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
Tag Archives: shopping
April in Paris: An Intimate Perspective
Norma Thiessen, who lives in Toronto in “a little blue house,” adores all things French: the people, food, fashion, history, architecture, countryside and culture. But most of all, she loves… Read More
Palm Beach in 48 Hours
Can’t you just feel those tropical Palm Beach breezes?A great migration takes place each winter when seemingly three quarters of my friends head to Florida, most to Palm Beach; I jokingly… Read More
Dressing Your Closet: Saving your Sanity Part 2
There! Now that you’ve gone through the painful, ooops, entertaining exercise of sorting, consolidating, purging and editing your wardrobe, you deserve a payoff for your time and efforts. While many… Read More
Dallas in 48 Hours
A few days in Dallas is a wonderful shot in the arm, especially come the end of January….and especially with 75° weather! Having already enjoyed some celebratory book events for Living… Read More
48 Hours in Houston, Texas
I love Texas and Texans — their ebullient spirit and can-do enthusiasm. “Go big or go home” well sums it up! While I’ve had many reasons to be in Dallas,… Read More
Thanksgiving Planning from a “Girl of 100 Lists”
If you’ll be so generous as to allow me a somewhat obscure 80’s reference – I can completely identify with the Go-Go’s song “I am a girl of 100 lists.” I… Read More
Entertaining, Newport Style: Secrets to throwing a Great “Pardee”
Image of Bettie taken mid-party by Maaike Bernstrom. This picture was featured in The Salonniere article, which commented, “With a surname like Pardee, you know she’s going to be our… Read More
Inspired Hostess Gifts from a Gracious Houseguest
It’s August. High season in Newport for houseguests, a beloved summer ritual. What are you giving your hostess/host this year? Do you “come bearing gifts” or expect to pick one… Read More
What’s in YOUR guest room?
In a play on that funny TV commercial (“What’s in YOUR Wallet?”) it’s time to be thinking about this detail as summer entertaining kicks into gear. And here in Newport,… Read More