The Afternoon Tea

Last Saturday afternoon, I threw an afternoon party for about forty guests, which it seems is now becoming an annual event. It was a nice way to celebrate the end of my second year of law school (and a good excuse to polish my silver collection). For beverages, there were Pimm's cups with strawberry and cucumber slices as well as "Logan Circle Iced Tea," which was sweet tea vodka and mint lemonade (the only actual "tea" in sight). As seen above, the table featured pink peonies, bright green tennis balls, and pink & green penny candy. For food, I served smoked salmon tea sandwiches ...

Ina's roasted chicken salad on crackers ... (probably the biggest hit of the party -- and remarkably simple to make!)

Palmiers (store bought) and homemade lemon bars ...

Crudité and green herb dip ...

More peonies ...

And simple pink roses. All in all, it was a smashing party, and I had just as much fun planning as I did celebrating.

Spring Switch | Fragrance: Part II

...and when it gets REALLY hot (hello, DC summers), I don't wear any cologne at all. That's where a good body wash or deodorant comes in--an easy way to smell nice and not have that heavy fragrance feeling. I've been using this Energising Seamoss Bath & Shower Gel from Molton Brown all spring -- definitely helps wake me up on a bleary-eyed morning.

Molton Brown Energising Seamoss Bath & Shower Gel, $28 for 10 oz., available here

Friends of mine recently turned me on to this Malin+Goetz Eucalyptus Deodorant, and I absolutely love it. Alcohol and aluminum free, this stuff uses nature to keep you smelling fab all summer long, with no dyes or chemicals.

Malin+Goetz Eucalyptus Deodorant, $18, available here

Spring Switch | Fragrance: Part I

When the mercury rises, my desire to smell like Tom Ford's chest hair drops significantly. With that visual in mind, here are my picks for switching it up with a lighter spring/summer scent.

Erolfa is a nautical scent created by Olivier Creed to evoke family memories of Mediterranean sailing excursions. Fresh and citrusy, with one spritz you can almost smell the salty air catching your sails off Capri.

Creed Erolfa, $225 for 2.5 oz, available here

Another perennial summer fave is Hermès' Eau d'Orange, a unisex scent that has the aroma of a fresh orange peel. I don't usually wear cologne during the day in the summer, but when I do, this is the one.

Hermès Eau d'Orange Verte, $75 for 1.6 oz, available here

Cheaper than a vacay in the Tuscan countryside, Acqua di Parma's Cipresso di Toscana is my favorite fragrance from their summery "Blu Mediterraneo" unisex series. An herbaceous blend of sage, lavender, and basil, the cologne evokes Italian cypress trees.

Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo: Cipresso di Toscana, $73 for 2 oz, available here

Loafing Around

First 80+ degree day in DC called for brown linen pants from Polo by Ralph Lauren and Hermès slip-ons. Photographed in McPherson Square.

Wardrobe Staple | The Khaki Trench

Tried this Black Fleece mac on at Brooks, and it's easily my favorite piece I've seen this spring. Fabric is spot on, the color is gorgeous (more of a British khaki than the photo suggests). Yes, it's a little pricey, but it's a steal considering a similar Burberry number would run you at least twice that. What's best is it's got that perfect fit without the extra helping of Thom Browne ... weird.

Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers Military Trench, $700, available here

Lord Lillypants

Picked these bad boys up a while ago at my favorite Palm Beach thrift store. Circa 1970s Lilly Pulitzer "Men's Stuff," they needed a few trips to the tailor before they fit correctly (bye bye, bellbottoms), but it was well worth it for the print. Toned down (a bit) with navy velvet Stubbs and a white Lacoste.

Spring Awakening

Because even after hibernating all winter, I'm still a little sleepy. The fix, clockwise from left:

Clarins Men Undereye Serum

This gel goes on quickly and works fast to soothe puffiness. About $20, Amazon.com

Kiehl's Facial Fuel Eye De-Puffer

The simplest in the bunch to apply, the roll-on stick contains cooling hibiscus extract. $18.50, Kiehl's

Lab Series Age Rescue Eye Therapy

The little tube packs a serious punch. Hypoallergenic and fragrance free for sensitive skin. $26, Lab Series

Nickel Silicon Valley Dark Circles Corrector

Has a slight green tint to visibly brighten your undereye area and neutralize dark circles. $50, Nickel stores (N.B. pronounced nick-ELLE, not like the coin)

Saturday Cocktailing | The Tea Party

The phrase "tea party" carries with it a lot of ... shall we say, interesting connotations. Last weekend I cast those aside and threw together a daytime party for some friends on a sunny (but still chilly) Saturday afternoon. It was a great way to entertain - I had all morning to prepare, and the guests were out the door by five p.m., just in time for a nice nap. I could see moving the whole shabang outside once the weather gets nicer. Here are a few shots of the table --

Lots of spring things - hydrangea, Pimm's Cup, cucumber spears...

The homemade fruit tart was tricky to put together, but well worth it.

Cucumber watercress sandwiches, egg salad on endive, smoked salmon and herb butter...

The only tea at the party was Firefly sweet tea and fresh mint lemonade...

The Lilly P. Jungle

Each trip I take to Palm Beach, I stock up on secondhand preppy essentials at Fiore Menswear, a store near Sunset Avenue in a section of the island devoted to thrifting and designer consignment shops. It's chock full of finds, including Loro Piana cashmere outerwear, vintage Hermès ties, shirts from Turnbull, and the like (all at quite reasonable prices). My favorite, though, is the extensive selection of vintage Lilly - they've literally plastered the walls with it. This trip I returned with two pairs of "go-to-hell" pants (a la Tom Wolfe): a blue and white cotton batik-esque print (left), and the very loud ostrich print ones on the right in, gasp, polyester. Some alterations were needed to take these pants into this century - removing the flared leg and taking in the waist and seat - but the finished product will be 100% unique, pants not likely to be seen on anyone else from Bar Harbor to Winter Park (not in this print, anyway). Pictures of the final product to come once the tailor is done with them.
N.B. - There is not a "go-to-hell" shirt. Save the Hawaiian short sleeve numbers for the fanny pack toting tourist masses.

Spring/Summer Swatches

The lovely folks over at Pierrepont Hicks give us a peek at some of their fabrics for the coming season. For those of you not familiar with the Minnesota-based neckwear company, all their ties are handmade in NYC's Garment District (including my favorite reversible bowtie from this fall). Really interested to see what they do with that gingham and the Nantucket red...

Hot Pants

Happy new year, everybody! Hope everybody got what they asked for from Santa. And while the weather outside is still pretty damn frightful, the warming trend coming to the Northeast this weekend (40s!) has my heart aflutter over spring clothes. While it's best not to get too excited yet (it's still winter), now is always a good time to start thinking about what the wardrobe is going to look like come March. Here's something I'm looking to add to mine: Polo came out with some linen pants in six great colors - they've got the mainstays of white, navy, and khaki, but my favorite is this coral red color - perfect for that classic WASP look of linen pants (in a go-to-hell color, natch), a blue or white shirt, blue blazer, and cordovan tassels. Simple, elegant, easy. Done.
Preston Fine Linen Pant, $125, at Ralph Lauren stores and online

Steven Alan S/S '10

Clear as Crystal

With spring in full swing here in DC, the April showers seem to have brought with them the first bloom of tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, and their ilk. Why not bring a little bit of that inside to add a pop of color at home? Fresh cut flowers are an easy way to liven up any tired table - just grab a bunch at your local grocer, farmers' market, or snatch a few from outside. While the vessel that you display them in needn't be extravagant, one of my pet peeves is vases that look left over from an FTD bouquet. Target to the rescue! One of their lesser known designer lines comes from Riedel, purveyors of pricey stemware and crystal. But not at Tar-zhay. I recently found a few gorgeous deco-style vases on sale, including the large "Balloon" vase pictured above. These sturdy crystal pieces are pretty without being too fussy, and they're cheap to boot. And with Mother's Day just around the corner, one of these vases, filled with her favorite type of flowers, would make a perfect gift for mom.

Riedel Vivant vases, $10 - 20, target.com

Spring Flowers

Looks like the first buds of spring have come out in D.C. The Cherry Blossom Festival runs through April 12. Though the peak bloom isn't until this weekend, they look beautiful already. I had a chance to snap a few pics of the blooms down at the Tidal Basin as well as some beautiful magnolia trees on Georgetown's campus. Here's hoping the weather will stay this gorgeous throughout April.