talk derby to me

 well, i'm off to the races!

virtually speaking 

(darnit all, but it will be sunny and warm in the northeast where i am, 

and louisville is calling for a downpour! can you believe?)

here's a sampling of the dress choices and hat.

the hat is much too small for my liking,
but it still bumps into doorways when i wear it.

and here is a little derby-inspired table decoration!

i'm using red roses, but i thought this was just too cute!

and since i'm a barbie girl, i found this cute derby-inspired barbie!
isn't she a cute little derby souvie?

will post pics and tales on monday!

hoping you all have a lovely weekend!

pink & green...all day long

i'm joining in on pink and green thursday with trish over at pink preppy lilly lover!

shout out: hey there sweetie! you have started a revolution!

my theme is pink and green for everything!

for a refreshing start to the day

for the bedroom

for the beach

for the office

for the pup

for organization

 

for the market

for my own adornment

for the nursery

for an afternoon delight

for a sweet treat

for a slice in my diet coke

for a night out with the girls

way-back wednesday

gone are my days as a pageant contestant, 

but in honor of way-back wednesday, 

i thought i might add a laugh to your day!

summer 1991

i truly loved the pageant circuit -- getting to meet new people, travel, 

attend luncheons, give speeches, the clothes... 

i really had a great time, learned a lot and enjoyed the competition.

the contestants summer 1991
don't you just love all the big hair?
clearly i was inspired by the Pretty Woman polka-dot dress!

but the pageant is a flavor of the south that many of my northern friends just don't get...and i cannot even begin to convince mr prep 

that muffy should enter.

it's fun to re-live the memories, i promise to post more photos from my pageant days, but these were the photos i had handy today!

the queen and i

let's be honest. we all descended from royalty, right?

at least i would like to believe that i did....

there is absolutly no proven truth to that...(yet)...

 i mean, there are the family stories that have been passed down, and embellished, doubtedput to the back of mind.

but by googling my maiden name recently,

i have found the family castle that is currently up for sale!

where you ask?

THE SOUTH OF FRANCE!

the interior

it needs a little tlc, but the french government assures grants for such an historic structure.
(it dates back to the 1600s)

the one particular person i'm interested in that owned the home was working for the king and queen

at the time of his untimely death...

he was marie antoinette's bodyguard and killed defending her during a riot at the palace of versailles,

shortly before the french revolution.

legend has it that much of the family was killed by the guillotine,

but there was one ancestor who got out, as legend has it...

could this be the missing link to my castle, my family fortune...
or just a great story to pass on to muffy?

when life gives you lemons...

sweet. sour. savory.
the lemon is coming into season...
and everyone is getting in on a little lemon action!

so today i'm sharing a little bit of lemon love...to start your week off fresh!
doesn't it just make you want to go set up a lemonade stand?

the cover of crate & barrel's spring catalog

lemon pitcher from crate & barrel

lemon placemat from williams sonoma

lemon canisters from williams sonoma

lemon cardigan from talbots

lemon tree on the amalfi coast

lemoncello from sorrento, italy

lemon-scented candle from bath & body works

lemon-scented lotion from bath & body works

 lemon wrap dress from lilly pulitzer

SHOW US YOUR LIFE -- how i met my husband

this friday, kelly at kelly's corner http://www.kellyskornerblog.com
is hosting a fun "show us your life" theme -- how i met my husband.

i love kelly's blog and she has thousands of followers,
so i decided to take part in her fun little friday, "get-to-know-you",
plus, i LOVE a good "how-i-met/wedding" story, don't you?

our first getaway to newport, ri in 1999...taken on the cliff walk

here's mine, in brief, with photos i had scanned and close at hand:

i was destined to meet mr prep. i truly was.

off to ice skate at the frog pond in boston, december 1999

as i prepared to leave chicago and move to take my first real career job as a
newspaper reporter/editor in vermont, a woman i had regularly babysat for hosted my going-away party.

it was at her lake shore drive penthouse, she told me about a friend who knew a woman, who had a son my age in the very town i was moving to...she had called ahead and would arrange for a meeting and tour of the town.

this "boy" was actually on HIS way out of town, moving to the big-city of boston, and had his older brother call me! (can you believe i was dissed before he even met me?!)

i met "the brother" and had a few dinners with him, but things didn't really click.

at a roaring '20s party in vermont, fall 1999

fast-forward two years later, "the boy" knocks on my apartment door.
he was in town and stopped by to see an old college friend
--my roommate! she begged me to go out and meet him for a drink.

we hit it off immediately and before long, we were the only two people left at the bar. then, i asked him if was any relation to the brother (they looked a little bit alike) and he looked at me and said: you're THAT girl from Chicago! and proceeded to tell me how he was the one who i was supposed to meet!

my roommate played match-maker and in four months
i moved to boston, following my heart.

we were engaged on st. patrick's day 2001

this was taken the day of our engagement


and married six months later...

we will be married nine years this september. and he still remembers the dress i had on when we met. "the alligator one" -- um, that would be lacoste, mr prep!

and here we are summer, 2009, with our muffy

how did you meet your significant other?

pre-party prep

$1,000 sterling silver 136th kentucky derby mint julep cup by tiffany & co.

party planning is almost complete...i'm praying for gorgeous weather next weekend!

this weekend entails getting all the goods together and...
yardwork -- mulching & planting (bleh)

i'm not much for the outdoors or yardwork.

here's whay i have planned for the party....

FOOD

• pulled pork bbq • golden flake dill pickle potato chips (sent up from my parents in TN) •
• corn dogs for the kids • coleslaw • raw vegetable tray • fresh fruit tray • cheese & cracker tray
• derby pie • mini red velvet cupcakes • horse-shaped iced sugar cookies

DRINKS

• mint juleps • peach champagne bellinis • sweet tea • pink lemonade • beer

ATTIRE

spring dressy casual
dresses and hats for the ladies; khakis and oxfords for the gentelmen

DÉCOR & AMBIANCE
red, white and blue (derby colors)
red roses and silver trays
oversized gold foil horeshoes
framed pictures of derby icons (churchill downs, horses, women in hats, etc.)
derby imprinted paper plates and napkins
country music
derby pre-race festivities on the big screen

GAMES
pick the winning horse
best hat
make your own derby hat (for the little ladies)
stick horse races (for all the children)

please tell me what i'm missing or need to alter!
hope you have a fabulous weekend!

always a prep

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTU2He2BIc0

preppy is how we dress

thanks to beth dunn, who led me to become a fan of this site of facebook!
and to 2preppygirls and the preppy mafia...

do you fit this description?

a true prep....

wears, but is not limited to, Polo, Lilly, Brooks Brothers, Lacoste, Burberry, LL Bean (ie duck boots), Vinyard Vines, J. Crew, Seersucker, ribbon belts, prints (ie cords with embroidered whales, palm trees, etc), Andover Shop, J. Press, Paul Stuart, J.Crew, Gant U.S.A, Pringle of Scotland, Saville Row, CK Bradley, Mephisto shoes, Sperry Top-Siders, Clarks shoes, Patagonia, sweaters tied around the neck, collars popped (if you are into that kind of thing), looks neat and put together.

Hair ribbons or ribbon headbands, pearls, and other classic jewelry pull the look together. Preppies are partial to monogrammed and engraved items (ie tote bags, oxford shirts, jewelry, money clips, etc).

Colors are always bright (favorites include pink and lime green). Preppies may not always match EXACTLY but they are always coordinated. Hats are worn (ie polo player, Lacoste, Brooks Brothers), but they are unique - not designs you would see in the mainstream and the "mall". Jewelry is also very important as well.

Please note that Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch and
American Eagle are IN NO WAY preppy. Sorry.

Remember, a real prep always knows how to be polite.
That means you can disagree all you want about who makes the best polo shirt or where the very preppiest of preps summer, but keep it all in good fun.

Actually, my favorite line in this video is that a prep ALWAYS RSVP's!
and there have been a lot of recent blogs about this behavior lately!

Hope you got a kick out of this!

major-league style

take me out to the ballgame!

and what fun it is to root for the home team in
such cute and girlie styles from Victoria's Secret PINK line! i'm a little more partial to this subtle style,
but i thought these were such a cute twist on MLB styles.
but what team to choose?
i grew up going to st. louis cardinals games with my grandparents....
moved to chicago and became a die-hard cubs fan...
i actually covered opening day one year for a publication i was working for!

but now i'm in boston -- so a sox fan i am!

bright and preppy

an art director recently walked into my office and asked
if i could write something about brights and plaids.

are you kidding? did he come to the right place,
OR WHAT?

now, i could blather on about either subject for pages and years....

some days, i really love my job!

an american in paris

c'est bon!
oui?

target treasures

miss trish of capri for target flower flats

i was reading a few blogs yesterday afternoon, when i came across
Maryland Pink and Green's post about these gorgeous Miss Trish sandals at Target.

in a split-second, i called to muffy to get her purse because we had to run to target, tout suite!

luckily, a few pairs of these beauties were still on the shelves,
and we snapped them up! i'm so glad muffy loves to shop and enjoys all the pink, green, preppiness and girlieness of all of this!

another close up look... mine only have one bumblebee
(and i think that is the way they are supposed to be
since both flowers were wrapped in tissue)

c'mon summer...we're ready!