Happy Father's Day!
June 17, 2016
June! This month has been a whirlwind already, and I find it impossible to believe that summer is upon us. June is many things; the end of the school year, graduation, Father's Day, and the Summer Solstice. Officially marking the long, lovely days of the season is indeed something to celebrate. This June has been quite momentous, as it has been for many of us out there with graduates of all kinds. Our son graduated from high school last week, which was incredibly bittersweet. I am so proud of him at this milestone in his life. I offered to make him a hand lettered signet ring to mark the occasion, but he doesn't quite feel that arriving at college with his initials on his finger is exactly the impression he would like to make. I get it. He's cool, but not that kind of cool. My father was that kind of cool. The signet ring and cufflink wearing kind of cool. The men's rings and cufflinks that I design are mostly influenced by my memories of him, and his dandyish sense of style mixed with a modern sensibility. He would wear pink with red, lavender with mint green, and always looked great in a suit, which he donned every evening. I miss him everyday, and always most especially on Father's Day. I have been working on hand lettering for these rings, and I think they're perfect for both men and women. Stop by, or give us a ring to discuss personalizing one for you. Lettering for a custom signet ring with the initials ATL The work in progress The finished Signet Ring, happy next to a pair of our 3d Pyramid Rings My Father at Villa d'Este, Lake Como in the late 1940's My Parents, my Godfather, and me in the 1972 My father was a true bon vivant. He literally seemed to know everyone, have a friend in every city across the globe, and truly enjoyed spending time with those that he loved. By the time I came along, he was in his mid 50s, and wasn't particularly interested in parenting. Or so he thought. We formed an incredible bond, only strengthened by our mutual admiration for each other. He was both incredibly traditional and quite eccentric. He began each day by diving into the pool for a quick morning skinny dip, and ended each day by falling asleep sitting upright in a chair in our living room talking to himself. He was totally indulgent, spoiled me mercilessly, but also demanding that I always try to exceed my level best in every endeavor. He wanted me to become a supreme court justice, and made me feel like I could do it. Literally. He read books like breathing air, spoke many languages, and told really terrible jokes. He instilled in me my most deeply held values, and set quite a high bar for the men in my life. He left too soon, but left enough of an impression to last several lifetimes. I'll certainly be thinking of him on Sunday. Father's Day Poolside Brunch This Sunday, we will be celebrating Father's Day with a brunch by the pool. Our children most definitely won the lottery in the Dad department, so I am looking forward to celebrating Peter and our collective good fortune. One of the things on the menu will be baked eggs with heirloom tomato sauce, basil, shaved parmesan and crispy prosciutto. I will saute chopped heirloom tomatoes with a little garlic, olive oil, and basil until soft and wilted, then add to a buttered, round baking dish. Then I'll crack six eggs into little indentations in the tomato sauce in a circle around the top, and bake at 350 degrees until the whites are set, but the yolks still runny. To serve, top with prosciutto that has been also crisped in the oven, shaved parmesan, and freshly ground black pepper. I'll see what looks best at the farmer's market, but I'd like to serve with a wilted kale salad and roasted, thinly sliced potatoes. Still thinking about the dessert this year, but seeing as how the stone fruit is really at it's most delicious, and it's meant to be REALLY hot this weekend, I imagine that just sliced peaches, nectarines, and apricots will be best. Happy Father's Day! Enjoy,