This page of Things I Love is not to be confused with family I cherish, friends I adore and the essential elements that sustain life (food, water, the occasional gin and tonic). This is my list of random obsessions that please me at this very moment.
Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses. I’ve worn them on and off (mostly on) since I was 17.
I’m such a girly girl: I love good makeup and skincare. I
positively adore Shu Uemura’s creamy lip color in pale pinks and
beiges, Chanel eye makeup and Laura Mercier bronzers.
Nearly every shade of gray, and plenty of white hues, too.
My Claridge + King weighty woolen shawl. Tucked inside our travel set, it’s positively the chicest thing I own, and infinity practical for anyone (like moi) who easily catches a chill.
Being,
existing, and eating anywhere in Italy or France. I feel so alive there
that I want to take every moment in, while sinking into the landscape.
White china. Be it modern ASA, Martha Stewart for Macy’s or CB2.com, as long as I can put it in the dishwasher, I’ll consider adding it to my collection.
Traveling,
nearly anywhere. It freshens my perspective and invigorates me — but
I’m always excited to land back on American soil. Overcome with
patriotic pride as I enter the country through customs, if I could drop
to my knees and kiss the ground without causing a minor scene, God
knows I would. Really.
Vogue’s Book of Etiquette (1948) by Millicent Fenwick. She’s a
pistol, and although some of her advice feels outmoded, there are still
gems such as these, listed under misused words and phrases: “Classy.
See ‘high-toned’ and ‘high-class.’ Where ‘classy’ is used to mean
‘high-class,’ use “good.’ When ‘classy’ means ‘high-toned,’ it should
be forgotten … ‘High-class’ should not be used to mean ‘good’ or
‘distinguished.’ ‘It was a high-class restaurant’ is appalling.”
White jeans, all year long: boot cut, 7 for All Mankind (especially when I’m feeling slim).
Frederic Malle’s scent Une Rose. It’s my signature — when I wear it, I feel pretty.
Fleur de sel, particularly to finish a dish, even sweets. (You can’t beat it with caramels or atop homemade candy.)
My
iPhone (and it’s not even the latest version!). Also Apple’s MobileMe
service, which syncs all my info together perfectly. I am crushing on
Steve Jobs.
Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies — my own, with chunks of bittersweet Valrhona bittersweet chocolate, cocoa nibs and a generous pinch of fleur de sel. (See a trend?)
Dan Donnelly with Kharisma Salon in Houston. Without him, I’m no blonde.
Larry King Live. More specifically, whoever writes all the questions on his little blue cards. LK has the best job in the world. Ditto for the high-brow Charlie Rose, though I have a pretty good hunch he writes all his own probing queries. Smarty pants.
I yearn for Parrot Cay’s crystal-clear water … If only it didn’t take forever and a day to get there from Texas.
Laughing so hard I can’t even speak. It’s usually out of the blue over something really stupid, too.
A clean home. Nothing makes me feel more centered than purging the clutter and sweeping away the dust bunnies.
OxiClean. Oh, I could do a testimonial.
Lululemon Athletica workout wear. It’s comfortable, durable and wearable in and out of the gym.
A well-crafted,
perfectly prepared coal-fired pizza (margherita, mostly) and a bottle
of Veuve Clicquot. Humble blends so well with a touch of haute.
Trench coats. Be they Burberry or Target, I love the look and classic lines that can be translated from cotton to silk faille.
A
large bottle of chilled San Pellegrino — no ice, with a wedge of lime.
When I’m being especially particular, I request a wine bucket to keep
it icy cold.
Sleep
— nine hours, specifically. It’s almost as restorative to my psyche as
a weekend at Lake Austin Spa Resort.
My 80-pound, ’60s-era quartz-crystal lamp — a gift from my aunt who grew tired of it and packed it away in a closet until I pleaded with her to send it to me. Bless her.
Dogs — all of them (most especially ever-grateful pound puppies). There’s no such thing as a bad dog in my book.
Truman Capote’s writing
Anything “sonic.” I’m obsessed with my Sonicare toothbrush, and the
Clarisonic skin-cleansing system by the makers of Sonicare has me
hooked. Who knew washing my face could give me so much satisfaction?
Peonies in full bloom, with paper-thin petals of variegated hues.
Simply breathtaking in pink — and a good reason to look forward to May
and June.
Oprah. Yeah, I’ve drunk the Kool-Aid, too.
Thick, stiff correspondence cards and tissue-lined envelopes. I love
these paper cards by Crane’s (a gift from friend Carol Isaak Barden),
designed and engraved by PH Design Shop. And when I’m feeling
nostalgic, I break out my beloved Waterman fountain pen. My parents
bought it for me to transcribe my notes at La Varenne when I moved to
Paris years ago. I’m the sentimental sort.
Beautiful bed linens.
Be they Irish linen or starched high-thread-count Egyptian cotton, bed
linens are an indulgence (along with good down pillows, frequently
replaced) that I’d never forgo. My favorite kinds are monogrammed, from
Kuhl-Linscomb, leontinelinens.com.
A great flick by David Mamet (
House of Games,
The Spanish Prisoner) or Woody Allen (
Annie Hall was his best). Fave fashion films:
Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell and
Funny Face.
Learning. My curiosity is endless, and there’s not a soul in the world from whom you can’t glean something meaningful.
Any cookbook published by Cook’s Illustrated magazine. My very favorite — and a frequent gift to others —
is "The Best Recipe."