s u m m e r w h i t e s

Setting up an exhibit of my collection of linens and lace for the Yaphank Historical Society...lots of memories of the travels I discovered them on and the photo shoots I used them for...finding treasures at flea markets from Brimfield to Portobello Road, 26th Street to Paris....and love to see them in the pages of my books like The Romance of British Colonial Style to fashion shoots for Victoria Magazine...

The Audience

 

60 years of English history with Helen Mirren as the Queen...amazing concept,

rich history, beautiful staging, brilliant acting...a trip to London this Sunday afternoon in New York.

Sunday morning...

A snowy Sunday morning on Long Island....The New York Times, a fire in the kitchen, a pot of tea....quiet.

winter at the boathouse

 

the boathouse in winter...the calm and quiet of the river at this time of year and the natural beauty of the trees makes this my favorite place to retreat as the sun goes down...a few blankets, a fire and hot cider make it magical.  photos by marili forastieri

Holiday at The New General Store

We're setting up for The New General Store's  annual holiday market here on Long Island, Saturday, November 29th from 10am-6pm...lots of basics to stock up on, natural gifts and stocking stuffers from serving boards, honey, flavored sea salts, olive oils and candles and all the best serving boards, linens, blankets and gardening supplies. If you can't join us, please visit our online shop at www.thenewgeneralstore.com

thanksgiving greetings from long island!

A hundred years ago...

I've always been drawn to the period around World War I and this weekend it is especially on my mind...This summer I'm rereading  favorite old books from this period and new ones including Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks, Howards End by E.M. Forster, the Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford mysteries by Charles Todd and the  woman psychologist/investigator  series on Maisie Dobbs.  The Perfect Summer by Juliette Nicholson describes the mood in England the summer the world changed. Rupert Brooke's poems written from the battlefield are haunting, and his poem The Old Vicarage, Grantchester, ends with the familiar lines:
"Stands the Church clock at ten to three?
And is there honey still for tea?"
Favorite films which evoke this period, that I can watch over and over again, are : Enchanted April, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Mrs. Dalloway and Out of Africa.