Stylish Simplicity - Williams Sonoma - Rustic Italian Platter
The holiday season is upon us. Lights have just started to go up in my neighborhood and I saw a few festive window displays this morning on Via Condotti and Via Babuino.I haven't seen any panettone movie commercials. Several friends have assured me they are coming. Excellent.One of my goals for 2014 is to entertain more. Yes, I know it's a little early to think about these things. I can't help it.My apartment is small but I had a friend, Susan, in New York City who lived in a studio that was smaller than my place and yet she had dinner parties, Oscar parties, cocktail parties, let me introduce you to my new spinning teacher parties, etc.Her space had a different layout. However, I can still be inspired by many of her fantastic ideas.My mom, like Susan, has a great selection of serving trays and platters. Some she received as wedding gifts fifty years ago.I actually enjoyed setting the dining room table when my parents had dinner parties. My mom was occupied with cooking, my dad was the bartender, and us kids were "in charge" of the table.Okay, so my mom really had the last word about what was going on the table. When I was old enough, it was my job to iron the tablecloth and the napkins. While I STRONGLY dislike ironing my sheets (it takes forever), this party prep was fine with me.The last time I was in St. Martin, one of my friends (and former boss) was on the island and stopped by for a visit. I looked through my parents' collection to find the right tray for aperitivi and thought about all the fun holiday dinners and parties. I also realized that I need to step up my platter game.This one is gorgeous. It's from Williams-Sonoma and made in Umbria.This shade of blue is one of my favorites.
This platter is stylish simplicity.
Weekend Inspiration - Rosé Wine
When I was growing up in the States, rosé had a reputation for being a second rate wine. I don't know why that is.However, in St. Martin (the half French, half Dutch island) I noticed it everywhere, restaurants (including upscale ones), beach bars, house parties, etc.Once my parents moved back to the island, my siblings and I started to spend more time there. My sister, Daniella, LOVES rosé and would insist on stopping by a wine shop to stock up for our stay.Now, thanks to Daniella, I am a big fan of getting my rosé on the minute the warm weather arrives.Certain words and images come to mind when I drink rosé: summer, family, friends, good food, beaches, the Caribbean, outdoor seating in my favorite piazza, France, Sicily, parties, pink.
Here's a write up about rosé from The Kitchn.Buon weekend a tutti!
Buon Weekend - Il Rientro
After a very long summer, Il Riento is upon us. My friend Erica wrote eloquently about the return of vacationing Italians HERE.I hope everyone had a great summer. Mine was weird. Seriously. Next year there WILL be some changes.For example, next time I go Anguilla I will not work the entire time.
I will not spend hot ass August in Rome. Instead I hope to rent a place near Marina di Pietrasanta.
I went to the Tuscan coast last weekend for my birthday. It was my first time there (pics later). It was lovely. I wish I could have stayed longer.Not sure if this song was a hit in America, but it was huge in Europe. It will always remind of this summer.Buon weekend a tutti!![youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EVhiBGvVFc&w=640&h=360]
Work In Progress - Beach House - Anguilla, British West Indies
"Soon Come."This Caribbean expression is very similar to the Italian word, domani. Technically, domani means tomorrow, but in Italy it could mean months or years from now. The concept of time is very different.Soon come is the same thing."When is your tio (uncle) visiting from the States?""Soon come."When I was a child, I assumed this meant that the gentleman would be on the next flight. No, he may arrive tomorrow, or December 2013. Yesterday, I met with my clients and their builder. The house is moving along."When will the exterior be finished?""Soon come".It's not easy to build on a tiny island thanks to the elements (hurricane season is no joke), sourcing of materials, and high labor costs.Depending on a variety of factors out of my client's hands, the house could be done in eight months or ???.We'll see. Soon come.
Io Adoro - Chez Dédé
I've written about Wonderfool the spa and concept store before. One thing I really like about Wonderfool is how they highlight Iocal artisans.A few weeks ago there was an aperitivi at the store and several of the designers were there.I had a chance to speak with the très chic Daria Reina the Creative Director of Chez Dédé, a French-Italian label. She and her partner Andrea Ferolla started the company a few years ago. Inspiration struck the luxury goods communications consultant and the art director while they were on the island of St. Barths.At Wonderfool they sell only their bags, but Chez Dédé also makes scarves and bracelets. Their scarves for men, Les New Yorkaises, would be perfect for my boyfriend, if I had one. The colors are striking and I hope they start to design some for us ladies as well.Each bag is name for an island or a beach they have visited. One of the newest editions is their Grand Tour bag. It's sporty and sophisticated. I LOVE it. It's a perfect bag for a longer trip. You can fill it with mementos of your journey.Another addition to the collection is the Taormina bag. Made with a stunning Sicilian red, this bag inspires me to book a trip to Sicily pronto.
[slideshow]
The craftsmanship is remarkable. Not only are these bags gorgeous, they are well made. Daria said it was important to her and her partner to make the bags in Italy. I'm sure Chez Dédé would make a lot more money producing the bags elsewhere. I appreciate their commitment to pay artisans well.
I'm not completely anti-fast fashion, but I'm doing my best to avoid it. I'd rather own a few things of excellent quality than buy a bunch of things from Zara/H&M/Top Shop that fall apart after two washings. Also, I have the worst figure for fast fashion. What looks cool on my thin and/or tall friends looks, well, cheap on me.
I adore these bags and not just because I'm an Island Girl myself. They are very "Stylish Simplicity".
I was telling one of my friends that I couldn't decide which one to get. One of the bigger totes (Ciao Portofino! Bonjour Cap Ferrat!) or the cute smaller Salina one? I will decide after my birthday next month.
Buon Weekend: A Little Salsa From Jerry Rivera
The weather is glorious today in Rome. It's sunny, not too hot, and there's a nice breeze. It's very Caribbean-ish.Thus, I felt the need to buy some mangoes and to play some salsa.I listened to a lot of salsa when I was younger. My dad loved it. One of my former babysitters (when we lived in NYC) was from Puerto Rico and would play salsa all the time.In the mid '70s my family moved to the 'burbs where nobody was listening to salsa. Everyone was into Led Zeppelin.Led made it into my rotation, but I never stopped loving salsa. I don't speak a word of Spanish.One of my American friends asked me how I could listen to "foreign" music. I don't even know what that freaking means.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d38POr1ddAo&w=480&h=360]I heard this track for the first time on, Mega 97.9, a Spanish language radio station in NYC and immediately tracked down the CD (that cover is quite bright)."El Amor Nunca Pregunta" is one of my favorite songs. I cannot not dance when I hear it. I do sing along and it's tragic... good thing I live alone.Buon weekend a tutti!
Flashback: Françoise Hardy - Le Temps De L'Amour
I went to Cannes last week for the film festival as a guest of my friend's boss. I cannot get this song out of my head. It plays during the trailer of the new Wes Anderson movie, "Moonrise Kingdom", which was the opening film of the festival.The first time I saw the trailer I was worried the movie would be too "twee". There's a reason Anderson is one of the most polarizing film directors working in Hollywood today. I bumped into a film critic last week who told me the movie really moved him (after the first half hour) and I've heard the performances are great.My parents had several Hardy records when I was growing up, but I was trying to fit into suburban America and wasn't checking for a singer from France. Now, like many other things my Caribbean parents liked, I get it.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHkm-ELeDsk&w=480&h=360]Here's the "Moonrise Kingdom" trailer.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7LBojkMo8M&w=640&h=360]
It's Easy Being Green*
Masseria, The Italian Farmhouses Of Puglia
My friend Elizabeth suggested I read this book. Elizabeth has written about design (among other things) for over twenty years, so when she tells me I should check out a book, a store, a designer, etc., I do it.MASSERIA, with text by architect Diane Lewis and photographs by Mark Roskams, is a fantastic book. Masserie are fortified farmhouses located in Puglia, the southeastern coast of Italy.They range in size. The materials are local, stone, concrete, iron, and brick. Some were used as resting places for pilgrims traveling on Via Appia.Now many have been renovated, some into boutique hotels. The rest are working farms, passed down through the generations. Puglia is an area of Italy that doesn't see many American tourists. The majority are Italians and Europeans.I haven't made it down to Puglia yet (it's on my list) but I really like the architecture. It's Stylish Simplicity. Rustic and elegant, some of these farmhouses date back to the Middle Ages.
There was also a practical reason to read MASSERIA. When I was in Anguilla over the Christmas holiday, I met with one of my clients' builders. He showed me a few of the houses he has built on the island.In the Caribbean many houses have stone or tile floors because of the climate. Some areas of Puglia have a flat landscape like Anguilla. I see a lot of simliarites in the materials, although wood is used more in the Caribbean. The use of the color white, a lot of white on the walls, interior and exterior, makes sense in both places as the sun is very strong.I've flagged several photos in this book. I'm loving the stone floors, the iron bed posts, and the use of color. It's good to see how these unique spaces were allowed to keep their integrity while being modernized.If everything goes to plan, the house in Anguilla will be done next year. In the meantime, I'm putting together my library/inspiration board for the project. MASSERIA will be one of the books I refer to again and again.I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in design, Italy, and/or traveling to Puglia.