Sunny weekend

I hope everyone is enjoying this hot sunny weather. This amazing French ormolu decoration at the Getty seems the very height of summer sun to me!

Time is ticking....

This baroque chinoiserie clock from the Getty reminds me that summer is ticking away. I've had so many things going on I've barely had time to write about any of them but look forward to some interesting posts in the near future!

Montauk

The first stop in the Hamptons was the very tip of Long Island (to avoid traffic) - fabled Montauk. An old surf town, Montauk has really become the 'cool' young hang-out of the Hamptons with the best beaches and a laid back feeling in contrast to the other areas.

The coolest place to hang out is the charming 'Surf Lodge'. The vibe here reminded me a lot of the Soho Beach house we stayed in in Miami - old school, perfect and trendy: sort of like a photoshoot from the store anthropologie come to life.

Full of cool spots to hang out, such as the sunken living room filled with books and records, or the bar with fun game tables, this is where you want to spend the heat of the day while not eating in the chic restaurant or relaxing on the adjacent lake.

We were there early in the morning to avoid crowds so I was able to snap these pictures to give you a feel for the space.

Adjacent to the main building is the block of hotel rooms facing the lake. I love the private decks on each room with individual hammocks!

An outdoor shower is the perfect place to rinse off before heading into the restaurant.

The bucolic lake really was tempting though: inside or outside, that is the problem.

Even the transportation was stylish: I loved this coral painted retro bicycle outside.

The small beach town has a lot of restaurants, one of which had this sign which caught my eye. Now, do you think the piano player has to be able to multitask or hopefully, these functions would be done seperately!

On the way into East Hampton from Montauk is the oldest horse breeder in the country, dating back to the 17th century. What a perfect place to learn how to ride, right on the beach too! In the next few posts I'll show my highlights from the towns in the Hamptons, including the Hamptons Designer showhouse which was the start of the whole trip to begin with. Stay tuned!

Sag Harbor's Old Whalers Church

I'm back from a long weekend spent in the Hamptons and while I organize my photos and unpack, I wanted to leave you with an amazing church I saw in Sag Harbor: The Old Whalers Church. Designed by Minard LaFever in 1840, the building incorporates the then popular Greek revival style with the unusual and quirky Egyptian Revival Style. The original 185 foot tall steeple blew down in the hurricane of 1938 but they hope to rebuild it at some point. I saw this church on a small street in the center of town and it literally took my breath away! Can you blame me?

historic photo courtesy of cardcow.com As always -the other is my own.