Welcome Weekend

The last month has been crazy with travel, work and a new puppy.  I am looking forward to a weekend with no demands. 

 I plan to sit on the deck, read magazines and drink iced tea.  

I just added this pearl pendant to my Etsy shop.

Next week I need to get back to my jewelry studio but in the meantime, I need to rest and recharge.

What are your weekend plans?

Petit Bateau Mariniere

In Paris, I saw lots of women wearing the traditional French sailor striped shirt.  A popular version of the shirt is made by Petit Bateau.  I purchased one of these shirts and I'm especially  taken by the soft, light fabric.  The fit is loose without being boxy.  

Sure, you can wear this shirt with a pair of jeans and Converse sneakers or shorts and flip flops, but I thought I'd put together a look that is just a bit more chic.  

                               Click to view item details Petit Bateau 

No real French woman would leave home without a scarf and it seems most women are wearing ballet flats.  The earrings are knots and a bit nautical, a nod to the sailor shirt.  I chose to use orange, the contrast of blue for the skirt and scarf.  Kelly green or a bold yellow would work equally well.  A canvas and leather tote along with a straw fedora complete the look.  My favorite summer fragrance, Prada's Infusion d'Iris is the final touch.  

How would you wear the shirt?

Midweek Mentions

Wildflower daisies are blooming in fields all over southeast Michigan.  I combined daisies with Lady's Mantle and arranged them in a terra cotta yogurt pot I brought home from France.  

The napkin is a favorite I purchased a few years ago from Crate & Barrel.  The colorful spoons were a find in a table top shop in Paris.  The whole composition is on top of one of those Crate & Barrel sidetables I told you about here.  

A trio of succulents in pots from Ikea.

Tonight I grilled a turkey breast, one of my favorite summer time meals.  I made a salad of potato, corn and beans and a rhubarb chutney on the side.  Simple, with lots of leftovers for sandwiches.

I basted the turkey with a mixture of Dijon mustard, olive oil, white wine, fresh thyme, salt and pepper.  It created a lovely, dark skin and kept the turkey moist.  

It is incredibly hot here in Michigan.  Too hot to eat outside.  How about where you are?

Flip Flop Fetish

Missoni has collaborated with Havaianas for some trendy flip flops.

The colorful sandals were available at Nordstrom and Bloomingdales but sold out quickly.  There are still a few from the Havaianas website.

I've got a fetish for flip flops.  I've got a stash at home in Michigan and a bigger stockpile at my house in the Bahamas.  

My new favorites are from the Calypso St. Barth collection at Target.

At $12.99  you can't go wrong.

Meet Libby

I got a phone call on Friday that Leader Dog had a puppy ready for a home, was I interested?

The answer was YES!

Meet Libby, our new Leader Dog puppy.  We will raise her to eventually be a guide dog for the blind.  Her real name is Liberty, for she will enable liberty and independence for a blind individual.  

So far, Libby likes to hang out with me in the kitchen...

...and fall asleep under the bed.

As you can imagine, my weekend was eventful and busy.  How about you?  

This shelf was a find at an antique market in Michigan and now hangs on the wall at my house in the Bahamas. 

 Its narrow shelves are just the right width for displaying shells and other treasures.

My working vacation has come to a close.  I'm real pleased with all the work that was accomplished and I've got renters arriving as I leave.  

Here is a tranquil image to start your weekend.  Take time to relax and enjoy.

See you on Monday 

Working Vacation

I'm having a little working vacation at my house in the Bahamas.

I spent Sunday afternoon assembling these lounge chairs.  They are made of recycled plastic material and are extremely durable.

I took a break from working to attend  a designer handbag show at the Hope Town Harbour Lodge.  Harl Taylor was a Bahamian handbag designer until his untimely death in 2007. Taylor's bags have been carried by Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf's some celebrity owners include Oprah and Kimora Lee Simmons.  His mother has recently reissued his designs. 

The embellished straw bags are names for the women for whom they were created.

Click here to view the entire collection.

A gorgeous seaside setting with prosecco and mini cheesecakes served on sea grape leaves.  

Memorial Day is not celebrated in the Bahamas so Monday was a work day...meaning a fresh coat of paint on interior trim.

Did you celebrate Memorial Day with a parade or cookout?