My first few weeks as White House Social Secretary were pretty overwhelming. It wasn’t simply that there were so many people to meet and things to learn; there were events almost every day, and the next day, and the next week, and the next month. It was like jumping onto a racing treadmill, catching the pace, and then speeding up as fast as the machine would go. And, of course, there is the WH way of doing things: after decades […]
My friend, Susie Poneman, owns and manages a floral design studio in the Washington, DC area called Heavenly Hydrangeas. Her business grew from a love of entertaining and gardening; in fact, she has over 100 of the flowers in her home garden and took the name of her business from her own heavenly hydrangeas. Since 2005, when a donation of flower arrangements to a charity auction received such rave reviews she was encouraged to begin her business, she and her team of […]
Ottolenghi Lamb Cutlets with Fig and Goat Cheese Salad Serves 4 Prep Time 45 minutes
My husband really hates to exercise. In fact, he prefers not to break a sweat under any circumstances, and if possible, to avoid exercising outdoors at all times. If I can persuade him to take a walk with me, we have a negotiation over the route: he will walk if we stay on the sidewalks, but if I suggest we go through the woods in Dumbarton Oaks Park, he’s out. These are the minor quirks of a long-married couple, but […]
It’s not the thought that counts; it’s how thoughtful the thought is… The other day I was wrapping a few hostess gifts and thinking they needed a little pizzazz. They were perfectly acceptable gifts, but it’s not enough for me to give a gift; Ineed to see that the giftee really, really likes it. There’s no pleasure in giving something that elicits a meh. Gift-giving can be a source of anxiety in modern life. Too many people confuse the cost […]
