Newsletter Archive

The Kentucky Derby is fast approaching. Let’s discuss fabulous hats! While not mandatory at Churchill Downs, they continue to be a tradition there, as well as at celebratory parties around the country! Even gentlemen tend to wear either lightweight straw bowlers or fedoras to this fashionable equestrian event. My dear friend in London, Rachel Trevor-Morgan, whom I admire immensely, is a renowned British milliner… and creates fabulous hats indeed!   She has held a Royal Warrant since 2014.  Her Majesty the Queen wore her stunning creations on many high-profile occasions.  It was a thrill to interview Rachel. I thought you, too, may wish to know a few noteworthy hat/fascinator facts for the Kentucky Derby, Royal Ascot, or for that matter, any hat-wearing occasion: ~How do you decide what side of a lady’s face a hat should be tilted? “Traditionally, hats always tilt the same way. The brim of a hat

There’s nothing like tradition… and the celebration of a true “Southern tradition” is especially lauded at the Kentucky Derby, the oldest running sporting event in America since 1875!  On the first Saturday in May, from Churchill Downs to celebrations nationwide, the “Run for the Roses,” a two-minute horse race, continues to be a bold reason to jubilate with friends anywhere in the world. Mint juleps, red roses, pretty hats, and magnificent horses… civility meets revelry on a grand level! When an invitation was extended to Stuart and me to attend the Kentucky Derby, it was a dream come true. I was jumping for joy! We boarded the plane, with a hat box in hand, and landed in Louisville, where the green grass along the runway was completely lined with private jets from all over the world.  Red roses, the official flower since 1904, and palpable excitement greeted us everywhere. We

Such fun looking at the blue ceiling with Her Grace, The Duchess of Rutland, in our Chinoiserie-inspired Palm Beach dining room. Note the pretty peach blossoms on the wall mural!  Oh, I adore wallpaper and especially elegant murals!  Do you as well? Handpainted murals can be traced back to the 14th century in China, where they were painted on rice paper.  As a designer, I am especially keen on specifying murals by renowned companies: de Gournay, Gracie, and Zuber. They are sumptuously divine in quality of design and historical references.  They can be, and rightfully so due to the quality of production, rather expensive… which probably serves to reinforce their panache!  An elegantly designed mural is rich with depth (versus paint) and will enhance an interior wall or an entire room. Would you like to know my little wallpaper trick? It is so easy to do and can be very

One lesson that is so important to impart on your children and grandchildren is eye contact when speaking and listening to someone, and especially when expressing gratitude, shaking hands, and giving a toast.  Eye contact, from one person to another, shows interest, respect, as well as genuine appreciation. Do let me know if you have suggestions on how to instill “good eye contact” with children. My four grandchildren in Germany practice looking each other in the eye almost every night at dinner when they say “cheers” to one another. Their parents remind them to look each person in the eye as they clink their glass of milk with each sibling.  This charming exercise is amusing for the children and serves to reinforce a valuable social lesson at a young age. Good eye contact is also expected when they shake hands when meeting adults. Teaching these noteworthy gestures to children are

Someone in the press once stated, in reference to our charming historic village of Farmington, CT, “The most bling you’ll find in Farmington is a string of pearls!” Pearls are appropriate to wear at ANY time of day!  But for diamonds, here is a jewelry etiquette rule you may not be aware of:  diamonds are not worn during the daytime.  Diamond jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, watches, bracelets, and tiaras, are worn only after dusk, or after six in the evening. (Diamond rings are exempt!)  Even the Royal protocol in England dictates this rule.  Diamonds are considered too “flashy” for the daytime, but in the evening, they add sparkle, especially at cocktail receptions and formal events. To wear or not to wear diamonds before six? We can all agree that times are now more relaxed. Mummy used to say, “It’s just not done, darling.”  While hats should not be worn

Have you ever attended a lively party filled with laughter and happiness, and then a guest accidentally spills a glass of red wine, and the party comes to an abrupt halt due to an outwardly distraught hostess? At this point, guests just want to skedaddle… the party is over! Red wine eventually finds itself somewhere other than in the wine glass… either on the carpet, the tablecloth, or some piece of upholstery. A guest will naturally be mortified to have spilled wine. Nothing ruins a party faster than a hostess who is uptight and stressed about an accident happening at her party. So, prepare in advance for mishaps. I permanently keep a bottle of seltzer water, a towel, and an everyday white napkin ready to use if need be. Stay calm, and carry on by keeping the panic off your face. Smile and pour some seltzer water over the stain,