Monogrammed Luggage

Are you looking for new luggage?

I just love these bags from Mark & Graham.

Between the monogram and the Hermès inspired lock I'm not sure what I love the most about this fabulous luggage.

Summer 2014 - Tuscany

Have you made plans for the summer yet?

The nice thing about booking your vacation now is that not only does it gives you lots of time to plan what to do whilst you're there, but it also gives you lots of time to get excited about where you're going. I love to have something to look forward to. Don't you?

Last year we rented a cottage in England and we LOVED it.

It was one of our favorite vacations ever, so this year we decided to rent a villa in Tuscany. I am actually really glad that we booked it when we did because the villa that we wanted it already fully booked for all of our available dates. Our summer is so full because of visitors and summer camps that if we had waited another week we would have lost it, and trust me when I say that this is the one that I fell in love with.

We found our villa at this website.

There are three bedrooms and three bathrooms so we will all have our own space, a private pool as well as an outdoor dining area that is just quintessential Tuscany. It's in the middle of a vineyard and there are lots of small towns nearby to explore. We are planning day trips to Florence and Pisa. We are also flying in and out from Munich and have 3 nights both before and after our week at the villa to see other things. We are definitely going to explore the romantic road in Germany, but can't decide between Switzerland or Austria for our final few days.

I'm having so much fun planning what we're going to see and do but I also try to balance out the busy touristy time with plenty of free time when we can just hang out by the pool, or shop at a nearby market.

Do any of you have any recommendations of what we must do in Tuscany?

      

Seaside, FL

Have you heard of Seaside, FL? It is a wonderful beachside town that is one of our favorite vacation spots. We go twice a year, rent a house and invite some of our children's friends. It's the kind of place where everyone rides their bike or golf cart. The beach is so beautiful, but the atmosphere is why we keep going back.

It's much smaller and quieter than Destin or Panama City Beach but is situated between the two so if you want a bit more excitement then it's just a short car ride away. The last time that we visited our daughter took her three best friends and we did go into Destin one day to visit the outlet mall but that is the only time we have ever done that. We just love it there so much that we don't see any reason to leave. There is some great shopping and Lilly Pulitzer is just a short bike ride away.

We like visiting new places but it's also fun to go somewhere that feels like a home away from home. We came so close to buying a house a few months ago and I am sure that one day we will own property there but at the moment we just cannot spend enough time at the beach to justify owning a third home. Until then we will just continue to visit as often as we can.

If you're looking for beautiful white beaches and quality family time then check out Seaside, FL for yourself. You may find yourself going back again and again just like we did.

      

Hackett

One of my favorite menswear shops in London is Hackett.  There is nothing more British than a man in a rugby shirt

Here are some items from their current collection.

Rowing Rugby

Snow Polo shirt

Fair Isle Jumper

Check out the kids collection. My son has several of these shirts, and just looks adorable in them.

Hackett - one of my favorite British stores for the boys in my life.

        

Renting a Vacation Home

Have you ever considered renting a vacation home?

Although we love to stay at hotels (especially The Four Seasons), we have also rented houses, villas or apartments for some of our vacations ever since we were in our twenties. Our first experience was a farmhouse rental just outside of Prague. My husband and I were coming from London, and 3 of our friends came from the US. It was a wonderful experience, there was plenty of room for the 5 of us and we used it as our base as we explored as far away as Vienna. For those of you that don't want to give up room service we have also stayed in houses on hotel properties and that is the best of both worlds, lots of space, and all the creature comforts of a hotel.

Our most recent experience was last summer when we rented a 17th century thatched cottage in a small village in England. We all agreed that it was our favorite trip there ever. Partly because we just had so much space to roam around in during our free time! We love each other but now that the children are 16 and 13 we all appreciate some quiet time to ourselves. There were plenty of country walks to be taken, a small summer house hidden away at the bottom of the garden to explore, plus the children each had their own room to escape to. We stayed in Wiltshire and it was a great location for day trips to Devon/Cornwall, Bath, Oxford, London, Portsmouth and Stonehenge.

We used Hideaways to book our cottage. Highlights of our trip were afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason, visiting HMS Victory in Portmouth, Oxford university tour (Harry Potter fans keep your eyes open), tickets to see  Les Miserables in London, a walking tour of Bath and many, many beautiful country pubs.

Travel Tip : If you have an early morning flight then consider spending your last night at an airport hotel.

Do you have any travel tips?

      

Weekend Bags

Do you travel a lot?

I do. Most of the time its a quick trip, just two or three nights and usually everything I need fits into my Louis Vuitton keepall. I have had it for many years, and it has served me well.

I wanted to get another bag and so have been looking around and thought I would share with you just in case you're looking for a weekend bag too.

Here are some in various price ranges:

Tory Burch  *   J McLaughlin  *  Sole Society

Brooks Brothers  *  Brooks Brothers  *  LL Bean

LLBean  *  Longchamp  *  J Crew

Wouldn't the J McLauhlin and J Crew bag look amazing with a navy monogram?

In the end I decided on the Louis Vuitton Carryall. After looking at several bags, this one seemed to fit my needs the best. It's perfect as a second bag for when I need more room with the added bonus that now I have a smaller bag if I need to carry less.

Do you have any packing tips to share?

Wicked

Have you seen Wicked yet?

We saw it in New York on Saturday and LOVED it!

Click here if you are interested in the tour information, and if it is coming to a city near you then do try and go, it is AMAZING!

Seaside, FL

Have you visited Seaside yet?

It has been on my wish-list of places to visit for about 20 years and I am finally going this spring break.

Doesn't it look relaxing...

New York

As you may remember my last trip to New York was cancelled because I did not fancy wearing an evening dress in 19" of snow!

We have been invited to a party on Saturday night, and I think I can trust the weather, so hopefully we will make it this time.

The event is a nighttime cruise around Manhattan and the attire is black or white.

I am planning on wearing a new Lilly dress, with Vintage Alhambra necklace and earrings, platinum nail polish on my fingers and toes and some sparkly sandals with a silver snakeskin bag.

Casual, summery but hopefully sophisticated enough for the event.

Our daughter is at summer camp for two weeks with her friends, but our 10 year old son is very excited about the trip. We are staying in a room that overlooks the Statue of Liberty and it has a telescope, and we plan on visiting the Natural History Museum and the Planetarium. Lots of fun!

Of course I will be visiting Lilly on Madison!

Ponte Vedra Inn and Club

We are big fans of the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club hotel. We have visited 3 years in a row.

We love it because ...

it is on the beach

the resort is GORGEOUS

it is a great place to hunt for sharks teeth

lots of Lilly Pulitzer in the shops

Starbucks

golf, tennis, swimming pool - this resort has it all

it is on the beach!!!!

I love to take a book and curl up on one of the sofas in the gorgeous club room.

The Ponte Vedra is a WASP's paradise!

Claridges

In just a few short weeks my husband and I will be staying at Claridge's Hotel in London.

We have not stayed there before but it is in the heart of the West End, so will be in easy walking distance of Bond Street, Covent Garden, Hyde Park and all of our usual haunts.

I'll post pictures of our actual room when we get back, but here are some images from the web to give you an idea of the decor - it's very British!

We have booked a table at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant for our first night. We'll be a little jet lagged so eating at the hotel is very convenient.

Marks and Spencers - M&S

I am going to be in London in a couple of weeks, and so have been looking at the websites of some of my favorite stores to plan my shopping. I always stop by M&S for nightwear and lingerie. I am planning on buying this nightwear ensemble....

Short Sleeve Spot PJ's

As for the lingerie... I think I'll keep that a secret but you can check out their selection here!

Dog Sledding in Utah

One of the fun activities that we did during our Utah trip was dog-sledding....

What a beautiful place. Can you imagine living there and seeing views like this every day. The guy who owns the dog team used to be an executive who would regularly fly over Park City. He decided he would rather see it from the ground and made a dramatic career change. He seemed very happy!

Sophie's favorite part was having the puppy at the back sit in her lap during the uphill bits! He was four months old and just adorable.