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My friend Reggie Darling and I share a love for amethyst glass, particularly some discontinued water goblets once made and sold by designer William Yeoward. I, unfortunately, do not own any, but my friend Reggie owns quite a few pieces, from casual and inexpensive to elegant and very, well, dear. If you haven't checked out his
blog, or his collection of
amethyst glass, I strongly suggest you do. You will have a lot of fun and will be entertained and educated to no end in all aspects of the good life.
Reggie and his partner spend their weekends in a wonderful place called Darlington Hall in upstate New York with their beloved pug, Pompey (pronounced Pompi with an accent on the POM). He is named after the Roman general, not the volcano. Make sure you remember this before you greet him or he will be most insulted and you might not get past the front door! I think if I died and went to heaven, I would definitely opt to spend it with these three. They go shopping all the time for beautiful things, all of which I covet, and when in the city, frequent the most fabulous restaurants, galleries and fun spots New York has to offer. It's fun to "go on vacation" with them and they seem to read every book I have read or would ever want to read. What more could you ask for. Oh yes, they wear
Belgian shoes!
The morning after at Darlington Hall
Their main competition for my company in the afterlife is that of my bestest friends in the whole wide world, my dearest friends Andrew and Juan and their pug Tosca. These three live in a magnificient apartment in the Left Bank in Paris, spend their winters in their home in Miami Beach and have the most interesting collection of friends any one could ever imagine. I have never been seated at their dinner table next to anyone you would classify as a bore. They are not only hosts par excellence, they have impeccable taste as well. Oh yes, and they travel to fabulous places, wear Belgian shoes and read all the books Reggie and I like to read!
A casual dinner in Miami Beach
Their parties from casual and intimate to grand and opulent are always the stuff of dreams. Great fun, great food, beautiful tables, great conversation and terrific hosts. When Juan turned 60, he celebrated his birthday in a beautiful private palazzo in the Grand Canal in Venice. Friends from all over the world arrived by gondola in masks and formal dress to be greeted by the sounds of a popular Latin orchestra flown in from Miami, a gift from the host to himself. Nothing was left to chance, everything was planned a year in advance from the Fortuny tablecloths to the color of the jackets worn by the service staff to the delightful Venetian menu. The palazzo was bathed in candlelight and the party went well into the wee hours of the morning. I think it's the only time in my life I've gone to bed as the sun was rising. It was what dreams are made of and definitely the event of any lifetime.
Lindaraxa and friend arriving at the party in Venice*
These four have to meet someday for they have much in common and a gift for entertaining that not many seem to grasp. Granted, in their case, they have the means to do so, but you would be surprised at how many people have the means and no idea where to start. When they throw a dinner party, no matter how casual or informal, a lot of thought goes into everything, from the guests list to the table setting, to the wine and the food. That is what makes a party special.
But I digress. A few weeks ago, I saw this
video by Colin Cowie, author of
Chic, Living Life the Way It Should Be, and immediately thought of these four friends and the way they entertain. I also thought of Reggie D and all his amethyst glass! Watch the video and you will see how a table setting is created and modified with only a few inexpensive pieces. The pieces or the color might not be your cup of tea (it isnt mine) but you will see that you don't need to spend a lot of money to create a beautiful table. I am sure that there are plenty of things around your home that can be pulled together to make an interesting center piece. It doesn't always have to be flowers... beautiful porcelain is always a nice alternative.
Both of the tables above were created on the spur of the moment with things the hosts pulled together at the last minute. Reggie wrote a nice
post on this awhile back and I suggest you check it out.
I couldn't embed the video so you will just have to click on the link.
http://www.colincowie.com/video?v=keep-your-dinner-table-simple
*this photo reminds me of The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone! My young escort is the son of dear friends...promise!
