"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
G.K. Chesterton
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| via Martha Stewart |
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| via Garden&Gun |
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| via Garden&Gun |
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| via Garden&Gun |
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
ELWAY HALL
GRACIOUS: "Marked by kindness and courtesy, characterized by charm, good taste, generosity of spirit, and the tasteful leisure of good breeding."
This definition embodies all that is my dear friend Barry Dixon and his home Elway Hall. I have had the great privilege of traveling well and yet have seldom experienced the gracious hospitality shown to us by our consummate hosts in Virginia. To say there was "no stone left unturned" is an extreme understatement-right down to the herd of deer appearing on the lawn precisely at dusk just as you were handed your signature cocktail by the fire.
The property is sprinkled with fairy dust-every moment more magical than the last- truly gracious living at its very best! Barry is the embodiment of gentility, and is my role model for all that is good, kind, and right with this world we live in. His Edwardian sensibilities are alive and well and I so hope someday we can all return to such a civilized way of life!
Friday, November 16, 2012
KYKUIT
The last few weekends have been amazing from an aesthetic
standpoint! I'm still reeling from sensory overload after spending three days
in the Hudson Valley at the Rockefeller properties of Kykuit and Fieldwood
Farms. Extraordinary in every way- our weekend started with dinner at Blue Hill
at Stone Barns. The barns were part of the Rockefeller estate and the property
along with the stellar restaurant is dedicated to promoting sustainable
agriculture and local food. We were hosted at Fieldwood Farms during our stay,
the home built by John D. Rockefeller III and his wife Blanchette. In the wake
of both Hurricane Sandy and the subsequent nor'easter, the wood burning
fireplaces and an amazing collection of American art was food for the soul.
Saturday was spent on the grounds at Kykuit, the country
home of John D. Rockefeller built between 1906 and 1913 by architects Delano
and Aldrich and now part of the National Trust. We spent the morning wandering
the Playhouse- the Tudor style mansion housing the indoor pool, tennis court
and bowling alley. Our afternoon was spent touring the Big House with its
interiors by Ogden Colman and meandering through the spectacular gardens
designed by William Welles Bosworth.
A truly unforgettable weekend with equally extraordinary
friends! Sometimes "life can be a dream!"
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