As family, friends and lovers all do over long weekends, we’ve been making it a party ever since the kids have been babies. What used to be red white and blue beach blast all six in matching outfits with candy filled pinatas, is now a food & wine fest come as you are out in the country.

It’s pretty much down to a science: don’t think about it all until the day of yet invite everyone you’re fond. Hit the city market first thing in the morning before anyone else is up to tuck in supplies. Start prepping like crazy, make six scratch pie crusts and send entire family and two dogs out to the site. Trim and marinate a bunch of chicken, spice rub five racks of ribs. Double up the mac and cheese, one with lobster, one without.

Hit the country house dressed and running and roll out the crusts. Fill and bake, five in at once. Put favorite brother-in-law on grill duty and second son on ribs. Pour wine generously. Take the five pies out (not quite baked yet) and slide in the all the mac and cheese. Assemble bean salad. Dinner is taking a little longer than planned so to fill time have everyone take a walk for a free-form group shot. It’s kind of like an orchestra, when you make it a party you get to conduct, how great is that.

 

 

 

Put it all on the table, then slide the five pies back in. Everyone eats, and then whip the cream.

Dessert is served, and at about dusk have everyone pile into cars to head over the hill for local firework spectacular. Gorgeous day.

Wishing everyone a safe and sacred Independence Day. xoxo

Every day dress, make it a party. Love and peace.

 

For the weekend, why not celebrate our independence and wear a riot of pattern and print. A little stripe never hurt nobody.

Everyone loves a little stripe, so pull it out, put it on, and have a good and safe 4th.

Changed out of the skirt before heading downtown, that’s a sample and for sale.

We’ll be driving to the country house bright and early, and cooking ribs, chicken, mac and cheese and blueberry pie for about thirty plus.

Nicole, that striped skirt has your name all over it. Wore it for the blog shot only. Scarf as halter? That one’s mine and I’ll be wearing it to cook in all day long, shows nothing, arms are free.

We’ve been doing private wardrobing even during these first days of summer. Party season has just begun, what are you all wearing and cooking?

 

 

Women all over probably change clothes several times a day to meet the day’s agenda. These work clothes here we’ve collected and have had for years, the play clothes below are this season’s trend so let’s wear those with abandon. Wore both these outfits first day of July. Same shoe and bag, same lip color, keeping it bright with absolutely no eye makeup at all for the summertime.

Every day dress, work to play. Need to tag this stuff, Alexa, come back from Africa, miss you, need you. (Citizens of Humanity, Worth New York, Hermes, Wolford).

So simple style tip, invest in work cloths and wear when needed, pick up play clothes and wear with abandon. 🙂

Spent the good part of Monday in the home office not even dressed, we’re in the middle of a search in Saratoga Springs NY and just got completely carried away, lol. In texting with my partner while she was on the road, told her I was still in my jammies at about 1 pm, yikes, so not good. So today, Tuesday, and every day, we’re headed towards neat. Or, No Excuses Accepted Today.

Heard Tom Black give a motivational talk a week or so ago in Chicago and one idea of many that he shared was the concept of neat. LOVE that idea, No Excuses Accepted Today.

So, here we are at every day dress, dressed in, you guessed it, blue jeans again, second son’s JCrew un-ironed button down, yet put on some real shoes and had some real color on the hands, toes, and mouth. The scarf and the bag above ramp it up for sure. 🙂

Every day dress, always headed towards neat.

While the easiest thing to do is wear the same thing, perhaps monochromatic day after day, and to cook the same food, it’s fun and good to color it up. Keeps things fresh.

Spent the weekend away catching some Shaw Festival Theatre on Friday and dinner at Peller Estates Winery in their barrel room on Saturday after an afternoon of wine tasting at Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Wore some crazy colored pants and crazy colored shoes Friday night, Saturday night couldn’t do it again and went all white with the exception of that fun navy bra and a bright lip.

Came home inspired by the bean salad we had at Inniskillin Wines and decided to cook. Went to market late Sunday night and grabbed what looked good along with a pile of canned beans. Made some cream of asparagus soup, spinach stuffed tomatoes, and a fine five bean salad, no photos, got busy. It was a late night, this travel thing has me good, told the kids to think they were back in Spain again and dinner is normal or even early at about 10 pm. 🙂

 

this egg poached in ravioli, simply outstanding at Peller Estates Winery

simple kitchen counter tomatoes, salted, ready to invert and stuff with spinach, ricotta, and pine nuts

really wish I snapped the bean salad, healthy and delicious 

Every day dress, let’s all color it up, almost July here, wow.

 

 

This travel thing has been pretty much non-stop. To keep up simply decided to go with it by integrating a travel inspired cotton voile blouse into the wardrobe. Bought the matching scarf too and weaved it through the belt loops of the essential white jean. Next up will be wearing the scarf turban style, need a body of water and some wind or a convertible for that look.

Teenaged girls can go with short printed dresses, denim jackets, and straw hats.

Gone again, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada.

Much like most women I’ve talked with, it’s been a bit frenetic. Not quite sure why June feels like all systems go, haven’t even unpacked the carry-on from last week Thursday in Chicago IL.

Was quite on the verge yesterday, running all over everywhere. Calmest part of the day was when we put it all away and made some simple dinner. Third daughter has decided to go meat-free, fine with us, so a roadside market stop with a few cupboard staples makes the meal. Really trying to stay away from anything processed, yet canned artichokes, olives, and some quinoa cooked in sweet onions and parsley will have to do. Best part is that she’s now taken an interest in cooking, and did the beet greens all by herself. Composed salad, quinoa, and beet greens, dinner done.

Self-talk is to simply stay composed, lol. We’re in the office building a team for Fall Twenty Fifteen, and sometimes wonder where the lines blur between work and play. Thinking that when you love what you do there’s really no black or white, it’s all gorgeous grey, and here’s what we’re working on:

They look pretty composed, right?

Every day dress, family | fashion | food, LOVE it all. Simply stay composed, haha.

Three days into the summer solstice and we’re heads down in the office during the work week. Simple summer calls for simple hair, simple make-up.

Kind of loving the half man bun and the clean face with only a red lip and short red DIY red manicure.

Every day dress, simple summer.

While we’re all about Fall Twenty Fifteen when on the road and in the office, weekend downtime we’re all about denim, and make that a triple.

 

Cooking and serving, barefoot and no make-up. There’s something about turning it all off when it’s dinnertime and something so soulful about working in all denim.

Happy Tuesday, in the offices all this week working and prepping for Fall Twenty Fifteen.

Simple style notes: here’s a few blogs I turn to and find inspirational.

That’s Not My Age – the grownup guide to great style – Alyson Walsh, she’s got a book out too! Check her out here at www.thatsnotmyage.com.

The Accidental Icon – intellectual and fashionable, her recent post about boyfriend jeans and a white blouse I totally get, and her weekly Friday reading lists post is always an exceptionally edited joyful homework piece. Find her good work at www.accidentalicon.com.

And of course there’s Garance Doré, could go on about her French photography, illustration, and fashion blog forever, love to buy and gift her stationery too. She’s at www.garancedore.fr/en.

Enjoy.

Here’s an unusual travel trip that may or may not work for you, probably dependent on your airline, itinerary, and the shape of your shoe:

Strap your heels on your carry on.

For travel home from Chicago after two nights and three days of meetings, strapped on two pair of sandals to fly Southwest. Attendants said not a word, no gate check, no objection, lucky.

Had to put them on the outside as we picked up a few new things, nothing major, white cotton maxi skirt, black dress, navy tank, and a little one-shouldered number. Those went in the bag, and didn’t want to squash the shoes. 🙂

Browsed a little on the Miracle Mile with a colleague and here a few things we looked at yet didn’t bring home:

Gold Chanel sandals, love the flat heel, the walkability, love the bling, not in love with the price for a June July maybe August footwear look, and might get tired of the bling.

yeah, this needs to be moved to the back of the hip a bit, wearing it this way for the photo

Chanel Girl Bag, has a great feel, love how it fits close and soft to the body, would be practical for hauling stuff around while looking chic, yet can’t get around that price either. Still prefer the Boy?

 

Louis Vuitton Capucine BB? Now that we’d put money on, has a long strap for casual shoulder or cross-body wear. LOVE.

 

Louis Vuitton Capucines BB

Every day dress, strap them on.

Have a great weekend everyone, beyond happy to be home. 🙂