Hello hello!  I hope you are poised for a relaxing and restorative holiday weekend ahead.  Whether you are battling the intense heatwaves in Europe, or happily enjoying the marine layer in our little micro climate of Southern California, we will hope to see you soon and hear about how your summer is progressing. 

High summer calls for crisp cool cottons, and lots of stacking rings and beaded necklaces.  Happily, we have a wonderful selection of all the essentials.  With the exception of the holiday weekend (we'll be closed on Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4), we're here and always happy to help you find something delightful to enjoy along with the long summer days.

I am constantly mining my extensive bead collection to find combinations of things to string together.  This is one of the most recent additions.  It features a mix of ancient quartz from Mali, matte finished rose quartz beads, freshwater pearls, and a vintage carved carnelian bead placed just off center.  I love wearing beads for a pop of color, but also love the neutrality and cool tones of this particular piece. 

Putting together these one-of-a-kind necklaces is an activity that I deeply enjoy, and one that I have always found to be quite grounding and rather elemental.  If there are certain stones or colors that you like, and you are interested in a custom piece, please let us know.  I have a treasure trove of beads to choose from, and am always interested in a commission that results in something personal and unique.  You can contact us here and I promise that one of us will respond.

I am especially happy with the new shapes that we added to our Wardrobe Collection this season.  The Serafina blouse and Cordelia wrap skirt are two of my absolute favorites.  They are crafted in mixed prints from Liberty of London, in the softest and lightest 100% cotton lawn fabric.  The Serafina blouse and dress are essentially my versions of a t-shirt.  They are just as easy and comfortable to wear, but have a little more sophistication and flair.  We also have a sleeveless version, the Mariana.  We make these silhouettes in Liberty of London silk satin, crepe de chine, twill (so crisp and light!) and cotton prints, as well as in sold silk/cotton voile. 

I am equally happy with the delightful oxidized sterling silver and 18K yellow gold orb rings that I created specifically for the warm summer months.  They look precious, but you can easily take them along on a trip to a faraway place, or really anywhere the summer winds take you.  I love the way that the mixed metals play off of each other.  The shapes stack beautifully together;  each one complementing and contrasting the other in the nicest of ways.  The hand finished sterling silver beads float along the circumference of a simple 18K yellow gold band, and can be stacked alongside one another or with any of the other rings in the collection.  The way the silver has been hand finished gives it a lustre not unlike that of a treasured pearl.  In fact, everyone thinks that the smooth orbs actually are pearls, until we tell them otherwise.

You can always start with one and add to your collection as time passes.  I think it's lovely to build a stack organically, taking your time to really curate what exactly you like.  It's a bit like gardening. In fact, the fluted and melon versions were inspired by the poppy pods I found growing in my neighborhood, in front of a house that had the most well tended garden until its owner passed away, leaving the house and garden to be razed by builders.  In a way, these orbs are a tribute to him, and my memory of him sitting outdoors tending his garden daily, always ready for a neighborly chat as I passed by with my dogs, his garden thriving wildly during the summer months.

For me, summer has long been defined by salade Niçoise for Sunday lunch.  My mother made it throughout my childhood, and I then made it quite often for my children.  I honestly don't think they could imagine a summer without it.  I have naturally tweaked the version my mother made, making it more my own.  It has evolved over time, but remains in its essence, exactly the same as the one I remember.  Everyone has their favorite bits, and you can absolutely improvise with whatever you like, and is fresh and in season.  Also when you have a crowd, as we often do, it helps to have a wooden bowl that you could bathe a small child in.  Turpan in the Brentwood Country Mart sells beautiful options.

We recently hosted a very lovely birthday lunch, and as ever, the Niçoise took center stage.  With the holiday weekend approaching, it's the perfect time to make one, despite it being a national grilling holiday.  I suppose you could grill the tuna to feel more in line with the customary habits of the American experience.  I just sear mine on a grill pan in the kitchen.  I'm intimidated by grilling, I have to admit!

Mixed lettuces (I usually use a mesclun)

Sliced cucumbers

Slow roasted tomatoes

Oven roasted fingerling potatoes

Blanched haricot vert

Soft boiled eggs (I prefer 5 minutes, 30 seconds for a jammy egg)

Quick pickled thinly sliced red onion 

Pitted kalamata olives (or whatever kind you prefer)

Tuna Ventresca in a jar of olive oil; or alternatively a large piece of Ahi tuna, seared well

Freshly torn soft herbs (I use a mix of dill and parsley)

One tin of anchovies packed in oil 

Two handfuls of parsley

One small clove of garlic

Two heaping tablespoons dijon mustard

Juice of one lemon

A few splashes of a vinegar you like (champagne vinegar is nice here)

Extra virgin olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste