Cheryl Crow and James Blunt Came To My Party!

I had a casual dinner party last night. It was so gorgeous out that I set up and outdoor dining room under the stars. A couple of guests were vegetarians so I had oodles of non-meat things. I cut corn off the cob and it was so wonderful that I didn't butter or salt it. My basil in the garden is as big as my head (I have a freakishly large head) and it was perfect with ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Because I have Italian blood, I cooked for 30 people even though we had 10 guests. I had Mr. Man running about at the last minute lighting the hundreds of candles I set out in birdbaths, in the garden, hanging from trees and lanterns. The coolest part of the evening is that we were entertained by James Blunt and Cheryl Crow who were appearing last night at Ravinia Music Festival. (I have to admit that I don't love them and they were great!) We could hear them perfectly from our party! I think even the hipsters in attendance relaxed and enjoyed the live tunes.
**My brother Toby Summerfield is so disturbed that I enjoyed the music from the night before, that I got a stack of CD's from him the next day! Calm down, I have not gone easy listening in my old age.

Woohoo

I simply can't believe I won an amazing assemblage from Sandra Evertson! I feel so lucky and quite inspired. There is a quote that I love, and it has been attributed to a number of famous people "always be a little kinder than necessary". I think I shall attribute this quote to Sandra.
Thank you so much,
Linda

Always Looking

I am always looking for things to pick up off the ground, a heart shaped rock or leaf, discarded, broken, rusty stuff. I think it makes me feel a bit like a treasure hunter or archaeologist.

She Was A Baby Yesterday

It is hard to believe that LuLu is 14 years old and starting high school in two weeks. Yikes, how did that happen? LuLu wanted to do some back to school shopping, but only at vintage and resale shops. She amassed the most unique and stylish wardrobe! My sister Susan took her to an auction of Leona Hemsley's clothes, LuLu came back with Ferragamos, gorgeous purses and very french suits! She has a knack for putting together some pretty cool looks, but every now and then she appears in something Little Edie would have worn in "Grey Gardens". I am very concerned for her, recently she has taken a shine to Richard Nixon. She has been wearing "Nixon Now" buttons on her coat, where did we go so wrong?

More Collages

So That's Where The Missing Socks Go!

It is a beautiful day today! We are heading to the city (Chicago) for a girly day with Lulu, followed by a nice dinner out with Mr. Man and Deke. The last time we did this I wanted to dress up a bit with nicer black pants and wee heels. I opened up my package of Spanx, squeezed in like sausage in casing and was able to successfully button my pants.. Unfortunately, it was hard to enjoy the day not being in comfortable clothes. The Spanx weren't helping matters, everything felt a bit odd and misplaced. When we returned home and I was getting into comfortable clothes, I discovered one of Mr. Man's athletic socks had been clinging to the inside of the seat of my pants all day! Ickity, this explains the weird feeling all day. I think I'll wear a skirt today.

Seaside

We are so lucky to be within walking distance to a lovely sandy beach on the shores of Lake Michigan. My children have grown up with frequent trips to our beach, combing the sand for sea glass and heart shaped rocks. They used to refer to our lake as an ocean, which is quite understandable since you can't see the land on the other side. I am always amazed at how even a short visit to the beach feels like a vacation, an escape, and we are minutes from home.