Designer

…………………..This past Saturday Cathy came to my house for a FACEBOOK LIVE SHOW…………The morning started ominously with pouring rain, and thunder….but by the time Cathy arrived at 11:45, from her 3 hour drive from PA, the sun had come out and we had clear blue skies. Unfortunately, the rain didn’t bring cooler air with it!….I had already set up a place in my kitchen, for a change of scenery, where the show would take place. It’s definitely a “country kitchen” with a farm table, and gingham check seat cushions on the country farm chairs…..My garden is bursting with Hydrangeas and Zinnias, so I filled a large glass vase with the Hydrangeas for the table, and filled smaller yellow vases and Dutch bulb vases with the Zinnias and yellow flowers [whos name I can’t remember]. They sit on top of a French country cabinet fill with receipt books, and binders filled with Jac and her mom’s collection of receipts, and now mine!….There are also some antique kitchen gadgets in there that belonged to Jac’s mom and Jac’s grandmother!….We had about two hours to kill after we set up all the trays of jewelry for the show….so we went to lunch!….We went to a place called “THE FIDDLER’S GREEN”, but more about that later…..After that, back home we went, and it was SHOW TIME!…..If you missed the show you can still watch the entire show video on my FACEBOOK page…….Cathy’s husband Jim, MADE me a pound cake for my birthday with butter cream frosting…….Of course we had to try it out so I cut generous slices for us to eat after the show, and  sliced and wrapped the rest to be frozen so I can have them later…..It was DELICIOUS!!!….Thank you Jim!….Along with the cake we needed a drink! So we made two LILLETS with soda on the rocks, and a strawberry garnish, [top photo, second in from the left]….YUM!…..For my birthday, Cathy got me a PIZZELLES maker from Cuisinart! She always makes them for me for Christmas, and I love them….now I have my own!…..Of course we had to try it out, and Cathy showed me step by step how to make the batter [we added MACE which I LOVE], and how to cook the Pizzelles in the cooker…..We put them on a rack to cool, and then sprinkled them with powdered sugar….They came out perfectly! Now I can add PIZZELLES to my repertoire……DELICIOUS!!!……The day was not over, we still had dinner ahead of us, and we planned to try a new restaurant that we hadn’t been to…….I hope you all enjoyed the show, and treated yourselves to a new bauble!…..BTW, the two photos of Cathy second in from the right, were taken Sunday morning at the famous Elm Street diner. We went there for breakfast before Cathy left for her journey back to PA.

………………….Before the FACEBOOK LIVE show on Saturday, Cathy and I had time to get lunch……I have driven past this place called “FIDDLERS GREEN” a million times but never went in, so we though….what the heck, let’s give it a try!…….OMG!!…it’s like a set from a movie……Firstly it’s perpetually……”SAINT PATRICK’S DAY”!!!…..There are St. Patrick’s Day decorations all over the place!…and GREEN LIGHTS to boot!…..You walk in and the first thing you see is this LOOOONG bar that already had patrons….I would think regulars!….Next, before you get to the tables to sit and eat, you have to pass two pool tables, where six rednecks were playing pool, and this was at noon! They gave Cathy and me a quick glance as if we were alien invaders! I ordered a hamburger and fries….I can’t remember what Cathy ordered. She’s more adventurous than me, but we both agreed the food was pretty good, and the obviously Irish waitress was very sweet and jovial…..However, I don’t think I will be going back anytime soon!……….For dinner Cathy and I went to a relatively new restaurant in Darien Ct called……ANTONIO’S…….It isn’t a year old yet, but it already has a great reputation and a 4.8 rating. At this point we were starving and got there at 5:30….an hour before our reservation, but they took us…..The restaurant was empty, but I could see “reserved” signs on many of the tables. It’s a pretty room with lots of natural light, and a dining garden out back, but it’s too hot to eat outside! The table settings were very nice, and the prospect of the room was done well…..but……I would have taken down ALL of the wall decorations which were boring and not that pretty, and replaced them with Bistro mirrors all over to give the room more width. If you tilt the mirrors slightly forward people could see themselves, and everyone else in the room…..which makes for great people watching without being obvious!……..Our waiter was extremely friendly, which could sometimes be annoying!…but he wasn’t. He told us all of the specials which seemed wonderful the way he explained them with his Italian accent….so we gave them a try…….First we had Salmon Crudo with capers and some fine greens which Cathy told me what they were, but I don’t remember. We squeezed a generous dose of fresh lemon and partook…..It was fabulous. They also had GREAT bread with a marvelous garlic spread……Good bread in restaurants is sometimes hard to find…….For the next course we split the pasta special……Since Cathy and I are both ITALIAN, and have both been to ITALY many many times, We thought we knew our PASTA…..but this was a new one for us…..I would describe it as a cross between a dumpling and a ball stuffed with four cheeses, served with a creamy cheese sauce and grated cheese on top!…..It was OUT OF THIS WORLD! We both could have had a complete portion ourselves……PIGGY me….I even wiped the serving bowl with the bread and ate it! Oh my Lord….it was so good!…..For our final course we both had the special SOFT SHELL CRABS……It’s the season, and they should only be eaten when they are in season!. They were served with a light butter garlic sauce, and the most delicious green beans….I know, how delicious can green beans be????, but Cathy and I agreed…..these were special!….Again, a superb choice!…We had Gavi de Gavi coooold white wine with the meal, and finished dinner with a double espresso! We didn’t have desert, though the desert menu looked incredible…..but we had my LEMON CHEESE CAKE waiting at home!…..We had the cheese cake sitting on my red rocking chairs….looking at the sun setting over the Long Island sound, watching the boats heading for their harbor………A perfect way to end the evening!…..BTW, I’ve already made reservations to go back to Antonio’s for Lou’s birthday on July 16th…..I’m taking him and his wife Maria…..I know they will love it!

……………………Ludmila is wearing a STEEL GREY blazer and matching trouser……The fitted shape is simple, classic and modern…..This is a timeless suit that can be worn forever.

………………..It is with the deepest most profound sadness that I have to report the passing of my dear friend……CONNIE FRANCIS CIOFFI”………..I met Connie, a young single girl, in 1984 when she came to my office to interview for the job of Donna and my Public Relations person……We hired her immediately…..Soon after we hired Connie, Donna left Anne Klein and went out on her own…..Donna asked Connie to join her at her new company……Connie had a big decision to make…..to leave Anne Klein and me, and go with Donna…….or to stay and work with me………..Connie chose me, and I was forever grateful!……We worked side by side from 1984 until 1993 when I left Anne Klein…….I grew to adore Connie….She was so much more than a Public Relations persons, though that was part of her duties. She was responsible for handling all of the fashion press, the magazine and newspaper fashion editors, and all of the special requests for interviews with me….She took care of all the celebrities who came up for clothes….Everyone loved Connie….She just had a kind, sweet, winning personality!….Connie became …”MY GIRL FRIDAY”, my right arm……..She was my personal assistant, and handled  everything that came my way…..She was my GO BETWEEN, and sheltered me, and  dealt with things that she felt weren’t important enough to bother me with……Connie just took CARE OF ME!…. She scheduled my days, and arranged trips. There were times when Connie even traveled with me for special events….I will always remember the time she accompanied me, Jac and Joe Stafiniak, my sales manager, to Hawaii for a charity trunk show for “Liberty House”. On one of our days off, I rented a car and I took them on a road trip…….”On the Road to Hanna”. It was a winding treacherous road all the way, driving on steep cliffs facing the ocean. We laughed all the way, stopping here and there to take pictures….When we reached the town of Hanna we all got T-shirts that said….”We survived the Road to Hanna”……This photo was taken at the end of a two week photo shoot for my Resort 1991 Look Book….If you haven’t guessed that’s Connie in front of me in the yellow T, with my hand on her shoulder……Connie orchestrated the whole thing….booking the models, the photographer, the hair and makeup people, transportation, and booking a lovely Bed & Breakfast in the Hamptons….She made sure everything flowed smoothly, and if anything should occur, she handled it with aplomb….Connie did this for every show I ever had……Connie was totally LOYAL to me, and always had my back!…..I depended on Connie for everything, and she was more than capable of facing any challenge!…..I watched Connie get married to her love, John Cioffi, and they were married for 30 plus years… Besides their apartment in the city, they had a home in Vermont where Connie had rescue horses. When John retired many years ago, they moved to Florida….With time and distance we lost touch, but I have thought and spoken about Connie with mutual friends many times……..I was shocked when her husband reached out to me to tell me of Connie’s passing, and her battle with cancer for several years…..No one knew she was sick, and knowing Connie, I’m sure that’s just how she wanted it………I said it before, and I’ll say it again……I adored Connie…..and this world is a lesser place without her in it……It is with a very sorrowful, heavy heart…….I say…….rest in peace……my Dear Sweet Connie.

……………….TOMORROW, SATURDAY….JULY 13th….I will be presenting a LIVE FACEBOOK SHOW at 2:00PM EST……………..hope you can join Cathy and myself!