Tuesday, May 31, 2011

summah

We had an wonderful beginning to our summer vacation yesterday.
(I can already tell it's going to go by too fast!)
We were invited to J & G's for a cookout.
We began with a french rose' outside.


Wasn't the cheese plate gorgeous?


The girls rescued a bird from the grass
and returned it to its nest.
Then, they received a life lesson from J
on the survival of the fittest.
"Sometimes, girls,
the bird just doesn't
cut it..."


The girls made place cards
and chose the seating arrangement.


The evening was filled 
with best friends reunited,


good food,
great conversation,


and the promise of more good times to follow.







Monday, May 30, 2011

happy memorial day


Thank you to all the men and women who have served our country.


Especially my dad - 
US Coast Guard &
Secret Service

Here he is 
running Toward the gun
when Sara Jane Moore
tried to shoot Ford.

He's the handsome gentleman 
to the immediate left of the
police officer's hat. 



And remembering those who gave their lives for freedom.

I am thankful to the soldiers
and their families
who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

God Bless America








Friday, May 27, 2011

guess what we're doing today



yep - heading north
2 kids (one prone to motion sickness)
2 dogs (one prone to motion sickness)
i can't wait for the 18 hour drive
on memorial day weekend
(xanax anyone?)

Thursday, May 26, 2011

pancetta crisps

John and I made these delicious pancetta crisps as an appetizer the other night.

It was soooo easy
and soooo tasty.

Here's what I did:
I baked the pancetta on a foil 
lined baking sheet at 450
for 8 - 10 minutes.


I cored a pear
and sliced it into 
rings.


Next, I placed the pancetta over the pears
and crumbled goat cheese on top.


Last, I drizzled honey and
cracked pepper on top.



How easy was that?
The juicy pear compliments the
crisp pancetta, the 
creamy cheese, the sweetness of the honey,
and the tart cracked pepper.

And the best part -
it only takes about 15 minutes!


*southern living recipe

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

pretty pretty pictures

We're having a wonderful, but busy
last week of school in Georgia.

Here are some pretty Hampton pictures
until I can post again.


What's behind your hedge?


Love the flag.


The hydrangeas.
My goodness - just look at the hydrangeas!


I want to live here!


 I have always loved
this house
in East Hampton.



Sunday, May 22, 2011

the longhouse reserve

One of my favorite places to go on the East End
 is the LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton. 

It's owned by this really cool guy, Jack Larsen,
an internationally known textile designer.
Some years ago, when Jack visited the Japanese shrine at Ise,
 he was inspired to create
the LongHouse Reserve,
 his home.

This stunning estate boasts a 13,000 square foot home on four levels.
It is surrounded by gardens that portray designed landscape as art.
The gardens also feature elegant and fanciful sculptures.

Did I say ole Jack was cool?
He's cool because he opens his gardens to the Public!

I think it is fabulous that this gentleman
shares his love of art with the community.
The LongHouse is open to the public seasonally,
and it is also available to local schools
for educational purposes.


This is the house that Jack built:

I love the dunescape!

My first trip was in the spring.
The cherry trees were in bloom
and it was gorgeous!


My favorites are the wind sculptures.
You can see one in the foreground.
It is so peaceful to watch them move
lazily in the wind.


Water for Elephants?


He's ready for his close-up.


Could this place Be more beautiful?


Wanna play chess?


New York?


Eat your vegetables!


The fly's eye.


My children enjoyed it.


My mom did too.


These guys like it there.


So do these guys.


Thanks for having us Mr. Larsen!


 We look forward to coming back!




*For the record, you can't just stop by any time.
Check the longhouse website
for days and times.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

perfect

Today, John is here:


And I am here, in Georgia.

You may wonder why, 
after living in the Hamptons for three years,
I am here.

It's because of this little guy
sitting in the chair.


I took the happiest kid in the world to New York.
However, it was not meant to be for him.
He hated it.

After three years,
he was not happy.
Not at all.

We decided that you either have a happy childhood
or you go to therapy.

We knew we could fix it 
by bringing him back to his old school
and his old neighborhood.

I gave up wine dinners, 
private receptions 
after the Philharmonic 
and the Ballet,
 and snowy winter evenings 
in the cellar.
I left some of the best friends
I have ever had.

However, 
as the school year comes to an end,
I have no regrets.

This year wasn't perfect,
but it was damn close.





Wednesday, May 18, 2011

wedgies

On Saturday, I bought these shoes:

colehaan.com

Could they look more comfortable?
I plan on wearing them
ever' day.

And I super miss having a job,
because if I did
I would have purchased 
these too!

colehaan.com


Most of the Hampton events I attend
are in a big field or vineyard.
Therefore, the wedge
 is a Must!

These events are usually outside
to take advantage of the
unbelievably crisp summer weather
and star-filled nights.

John claims that 
the stars are closer 
 and the sky is bluer 
on Long Island. 

I have to agree.
That's why artists
have been drawn
 to this area for ages.




Tuesday, May 17, 2011

grits from the past

I received an interesting friend request on facebook yesterday. 
 It was from a very cute young mom.  
Immediately upon seeing her name, I lit up!  
It wasn't one of those,  'Now who on earth is this?' moments.
This particular request was from a little girl young lady that I taught second grade to in 1990-91.  

It was my first year of teaching 
and I was learning as I went.
I was also attending graduate school
two nights a week.
It was a crazy, wonderful year.

On facebook all these years later, 
she wrote this to me:


I am SO glad to see you on here!!! I think of you so often, hysterical I know!!
 Just wanted you to know that you made a huge impact on my life and I have never forgotten you!!!! xoxo


I love teaching
and I love the students.
And it was a moment like yesterday,
that has me still smiling today.


Monday, May 16, 2011

grits 'n ribs


I hope you had a lovely weekend. 
Ours was busy.  
On Friday night, while my Hampton friends were
having a blast drinking wine 
filming a commercial for the winery my husband runs, 
we were in Georgia attending my daughter's dance recital.

C is on the far left.

On Saturday afternoon, our family headed to Phipps Plaza, 
one of my favorite places to shop.  
Surprisingly, I don't enjoy shopping in New York.  
It's just too crowded and always overwhelming.
However,
 I looooove to shop in Atlanta.  
It's so easy to hit Phipps and Lenox.  
Both malls are a stone's throw away
and between the two, you will find
 Saks, Neimans, Bloomingdale's, Nordstroms, JCrew, 
 -  and just about any store you could want.


Before shopping, we enjoyed a nice outside lunch at the Tavern. 
 It was a perfect Atlanta day - 
partly cloudy in the low 70's.

We ordered these Southwestern chips:
(firecracker shrimp, poblano peppers, sweet corn, red onion, black bean puree and mild oleso)

To die for...

For lunch, I had this salad -
the healthy benefits of which
were cancelled out
due to the aforementioned nachos.


L, who never eats Anything,
decided to try the ribs.


(Hey Mikey, he liked them!)
He liked them!


Next, we were off to find a dress for me.

In June, John and I are invited to attend
a 5 o'clock, black tie
wedding in the vineyard.

John picked out this dress:

(Hey, is that Wonder Woman?!)

Which I didn't like At All...
until I tried it on.

Do you think I could have good arms
in a month? (yikes!)
It's pinned for alterations.

I scored these shoes:


looove!

and these earrings:


Hopefully, I will look appropriate
at the wedding
and not like
"country come to town!"





*images nordstrom.com






Friday, May 13, 2011

boats and ames

Check out this great site and article about one of my favorite Hamptonites - Amy Plum:


I love her - love, love, love! 
She's smart, sassy, and a fabulous designer.



Also, John just sent me this picture with the message -
 "Intuition" is back for the season.


Yip! Yip! Yippee!  
One of the most exciting times in the Hamptons, 
is the day the boats begin to return to Sag Harbor!  
After a cold, snowy. looooooong winter, 
it is so exciting to see the first boats 
and the promise that 
"the season" 
is beginning!





Monday, May 9, 2011

pretty pretty flowers

Yesterday afternoon, John obligingly helped me plant some Lantana around the patio. 
I practically wept with excitement at the thought 
of the lantana growing and spreading over the summer 
surrounding my patio with gorgeous blooms.

At one point, John hit a wire with the shovel while digging.  
We oooohed and aaahed at the orange wire and wondered what it was for.  
We had only mulched about 4 inches deep 
and therefore, Knew that it couldn’t be anything Important, 
so we continued planting.  
After Hours of planting and happy visions of my patio surrounded by riots of flowers, 
John showered and left for the airport…

He tried to call the house from the car and I bet you can guess what happened! 
We have no phone, no cable, and no internet!  
Seriously, I don’t know What we were thinking 
when we ignored the cable and continued planting. 
For the second time in as many weeks, we have no internet.

(I dread watching the cable guy
dig up all the flowers we planted
to get to the wire!
I'll probably need some wine...)

Friday, May 6, 2011

if i was there...i'd be here!


 







The Wölffer Rosé
Release Party
"Summer in a Bottle"

Saturday, May 7th
At the Winery
1PM to 5PM


Come see the World through our Rosé Colored Glasses!


Live Music and Cheeses, and a
Complimentary Glass of the
2010 Wölffer Rosé

$25 per person

A portion of the proceeds goes to the
Long Island Wine Council 

For reservations call Melissa
at 631-537-5106, ext. 10