says, groooaaan...XXOO

Happy Fourth

Happy July 4th!

Childe Hassam (American, 1859–1935)

The Fourth of July, 1916 (The Greatest Display of the American Flag Ever Seen in New York, Climax of the Preparedness Parade in May), 1916

The Jammie Top Hustle

I selfishly wisely waited til I had my own bulk order in and deposited on my doorstep before sharing this time sensitive find. Wipe out the stock on moi once, shame on you; wipe out the stock on moi twice, shame on moi...

I dragged Babe and Amy into every stinkin' Petit Bateau in Paris looking to replenish my fav jammie tops only to find out they had been discontinued. Quelle Horreur!

Well, "Special Lot" either means Petit Bateau wrangled up some long lost stock orrr my Sarah Bernhardt theatrics made their way back to HQ...

As a precautionary measure, I've decided to test drive the Claridge + King Undershirt as my fallback emotional attachment jammie top. This should save Babe a bit of pavement pounding and embarrassment on our next swing through Pareee...

Kindness of Aide-de-Camp Lizzie for sending my initial stock of PB Strap Shirts years ago when she worked at the Boston store. You're one of only two people I can entrust with a fistful of cash and youknowwhatIlike carte blanche. Did I hear a THANK GOD! clear from Greenwich? XXOO

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