………………..The last two pages of all the “Look Books” comprised of the final fashion photo. On these last two pages was Yasmeen in a black faille trench coat, and a list of credits for some of the people responsible for creating the “BOOK”….There were many other people on the set who helped enormously….Reading it now is like a visit with old friends!
………………….The Jet Black blazer, and the white cotton shirt are all essential classic pieces every woman should own…..but…..even these classics can sometime be paired with a bit of whimsy!……..The Steel Grey, Box Pleated, full skirt with the Black BOLD border stripe……..definitely has hints of the “Saloon Skirt”…..This version, however, is the sleek modern version of the tulle and lace “Saloon Skirts”.
…………………..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.