My rural/coastal obsession continues.

I am still shopping for a cabin on the water. FYI. 

And now I really want alpacas. 

Here's my new thing: I am trying to bring a little more humanity to my day. So, I bought a used copy of a wonderful book called Life is Meals. And every morning when I get into my office, while I fire up email (but before I get sucked into it) I read that day's passage.

Life is Meals is a very smart, well-read book of days by James and Kay Salter. Each day is about a page an a half dedicated to some food topic. Great historical moments in food. Small appreciations of, say, a peach. A story of strangers with a broken-down car invited into someone's home for dinner to wait it out. It's tender, but not sappy. And often useful.

Today's passage is about Julia Child. They write:

"During her career she wrote ten cookbooks, all of them noted for their clarity. She once said that her ideal house would have just two rooms, a bedroom and a kitchen, and when she was asked what her guilty pleasures were, replied, 'I don't have any guilt.'"

I like her style.

I love Jamie Meares.

And I just felt like shouting it from a mountaintop.

(Also, I have been drinking a little. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I LOVE HER ANY LESS.)

That collar-like bib necklace situation that all the magazines are talking about:

J. Crew is very proud of its new fall shirt with a detachable collar-like bib necklace. But here's that idea for $20. Add to any shirt. Voila.

Kelie Grosso on One King's Lane

Kelie Grosso has a One King's Lane sale coming up at 6pm PT Tues. Set your alarms. 

On top of being genuinely kind, funny, and helpful, Kelie has great style. I was recently in her studio getting help with fabric for an ottoman that needs recovering, and I spied some good stuff (in fact, I snagged a really beautiful pillow on the spot), so I know you won't be disappointed.