48 Hours in New Orleans
New Orleans is that rare city where each guest can return home with their own collection of singular memories– varied, rich and not to be replicated– that somehow seem that… Read More
Author: Bettie Bearden Pardee
An Enduring Affair: Newport and New Orleans
Luxuriantly set amongst emerald green lawns, embowered by magnificent trees and surrounded by lush rose gardens, Rosecliff (1902) is a tempting place. So much so, that in 1949 J. Edgar… Read More
9 Delicious Thoughts for Hosting a Dessert Party
Many are the merits of hosting a dessert party, especially as we head into the holiday season. Those beautiful and extravagant offerings add such a festive note to any occasion… Read More
Capturing Fall’s Golden Light: The Parterre Bench
I’ve been thrilled about red, crazy about blue — and now I’m simply mad about golden yellow. That soft, golden light of fall is so seductive; it’s also the first… Read More
Outdoor Fall Decorating
When pumpkins start appearing, we really know that summer is over and fall (or Autumn, as the rest of the world refers to it) is here. This presents a first… Read More
A Woody Tailgate Picnic Party
In this gorgeous fall weather, I’d been out collecting pumpkins and gourds from local farms, a seasonal exercise I love as much as picking out Christmas trees from the same… Read More
A Venetian Masquerade Fête for Halloween
Last year about this time, I found myself looking for an excuse for a party. Curiously, Halloween popped up. But if Halloween, then it had to be more than trick… Read More
Crazy for Blue!
When deciding what color to paint the original Parterre Bench, I was torn between the sage (“Parterre”) green and the blue that seems to be a favorite among French gardens… Read More
A Newport Story: The Twin Pleasures of Elm Court
This gorgeous fall weather has reminded me of a very similar day three years ago. In the final stages of photography for my new book, Living Newport: Houses, People, Style…… Read More
A New Fall Wardrobe: The Parterre Bench
Just the words “Chinese Lacquer Red ” conjure up for me romantic visions of Mandarin silk jackets; Louboutin soles; Diana Vreeland’s legendary New York apartment; a sexy, sexy red lipstick;… Read More