The Merry Month of May in England
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 90th birthday on April 21st, a prelude to what is always one of the busiest seasons in the British Royal calendar. One can assume that… Read More
Author: Bettie Bearden Pardee
The Sakonnet Garden: A Singular Sensation
Across the Sakonnet River from Newport — a ten minute boat ride but an hour drive — is Little Compton, Rhode Island, the quiet countryside contrast to the “bustling seaport”… Read More
Personal & Precious: The Art of the Thank You Note
In my most recent post we chatted about being a gracious host and a perfect house guest. A natural follow-on? Thoughts on handwritten thank you notes, both for the house… Read More
Summer House Parties: 13 Tips for the Gracious Host and Perfect House Guest
Becoming the “perfect houseguest or gracious hostess” takes years of OTJ (on-the-job-training). Seldom do I spend a weekend in someone else’s environment that I do not come away with a… Read More
A Tale of Two Orangeries
Part of the pleasure of building your own home in Newport is the ritual of naming it (very de riguer — taken so literally that one witty friend tagged their… Read More
“Rock Star” Architects in Newport: McKim, Mead & White
The architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White have been credited with defining the signature look of Gilded Age America. During the heady period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,… Read More
Cuckoo for Flower Containers
Charlotte Moss in her comprehensive book Garden Inspirations committed ten-plus pages to the topic of flower containers. Committed is the right word; we flower lovers should all be committed to an asylum for the… Read More
A Don’t-Miss Wedding at Samode Palace in Jaipur
When a good friend, who has an adventure and travel streak in her, announces that she’s going to Jaipur, India for a wedding there’s only one thing to say…take pictures!… Read More
Traveling in Style: the New and Improved Land Yacht
Those of you who know me are probably raising an eyebrow at the mere mention of trailer (or Land Yacht). But I must say that since I visited Patrick Dempsey’s… Read More
Wedding Mishaps: Handling Them with Poise and Grace
It’s the big day — you’ve been looking forward to this event for a very long time. Everything has been painstakingly organized and planned and no detail has been overlooked; however,… Read More