fringed, and guilty

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As fringe is a happening trend now and into Fall Winter 2014, recently added these fringed black Valentino boots to the footwear rotation. Actually, asked the husband to treat, and as there was really no heel involved, he said yes.

Plan on debuting them this Saturday night, every few years or so good friend and I host a country barbeque for a mixed bunch of town & country folk. Guest list is always fun, and diverse.

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She’s completely social and loves lunches, dinners, group exercise classes, cards, travel, opera, has joined a running club, etc., keeps a good calendar and keeps good track of RSVP’s. She plans ahead, makes and keeps social commitments, and from what I know of her always replies to other invites in a proper and timely fashion. LOVE her.

Used to be like that. Now kind of guilty of being orderly underneath but much more spontaneous.  Full time job squared, lots of kids, man I love to be around, and a couple of houses will do that for sure. Big groups here at every day dress are a normal thing now and the feeling is with practice and patience and some up front planning it will always work out and there’s always room for a few more.

Guilty too in that I’ve been one of those very last-minute RSVP’s. Not nice, I know. 🙂

We make a good pair. She keeps me on task about how many bartenders and what time are they are showing up and like how much are we paying them? And what are the tablecloths and what are we putting on those tables?

So, friend, looked at tablecloths last night and even though we always like the real deal thinking we’ll go with red and white plastic gingham? The real deal will blow our budget and it is a barbeque, right? And potted low ferns for the tables? Saves us from cutting and arranging and watering fresh flowers and those ferns will look great around the house and on the porch after the shindig.

And the fringed boots? Those will go with I think a white dress and come fall I’ll pair them with something like this:

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Fringed, and guilty. We’ve been scrubbing floors, pulling weeds, painting the coop. 15 dozen chocolate chip cookies now on deck.

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Every day dress, 106 or so for wine beer booze and barbeque this Saturday night, no problem, all will be fine.

Fringed Boots | Valentino | NET-A-PORTER

Blanket Wrap Coat | Worth New York Fall 2014

 

move to the country

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Summertime in upstate New York is pretty outrageous. Fresh, soulful, abundant.

We have made a move to the country.

Still working, growing, doing, simply different simple place.

Every day dress has made a move to the country, with minimal city-side stops in between, June to September.

stay with the plan

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photo 7Saturday night in June with plans to have good friends out to the country for wine and casual steaks on the grill.

When you’re a parent your mood can often be determined by that of your children. One of six going through a rough spot. Feel the pain. Wanted to cancel the get together and wallow a while and simply pull weeds for hours on end in the garden.

Having a strong partnership with those around you is always a good thing. Husband said he could go either way, he understood, but was looking forward to our friends visit.

After coffee and clarity decided to stay with the plan. Friends visited, started with a nice Rosé, moved into Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, a California Cab, finished with a campfire side glass of port. So better than solitary wallowing and weeding.

Food and table simple. Local asparagus and tomatoes roasted in the oven with olive oil and kosher salt. Yellow beets and farm fresh eggs boiled, peeled, and plated. Kale caesar salad, sliced strawberries and drop cookies. Table was a compilation of things acquired over the years; a tablecloth bought in Calistoga CA, linen napkins from Italy, steak knives from a winery in Napa and the canning jar that held the lambs ear and garden flowers from late grandmother’s cellar.

Thank you friends, so glad we stayed with the plan. Love to all.

 

 

pot me up

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Our little spot out in the country feels like endless acres. Used to obsess about leaf, plant, color contrast, and combinations for the annual pots, but no longer, way too many other things to do.

One color this year, and make it red. Red geraniums. Those pots always take more plants, potting soil, water, and time than you ever expect. Plan on almost double.

Spent the good part of the day potting up geraniums. Happy to do it.

Every day dress, pot me up. Happy June 1st everyone.
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20 40

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Two weeks ago Friday husband and I hosted about 32 for oysters etc. and cocktails in Washington DC. Mixed company: family; all ages, graduate students, college students, lawyers, bankers, entrepreneurs, mostly Ethan’s fraternity brothers from Wake Forest.  Location: Hotel Monaco, outdoors. Occasion: Law School Commencement, Ethan.

If you google 20 40, you get a bunch of results about vision. Here we’re talking about what was worn. Oldest two daughters, both in their twenties, wore minimal, modern dresses of the same designer. Every day dress, on the short end of forty, tweed boucle and red leather.

It can be a fine line sometimes on what to wear. Like vision, it can kind of sneak up on you about what’s needed and when. 20 40, stretch printed neoprene for the twenty year olds, tweed boucle sheath dress for short end of forty.

Every day dress, 20 40.

 

downtime

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For this Memorial Day weekend, choosing some downtime. Downtime not really . House will be full in several hours, all six kids home and dinner out tonight for ten, eight of us plus two dates.

Downtime as in pause, remember, reflect. Remembering the men and women that gave their lives while serving. Yes, amid a flurry of family activity will pause  throughout the weekend to reflect on our many blessings and to remember those that came before and served in the highest sense. Every day dress honors all Americans who have died while in the military service.

For downtime on a Friday afternoon, wore new distressed DL1961 Amanda skinnies, a heather grey flannel easy cowl pullover (44 degrees here in late May), and Tory Burch sandals. Chanel 657 Azuré Nail Colour is a current favorite .

Wishing everyone a time to pause, remember, reflect.

xoxo

Jeans | DL1961

Sweater | Worth New York Fall 2012

Le Vernis Nail Colour 657 Azuré | Chanel Summer 2013

Don’t worry mom, I know that both you and Tim Gunn don’t approve of the jeans. They will undoubtedly end up in one of three daughter’s closets this weekend. Fourth daughter doesn’t yet fit. 🙂 Funky nail colour? That will come off after a weekend of gardening…

 

the details

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Lifestyle post:

The small stuff is often the big stuff. Villa in Italy? Absolutely gorgeous; six bedrooms, two kitchens, three fireplaces, infinity pool. After surveying the accouchements though felt we were missing something. Difficult to learn all that you can about an area and its wine while drinking from small ancient two ounce glasses. Three fireplaces, yes, but nothing can replicate the glow from candlelight on the dining room table. Linen or cloth napkins? Completely necessary.

First shopping outing was a dozen linen napkins in charming Monticchiello. Without a doubt, an even dozen. No credit card here so handed over euros. Happy to do so. Napkins came home in the checked luggage and will always remind us of communal festive dinners.

On the way to train station in Chiusi to pick up late arriving couple stopped in at small local wine store to check out appropriate glassware. Riedel? I’ll take eight, no, on second thought make that twelve, we might lose one or two. Everything we drank was infinitely better in those glasses. Shopkeeper had breathtaking local handmade candles as well. Picked up two. Add a few bottles of wine and we pretty much made her day.

Warm and charming housekeeper took care of us well. At the end of the stay couldn’t seem to part with our memorable goods and housekeeper was happy to help with shipping details. Handed her all necessary details without question. Double kissed her goodbye and now, ten days later, glasses and candles have arrived. Thank you. Shared fine meals continue.

What you do to enhance each day is totally worth thinking about the details. Two oldest daughters sharing an apartment in Boston MA now cook for one another, light the candles, enjoy a glass of wine together, and use real napkins. Couldn’t be happier.

When traveling, especially by auto, take the good glasses. It does make a difference.

This is small stuff, but really, big stuff. Every day dress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

trunk shows are fun

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Last week thursday gorgeous colleague Erika Brason hosted a Worth New York traveling trunk show at hive the lifespan center. Members and guests attended three special fitness classes, sipped pomegranate champagne cocktails, munched on bite sized healthy hors d’oeuvres and fresh fruit, and experienced the modern look of Worth New York.

Erika provides a personalized, private, luxurious wardrobe building experience. Worth New York provides a deep product line of beautiful separates, suits, dresses and accessories to outfit on-the-go women sized 0 to 20. Erika typically has four trunk shows each year. She works with you to enhance your best look and fit so that your clothes are always there for you, ready to dress you so you can get on with your day. To contact Erika for more information, email her at ebrason@worthnewyork.com.

Interested in finding out more about Worth New York or the travel trunk concept? This, fashion friends, is what I do professionally. Worth New York offers women the opportunity to work flexible hours and earn a lucrative income with the training and support of an established multi-million dollar fashion company.

We are looking for a few good women. For more information on Worth New York visit www.worthnewyork.com. To contact me directly, comment here on every day dress or email me at recollins@worthltd.com, my professional email address. Love what I do and would love to tell you more.

Thank you hive, you are an incredible asset to the well-being of our community. www.hivelifespancenter.com. Thank you Michael, your event design never fails to stir and feed the soul.

Happy Monday. Every day dress.

every day cook

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There are a couple of things we all need to do every day, most of us at least, and that would be to put some clothes on and eat a few times.

My blog is kind of devoted to those daily habits, dress, love, work, cook, eat, exercise. Here’s hoping you have a couple of good outfits you can throw on without thinking that look good and have a couple of things you can prepare for dinner in 15 minutes flat that taste great.

Here are today’s offerings: wild salmon, pictured here, and wild cod, not pictured here, for husband that doesn’t like pink fish, local lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and squash. Fish on the grill, lettuce, tomatoes, and cukes tossed, zucchini and squash pan-fried. A little Italian white to round things out.

Outfit has been posted before. Get a few things together and repeat repeat repeat. Worth New York top, J Brand Capri Empress jeans, and close-up of sandals I have been absolutely living in all summer long.