Saturday night

Enjoying a quiet moment with a Sudoku puzzle on the kitchen terrace. While dinner is all ready and prepared, there is nothing left to do than waiting for everyone to join for drinks, and to look forward to a shared alfresco meal. It is such a relaxing and happy time of the day.

Wearing linen pants and a cotton tunic, a waterfall neclace in black/rosewood, Grand Apparat enamel bangle and a stole wrapped around the shoulders


Hope everyone enjoyed a lovely weekend x

Next: NYC travel wardrobe style sheets

New York - sightseeing hits with kids

When planning our trip, I wanted to make sure DS would get the most of the city's amazing sights and attractions, but it was equally important to find things particular fun for kids, as well as some calm activities.. full on sightseeing can easily get tiring and overwhelming after a couple of days.

A lovely calm place we all enjoyed was the Abby Albrich Rockefeller sculpture garden at the MoMA, just a few steps away from where we stayed.

DS loved Yoko Ono's Wish tree ..

and participated with great enthusiasm (he thinks slightly less of it in retrospect, as a Nintendo DS3D still has not materialised, lol)

the The Modern restaurant in the background, overlooking the sculpture garden

MoMA's little sister, the P.S.1, can be reached by train (line No 7), which presents the great opportunity to make Grand Central Station the departing point of a short trip into Queens, which DS of course loved. We planned to have lunch at the Oyster Bar beforehand, but as it was closed we went to the Cipriani Dolci instead, which had the added bonus of overlooking the magnificent main hall of the station.

The MoMA P.S.1, not a collection, but an exhibiting space for experimental art

the 'Hole at P.S.1' and 'Rooms' expositions

The outside space offers more exhibits, but also places to relax, watergames, ping pong tables and sand boxes, which makes it a great place to go with children of all ages.

Most of the original architecture of the building (a former school) is preserved, the exhibitions take place in former classrooms, and the staircases were left untouched

DS was absolutely dazzled by Times Square, and was keen to have breakfast one day at Planet Hollywood. It was a luke warm experience, we all preferred the 'local' breakfast cafe. An evening show was a must, and if we hadn't already seen 'Lion King' in London a couple of years ago, it would have been on top of the list. Instead we saw Spiderman: Turn off the dark, which DS loved. The flying, special effects and projections were stunning, and overall a great success, even though lacking in great songs. Another hit was the Harry Potter exposition at the Discovery Times Square, featuring props and sets used in the films. The perfection and attention to detail was truly impressive, and for those familar with the books or films it is a fun place to visit.

We all loved the afternoon we've spent in Central Park. We picked up lunch at a deli, rented bikes (you can get them with baskets too, but you have to ask), and did the big round. DS spotted a group of baby racoons on the way, one of the last thing he would have expected to find in a big
city.

The Intrepid aircraft carrier (and Growler submarine) on the west side of Manhattan was very popular with the boys, slightly less fascinating for me though. It was unbelievably hot that day, and when going next door to Pier 84, DS headed straight to the play-fountain, and cooled himself off by getting completely soaked, while DH and enjoyed a cold drink on the shaded terrasse of a cafe. From there, we took the Water Taxi (the hop on and off is great) for a 90 minute boat trip round the tip of Manhatten, and enjoyed stunning waterfront views of the skyline. A fun alternative would have been a Duck tour, but we did not get round to it.

We got off the Water Taxi at Pier 17/South Street Seaport, an area with great views on Brooklyn Bridge, and bustling with shops and restaurants

Looking the skyline from above was a must, and when going to the Observation Center of the Empire State Building, we also went to see the 'New York Sky Ride' (located on the 2nd floor) a motion-animated film which lets you explore New York by zooming through at breakneck speed (a definite hit with DS). In terms of best views, we preferred the Top of the Rocks' (on top of the Rockefeller Center). The ride on the lift up to the top is an attraction to itself, the ceiling is made of glass, and little blue lights illuminate the tunnel all the way up to the top.

Stepping outside the Rockefeller Center, you see the Lego Flagship Store, (according to DS, a kid's equivalent to FSH) which has the world's tallest 'Pick a brick' wall. DS, who has always been a huge fan of Lego, landed in paradise..

Another shopping favorite of DS' was the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue, and of course the legendary FAO Schwarz toy shop (right next door), both a little further down the road, on 767 5th Avenue

The Tiffany shop, only a few buildings further on, was a surprise hit. DS discovered the display with the Tiffany Diamond, (the world's biggest fancy diamond, a stunning 128 carat.) We were all taken by it's beauty and magnificence.

Because of the jet lag we woke up so much earlier than ususal, but made the most of it by visiting the most popular attractions in the early mornings (Empire State, Top of the Rocks, Statue of Libery), when there were hardly any queues. Another great help was to have purchased the New York pass upfront, which gives access to most attractions in a fast lane (no fast lane for the security checks though). Going on a hop-on-hop-off bus tour during the first couple of days is a great way to get an overview of a city without having to walk for miles, and you can get off at all sights of interest to explore them in depth. So far, we have done this in every city we visited with DS, and it has always been a huge success.

MoMA 11 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019, Tel: 212-708-9400

The Modern restaurant 9 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019, Tel: 212-333-1220

Cipriani Dolci at Grand Central Station, 89 East 42nd Street
Between Park & Vanderbilt Avenues, New York, New York 10017, Phone: 212-973-0999

MoMA P.S.1 22-25 Jackson Ave. at the intersection of 46th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101
Phone: 718-784-2084

Intrepid Museum: Pier 86, 12th Ave. & 46th Street

New York Water Taxi West 44th Street (and the Hudson River, next to the Intrepid)

Bike and roll bike rentals: At the Merchant's Gate entrance to Central Park, just NE of Columbus Circle.

Lego Flagship store: 620 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10020, phone: 212- 245-5973

Apple Store on Fifth Avenue, 767 Fifth Ave. New York City, NY 10153, Phone: 212-336-1440,

FAO Schwarz, 767 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10153, Phone: 212-644-9400

Tiffany's, Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, New York, NY 10022, Phone: 212-757-8000

New York Pass

Capsule series #43 - New York travel wardrobe

When packing for our recent trip to NYC, the most important criteria was to select pieces which could be mixed and matched with ease, to achieve a maximum of different looks with a minimum of suitcase space. Limiting wardrobe colors helps, as well as leaving 'one off' pieces out. I distributed the colors (black, chocolate, khaki and beige) as evenly as possible throughout the clothing categoies (trousers, tops, cardigans, dresses, blazer), and avoided doubling up on item/color combos (ie no two black trousers, all four tank tops in different colors etc)

I knew it was going to be warm, so the focus had to be short-sleeved/sleeveless tops (personally I feel more at home with sleeveless tops, but the tanks could be replaced by t-shirts) and light trousers (I opted for 3/4 length cotton trousers). In the evenings we had dinner in air-conditioned restaurants, the only occasions I ever wore the black blazer.


Please click here to see the looks created from the below items

The clothes

For the accessories I selected a color scheme too, starting with the dark brown Kelly, as it is my best bag in terms of safety. Adding the rest of the accessories in brown, black and warm reds and oranges, to go with the choice of bag and capsule wardrobe pieces. I knew it would be too hot to wear 90 Carrés, so I only took one, to be knotted into a top or belt. One of my favorite non H scarves (a light and breezy batic stole, given to me by a dear reader) and a mousseline GM were essential to cover up when entering airconditioned stores and restaurants, and great for sun protection. The two cashmere GMs gave an instant glamorous touch when dressing up for dinner.

The accessories ( four scarves, four necklaces, four bracelets, a couple of scarf rings, three pairs of shoes and one bag)

All capusule pieces ready to go into the suitcase..

and the shoes too (scarves and jewelry always go in the on-board case)








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A cool summer's day

A recent cold spell caused temperatures to plummet all over Europe, and even reached the South of France, bringing some unusually cool days. It presented a wonderful opportunity to wear a scarf around the neck, a rare occasion in the month of July. Interrupting the New York series for a quick 'Scarf it up' post, featuring the criss-cross bow knot and the Fleurs d'Indiennes I wore yesterday.

Wearing white jeans, turqouise cotton sweater and navy cardie.
Accessories: Fleurs d'Indiennes 90 Carré, grande scarf ring, MT horn bracelet and Bleu de Prusse Bolide
Scarf ring: grande in bone
without the cardie, when it got warmer during the day


Coming next: NYC travel wardrobe + accessories

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New York - the local H boutique

The H boutique on Madison Avenue has it's home in a 'bijou like' house, all to itself, which makes it stand out in an almost fairy tale way against the tall buildings surrounding it.

The NY counterpart of FSH's rooftop horseman held two 'Cheval de Légende' Carrés in turquoise/gold,

while the window displays featured beach wear, and Marcelina scarves in several CWs,

cute ideas for dog collars,

and larger than life enamels.

The fourth floor was home to a photo exhibition by Rinko Kawauchi's

and allowed a wonderful close-up view on the horseman

I very much enjoyed the visit, but as I could not spot a scarf previously unseen, I didn't take an orange souvenir back home. The scarf drawer held a surprise though, they had a Monsieur et Madame 90 Carré in the tabac/camel CW and one in pink/grey/black. It was also nice to see a few Picotins (GMs and PMs) on the shelves, as I have not seen them around in european boutiques for quite some time.

Hermès on Madison
691 Madison Avenue
Phone: 212-751-3181

New York - part one

After a fabulous trip to New York, it feels good to be home again, and looking forward to sharing my favourite spots and activities over a series of blog posts. Kicking off with the essentials, where to sleep and eat. The London NYC hotel was a fabulous place to stay, and the location could not have been better, it was within short walking distance of many of the places we planned to visit. Since this was DS's first trip to NY, our main focus was on sightseeing. Venturing through a big city can get easily tiring, so it was important to find some calm and restful activities and places too, where one could restore energy. This being a family trip, it was quite different from previous visits, but I am glad to have seen so many of the fabulous sights this time, that were neglected on past trips.

The London NYC

We took DS to P.J. Clarke's for his first NY hamburger. Their classic american food was delicious, and it was fun to soak up the rich history of the place by looking at the black and white photographs hanging off the dining room walls

In the evenings DS got very tired (a combination of jet-lag and full-on days), so most of the time we would stay for dinner at the hotel and book a table at the Maze restaurant. Being a huge fan of Gordon Ramsey's, it was a wonderful treat to eat from his menu every day, and by the end of each afternoon, we were all looking very much forward to yet another fabulous dinner.

Dinner at the Maze

Growing boys are always hungry, but quick remedies can be found at every street corner.. DS of course loved the hot dog and pretzel stands, here with his favorite snack

After lunch, we spent an considerable amount of time at the amazing FAO Schwarz toy shop and the incredibly busy Apple Store on Fifth Avenue. Looking for some peace and quiet, we crossed the road and went for drinks at the beautiful Plaza hotel, a true oasis of calm. After enjoying hot chocolate and a glass of bubbly in the plush Champagne bar ..

we felt refreshed and stepped outside to admire the Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads sculptures at the Pulitzer Fountain, just outside the Plaza. It is a traveling exhibition by the chinese artist Ai Weiwei, and we were lucky to catch it on one of it's last remaining days, by now it has moved to Los Angeles and will show in Houston and Washington DC next year. We had fun finding 'our' signs..

and comparing the different expressions of the animals. DS' and mine (dragon and rabbit) were right next to each other, and I could sense how pleased DS was with the rich decor and fierce expression of 'his' dragon (much in contrast with the more plain and docile look of the rabbit!)

The London NYC, 151 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019, Phone: 866-690-2029
P.J. Clarke's 915 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10022, Phone: 212-317-1616
Maze at the London NYC, adress as above, Phone: 212-468-8889
The Champagne bar at the Plaza, Fifth Avenue at Central Park South, New York, NY 10019, Phone: 212-546-5311


To be continued....

Happy news re the Autumn/Winter 2011 scarf booklets, they have started to arrive at the H stores. Because of copyright issues, it will not be published here though. For the same reason I have deleted all previous booklets and related materials from this blog. Many thanks for your understanding.