trouvée: an old postcard

Carlyle House was built 1751-1753 by British merchant John Carlyle for his bride, Sarah Fairfax of Belvoir, a member of one of the most prestigious families in colonial Virginia. John and Sarah moved into their completed house on August 1, 1753. That same night, she gave birth to their first son, prompting John to write to his brother George “its a fine beginning.” Their home quickly became a center of social and political life in Alexandria and gained a foothold in history when British General Braddock made the mansion his headquarters in 1755. Braddock summoned five colonial governors to meet there to plan the early campaigns of the French and Indian War. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Carlyle House is the only stone, 18th-century Palladian-style house in Alexandria.

And its unusual garden terrace is where the gentleman and I will be married in a few short weeks!

(Vintage postcard found on eBay and used as a save-the-date.)

the autumnal equinox

It is the first day of autumn (with a full moon no less!), but summer is hanging on here in Washington. Those cool fall breezes have yet to win out over the heat and humidity. Perhaps this weekend? I hope so. . . the gentleman and I plan to mark the change of seasons with wild mushroom risotto. That calls for crisp air and a robust pinot grigio.

Here are a few things you might enjoy reading:

* São Schlumberger in Vanity Fair
* a lovely piece on Enfilade
* and the Mystery Diva

Happy thursday! Welome fall.

(above: dusk at Grandale Farm)

blue skies in virginia

This past weekend, two friends tied the knot in the foot hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Clear skies and bright sun smiled down on a beautiful couple! Add in gorgeous flowers, a boat-load of creativity, and some delicious food and wine, and and you have one smashing wedding. (Needless to say, I was taking notes!).

Last week saw big changes in my life. After months of anticipation, the gentleman and I loaded up a Uhaul with his belongings and drove half-way across the country. And now there are two toothbrushes sitting by my sink (pardon me, our sink). Hurrah! We are surrounded by piles of books and bubble wrap, but couldn't be happier.

More to come when I find my way through the boxes. . .

warm potatoes and cold corn

Mom is here and we're eating good food. The evenings are still warm and so we'll take our dinners to the roof and watch the sun set gently over the city. The pressure is off: a mother-of-the-bride outfit has been found! Time for wine.

Some late-summer culinary inspiration:

* Anna Magazine: the recipes (especially the salads)
* warm potato salad
* chilled corn soup

Happy wednesday.

And happy Rosh Hashanah.

each peach pear plum

A few things from this past week ~ hurricane skies and plums from the sunday market. Earl came and went without much fuss, leaving behind some crisp autumal air. Last night's dinner included warm peaches with fresh cream. Segue to fall.

And yum. Plum cake!

Happy holiday monday.

putting it on paper

A little look at our invitations! Being a lover of paper goods, I admit that this was one of the hardest things for me to make a decision about. There are just so many wonderful ideas out there. In the end, I decided to stick with something very simple and traditional ~ letterpress invitations by William Arthur (printed in Kennebunk, Maine).

I did have a little fun with the reply cards, which are from Cavallini & Co. Each postcard has a different bird! I simply printed the return address in the same font and color as the invitation, leaving space for each guest to write their own response. We have really enjoyed seeing what people come up with ~ they say the most wonderful things!

Then to trim it all out, I scoured eBay for vintage stamps. Of course, I had to have the 1982 Love stamp designed by Mary Faulconer, and to carry on the bird motif, a 5-cent Audubon stamp. The calligraphy was done by the amazingly talented Kathryn Murray (you can see some more of her work over here).

Are you beginning to sense a theme?

A few more bits next week. Until then, enjoy this last official weekend of summer!

a sneak peek

. . . at the spot where we'll be married. On an October afternoon in Virginia. Amidst the crepe myrtle and magnolia.

More to come. xo

trouvée: the catch

Happy Birthday Dad! May your wildest dreams come true. . .

Snapshot found in Texas this past April: no inscriptions, no date. {click image to view larger}

Some things for the bait master:

* fly-tying
* The Fishes of North America
* and a Maine Seaweed Study (from Box of Wonders)

Enjoy!

Wishing you all cool breezes. . .

summer slump

This morning I received a formal complaint regarding the lack of posts this week. Eeeep! Sorry! Life is simply in high gear right now. So, how about a peace offering? One last photo from Maine, languishing on my camera ~ a garden in Castine.

And some wonderful bits:

* Palazzo Grimani
* Matisse at MoMA
* English Embroidery at PMA
* and a little red head arrived in the world early today (welcome Miss Charlotte!)

Until tomorrow (I promise). Cheers!

trouvée: miss daisy

I found this little lady in Maine last summer ~ looking fresh and summery in gingham and gauze, a tiny sprig of daisies by her head. No inscription or date. {click image to view larger}

A few wonderful things:

* some hardware with history

* a little house in the big woods

* and Coralie Bickford-Smith takes on F. Scott Fitzgerald (UK release date: early November)

happy. . .

happy. . .

weekend!

simple things

Feeling inspired by Maine ~ simple things:

* meringue napoleons (with lime ice cream and blackberries)
* Anna Helper at the Portland Museum of Art
* some rooms
* and a favorite book

Here's wishing you a quiet wednesday.

Cheers.

a grey day in maine

Mainers spend a lot of time apologizing for those grey, foggy days that obliterate the view. But, honestly, I love them ~ the sort of days that make you want to curl up with a good book and a warm quilt, and dream of craggy moors and ill-fated romances.

This particular day found us on the door step of a certain Down East Dilettante, a bottle of Albariño in hand. As we sipped wine from ruby-glass goblets and talked furniture and old houses the fog swirled around us outside. While the gentleman and the Dilettante chatted, I slipped out and captured the view from the back window. I don't think there's anything much to apologize for do you? As for the inside. . . well, he'll have to show you that himself some day.

Thank you Dilettante for letting us interrupt your day!

P.S. There's a Maine set on Flickr.

summer idylls

Back from Maine. Missing cool nights, salt air, blueberries, fresh corn, crab rolls, sticky popsicle fingers, and squeezy hugs. And for some reason Washington feels even hotter than ever now.

There are no house tours, or intellectual insights from this trip ~ just a series of summer idylls. Which (in my opinion) is just the way vacation should be.

My only complaint is that it all flew by so quickly. . .

trouvée: the schooner

This photograph is not inscribed. However, I am told it was taken on Owl's Head, Maine, in the summer of 1892. It is hard to believe this little scene was captured more than 100 years old, it seems so fresh. Ahhhh. . . some things never change. {click to view larger}

The gentleman and I are off to Maine early tomorrow morning. We will pick up my niece and nephew along the way, experienced beachcombers both.

Oh happy summer!

See you in a week. . .

summer cookin'

As you can imagine I have been doing everything I can to avoid cooking in this heat. So I have become a little obsessed with summer soups. Fresh flavors blended together, which once prepared can be pulled out of the fridge and quickly heated (or not!). And garlic, lots of garlic (!) seems to be the common element in almost everything I make. Of course the garlic scapes are gone for the season, but they were glorious while they lasted.

Here are some summer favorites:

* a bevy of garlic recipes
* green gazpacho
* sautéed zucchini
* and peaches!

Yum. What are you cooking these days?

(un)mellow yellow

A few last bits from De Wiersse ~ the wisteria in bloom was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I have almost finished uploading all the Netherlands photographs (see here!). Just a few more to go.

Transitioning back to this side of the Atlantic. . . there was a little piece in this month's Elle Decor that caught my eye, about the reinterpretation of some of the rooms at Monticello (if you blinked you would have missed it). The dining room has had a most dramatic makeover ~ going from periwinkle blue to a vibrant chrome yellow. And for the first time, the second floor and famous Dome Room will be open to the public. If you are interested, there's a good post here with lots more information and some really fabulous photographs.

trouvée: the farmer's wife

"The farmer takes a wife, the farmer takes a wife. . ." For some reason this photograph makes me want to giggle.

A few things:

* the Tenement Museum launches a new image database (really amazing, amazing stuff)
* Rokeby House ~ a stunning legacy or a family burden?
* and the Gettys in Tuscany (a different sort of legacy)

Gosh, it has been a busy week ~ reports to write, gardens to water, weddings to plan (you know, the usual). So I hope you'll forgive the spotty posting. I have a few goodies for next week though. Until then, have a wonderful weekend.

Oh, and do try to stay cool.

wine and rosés

Here is a great idea for a bachelorette party: invite a bunch of friends, hire a van and driver, and spend a day in the Virginia wine country. This past saturday we celebrated my friend Hillary's upcoming nuptials amidst the vines with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Just glorious.

Along the way I discovered a wonderful new rosé at La Grange winery. It smells just like strawberries, but tastes crisp and dry! I paired it with a bowl of José Andrés' Gazpacho al Estilo de Patricia, and a soft blue cheese. Perfecto!

night lights

In Washington you can almost set your watch by the summer thunderstorms. The heat builds all day, and the air become pregnant with electricity. Then POW! it all explodes in the evening. These photographs are from 11:00pm last night. The sky lit up with the most amazing pinks and lavenders.

Here's wishing you. . .

A peaceful night.

trouvée: sunshine

Time out for a trouvée! This one found in Texas earlier this year. Inscribed "too much sunshine" and printed by Hicks Photo Finishers, 3828 Georgia Ave. Washington, DC.

I saw two fabulous photography exhibitions in the Netherlands:

* In Atmospheric Light at Rembrandthuis
* and Amsterdam 1845-1875: The First Photographs at the Stadsarchief

They have since closed, but there are catalogues available in Dutch and English for both (available here and here).

Happy weekend. . . and enjoy that sunshine!

long summer evenings

Long summer evenings in Michigan, when the sun doesn't set until after 9:00. You sip wine on the porch and steal occasional kisses from your gentleman. You eat from the garden and cook on the grill. You watch fireflies signal to each other as they slowly float across the lawn.

And you are thankful ~ because these are moments of pure contentment.

into the garden

De Wiersse. I am almost speechless. The property, which dates back to the 13th century, has been cared for by the same family since 1678. The house is lovely and its collections beautifully curated, but it is the gardens that stunned us with their elegance and complexity. Even on a rainy day, we felt our nerves calm and our hearts lift. Our normally fast-paced walk become an involuntary saunter ~ through fields of buttercups accented by modernist topiaries, wooded glens, and idyllic vegetable, fruit and flower gardens.

I have an airplane to catch, so I will leave you with a view through the asparagus to what can only be described as the most glorious kitchen garden I have ever seen. There is more to come next week from de Weirsse (however, if you haven't the patience, you may wander through some photographs here).

Happy weekend.

green fields

Ahhhh. . . I am dreaming of cool summer greens. And fields of wildflowers that are anywhere but here. Because 102 degrees is much too much.

There is an extraordinary garden I am dying to show you (because I think it is time for a really good garden). Tomorrow, tomorrow. It will be worth the wait, I promise. There is a little something for everyone ~ from fields of buttercups and wooded allés to bowers of wisteria and espaliered fruit trees. Above is a sneak peek.

Until then. . .

Good night.

Stay cool.

xo

evening at rosendael

After a weekend of friends, food and fireworks, my head is back in the Netherlands. A little escapism from the horrible heat. . .

Today I am thinking of Rosendael. Architecturally, the house is a bit disjointed with a medieval keep and two 17th-century wings. Over the centuries it seems to have grown organically, added onto and modified in stages, rather than subjected to wholesale renovations. It has passed through only two families in its long history and is regarded as one of the most important houses in the Gelderland.

However, it is the landscape and gardens that truly make Rosendael a standout. Only a few miles from the German border, the terrain is hillier and more varied than most of the Netherlands. In the late 17th century, Daniel Marot was enlisted to transform the grounds into a stunning series of vistas, accented by decorative features and water follies (including the famous Bedriegertjes, or trick fountains). In the first half of the 19th century, J.D. Zocher the Younger was hired to redesign the grounds to something more picturesque. However, Marot's glorious shell grotto, painted pavilion, and fountains survive. Because of its proximity to the German border, the house and gardens sustained significant bomb damage during the Second World War. While the family tried valiantly to restore the property, it was eventually turned over to the Gelderland Landscape Trust in 1978. Since then the Trust has worked to bring the house back to its former glory, opening the house to the public in 1990. It is hard now to imagine such an idyllic setting in the midst of such violent warfare. But least we forget, the curator pointed out several books in the library, bullets still lodged in their spines.

More photographs here.

from vine to table

Well, if the hot weather is good for anything, it is tomatoes!

Hurrah! Our first summer salad of roof-top tomatoes (a medley of "Lemon Boy," "Cherokee," "Ace 55," and "Early Girl"). Served with local Virginia mozzarella, a healthy drizzle of Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. The fruits of our labor (literally). We shared them with our neighbors, along with homemade mint mojitos, cucumber salad tossed with lemon juice and dill, penne with spicy tomato sauce, and stuffing balls with corn, sage and rosemary. All the herbs came from the roof garden.

I hope you have something lovely planned for the weekend. Happy July 4th to my American friends! I'll be back next week with more from the Netherlands.