On this Weekend Meanderings.. Queen Elizabeth, a lunch at Juliet’s pretty house, some uber soft pajamas for hot nights, a luxe lipstick balm, and an inspiring Australian home book..
It’s time for some chat and and fun things you might want to know about -with my pals Elizabeth and Juliet. And I must start with the passing of the Queen..
The Queen
Oh my goodness.. I woke Thursday to the news the queen was maybe gravely ill and I knew that wasn’t good. I think we all knew it might happen- someday, but that she actually passed right after welcoming the new PM, a day earlier, wow. It’s like she got all the unfinished business done before going. So her wasn’t it?
If you are near to my age, she has been on the throne our whole lives. The Washington Post said 9 in 10 living humans were born after she became Queen. That is mind blowing. I truly believe that she led a period that we will look back on as a New Elizabethan Age of sorts – a period of respect for institutions and honor and doing ‘the right thing.’ It feels like that has crumbled the last few years…
The Queen had what they called ‘soft power’ which was a magnifying presence and the ability to inspire the best in us. In her later years we were lucky to see more of that softer side and her humor. I loved her for ‘parachuting’ into the Olympics with Daniel Craig and the fun with Paddington for the Jubilee. She felt like our grandmother… at least that was how it was for me.
My grandmother had a little Coronation tin souvenir that I treasure and have now. I would bring grandma Hello Magazines from England when I got them and she loved to see what the Queen wore and what she was doing. They came up in the same time, the depression, the war, the 50’s and through all the incredible changes and advances of the 20th Century. They were of an age that was selfless, and put doing the right thing, above personal pleasure. There are few of their generation left, and it feels strange without her.
Image: The Guardian
I think Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister said so fittingly in her tribute to the Queen. ‘She was the rock on which modern Britain was built.‘
Emanuel Macron said how so many of us all over the world feel, ‘To you, she was your queen, to us she was The Queen.’
What do you think of King Charles? ( Seems funny to say that.) His speech was very moving. As much as I despise what happened to Diana, I think he is a good human and has evolved I hope. I think he cares about so many things that matter, he’s extremely progressive and it’s exciting to think how he may modernize the monarchy. We need to give him a chance. He may be a very good King. Can you imagine starting this job in your 70’s? Who know how long we will have him, but as someone said to me, looks like no queens for a long time, as after William there is George… so we were lucky to have this queen, who meant so much to so many. So very many articles and shows in tribute to her long life of service, but these pieces are kind of different..
This article in Vogue U.K. tells of all the jewelry that Prince Phillip had designed for the queen over the years..
The Washington Post has a story about the Queen’s corgis. She had over 30 in her lifetime and did leave some behind. She even had a breeding program at one point and they were how she calmed herself..
This is a great collection of photos of the Queen and Prince Phillip..
The heat!
Well we have had one heck of a week here in Nor Cal.. We have had over 100 degree days -and hot nights that don’t cool down. On Thursday when it was supposed to be cooler, it was still 109 here after dinner time. I just even more appreciate our normal California weather where A/C is an optional thing we use a few hours during a summer and never in the morning or night..
A super soft pj set for hot nights
My friend Ani has amazing taste and always sends me the best gifts and a box arrived this week with the softest pajamas. This was so timely as I’ve been dying at night with the heat…Not only do they feel good -almost cool, but they are very well made just for Nordstrom and have the prettiest piping and matching buttons. They look like a pair I had previously that were made in Italy. These are of Model which is a sustainably produced fiber. This cute set comes in Plus sizes too and in six different patterns/color, but I love the baby blue and brown in zebra..
They also come in full length and this cute green pattern.
Spaces for Living Book
I came across this gorgeous book, Spaces for Living by Tamsin Johnson, an Australian designer- and I am crazy for her style. This book is loaded with inspiring homes and interiors that are punctuated with textures, colors and objects…Think things that draw the eye in and still feel organic and inviting. I love this kind of decorating.
Estee Lauder Revitalizing Crystal Balm
I haven’t had an Estee Lauder product for a while, and had forgotten how nice they are.. My dear friend Elizabeth ( there Contessa),gave me this wonderful Revitalizing Crystal Balm for the lips that has a little sparkle and makes them feel amazing! I so loved this, especially on this very hot week. This balm comes in five colors and I have the Cosmic Crystal which can be layered over colors too. The case is beautiful with a magnetic click that is so satisfying! If you’ve never had this balm, it is a treat and great for those with dry lips.
A fun lunch at Juliet’s pretty home
Thursday Juliet kindly had a little birthday lunch for me at her lovely home and it was the highlight of this hellish weather week. I have been lucky to have been a guest at her place a few times, but it is so inviting and bright and even more stunning in person. I adore her decor, her garden and admire how she sets a table, and is a wonderful cook too. All the usual suspects were there and I am a little shy to share pics as it seems we just did this, but everyone was so sweet… and Cindy, my Signature Style pal drove all the way from Paso Robles.. Jim, Juliet’s patient husband snapped our pictures in the 100+ heat.
Juliet made delicious green salad with chicken and apples -perfect for fall – recipe on her last blog. I love her kitchen so much..
We stayed in Juliet’s pretty yard for a bit until and then moved indoors where it was cool..
Elizabeth made yummy parfait with yogurt and fresh berries and gluten free brownies! Elizabeth also brought a surprise guest our Instagram friend Linda that we both know- and she told Elizabeth about my blog years ago- so I have Linda to thank for connecting us! It was fun to meet in person. We all wore blue and Heidi brought orange flowers for us to wear.
That morning we heard about the Queen and my friend Elizabeth, (aka Contessa) had brought for me a incredibly special basket of commemorative Jubilee things.. and we couldn’t believe that coincidence..what timing..
Isn’t Juliet’s soft green table lovely? Just love the hydrangeas too..
Juliet has the best sense of humor.. love her bathroom guest napkins..and her cute menagerie..these guys have the life!
Juliet at her darling Dutch door..
Well that is my weekend meanderings for this week.. Please check out Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs to see what good things they are sharing…
MAKE MINE A SPRITZER
PINECONES AND ACORNS
Thank you for being here! Hope your weekend is wonderful- and cooler!
Kim
Last Weekend’s Meanderings I shared an overnight getaway to San Francisco at Kelly Wearstler’s Proper Hotel, mirrored backslashes for light and sparkle, my newly recovered patio set, tennis bracelets, and more.
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Kim those soft pjs look lovely! Do you size up or do you feel like they’re TTS and still comfy?
I love your thoughts about The Queen. She was so dedicated. Beautiful post.
Hi Sally! The pajamas are nice and I bought a small which seemed quite roomy and not tight at all. I would say the sizing is generous for sure on them. Hope that helps. Aww thank you about the Queen- I wasn’t sure what to write, but admired her hugely.
Kim thank you so much for advice about the pj sizing! Your writing is very good and you were quite eloquent about the Queen —someone else who caught my attention was messynessy on IG.
Thank you so much Sally, it’s hard to know the right thing to say…I will look at Messy Nessy’s post too. I always enjoy her. xo
Such a lovely Birthday luncheon! In spite of the heat you all appear to be enjoying the day. If you happen to know where the fun hand towels can be purchased please share.
Carolina we rallied! We almost postponed a few weeks due to the heat, but made the best of it and thanks to Juliet’s lovely home being so cool, it was not bad. I will see if she can let us know about the hand towels..Aren’t they fun? Her bathroom is gorgeous. I am hoping to have her home on the Californians at Home soon. x
THE QUEEN…………..
AS YOU SAID SHE HAS BEEN THERE OUR ENTIRE LIFE TIME!
IT WAS A REAL SHOCK AND ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAD MADE YOUR BASKET 3 DAYS PRIOR!
I SO ENJOYED MY TIME IN JULIETS HOME AND JUST BEING WITH ALL OF YOU!BOY IT WAS GOOD SEEING CINDY AS IT HAD BEEN AWHILE!I’LL HAVE WHATEVER SHE IS HAVING AS SHE LOOKS GREAT!
I WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT SURPRISING YOU WITH LINDA…………..
BACK IN THE DAY OVER A DECADE AGO SHE SENT ME AN EMAIL SAYING “I THINK YOU WILL ENJOY THIS BLOG!”YOU HAD MADE A PARISIAN THEME FOR A BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON FOR ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS…….
HOW I REMEMBER THAT IS BEYOND ME!
I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT CONNECTION AND FUN FOR ALL!
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTH…………
LOTS OF JOY AND LIVING STILL TO BE DONE!!
HUGS,
XOXO
Could not believe that basket! I am going in a cozy corner to read all of it this afternoon.. Thank you so much! So nice of Cindy to come all that way! She’s a trooper. She looked lovely in white and you in the blue! Linda is the sweetest and I was so happy to meet up with her. She is funny and how nice we all have two boys..Yes that was a lunch at my friend Leasa’s home… many years ago. Styled by a girl named Kimber who is very talented. Connecting people is what you are so good at and Linda – she may be the one we have to credit for us all hanging out!
Thank you I was so grateful for the friendship. Adore you all. xo
Can’t wait to get my New Yorker next week. That will be a keeper. (As a 40+ year subscriber, I have a few of those, lol.) What a gracious lady the Queen was, thrown into a situation she had never dreamed of nor wanted, at an incredibly challenging time in history, and handling it all as she did. I want to sit down and binge all seasons of The Crown again. Yesterday I watched Princess (the HBO doc about Diana) and it made me so sad to revisit all that ugliness….but I also have gained empathy for Charles, and I’m hopeful that he will do well as king. I hope he doesn’t have to sacrifice his passion for what is important (fighting climate change, etc.) in order not to be “political.” After all these years it seems we have even forgiven the once “evil” Camilla; time has indeed won out. None of us is perfect; most of us have the great advantage of being imperfect out of the public eye.
I would totally wear that pajama top out in the world! So cute!
Hope your birthday was lovely in spite of the relentless heat. What a fun gathering of some amazing ladies.
Sarah, Love your perspective! I know I am going to get that New Yorker too! I also want to rewatch The Crown. I do think as much as I was angry at Charles for being unable to speak up about not being in love with Diana, I could also see the enormous pressure on him after what they did to his uncle- basically exiled him forever for marrying Wallis.. I agree I think he had so many great causes I appreciate and I hope William will take them up or he will continue with them in some way. Camilla is supposed to be a very fun person and apparently the sons adore her, so that says a lot. Time will tell I guess. So easy for us all to judge isn’t it? Thank you about the Pjs! They could be a cute top- and another way to wear them. Thank you we braved the heat and now we have cool and 80 today- yay! Have a good weekend !
Oh, Kim … I have so much fun with you and our gal pal, blogger, artist friends. Thanks for coming all the way up here in the horrific heat and being such a great sport about it. You always says such lovely things about my house and I appreciate that and you. But, back to the top of the post. The Queen. We knew it was coming, but still … we aren’t ready to lose here yet here we are. I think Charles will make a wonderful king, if the press doesn’t try to do him in. He’s been training for this for his entire life, he’s been at the forefront of so many issues that are crucial today. I’m interested how he’ll balance his new role with his past activism. I love the quote from Emmanuel Macron. And completely agree … the was, is and always will be The Queen. So onto other stuff … those PJ’s! So cute for lounging around the house and flipping through fabulous decor books … I don’t have this one and need to take a closer look. I’m also going to order that lipstick … it looked so good on you and I love a subtle hint of color and shine. I hope it’s cooled off there, we’re considerably more comfortable here. Phew … it was a rough week with the heat and the Queen. But I’m glad we were able to get together and leave the cares of the world behind for a few hours. xo
Juliet it was the nicest day with you all- and so good to be together on the sad news of the queen. Adore all of you.. and being at your home. The happy vibe and cute doggies – it’s like a little sanctuary. Thanks for everything ! Wasn’t Macron’s thoughts the best? I think we all feel this way! xoxo
Hello from Virginia. Today’s post was perfect timing for me. My daughter is having surgery, and I was trying to come up with a gift for her. The pjs and the Estée Lauder balm seemed like the perfect answer.
I do enjoy your Meanderings and look forward to receiving the posts from you and your pals.
Hello Susan! Nice to hear from someone in Virginia! I hope all goes well for your daughter and I think she’d feel so comfy in these pjs. They are like a soft hug and the lip balm is a nice little add on when you’re healing! Thank you I’m so happy to hear you enjoy the posts!
Kim, it looks like you had an amazing birthday! I wish I could have been there. So many lovely ladies and a delicious lunch and canine companions too! You all look lovely!
As for the Queen, as soon as I heard that the family was on its way to see her I knew it was bad. I shed a few tears when I heard that she had passed for her family, and for the world. It is the end of an era. Whatever your opinion about the Queen, and I love her, empathy and kindness is always appreciated, especially by the grieving.
Your grandmothers box is so special, treasure it and your memories of her.
Love your new pjs’ and lipstick!
Have a wonderful weekend, it was so nice to chat this past week! Cannot wait to do it again.
xo, Elizabeth
Elizabeth I cried too.. Just sad that she’s gone. So wonderful to get too chat! I wish you were closer too. xo
What a nice tribute to Queen Elizabeth. Like you, I also felt that way about Diana and for a long time I was not a fan of Charles. I suppose he and Camilla were destined to be together, maybe she was his one true love. At least he waited a long time to marry her until the kids were grown. I give him credit for that. They had already been through enough.
Uh oh. Another design book lol. I already have my eye on Suzanne Kasler’s new one coming out next week. Sometimes Target has a buy 2 get 1 free on books and I get sucked in. Probably why my interior design book collection has grown in the last couple years! Their prices are already identical to Amazon and I think Target does a better job of packing books for shipping. I have never received a damaged one.
Looks like you had a nice birthday celebration. You are so lucky to have such a nice group of ladies to hang with!
Linda
Linda, I want thatSuzanne book too.I also like Target better than Amazon and try to link to them instead for books when they have them! Love the buy 2 thing.. I have to be on the lookout for that! Good to know they ship better too. I have gotten some damaged books from Amazon before.
Yes I felt the same about Charles for a long time..It’s hard to believe he and Camilla have already been married 17 years..and yes it was good he put the boys as his priority.
Thanks I am so fortunate to have this fun circle of ladies for friends. xo
That is so true what you said about the Queen. I felt like my Nanna had passed again when they announced that the Queen had died. I felt bereft somehow. She had visited Malta a number of times and I did get a glimpse of her on one of her visits. My dad met her in the 50s when she visited just after she was crowned. He was in the Boy Scouts and his troop were present when she inaugurated a teacher’s training college. She was also Queeny of Malta at that time. Anyway, I plan to try and write my own tribute to HM in the coming days.
I hope you had a very happy birthday. It looks like you all had a great time at Juliet’s.
Lorna, I was thinking of you because I just watched a show of the Queen’s life and they said her happiest days were as a military wife when Phillip was stationed on Malta. Not sure what era that was, but while she was still a princess. How wonderful your dad met her- and I love Queens of Malta! I have never heard of that. I can’t wait for your tribute too, as Malta really has a big connection to her. xo
Hi Kim,
You have shared so many wonderful things to look at in tribute to Queen Elizabeth I have not had a chance to look at everything yet. I so appreciate what I’ve looked at and read. I also embrace what you said, she felt like a Grandmother. Speaking of your Grandmother you are so fortunate to have your Grandmothers coronation tin souvenir.
Juliet hosted such a beautiful birthday luncheon for you and your gal pals. You must be a special treasure to one another. Everyone added such a special touch to your celebration. I so enjoyed seeing the pictures of you all. You ladies are just adorable. What an emotional day for you.
You asked what we think of King Charles. I was never a big fan of his because I felt extremely protective of Diana and still do to this day. King Charles gave an excellent speech. For me, I’ve decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. In my heart it’s the right thing to do.
Our Queen Elizabeth is resting in Peace.
Thanks Katherine. Nice to hear others felt the same about the Queen… I do feel so lucky to have such sweet friends! They all went out of their way to be so kind. Absolutely felt the same about Charles for so long. I do think I feel the same as you now.. He’s an older man now, and I hope he does good things with his time on the throne. xo
Your words about the queen were so well-spoken. I am not much of a royal watcher, so I am certainly no authority on anything royal! Those PJ’s are adorable. I might have to order those with the long pants. Juliet’s luncheon was so lovely. It was fun seeing all of you Norcal girls!
Cindy thank you for coming so far! I always love being with you!! Never enough time. xo
I am also thinking of getting the pjs in long.. they are so comfy!