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…

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”…

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…

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…

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…

McKim Mead & White

“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,…

Containers for Flowers

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…

Wedding in Jaipur

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!…

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…

Redwood Library Wedding

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,…