#mothersday

Bunny Mellon Style, Mother’s Day Gift Ideas, and a Fun Event at the new Rails

May 5, 2023 By kimwheeler 22 Comments

Some May inspiration from Bunny Mellon, a special On My Radar with Mother’s Day Gift Ideas, and a Mother’s Day Event at Palo Alto Rails!

Bunny Mellon Style

Do you want to live like Bunny Mellon? She was a famous tastemaker and garden genius who helped design the White House Rose Garden for Jackie and JFK. She had her own gorgeous gardens and beautiful homes. She lived a life of exacting specifications, but with a certain kind of nonchalance, if that’s not too much of an oxymoron.. She collected wonderful antique garden pieces, baskets, and amassed a library of books- some very historic, dedicated to gardens and horticulture. Her home and garden style has been idolized and emulated by Tory Burch and so many others.

If you want the Bunny look, without billions, you need a dedicated spot for potting things, preferably filled with a collection of baskets hung from the ceiling and everywhere you can cram them in. She even had a basket house! You need stone pots, the older the better, geraniums and antique statuary bits here and there. Bunny loved topiary, terracotta potted flowers, trelliage ( lattice work), and toile. If you’re a fan of any or all of these things, look no further than the Tuckernuck website this month where they photographed lovely clothes in her home in Upperville, Virginia. In the layout they talk about her rooms and more and there is a lot of inspiration..

I love this garden themed dress with the fringe hem and the braided shift.. Both linked on pics..

For all the particulars she had about the way she lived, she also liked things natural, like lemons left on the ground where they fell… Perhaps we are soul sisters as my yard is littered with them currently!

Bunny also collected lettuce ware china and Tory Burch has a collection and Anthro has this new one here called Lilypad. So pretty!

Bunny also liked entrances to have a vantage point and rooms to feel comfortable and relaxed.. Fun Bunny fact- she served Lay’s Potato Chips (the unbroken ones), in pretty vessels for her guests.. She had me at Lay’s. More about this fascinating woman in the books- Bunny Mellon Style and Bunny Mellon Garden Secrets.

You can shop the whole Bunny Mellon inspired Tuckernuck collection here.

Maybe I need to start turning my laundry room into a basket room! Hmm..

I love a market basket with flowers in it! That would be a cute Mother’s Day idea…

On My Radar- Mother’s Day Edition

I love the idea of a market tote for a gift. For an extra pretty gift, add a bunch of flowers. The basic $58 one above is perfection, as are the long strap market version, a tote with floral embroidery, and the fun white accents… All linked on photos.

A cashmere wrap is the nicest luxury, but also something to use for years and years. It’s perfect for travel as your own personal blanket and then for cool nights out, and just as an everyday wrap over a shirt or as a scarf, as the French wear them. J Crew’s are very nice on sale now, and I personally love the camel and grey choices..

If you want a little color, these cashmere Luxy Wraps are beautiful and have a pretty edge to them. I just love this pink color..

For $29 these candles are beautiful and love the Summer Day candle with the little bag.

Another nice gift is the diffuser in Summer Day..I like these in the baths and laundry.

In the same summer theme, two lovely books to gift are- A Summer Place ,and Entertaining By the Sea...

I adore Lela Rose and her new book Fresh Air Affairs on themed parties is inspiring and fun.

How adorable is this Vietri Bud Vase for bedside garden roses?

Other luxuries…the modern version of Tory Burch flip flops, and the new fragrances by Tory. I love Electric Sky the best which is soft and sporty..

I am a fan of sterling silver pieces from Ippolita, which are all hand made. The all feel beautiful to touch. I have a few and they are my favorite jewelry. These drop earrings are beauties..

Lunch out or breakfast in bed..

The last few years for Mother’s Day, I’ve been asking to have a nice lunch out with my family at a pretty spot. I like to go on any day before or after -not the actual day, if possible. One of my favorites that is a treat is the charming Village Bakery in Woodside! Make sure you ask for an outside table if it’s nice, and go shop at Emily Joubert’s beautiful garden and home shop which is adjacent afterwards. Sometimes I’ll pick out a pretty plant or book there for my present…

When my boys were small they would all make me breakfast and bring it in bed. I still treasure their homemade cards more than any gifts in the world and have all of them! Those years went too fast.

Meet me at the Rails Mother’s Day Event at the Stanford Store next Saturday!

I love the California clothier Rails and I am excited they asked me to join them and share their special Mother’s Day Event at their gorgeous new store in Palo Alto. The store has much more of their beautiful California clothes and I will be there in the morning for a few hours if you want help putting together an outfit, buying a gift- or just find a Mother’s Day gift for yourself?

You will get 20% off your purchases that day.

This event runs all day with refreshments, light bites, and succulents as a Gift with Purchase.

I hope to see some of you there! I’ll be in store 11-12:30! Please come by if you are in the area to say hi and see the new store. It’s near Bloomingdales and Lululemon near the east entrance of lovely Stanford Shopping Center. Check out the Rails collection here.

The Coronation

Will you be watching this weekend? I have mixed feelings. The NYTimes has a coronation recipe section for this event with excellent versions all my favorite English foods – Coronation Chicken Sandwiches, crumpets, Strawberry Pavlova, Eton Mess, and Victoria Sponge, and many more- all by famous British chefs.

I’m also interested to see what Mrs. Biden will be wearing and so far she looks chic in pink meeting the Prime Minister’s wife Akshata Murty, who also has a lovely dress..I’m all about the fashion this weekend and who is attending.

My dad still remembers watching Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953. They were one of the few families on the block that had a television and he was in grammar school and remembers friends and neighbors coming to watch it!

It’s a busy weekend with the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo too. It sure doesn’t feel like May here with more dark and rain. Let’s hope we get sun by next weekend! I am ready to put in my tomato garden and wear some springlike clothes and I bet you are too.

Cindy and I had May’s Signature Style this week, and the theme was ‘Summer Wish Lists.’ See what we are thinking of for summer days here if you missed it.

On last weekend’s post, I shared a book all about finding French Joie, a chic woven tote, rattan hurricanes and the cutest inexpensive sandals you need for summer.

Have a lovely weekend,

Kim

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Ode to My Mother

May 8, 2020 By kimwheeler 30 Comments

This Mother’s Day will be unlike any we’ve had before. Moms will be either spending a LOT of quality time with the fam or sadly their loved ones are far or unable to be near them now. The 2020 Mother’s Day may be the least commercial with limited shopping and that’s maybe good. Old school coupon books and breakfasts in bed will be enough for many and a treat. My own wish for is for time to chill, maybe a glass of wine in the yard or with a favorite show, and a break from the everyday grind of cooking, cleaning, food and toilet paper procurement, etc. Many of us are very familiar with the grind right now, thanks to family togetherness in the era of Covid 19!

It’s been five years since my own lovely mom has been gone, and each year I miss her more. There are so many milestones I wish I could talk over with mom. In the past year I could have asked her opinion about the house remodel, raising sons and college choices. We could have talked over shows and ice skating on television. Mom would have loved The Crown and so many good books I have discovered. I know she would be so proud to see my boy’s graduate and what all the grandkids have become. I would like to ask of her own experience with menopause and when hers started and when did she stop having extreme hot-flashes. I would tell her now I totally get how she got burnt out on cooking at age 65 and left it to my dad. I also now sympathize with her increasing anxiety about driving and many other things previously second nature. In some ways it’s better she’s not here to see that Hilary lost and what has become of our nation. She cared so much about women’s rights, animals and those who have the least among us. She also was a self-professed germaphobe and this virus would have put her over the edge.

My mom avoided taking photos so I have very few of her. My favorite is this 1967 photo dad snapped of her ready to board a train to her hometown of Milwaukee, leaving me with grandma, which I look none too happy about. I love her chic suit and Sassoon kind of haircut. In the back was her sharp black and white 65 Buick Skylark, which she drove for all our childhood.

This weekend I’ll think of the cool things about Suzanne Marek Fleming, that continue to bubble to the surface of my own conscience and become part of me. I can attribute so much to mom like my visceral love of yellow, anything by Carly Simon, Gladys Knight and Helen Reddy, Audrey Hepburn, all things tennis, cats, biographies, white t-shirts and neat blue jeans, enjoying the yard, puttering about the home, and a perfect cocktail on Friday night, mom’s being a Manhattan. Those are the little things that bring happiness. That is probably the best gift I have received from my mom- find joy in the everyday, make your home your nest and have a happy routine. It’s simple, slow living and it is a good way to live life. My dad is very much the same. I hope my boys will find small things that bring them joy in the everyday too.

Do many of you feel the same? Do you now live like your mother, even inadvertently? Maybe it’s partly in our DNA what we like and what we do. I believe that may have more to do with it than we know.

I am excited to share will be back Monday with my new series, Californians at Home, where I interview stylish Californians about how they live, entertain and decorate. Make sure you’re subscribed to the blog- here or on the right sidebar to get emails when I publish a post. You can also follow on Instagram, where I post more regularly, and Pinterest.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend and find a little bit of what fills your basket and brings joy. Take time out for you, even if it’s sitting alone for a bit with your feet up and listening to some great music or watching the clouds. For the moms -chores don’t exist this weekend so don’t touch anything until Monday. I’m giving you permission starting now!

Hugs,

Kim

Mom’s original Breakfast at Tiffany’s album we still play.

Photos property of Northern California Style and may not be used without permission.

Weekend Things

May 13, 2018 By kimwheeler 15 Comments

Hi how is your weekend going? I’ve been trying to find time to post as there are many cool new things for spring. Lately I have been busy finding and planning a move into a rental during our remodel and trying to sort our summer vacation and activities. This time of year gets so busy doesn’t it?

I thought I’d share a few good finds and new things I am loving- this time it’s mainly from World Market, which has done well with their spring collections.

I’ve been wanting to sit in the yard more and have friends around. The yard looks sad after winter so I spent yesterday at the garden store and the World Market to try to pretty it up. According to my dad, Friday is the day to shop garden centers for plants and they get the stock for the weekend so things are not picked over and less crowded. I bought hydrangeas, lavenders, geraniums and ivy and a few houseplants. Just popping those in and changing out some half dead pots made a huge difference in the yard!

Next I hit Cost Plus which has all the supplies you need for a fluffing up your yard or entertaining alfresco. Cute too. Their buyers are doing a great job unlike Pier 1.

I’ve got a black and white theme going thanks to my striped umbrellas and rug I added last year from Ballard Designs. They are hands down the best investment ever. The 11 foot umbrellas are amazing for their shade and ease of use and they have weathered the winter beautifully. I highly recommend them. I did it all by mail and even ordered extra 50 pound weights to hold the umbrellas down. I was sick of not having enough shade a a lot of faded umbrellas in different colors. I even sprung for the Sunbrella or whatever it is this time.

I was glad to see World Market’s outdoor selection of pillows in graphic black and white made in a heavy duty fabric of recycled plastic bottles!

Also fab are these darling macrame pillows . I bought one in black and another in natural. I put them outside, but may move them inside as I like them so much. They have a real vintage 70’s California feel to me.

Also a good buy- this beverage container. I really needed something prettier than a galvanized tin for all the wine bottles and this looks lovely filled with rose’ and white wines and ice. They call this the textured party tub.

They had a fantastic selection of rose from France, Spain, Argentina, New Zealand and California. I bought an assortment to have in my frig for impromptu gatherings and you get a discount if you buy 4 bottles and you can mix the brands. I also buy the small glass bottles of Pellegrino water which are cute in a bar for entertaining and hard to find sometimes.

I like to investigate the clothes when I am there and last year I found my favorite white blouse that I wore all summer. It is often of hit or miss. Right now they have 4-5 racks of cover-ups, dresses, caftans and tops. Without a dressing room I took a chance and bought this black shift dress. I loved the detailing on the edges and the print.

I didn’t take a photo with it on, but with these J. Crew earrings and some strappy black flats it’s perfect for summer travel or parties. They no longer carry the earring online, but they have this newer version here or you may catch a pair in the clearance section of the stores.

I got lucky as it fit fine, not too big or tight. Sizes there can sometimes be large or sometimes just right. I am usually a size 8 and the S/M fit. I threw it on last night! It’s great when you can find a good dress while shopping for pillows and chips. 🙂

Some of the lovely offerings right now at World Market in the clothing. More here online.

I made another accidental discovery there – Guinness potato chips. I grabbed them yesterday and everyone seems to think they are something special. They have a salty/sweet twist to them and they pair well with a glass of rose!

I also made a trip to the store last week for the Buddha I saw on Cindy Hattersley’s Rough Luxe blog. See mine on the top photo above on my dining table. I love it. Cindy has an eye for cool things and did a great post on styling your kitchen along with a few other bloggers. I loved the placemats from that post too and some of the dishes and generally all she does!

When in the Big Island in April our hotel used the most perfect Japanese stoneware mugs that were tall, narrow and kept your coffee hot, and felt great to hold. I found an almost exact match in these Akari cups.

They also have these lovely blue plates with Cherry Blossoms made in Japan.

Oh and before I forget the new outdoor chairs..So many excellent styles.

How chic are the Negril Chairs ? They also come in black. One in the corner of a bedroom would be nice. I want a pair for my porch.

I also am crazy for these Andalusian All Weather Wicker Chairs! They are mod and fun. If you need a refresh in the yard or home or are having a gathering World Market is good place to start.

Have a beautiful weekend and I do hope the moms out there get spoiled a bit. I am planning to sit in my yard tomorrow, put my feet up and read the paper while the family makes me French Toast. Afterwards I’m having the boys put some plants in for me and tomorrow night my youngest has a cello concert. Tonight we are getting takeout and I hope watching a movie of my choice, for a change!

My mom and grandma are on my mind this weekend. We had so many good years with them, so many family backyard barbecues and brunches over the years. It’s not the same without them. I know many of you are missing your moms too. Thinking of all of you and all the wonderful women that are gone, but will never be forgotten. They live on in us all.

Kim

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