Chilmark 2011

Oh, the events that unfolded this year. One broken shoulder, countless outdoor showers, a breakdance routine with a jailhouse pose, swimming for hours in the ocean, Pilar's first brass ring at The Flying Horses, a hermit crab on the beach, a canoe ride to Menemsha, endless cards games with Cruz, new friends from Philadelphia, reacquainting with cousins, aunts, and uncles, and the scattering of ashes in the glass clear Atlantic on a blue sky summer day. Can't get much better than that, my friends.

Menemsha: The Galley

Love going to Menemsha to have lunch at the Galley. Right at the entrance to the docks, it's perfectly situated for people watching while you eat.

Step up to the window and place your order.
Crab cake sandwich sounds good, but I can't ever bring myself to veer from Barbie's White Bean Sandwich.
Always have to end the meal with a vanilla chocolate cone.
The menu is right by the order window. We usually call up there at 11 am when they open and place our order so we don't have to wait in the monstrous line.

West Tis: Farmers Market

Every Saturday we head over to the Farmer's Market in West Tisbury. We have three very specific stops: 1. Khen's for egg rolls, iced green tea, and veggie fried rice. 2. Beetlebung for bagging our own lettuce. 3. Pam's Pesto for what's hands down the best basil/parm concoction I've ever eaten. Here are some pics from last week:

Grab your own lettuce for a big $7 bag
Pretty red and gold potatoes
These onions were so fragrant
Khen has come over and cooked for our family before. Her eggrolls, noodles, and rice are to die for and even if you get to the market at 9 on the dot, there's always a line for her food.
It was blazing hot last Saturday and I was dying for one of her iced green teas. I should've ordered two.
She also makes deliciously crispy meringues that my kids gobble up the minute we buy them.

Chilmark: Koch and Dezso

It's a beach day. The perfect pairing of Dezso bracelets and my Koch zip pouch for a day at the shore.

Vineyard Haven: Midnight Farm

Cold and windy here in Chilmark today. To make my day a little brighter I'm wearing a new Chan Luu necklace that my husband bought me over the weekend. Luu had a trunk show at Carly Simon's Vineyard Haven boutique, Midnight Farm, and while I love her signature wrap bracelets, I wanted something outside what she's known for. This bead necklace is interwoven with strands of rhinestones and pearls. A fun update on the traditional African beads.

I was browsing around and found a McFadin bag. You may remember the Sabinal, Texas McFadin sisters from a piece I wrote about them in FD Luxe last year (thanks for the tip, Jordan!).
Chan Luu sequin and cotton vest
Tons of Matta scarves
Tables of art and cook books
Pretty lace dresses. This one is Tracy Reese.
Wool animals
Beaded coin purses with Martha's Vineyard zips
And I flipped over this Matta Dhurri rug. It's cotton woven with metallic recycled plastic. It's super chic and I think I'm going to have to get it before I leave.
Wouldn't this be great in a bathroom?

Chilmark: In the house

Every summer home has particular provisions, but there are some that are absolute necessities. Here are a few requisites for a fruitful island stay.

Cape Cod Salt and Vinegar chips. I never knew that chips could serve as an app, but here they most certainly are.

I never eat English muffins at home, but here I can't begin my morning without one smeared with butter and jam.
Stones or shells from the beach Sharpie-scrawled with guest names for place cards.
The must-have reads: The Vineyard Gazette, The New Yorker, and a copy of The Island Book, the local yellow pages/phone book. I can't ever remember the number to the Chilmark Store or The Galley, so this is a must.
An accessible DIY bar. I can't believe that my husband actually found Tito's in Edgartown.
A well-stocked liquor closet. Thank goodness Our Market in Oak Bluffs delivers (I'm sure that Taylor from one of my favorite blogs, Miles to Go, can agree. See her Vineyard post here).
Lots of games. Never know when the weather is going to change and you have to be prepared for a rainy day lock down.
Books. Lots of them.
A collection of sea shells.
And I just love this shot. Who needs a television when grandma's outdoor cushions and a tea towel double as a spaceship?

Edgartown: NRO Kids and Shoe Cabana

There are so many places in Edgartown and Vineyard Haven that I love to shop when I'm here, but two that top my list are NRO Kids and the recently opened The Shoe Cabana.

NRO is filled with darling finds from Petit Bateau, Rachel Riley, Ralph Lauren, and Papo d'Anjo,
cute Vivienne Westwood jellies for little girls,
rope bracelets from Nantucket Knotworks,
cozy Vineyard sweaters (and sock monkeys!),
and oodles of old school games. Right next door is The Shoe Cabana.
It's a slim little spot that's filled with K Jacques, Missoni, Tory Burch, Diane Von Furstenberg,
Marc Jacobs, and Sperry Top Sider. Perfect offerings for chic, but low-key island life.

Dallas: Koch

Check out this great interview with one of my favorite designers, Koch's Nicole Musselman!

Chilmark

We're here. We arrived at my mother-in-law's summer retreat Sunday evening and this is where we'll be for the rest of the month. This is the lawn I was married on 11 years ago and now my kids frolic here every July. The property opens onto the Atlantic. It's a gorgeous thing to look at everyday.

The beach is a quick 60 seconds down the sandy path. Today we had our first beach day.
Buckets in hand, they are ready to play.
Over the stones and into the bitingly cold water.
My kids refer to this as Grandma's beach and it does feel like it belongs to only us. There's no one to be seen for miles.

Dallas: Equinox & Tata Harper

My doorbell just rang and I had a delivery with some of the best news. Turns out that Equinox is now carrying Tata Harper's eponymous line of skincare products and will also offer her signature facial.

I know you've read about Harper before - in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Allure or on one of my favorite blogs, Elements of Style. Her products are 100 percent natural and organic certified by France's Eco-Cert and everything is made on her 1,200 acre Vermont farm.
This couldn't have happened at a better time. My skin has gone nuts on me over the last week and I was just about to make an appointment with my dermatologist. But now that I have one of Tata's Deluxe Beauty Sets I'm going to give it a whirl over the next two weeks while I'm out of town.
Fingers crossed that it helps with some blotchiness and I'll come back from the Vineyard with not only a clear head, but also clear skin.