Today's note is but a brief postcard.   It was my last weekend in Florida, and while I'm clothed in a wee bit more than the two gals above*, I am 100 percent embracing their vibe.   As you read this, I'll be on a plane home - and after a crazy successful and fun trunk show at the Gasparilla Inn, I took these last few days off (mostly) to kick back and soak in the sun.
 
I hope your week is soaked with sunshine, fair winds and following seas.   READ MORE

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"The cure for anything is salt water:
sweat, tears or the sea.”
                                   Isak Dinesen

Given a choice, I’ll take the sea, please.  I’ve just arrived on the Florida gulf coast for a work trip (yes, lucky me - my trunk show at the Gasparilla Inn opens today).  And I did indeed dip my whole pale self into the sea within hours of my flight's arrival.   Old Isak would be pleased to hear that there's also been a fair amount of sweat in getting to today.  Clever readers know that life isn't all Instagram stories, preparation for such a trip isn't limited to booking a mani pedi and shopping for caftans.  READ MORE

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I've been forever smitten with the painting, "A Friendly Call", by William Merritt Chase.   Lucky me, it practically lives in my backyard, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.   Wouldn't it be fun to speculate on these fair ladies' tete a tete conversation?  Chase's wife Alice is depicted in the yellow dress.   Perhaps they're discussing how to beat the heat in all those ridiculous layers?   Here's a fun thought - let's treat it like a New Yorker cartoon caption contest- send me your entries on what these gals are saying, and perhaps the winner will get a free pair of earrings!  READ MORE

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