Forever Prep

Hello ladies! Well this adorable young man was staring up at me when I got home yesterday. Virginia Living is an incredible magazine that my Mom and I have subscribed to since it was first published several years ago. It reminds me of "W" with its oversize format but the pages are heavy and glossy, like national magazines... used... to be. So every month I look forward to getting this magazine at home. This issue is the April 2011 issue and the cover feature is called "Forever Prep."

The story inside (starting on page 102) is fantastic, as it discusses the movement behind the Official Preppy Handbook and how it had a surge that re-occurred last year with True Prep (both of which I own, and enjoy for a good chuckle). More specifically, "Forever Prep" mentions how Virginia really has always been a good bit 'preppy,' but that we have really always referred to it as a 'traditional' lifestyle/fashion statement/etc. instead.

As the article states, summer is a verb (Alice!), and yes, we do go by the Old Dominion moniker. Most of us own at least one Jefferson cup, had cotillion and ballet classes, rode in fox hunts, attended steeplechase and went to a single-sex Episcopalian boarding school. Oh, and by the way, even though some silly young women at Randolph-Macon College wear socks with their boat shoes, if you are a real 'Vuh-gin-ian,' you know that is not acceptable and just looks ridiculous. Do you wear socks with your Rainbows? No. So these are your closed-toe equivalent! I am so happy that they chose Hampden-Sydney College and Sweet Briar as the models for this shoot, seeing as the campus is lovely and these men and women do often wear the garb shown (I would know, I attended SBC... natch it was for one semester... but still I did grow up around here)! Here are some more points from Virginia Living about the fashion of women and men in the Commonwealth of Virginia:
Following up on this article, I was very excited to pick up today a booklet on the 78th Annual Historic Garden Week in Virginia. To say that this event is an event, darlin, it is THE event! It is where women compete to have the best gardens, the most beautiful homes and the event, natch, has the Garden Club of Virginia involved. Okay maybe not all people compete, but a lot of them do as getting on the tour is difficult! As a Virginian with both a mother and two grandmothers as current (and former!) officers of their Garden Club chapters in VA, you know I am socially obligated to attend and I love every minute of it!

As you can see, Virgina Living's "Forever Prep" included a list of Virginia's Preppiest Events, which I have kindly included below:

And yes, you can see that #1 event listed is the thing I speak of above. Coincidence? I think not! ha!

"Forever Prep" really is a flattering look at what life is like in Virginia. For me, a native, it is one of the most realistic reflections into this world that is not necessarily about money anymore. It is about culture, tradition and embracing the values that you hold to a highest standard.

Photo Credits go to Virginia Living magazine and photographer Cade Martin. Text in the images provided was written by Caroline Kettlewell.

Honeymoon Locations in the South: Part 1

I'm starting a new series this week - honeymoon locations in the south! [yes, I love the Disney movie Robin Hood. Sue me.]

Today is Part 1, so we will start at a place near my hometown - the Homestead.

The Homestead was founded in 1766 by Capt. Bullett and Andrew Lewis of the Virginia Militia. They built a wood lodge near the famous Hot Springs of Virginia on a tract of 300 acres. Visited by the newly-formed United States Presidents while they were in office (or not), the Homestead grows in popularity. By the early 1800s, Bath County and the Town of Bath, named for the English city are founded. At this point an average of 6,000 people come to "take in the baths" every year.

As early as 1832, the Homestead starts to form itself into the resort that stands today. However, the Homestead has had to resurrect itself many times due to major fires that occurred in previous centuries (literally).

In 1888, J. Pierpont Morgan (of J.P. Morgan fame) purchased the Homestead, as it had gone down in popularity during the Reconstruction era. In 1892, Morgan and additional financiers started renovating the resort and added a new wing. Thomas Edison, a frequent seasonal guest, provided a state of the art power plant. The Virginia Building, West Wing, ladies indoor badminton courts as well as the golf locker room, were completed by 1893.

The Ballroom is added after a major fire in 1901. From 1892-1913, the Old Course at The Homestead is completed by Donald Ross. Almost every single President that has ever been in office has golfed and/or stayed at the Homestead.

Here is a photo of a family taking a carriage ride with a view of the Homestead as it is today:

The Front Porch has tons of rocking chairs to encourage conversation between guests. The entire resort is heavily influenced by the Victorian era.

Be sure to book a suite at the Homestead! Most suites are immaculate in the details of the decor and they are so comfortable. The suites really give you the best deal for your money, and if you are able to drive to your honeymoon, spend that money that would have gone to a plane ticket on a room upgrade! The smallest rooms are almost 200 square feet, with suites going up to 630 sq ft (not including the President Suite). I believe the room pictured below is a Preferred Homestead Suite - which has both a living room and a bedroom and goes up to 500 square feet.

I would recommend honeymooners to stay at the Homestead if they are people who enjoy the outdoors. They offer horseback riding, carriage rides, skiing, ice-skating, canoeing, fly-fishing, archery, paintball, sporting clays, skeet, falconry, riflery, mountain biking and hay rides.

Traditional people would enjoy the Homestead for its classic Southern features that occur indoors as well. Every afternoon Tea is served in the Great Hall. You can enjoy reading by the fireplace or playing games in the Sun Room. You can also go bowling. There is also a spa, too!

Isn't this scene beautiful? Families enjoying the outdoors together. A big band would often play in the Pavilion or out on the lawn. As a child, I enjoyed watching my parents dance cheek to cheek here. I grew up attending Easter brunch, Mother's Day brunch, Memorial Day/Fourth of July/Labor Day parties here on the back lawn by the Pavilion - I even had a few birthday parties here myself!

And if you have kiddies, you should know that in 2010, Travel & Leisure ranked The Homestead #12 of 52 of "The World's Best Hotels for Families." (including my own, below, on my brother's birthday/New Year's Eve... yes I am that kid in the red dress)

Thanks to Disney for the Robin Hood screenshot. Most photos of The Homestead are public domain, Library of Congress or the Virginia Historical Society. If they are not, then they are my own or The Homestead's property.

Kluge's Magnificent Jewels

Patricia Kluge, probably before her $15 billion divorce settlement from John in the early 1990s.

Formerly fabulous Patricia Kluge didn't just lose her home and real estate this past year, she also lost a lot of beautiful jewels. Prior to her foreclosure issues, she claimed the sale was to "clean closet" of her home in Albemarle ('unloading', you could say to 'concentrate' on her wine business). We know the true reason for this sale now. Regardless, the Sotheby's auction of her jewels was just like the sale of her furniture - fantastic stuff sold at super-inflated prices!

Again, as it was written in Luxist: "Ms. Kluge, who is remarried, is now pursuing a life as a winemaker and decided it was time to change her lifestyle. As such, she felt it was time to part with both Albemarle, the enormous estate in Virginia she called home and the incredible collection of world-class jewels given to her by her ex-husband."

Change her lifestyle indeed! ha!!!

Enjoy the following images of her auctioned property:


Platinum, Diamond and Sapphire “Panthère” Wristwatch, Cartier, French, circa 1985.
EST $100,000-150,000
SOLD at $686,500 (including buyer's premium)



Fancy Intense Yellow Diamond Ring
A rectangular mixed-cut diamond of fancy intense yellow color weighing 27.80 carats, flanked by triangular-shaped diamonds weighing 3.50 carats, mounted in platinum and gold, size 7.
EST $400,000-600,000
SOLD at $602,500 (including buyer's premium)



(seen in the top photo)
Platinum and Diamond Pendant Ear clips
Pear-shaped diamonds weighing 13.16, 11.83, 9.33 and 8.74 carats, set in the center with a cluster of smaller pear-shaped diamonds weighing approximately 20.85 carats.
EST $600,000 to $800,000
SOLD at $1,058,500 (including buyers premium)



18k white gold, diamond and sapphire necklace; platinum, diamond and sapphire ear clips (NOT the ring, however)

Necklace: cushion-shaped sapphires weighing approximately 52.00 carats, round and marquise-shaped diamonds weighing a total of approximately 60.50 carats, length 16½ inches.
EST $100,000 to $150,000
Sold at $158,500 (including buyer's premium)

Ear clips: pear-shaped sapphires weighing approximately 21.75 carats, round sapphires weighing approximately 8.35 carats, and round and oval diamonds weighing approximately 12.00 carats, pendants detachable.
EST $75,000 to $100,000
Sold at $116,500 (including buyer's premium)


Patricia Kluge in a more recent photo:


Read more at the Palm Beach Daily News. And at New York Social Diary.
Photos are property of Sotheby's except where noted.

An Auction, not Bonfire, of Vanities

I promised my readers last week that I would tell y’all the tragic tale of the former ‘Queen of Albemarle’ wineries. Ms. Patricia Kluge, ex-wife of the late philanthropist John Kluge (died Sept 2010 at age 95 and most famous for founding Metromedia), has been in financial hot water for the past year+ (at least publicly)...

It all got questionable - to me - in July 2007 when she abruptly closed Fuel, Co. a gas station/bistro mix after being open for barely four years. It has all gone downhill since that first closing. Clearly Kluge and her latest husband have run her massive divorce settlement from John Kluge into the ground. This past summer, Kluge held an auction with Sotheby’s at her expansive home Albemarle House.

That sale grossed $15.2 million dollars. Since that time, Kluge has lost the expansive Albemarle House as well, expansive as it is 25,000+ square feet. Originally, Albemarle House was listed for sale at $100 million but has continually dropped in this economy. This does not include her Vineyard, the real estate development Vineyard Estates and additional assets in the area.

Kluge has creditors up in arms here, owing money to Farm Credit, Sonabank and Bank of America. Local businesses are owed tens of hundreds of thousands of dollars - can you imagine having those massive amounts owed on your books during tax season? What a nightmare - this includes construction companies for renovations as well as almost $3,000 owed to a local pool maintenance company. Such a sad thing. What is even worse is that while they haven't missed a single payment of the $1.2 million gift to the local community college Piedmont Virginia Community College --- they have only made five payments while five still remain on the Kluge-Moses Science Building (which has already been completed, opened even, for over a year now).

As you marvel at this large estate, understand that it isn't a real estate. The Kluge's built it in 1985.

Please enjoy a photo tour....

"King George III Serpentine Walnut Cabinet"


"King George III Serpentine Dressing Comode"


"the average wall lights"



"Living Room (in the English style)"



"Drawing/Music Room"


"the average wall clock at Albemarle House (Qing dynasty Guangzhou Imperial Clock)"


"Dining Room table"


"Dining Room"


"The Hallway"


"Back porch"



"The Rose Terrace"

Most information I knew first-hand, but some statistics may have come from The Hook story called “Reversal of Fortune” by Lisa Provence. She clearly did her job of covering all of the bases on this story – you go, shug! Most photos are of public domain, but some are from The Hook and Sotheby's.

My Christmas Wishlist

Me at Christmas around 1994. This photo was taken at my Grandmama/Grandpapa's house on Jackson Avenue in Lexington, VA. LOVE my skirt! ha!


In my family, as there are so many of us, we have to write a list every year. It gets given to the significant other and the parents are both CC:d on the email. Basically, this list is done so there is no possible duplication of gifts. I was surprised to learn as I grew up that I had many friends who never did a list! Imagine my surprise! Wow!

Anyway, I am one of those people who always asks for books. I think books are the one amendment to the rule on not re-gifting. You can re-gift a book, or give a used book, and it is just as good as a brand new one. You are being good to the Earth, and what if the book is something perfect for a friend or family member. Obviously, I normally own up to it being "used" or whatever, and give another gift to even things out a bit, but I never see why that is wrong, right? [Although if the book smells like cigarettes, or you are giving a book to a germaphobe, then things may want to be adjusted on a case-by-case basis! ha!]

The following items are some of the many things on my wish list this year. These are normally guidelines for family who just don't know what to get me, so these are normally a list of want/needs:

The Cricut Expression. It is an expensive item, but I know with my jewelry-making, scrap-booking and other heart-friendly activities that I would use the heck out of this item. It looks like something way more entertaining and time-saving in comparison to my current trace-and-cut methods for items! Plus, I see it as ideal for things like designing attractive boxes for presentation (i.e. a pair of earrings I designed, etc.).



The Conair I-series Ionic hair dryer. Yes, it is a pink hairdryer! However, it is an ionic hairdryer which is way more forgiving on my thin, baby-fine hair. It can take my hair 5 hours to air dry, literally. This hair dryer should help me figure out how to style my hair now that it is to my belly-button. I am running out of ideas and I really don't want to chop it off, yet!



One of the most controversial films of its time (the glove strip-tease scene), Gilda is an American film classic. I love this movie and the music, the dancing and Rita Hayworth! I have been compared to her (hello, super compliment) and I just love her as such a vivacious character in this film!



Trailer for Gilda, a Columbia Pictures film:



From Williams-Sonoma, I asked for the long stainless steel All-Clad ladle. I make lots of stocks from scratch in a big tall stock pot, as well as making lots of soups and stews in the winter, so I would get a lot of wear out of this kitchen piece.



I love a specific product from Origins, called Clear Improvement. It is a fantastic mask that I can rely on to completely resurface my face and neck to baby-soft cleanliness. It uses charcoal, white Chinese clay and other ingredients to completely clear my pores out. Love. Love. Love!



As I began my entry, I mentioned books. I asked for several this year for Christmas, but here are a few of my favorites:

The 1982 edition of Martha Stewart's Entertaining:


The Woman's Guide to Law School by Linda Hirshman:


and, the book Pinstripes and Pearls: The Women of the Harvard Law Class of 1964 by Judith Hope:



What did you ask for for Christmas?