Agenda: August

August in Texas means triple-digit temperatures and heat stroke, which means we're hitting the road y'all for end of summer getaways - some for fun, some for business. After Jami caught a week-long National Premier Baseball Championship with her oldest son (did you see the adorable - sorry, Joseph, I mean, handsome - picture of him pitching in Lubbock?), she headed to D.C., NYC, and New Jersey to visit family. (Jami, we hope all those Cake Boss pictures in Hoboken means you're bringing us back some serious goodies!) If we were with her, we would make sure to hit all of the Mr.'s restaurants in D.C.: Founding Farmers and Farmers Fishers Bakers, the award-winning and crazy delicious restaurants on every top brunch and lunch lists you can find in the area. Now, if we can only talk Joe into bringing the chicken and waffles or grilled cheeseburger to us!

Founders Farmers and Farmers Fishers Bakers award-winning drinks and meals. From left: The best Bloody Mary ever, the Best Day of Your Life brunch featuring chicken and waffles, and the much written about grilled cheeseburger. Yum!

Laurel is striking out too. She's been pounding the pavement to source a uniquely curated selection of vintage tabletop for our new P.O.S.H. Vintage Collection, with goods ranging from Pink Depression ribbed footed sherbet compotes to amber chalices and an eclectic assortment of fine china to make every meal memorable. We can hardly wait to share more with you. Stay tuned!
 

P.O.S.H. Vintage: From left: A selection of the personally curated collection of dinner plates; our exclusive of Robins Egg Blue Limoges Dinner Plates; a quick peek at the Depression-era glassware, from amber and pink to dark blue.

Those of us sticking around for staycations are catching up on our favorite blogs and planning our own alfresco dinners and backyard (or maybe indoor/air-conditioned) happy hours. To get inspired and brush up on etiquette, we've been reading the Bergdorf Goodman blog 5th/58th posts on e-etiquette, David Stark's entertaining tips, and the art of handwritten letters. With Fall just around the corner, it's time to plan before the hectic social season is in full swing. Be sure to follow us this month as we offer tips on transitioning your tabletop from summer to fall, etiquette and tabletop questions, plus a few guest posts from our muses.

From left: E-etiquette, party planning with David Stark, letter writing. Photo courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman

billet-doux: The Chagall Collection

 

The beautiful and colorful imagery of Marc Chagall in The Chagall Collection by Bernardaud, currently available at the Dallas Museum of Art. Image courtesy of the DMA.

We are having a serious love affair with Bernardaud’s tabletop pieces entitled The Chagall Collection. The art of setting a table is taken literally with Limoges porcelain pieces depicting the Russian-born and French artist's work. Marc Chagall was known for his colorful painting, sculptures, and even costumes, especially in France. What we wouldn't give to see a full tablescape built around these gorgeous pieces of art. To see these beauties in person, get thee to the Dallas Museum of Art. Not to toot our own horns, but Dallas is the only U.S. city featuring Chagall's work then it's all back to France. To read more about this fantastic exhibit entitled Chagall: Beyond Color, co-organized by La Piscine Museum, Roubaix, France, and the DMA (and exclusively in these two cities)  visit here. 

Marc Chagall, Costume for a Clown (Aleko Scene II), 1942, Private collection, Paris © Archives Marc et Ida Chagall. © 2012 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris

Marc Chagall, Model for the curtain "The Firebird", The Enchanted Forest, 1945, Private collection, © Archives Marc et Ida Chagall. © 2012 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris

Marc Chagall, Between Darkness and Night, 1943, oil on canvas, private collection;  © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris