A Connecticut Getaway
Several years ago, I was featured in the New York Times Thursday Styles section in an article entitled How an Underdog Pursued the Scent. The article mentioned that my family served as my personal focus group while I was developing my fragrances, but I also had a number of trusted friends living in New York at the time, who helped me tremendously along the way. They were there for moral support, and helped me with everything from wearing the perfume and giving me feedback to working as my pro bono PR/marketing guru in the early days (thank you Dani!). We have all stayed in touch over the years, and most live near one another in the Northeast.
Several weeks ago, my family and I traveled to Connecticut to visit this crowd. It was amazing to reminisce and to see our children play together (over 23 children and counting between us!). Our trip coincided with our 10 year wedding anniversary, and my husband's 40th birthday, which made our visit even more meaningful. Over the course of our four day visit, our hosts who generously housed our entire crew, threw us a lovely dinner party (while pregnant with baby #4), friends in Greenwich hosted a beautiful family friendly brunch, and another couple organized a beach-side BBQ with friends who came in from Long Island. We were incredibly touched by the lovely events that they all planned around our visit. It was a beautiful testiment to the fact that true friendships withstand the test of time and distance.
Here are a few shots from our visit...
The other side of the table
Late night cigars
The table was set with lanterns that had decorated the tables at our hosts beautiful wedding in NYC seven years ago
At the Sunday brunch, my friend thought of everything: crafts, bubble wands, leis, and delicious food and snacks for the kids and adults.
An impromptu hour of slip and slide after brunch
A day at the beach
Looking for crabs at a Sunday evening BBQ at the beach in Old Greenwich
Our dear friends came in from Long Island to join us, and seeing our kids together again was incredible
CATEGORIES: Kids and family, Places, Perfume news, events and articles
Reclaimed By Mark
When I heard that my childhood friend, Regina, had met the man of her dreams, I couldn't wait to meet him. Regina is an actress, writer and producer who is also one of the most charismatic, charming and talented people I have ever met. I knew that whomever she chose to spend her life with would be amazing as well. Although I met Regina's fiance, Mark, over a year ago, I was able to spend more time with him at Regina's LA bridal shower last month. He is not only an actor, artist, award winning writer (an original sitcom he co-created won the NBC Comedy Short Festival), he also recently finished his first novel, and has created several television pilots. To top it all off, he also makes beautiful furniture and home accessories from reclaimed materials, using tools he inherited from his grandfather.
I admired a beautiful headboard in their Venice home, and learned that Mark created it from a discarded wooden pallet. He also designed and created a desk for Regina around a piece of butcher block he found, and then personalized it by stenciling the date of their anniversary on top as a surprise. I appreciate things that have a history, and every piece that Mark creates has an interesting story. He manages to breathe new life into everything he touches. Wouldn't it be great to have a hidden talent like that??!!
Check out more of Mark's work at Reclaimed by Mark.
The original Volvo pallet
The headboard taking shape
The finished product, complete with antique hooks
R + M's anniversary date stenciled on the desk
Mark created a removable bench for additional seating in their terrace courtyard
The finished bench, that also masks a nonfunctional fountain
The picture frame and orchid box are two of many accessories that Mark created for their home
CATEGORIES: Beautiful things
An LA visit
I snuck away for a long weekend in LA a few weeks ago to attend a bridal shower for one of my dearest friends from childhood (we met in 5th grade!). Guests were asked to bring their favorite beauty products for the bride-to-be, and I loved seeing all of the can't-live-without products that she ended up with. She won't have to buy make up and beauty products for a few years! I brought Benefit's Benetint and They're Real Mascara, Josie Maran Argan Oil and Bert's Bee's Tinted Chap Stick, and tucked it all inside the monogrammed toiletry bag/travel pouch I made for her honeymoon.
It was an incredible visit filled with quaility time with the girls from home (with lots of late night reminiscing), a visit with a friend I met in Chicago who moved to Redondo Beach (I wrote about our last visit here), shopping on Abbot Kinney, visits with family in Santa Monica, and a stop at NEWBEAUTY at Fred Segal, where my perfumes are carried. The trip couldn't have been more amazing.
Here are a few shots from the visit...
A tiny selection of the loot the bride-to-be received
Our detox snack at Feed the morning after the festivities
I love cake stands, so was drawn to this stack at Bountiful
A vignette at Tumbleweed and Dandelion
Succulents and stripes outside
Handmade pottery by Samantha Robinson at Flannel
NEWBEAUTY at Fred Segal
The perfume room at NEWBEAUTY
The lovely Redondo Beach lunch that my friend managed to pull together for the two of us, despite having her three kids in tow
CATEGORIES: Places, Beautiful things
