Things We Love: Our Gang

Things We Love: Porthault

While pursing some of our favorite blogs today, I came across these amazing swatches of fabric samples from Domino Magazine's "Daily Dose." We just wanted to thank Rita Konig so much for sharing this amazing find from the Porthault stock books in France. But it's not going to be cheap to pick up a set of these pretty sheets -- a king set starts at $1,100.

Things We Love: Old Home Movies!

(Not Hovey videos, just a gem from YouTube set to Simon & Garfunkel's My Little Town)

The Store: English Riding Boots

These little gems were actually mine! We'll also be selling field boots that are pretty amazing, too!!

The Store: Tom Brown's School Days

The Store: Wool Shorts

The Store: Action Figure Outfit

Speaking of Birthdays!

Just some of the photo evidence of the parties spoken of in the previous post. Our mom, being a PR maven, managed to get a full page in the Kansas City Star style section on this one. It's pretty great when every girl comes in a custom made poodle skirt (mine had records, Porter's, ice cream cones). Definitely worthy of press. (I never did learn to hulu hoop, but I did love those little red and white Ralph Lauren saddle shoes (I had a pair in green, too)).

Our parents captured these little quads before the hell broke loose and the eight year-olds turned Saddle and Sirloin into the Alamo. (Mom was at it again and got these and a few others published in The Independent).

Things We Love: Kidfresh

Our mom was wild for birthday parties. Some weddings required less planning. Hollister, being the first child, received the most attention on this front. For first grade, mom rented out half of the famous Kansas City diner Winsteads for her '50s party; the next year, we took over the Saddle & Sirloin Club so all eight year olds could play cowboy. Despite all the effort, this one did not go well. One of the girls pulled the chair out from under a boy who'd been in a motorcycle accident (he may have actually come in a partial body cast -- these were good parties, not to be missed, even for medical emergencies), the guests all wrestled, a few girls ran around alledging that the beef jerky was dog food, everyone heckled the singer and one girl slid around on the wooden floor and managed to get a sliver in her gum (the flesh of her mouth, not her chewing gum). It's hard to say if the boys or girls were worse, but my mom decided to blame the boys and banned them from all future birthday celebrations. So, the next year, she kept things prim and proper. We took over Williams Sononma after hours so Hollister and about 10 of her girlfriends could make finger sandwiches and learn how to properly ice a cake. Each guest got a full cake for practice. Quite incredible. Those finger sandwiches were quite delish, too. Quite simple, they just involved fancy French cream cheese (in an amazing chocolate and strawberry) and bread. But cutting any sandwich into a shape makes it magical.

Kidfresh allows the kiddies to eat with similar class and fun every day. Stop into the Upper East Side flagship for a treat or even fun class! Wholefoods also carries various products.

Kidfresh

1628 2nd Avenue (Between 84th and 85th)

New York City, 10028

212.861.1141

The Pram King

This morning we woke up to a huge surprise. At 6:30 and fresh off the Chinatown bus from Virginia, our favorite hipster Michael Blain delivered the most perfect (very large) white and British racing green 1959 Pedigree stroller. We couldn't be more excited about this fabulous addition! Thank you Mike Blain! We always knew you had perfect taste -- but had no idea that it goes into the realm of strollers, too. Check back for photos! While the Pedigree looks perfect for the English nanny set (or stylish Williamsburg moms), this Italian job, a 1950s Giordani Brevetatto, would look perfect in front of Judy Jetson...or Murray Moss. Cincinnati Modern was selling this one for $2,200 back in '06.

Things We Loathed: Thank You Notes

The moment all the wrappings hit the floor on Christmas and birthdays, we faced the harsh reality that 12 present-free months lay ahead. To make things worse, an even greater evil lurked: Thank You Notes. Sadly, they are the way to go. Emily Post, the grande dame of Etiquette, believes one can never start this painful process early enough. The Emily Post Guide to Good Manners, advises parents to strap a pencil to their three year-old’s hand and have the kid force some grateful thoughts onto paper. Pain for the child, delight for the gift giver.

Things We Love: A Tea Party

I've always wanted to be a lady who lunches. This feeling was initially reinforced when Hol and I went to Paris and popped into the Plaza Athénée for a spot of tea. Unfortunately, while four impossibly thin, impossibly stylish French women with their adorable babies sat across from us and lived out my dream, Hollister tried to tackle a gigantic meringue (which had unfortunately been served to her on a tiny saucer) in the most polite way possible. She failed. What is proper meringue etiquette? It certainly cannot involve a knife and fork and a small saucer. After about an hour of delicate sawing, she'd eaten nothing and appeared to be sitting atop a little pile of snow. So, the next time you're in Paris for tea, choose a crustless sandwich or a petit four. Regardless, don't take Hollister along or she'll ruin your chances of looking like a lady. If a trip to Paris isn't in your near future, tea at the Plaza Hotel in New York might do the trick, too (but again, Hollister isn't invited)!

Things We (HHH) Loathed: Piano Lessons

By age four I was fully involved in ballet, gymnastics and piano, the latter of which fell far below the more active activities on the enjoyment spectrum. As my dad and I toiled away learning Mary Had a Little Lamb, my mom toiled away shopping for culottes and a miniature tuxedo jacket for our big performance. Recital day finally arrived and she gussied me up for the big duet. We took to the stage, me, wildly calm and focused (just look at the photo!), my father, a wreck of nerves. We start to play. I play Mary Had a Little Lamb. He plays something else entirely. I stop the recital and point this out. That was the end of piano.

Things We Love: Cookie Magazine!

Check out pages 42 and 42 of the May issue of Cookie to see our luggage become a star! Mixed in with the beautiful Globe-Trotter pieces are our rattan (fourth from bottom under boy's bottom above), faux gator (right below that above) and wood reinforced (bottom under the girl with the hat, below) vintage suitcases.  Also, in the most flattering move ever, the simply amazing Christine Frey has blogged about us on Cookie's blog. What a day!      

 

Things We Love: Siggi's Icelandic Style Skyr Yogurt

When we went to Stockholm last spring our wonderful hotel inundated us with a litany of delicious traditional Scandinavian breakfast treats. A spread worthy of Viking kings! While the herring and fish paste may have been a bit terrifying, those Scandinavians sure know their way around yogurt.  Now, back in the States, we're loving the thick, creaminess of Siggi's Icelandic style skyr. This stuff, which is actually made in NY, costs about three times the price of normal American fare (at Murray's Cheese), but well worth it.  It's totally fat free and comes in great flavors like orange ginger.  Yum.

Family Photos: Grandpa Bill Goes Swimming

Things We Love: Flying Down to Rio

If airplanes weren't exciting enough, try flying down to Rio like they did in 1933! What fun!

Things We Love: Marcel Dzama

Marcel Dzama creates an imaginary world of humans, tree people and different animules all interacting together in very strange ways. His current show, "Even the Ghost of the Past" closes tomorrow at the David Zwirner gallery.

Things We Love: Old Fashioned Soccer Balls

"Footballers" the world over basically kicked around a leather volleyball until 1970. You can, too, but it won't come cheap. This version, made bark-tanned Allgäu cowhides, comes from the amazing German company Manufactum and runs EUR 121.

The Store: Tiny Pink Sunglasses (Sold)

The lenses in this delicate pair are only a little bigger than a quarter! Even little eyes need to stay in the shade.

The Store: 1930s Navajo Baby Moccasins

The Store: Wooden Elephant (Sold)

The Store: Child's Gloves

The Store: Vintage Lederhosen

The Store: Vintage Peachy Silk and Lace Baby Shoes (Sold)

Books We Love: Allen Say's Grandfather's Journey

Allen Say takes us on his Grandfather's Journey from Japan to America and back again...

with the most beautiful watercolor paintings that feature the most lovely clothes...

and show us how important it is to love family and appreciate their amazing experiences.

Things We Loathed: Christmas and Easter Photo Sessions

You could always guarantee a biannual fit out of Hollister.  Christmas and Easter photos were her greatest torture. There were the costumes - and yes, they were costumes - and a lot of yelling...and it gave me a free license to maul her with hugs. Every single photo of the two of us is the same -- Hollister, looking like something from American Gothic, me, looking like an elated, loveable bunny. This (which we estimate is from Easter '85) is obviously no exception.

The Store: A Straw Riding Hat

It might not protect your little head if you fall off a horse, but you'll sure look cute!

Things We Love: Badminton

One of our favorite things in Kansas City are the gigantic versions of sport's strangest projectile with the funniest name -- the shuttlecock -- strewn all about the lawn of the big art museum. These are the real thing, made with real feathers so they can fly!

Things We Love: Charm Bracelets

Our mom wanted Porter to carry her memories and journeys with her -- with great style.  So, a gold charm bracelet began. There's a streetcar from San Francisco; a fleur de lis and a saxophone from New Orleans; a gold nugget from the Bolivian gold mine our dad ran in the '70s; an "H" for Hovey; a hotdog for Coney Island summers; an elephant, because they're wonderful; the Arch de Triomphe for our time in Paris; a palm tree from Pasadena; the heart for love; Porter's baby ring with a tiny garnet (her birth stone); a camera for her passion; and the Statue of Liberty for our new home.

Things We Love: The Old South

Porter's college friend Mollie McKinley went on a journey back to her home in the South -- and took a bunch of beautiful photos with one of those great old large format cameras that they used back in the Civil War days.  This picture comes from that old plantation shoot, just a small detail of the larger image. 

The Store: Vintage Baby Moccasins

The Store: The Whale Sweater

The Store: 1930s White Linen Sun Suit (Sold)

We want one in our size (it comes with shorts, too)!!

Things We Love: Ranunculus

 Every Saturday we sisters visit Sprout Home to pick out a week of beautiful treasures. Ranunculus are our favorites. They look like you've balled up a billion petals and sliced that ball right in half. They're sort of like a rose and a bit like a peony but they have much better stems!

Sprout Home, 44 Grand Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

The Store: The Kodak Baby Brownie Special

These little itty-bitty cameras came out in 1934. This baby uses special 127 film. 

Things We Love: Asta!

Asta, the world's cutest wire haired fox terrier, always seems to find trouble for his mon and dad, Nick and Nora Charles. But, sometimes, when he's good, he actually helps Mr. Charles solve a mystery!

Things We Love: Animules in Art

Some of Walton Ford's paintings are a little scary, but we love how beautiful they are and how they tell wonderful stories about the history of the world.

We love how the the Frenchman Henri Rousseau painted tigers and monkeys in their wild green habitats - and let humans come along for the adventure!

We love how Edward Hicks mixed exotic animules with the domestic.

Family Photos: Grandpa Bill At Camp

Our grandpa at camp in the early '20s.

Songs We Love: Donovan's Catch the Wind

Things We Love: Bojangles & Shirley Temple

Back in the 1930s troubles hit and a lot of people in America became poor. In order to cheer them up, a little girl with curls and dimples started singing and dancing. She sang and danced with some of the biggest stars of the day. She may have been little, but kept up with them all, even a man named Bojangles, one of the greatest tap dancers of all time. Here they are together in The Littlest Rebel from 1935 when Shirley was only seven. Just try not to smile!

Family Photos: Aunt Virginia Drives the Ostrich

Oh, the good ole days when children wore simple, beautiful clothes and knew how to get themselves around town in style. We hope to help Brooklyn's tiniest residents dress much like our great aunt Virginia "Ginny" Hovey (shown here in the early '20s in Pasadena, California)!