#preach

The below is a closing prayer I listened to at church Sunday evening. It particularly resonated with me. I'm not a habitual church-mouse but when I do go, it reaffirms just how good it can be for the soul. I hope it resonates with you also:

Disturb us, O Holy One,

when we are too well pleased with ourselves;

when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little;

when we arrived safely because we have sailed too close to shore.

Disturb us, O Holy One,

when with the abundance of the things we possess,

we have lost our thirst for the water of life.

Stir us, O Holy One,

to dare more boldly, to venture on wilder seas,

where storms will show your power;

where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

Stir us, O Holy One,

push back the horizons of our hopes

and push us into future in strength, courage, hope and love. Amen.

Look Up! Look Down!

I'm making a point to watch more classic flicks, and that includes Thunderball, the fourth film in the James Bond series released in 1965. Although I can't exactly relate to Bond's smooth spy tactics, I can relate to the dreamy landscape, the full-figured female physiques, and just love the jet-set wardrobes, cocktail couture and lost notions of allure and romance...it's good to be Bond.

Sophia & Carlo

Sophia Loren and her film producer husband Carlo Ponti exemplified that wild, passionate romance we all yearn for...I love a black and white narrative.

'Party Like a Southerner'

One of the very first stops I make when I'm in New Orleans is Leontine Linens on Magazine Street. Jane Scott Hodges' shop is an absolute jewel box full of beautiful, finely crafted monogrammed linens. Each piece is cut and sewn by an artisan to the specification of the client and with an array of intricate stitches, you will swoon at the mere sight of such couture. There is something just so wonderfully old-fashioned about coveting these pieces in an everyday modern fashion. Perhaps it's a modern nod for keeping the old-world romance alive. In Garden & Gun's October/November issue, they point to Jane Scott Hodges who makes a case for the garden landscape as the main stage for celebrations. Above, is the home of her Aunt, Ruthie Frierson, an avid gardener and a well respected activist in the New Orleans community. The women and their families have enjoyed many parties among the greenery and Jane insists that enjoying the outdoors is quite often more desirable than hosting indoors: “There’s a freedom to entertaining in an unconfined environment, in discovering lily pads and vines instead of appreciating furniture or finery,” she says. “It allows for an intimacy you can’t have in a living room.”

Jane's new book, 'Linens for Every Room and Occasion' was released last spring and remains on my list of must-haves for my expanding collection of coffee table books.

40 Under 40: Words of Wisdom

Fortune just released their 40 Under 40 list and while such a list often comes with speculation and a few jealous naysayers, I find these sorts of lists rather intriguing. The magazine asked their class of their 40 Under 40 what they would tell their 20 year old selves. Here are a few replies I personally connect with at present in my life: It was the same advice that I gave myself when I was 20, which is, any time you have a difficult decision, imagine yourself as a 90-year-old looking back at this moment. What decision would you wish that you would have made? Go forward and look backward.   Nick Woodman, Founder & CEO of GOPRO

Construct your own definition of success, don't let the world do it for you. Just because someone puts a carrot in front of you doesn't mean you have to chase after it.         Michael Patterson, Partner, Highbridge Principal Strategies

I would tell myself that life is going to be really, really unexpected and not to be easily discouraged about whether or not I picked the right class. You never know where you’ll end up and just have to keep moving forward.                                                                 Vijaya Gadde, General Counsel, Twitter

Visit your mother more often.                                                                                             Nate Morris, CEO, Rubicon Global

Keep up that relentless determination but couple that with some faith. You’ll find that you spend less time managing your anxiety and fears and more time getting things done. Tristan Walker, Founder & CEO, Walker & Co.

Photographs Above: Vogue China's May 2010 Editorial staring Liu Wen via.

'Impossibly Beautiful'

Penélope Cruz is described as "impossibly beautiful" in the feature of Esquire Magazine's November issue. The publication has named her as their 2014 "Sexiest Woman Alive" and that, I agree with. That hair, those eyes, the BODY, the passion exuded without even a whisper...Penélope is a force.

Surf's Up: Chanel No.5

I love this shot above of Gisele for Chanel No.5's new advertising campaign. Surf inspired, it was taken on the beach in the Hamptons' town of Sagaponack, N.Y. A full video directed by Baz Luhrmann will launch on October 15th, however for now, be sure to watch the teaser.

About Town: Houghton Hall at The Legion of Honor

Beginning October 18th, The Legion of Honor will present Houghton Hall: Portrait of an English Country House. The grand manor might look familiar as it is reminiscent of Highclere Castle on Downton Abbey. Houghton Hall was built in the 1720s by Sir Robert Walpole (Britain's first prime minister) in a Palladian style architecture to house his remarkable collection of old-master and 18th-century paintings, extraordinary tapestries and Roman antiquities. The exhibit will also include what promises to be an opportunity to view the estate's collection of 18th-century silver, Roman marble busts and other objects of great significance. Learn more, here.

Charmed

One of my favorite pieces of jewelry is actually not my own, it is my Mother's. In fact she knows that when I'm home visiting, if it has disappeared from her "secret" jewelry box location, it is likely on my wrist. It's nothing overtly fancy or shiny, but more importantly, it tells a myriad of stories about my Mother's life, mostly memorable moments or personal achievements. Ah, the beauty of a charm bracelet. The bracelet itself belonged to my Great Grandmother whom I didn't know too well, but well enough to remember her fondness of jelly beans. I can point to the charm full of pink sand from Bermuda's beaches and my Mother will tell me about a stay on the island to cheer on my Father who was sailing a regatta.  She'll show me the charm my Grandparents gifted her when she graduated college  in upstate New York and I'll wonder how similar we might have been during that time of our lives. When I ask about the meaning behind the snowflake charm, my Mother will giggle and explain "Because I love snow!". I'll smile knowing this is in fact true, as the vision of her bundled up with a pair of snowshoes on in the Adirondack Mountains dances in my head. I love the power of the narrative, and a charm bracelet can certainly aid in such a tale. I hope to one day have my own charm bracelet to share with my grandchildren.

Photograph Above: Yours truly with my Mother's charm bracelet on. Thank you to Maaike Bernstrom Photography for the shot!

'The Women Tech Forgot'

Walter Isaacson's new book 'The Innovators' (excerpt above) helps unpack some of the most profound inventions in the technology sector and how a majority of these innovations were made by groups of people rather than one sole figure. Further, he discusses how many women who contributed to these discoveries have been erased from the history of such inventions. One woman he credits to the evolution of technology is Ada Lovelace, the English mathematician known for her ability to create the first algorithm to be carried out on a machine. (The English major in me will also reveal that Ada was the daughter of poet Lord Byron). According to the NYTimes, just 0.4 percent of female high school freshmen plan to major in computer science this year. At Google, 83 percent of the engineering department is made up of men, and at Apple, male tech employees make up for 80 percent of the workforce. These statistics are often masked by overwhelming press covering Marissa Mayer's post as CEO of Yahoo, or the watchful eye on Meg Whitman, Chairman, CEO & President of HP. Tech may not forget these particular women, but they are still part of the statistic.