I am! Don’t know what came over them, but I am so honored. Oh my heavens. Fell slam off my chair, I did. Salonniere is a brilliant (obviously ;)) and stylish full of beautiful images, chic people, and smart advice about entertaining in particular and hospitality in general, which we can’t have too much of. Thank… Continue reading Guess Who’s in Salonniere’s Top 100: America’s Best Party Hosts
News & Notes
Hot off the Press: Tom Dittmer Memoir!
You are always looking for something fun to read. And a book called Talkin’ Big sounds like a hoot just from the title, right? I agree! Well, dear reader, this would be His Grace’s memoir. Though I have not written a blog post since the Hoover administration, you may recall that I refer to my darlin’… Continue reading Hot off the Press: Tom Dittmer Memoir!
Goodbye to Bee Cottage
The rumor is true. I am selling Bee Cottage. Have sold it, in fact, closing this fall. And yes, it is hard to let go. Really hard. Lump-in-my-throat-all-summer-hard. But there comes a time. If His Grace (aka my husband for new readers) hasn’t taken a shine to it by now, he’s not going to. Oh,… Continue reading Goodbye to Bee Cottage
Travel Sketch: India
Truly, you don’t have to be an artist to sketch your travels. The point is not to create great art (obviously, in my case) but to look and to see in a new way, and then to have a souvenir that is way better than a t-shirt. Here’s mine from a recent trip to India.… Continue reading Travel Sketch: India
The Most Brilliant Hors d’Oeuvre You’ve Never Heard of
An easy, do-ahead hors d’oeuvre full of rich, buttery, garlicky goodness–delicious and different and everyone loves it. Drum roll please…Bagna Cauda, or “hot bath” in Italian. It’s also a Christmas Eve tradition in Italy’s Piedmont region. Perhaps it will become one for you?
How to Make Time Go More Slowly… and What I’ve Been Doing With Mine
First, how to make time go more slowly: Wouldn’t we all like time to slow down? (unless we are at the dentist) Sounds impossible, but seems you can, because time is relative. Literally. It has to do with Einstein’s Theory of Relativity,* and how time is relative to distance and the speed of light and what… Continue reading How to Make Time Go More Slowly… and What I’ve Been Doing With Mine
Special for Connecticut Area Readers…
If you are ready to tap into your inner potential and to take deliberate action (and you live near Connecticut ;), then this is your day. Come to play your “woman card” (sorry, couldn’t resist) with strong, inspiring women in a lovely and intimate setting at this Women’s Leadership Retreat on May 11 in Glastonbury, near Hartford.… Continue reading Special for Connecticut Area Readers…
Coming to San Francisco!
Will be making a mad dash to San Francisco this week to speak at the fabulous de Young Museum. It is their celebrated, annual Bouquets to Art event. I am pinch-hitting for my friend Carolyne Roehm, who has family matters to attend to. She was, as she always is, very generous to suggest me… Continue reading Coming to San Francisco!
Five Ways to Work Your Way Out of a Muddle
You may have noticed (or been relieved) that I’ve stepped aside from blogging, in part to promote The Bee Cottage Story, which is pretty consuming. But also because I’m confused about what to do next. What to say? Where to focus? Who to become? WTF? Do you ever get like that?
Hopeful New Year!
Greetings Dear Readers, as we gallop into 2016, I’m still catching up with ’15…Last year’s Downton Abbey for one. Didn’t you love the point-to-point? And how the closed captions said things like: “MAN: FASTER!” The clothes were pretty swell, too.
What Can We Do When We Feel There Is Nothing We Can Do?
What can we do when we feel “there is nothing we can do?” When we feel helpless and afraid after what happened in Paris, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles. And that’s just in the last few weeks. Here in the bustle and busy-ness of the holidays, amid the wealth and commerce that pervade our culture, we… Continue reading What Can We Do When We Feel There Is Nothing We Can Do?
Happy Thanksgiving Decorating and Beyond
Happy Thanksgiving from our ranch to yours. Here’s a glimpse of last year, in case you’d like a little last minute inspiration. These feathered turkeys have become a staple in the entry hall. I ordered them from the Internet (no idea the source, sadly). This is his mate on the opposite wall. You will notice they are both Toms.… Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving Decorating and Beyond