The Art of Slowing Down

Since my last post, we welcomed a baby into the world, who is sweet as ever. Our hearts are so happy. We’re sleeping through the night already at 7 weeks and I’m C&C’ing in almost-full-force. Yes, it may be a lot for some, but I thrive on chaos. Needless to say, this summer has been busy. I feel like I blinked and August appeared. But doesn’t it always happen that way?

It’s a strange time we’re living in. There are so many moments where I feel like I am lacking the words in daily exchanges given all that is happening in our country. It often feels surreal. And so, I came back to this platform, which was intended to share, muse & inspire. While blogs may be a thing of the past, I will continue to use it as an escape, even if I don’t have any visitors. The mental escape is needed, more than ever.

Last Friday I took a little time to step away from work and went on a drive with a friend to the “country” in Little Compton, Rhode Island. We bopped around, both thrilled to be out of the office having a little sliver of a summer morning, and visited my favorite farm stand for provisions (tomatoes! corn!), and lobster rolls for lunch.

The morning was a nice reminder that there are still so many things to enjoy and celebrate right now. Friendships, fresh produce, sunny days, salty air and the luxury to slow down. Despite proclaiming that I thrive on chaos, it showed me that I need slower moments in my life. We all do. And that is perhaps one of the biggest lessons we have all uncovered with this Pandemic.

Walker’s Farm Stand, Little Compton, Rhode Island.

Bilhuber's Best

With gardens in their June bloom, and people retreating to their sun porches, the world of Instagram has been flooded with visions of green. And I LOVE IT.

One of my favorites as of late is the great Jeffrey Bilhuber. And while I adore his work, I especially love seeing snippets of his idyllic life at his handsome 17th century home. After drooling over photos of his prized collection of agapanthus last summer (always affectionately potted, front and center outside his home), this season I adopted a few of them for myself!

Enjoy a few visuals from his Instagram account, below.

Miles Redd x ADKS

My eyes glittered when I saw this recent feature in Architectural Digest featuring one of Miles Redd’s recent projects in The Adirondacks. I grew up going to the Adirondack Mountains and have since developed a strong attraction to the simplistic allure the setting serves. After all, my husband and I were married there so one might think it would have some sacredness to moi!

What I love most about the Adirondacks is the uncontrived yet whimsical nature of a place that still feels stuck in time. It’s a place where cell service is scarce and values go back to basics. Time lingers, but in a good way. Your body, soul and mind are cleansed in the most profound way. You’ll be hard pressed to find an individual that doesn’t connect with the outdoors. It’s a place where daytime adventures include fishing, swimming, hiking and simple R&R (what some might call “the art of doing nothing”) — a place where evenings typically involve porch chatter, cocktails, board games and cooking. The mountains are restorative as much as they are a powerful reminder of Mother Nature’s force. (Their 46er Mountains are serious business!).

But back to the article. I think I was particularly drawn to this because Miles Redd was behind the design, and his work can often be punchy and daring, things the Adirondacks are not. Yet, he achieved such a great mix of the old, new and playful. Wicker! Ferns! Painted Floors! It all just works and in a really fabulous authentic and magical way.

Have a look for yourself, here.
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Interior Design by Miles Redd

Photography by Noe DeWitt

Styled by Howard Christian

Alicia

When I read or hear the words “the elegance of a bygone age” my heart begins to flutter. What can I say, I love the romance that is often attached to those words, and this time it’s no exception. The latest issue of Cabana Magazine might be one of the best. Issue 13 Spring/Summer 2020 is chalked full of mesmerizing images of Turkey, Istanbul and other Eastern European places, rich in soul, texture and color.

But one story in particular made my heart really sing, and that is the story of Alicia, a 90 year-old vessel that has lived many adventures, but most recently, was scooped up in Nice to be completely restored. The rather extensive period of restoration has brought her to her absolute best self, with hand-stitched leather furnishings, lamps that were procured from Positano, a new galley and engine room — the list goes on.

And in a time when dreaming is the ultimate luxury, how magnificent would it be to sit on her deck in one of those rattan chairs, floating on the Mediterranean with a cocktail in hand?

Images by Douglas Friedman | Text by Gianluca Longo