True Prep

Summer is over and the minni preps are back in school while the older set catches up on the real world after spending the summer, well, you know, summering. It is hard to believe but September 7th is just days away and of course we all know that that means...we can finally get our hands on a copy of True Prep!

I have been SO excited for the newest edition of The Official Preppy Handbook to debut for months, actually since way back in March (thanks to this little article) to be exact. I plan to pick up a copy at O'Hare as soon as I land on Tuesday morning (I hope airport bookstores stock things quickly!!!).

So put on Brooks Brothers shirt (preferably a no-iron so that you look fresh when you arise after reading), a Vineyard vines belt, your newest Lilly skirt, a pair of Stubbs and grab a cashmere cable throw and sit back and enjoy the preppiest book on the block!

Snapshots of the Other India

God loves a lullaby
In a mothers tears in the dead of night
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes. God loves a drunkards cry,
The soldiers plea not to let him die
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful the mess we are
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

The woman holding on for life,
The dying man giving up the fight
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes

The tears of shame for what's been done,
The silence when the words won't come
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

Better than a church bell ringing,
Better than a choir singing out, singing out.

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful the mess we are
The honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah

**Please note all these people knew their photo was taken. The children here especially LOVE having their photos taking and always ask you to take more and more. Also, the below photos clearly indicate that India can be a very difficult place to visit. While I would love to be able to change the lives of every person I see that is sadly not possible. Instead I have concentrated my efforts on those closest to our family as well as certain charities. If you are interested in learning more about helping people here in India I would be happy to email you a list of amazing organizations.**

Bon Voyage!

After a fantastic week Cassie is back to the US tonight. I am sure she is just heartbroken to leave the heat and INTENSE humidity behind. This trip has been such fun and I am so thankful to have such a fantastic friend. We have had gone to some of the grandest events and also seem things we never imagined we would see, many left us heartbroken. The past week has been a fantastic Indian whirlwind and I am so glad to have experiences it with such an amazing friend! Delhi misses you already Cassie!!!

Hermes

Last night Cassie and I were two lucky ladies! We were two of just 25 people invited to the launch of the newest Hermes perfume, Voyage d'Hermes, in India!!
We enjoyed an evening of luxury at the Oberoi hotel here in New Delhi. Champagne was poured, a one act, solo show was put on, introductions of the perfum (which is DIVINE and oh so elegant in scenet) were given and a wonderful video was shown.

The evening was made complete with delicious canapes and exquisite desserts and of course lots of orange and brown!

I especially loved the Pegasus balloons throughout the room. If you watch the Voyage d'Hermes video below you will understand the reference.

Last night's Hermes event was one of the best events I have ever been to. Not only did we enjoy a marvelous evening, but the people we met were nothing short of delightful! A treat all around!

India: Day Six

It is hard to believe how quickly the time is flying by in India. We have again had a wonderful day here in New Delhi. Today, we visited one of the oldest areas of the city before stopping by the presidential palace for photos and then looking for monkeys on our drive home. Tonight, we are in for a real treat- we have been invited to the new fragrance launch party for Hermes!!! Time is certainly flying by, but we are taking full advantage and enjoying every minute in India! Below are several snapshots from the last week.
India is full of beautiful ribbons- the animal prints are new and we adore them!
Traditional shoes- it was hard to pick a favorite!
I have become quite the bargainer here in India.
As mentioned before, they do amazing handywork here in India.
Again, it was hard to pick a favorite, but as long as there were elephants I was set!

Tunics

Today has been another busy day in India. We ran around town, had appointments with pashmina vendors, visited a slum, enjoyed a traditional Indian lunch and finished off the day upstairs with our delightful neighbors. In the midst of all the excitement I neglected to capture the majority of the day. Instead, I have decided to share photos from one of my very favorite shops in New Delhi- a local tunic store!

I am a HUGE fan of tunics and had talked this store up to Cassie. So, as soon as we had a break in our busy social schedule we all hopped in the car and headed over to take a look.

I spotted this LOVELY pink tunic as soon as I walked in and just had to try it on. This particular shade of pink is a new addition to the designer's collection is I fell in love with it.
I also fell in love with the above black tunic. Third time is a charm, right?!

You can customize any tunic to fit your specific tastes. After flipping through the silk book you can than choose your style, embroidery color and motifs.

If that is still not enough you are even able to bring in your own motif! For instance, mother made a ginger jar tunic done to match a pair of Stubbs and Wooten shoes!

The hand work in India is nothing short of stunning. You are surrounded by beautiful things everywhere you look!

On another note, today we popped into the famous boot maker at Connaught Place while in the area. As soon as we walked in I spotted (and fell in love with) this wonderful pair of boots (on the left):
As luck would have it they were the ONLY boots in the store in my size as you have to custom order your boots. These were made for a polo player and did not end up working out so they are now for sale for a very small fraction of the original price. After trying this on and getting Cassie and mother's opinions I decided to sleep on it and that is where you come in. I need you opinion dear readers- to buy, or not to buy?

India is such an amazing country! I feel so blessed to have been able to visit so many times over the past 18 months. It has been and adventure and a learning experience. I am constantly reminded how lucky I am to live the life I do. In fact, we are all SO lucky- the fact you are sitting here reading this little blog means you have access to a computer. We are more blessed than we know. Never forget to count your blessings and give thanks at the end of everyday!

Jewels

India is known for their jewelry (Tiffany has loads made here) so on Monday we were off to some of the best jewelry stores in town! Above is a photo of one of the top shopping areas in New Delhi- it is home to many of the top jewelers in the country.
One of the best things about India is that you can arrive with any idea in your head and have that idea made into a reality.

So, mother, Cassie and I had loads of fun holding HUGE gemstones and putting our creativity to work.

The end result is sure to be beyond fabulous!!

The Taj

Yesterday, we were up VERY early and off to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. This was my second time to visit the Taj and it was just as amazing as the first.
Since we made the drive from New Delhi in one day (it is a mini miracle we made it alive- more to come on that later) we did not arrive until 9:30am. For my long time readers you know how lucky mother and I were last summer to be the first people into the Taj and to get VIP style photos with no people in the background- I will be forever thankful that mother forced me out of bed at 4:30am because that was a once in a lifetime experience!

Anyhow, even with the later arrival the Taj Mahal was still as beautiful as ever. It truly is a sight to be seen and photos do not do it justice. You can literally just sit and gaze and never tire of its' beauty. If you ever have the opportunity to visit, you MUST!

The marble inlay both inside and out are incredibly stunning. Can you believe the Taj Mahal was built 400 years ago? It is an architectural feat!

We cut our tour short due to the heat and headed back to the Oberoi to a well deserved lunch. We enjoyed lunch while gazing out to the monument built to love!

Fun Fact: the four spires at the Taj were built to lean slightly outward. This way, in the event that there is ever an earthquake they will not hit the monument, but rather fall away from it. Amazing engineering!

Another amazing day spent in incredible India!

India: Day Two

It has been a BUSY few days in India. We have been taking full advantage of waking up early and packing as much as possible into each of our treasured days here... as a dear friends says "you only live once," right?!

Saturday morning we headed down to the fabric district in New Delhi. Mother and I have a small obsession with fabric so we had to bring Cassie along for the ride. We also had the dress maker coming later in the evening and needed to pick out fabric for all our designs. The dress maker is amazing and can do just about anything for you- I cannot wait to post photos of everything when he drops it off later next week!
We also popped into a trim store while in the fabric district and I could not resist a photo of the grosgrain. Unlike just about everything else here, grosgrain is actually very expensive.

More fabric shopping at an outdoor market. It was SO hot by 11am so excuse the "fresh" look on all our faces!
While in our last fabric store I spotted a Twilight Sari. I was tempted to buy it for several die hard fan friends, but settled for a photo instead. How unique is this though?!

Before my trip a friend had asked me is McDonald's had a different menu in India. While running errands yesterday we decided to pop in and find out for ourselves. The menu here is full of many specialty Indian items- are you up for the McAloo Tikki, a Maharaja Burger or the Paneer Salsa Wrap?! My taste buds were not in need of any food so I opted to just take a photo.

Today has been another BUSY and H-O-T day in India. We got up before the sunrise and headed to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and are already back home. More information to follow, but enjoy a small preview of Cassie and I at the Oberoi before heading to the monument of love! Have a wonderful Sunday, it is now time for bed in New Delhi!

Delhi Time

After a very long, but thankfully uneventful flight, Cassie and I arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening. After settling in it was off to bed because we had a HUGE day ahead of us on Friday!
Mother had invited 50 friends over for a meet and greet party so we were up early (6am thanks to the time change) and kick started our day my wrapping the door in Lilly paper. I had brought loads of Lilly gator items per mother's request since everything needed to coordinate.
Mother sprinkled pink roses all the way down our stairs to welcome our guests. They smelled SO wonderful and looked beautiful too!

Mother also set up little fruit arrangements with matching Lilly pinwheels on each landing- no detail was overlooked, that is for sure.

Of course there was loads and loads of delicious food!

Our favorite red velvet cupcakes (except since there is no free trade you cannot get red food coloring in India so they were not red...). Mother gave the baker at the Oberoi our family's favorite red velvet recipe. My great grandmother convinced the chef at the Waldorf to give her the recipe many years ago and it has been present at family events ever since. The frosting is unlike any frosting you have ever tasted- it is DELICIOUS!

Mother and I posing with one of the spreads! Like mother, like daughter.

After the party we all ran out to the purse makers shop, then we took Cassie to our beloved Soma before heading to the British High Commission for tea. We were given a private tour of the residence after tea and even saw where Prince Charles will be staying in a few short weeks. This was such a treat!!

We finally ended the day at a friends flat in the West End. They were having a send off for a boy that will be going boarding school and the theme was TOGA! Cassie and I were asked to be the toga contest judges and had such fun scooping everyone out in the intense humidity.

Busy, but FUN days here in India!

Today, we are off to the fabric district shortly and then have hair and nail appointments this afternoon and will end the day with a traditional Indian meal!