A Hudson Valley Weekend

 

As we begin to close in on the last weekends of summer I jumped at the invitation for a weekend upstate shared among friends. The cool mountain air, quiet afternoons for reading and home cooked meals filled my soul and recharged my batteries. We stayed in this amazingly redesigned Catskills home where nature was the framed art and dancing light our whimsical entertainment. Now the only problem I have is how to stop day dreaming of this peaceful place at the end of the road between tucked between a mountain and a creek…

A group of friends spend the weekend upstate in the Hudson Valley. A group of friends spend the weekend upstate in the Hudson Valley.

 This summer I have been reading photographer Sally Mann’s memoir Hold Still. There are some books I read on my kindle and then some I have to physically buy so that I can mark them up, make notes in the margins and revisit or even research what I find among the pages. One of my favorite underlined parts so far: 

“Because I am still that girl when it comes to developing film. There is nothing better than the thrill of holding a great negative, wet with fixer, up to the light. And, here’s the important thing: it doesn’t even have to be a great negative. You get the same thrill with any negative; with art, as someone once said, most of what you have to do is show up. The hardest part is setting the camera on the tripod, or making the decision to bring the camera out of the car, or just raising the camera to your face, believing, by those actions, that whatever you find before you, whatever you find there, is going to be good. And, when you get whatever you get, even if it’s a fluky product of that slipping-glimpser vision that de Kooning celebrated, you have made something. Maybe you’ve made something mediocre- there’s plenty of that in any artist’s cabinets- but something mediocre is better than nothing, and often the near-misses, as I call them, are the beckoning hands that bring you to perfection just around the blind corner.” 

A group of friends spend the weekend upstate in the Hudson Valley. A group of friends spend the weekend upstate in the Hudson Valley. A group of friends spend the weekend upstate in the Hudson Valley. A group of friends spend the weekend upstate in the Hudson Valley. A group of friends spend the weekend upstate in the Hudson Valley. A group of friends spend the weekend upstate in the Hudson Valley. Continue reading “A Hudson Valley Weekend”

Riding Along in my Automobile

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I feel so fortunate to get to experience  such wonderful luxuries in life and a day with Ralph Lauren is always such a pleasure. To launch their new Automotive Eyewear Collection they opened up the doors to the Classic Car Club of Manhattan to send us on a road trip out of the city, up the Hudson River to test drive some seriously cool sunnies in Ralph Lauren style. 

Since I own a little vintage convertible I decided to go modern lux… I found out the Bentley drives a little smoother than my 1982 Mercedes and you can actually hear the music on the stereo! We flew across the George Washington Bridge to my favorite local drive along the Palisades. I love that feeling when you turn off the bridge waving goodbye to Manhattan and becoming instantly enveloped in trees ans nature. We stopped for lunch a the Red Hat on the River, a converted factory building restaurant with water views and killer lobster rolls. It was a perfect way to spend a summer Friday- fast cars, fun friends and fashion.

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A Cointreau Summer

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 Recently we shot a cinemagraph series for Cointreau, an orange-flavored liqueur produced in Saint-Barthélemy-d’Anjou, France, which brought in a flurry of butterflies and easy summer cocktail recipes into the studio. Light, simple and delicious I found them to be the perfect charming drink to serve your guests and friends this summer holiday weekend without finding yourself spending too much time crafting a cocktail. 

THE ORIGINAL COINTREAU RICKEY

– 2 oz Cointreau

– 1 oz  fresh lime juice

– 4 oz club soda

Pour Cointreau and fresh lime juice into a glass and add ice. Top with Club soda and stir. Garnish with a lime and orange zest. 

 

{styled by Kelly Framel || model by Karolina Wallce || Hair by Casey Geren || Makeup by Porsche Cooper || Manicure by Angel Williams }

More entertaining ideas and inspiration here

Summer & Wine

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Recently we enjoyed a dinner party out in the country, drinking wine provided by our friends at Ecco Domani, and spending time catching up with the people we love. As we grilled, chatted, and relaxed in each other’s company, the soft and subtle sounds of the playlist below served as a perfect complement to the meal.

Below is our summer & wine playlist – as we head into the weekend, we hope you  spend it with the ones you love, share a bottle of wine, create new memories & make the most of this glorious season…

Listen to more of our playlists here!

Romantic Beach Picnic

The perfect date night, a romantic summer picnic on the beach.

For our 2nd anniversary this past Monday I wanted to do something low key, but utterly romantic so I planned a surprise sunset beach picnic for Kevin. I tried to get as creative as possible and make every aspect of the picnic a walk down memory lane.

For starters, instead of a blanket, I used a rug we bought together from the flea market in Paris which gave the scene a more formal feeling. I then surrounded the rug with clusters of sandalwood incense we bought on our recent trip to Bali. Everywhere we went on the island, this beautiful and sexy smell drifted by our noses; now it reminds us of those unforgettable sunrises from only a moment ago. I made it personal with our monogrammed glass hurricanes lanterns flanking the view of the setting sky. I brought our go-to Pinot Grigio by one of our favorite studio clientsEcco Domani, which brings back such fun studio memories – one of our first shoots at our new place. Just as I was talking about yesterday with “upgrading the everyday”, we toasted another year of marriage with monogrammed stemless wine glasses, formal, lovely, and personal (plus much less likely to spill on a sandy beach setup!)

Kevin *loves* crab, so I asked my friend Molly when she was over for dinner for a crab salad recipe that would go well with the Pinot Grigio for our picnic (recipe below!). I also had lots of beautiful fresh finger foods from the farmer’s market such as morning radishes with a little pile of Maldon salt, a couple of flaky, yummy farm stand cheeses, the most beautiful petite blackberries, an avocado, salami for depth and to finish it off – grapes. So classic. And just so there were no pesky bugs around, I threw down some citronella candles in terra-cotta pots. To finish it off, I had our assistant Carly stop by and snap a few photos of us together, just like we did 2 years ago when we said “I do“.

We sat on the beach and sipped wine, took black and white photos of each other in an intimate dance we’ve been doing now for years, shared food, and watched the colors of the sky paint their way into darkness. Happy Anniversary to my husband, thank you for my beautiful anniversary gift (scroll down to see!) I’ll cherish forever which will remind me of this magical era of our life and cheers to forever, wherever that may take us.

Thank you again, Ecco Domani, for the memories…

 The perfect date night, a romantic summer picnic on the beach. The perfect date night, a romantic summer picnic on the beach. The perfect date night, a romantic summer picnic on the beach. The perfect date night, a romantic summer picnic on the beach. Continue reading “Romantic Beach Picnic”

SUMMER DINNER PARTY

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It’s the simple things in life that are the best. That statement has never been more true to me than now after traveling for a month solid. Though I saw unbelievable sights and experiences one could only dream of, I was so happy to just be home last weekend with my friends at a house we share out in Amagansett. I just wanted to get together, share a meal, catch up, and be in one place with faces I know and care about.

Summer entertaining is the best. Light that dances through the afternoon and illuminates the moments through a late, lazy evening that always ends with laying in the grass finishing the last sips of wine as another day closes and the possibilities of tomorrow have yet to begin. Beyond the golden glow, there is no market like a summer market. Fresh and ripe, bright and juicy dishes write themselves because the ingredients are so good, they don’t need much more than a little salt and pepper.

We’ve been working with Ecco Domani the past year, shooting their packaging, displays and marketing materials. They knew how much we had been traveling and sent us a case of red and white wine to welcome us back home. One of my favorite sayings of Ecco is “upgrading the everyday” so I based our little backyard summer dinner party around that idea. What could I do with this table that doesn’t require buying anything, just being creative with what we have already? I asked Diana, my friend and prop stylist for one of my favorite magazines, Kinfolk, if she had some easy entertaining ideas. She suggested taking sprigs from our gathered, seasonal flower arrangements as focal points, and simply placing them on a napkin that is draped long ways off the table cascading like a waterfall, dressing the place settings in a softer, organic way.

Once the table was set my friend Molly & I got to cooking. To pair with Ecco Domani’s Pinot Grigio, roasted cherry tomato and shrimp fettucine; for the Ecco Domani Merlot, grilled lamb chops with a light and gorgeous spring salad – all super simple, elegant, seasonal dishes because, like I said before… it’s the simplest things in life that are the best.

Here is to summer, friends, staying in and making memories with the ones you love.

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Kevin’s Homemade Pasta

2 Eggs
1 cup of unbleached flour (to start)
salt

Mix the flour with the eggs in a bowl or wooden surface until the consistency is like a dough, adding flour as necessary. Add a big pinch of salt. Knead for a few minutes, adding a bit of flour if it gets too moist and sticky. From there, follow the instructions on your pasta machine.

When the pasta is finished I’ve learned to dust it with flour and toss, so the individual pieces don’t stick together while you make the rest!

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Cuyana + Bali Water



Ok, so we ARE on an island, where the main attraction is always and always and always the beach. I’ve seen so many beautiful beaches I’ve had the joy to share here with you, from the secluded Cumberland Island to the spectacular Virgin Islands and super popular beaches of Brazil… but this was new. Bali served up my first black sand beach. I couldn’t believe it, not a soul was there to witness the glory of a perfect sunrise. Golden light, black sands, colorful fishing boats, it’s so idyllic I still can’t believe it’s true… and I got to photograph it! So let’s start the week with the rise the of sun, with all the possibilities of the world washing over our toes…

 

Above and below: Anastasia wears Cuyana’s silk sleeveless dress in stone with Bali-crafted gold asymmetrical earrings and oval cuff

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Cuyana + Bali Nature

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So, why did we go all the way to Bali to shoot the summer campaign? The answer is simple if you look at the product. Cuyana is a fashion brand producing a limited, curated collection that aims to be timeless. They source manufacturers from all over the world – not because they want to find a way to be less expensive, but because they want to hire the best of the best. If you want to make a cashmere sweater, why not have the experts in Scotland, with their knowledge going back hundreds of years, create it? Or the perfect leather tote…who is amazing with leather? The artisans of Argentina.

Cuyana searches the world to find and support the creators, cutting out the middle man and selling the designs themselves in order to keep costs down and quality high. So to answer the question above – why did you go all the way to Bali to shoot this summer Cuyana campaign? Because all their new gold jewelry is handmade in Bali and what a place to be!

Yesterday we unlocked the key to Bali culture but that is only a fraction of the story…arguably many people come here for the awe of the island’s nature scene which is as lush and beautiful as the people themselves. I was awestruck by the endless vistas of rice paddies wrapping around the island’s mainland. The air is damp and thick, and in the early evening light, the view fills with mysterious blueish smoke from farmers’ fires, turning the look into a cinematic movie scene. It’s serene and beautiful and it’s only the beginning of Bali’s natural wonder…

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Of course Bali has amazing resorts (remember the dreamy Amandari & serene Como Shambala?!…because I do!) but you can also rent awesome Bali homes like we did with the team from Cuyana. Just around the house, we found perfect rice fields and coconut trees. Our first morning there all we could do was wander around in awe of the early morning light.

Below: Anastasia wears Cuyana’s classic white oxford dress.

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Cuyana + Bali Culture

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With a car packed of Cuyana’s summer collection, Anastasia and I headed out to discover the island of Bali. The first thing that hits you when you travel to such far-off lands is the culture – so different from your own, you notice the ways in which people move in and out of their day to day lives, what they surround themselves with, learning about traditions you’ve never experienced before. Our local guide was named Wayan, the name given to all first born sons in Bali. He joked with us, saying we shouldn’t call his name out loud in public because half the people around us would answer!

Visually, what struck me first were all the beautiful temples, rising behind stone walls and lined with colorful ceremonial umbrellas used in the Hindu religion. As I was speaking with Wayan, he explained to me the beauty of the Hindu religion with their traditional ceremonies dating back hundreds of years, how karma works for the Balinese people and the importance of family whom for the most part all live together in a multi structure compound with their own family temples.

But that was just the beginning of our cultural discovery… below is the story of our model and muse taking summer’s fruit and tasting the love and life of Bali ~

(click on any image to view larger)

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All over the island you found these beautiful and colorful umbrellas outside homes and temples – the pure shades of white and yellow symbolize dedication to the Hindu religion and the different manifestations of God.

Anastasia wears Cuyana’s cool stone silk sleeveless dress and yellow gold hammered circle necklace  and ring

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Travel to Bali

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I’m finally back at the studio in New York after a month of whirlwind travel, literally around the globe and back a couple of times. It’s been great – incredibly beautiful at times, eye-opening at others. I’ve learned a lot about myself, and so much of what we have seen will be shared here over the next few months.

As I sit here at my desk in New York, I like to spin a small glass globe that sits by me, remember the places I have been, and dream about the ones I hope to visit one day. I look at the small Indonesian island of Bali literally halfway around the world from where I sit now and I can’t believe I was there; that you can just step on an airplane and hours later (be it A LOT of hours), here you are in a whole new world.

Traveling takes my breath away. I don’t know that I want to travel forever: it does take a toll on your body and having any sort of social life offline is nearly impossible. You miss birthdays and special events and you end up texting your friends selfies so they don’t forget what you look like…or that you exist. But for now, travel is my way of continuing my education – expanding my thoughts, seeing things you only read about in books and knowing what they feel like, taste like or sound like. Traveling has changed my opinion on religions, politics and environmental issues. It has made me look at cultures with a greater understanding that one is not better than the other, that you need way less in life then we have become accustomed to and the happiest people are the ones who base their life on love, family, and helping others. Traveling is teaching me the lessons I have yet to finish uncovering but that will shape how I tell stories in years to come.

One of my favorite brands, Cuyana with their simple and approachable everyday designs, took us to Bali to shoot their new summer campaign. It’s photoshoots like these I wish could last for days and days. Exploding the island with our model Anastasia who is also a photographer (that is her personal Leica) was a thrilling experience to share. I would stop and take a picture of her and when I was done she would stop and take a picture too. It goes without saying Bali took our breath away. Over the next few days I’ll share with you the culture, nature, and seashores of this very special place where two Western girls took travel to new places.

(click on any image to view larger!)

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Summer Lovin’

I’m officially diving into summer. Lobster rolls, weekends in the Hamptons, and now we are down south for the next couple of weeks soaking up the sun, practicing our swing, catching up on reading, celebrating our 1 year anniversary and watching the Texas sun set. On a personal note, any minute now I will become a proud auntie to baby twins!

We will be back to regular posting here in July but in the meantime you can follow our summer travels and adventures on Instagram! I hope you have a beautiful summer.
Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.  ― Henry James

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Surf Lodge

I have been spending some time in my archive the past week and I stumbled upon this summer weekend when we were shooting on location in Montauk, the furthest point of Long Island. All of a sudden I could feel the sand in my tennis shoes, smell the salt in the air, and taste the lobster rolls from shacks we stopped at along the road. It is just about that season again…to hop in the car and head east, finding endless sunshine days and kissing goodnight summer sunsets again at the Surf Lodge.

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Spring Time

I keep hearing spring is just around the corner, but with the weather in NYC lately it’s been harder and harder to believe… so I decided to make my own springtime by visiting the archives and remembering the gorgeousness of warmer times in the city.

I can’t wait to bike along here, stopping for a sunset drink here. I can’t wait to see the lineup for this and I’m really looking forward to THIS…. We always hit this up multiple times a season and I hope to be inspired here, here, and here and this should be a lot of fun!

Now if only it were spring.

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