thoughts on Mother’s Day

I’ve been having anxious thoughts about this coming Sunday, and how to rightly celebrate. For years I’ve been planning one meal or another to mark the day, and these past few weeks have made me feel a little like opting out. That’s a sad thought, so I took myself for a long long walk outdoors […]

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day 4

still cold here….

Running a little behind here yet self-employed and self-published so I’m the only one losing any sleep over this, big huge problem.

won’t these look better than denim on warm summer days?

In the interim I have found the summer pant: intricate textured stretch jacquard Italian style pant in yarn-dyed stretch cotton in an on-trend plaid and stripe combination. Tried them on in the studio with twenty-six-year-old daughter, she loved them too, added them to doctor client’s order this morning, and placed my order this afternoon. Thinking these are the perfect dress-up run-around version of denim pants that I default too way too often. These are 76% cotton, 20% polyamide, and 4% elastane, giving them incredible wear and ease. I’ll pair them with a white blouse or tee and navy cashmere something, crew or cardigan if needed.

What I was really wearing as it’s still cold was a navy cashmere turtleneck hello late March, current favorite camo jeans, black scarf, black coat, and combat boots. All wardrobe classics and things that will hang around. The coat is Celine from before Phoebe left, and the scarf is Fendi from before Karl passed, both gifts from husband, and both things I’ll keep and wear until threadbare.

We ate out that night at Billy Club, and I had market salad as you can never have enough green things and Bolognese as I make it often and am constantly trying to improve it, therefore trying it wherever it is served. Chef added rosemary, thyme, and a bit of lemon, three aromatics I’ve never tried. House made tagliatelle pasta was divine. Started with a tequila Three Stacks cocktail because I’m kind of wondering just how much wine I can drink…. It was a great meal and a fun night out.

Every day dress: clothes, fun plaid pants and kind of all black, food: dinner out at Billy Club.

Day 4, check.

day three

satin olive pant, dark olive jersey shell

I’m working trunk the entire upcoming month of April, minus a getaway to celebrate Easter and maybe a quick trip to Florida. Working trunk means being with women one to one in my downtown studio surrounded by 300+ pieces of luxury clothing items and helping them find styles that they love. This has been the professional piece of my life for almost nineteen years now.

Most women love having help in the dressing room. I think deep down we all have a need for affirmation in how we present ourselves to the outside world. For sure the clothes we wear speak about who we are, where we are, and where we’re going. As a stylist I help women refine their message with what they wear. I’ve been doing it forever, it’s always evolving, and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it. It’s in my DNA.

Wear good clothes, eat good food, love those around you.

Most days I’m in jeans and a tee, this is where I’m truly most comfortable, and as a creative it’s a look I can do. At the studio I tried on a pair of easy flowing satin and reverse satin pants in on-trend olive green with a little fitted jersey shell from the summer 19 collection, these two items definitely upgrade the denim and tee look.

meatballs in watery tomato sauce, whatever

Before I leave for the day, I like to have dinner prepped or planned out, it simply makes me feel good and gives me a sense of calm knowing what I’m feeding those I love. Yesterday it was meatballs in tomato sauce. Sauce was a little watery on the plate, whatever, we had five at the table, nobody complained.

Every day dress: clothes: olive green, food: meatballs.

Day three, check.

day one

double denim and vintage ski

I have a bad habit of making things harder than they need be. Here we go with day one and I’m supposed to post twice a day and maybe to Instagram stories and I still haven’t totally figured that out yet and supposedly it’s super easy so I’m going all old school with photos from the camera.

just the beginning, needed to just start…

It was Sunday, and the day before husband and I drove to buy pansies by the dozens as I just can’t wait for spring. Planted most of those pansies in pots on the terrace and cooked up this month’s Food & Wine Italian Spring inspired Stewed Chicken Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs and Olives, Sautéed Chicories with Chile Oil, and Pear Crostata.

every spring it’s pansies in the pots
simple symmetry
mixed chicories before the heat
stewed chicken never really takes a good photo
plated up with the salad it looks a little bit better, it was really delicious
pear crostata, burned the first go-round, had to dump it

Really didn’t know what Chicories were, and now I do: Chicories are closely related to lettuces, but heartier and with a bitter edge. Cool weather crops that come into season in late fall (and last in temperate climates through early spring), chicories provide a lot of flavor to seasonal fall and winter meals. Thank you to The Spruce Eats. I guess I sort of did because Food & Wine didn’t specify radicchio and I picked that up at market anyways.

peonies and ranunculus, $3.50 a bloom from the grocery

Planting and cooking took most of the day, also got in a long walk and some yard clean-up. Outfit of the day was denim on denim and vintage Bogner ski jacket.

Day one, check.

twenty-one-day challenge

black Eres swimwear, photo by @maxyny
Eres swimwear, absolute favorite

I’ve been here, there, and everywhere, not really sure where to really land. Is it food, or clothes, or style, or simply life?

I used to be pretty fearless and fairly consistent with what we would throw up on social media, particularly the blog here, and now fearless the word is one of our zillion passwords yet not how I’m currently operating. 

Anyways, I’ve been keeping on, kind of walking the walk, for sure making the bed, showing up, getting dressed, making dinner. No real blog record, we kind of got lost in the weeds, and that happens. 

For sure I have goals, and I’ve been asked to write a mission statement, as I’ve called in some professionals for a bit of an overhaul. So here goes wear good clothes, eat great food, love those around you. Pretty simple, yet it took years to get here, with roundabouts all over. If pressed, and honest, my ultimate goal would be to write a book.

Williams Media, the professionals on board, have also challenged me to get back to the basic premise here at every day dress with a three-week posting schedule, Monday through Friday, of what I’m wearing and what I’m eating. Writing and photos all about clothes and food! If I had one last day on this very sweet earth, I would so want to be wearing a really good outfit while enjoying a really fine meal, heaven on earth, I love you all. 

starched white shirt, really a city thing, yet wore it boating, sleeves rolled up

You see, when you’re running on empty the probably best way to refuel is to be solidly consistent. I’ve been challenged, and I just might fail, so be it. In the meantime, I’m going with daily outfit looks as I’m all about clothes, and daily food pics as I’m really at the heart of it all about clothes and food, and not necessarily in that order. 

Williams Media, challenge accepted.

lunch at Cabbage Key, Dolce & Gabbana phone case (last year’s version, similar here), Oliver Peoples sunglasses, Stella beer 🙂
started with the raw bar, and maybe there was a second Stella
I always go with house special, here you see Famous Black Beans & Rice with Blackened Mahi-Mahi
frozen key lime pie did not stand a chance
‘the bar with the money on the walls’
bes$t friends, with a black sharpie
dollar bills on the ceiling
if you too love clothes and food, come on along for the ride, should be fun

Every day dress, twenty-one-day challenge. If you too love clothes and food, come on along for the ride, should be fun. xoxo

ps. does this count? hyper-linked clothes and accessories and food.

white things and grilled cheese

how about this white and black outdoor seating arrangement?
we visited Restoration Hardware Tampa yesterday, this is upstairs outside on their 4th floor

It’s Monday and we heard it’s snowing again up northeast and we’re wondering what to write on the blog that might inspire, so we’re going with some year-round classic basics, white things, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

making grilled cheese in cast iron with cast iron press wearing white denim, sliver tank, camisole straps are okay, it’s a good one
good olive oil and balsamic are always on hand….and butter is love
white denim, silver tank, black scarf, simple makeup, rooftop at The Canopy at the Birchwood, downtown St. Pete’s

We love white denim twelve months a year, and grilled cheese. Here we added spinach to get those greens in and sliced figs to a simple green salad. We always love a tank; white, black, or even silver.

grilled cheese on sour dough, mixed greens with figs
new votives I picked up at Restoration Hardware outlet

White flowers are also are go-to. Husband and daughter are convinced these ruffled tulips are past their prime yet I’m holding on. Wrinkles and imperfection have got to be okay.

white tank, same white denim, tweed duster


white on white and sorry some of these images are huge, remember cottage industry here and can’t figure out how to resize, eye roll…


White denim and tweed from Carlisle | Per Se, heading back to work trunk show later this week.

Every day dress, white things and grilled cheese, our favorites. xoxo