The Januaries

It's that time of the year for sure - the winter doldrums- when winter sets in, it's cold and dark outside, your holiday bills are due, and you've gained an extra love handle or two do to all those martinis and cookies.  It comes every year - the Januaries, followed by the even better Februaries.

What do you do?  If your pocketbook allows, book the next plane to St. Barts or Palm Springs but that's not reality for most of us.  There are things you can do to get you through this, the worst few months of the year....

Start a Home Project
This is a great time of the year to begin a home project.  My living room project a few years ago, kept me going through the winter months.  Because you can't do much outside, it's a great time to repaint walls, furniture, make draperies, or just give your room a top to bottom cleaning.

Start a Book Club or Hit Your Reading List Hard
Curling up with great book and getting through ones you've had on your list is an accomplishment.  There are so many great books on my list that I hope to get through and it's fulfilling to work your way through a list.  This one should be on everyone's list.

Plan a Dinner Party
If you like to entertain, a cozy winter dinner party is a great way to create something to look forward to.  It does not have to be fancy, but use the winter to try out new recipes, new ideas, and experiment with flower arrangements, using place cards, menu boards.

Create a Summer Outfit
If you have a wedding or graduation coming in the warmer months, plan your wardrobe now. I had a lot of fun planning for a September wedding, finding the perfect dress (at a great price), a great pair of shoes and an adorable handbag. I saved a lot of money as I had time to peruse the Internet and find the best deals and I sent a few things back too.

Reorganize Your Closets
I've reorganized my pantry and my laundry room so far.  There's nothing more satisfying than cleaning out rooms, drawers, closets, donating to charity what you are not using or selling your really good clothing on-line - Ebay, Poshmark.  It's amazing how much stuff we accumulate over time.

(House Beautiful)

Use the next two months to get all those projects started that you think about the rest of the year.

Perfect Paper

Custom paper, cute note pads, tags for gifts, monogrammed stationary - these are things that are great to give as gifts and always adds a special touch to a note, a letter, a surprise gift in the mail.  There are so many options with the Internet at your fingertips, Etsy.  There are no excuses not to.......

(Walton Street Stationer)

(Walton Street Stationary)

I love the look of engraved notes, but it may not be in everyone's budget. Letterpress works great too. 

See this entire collection at Walton Street Stationary here.  Love their products!

2018 Reading List

One of my 2018 goals is to read more books.  I love to curl up with a good book before bedtime and get in a half hour or so.  So what is in store for 2018 and what books might I recommend if you are looking for a new read.......

1) Where'd You Go Bernadette 
 This one will be in theatres this May, with Cate Blanchette in the starring role.  Enough said!

 You don't have to know Seattle to get Maria Semple's broadly satirical novel.... Underlying the nontraditional narrative are insights into the cost of thwarted creativity and the power of mother-daughter bonds, although a reader may be having too much fun to notice."―O, The Oprah Magazine

2) The Dinner

A novel about a couple in Amsterdam who share a dark secret.  

Now a major motion picture starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, Rebecca Hall, and Chloë Sevigny

"A European Gone Girl." —The Wall Street Journal

3) Eligible

I started this book a few months ago and it was put on the back burner when I started reading Bunny Mellon.  Very cute book, not literary fiction, but it's a charming read based in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Wonderfully tender and hilariously funny, Eligible tackles gender, class, courtship, and family as Curtis Sittenfeld reaffirms herself as one of the most dazzling authors writing today.

 4) The Nest

I have not read this one yet either but it looks worth adding to the list.

A warm, funny and acutely perceptive debut novel about four adult siblings and the fate of the shared inheritance that has shaped their choices and their lives.

5) America's First Daughter

My sister has read this one and raved about it. It's on my ever growing stack beside my bed.

In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson's eldest daughter, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph--a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.

6) Rudyard Kipling

I picked this one up at a used bookstore a few months ago and started reading it.  Biographies are always good reads, especially writers.  

 

7) In Cold Blood

I also adore reading classics and if you've not read Truman Capote's masterpiece, you definitely should.

8) Less

Voted one of the best books of 2017, one of the funniest novels of the year, about a writer who starts accepting his invitations. Each chapter takes place in a different country, a different invitation.  Sound witty and brilliant.  Movie?  I betcha!

9) Far From the Tree

Another "best of 2017" on many lists, including NPR. This is the story of three half-siblings separated by adoption who find one another in their teens and how that reunion affects their families.  Read, high Kleenex content.  Winner of the National Book Award.

10) All Grown Up

Another book that found its way on to many "Best" lists in 2017. This is the story of a single, childless, art school dropout working in advertising, who avoids her family, her promotions - sound familiar?  Clever, funny and sometimes cringe-inducing, this is a referendum on a culture in which being a narcissist is more acceptable than being a single working woman. 

Reading yet?  It's a good day to curl up and read.  Enjoy your Sunday!

What's Your Style?

As we enter a new year, we tend to clean out our closets, adopt a few resolutions, swear to quit spending money and shop less.  You can do all of these things, but it's important to understand your style and if you do, you'll likely do all of the above mentioned things.

As you get older, you start understanding your style, ridding yourself of the latest trend (huge bell sleeves) and you become more content with the style you have adopted and developed.  When I was younger, I was more of a fashionista than I am today.  I dressed, went out a lot, had a job that required me to wear dresses and suits to the office every day.  But now, I am more simplistic.  Less to me is always more if the quality is there.

To understand your style you have to learn what looks good on you and stick with it.  For me, straight dresses work the best.  A-lines, flared, puffy - just say no.  Skinny pants, slim legs - I am not tall.  And I can't wear high heels anymore so I have to stick with flats and kitten heels.  Find brands that fit you well.  Don't even bother with ones that don't.  Alterations are expensive.  Clothes cost a lot already without having to take them in or out.

And take care of yourself.  If you are fifty pounds overweight, you won't look good no matter what you wear.  We all have our own issues - some people gain weight in their legs or their stomach, but if you are fit and trim, it always helps. And look to style icons for ideas.  I love the way C.Z. Guest dressed.  Even when she was much older she always looked great.  She had fabulous style.

And who doesn't adore Grace Kelly?   Her ravishing beauty helped but she always looked pulled together and perfect even into her 50's.

Olivia Palermo is pulled together.  She has great style.

Have a signature look and start with the shoes.  The actress Catherine Deneuve wore a single pair of Roger Vivier low-heeled pumps throughout the 1967 classic movie, Belle de Jour. You don't need a ton of shoes and the good ones are dreadfully expensive (but will last).  In my closet you'll find mostly Belgian Loafers, Gucci Loafers, Dubarry Boots, and Birkenstocks. 

Develop your style by investment shopping, not binge shopping. Less is more and quality is better than quantity.  Save up and buy that Hermes scarf, that Prada handbag that you'll use for the next 20 years.

When in doubt, go to your own style icon and ask, "what would she wear?"  Would C.Z. Guest wear this? I think she would.

Dress for yourself and no one else.  Develop your own style, find the brands you love, wear high quality that will last for generations.

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My style:

Understated, preppy, classic, simplistic, bold colors.

My primary brands:

J Crew (jeans, sweaters, dresses, coats)

Belgian Loafers

Gucci (shoes, handbags)

Hermes (scarves, handbags)

Tory Burch (handbags, shoes, clothing)

Lilly (summer dresses and tops)

Diane von Furstenberg (dresses)

Milly (dresses)

Alice + Trixie (tunics and dresses)

Have a stylish weekend!

Curl Up Time

With blizzard conditions here in the East for the next few days, it's a great time of year to stay inside, curl up and enjoy quiet and solitude.  We won't see 20 degrees for the next three days.  Horses are inside, cats are inside and I am inside.

This is the time of year to enjoy the quiet, curl up and.......

1) Read
There are always books to read and I am finishing up the new Bunny Mellon biography.  I generally read literary fiction or biographies.  You won't find any murder mysteries, sci-fi or romantic fiction on my bookshelves.  If you have not read Donna Tartt's books, add her to your list.  The Secret History and The Goldfinch are great books and long (but worth it).  Philip Roth's American Pastoral is another one to read.  Pearl Buck's The Good Earth should also be on everyone's "to read" list.

2) Stitch
It goes without saying that stitching is on my winter agenda.  My stash has grown a lot bigger in recent weeks, so there's plenty to work on.  I have added these recently:

And I love the ornaments from The Plum Stitchery:

3) Peruse Poshmark
In my new thriftiness, I peruse Poshmark and have found some great clothes here.  If you have not shopped on Posh you should check it out.  You can bid on clothing and everything is guaranteed. Just like anything else, there are bargains and there are not so great bargains.  This Tory Burch handbag is for sale for $115, a good deal.  See it here.

4) Watch Football
Like many people, I am watching the play-offs.  Only one of my teams is playing this weekend, but stitching, staying warm, on the couch, with a furry cat, is the place to be.  Any by the way, go Panthers!

5) Make Soup and Ragu
This is a great weekend to make soup and ragu, two of my favorite things to cook.  This is ideal soup weather and I recently made a great tomato soup from scratch with goat cheese.  Ragu is another dish I love to make as it takes a half day to cook so you need to be close to the kitchen.

Here is favorite soup recipe from the infamous Inn at Little Washington.  Enjoy!  This is always a big hit at my house.  Guests will love it!

Sweet Potato Soup with Rum Cream
Serves 10
3 T butter
9 c chicken stock
1 t curry powder
5-6 sweet potatoes
1/4 c maple syrup
2-3 twigs thyme or 1 t dried
cayenne pepper
1 c cream
1/8 t nutmeg
salt and white pepper to taste

Rum Cream
1 c heavy cream
1/2 t fresh lemon juice
1/4 t grated lemon zest
3 T good dark rum
pinch of sugar

In a heavy bottom saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and curry and cook for about 6 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. In another pan heat the stock to a simmer. Add the sweet potato  to the onion then to the stock, maple syrup, thyme and cayenne. Cook about 25 minutes.  Remove the thyme sprigs and puree the soup in a blender or food processor in small batches and strain.  Return to the stove in a large pot and add the cream, nutmeg and salt and white pepper. Transfer the soup to individual bowls and top with the rum cream sauce.

Rum Cream
In a bowl whip the cream until soft peaks form, add the lemon juice, zest, rum and sugar. Continue whipping until the cream is almost stiff.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Stay safe and warm in the coming days and stay inside!

The Only Belgian Loafer

If you've never tried on a pair of Belgian Loafers, then do yourself a favor, and treat yourself.  One of my old friends has a stash of these WASPY shoes in her closet (and she has great style and taste).  I had never tried them on but the next time I was in New York, I went to the store, and I was hooked.  And I have feet issues so, finding a comfortable, classic pair of shoes, that I can wear, that will never go out of style, well, what's not to love?

You may think they are frumpy, old school, matronly, whatever, but wearing a pair of these is like having slippers on your feet all day.  And they are not inexpensive.  And let's get one thing straight, "Belgians" is not a shoe category - there's only one place to shop for these, at a small, discreet storefront in New York, the Belgian Shoes Shop on East 55th between Park and Lexington. 

Belgians can only be purchased at the shop, or by filling out a mail-in order form which you can mail or scan and send.  They’re constructed by hand in Belgium, as shoes have for over 300 years, sewn inside-out in peoples’ homes before being turned and finished at a family-owned factory outside Brussels. Town & Country labels Belgians the "secret handshake shoe of the country club set."  I just call them sensible comfort totally worth the price.  And you may have to wait to get yours - some orders have been known to take up to 12 months to fill.  They are just as popular with the men today as with the women.  And celebrity sightings wearing Belgians are not uncommon.

The store was started by Henri Bendel, yes, the same Henri that started his namesake flagship store on Fifth Avenue.  He passed the store to his nephew, another Henri and in 1956 the young Henri purchased two 300-year-old shoe companies and started making Belgians. The rest is history.

Once you buy a pair, you're told to "break them in" and later send them back to the company to have rubber soles applied to the bottoms (for $65) and horror stories abound of clients having their Belgians "ruined" by non-sensical shoe repair stores who don't understand how to treat a Belgian.

Belgians come in a number of colors, some conservative others more preppy (pink and green or tartan plaid) and there are three styles from which to choose.  I prefer the Midinette style, with a small heel.  Sadly the price has gone up, but you'll not regret owning Belgians.

What's In Store for 2018

I hate to use the word "resolution" as it has a negative connotation.  Do you ever fulfill your New Year's resolutions?  Really?  "Goals" is a better word to use.  We all strive to meet our goals, don't we?  Goals just seem more achievable than "resolutions."

It's so bitter cold outside right now (and won't be even remotely warm again until Sunday) that there's lots of free time to ferret out what we plan to make happen in 2018.

1) Stay Competitive with the Horses
Madison is moving up to the 3'0 division this year in the Adult and Green Hunters, so a huge goal is to work on that, become competitive with her, find our groove.  The weather is not helping us in any way at the moment but I hope to show her in February.

Alfie is still going but at 17 he is slowing down a bit.  I'll have the goal of keeping him in his program (it worked well for 2017) and hoping that he make it another year over the jumps.

2) Read More
I love to read and go on binges in which I read for three months and then don't read for six months.  I'm reading Bunny Mellon's biography right now (highly recommend it) and have a stack beside my bed to work my way through in 2018. More books equals more knowledge.

3) Stitch More
I have a ton of projects in my stash right now and cannot wait to work my way through them.  My issue is time, especially in the summer months.  I'd like to venture our and learn more stitches.  In my stash: a handbag, several ornaments, a bunny for Easter, a bunny pillow for Christmas, a stool cover and a few pillows......

4) Shop Less
I am going to drastically change my shopping and buying habits in 2018.  Shopping wiser and less are my two mantras.  I have a huge closet full of clothes and I am slowly going through them and will get rid of those things I don't wear. If I buy anything going forward, it has to meet a specific need or has to be an "investment" that I will use for years to come. I do plan to add a few of these to my closet in 2018.

5) Blog More?
I work full-time so blogging for me is a hobby and a passion but one I must do with limited time.  There is an entire laundry list of things that I want to do with my blog and am hoping that some of these will come to fruition in 2018.  Look for Horse Country Chic on Instagram for one!  Stay tuned..........