easing into summer
post design summit musings, planning for a trip to maine, sourcing for a c. 1700's connecticut farmhouse
It’s been a minute since I last checked in–the book tour has been a whirlwind (!) and it’s been such a treat to meet people from all over the country at the signings I’ve been doing since my book launched in February. At the Fenimore Lane Design Summit two weekends ago (which I am still permanently grinning ear to ear from…!) I met summit guests who traveled to join us in Washington, CT from as far away as Texas, Tennessee and North Carolina. They came to come shop the bazaar tents, explore Litchfield, and participate in the design community we’ve created at the magical Mayflower Inn & Spa–it was really special to see how many corners of the world people made the journey from (we even had a vendor who came from Paris!) There were mother-daughter-duos, college besties, groups of sisters, both by blood and by choice, and families enjoying the day with their children. It was everything we had hoped for.
The Design Summit has truly become my favorite weekend of the year. In its third iteration, we hosted over 650+ people throughout the weekend and welcomed over 55 women-owned businesses in the design world as vendors, from antique dealers to artists, wood fired pizza artisans to block printed textile makers, and everything in between. Spending Saturday evening in the Tap Room at the bar eating dinner with my husband, my best friend from college, and her husband was a key highlight: I sat and watched the entire bar buzzing with lively conversation from summit guests, vendors and weekend attendees, and it filled my cup in such a gratifying way I didn’t even know was possible. The best thing about the design summit is the sense of community and camaraderie: between vendors and guests and panelists and editors (the list goes on) – and when a surprise summer storm rolled in and the lights flickered in the moody tavern, you could see the rain coming down outside the screened in wicker porch and the room hummed with energy. It truly felt like we had created a little design family.
I am crazy proud of our summit crew, the myriad of people it takes to make this weekend happen. From the Fenimore Lane team and my chief of staff Catelyn, to Christina, my trusted publicist for the last decade at CCPR who handles all sponsorship logistics for the weekend, to our incredible event production partners True Event, Ryan Designs, Lauren Merriam at Sarah Worden Natural Design and PEAK Event Services, and to Caroline and Kari and the entire absolutely magnificent Auberge team who executes everything with precision, warmth and grace–I am filled with gratitude. We start planning for the following year’s summit quite literally as the current year’s is happening, and the level of dedication and vision these folks have is truly bar none. I am endlessly in awe <3 A huge thank you to our sponsors as well: Spoonflower, The Shade Store, Woven, Serena & Lily, Sister Parish, Happy Menocal, Goop, Sunbrella–we are immensely grateful to you for understanding the vision and supporting it in unique and creative ways.
If you weren’t able to join us this year, we’ve taken over the shop at The Mayflower Inn & Spa through August, so you can shop a selection of summit vendors all summer long–and if you can’t make it to the Connecticut countryside, shop our edit online here.
Below, I put together a little round up of the products that got me through the insanity of summit weekend, plus a few things I’m looking forward to (a summer stay with my husband and daughters at The White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, ME is top of the list!)
What I Brought to the Summit:
I was lucky enough to be dressed by my friend Alex Macon’s fabulous company Over the Moon for the weekend, and I felt like a princess in a variety of OTM x Cara Cara and ASHA. I paired the looks with my trusty Emme Parsons sandals which I’m not ashamed to admit I own in every colorway–they are the perfect summer sandal–a Kinderbrook woven basket bag and Storied Home Studio straw tote, and brought more skincare than even I thought possible. (My non-negotiable desert islands here, here and here.) I did a mini breakdown of my makeup bag over on the Fenimore Lane IG. Should I do a full medicine cabinet tour? (LMK in the comments–I do harbor a high-key skincare obsession.)
The one thing I didn’t pack? Snacks, because I knew I was hitting that bag of North Fork kettle chips and Swedish Bon Bon sour gummies the second I got into my room ;)
Ten Things On My Radar:
We booked a list minute family trip to Maine and I am so excited. We’re staying at White Barn Inn, and I already am deep in itinerary planning for my girls who are almost 7 and 4. I personally am weirdly excited to visit the Trolley Museum? Auberge offers incredible family experiences, and we’re really looking forward to the beach picnic and dockside family movie night, plus bringing lots of fudge home (my favorite).
Speaking of Maine, I stocked up and bought a chili red colorway of my favorite swimsuit on earth. There is no better one piece, I think it beats Eres. I can’t wait to wear it with these perfect white poplin shorts from Julia Amory. Speaking of JA, her M. Gemi braided leather sandal collab is perfection.
We’ve just started a bunch of new projects–Bellport, Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Rumson, to name a few–and one that I’m really excited about is a circa 1700’s farmhouse in Darien that we are gutting and adding an addition to. You can follow along at my client’s fabulous substack, Antique Tokeneke – this is going to be a very special one. I love working on historical properties and sourcing for this has already sent me down a rabbit hole of antique textiles and reproduction wallpaper prints, antique and vintage Americana casepieces, and reclaimed wood flooring.
Roz’s newest release–Canyon Waves–is the best texturizing spray I’ve ever used. It promises “day two hair on day one” and trust, it delivers. I pair it with Chris McMillan’s hair styling balm and it gives beachy, piecey volume in about thirty seconds.
My Instagram algorithm is entirely garden-based at this point when it’s not feeding me interiors, and when I saw Jenn Streicher’s wildflower meadow in her backyard, I knew I needed to try out some native NY wildflower seeds of my own. I picked up some Eden Brother’s NY mix–I definitely may be too late in the season but my kids are certainly excited about the experiment.
Very into this 100% mineral sunscreen that goes on smooth, developed by Kelly Slater. The chic packaging in Knicks colors doesn’t hurt either. (LGK!!! Still not over it.)
I’m not usually one to evangelize a protein bar, but these ProMix protein puff bars have become a staple in my bags on busy days–with 15 g protein and 5 g fiber, they are a workhorse (and really saved me in the fourth hour of a design presentation last week when I hadn’t eaten lunch before!) I love the Snickerdoodle and Cookies & Cream flavors but they are all great and taste like rice krispies. Thank you Mia Rigden for the excellent rec.
Getting on my AI game. I’ve been dabbling with Claude for months, but my summer goal is to lock-in and get our whole team (both AOI + Fenimore Lane) teed up with systems that help us work more efficiently day to day. Wonderful internet friend Grace Clarke has the best resources that I found via Melanie Masarin’s Substack today.
This year’s summit vendors blew me out of the park. My friend Pia Miranda’s striped tote company Le Sac Sulpice is chic de la chic–I’ve been using mine for a pop of color all the time.
Tory Burch’s tour of her Paris apartment for Vogue is everything and more.