I have been in a long car ride today - back to Austin from Dallas. I find when I ride in silence I start to think- A LOT. Somehow I think the older I get, the more ambitious I become. I enjoy working hard, and I especially want to do a very good job at whatever it is that I am working on. I always like a challenge, and I look up to those women who have achieved greatness in their lives - all while balancing famililes and friends of their own! I have been thinking about a few women in particular who I admire. In fact, I have had some sort of "contact" (using this term loosely - read below) with the following four amazing women - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (I feel we should mention Her first out of respect), Letitia Baldrige, Gretchen Bellinger, and Carolina Herrera.
Let me first begin with the Queen. Now, in terms of mine or your "ambitions" - forget it! We will never be called "Her Majesty" or live in a castle in England. But, we can, and should attempt to be oh-so-fashionable when we are her age. (she was born in 1926). I loooooooooove her. I was fortunate enough to attend the Arrival Ceremony on the White House lawn last May when she visited the United States. I remember standing there with four of my girlfriends and we really could not get over all of the pomp and circumstance (if you will) that must and did occur in her presence. First, the crowd awaiting her arrival....
Then, the car!
Then, the QUEEN in her adorable hat of course!! (look closely - and yes, I condsider this "contact". She is standing with President Bush.
We are excited and probably should've all worn hats for the Queen! Why didn't we do that, girls?
This photo taken by the famous celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz is insanely gorgeous! She is a beautiful, stoic, demanding piece of power. And may we all heed Her Majesty's example of fashion, philanthropy and hard work at every age and stage of her life!
Subject 2: Letitia Baldrige.
Please tell me you have been introduced to Letitia via her books as I have. (thanks to my dear friend, Dougie). Dougie let me borrow her book, "A Lady First" right after we graduated from college. I am not kidding when I tell you that this book had such an impact on me, that I wrote Mrs. Baldrige a page-long email afterwards. If you have never read this amazing book, close your computer immediately and go purchase it.
So, this is where my "contact" with Letitia comes into play - I was so moved by this woman's life - she was a personal secretary to an Ambassador in Paris, the assistant to Claire Boothe Luce in Rome, she was the director of PR at Tiffany's in New York during the elegant years of the 50's, the chief of staff to Jackie "O" during her White House Years, and did not marry until she was 38 years old - that I wrote her an email and She wrote me back! I am so very sick that I did not save it. I admire her tenacity and spirit for adventure, and that is exactly what I told her in my email. I told her that I hope I am so blessed to live a life only half as fortunate as hers, and I thanked her for sharing her story. Her life and lack of fear was so inspiring to me - here I was - a 22 year old Alabama girl who moved to DC not knowing one single person (because Dougie didn't come until about 8 months after I did) with high hopes to be successful one day. To this day, I hope I am never scared to leave my comfort zone - to go or live somewhere new, and Letitia Baldrige is one of the reasons why.
Letitia at the White House...
A few years ago, my birthday came along and Dougie gave me another one of her books: (hilarious - if you know Dougie)
Taste: Acquiring What Money Can't Buy.As an interior designer, this title for a book couldn't be more resounding! A quote from her book: "Taste cannot be bought, but only learned and practiced... A man or woman can be known and respected for good taste, regardless of job or income level, if they make good choices in clothes, have good table manners, are kind, and organize their home to look warm, welcoming, clean, and appropriate to their station in life." Well Letitia: once again, I could not agree with you more!
I now have four of her books in my home library - click
here to learn more.
Subject 3:
Gretchen Bellinger
I had the pleasure of meeting Gretchen Bellinger when she came to our office in DC to show us her latest line of fabrics. She is ADORABLE. Gretchen's eponymous fabric line began in her New York City apartment in 1976, and boy are they beautiful. I could do my entire house in her timeless, yet sometimes edgy collection of fabrics. Not only are they beautiful, but their names are jiggy! - Kitten on the Keys, Petal to the Metal, Next of Skin, to name a few. I was most impressed with her hilariously bubbly (almost very A.D.D.) personality - she told us that she reuhpolstered her gym seats in a white pleather GB fabric, and powder-coated the black metal white - cute! (I wonder if my husband would ever let me do that? ha!) Her design books that she presented us were amazing - she is a true talent and someone I admire for giving us a beautiful, quality line of fabrics.
Subject 4: Carolina Herrera
In my opinion, Carolina Herrera is only one of the most gorgeous, ridiculously chic women residing in this country...so you can understand how excited I was when I saw her in New York last spring. After Lee and I got engaged, my boss Jose was super incredible to let me take off a Friday from work, fly to New York, and stay in his apartment for a weekend for the MOST important business: finding a wedding dress! I will never forget it - it was Friday and a gross April day in NY - I had on my skinny jeans but they were tucked into uggs (it was freezing) and I was in Saks. I turned the corner and literally almost ran RIGHT into Carolina Herrera. Ugh, I suddenly felt super disgusting. She looked INCREDIBLE. She had on (and yes, I stared HARD so I remember it exactly) a black fitted car coat - that was tailored and girly, with black tights and super high black pumps. Her platinum hair was swept back, as usual, and her lips - bright red, as usual. She said, "hello", (i mean because we literally almost collided) and I nodded in return. She was with a friend (they were speaking spanish) and I kept running into her on every floor - including the Carolina Herrera section! It totally made my rainy day. I mean, that's it! I'm not going shopping in uggs ever again - she is significantly older than I and she has walked these floors for just as many hours as I have in Heels!!
A young Carolina..
A Venezuelan beauty, she is the mother of four beautiful daughters, has been named one of the Best Dressed Women in the World, and is the founder of a very successful (and fabulous) fashion empire. Her name, to me is synonymous with elegance.
Sweet Home Alabama! 
Christmas lights in downtown Fairhope - love it!
I laugh when I think of how different my husband's (new) house is from the house he grew up in.
"Poolene" and Dr. McB's "Startrek" tree (above)
The peaceful river...
Whether it be for your home or your bod, I bet you'll find something funky and fabulous if you check out a flea market nearby. My friend Kate rocked her Grandmother's fur recently at our friend Lucy's wedding. Gorgeous, love!
