EmilyStyle

Where to Shop Paris: Dresses

2018-03-07T20:25:46

We came home from Paris with 9 new scarves, 6 dresses, 6 sweaters/tops and 4 coats between the 3 of us. I’m still so impressed at the new wardrobe that my friend Jackie assembled. She rarely shops in the US – being exceedingly practical and finding it annoying to match her petite hourglass figure. Practically…

Where to Shop Paris: Housewares

2018-02-25T12:01:02

The stages of Paris trip shopping grief: In the course of a few days, I went from full-blown panic that I purchased too much during our trip to Paris and it would never fit in my suitcase and we’d be barred from returning to America…to annoyance of hauling everything through the airports…to regret that I…

A Day of Two Domes in Paris

2018-02-16T01:48:15

We woke up tremendously excited to have slept well the night before. For Jackie and me, parents of toddlers, it was a revolutionary feeling to have slept and woken up “on our own terms.” Our first full day in Paris was also the last day there were reported to be sunny skies for a while.…

Bienvenue a Paris!

2018-02-12T00:59:22

We’re on a grand adventure! I’ve left darling Rob and Lucy at home and traveled to Paris with my two oldest friends: Jackie and Margaret. A 10 day vacation exploring the best of France from our charming apartment right in the middle of the 1st arrondissement. We’re just steps from the hub of Les Halles…

My 12 Favorite Newborn Essentials

2017-08-08T08:04:47

Now that we have a rough and tumble one year old toddler, it is time to finally post all my recommendations for newborns. I think of myself a pragmatic minimalist when it comes to baby gear – we live in an apartment in a city and travel half the year with just carry-on bags – but this list still…

Dear Lucille: One Year!

2017-08-03T15:48:03

We made it! You have survived your first trip around the sun and have turned into my favorite little person. Your first word this month was “cup” and you love showing off your ability to drink water out of a glass without spilling (mostly), You also understand “ball,” “daddy,” “mommy,” “clap,” “doggy” and “dance.” You…

Modern Art at Lisbon’s Museu Coleção Berardo

2017-07-10T19:07:04

Technically, the Museu Coleção Berardo is in Belem, a suburb of Lisbon. It’s a giant building just 10 years old – constructed with future expansion in mind. And – importantly for mid June in Portugal – it is air conditioned! It seems like every train, light rail and bus from the heart of Lisbon takes you to…

Lisbon’s Museum of Portuguese Decorative Arts

2017-07-06T10:08:43

I have a fondness for smaller museums, tiny gems that are off the beaten track. Usually housed in old palaces or mansions that are as interesting as the art themselves. Places like the Musee Ceramique in Paris. In Lisbon, a small museum a block from our apartment in Alfama fit the bill. The “Museu de…

Lamb Pilaf with Preserved Lemons, Mint and Eggplant

2017-07-05T16:21:28

I picked up the most gorgeous baby eggplant – the size of Cadbury Creme Eggs and almost as delicious – at farmer’s market over the weekend. This recipe started with a plan to stuff the eggplant with the lamb rice mixture (inspired by this recipe) but that seemed too fussy once I started cooking. Instead,…

Dear Lucille: Month Eleven

2017-07-03T16:22:31

What a month! You spent June in a whirlwind of pointing, crawling and charming strangers all across Europe. Oh, the pointing! You are so, so good at pointing. At it is really fun to explore this big milestone of “shared sensing” with you. You pointed in restaurants, cafes and especially at the aquarium. When you’re…

Dear Lucille: A Belated Month Ten

2017-06-22T07:47:11

We’ve been busy! Your 10th month feels divided into two parts: the bustling weeks as we prepared to go to Europe and then a happy stay in Hampshire with friends. You had a bunch more “firsts” this month, including your first slide and first stairs at Dolores Park. You are a determined little person! You…

Lisbon’s National Tile Museum

2017-06-22T07:03:01

Lisbon is packed with so many amazing museums! One of the first on our agenda was the National Museum of tile, aka: “Museu Do Azulejo.” This museum is housed in a 16th century convent on the east side of the city. It’s a waterfront walk there from town. Only technically though, since most of the shore…

Celebrating St. Anthony and Sardines During June’s Festas de Lisboa in Lisbon, Portugal

2017-06-21T23:52:09

We had no idea what we were getting into when we first arrived in Lisbon, Portugal for a two week stay in the historic Alfama district in June. Within minutes of driving in, we had more questions than answers. Why is everything decorated? Are there normally barbecue restaurants covering every sidewalk? What’s with the topiaries? We…

A Quick Stop at Averbury Stones for 6,000 Years of History

2017-06-13T11:03:10

Last post from England! On our way back from Bath, we made a small detour to see the Avebury Stones (with a sighting of the Westbury White Horse along the way) This is a less popular “henge” than nearby Stonehenge, which means you can still park in a field and get right up to the massive…

Exploring Bath with Baby

2017-06-13T02:42:34

Our next stop on the “commonwealth tour” was Bath, where Tom and Fleur live in a beautiful village called Batheaston on the outside of town. They have a festive terraced garden with a view of exceptionally green British farms and hillsides. Fleur set up Lucille with bubbles, toys and a bucket of water to splash in.…

Exploring Brighton with Baby

2017-06-13T02:07:49

We spent our last few days in England on a sort of “commonwealth tour” –making visits to guys from Rob’s team around the country. Our first stop: Brighton! Anyone familiar with Pride & Prejudice knows that Brighton is the end all. A gem where a little sea bathing would just set you up forever. We drove in…

A Very British Set of Garden Parties

2017-06-07T09:45:41

We spent the weekend in Lymington celebrating Josh’s 40th birthday and having fun with Rob’s work team. Josh is an amazing vegetarian cook and I jumped in to help with my party-planning expertise. Together, we cooked delicious dinner and brunch for 22 people. The weather had been sunny and hot all week, but turned rainy…

Exploring the New Forest by Bike and Train with Baby

2017-06-07T09:31:13

Lymington is right outside the lush New Forest, packed with oak trees, ferns and wild ponies. It was a must see during our two week stay in Hampshire. We approached it two different ways with Lucy in tow. Balmer Lawn by Rail A £4 return ticket takes you from Lymington to Brockenhurst on a train line that…

Spending a day at Mottisfont, Hampshire, UK

2017-06-02T03:40:45

A trip to a National Trust estate is an absolutely must-do for me when in England. The closest house to us in Lymington was Mottisfont – a historical priory, garden and country estate in Hampshire on the other side of the New Forest. We had absolutely perfect weather for our day trip there. We had absolutely…

Spending a few hours in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK

2017-06-01T03:33:06

Rob and Josh had a lunch meeting in Portsmouth last week. Lucille and I tagged along for a couple hours to explore. The island city is a famous navy port and full of old brick military buildings. Also famous as the birthplace of Charles Dickens and the site where Arthur Conan Doyle practiced medicine. It is…

Staying with Baby in Lovely Lymington, UK

2017-05-29T10:46:42

Lymington is a seaside town in Hampshire on the south coast of England, facing across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. It is a very quiet spot, popular with retirees and nearby locals “on holiday” at the nearby New Forest (which was declared “new” in the year 1079). It is the home of our good…

Easy and hard things when flying to London with a 9 month old baby on your own

2017-05-22T10:23:34

The upside of a spouse who works for an international non-profit is that you get to travel a lot for his work. The downside is you sometimes have to get there on your own, with a baby in tow. Lucy and I flew to London last Friday to meet Rob for this latest European trip. I planned…

Dear Lucille: Month Nine

2017-05-03T15:45:46

Our sweet girl! Your eigth month was full of big mobility and personality developments. You have four teeth now, a taste for blackberries and a love for lift-the-flap books. You are now very fast at “army crawling” – where you drag yourself around on your belly with your legs kicking behind you fruitlessly. It must be exhausting.…

Dear Lucille: Month Eight

2017-04-07T16:26:29

You are working so hard to become your own person! It is so fun watching you watch the world. There were so many big “firsts” this month: first beach, first swimming, first “mama,” first skiing, first camping! We started this month in San Luis Obispo while your Dad was in Boston for work. Always nice…

Dear Lucille: Month Seven

2017-03-02T10:42:25

Oh, my sweet girl! We got a letter this month from our terrific health insurance company stating that the hospital charges for your delivery added up to almost $500,000. You are such as a happy, easy-going baby. Worth every penny! Your personality is starting to shine this month. You appear to be a real “observer”…