Blenheim Palace: Dressed for the Holidays
It has been almost thirty years since I last visited Blenheim Palace, and it brought back a wonderful whirl of happy memories. Fourteen of us were ostensibly in Woodstock for… Read More
Entertaining
Happy Thanksgiving!
From our table to yours, the very happiest of Thanksgivings!
A Wine Cellar Supper for Halloween
Happy Halloween! I normally don’t give much thought to this particular fall “holiday” (other than a few years ago when I over indulged with a Venetian Masquerade Fête). But a… Read More
A Passion for Fall Plants
While our gardens may already have been put to bed, there is one garden source that never seems to sleep — “The Farmer’s Daughter,” just over the Newport Bridge in… Read More
Dressing the Library in Fall Color
Fall is my favorite season, though it looks like it will be very late this year (the leaves are all still happily green). So to tide me over, I’ve gathered… Read More
Entertaining at Home: Inspirations from Celebrated Hosts
One never knows where life’s chance meetings might lead. Five years ago, Ronda Carman and I were signing our respective books at the Theta Antique Show in Houston. Two weeks… Read More
Romancing our Summer Garden
The Orangerie in Parterre’s garden was a most special surprise Christmas gift in 1997, given to me by my husband, Jonathan, as we began our house building project. While originally… Read More
The Salonniere 100: 2019 America’s Top Party Hosts
The topic of entertaining is always worth celebrating. If you aren’t familiar with the delicious website, Le Salonnière, and its beautiful founder, Carla McDonald, I’m very pleased to make the… Read More
“O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree…”
Newport’s “cottages” are indeed a big draw in the summer, but so many visitors miss one of its truly breathtaking seasons — the Holidays! Decorations galore dress up already significant… Read More
A Vanderbilt-Inspired Holiday Mantel
It was a dream invitation, especially at this time of the year — come in and pick out your favorite new ornaments that have just arrived and create a holiday… Read More