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
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
Spring…at last? In trying to hasten the green landscapes that seem so long in coming, I resorted to creating my own for spring entertaining occasions in the house. And what a fun… Read More
So many people think that beautifully wrapped gifts are only found under someone else’s Christmas tree — or in a window on Fifth Avenue designed by some highly paid professional.… Read More
Christmas is magical. Here at Parterre, we love adding a bit more magic to the holidays with a fanciful centerpiece, one that I’ve loved recreating over the years…perhaps because it’s… Read More
It’s the end of the growing season; time for cutting back, pulling out, bedding down. And thinking about making an arrangement with leftovers from the garden and “roadsidia” (a gardener’s… Read More
Table centerpieces are probably my favorite part of the entertaining process, made all the more satisfying when the flowers are fresh from the garden. At this time of the year… Read More
Newport is busy with visiting guests, drop-by garden aficionados and parties galore. You probably have your own version of this summer fun also. So I thought you might enjoy an easy-to-assemble, spur-of-the-moment… Read More
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
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