Scream if you love Ireland
Patternmaxxing — Kathy Hilton's emotional support pillow and why D. Porthault will have to wait
L-R: Pellador Scream if you love Ireland baby tee; Some clovers in Brooklyn this weekend
In last week’s blog I mentioned my personal florist, aka my sister Tara. Well this week her childhood best friend Fi was visiting from London. I refer to her lovingly as my personal pastry chef. Tara says I’m not allowed to call her my personal pastry chef and that I should refer to her as my pastry chef-in-law.
L-R: Fi made my 40th birthday Strawberry Shortcake (breakfast cake !) and my mum’s 70th birthday Guinness cake (midnight post theatre cake !!)
Tara had us all over for dinner and spatchcocked a chicken and served it with potatoes and the Alison Roman Vinegar-Marinated Butter Beans. Fi made a dessert so delicious that we all devoured it before any photos could be taken. It was an almond friand with stewed strawberries, whipped cream, and an oaty crumble on top.
L-R: Fifi’s incredible find in Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, a vintage cookbook shop in the East Village; Fi’s delicious freshly baked soda bread and the butter that sent me down a vintage butter mold rabbit hole.
This year NYC kind of skipped over spring and straight into languishing-on-a-hot-roof weather. I am lucky enough to have roof access. We can’t leave furniture up there so I have been looking for something that folds down VERY small because I am lacking in storage space. This Zara Home lounger is exactly what I’ve been searching for. She can be stuffed under my bed when not in use. Find me on my roof this week reading Slutever by Karley Sciortino and watching the man across the street take his pigeons for a walk. I don’t know how better to describe this - he has a pigeon coop with dozens of pigeons and he lets them out, they fly around in a circle and then return to him within a few seconds. It is mesmerising to behold.
Zara Home Foldable Floor Beach Lounger - my aching millennial back needs this.
I have this completely fine IKEA dining table. I want something more textured but don’t want to buy anything too heavy or specific while I’m still renting. It only just occurred to me to get a tablecloth. Because I have no chill I had to order one immediately to make this vision come to fruition. Now that I know I’m a tablecloth girl I will be on the search for the ~ perfect ~ vintage one (or two, or three) at Brimfield if I make it there this September.
L-R: Zara Home Clover Print Jacquard Tablecloth; said tablecloth on my table featuring Sophie Lou Jacobsen La Pomme sugar bowl, my Glossier peppermill (my absolute favourite piece of corporate merch - it’s Peugeot!), vintage silver “Baby” cup from my recent visit to Alfies Antiques Market, Noah Verrier Happy Meal Print
You might think I opted for the clover print because I make being a first gen Irish emigrant my whole personality at times. But clovers are actually more ingrained in Scandinavian culture than Irish culture.
I’ve had this Josef Frank wallpaper, designed in the 1940s, bookmarked for years. On the left is Margherita Missoni’s guest bedroom.
As a renter, I can’t invest in wallpapering my ceiling or custom blinds ( yet ! ) so I LOVE patternmaxxing my bedding.
L-R: I got it from my momma. Foreshadowing both my move to NYC and affinity for wearing the merch of sports teams I know nothing about in a Mets tee on the left with my baby sis Sarah, and a Yankees sweatshirt on the right - but more importantly showcasing my Mum’s ditsy print Laura Ashley wallpaper and my favourite Laura Ashley floral bedding - the first set of bedding I picked out for myself.
Clockwise from top left: My beloved Sophie Conran clover bedding in my bedroom in London; D. Porthault Trèfles bed linen; Kathy Hilton’s emotional support pillow
My favourite bedding set of recent years was the Sophie Conran clover set pictured above. I moved it to America despite knowing that bedding sizes are different over here thinking maybe it would look OK - it was way too small for the mattress.
I noticed Kathy Hilton is often clutching this pillow in episodes of RHOBH. “Great”, I thought, “I should just find out what that is and I can get the duvet cover in an American size” … I found out that it was D. Porthault. You can read up on the history of this specific print here. A queen sheet set would set you back a mere $2,750.00 - so the Zara Home tablecloth will have to do for now.
Buy this so I don’t have to
1960s French Chrome Swan Handle Tray on Etsy
Things to look forward to
💄 Marc Jacobs Beauty re-launches June 1st - I need Velvet Noir Mascara back in my life! This is how he described it to Vogue in 2016:
“I think my mother actually learned that from a drag queen. She would take velvet ribbon and scrape the pile and apply it on top of mascara to make her lashes very clumpy.”
💿 The Strokes new album comes out June 26th. I’m in the “just let Julian use autotune if he wants to” camp - so I can’t wait!
Right, I’m going up to the roof.
My favourite Harry Gruyaert photo: Ireland, Galway, 1984
☘️