Wag Magazine May 2018

ROMA DOWNEY Touched by butterflies

Old gardens new again in Greenwich IN THE FIELD With The Hickories, the Native Plant Center & White Flower Farm CATHY GRAHAM Tables in ‘Bloom’ DANIEL OST Orchids as architecture RORY WORBY’S Studies in silk Celebrating Mother’s Day

INSPIRED BY NATURE’S BEAUTY WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD LIFE MAY 2018 | WAGMAG.COM

JUDGED A

TOP

MAGAZINE

IN NEW YORK STATE 2014, 2015, 2016

®ROBERTOCOIN

NEW BAROCCO & CENTO COLLECTIONS

VIVIAN Her search for world-class spine surgery brought her back home.

When even the smallest tasks caused her severe pain, Vivian Scrocca went to see her doctor who told her she would need back surgery. Fortunately Dr. Andrew Casden, a top spine surgeon from New York City, had just joined the White Plains Hospital Center for Orthopedic & Spine Surgery. Dr. Casden and his partner Dr. Jared Brandoff performed a minimally invasive procedure that eliminated Vivian’s pain and got her back on her feet the same day.

Now, Vivian can enjoy gardening and vacations with the grandkids once again.

Find your pain relief at exceptionaleveryday.org/spine or call (914) 849-MyMD A M E M B E R O F T H E M O N T E F I O R E H E A LT H S Y S T E M

Making Westchester County More Beautiful, One Body At A Time.

Serving Westchester county for over 12 years we have helped the county grow. At the same time, we’re making its people smaller.

Shedding fat and bulges without the usual pain and sweat.

CoolSculpting permanently removes fat by freezing fat cells.

It’s non-invasive with no downtime. We’re the only facility in Connecticut to be awarded Club 5000 status, requiring 5000 procedures. We’ve far exceeded that number with 6,500.

Experience matters. It’s how we’re making Westchester County smaller and more beautiful, one body at a time.

1285 E. Putnam Avenue • Greenwich, CT 06878 645 Post Road E. • Westport, CT 06880 203.637.0662 • greenwichmedicalspa.com Medical Director: Mitchell Ross, MD, Board Certified Dermatologist Catherine Curtin, APRN • Amanda Pucci, APRN • Shilpa Desai, PA

P

INJE

C

R

EX

RT

TO

E

201 7

P

O

E

T

EX

R

201 7

C RT INJE

®ROBERTOCOIN

SYMPHONY COLLECTION

CONTENTS MAY 201 8

12

The nature nurture divide

16

Shock and awe, à la française

18

When French parks and gardens became French

20

A rare flower

24

Cherry blossom time

26

The (not-so-secret) life of bees

30

Impressionist garden to flourish, again

48

Lazy in the best sense

52

A catalog in bloom

56

The garden goes native

60

Going organic with flowers

66

‘Floral jewels’ at Teatown

84

Back to her roots

90

Meghan Markle says it with flowers

34

94

38

96

42

98

44

100

A new season blossoms Creativity in ‘Bloom’

Printing a rosy legend

The nature of design

Gifts for the globetrotting mom A rare bloom – Vanessa Williams Sparkling on and off the field Mother love

72

COVER STORY

ROMA DOWNEY

Detail of an arrangement at the “Spring Blossoms” flower show at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown. Photograph by Bob Rozycki.

Modern Loft Dining

Fine furniture for the way we live today. Handmade in America since 1900.

Manhattan 212.337.0700 | White Plains 914.948.6333 | Paramus 201.845.4649 Farmingdale 631.770.3910 | Brookfield 203.885.0954 | East Hanover, NJ 862.701.3551

FEATURES H I G H LI G HTS

68

WAY Riverside paradise

76

WARES Living outdoors at home

78

WHAT’S COLLECTIBLE? A silver lining for Georg Jensen pieces

80

WEAR Read any good handbags lately?

82

WEAR Floral is back

86

WEAR What price beauty?

104

WANDERS The blooming of Berlin

106

WANDERS Blossom bliss on Nantucket

110

WONDERFUL DINING All the comforts of mom at La Scarbitta

112

WINE & DINE The value of wine ‘cellars’

114

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Café La Fondita arrives

118

WELL A haven in the mind

120

WELL The hip bone’s connected to the…

122

PET OF THE MONTH A pooch that is all heart

124

PET PORTRAITS Ambassador of love

126

WHEN & WHERE Upcoming events

130

WATCH We’re out and about

144

WIT What's the best advice your mother ever gave you?

ROMA DOWNEY Touched by butterflies

Old gardens new again in Greenwich

COVER:

IN THE FIELD With The Hickories, the Native Plant Center & White Flower Farm CATHY GRAHAM Tables in ‘Bloom’ DANIEL OST Orchids as architecture RORY WORBY’S Studies in silk Celebrating Mother’s Day

INSPIRED BY NATURE’S BEAUTY WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD LIFE MAY 2018 | WAGMAG.COM

JUDGED A

TOP

MAGAZINE

IN NEW YORK STATE 2014, 2015, 2016

Roma Downey See story on page 72.

Photograph by John Rizzo.

106 80 104

COVER STORY

118

122

For over 25 years, Tranquility Spa has been a destination location in Westchester for a calming, life-enhancing experience – an ideal place for guests to relax their bodies, focus their minds, improve their moods, increase their sense of well-being, and get away from the stresses of daily life. Tranquility also offers a number of treatments to help manage fine lines, lighten age spots, and relieve dry skin by infusing it with moisture.

Massage Therapies Couples Massage Spa Facials Body Treatments Waxing Day-Of-Pamper Spa Packages Custom Parties NEW! Laser Treatments by Cutera®

Gift Certificates for all Tranquility Spa Services available online: TranquilitySpa.com

917 Central Park Avenue • Scarsdale • 914.713.0066 • www.TranquilitySpa.com Monday-Friday 9AM-9PM • Saturday/Sunday 9-6PM • Ample Free Parking

PUBLISHER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dee DelBello

Dan Viteri

PUBLISHER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR dee@westfairinc.com

CO-CREATIVE DIRECTOR dviteri@westfairinc.com

EDITORIAL Georgette Gouveia EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ggouveia@westfairinc.com Mary Shustack SENIOR WRITER/EDITOR

Audrey Ronning Topping FEATURES WRITER

ART

Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities enable us to keep our quality high and our prices low.

• Home Office & Mudroom Areas • Entertainment Centers • Bookcases • Pantries • Garage Systems QUA • Accessories LI

FIR TY ST

Kelsie Mania ART DIRECTOR kmania@westfairinc.com

Sebastián Flores ART DIRECTOR sflores@westfairinc.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Anthony Carboni, Sebastián Flores, John Rizzo, Bob Rozycki

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jena A. Butterfield, Alexandra DelBello, Ryan Deffenbaugh, Aleesia Forni, Gina Gouveia, Phil Hall, Debbi K. Kickham, Laura Joseph Mogil, Jane Morgan, Doug Paulding, Jennifer Pitman, Danielle Renda, Giovanni Roselli, Bob Rozycki, Gregg Shapiro, Barbara Barton Sloane, Brian Toohey, Seymour Topping, Jeremy Wayne

Peter Katz COPY EDITOR

Billy Losapio ADVISER

ADVERTISING SALES Anne Jordan Duffy SALES MANAGER / ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER anne@westfairinc.com

Lisa Cash, Barbara Hanlon, Cindy Pagnotta, Marcia Pflug, Patrice Sullivan ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

Featured in This Old House Magazine!

Factory Direct!

Josephine Biondi EVENTS MANAGER jbiondi@westfairinc.com

Danielle Renda DIGITAL CONTENT DIRECTOR drenda@westfairinc.com

Robin Costello ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER rcostello@westfairinc.com

Marcia Pflug DIRECTOR, PROMOTIONS AND SPONSORS mpflug@wfpromote.com

Marcia Rudy CIRCULATION SALES marcia@westfairinc.com

Sylvia Sikoutris CIRCULATION SALES sylvia@westfairinc.com

WHAT IS WAG?

Some readers think WAG stands for “Westchester and Greenwich.”

We certainly cover both. But mostly, a WAG is a wit and that’s how we think of ourselves, serving up piquant stories and photos to set your own tongues wagging.

HEADQUARTERS A division of Westfair Communications Inc., 3 Westchester Park Drive, White Plains, NY 10604 Telephone: 914-694-3600 | Facsimile: 914-694-3699 Website: wagmag.com | Email: ggouveia@westfairinc.com All news, comments, opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations in WAG are those of the authors and do not constitute opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations of the publication, its publisher and its editorial staff. No portion of WAG may be reproduced without permission.WAG is distributed at select locations, mailed directly and is available at $24 a year for home or office delivery. To subscribe, call 914-694-3600, ext. 3020. All advertising inquiries should be directed to Anne Jordan at 914694-3600, ext. 3032 or email anne@westfairinc.com. Advertisements are subject to review by the publisher and acceptance for WAG does not constitute an endorsement of the product or service. WAG (Issn: 1931-6364) is published monthly and is owned and published by Westfair Communications Inc. Dee DelBello, CEO, dee@westfairinc.com

New Co-Owners

Debra OShea and Anastasia Cucinella CO-OWNERS We are thrilled to continue the legacy ANASTASIA CUCINELLA AND DEBRA OSHEA. of dressing women in the best designers from around the world!

COME EXPERIENCE THE EXTRAORDINARY!

Please visit us at

www.mjdenzer.com

914-328-0330

WAGGERS

TH E TALENT B EH I N D O U R PAG E S

JENA A. BUTTERFIELD

ROBIN COSTELLO

RYAN DEFFENBAUGH

ALEXANDRA DELBELLO

ALEESIA FORNI

GINA GOUVEIA

PHIL HALL

DEBBI K. KICKHAM

LAURA JOSEPH MOGIL

DOUG PAULDING

DANIELLE RENDA

JOHN RIZZO

GIOVANNI ROSELLI

MARY SHUSTACK

BARBARA BARTON SLOANE

AUDREY TOPPING

SEYMOUR TOPPING

JEREMY WAYNE

COVER STORY, PG.72 GEORGETTE GOUVEIA. Photograph by Bob Rozycki.

Kudos…

To Westfair Communications’ and WAG’s own Phil Hall, who won first place in the Connecticut Press Club’s recent contest for his podcast “The Online Movie Show” and third place for “Greenwich Lightning Strikes,” his charming story about a rookie Little League team that ran in August 2017 WAG. Phil’s a great feature and deadline writer. Let’s just say, we’re glad we have him on our team.

— Georgette Gouveia

8

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

EDITOR’S LETTER G EO RG E T TE GO U VEIA

M

ay WAG, inspired by flowers and gardens, is always, hands down, our prettiest issue. But this year, pretty gets a bit of a makeover.

Herein we introduce our Mother’s Day section, which includes Debbi’s guide to gifts for the globetrotting mom; Gregg’s interview with singer-actress Vanessa Williams, who talks about her close relationship with her music-teacher mother, Helen Tinch Williams, with whom she wrote the memoir “You Have No Idea;” Audrey’s survey of animal mothers; and Danielle’s look at a ring from Shreve, Crump & Low in Greenwich that would make a lovely Mother’s Day gift.

Of course, May is not only the month of mothers but one for brides, and our Mother’s Day section includes a story previewing the latest “wedding of the century” — the May 19 marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, whose flowers and bouquet will pay tribute to various House of Windsor matriarchs.

Indeed, the future duchess is said to be partial to flowers, with peonies a particular passion. But then, who doesn’t love flora? “One flower can say more than 10,000 words,” says designer Daniel Ost, who turned this year’s “Orchid Show” at the New York Botanical Garden into an architectonic marvel. “It’s knowing where to place it.”

In these pages, you’ll find plenty of instruction and inspiration to help you place your blooms, whether in a vase or a garden. Jena’s profile of Catherine Wachs, Larchmont’s so-called Lazy Gardener, Laura’s visit to the Native Plant Center in Valhalla, and Gina’s trips to Litchfield County’s White Flower Farm and Ridgefield’s The Hickories offer abundant resources for the gardening enthusiast.

Meanwhile, our salute to The Metropolitan Museum of Art — which considers one of the ultimate landscaped showplaces, Versailles, and the 19th-century parks and gardens that would make Paris truly French — provides refreshing escape, as does Mary’s visit to Lyndhurst’s “Spring Blossoms” flower show; Barbara’s to Berlin — city of culture and horticulture; and Jeremy’s to a blooming Nantucket.

Some of our stories concern those creatures that pollinate flowers and gardens. Danielle interviews the Mount Kisco couple, Paula Sharp and Ross Eatman, whose photographs chronicle the not-so-secret life of wild bees in an exhibit at the 10

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Bruce Museum in Greenwich.

Another great pollinator is the butterfly, which figures prominently in a new memoir by our cover subject, actress-producer Roma Downey, which she launched at The Perfect Provenance in Greenwich. (She and Provenance owner Lisa Lori share a desire to help those born with cleft palates through the organization Operation Smile.)

For Downey — who grew up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and lost her mother as a child — the butterfly has long represented the transcendent power of divine love and human gratitude. But Downey herself is like a butterfly — alighting on those in need, spreading light and joy. She’s a rare creature.

So is our own Phil Hall, who was honored recently by the Connecticut Press Club. (See note on Page 8). Phil has a gift for the carefully curated, offbeat yarn, as seen here in his story about a 19th-century Connecticut woman’s connection to the song “The Yellow Rose of Texas” — a connection that says more about American mythmaking than it does about history.

Reading Phil’s twisting tale Mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico, on an interior door of Café La reminds me of what a fan from Fondita in Mamaroneck. Photograph by Sebastián Flores. (See story on Page 114).

Scarsdale recently said to me about WAG: “I learn things from the magazine that I would not otherwise Lambda Literary Awards finalist, and “Water have known.”

Music” (Greenleaf Book Group). They’re part of Invoking Downey’s attitude of gratitude, we’re her novel series “The Games Men Play,” which is grateful for Phil — and all the other blossoms in our also the name of her sports/culture/sex blog at WAG garden. thegamesmenplay.com. Readers can find her A 2018 Folio Women in Media award winner, novel “Seamless Sky” and installments of her Georgette Gouveia is the author of “The Penal“Daimon: A Novel of Alexander the Great” at ty for Holding” (Less Than Three Press), a 2018 wattpad.com.

NEW LUXURY APARTMENTS FOR RENT IN CHAPPAQUA

AMENITIES INCLUDE Two landscaped interior courtyards On-site walking trail Outdoor playground area Large gym and separate exercise room

NOW OPEN!

Two laundry rooms Beautiful club/multi-purpose room, including kitchenette Reading library with dramatic views Shuttle service to Chappaqua Metro North Station

The historic cupola building located on the former Reader’s Digest headquarters has been converted into a one-of-a-kind apartment community.

Wilder Balter Partners Inc. is a leading developer of award-winning, new construction homes in the New York metropolitan area. Since 1975, the company has built affordable residential communities and luxury homes in Westchester, Suffolk and Fairfield County and the Hudson Valley. A multi-service real estate company, development, construction and property management are seamlessly supervised.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please visit our website at www.chappaqua-crossing-apartments.com Or call 914-610-3711

12

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

the

nature nurture divide

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

With four late-winter nor’easters virtually back to back (to back to back), many in WAG country have concluded what others have long suspected:

Asher B. Durand’s “Progress (The Advance of Civilization)” (1853), oil on canvas. Private collection.

Mother Nature is a, well, rhymes with witch.

But is nature really both so wondrous and terrifying?

Or is it merely the personification and reflection of the civilization we have created?

These are questions that have haunted artists for centuries but perhaps none more so than the Hudson River School painters, who defined America as the new Eden in the decades that bracketed the Civil War. They in turn were shaped by a Europe whose vision of America they influenced. This transatlantic symbiosis is the subject of “Thomas Cole: Atlantic Crossings,” on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art through May 13 before traveling on to The National Gallery in London.

The exhibit helps “establish Cole as a major global figure in 19th-century landscape art, in dialogue with his esteemed European contemporaries, including Joseph Mallord William Turner and John Constable,” write Met President and CEO Daniel H. Weiss and National Gallery

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

13

Thomas Cole’s “The Course of Empire: Destruction” (1836), oil on canvas.

New-York Historical Society.

Digital image created by Oppenheimer Editions.

Director Gabriele Finaldi. “By exploring the impact of Cole’s journeys to England and to Italy between 1829 and 1832, the exhibition and catalog offer a significant revision of previous accounts of his work, which have, until now, emphasized the American aspects of his formation and identity.”

That identity was bound up with a skeptical view of civilization’s effects on nature. In this, Cole, the Catskill-based founder of the Hudson River School, may have been joined by his student, Asher B. Durand, another first-generation member of the movement. The accompanying exhibit text describes Durand’s “Progress (The Advance of Civilization)” (1853, oil on canvas) as “a hymn to industrialization and technology. Progress appropriates the (Claude Lorrain) formula, with graceful framing trees and a distant waterway, for a spectacular exposition of the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, which claims a unique historical status for the United States. The modern achievements are laid out in chronological order — a road carved out from the virgin forest and a log cabin, a canal with a lock and barges, the symbolic white tower of a Protestant church and a locomotive moving across a bridge. Alongside the river, which resembles the Hudson, is an industrial town. The brilliant, Turnerian burst of sunlight throws a divine blessing over modern enterprise.”

But not so fast. That burst of sunlight shadows the left side of the canvas, in which three Indians watch the parade of civilization from a cliff. Beneath them are shards of tree trunks. Everyone’s sunrise is someone else’s sunset. “Progress” seems as much a comment on what is lost in “the advance of civilization” as on what is gained.

And what is gained can easily be lost again. Cole’s 14

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

trips to England and Italy inspired his epic series of oils on canvas, “The Course of Empire” (1834-36), which charts the tragic trajectory of a civilization unspooled as much by its own oblivious arrogance as by violence. (Sound familiar?) “The Savage State” offers us cloud-swathed, coastal mountain greenery at dawn, with the Indians as early hunter-gatherers. In “The Arcadian, or Pastoral, State,” much of the land has been cleared, almost voluptuously so, giving way to the highest pleasures of civilization — arts and leisure. An old man fishes. A couple strolls as a child does a chalk drawing on the ground.

Others dance as a piper plays. And in the distance, smoke wafts from a Stonehenge-like temple, indicating perhaps the ceremonial fires of worship.

“The Consummation” depicts an empire at high noon that 1950s Hollywood would’ve killed for. Terraces; jets of water; boats with pastel-colored sails; marble buildings that vie with the figure of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, atop a pavilion, for gleaming white splendor; a parade led by an imperial, red-robed figure; and, everywhere, other signs of life’s coarsest pleasures, vanity and spectacle — this takes the Lorrain playbook — sun-dappled seascapes flanked by neoclassical buildings — and goes it one better. But it gives way to a Turner-esque swirl of dark clouds, rising waves, invasion, rape and pillage in “Destruction.” In the final canvas, “Desolation,” nature reclaims its own. Vines encircle ruins. They and a rising, winking moon are all that is left to remind us of what was and what might’ve been.

And that there is a razor-thin margin between order and chaos, rationality and madness, civilization and unbridled nature. We need not mine the

veins of history for the examples of the Polynesians on Easter Island and the Maya in Mexico and Central America, who created rich civilizations and, in responding to a variety of crises, including environmental ones, walked away from them. Indeed, we only have to go as far back as the recent hurricanes in Houston, Florida and the Caribbean to see the fragility of what we’ve created — and abused.

The irony: We may return to what we fail to respect, relinquishing civilization in the bargain as nature reclaims its own.

The irony is not lost on Cole’s spiritual successors, including the five artists who make up “The Tipping Point,” a contemporary show on climate change at the Rockland Center for the Arts in West Nyack through May 25. One of the artists, Alison Moritsugu, echoes him quite literally in landscapes on wood slices that speak of creativity and destruction.

J. Henry Fair’s aerial photographs capture the need for sustainable human consumption, while David Maisel’s photographs consider the effects of open pit mines, sprawl and water reclamation on the land. Glass artist and architect Richard Parrish plumbs where man and nature cooperate — and collide — while Jill Pelto explores the intersection of art and science as a Master of Science student studying the Antarctic Ice Sheet at the University of Maine and creating glaciogenic art.

Almost 200 years separate the works of Cole and those of these artists. The question is, Will we still be pondering the nature-nurture divide in another 200 years?

For more, visit metmuseum.org and rocklandartcenter.org.

The Strategies Team at our Habitat for Humanity Build Day - 6.28.17

SHIFTING THE WORLD’S UNDERSTANDING OF WEALTH

W

WE EMPOWER THE GENERATIONS we will never meet through the conversations we have today.

Our organization is committed to building relationships that shift the world’s understanding of wealth.

We deliver — with integrity and unparalleled service — protection and prosperity that help transform the lives of our clients, their families and communities.

WESTCHESTER

800 Westchester Ave., Suite N-409 Rye Brook, NY 10573 914.288.8800

MANHATTAN

120 Broadway, 37th Floor New York, NY 10271 212.701.7900

LONG ISLAND

50 Jericho Quadrangle, Suite 301 Jericho, NY 11753 516.682.2500

NEW ENGLAND

1 State Street, Suite 100 Providence, RI 02908 401.228.8800

The Guardian NetworkTM is a network of independent agencies authorized to offer products of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), New York, NY and its subsidiaries, and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Guardian. Securities and advisory services offered through Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS), member FINRA, SIPC. 212-701-7900. PAS is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. Strategies for Wealth is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. 2018-58397

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

15

shock and awe, à la française

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

W

hen French President Emmanuel Macron wants to greet Russian President Vladimir Putin or market France to global CEOs, he knows just where to go — Versailles.

Built by Louis XIV in the 17th century in what was then a small village 12 miles southwest of Paris, it has become the show-stopping backdrop for world events — the treaty that ended World War I was signed there in 1919 — as well as a must-see for tourists and titans of history alike.

Much of that is attributable not only to its sprawling, magisterial architecture and chandeliered, mirrored, tapestry- and painting-lined interiors but to its gardens, a triumph of precise, geometric lawns, sparkling basins and majestic, mythological sculpture created under the direction of landscape architect André Le Nôtre.

(His collaboration with Louis XIV at Versailles is explored in the fanciful, underrated 2014 film “A Little Chaos,” about the creation of La Salle de Bal, the outdoor ballroom garden there.)

Given the fame of the subject, there would not seem to be much that is left unsaid. But in a new exhibit, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has taken what it describes as a novel approach — Versailles through the eyes of its 17th and 18th century visitors. Call it Versailles glimpsed obliquely but charmingly through a distant lens that was no less dazzled by the place than we are today and a good deal closer to its origins.

The irony is that while Versailles had been designed by Louis XIV to be the ne plus ultra in Apollonian magnificence — not for nothing was he known as the “Sun King” and the sun god Apollo himself a central motif — it was also “probably the most public palace in Europe, accessible to anyone who was decently dressed,” write Daniëlle Kisluk-Grosheide and Bertrand Rondot in the graceful accompanying catalog. Versailles then was at once Olympian — as seen in a series of tapestries by Charles Le Brun that illustrated various crown properties and Antoine Coseyvox’s classical bust of Louis in a wig of cascading curls — as well as populist. Work after work shows people strolling amid the gardens, decked out in all their

“Dress (grande robe à la française)” (1775– 85), silk brocade. The Kyoto Costume Institute. © The Kyoto Costume Institute.

Photograph by Takashi Hatakeyam.

16

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Etienne Allegrain’s “Promenade of Louis XIV in Front of the North Parterre” (circa 1688), oil on canvas. Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon. © RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, NY. Photograph by Christophe Fouin.

(Versailles) was also probably the most public palace in Europe, accessible to anyone who was decently dressed.

finery. That finery was often floral in embellishment as in a suit habit à la française, and a grand robe (1775-85), also in the French style, worn by one of the wives of Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf, a successful cotton-printing entrepreneur, to a visit with Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI. The silk brocade dress, made in Lyon, is decorated with garlands of bouquets and fur tufts. It’s certainly fit for a visit with a queen.

Among those suitably attired was the Countess of Hertford, wife of the British ambassador, who was presented at court, most likely in a silk floral brocade gown accessorized by diamonds worth some 60,000 pounds. (The countess virtually sinks into it in her 1765 portrait by Alexander Roslin, and small wonder what with the dress’ tight bodice and billowing, hooped skirt.)

Ever the diplomat’s wife, she smiles graciously, betraying neither the slightest discomfort nor her husband’s praise in a court presentation that he deemed “nobly done.”

Not every visitor to Versailles required such fanfare. Even a czar could travel there incognito as Peter I (“the Great”) did when he called on Philippe II d’Orléans, regent for the 7-year-old

Louis XV, in 1717 — the same year as the czar’s handsome oil portrait by Jean Marc Nattier. Such under-the-radar visits afforded monarchs a freer, more relaxed form of diplomacy.

Of course, no exhibit on diplomatic visitors to Versailles would be complete without a discussion of the arrival of that new breed — the Americans.

They included the adored Benjamin Franklin, the “American bulldog in a French porcelain shop” John Adams and the quietly charismatic Thomas Jefferson. Even George Washington made an appearance via a jaunty 1779 portrait by Charles Willson Peale.

The Americans may have been daunted and exasperated by the elaborate rituals of Versailles etiquette but they were utterly gobsmacked by the place itself.

Indeed, might they have subscribed to what Maj. Richard Ferrier wrote in his journal in 1687: “Having seen Versailles there remains nothing worth your seeing in France”?

Or quite possibly — one could be forgiven for adding — in the whole wide world.

“Visitors to Versailles (1682-1789)” runs through July 29. For more, visit metmuseum.org.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

17

when French parks and gardens became French

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

I

n 19th-century France, a perfect storm of revolutionary equality and maritime botanical discoveries ushered in a new era of landscaping and, with it, a new approach to art. This is the charming theme of one of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s prettiest exhibits. “Public Parks, Private Gardens: Paris to Provence” (through July 29) draws on The Met’s superb collection of Franco paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, illustrated books and decorative objects, showcasing an all-star lineup from A (photographer Eugène Atget) to V (Vincent van Gogh).

Before the French Revolution of 1789, the exhibit notes, French garden design was formal — symmetrical and geometrical — as seen in the work André Le Nôtre, who magnificently landscaped the palaces at Versailles and the Tuilleries for Louis XIV (reigned 1643-1715), and in elegant Adam Perelle etchings of those gardens that emphasize straight-line perfection and a commanding use of perspective.

With revolution, however, came the notion that “the pleasures of the king would be the pleasures of the people.” Out with the regimented jardin à la française and in with the undulating, winding verdure of the English park. Ironically, it took an empress to give the new style a little push. At Malmaison, her estate just northwest of Paris, Josephine Bonaparte, first wife of Napoléon I (reigned 180414/15), also kept a glasshouse that became a mecca for the botanical treasures culled from an age of exploration. She is represented here not only by some exquisite watercolors that conjure her as a goddess or depict her now lost hothouse, dismantled in 1826 — oh, to jump into those canvases — but by the rarified drawings of botanical illustrator Pierre Joseph Redouté, who meticulously documented each of her rare specimens, especially her fabulous roses.

His work remains an apotheosis of the genre.

It was Napoléon’s nephew and heir — Napoléon III, who reigned from 1852 to ’70 — who would transform Paris into the city of verdant boulevards, pastoral parks and sparkling squares that we know today, particularly from such films as “An American in Paris” (1951) and “Gigi” (1958). It was not long before every red-blooded Frenchman wanted to be a Napoléon — at least from a botanical standpoint — in his own home.

“One of the pronounced characteristics of our Parisian society,” French journalist Eugène Cha18

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Gustave Caillebotte’s “The Parc Monceau” (1877), oil on canvas.

Collection of Lawrence J. Ellison.

Camille Corot’s “In the Garden at the Ville d’Avray” (circa 1845), oil on canvas. Private collection.

pus observed in 1860, “is that…everyone in the middle class wants to have his little house with trees, roses and dahlias, his big or little garden, his rural piece of the good life.”

Is it a coincidence that the rise of the burgeoning, meandering garden and park paralleled the as-

cent of photography — an art form created by the French in 1839 that encourages wandering — and of the plein air (outdoor) painting that would yield Impressionism and Postimpressionism? We think not. The resurrected Parc Monceau, for instance, inspired, among other works, an 1877 Gustave Caillebotte painting of distant figures on a canopied, curving path that suggests all the leafy mystery of a spring/summer day.

With the more informal, intimate pleasures of the revamped French park or garden came a freedom of composition, a loosening of brushstrokes, a brighter, lighter, riotous palette — in short, a joie de vivre on canvas that has made the Impressionists and Postimpressionists perennial favorites. And this extended to a new approach to the still life and floral painting, which had heretofore been ordered, precise, ladylike. (Earlier on, flower painting had been one of the few accepted arts for women.) Now the floral canvas was free to be a pitcher of thickly bunched Van Gogh irises headed in a variety of directions or curling Van Gogh sunflowers on a flat surface.

Considering these works grouped together offers a fresh perspective, one that finds us grateful to France’s historical landscapers.

Without them, there would be no Paris — and no French art — as we know them.

For more, visit metmuseum.org.

HEALTHCARE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES Reaching throughout our region with 10 hospitals, 3,000 physicians and one single mission: Improving the health of the Hudson Valley.

Advancing Care. Here. wmchealth.org

Westchester Medical Center Health Network includes: WESTCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER I MARIA FARERI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL I BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER I MIDHUDSON REGIONAL HOSPITAL GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL I BON SECOURS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL I ST. ANTHONY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL HEALTHALLIANCE HOSPITAL: BROADWAY CAMPUS I HEALTHALLIANCE HOSPITAL: MARY’S AVENUE CAMPUS I MARGARETVILLE HOSPITAL

20

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

a rare flower

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

Daniel Ost, above, and his architectural designs, opposite, for the recent “Orchid Show” at the New York Botanical Garden. Photographs courtesy the NYBG.

It was a moment out of “The Karate Kid,” Belgian floral designer Daniel Ost said: His Japanese teacher, or sensei, told him that “One flower can say more than 10,000 words. It’s knowing where to place it.”

For more than 40 years, Ost has known just where to place flowers, individually or within a group, creating some of the most architectonic, theatrical designs for everything from a royal wedding in Saudi Arabia, with spectacularly lit palm trees and table umbrellas made out of flowers; to an exhibit at Japan’s Kinkaku-ji, or Golden Pavilion, with a giant floral cylinder suspended from the ceiling; to a Paris runway show for Dries Van Noten, with a dramatic pink floral backdrop.

Most recently, Ost created the designs for the 16th annual “Orchid Show” at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) in the Bronx, paying tribute to the soaring nature of these enticing tree- and air-dwelling plants and of New York City itself. There were domes and towers of orchids in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the Garden’s Victorian glasshouse, threaded with pliable bamboo and tubing that reflected the glasshouse’s transparency and, perhaps, a way to water the orchids. (Actually, they were watered the old-fashioned way, by hand with a hose.)

The result was an “Orchid Show” unlike any the Garden has ever done, said Todd Forest, NYBG’s Arthur Ross vice president for horticulture and living collections:

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

21

“Our collaboration with Daniel Ost and his team was a fun, enlightening and sometimes challenging departure from traditions we have developed over the last 15 years of creating ‘Orchid Shows’ at NYBG. Although we have worked with outside designers, including Scott Pask, Raymond Jungles, Jorge Sanchez and Patrick Blanc on previous ‘Orchid Shows,’ we have never worked with a floral artist so invested in every detail of an installation, from the colors of orchids to the type of wire used to hang them.

“We gave Daniel access to the incomparable Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the support of our highly skilled horticulturists and the creative freedom to make something new. In return, he gave the Garden and our visitors a thought-provoking and beautiful work of floral art.”

Ost returns the compliment: “It was a challenge, because I was impressed by the collection and by the dedication of the people who work there.”

So much so, Ost told the press, that he informed Belgian botanical officials that they should have the passion that their New York counterparts

evince in their work. He is like that — unfiltered and impish. He enjoyed himself here so much that he said it was the first time he traveled with his wife for work in 30 years. (Not that he doesn’t love her, he quickly added. Indeed, the couple are the parents of two grown daughters — Maarten, a children’s book author and animation designer, and Nele, who has followed her father’s footsteps into his design business.)

Ost also recalled the time he thought he was meeting his sensei at a flower shop in Japan. It turned out to be a gay bar. Oops.

In an international career, Japan may hold pride of place. Not only did Ost train there — as he did in his native Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan. But he was the first Westerner allowed to exhibit at the aforementioned Golden Pavilion, the Kyoto temple covered in rolled gold that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ost has created discs of euonymus alatus and equisetum hyemale to symbolize winter and spring for the Ohara Residence & Museum in Kurashiki and an abstract Christmas tableau of asahi, the rising sun, with red and green cornus

GIVE

branches and berries of smilax china for cosmetics giant Shiseido’s headquarters in Tokyo.

But Daniel Ost the company is about more than flowers, gardens and events.

“We stand for design,” the website proclaims.

“True creativity has no boundaries. Our team consists not only of florists, but also of interior designers, garden and landscape architects, product developers and much more.” Their projects range from a postage stamp for Great Britain’s Royal Mail to a Coca-Cola bottle.

There’s also an academy in which amateurs and professionals alike can learn more about flower arranging and two shops, one in Brussels and one in Ost's native Sint-Niklaas, where he grew up the eldest of six children. According to his website, he was forced to go into the military “but soon found a way to chase his dreams.”

The mighty oak fights the wind, Ost observed in a brief Garden video. The bamboo lies down to survive and then thrive when it passes.

“I’m like the bamboo,” he said with a smile.

For which we are all eternally grateful.

For more, visit danielost.be.

Sanctuary Give Mom relaxation and wellness this Mother's Day. Give a Bronxville Wellness Sanctuary gift certificate.

Purchase online at BronxvilleWellness.com or stop by in person.

14 Studio Arcade Bronxville, NY | BronxvilleWellness.com | (914) 337 - 9356

22

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Cami Weinstein Designs, LLC 203 - 661 - 4700 • CAMIDESIGNS.COM 200 PEMBERWICK ROAD • Greenwich, CT 06831

cherry blossom time

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

T

his is one of the most glorious moments in WAG country for it’s the height of cherry blossom season when the blossoms of any of several trees of the genus Prunus — especially the Japanese cherry (Prunus serrulata), or sakura in Japan — turn the landscape into an American Impressionist painting, carpeting paths and crusting ponds with their delicate pink and white petals.

At the end of April, the annual return of the cherry blossom — introduced to the United States

by Japan in the early 20th century — was greeted with festivals at the Pelham Art Center and Turnure Park in White Plains, home to more than 100 Japanese cherry trees. Other wonderful spots for cherry blossom viewing include the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens at PepsiCo in Purchase, the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, Cen-

tral Park in Manhattan and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where the fleeting, floating beauty of the blossoms makes them all the more precious.

Of course, it’s possible to have cherry blossoms even amid an early spring snow. They “have flayed us” — to borrow from H.D.’s poem “Orchard” — in the pages of “Cherry Blossoms: Photographs by Jake Rajs” (Rizzoli, 2006). And they flay us anew in the works of contemporary South Korean painter Lee Kui Dae, recently seen at Canfin Gallery in Tarrytown. Lee’s folk-style, mixed-media canvases belie a complex technique of layering on plaster for a trompe l’oeil effect and stippling the flowers that often serve as prominent backdrops and erotic symbols as well as memories of his childhood in a small village in South Korea.

Lee — the last name is presented first in Korean

culture — earned a degree in art from the University of Seoul, teaching the arts in South Korea before moving to Paris in 1995. There he earned another art degree at the University of Paris and now divides his time between the City of Light and his native land. (Jean-Claude Canfin, owner of Canfin Gallery, says he communicates with Lee, who speaks no English, in French.)

Lee’s paintings are in collections worldwide, where they are no doubt admired for their Picasso-like Primitivism. The angular figures with their bowed heads have a sorrowing, contemplative quality; the dreaming female nudes with their arms thrown over their heads as they lie on a golden, Klimt-like bed of yellow flowers or against a backdrop of burgeoning bulbs, a sensual one.

“Mythology is a major theme in my work,” Lee

Lee’s paintings are in collections worldwide, where they are no doubt admired for their Picassolike Primitivism.

Lee Kui Dae’s “Murmure.” Images courtesy Canfin Gallery.

24

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

says in his artist statement. “My artistic mission is to discover an identity, and origin to life, as well as the essence of love that modern mankind has lost.”

The cherry blossom has been a controversial symbol in Korea, where it represented Japan’s harsh colonial rule and occupation during World War II (1910-45). Many of the trees were subsequently struck down. There was also some confusion over whether the Japanese Yoshino cherry and the Korean King cherry were one and the same — an issue that wasn’t resolved until a 2016 study.

In Lee’s work, the cherry blossom is the lacy backdrop for amour (“Murmure”), a spreading haven for rest and reflection (“Printemps,” “Promenade II”).

His works are a reminder that even in the most persistent of winters, it’s always cherry blossom season in the heart.

Fans of nature and Canfin Gallery will also enjoy the serene seascapes in “Tjasa Owen: Water Stories,” on view there through May 20. For more, visit canfingallery.com.

Lee Kui Dae’s “Printemps” (“Spring”).

BRIGGS HOUSE ANTIQUES

FURNITURE

s

ACCESSORIES

s

ART

s

LAMPS

114 Pearl Street, 2nd Floor, Port Chester NY • BriggsHouse.com • shop@briggshouse.com Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. • Call For Appointment 914-933-0022 MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

25

26

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Uneasiness around bees seems to be ingrained in human beings.

“Watch out for the bees. Don’t get stung” is usually an early parental admonition.

the (not-so-secret)

life of bees

BY DANIELLE RENDA

1. Small carpenter bee on wild rose.

2. Wilkes mining bee on cow vetch.

3. Perplexing bumblebee exploring mallow.

4. Frugal leafcutter pollinating milkweed.

5. Sweat bee in field of chamomile.

6. Augochlora pura green metallic bee on bellflower.

(Photographs 1-4 by Paula Sharp; 5 and 6 by Ross Eatman.)

But nature photographer Ross Eatman and photojournalist and writer Paula Sharp, a husband-and-wife team from Mount Kisco, call attention to a gentler, more important aspect of these creatures — their ability to pollinate some 250,000 species of plants worldwide.

The couple’s exhibit, “Wild Bees: Photographs by Paula Sharp and Ross Eatman” at Greenwich’s Bruce Museum through Nov. 11 is the result of a three-year project dedicated to documenting the complexities of more than 100 bee species.

Their exquisite, macro images emphasize the bees’ variety, including their facial features and bodily structures, as well as the vivid flora that serves as their food source. There are more than 200 species of bees in New England and more than 20,000 worldwide. And, contrary to popular belief, Sharp says, this includes both native and wild bees.

“Most of us aren’t aware of wild bees,” she says, explaining that wild bees were actually brought to the United States from Africa.

“But bees (both native and wild) come in all shapes and sizes. Fluffy and endearing bumblebees; wasp-like sweat bees, the color of emeralds; leafcutter bees that line their sumptuous underground brood cells with flower petals and leaves the bees snip from plants; industrious squash bees that pollinate nearly all of America’s squash and melon crops; and on and on.”

Sharp got caught up in the buzz during a photojournalism assignment in the Amazon. During the trip, she was asked to photograph people whose trades were disappearing due to rainforest devastation, such as fishermen, nut harvesters and small farmers.

“One of the people I photographed was a beekeeper who cultivated a stingless bee and produced a sweet and sour honey,” she says. “I was captivated by his beekeeping and by the bees themselves. When I returned to the States a few weeks later, I told Ross we should pursue an assignment photographing bees here.”

This experience prompted further exploration of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve in Pleasantville, which she and Eatman have been frequenting for 20 years.

During one of their visits, they photographed bees perched on plants near the preserve’s 80-acre Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a nonprofit farm.

Much to their surprise, this caught the attention of Susan Antenan, the manager of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve, who proposed they document the land’s wild bee

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

27

Squash bee bathed in yellow light of squash blossom.

Photograph by Paula Sharp.

population, which began the three-year project.

“Photographing bees is humbling, because you are reminded constantly of the wondrous intricacy and effable beauty of the natural world,” Sharp says.

“And they can teach us a thing (or two) about hard work. They are the true busy bees, after all.

“Bees themselves communicate an impressive intensity in the way they go about working — gathering nectar, digging holes to lay their eggs in and provisioning their nests.

“The industriousness of many wild bee species seems particularly moving, because bees are special among earth’s animals,” Sharp says. “Many have the singular quality of never killing other creatures in order to survive.

They don’t even kill plants. Instead, they pollinate plants, aiding in their survival and, by extension, the survival of many animals, humans included.”

The photographs — which are displayed amid larger-than-life models of bees, real-life insect specimens and interactive bee-identification equipment — call attention to this “secret” life of

uovomoderno.org 914-401-9298 156 Katonah Avenue, Katonah, NY Located in the Old Katonah Firehouse Building

28

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

bees, signifying their crucial role in nature.

“We hope all of this might help people recognize and enjoy the wild bees they see in their own backyards, gardens and local parks,” she says. “In New York and Connecticut, there are hundreds of dazzlingly beautiful species of wild bees.”

Of course, the amount of time Sharp and Eatman have dedicated to nature photography only begs the question: How many times have you been stung? And their answer is only once — each.

“We’ve each been stung once by domesticated honey bees when we got too close to their hives, but neither of us have ever been stung by a wild bee,” Sharp says. “Why? Very few wild bee species in the northeastern United States are capable of stinging people.”

And those that are capable may be too busy.

“If we photograph a bumble bee from an inch away, she’ll simply ignore us, intent on her pollinating,” Sharp says.

Perhaps they’re not to be feared, after all.

For more about the exhibit, visit brucemuseum.org or call 203-869-0376. For more about Ross Eatman and Paula Sharp, visit sharpeatmanguides.com.

Debra Mecky, executive director of the Greenwich Historical Society. Photograph courtesy Greenwich Historical Society.

30

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Impressionist garden to flourish, again

BY MARY SHUSTACK

Constant Holley MacRae. Holley/MacRae Family Papers, Box 25, Folder 243. Courtesy Greenwich Historical Society.

Anyone who’s been by the BushHolley Historic Site in Cos Cob of late can see there’s a lot going on.

The intense construction at the headquarters of the Greenwich Historical Society, founded in 1931, is an outward sign of the society’s ambitious campaign to reinvent its campus.

The complex, a step back in time in the shadow of an I-95 overpass, is in the midst of a project that will do everything from double its visitor parking and offer direct access and an elevator for senior citizens and the disabled to expand its exhibition and gallery spaces, archives and program capabilities.

“It’s just going to change our game,” says Debra Mecky, the society’s executive director, on a recent afternoon.

But what’s not so easy to see is a project within the project — the restoration and expansion of its Impressionist Era Gardens.

The site, with roots dating from the 18th century, is perhaps best-known for the time when it served as a boarding house for artists and writers. It was run by artist Elmer Livingston MacRae who came first as a student and met and fell in love with Constant Holley, who became his wife.

The Cos Cob Art Colony that flourished from 1890 to 1920 is considered of prime influence on the birth of American Impressionism — a later, bolder form of Impressionism than its French counterpart — led by such notable artists as Childe Hassam, John Henry Twachtman, Ernest Lawson, Theodore Robinson and J. Alden Weir. The site itself even inspired many of their paintings.

Now, the society has received a grant from Hortulus, a Greenwich garden club, to restore its ornamental flower gardens, kitchen gardens and grape arbor as part of the master plan to be unveiled this fall.

“We received a very generous gift from Hortulus,” says Mecky, calling the grant “pretty significant… We were very pleased to be thought of in this way.”

The period gardens will add another layer to the site’s interpretation, showing visitors how they were both part of the daily routine — growing food for the residents — and as inspiration for the artists creating their plein air paintings.

Signs will offer visitors history and background.

“There’s always this layer of interpretation,” Mecky says.

The garden project will include the relocation and expansion of the historic fruit and vegetable garden that supported the boarding house.

“These are historically recreated gardens of what people grew,” Mecky says.

A new Impressionist-era perennial flower garden will be created along the walkway that will link the new building to Bush-Holley House and the Vanderbilt Education Center.

Unlike formal English gardens, the Impressionist gar-

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

31

dens were less structured, Mecky shares.

“They were sort of these free and opened gardens, ‘old-fashioned’ people even called them that then.”

In addition, the grape arbor will be replaced with a more durable structure that will better support the existing grape vines of which some are 120 years old.

(That particular project will be unveiled in 2019, according to Mecky.)

To produce the plans, the society has collaborated with design consultants — the Greenwich-based landscape architecture firm of Conte & Conte LLC and the award-winning historic preservation architectural firm David Scott Parker Architects of Southport and Manhattan.

Historic references employed by Conte & Conte, according to the society, included the society research as well as a “Garden Calendar of Holley House” proprietors Elmer and Constant MacRae from 19181919. It’s a charming list that touches on everything from peaches and Northern spy apples to corn and sprouts to hollyhocks, calendula and jonquils.

For the grape arbor reconstruction drawings, David Scott Parker Architects carefully examined all physical and documentary evidence.

The work will be carried out by Fairfield House & Garden Co., which is the sister construction company of Conte & Conte.

Founded in 1930 and a member of The Garden

The Bush-Holley House in Cos Cob, top, Courtesy Greenwich Historical Society; and below, rendering of new Impressionist-era fruit, vegetable and flower gardens.

Rendering by David Scott Parker for Greenwich Historical Society.

Club of America, Hortulus’ mission is “to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening and creative design; to protect, restore and improve the quality of the environment through education, programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement.”

Hortulus and the Greenwich Historical Society have a longstanding relationship dating from the Hortulus Conservation Award designed by Elmer MacRae in 1945.

It’s all coming full circle, Mecky says.

“You can imagine coming here with all these fruit trees,” she adds of the grounds often depicted in the artists’ work as they tried “to capture the landscape and gardens as they changed through the seasons.”

The historic site, part of the Connecticut Art Trail and of the Historic Artists Homes & Studios program, is ready for its profile to be raised, its audiences expanded.

As Mecky shows a selection of project renderings, she pauses on one of contemporary art students painting on site, one that particularly ties its history to its future.

As she says, “This just speaks to the broader use of the site.”

A Sept. 29 unveiling of the project is planned at the Cos Cob campus on Strickland Road.

For more, visit greenwichhistory.org.

RECEIVE 15% OFF SPA DOLLAR GIFT CARDS OF $150 OR MORE*

USE CODE: WAGMOM18

*Disclaimer: 15% OFF discount can only be applied to Spa Dollar Gift Cards of $150 or more.

This offer cannot be combined with other promotions, coupons, or packages.

Code expires 05/31/2018.

oasisdayspanyc.com oasisdwestchester.com

32

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

| |

212-254-7722 914-409-1900

| |

Manhattan Dobbs Ferry

Expert orthopedic surgery helped this teen dance competitor get back on her toes.

At fifteen, Julia suffered a painful knee injury while dancing. After surgery and a year of physical therapy, she still couldn’t dance. That’s when she went for a second opinion with a surgeon at the White Plains Hospital Center for Orthopedic & Spine Surgery. Dr. Rick Weinstein performed minimally invasive knee surgery. In just two months, Julia was back in the dance studio.

Find your pain relief at exceptionaleveryday.org/dancer or call (914) 849-MyMD A M E M B E R O F T H E M O N T E F I O R E H E A LT H S Y S T E M

The tour-de-force dining room table by Diana Gould Ltd. in Elmsford, glimpsed through the back of a period chair, at the “Spring Blossoms” flower show at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown.

34

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

a new season blossoms

BY MARY SHUSTACK PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB ROZYCKI

Ned Kelly of Ned Kelly & Co. at the “Spring Blossoms” flower show.

From the stunning roses set at its majestic entrance to the hallways, rooms and vignettes bursting with countless elegantly elaborate floral displays inside, Lyndhurst’s garden legacy came to vivid life during “Spring Blossoms.”

The third annual flower show filled the Tarrytown mansion with heady scents and memorable scenes while also cultivating a renewed interest in the sprawling property’s gardens and their history.

Held the first weekend of April as the season-opening event for Lyndhurst, the show kicked off with a party hosted by the Garden Club of Irvington, with proceeds to benefit the restoration of the historic fountains and perennials in the Lyndhurst Rose Garden.

“Spring Blossoms,” the creation of floral designers and Lyndhurst supporters Ned Kelly of Ned Kelly & Co. in Piermont and Gerald Palumbo and Miko Akasaka of Seasons On The Hudson in Irvington and Manhattan, drew on the talents of a dozen area floral designers who used the historic site as inspiration. Their goal — so beautifully accomplished — was to recreate the atmosphere of the mansion’s heyday, when its well-appointed rooms would be filled with arrangements created with flowers gathered from the estate’s gardens and greenhouse.

WAG took an informal tour of the show, led by Maura Bekelja, Lyndhurst’s marketing and digital communications coordinator.

“Spring Blossoms,” she explained, was about “bringing back the Gilded Age feeling without overwhelming the architecture.”

Alexander Jackson Davis designed Lyndhurst, one of the nation’s iconic Gothic Revival mansions, in 1838.

Today, its historic tours trace the ownership, from former New York City Mayor William Paulding to merchant George Merritt through the Gould family. Lyndhurst was purchased by railroad magnate Jay Gould in 1880 and remained under his family’s ownership into the 1960s when it became a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The flower show turned the main floor into a study in splendor, the rose-filled vestibule by Ned Kelly & Co. yielding to the lush Seasons On The Hudson entry hall, with other highlights including a stunning table with a floral arch set by Joseph Richard Florals of Armonk in the parlor/drawing room echoed at the opposite end of

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

35

the floor by a tour-de-force dining room scene created by Diana Gould Ltd. of Elmsford.

Upstairs, with the art gallery and family bedrooms, the mood was more subdued.

Simple silver trays filled with white roses by Arcadia Floral in Mamaroneck and Oradell, New Jersey, for example, stood at the foot of the bed in the State Bedroom beneath a Tiffany window, while a single orchid held court on a windowsill in the bath, a room done by Lou Zapata for the Garden Club of Irvington.

“Up here, the goal was to keep it how the family would have enjoyed it,” Bekelja said, noting fresh flower arrangements would have been changed every two to three days during the Goulds’ residence.

Garnering much attention back on the main floor was a rare — and recently discovered — 1942 color film that adds much-needed detail to the ongoing restoration of the grounds.

Howard Zar, executive director of Lyndhurst, shared its significance.

“We had a lot of maps and photos of the grounds, and they were all black and white,” he said. Now, there is clear direction for the historic garden restoration projects. “It’s a very intense color palette.”

Once the lower landscape project is completed,

he added, the remainder of the grounds will be the focus, with this film offering new details and insights.

Events such as the flower show, Zar said, turn the spotlight on Lyndhurst’s rich garden history, with the Goulds known for their gardens and their being up on all the latest in the field.

“People forget the greenhouse on this property was the largest private greenhouse in the world,” Zar said.

He added that while the restoration projects will benefit all who visit, they will have the biggest effect on the most-frequent visitors.

“What all of this is done for is our local and regional audience,” Zar said. “This is essentially the Central Park of Westchester.”

It’s the locals, he said, who make up the bulk of Lyndhurst visitors, from the joggers who use its grounds for exercise to those who frequently attend concerts, workshops and exhibitions. To note, a major exhibition of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, “Becoming Tiffany: From Hudson Valley Painter to Gilded Age Tastemaker,” will open June 1.

And on the evening of the flower-show preview, a steady stream of visitors kicked off the Lyndhurst season in style — first encountering

the work of Ned Kelly & Co. Kelly had turned to perhaps the most iconic flower — the rose — to create a welcome that was taking visitors’ breaths away.

“We’re working on a project to restore the rose garden, and this is how I chose this theme,” Kelly said, noting he “tried to respond to the space.”

He made sure the front doors were open so, “people would see how it was to enter this home, just step out of your carriage.”

That sense of history was palpable in his space, one as elegant, with a café table vignette, as it was playful, with porcelain monkey figurines clutching single red roses.

The flower show, he said, has found its audience — and continues to expand each year.

“It’s meant to be a whole weekend of celebrating gardens, home, flowers, gracious living — but a focus on beautiful floral design.”

With a glance around what he created, Kelly took a moment to reflect on “Spring Blossoms,” not just as an event but also as something broader.

“We need this right now. We need to remember our souls are fed by beauty.”

For more, visit Lyndhurst.org or nedkellyandco.com.

WORLD CLASS PARKING PROUDLY SERVING WESTCHESTER, ROCKLAND, AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

wcparking.com dcheitel@aol.com 914-683-1992 36

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

“PRIVATE HOME PARTY SPECIALISTS” Call us for your next home event. We provide valet parking services to Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, memorial services, private home parties and more.

“We make your parking issues a non-issue.”

A LAMBDA LITERARY AWARDS FINALIST

A quarterback's search for identity amid the brutal beauty of the NFL ORDER TODAY FROM AMAZON OR BARNES & NOBLE "The Penalty for Holding" is the second novel in Georgette Gouveia's book series "The Games Men Play," which is also the name of her blog exploring sports, culture and sex. thegamesmenplay.com

Cathy Graham, always at home with flowers. Photograph by Quentin Bacon and Andrew Ingalls.

38

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

creativity in ‘Bloom’

BY MARY SHUSTACK

Cathy Graham can’t imagine a life without flowers.

Graham, who worked for more than a decade with the late floral designer/events guru Robert Isabell, is herself noted for her innate talent for creating unusual table décor that integrates flowers with vintage goods and objects from around the world.

Those in the know have long turned to the lifestyle and entertaining expert — who is perhaps best-known as a fashion illustrator and artist — for advice on gracious living, especially when it comes to creating memorable gatherings.

Graham, an Illinois native long based in Manhattan, has collaborated with author Alexis Clark on “Second Bloom: Cathy Graham’s Art of the

Table,” with photographs by Quentin Bacon and Andrew Ingalls (The Vendome Press, 208 pages, $35) to offer a glimpse into her world.

“Second Bloom” is the first book devoted to Graham’s signature approach, covering the essentials of planning events that range from a casual seaside gathering to a lively urban dinner party — and all kinds of occasions in between.

Graham’s aesthetic, which relies on more than a hint of whimsy, enlivens her events. It starts with the idea, progresses to the invitations and comes to full bloom with the one-of-a-kind table settings as she creates yet another original — and memorable — event.

Graham, who received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design and studied fashion illustration at Parsons School of Design in New York, is now working on a line of stationery and paper goods, complementing her product design and editorial illustration. Her editorial work has appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone and New York magazine, with commissioned work for Bergdorf Goodman, Estée Lauder, CBS Records and HBO. She has also been a contributing editor of Elle Décor and House Beautiful magazines.

Graham took a few moments to share some thoughts with us: Please tell us a bit about your childhood.

What were some early influences that led you to your pursuing a career in such artistic fields?

“I was born to an artist mother and architect father in Highland Park, Illinois, who happened to get divorced soon after my arrival. So I divided my time between Highland Park and Chicago. My father was passionate about art. I remember spending weekends visiting galleries and (The) Art Institute (of Chicago). My mother ended up becoming an art teacher. Both my parents encouraged me to draw and take classes after school such as weaving, pottery and figure drawing. On top of that one grandmother was a painter and the other a fantastic gardener who loved arranging flowers from her garden. So as they say, ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’”

Can you talk about your appreciation for flowers. How important are they to your daily life — and to your designs, from invitations to tabletops?

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

39

“Oh, I really can’t imagine not having freshcut flowers. Even in high school I turned my bedroom into a greenhouse with flowering plants filling the room. The flower market on 28th Street (in Manhattan) is an early morning haunt of mine. Gathering up masses of flowers and arranging them makes me feel most like myself. As for my tablescapes, the nuttier the better. Since I am an illustrator, it is only natural that I go to my studio and paint flowers for invitations, textiles and note cards.”

What do you grow in your own garden, at your summer home on Nantucket?

“Roses love the sea air, so I grow a variety of David Austin roses. I also grow hollyhock, delphiniums, sweet peas, oriental lilies, foxglove, dahlias, phlox and nasturtiums, to name a few.

I like to try something new each year and one of my favorite pastimes is perusing garden catalogs for ideas.”

Though we’re sure it could fill a whole book, can you share just a bit of what you learned from your work with Robert Isabell?

“Robert was a visual genius. No one could create magic like Robert. It was so exciting to be around him and see his magnificent creations.

Of the many things I learned from him, one was the importance of considering all 360 degrees

“For years my dear friend, (interior designer) Howard Slatkin, had been encouraging me to do a book on my flowers. I’d always thought I’d do it someday, but I didn’t really pursue it.

It wasn’t until two and a half years ago, when my husband of 30 years left me and I found myself needing to rebuild my life, that I found the fire to really make it happen, hence the title ‘Second Bloom.’ One thing I hope readers take away from the book is how using flowers and, entertaining in general, can be both joyful and unintimidating. For example, something as simple as using small bottles with a single stem in each to create a unique garden on the table is a great way to express yourself and to add some fun and visual interest to your hosting.”

And finally, can you describe the most memorable table you have ever set?

“I gave a dinner for a painter friend, Peter Sacks, a few years back. I thought it would be fun to hang tiny vegetables such as eggplants, radishes, carrots and passionflower vines from the ceiling and to hang them low enough that they were at eye level with the flowers… The guests were surprised to see tiny hanging vegetables, and it certainly turned out to be a good conversation starter.”

For more, visit cathybgraham.com.

“Second Bloom: Cathy Graham’s Art of the Table,” by Alexis Clark with photographs by Quentin Bacon and Andrew Ingalls, is published by Vendome Press.

in order to create a complete atmosphere from lighting to color to scent. And, of course, lots and lots of flowers.”

Tell us a bit about your first book, “Second Bloom” — what sparked it and what you hope readers will take away from it.

Prix Fixe 4 Course Dinner Menu Sun-Thur $40.

�

MEDITERRANEO �

White Plains MEDITERRANEO

so =

Ii SI Ori I It

so =

Ii SI Ori I It

40

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

..

T ElfR A ....... .....,,

White Plains

�

MEDITERRANEO �

MEDITERRANEO

illllf011ANf�fAllAN0

T

,,

ElfR A

illllf011ANf�fAllAN0

F

printing a rosy legend

ans of old-time westerns may recall a now-classic line from the 1962 film “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” regarding the blur between myth and reality: “This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” This reel-life quote has a real-life resonance in the case of Emily West, a woman who has been elevated to legendary status as the heroic, glamorous “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” But the reality of what happened in West’s life was far removed from the wild incidents attributed to her time in the Lone Star State — and the journey from fact to legend offers several strange lessons in American social and racial history — and the way men view women.

The woman known as The Yellow Rose of Texas was actually born in New Haven around 1815. Emily West was mixed-race, and her residency in the

Cynthia Addai-Robinson as a highly romanticized version of Emily West in the History Channel’s "Texas Rising." No picture of the real Emily West is known to exist. Courtesy the History Channel.

BY PHIL HALL

North enabled her to live as a free woman of color.

Through circumstances that remain unclear to this day, West entered into a one-year contract of indentured servitude in 1835 to James Morgan, a property owner who sought to establish a colony called New Washington in the Texas territory of Mexico.

West’s contract had her working as a housekeeper in a hotel in the colony.

From today’s perspective, West’s journey to Texas was strange. Although she was not being enslaved by Morgan, she would have limited legal protection in a foreign territory where her freedom could not be guaranteed. Mexico banned slavery, but many of the Anglos who moved into Texas from the United States ignored the law and brought black slaves with them. Morgan was believed to be among the slave owners of the territory and this

created confusion with future historians who mistakenly believed West was his slave. Indeed, for years she was referred to as “Emily Morgan,” as per the custom that slaves automatically adapted the surname of the slave master.

West also faced a second problem: Morgan was a colonel in the Army of Texas, a military movement that agitated to break the Texas territory out of Mexican control. Whether she knew this before leaving Connecticut is unknown, but West arrived in the territory as the Texas Revolution was starting, which placed her in the middle of a war zone.

On April 16, 1836, West and other residents of New Washington were kidnapped in a raid by Mexican cavalry. The captives were placed with the forces following Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican president who doubled as the military commander planning to stamp out the Texas Revolution.

West’s captivity was relatively short-lived. On April 21, 1836, Army of Texas forces led by Sam Houston launched an attack on the Mexican soldiers in what became known as the Battle of San Jacinto. It wasn’t much of a battle. Within 18 minutes, the conflict was over, with the Mexican forces suffering heavy casualties. The vanquished Santa Anna was taken prisoner the next day by Houston’s forces and three weeks later a treaty was signed that enabled Texas to become an independent republic.

Military historians blamed Santa Anna’s defeat on several tactical errors, including the positioning of his too-small force along a watershed that left them open for an attack by Houston’s men. Over the years, another theory was floated: Santa Anna became smitten with West while she was his prisoner and he brought her into his tent for a rendezvous while Houston was readying his onslaught.

Whether West’s presence in the general’s tent was voluntary or not is cloudy, but this story finds Santa Anna literally caught with his pants down when the battle began. Thus, the general’s infatuation with West’s beauty distracted him to the point that he allowed his army to go down in ruin.

This story can be traced to British writer William Bollaert, who was traveling through Texas in 1842 to gather information for a report to the British Admiralty on the newly independent republic. Bollaert wrote in a July 6 diary entry that he received a letter from Sam Houston offering a salacious explanation of why Santa Anna fell to defeat so quickly: "The Battle of San Jacinto was probably lost to the

Mexicans, owing to the influence of a Mulatta girl (Emily) belonging to Col. Morgan who was closeted in the tent with g'l Santana at the time the cry was made, ‘The Enemy! They come!’ and detained Santana so long that order could not be restored readily again."

Bollaert’s diary entry on this aspect of the battle was never seen by the public until 1951, when it was included as a footnote in a book by historian Joe Frantz on the life of Gail Borden, a surveyor and inventor who co-plotted the cities of Galveston and Houston during the 1830s. This odd tidbit was mostly ignored, but it caught the eye of R. Henderson Shuffler, who was in charge of Texas A&M University's public information office and would later become the first director of the Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio. And this is where things go off the rails.

In 1955, Mitch Miller had a pop music hit with a new recording of the folk song “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” Shuffler knew that the song had its roots in pre-Civil War minstrel shows, where a male performer in blackface offered a musical ode to “a yellow girl in Texas” — a reference to the phrase “high yellow,” which was used to describe light-skinned African-Americans. The original song had no connection to the Battle of San Jacinto and Miller’s version — which also made no mention of the brief battle — scrubbed out the offensive racial elements of

the minstrel show original for a benign celebration of race-free Texas womanhood.

Nonetheless, Shuffler began to push the theory that the yellow rose of the song was none other than the biracial Emily West, whom he held up via the Bollaert diary entry as the carnal distraction that sealed Santa Anna’s fate. Shuffler shared his idea with Dallas Morning News columnist Frank X. Tolbert, who shared it with his readers. And, as noted at the beginning of this article, the legend was printed instead of the fact.

Today, Emily West is venerated in Texas as the folkloric beauty whose charms helped to defeat Santa Anna and free Texas from Mexican control. The Emily Morgan Hotel is located across the street from The Alamo in San Antonio, bearing a plaque that incorrectly identifies her as both a slave and a spy who sent messages from Santa Anna’s tent to Houston’s forces. A statue depicting a somewhat Caucasian version of “Emily Morgan” can be found in the center of a garden full of yellow roses in an office complex across from Memorial City Mall in Houston.

Even serious historical writers got in on the act.

Martha Anne Turner, an English professor at Sam Houston State University, advocated the story at a presentation during the 1969 annual conference of the American Studies Association of Texas and in her 1975 book “The Yellow Rose of Texas: Her Saga and Her Song.” James Michener dropped a

The Fourth Annual Hudson Valley Regional Dementia Conference Thursday, May 17, 2018 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

DoubleTree by Hilton Tarrytown, NY Register online at AlzDementiaConference.org For information, call 914.253.6860 24-hour assistance at 800.272.3900

crass version of the legend into his 1985 epic novel “Texas,” noting how “a beautiful mulatto slave girl named Emily from the Morgan plantation…was delighted at the prospect of spending yet another siesta with the general.” The History Channel, included the story in the 2015 production “Texas Rising,” with Cynthia Addai-Robinson as a self-confident West who was caught in a love triangle with Santa Anna and Houston.

It is impossible to know what West actually looked like, as no picture of her exists and the surviving records related to West’s time in Texas fail to offer any physical descriptions. And no one ever bothered to interview West about her experiences during this time.

However, in the aftermath of the Battle of San Jacinto, West was not treated like a hero. The new Republic of Texas did not grant citizenship to people of color, and West’s liberty was at risk because her papers identifying her as a free person of color were lost during her abduction. Mercifully, she gained the protection of Maj. Isaac Moreland, commandant of the garrison at Galveston, who vouched for her status in her application for a passport to leave Texas and return home.

It is believed that West left Texas in early 1837 for a trip back to New Haven. What became of her after exiting Texas is unknown. The legend of The Yellow Rose of Texas, however, lives on.

MEETING OF THE

MINDS DEMENTIA CONFERENCE 2018

This program is supported in part by a grant from the New York State Department of Health.

Presenting sponsor:

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

43

Rory Worby and her scarves.

Photographs by Elijah Riess.

the nature of design

BY DANIELLE RENDA

Breathtaking sunsets conjure many feelings, not the least of which is a longing, perhaps, for the ever-receding horizon, or the memory of the sun’s warmth caressing your skin.

Rory Worby wanted to recreate the palette and emotions of sunset. So she decided to capture it on hand-painted, silk scarves.

Worby’s designs — which are featured at Katie Fong in Greenwich, The Horse Connection in Bedford Village and, come August, The Store at MAD (the Museum of Arts and Design) in Manhattan — are handmade in her Pound Ridge home studio.

There’s no middle man or assistant. It’s just Worby, in sync with some of her favorite tunes and ex-

pressing herself through line and color.

“I find that I get into a zone,” she says. “It allows me to escape and the time goes by. It’s incredible. I find that I can be painting for hours and hours and not even realize what time it is.”

A board firmly holds (and stretches) her fabric in place, while paint-filled mason jars sit to her left.

She meticulously draws scenes onto her fabrics — from flowers and plants to animals and abstractions — using a fabric pen before she selects her paints. She gently washes and rewashes each piece, followed by a steaming process, to ensure the dyes are set.

And she adores each phase.

“Everybody says I’ve just looked so much happier,” she says. “I think it shows.”

Worby’s studio overlooks her perennial garden, which is filled with peonies, lilacs, tulips, irises, hydrangeas and roses in the soft seasons. In the winter, the once flourishing flower beds become blanketed in white, inspiring her in a different way.

On this particular spring day, soft, indie music fills the air. On other days, she says, the music might be upbeat pop or it may be classical. (She’s a music lover, along with husband, Joshua Worby, the executive and artistic director of the Westchester Philharmonic.)

Her studio is somewhat of a creative haven, a sanctuary of sorts, for Worby.

Next to her workspace is a delicate display of scarves, varying in texture, palette and fit. Some are intended to be worn as bandanas, while others are wraps. Next to this is a selection of kimonos and tunics, pillows and even custom work, which is an area of the business that she is growing. (She also creates one-of-a-kind items for charity events to benefit Cystic Fibrosis’ Rose to Runway, ArtsWestchester and the Greenwich Riding & Trails Association.)

Worby has been designing accessories for a year, but she’s no novice to fashion or art. Having attended the Art Institute of Boston, she worked in fashion for some 25 years in roles that involved textile development, research and merchandising. Her first job after college was, ironically, hand-painting T-shirts and jackets and up through 2016 she continued to work for a private label.

But she felt that something needed to change.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

45

“I really needed to get back to being creative,” she says. “Then it just started flowing.”

She returned to painting fabric, a preference, and her designs quickly became noticed for their bold personality. (One of her scarves bears a fiery, sharp-toothed tiger, while one of her pillows boasts sassy, fuchsia, puckered lips.) Within a year of creating, she was nominated as a finalist for the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award.

“When I would commute to New York, I would be looking at my watch the whole time. It’s freedom,” she says about her business now. “It allows me to be free and creative.”

WAG couldn’t help but notice the scarf draped around Worby’s neck. Adorned with complementary shades of blue and orange, the accessory appeared to resemble a summer sky during sundown. Worby explained that it was inspired by a Hamptons sunset, and she used sea salt to manipulate the dyes to create a wavelike texture.

She found a way to preserve the sunset.

“A lot of my inspiration is from nature,” she says.

“Either I’m looking at it or I’m referring to it.”

For more, visit roryworby.com.

To help the process, Worby uses a mechanism that simultaneously stretches and holds the fabric in place while she paints.

TUESDAY MAY 22ND GLENARBOR GOLF CLUB

REGISTER ONLINE

T O R A I S E F U N D S F O R I N N O VA T I V E B R E A S T C A N C E R R E S E A RC H

http://weblink.donorperfect.com/bcagolf2018 Breast Cancer Alliance

FORMAT: BEST BALL BEVERAGE SPONSORS

46

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

www.breastcanceralliance.org 203-861-0014 MEDIA SPONSORS

SPORTS MEDICINE

PHYSIATRY & PHYSICAL THERAPY

SHOULDER

HAND & WRIST

Leaders in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and Spine Fellowship-trained experts for your condition or injury

KNEE & HIP

JOINT REPLACEMENT

FOOT & ANKLE

SPINE

Orthopaedic Neurosurgery Specialists

Now open in Harrison In network with major insurances

GREENWICH

S TA M F O R D

O N S M D.CO M

HARRISON

800-999-9ONS

Purple cornflowers grace a cottage garden. Courtesy Rob Cardillo Photography.

48

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

lazy in the

best sense

BY JENA A. BUTTERFIELD

Catherine Wachs is clearly busy.

At the end of March, a large calendar on her wall listed landscape design projects that would keep her hands dirty through spring and beyond. Large computer screens in her Larchmont office were loaded with programs to help visualize the layout for bulbous hydrangeas, bright streams of carex and creeping phlox – which her clever website notes rhymes with Wachs.

With snow still in the forecast, she made sure to carve out time for the onslaught of clients who had yet to retire their winter shovels and remember they desperately need her. Outdoor entertaining season would be here soon enough.

Work was certainly piling up for the woman known as The Lazy Gardener.

While “lazy” may not apply to Wachs, when it comes to toiling in the garden, a “high-style, low-maintenance” approach surely resonates with most of us. “People lead busy lives,” she says. “There are about five people a year who want to actually learn how to garden.” For that reason, Wachs uses minimal-fuss plants that don’t require constant work or a full-time gardener. It’s a strategy that works for many of her significant residential and institu-

tional projects and entices homeowners of all stripes.

On her easy-to-navigate website, Wachs offers services that sound quirky but offer real help.

There’s “Organic U,” in which you can pay by the hour to learn how to garden organically. And “Lazy Advice,” with fun articles like the one entitled “No Meatballs: The Art of Proper Pruning.” Her down-to-earth (no pun intended) and playful approach make gardening feel easy.

Wachs’ creative vision was honed during a decades-long career in advertising design, working for industry giants such as global ad agency Young & Rubicam (Y&R). But she began to feel like she was promoting consumerism by day and fighting it by night. A project designing an organic gardening brochure for the League of Women Voters of Westchester began to illuminate a new (dirt) path forward.

“Being connected to plants makes you happy,” she says.

She studied landscape design at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, took a position heading the naturalist educator program at the Sheldrake Environmental Center in Yonkers and “learned the ropes” from her then gardener, Charlie White of White Garden Designs in White Plains, who she still collaborates with for rock and water features.

The concept for The Lazy Gardener started as a local cable television program on Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Television (LMCTV), in which Wachs gave savvy tips to a Westchester audience. When a neighbor hired her for her first actual project, it meant a budding landscape design career had blossomed. The Lazy Gardener was incorporated in 2007 and has been voted Best of Houzz for service the last five years running.

The name “Lazy Gardener” also reinforces Wachs’ ethos of working with, not against, nature.

“Let nature do the hard stuff,” she says. Bugs, like spiders and praying mantises, play an important role.

She feels it’s counterproductive to rid a property of leaves to be replaced by mulch. “When leaves are broken down, they infuse ideal nutrients into the soil,” she says. “It costs the town of Larchmont a quarter-million dollars a year to take (them) away…We plant tight to eliminate the need for mulch...One person changing their habits matters.”

When on a job, Wachs and her staff take into account the style and time period of both the building and the neigh-

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

49

borhood. For example, a classic Tudor combination would include roses, cat mint and hydrangeas.

(Anabelle hydrangeas are native to our area). She determines whether the color palette of the house is cool or warm, takes note of light, the preferences of her clients and the ways they use their space.

“The garden is like the clothes for a house,” she said. “We develop the story line.”

When Wachs is inspired by something new she gives it a test run. “I’ll buy something I’m interested in and try it out in my own garden.”

Classic color pairings in a garden are maroon, blue and gold, though lately some clients have been asking for a strictly white and green garden.

She cautions homeowners to be patient when planting perennials. “They sleep, creep and leap,” she says. They sleep the first year, creep out of the root ball, acclimating to their new environment the second, and leap into full size the third. Take photographs to remember where things are planted.

Wachs feels drip hoses are important to better control the amount of water provided to different plants. “And never till the soil,” she says. “As soon as weeds see light they’ll sprout. They could be waiting 50 years.”

In shady gardens consider ferns, skip laurels,

astilbe, carex, leucthoe and Siberian irises.

Good ground covers include moss for shade and elfin thyme for sun. For heavily foot trafficked areas, try stepables like ajuga. And to replace downed trees, “river birch grows super-quick.”

For houses built on steep hills, it’s smart to plant in pockets and consider terrace and rain gardens to capture runoff. Plants that like wet conditions include skip laurels, clethra, liatris and hydrangeas.

Water new grass morning and evening but, once your lawn is established, encourage roots to dig deep by watering once a week. “It’s better to water deeper for longer.” For patchy areas, moss can be a great filler. Wachs suggests blending a clump of it with buttermilk and water to make a slurry, then spread it over soil.

Current trends skew toward contemporary, super-modern design. Black, charcoal and horizontal fencing have been everywhere. No-mow yards are also popular for homeowners who want the look of a lawn with minimal maintenance. Carex, for example, is a grass-like sedge that can keep nontrafficked areas looking vibrant without much tending.

Just remember lavish doesn’t have to equal labor and you can be a lazy gardener, too.

For more, visit lzgardener.com.

The Lazy Gardener, landscape designer Catherine Wachs.

Courtesy The Lazy Gardener.

Westchester's Premier Coin, Currency, Gold & Diamond Buyer Mount Kisco Gold & Silver Neil S. Berman

• Over 50 years of trusted experience and knowledge.

• Highest prices paid.

• Sell us your Gold and Silver, Estate Jewelry, Diamonds and Watches.

• Monetize your Coin and Currency Collection.

• Written Appraisals for Estates Visit us at: Mt. Kisco Gold & Silver 139 E. Main Street Mt. Kisco, NY 10549

Hours: Walk-in or by Appointment Tuesday - Saturday 10am-6pm (Closed Sunday/Monday)

www.bermanbuyscollectables.com • 914-244-9500

50

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Book an appointment today!

You can afford to smile with dental implants from Touro Dental Health.

Touro Dental Health offers implants at a savings of up to 50%.

Our highly experienced oral surgeons use the most advanced techniques in dentistry today, including 3-D dental implant technology for greater precision and comfort. Choose from a full range of affordable oral health care services for your entire family, from general, pediatric and cosmetic dentistry, to oral surgery and more.

Call us for more information or to make an appointment!

914.594.2700 | dentalhealth@touro.edu Touro Dental Health is located at 19 Skyline Drive in Hawthorne, N.Y. Learn more at: dentalhealth.touro.edu

Touro Dental Health, the educational training facility of the Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College, is dedicated to conducting important educational and clinical research, while providing excellent dental health services to the public.

52

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

a catalog in bloom

BY GINA GOUVEIA

I'm instantly hopeful for planting season in the Northeast once I've taken my first step into the warm and humid clime of one of nearly 30 greenhouses at White Flower Farm.

This “White Welcome mix” of daffodils adorn White Flower Farm’s retail operation in Morris Connecticut.

Photographs courtesy White Flower Farm.

On tour of the 200-plus acre property of the Wadsworth family with Eliot, head of marketing, the familiar catalog of this renowned plant and shrubbery farm unfolds before me in real time and sharp focus. If you are a home gardener or plant enthusiast, you know this brand for its hallmark quality and perfect petals.

But did you know that you can visit its retail operation in Morris, Connecticut, some 100 miles from New York City, nestled in the rolling hills of Litchfield County? Following a scenic drive around Black Rock Lake, you will find the modestly sized but well-stocked shop and a knowledgeable, welcoming staff ready to answer your questions and guide you through the plant selection process. Or, if you have perused the ambitious schedule, you will have reserved a coveted spot at one of the many educational greenhouse events. Whichever you choose, you are sure to glean tips and tricks from the master gardeners on site.

The last decade has seen the spawning of many creative events that drive existing and new customers to the farm. On the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend, May 12, three separate "Make and Take" container events are offered for gift givers and receivers. Widely known for its hardy tomato plants — White Flower Farm produces 130 varieties of tomatoes alone — it will host the 13th annual Great Tomato Celebration — a tomato-palooza weekend in their honor from May 18 through 20.

In spite of 80 percent of business being transacted over the internet, Eliot says, the family and employees at the farm appreciate the person-to-person banter that takes place at the retail operation and during special events. They take comments and requests from their customers seriously, often resulting in new varieties and specimens that are packed to preserve their fragility before being shipped

by UPS or USPS across the lower 48 — sorry, Alaska and Hawaii. Efforts to minimize waste and use eco-friendly recyclables in packaging present challenges but are continually evolving.

This is a horticultural business that carefully preserves specimens and takes unwavering pride in its high-quality plant production. The tagline of White Flower Farms is “Plantsmen since 1950.” This is accepted vernacular in the industry, I learn from Eliot A., son of Eliot Wadsworth II, who purchased the business in 1976. A Wall Street entrepreneur with an eye for quality, the Wadsworth family patriarch is still wintering in South Carolina, but together with son Eliot and a talented team of professionals, they have built upon history and success in the competitive mail order business of the gardening variety. "We're a medium-sized fish in a big pond,” Eliot says modestly.

In recent years, raising a herd of black Angus cattle that gracefully dot the landscape across the road from the farm has become a passion of Eliot II. The farm's website provides the narrative about the steers’ humane upbringing, wanderings and details about purchase and selection.

In the first week of April when I visited the farm, the shipping of plants to the hardier zones had already commenced from its Torrington facility, which also houses the business' call center. Depending upon the season — early May and December are the busiest — anywhere from one to two dozen customer service representatives familiar with the extensive product line ably field questions and take

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

53

The Spring Garden at White Flower Farm.

2018

s e v I Art at

RT & JURIED FINE A

IVES CONCERT PARK | 43 LAKE AVE. EXT., DANBURY, CT

Featuring a variety of high-quality original works in a diverse scope of art forms.

Enjoy endless creative expression, live music, food, children’s artistic activities and more. Rain or shine.

TICKETS:

presented by

CRAFTS SHOW

June 2-3, 2018 10am-5pm Presented by

Sample aromatic whites and rich, full-flavored reds, learning about the various notes present.

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Tasting Times:

Saturday & Sunday 1:00 - 2:00 pm Art Show Admission Only - $5 2:30 - 3:30 pm Wine Tasting - $15 in advance / $20 at the door (includes admission to show)

Information & Tickets: ivesconcertpark.com 54

!

WINE TASTING

NE W

orders. Occasionally they may still receive a token hand-written order form with accompanying check — a rarity in their mostly web-based world.

Eliot and his two sisters grew up around the farm, but its operations served only as a backdrop, as it does now for his young family. "They just want to come and hang out on the tractor," he tells me. A Harvard University graduate who majored in history, Eliot went on to UCLA for graduate school before returning to his native Connecticut to run the marketing arm of White Flower Farm. He is at ease as we walk in and out of some of the greenhouses while chatting, greeting passing staff members. There are only about 50 employees, but their production is impressive.

I comment, too, on the size of the visitor parking lot and ask if it's a "cops directing traffic" type of atmosphere during peak seasons. Eliot minimizes what I have envisioned to be the case. The retail store existed for most of the farm's existence, but the educational component through events and lectures has gained much more momentum in recent years.

Eliot's pride in the brand, its best practices and partnerships with steadfast growers is apparent, despite what appears to be an urge to suppress it. Now fully immersed in the operations of White Flower Farms, he acknowledges upon parting, “I do enjoy watching and feeling the ebb and flow of the business through all of the seasons on the farm."

For more, visit whiteflowerfarm.com.

PLAN Y OUR SEASIDE ESCAPE TTOD OD AY YOUR ODA RELAXING, UNIQUE AND FULL OF PERSONALITY

LESS THAN TWO HOURS FROM NEW Y ORK YORK Plan your next getaway and spend a relaxing escape on the Connecticut shoreline. Enjoy vast water views, delightful meals at Fresh Salt, take in a sunset at the Marina Bar or unwind at Sanno Spa. Our historic Three Stories and Tall Tales luxury guest houses offer exquisite rooms that allow for total privacy and relaxation among the picturesque shoreline of Connecticut. Located just two hours from New York, with easy access via Amtrak, discover your seaside escape today. Learn more at SAYBROOK.COM.

2 Bridge Street, Old Saybrook CT 06475 I 860-395-2000 I saybrook.com

A butterfly on milkweed.

Photograph by Mark Vergari.

56

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

the garden goes native

BY LAURA JOSEPH MOGIL

From black-eyed Susans to coneflowers, azalea bushes to dogwood trees, the trend in planting gardens today is to go local with native plants.

If you’re looking to establish or expand your garden with regional plants that will attract the area’s birds and insects — so important to our natural environment — then the place to turn to is The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College (WCC) in Valhalla.

Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, The Native Plant Center’s goal is to “educate people about the environmental necessity, economic value and natural beauty of native plants of the Northeast,” says Peekskill resident Carol Capobianco, the center’s director.

Using her communications background in journalism — as well as her work at the New York Botan-

ical Garden and Audubon at Home, among other organizations, and her love of plants and birds — Capobianco has made it her mission to spread the word around the county about The Native Plant Center and to make sure the organization is strong financially and continues to grow in terms of volunteers, members and programs.

“And, of course, the center is located on a community college campus, so we are all about education, education, education,” Capobianco says. “We consider every person we reach as a student, not only those matriculated here, but the gamut of ecological gardeners, landscape architects, arborists and municipal workers — all types of people who

The New American Cottage Garden, above. Photograph

by Joseph Squillante.

A bee on aster, left. ©Bonnie Sue – Photography.

are interested in making the environment more ‘habitat-able’ for wildlife.”

The Native Plant Center was founded in 1998 as the first affiliate of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Texas. In tribute to the former first lady, the Center’s Lady Bird Johnson Demonstration Garden was dedicated in 1999 with a ceremony attended by Johnson and her daughters, Lynda and Luci.

“Lady Bird Johnson said she liked it when she would travel around America and it would ‘speak its own language in its own regional accent,’” Capobianco says. “When we travel the country, a lot of times we find out how we know a place is through its flora. We see palm trees at the beach, cactus plants in the desert and conifers in the Colorado Rockies.”

Plants in the recently restored and expanded meadow of the Lady Bird Johnson Demonstration Garden show visitors what can grow naturally in our Northeast region, from Jacob’s ladder with its colorful purple blossoms to deep pink azalea flowers and golden Alexander with its tiny clusters of yellow blooms.

Capobianco says they are still doing extensive work on the garden, including removing invasive species and expanding a demonstration area with shrubs and trees beneficial to birds. “Plus, right now we are experimenting with different ground cover that we call ‘green mulch,’ which we use

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

57

instead of putting down wood chips to suppress the weeds,” she says. “We’re trying plants such as ferns, groundsel, woodland phlox and wild strawberries and want to see what will spread the easiest so we can share the information with the public.”

In addition, the center has created a beautiful New American Cottage Garden, which teaches visitors how to incorporate native plants into a cohesive home setting. The garden is highlighted by such elements as a formal perennial bed, shrub borders and a water feature. Colorful flowers to see in May include goatsbeard, with its creamy white plumes; Eastern bluestar with clusters of powder blue blossoms; and purple wild geraniums. Popping up in the water garden are marsh marigolds with lush low yellow flowers.

When asked why native plants are so important, Capobianco says they are the “Swiss army knife” of the plant world because they are so versatile. “Not only do they provide wildlife habitat and sustain biodiversity, but they also protect water quality and require less maintenance,” she says. “Plus, they’re beautiful and give the area a regional identity.”

A good example is milkweed, which Capobianco calls the “poster child for native plants.” While the Monarch butterfly may eat nectar from many

different flowers, their caterpillars can only eat milkweed in order to survive. She says, “Nonnative plants may look nice, but just like a bowl of fruit, if you can’t eat it, then it’s no good.”

Many of the species of flowers, shrubs and trees on view in the center’s gardens are for sale during the annual Native Plant Sale, which took place at the end of April. According to Capobianco, “the number of plants sold has spiked from 6,000 several years ago to 11,000, and plans are to keep increasing sales.”

She adds: “The plant sale brings out our center’s three key elements of education, demonstration and conservation into the community. First, we have expert volunteers who know the native plants the best and can educate our customers; then we have the demonstration opportunities, because you can see the plants right in front of you with signs bearing identification and detailed information; and, finally, conservation, because we’re getting these plants into the community to create new wildlife habitats.”

While the plant sale is over for this year, there are many upcoming events that the public can take advantage of in the near future. Among them is the dedication of the Cottage Garden, set for June 3 at 3 p.m. (no admission fee). The ribbon cutting will be followed by a light reception and a chance to wan-

der through the setting of more than 800 plants representing 60 species and cultivars. The garden is located behind WCC’s Stone Cottage, which is the headquarters for the Native Plant Center.

Looking ahead, the center will host guided tours of its gardens July 29 and will partner with Rosedale Nurseries for a “Native Plant Center Benefit Weekend” on Sept. 8 and 9. That weekend will feature personal shoppers on hand to help you make your selections at Rosedale as well as a series of lectures by native plant experts. Talks include “Workhorse Native Plants for Attracting Wildlife,” at 2 p.m. Sept. 8; and “Native Perennials to Plant Now,” at 11 a.m. Sept. 9.

In addition to programming, the center also has an annual landscape conference; field trips to other native plant gardens; and Go Native U, which features a certificate program and continuing education classes that help students make their gardens healthier and more beautiful.

“Whether you are a home gardener or a landscape professional, we’re hoping we will be the place you turn to when you’re looking for information and inspiration about the benefits of native plants,” Capobianco says. “We really want the public to know about the importance of these plants in creating a healthy ecosystem.”

For more, visit nativeplantcenter.org.

Boarding and Day for Boys - Grades 7-12 / Postgraduate At Trinity-Pawling, students gain the skills and self-awareness to navigate a complex and ever-changing world.

We believe that critical thinking is key and we teach students to think outside the box.

We also teach something you can’t measure: students learn to respect themselves, their fellow brothers, their surroundings, and their future.

Our graduates are the next generation’s problem solvers, game changers, and thought leaders.

This educational experience could make all the difference in your son’s future.

Learn more about the benefits of a Trinity-Pawling education at www.trinitypawling.org or call 845-855-4825

58

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

®

SHREVE, CRUMP & LOW CUP JUNE 10 & 17

MONTY WATERBURY CUP JUNE 24 JULY 1 (PRIVATE MATCH)

THE BRANT FOUNDATION ART STUDY CENTER: OPEN EVERY POLO SUNDAY 1-3PM

|

EAST COAST OPEN

SILVER CUP ®

AUGUST 26, SEPTEMBER 2 & 9

JULY 8, 15 & 22

TICKETS: GREENWICHPOLOCLUB.COM

|

INFO@GREENWICHPOLOCLUB.COM

60

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Asparagus and anemones make a fetching bouquet. Courtesy Laura Mulligan at The Hickories.

going organic

with flowers

BY GINA GOUVEIA

When Dina Brewster assumed operations at The Hickories in 2004, she started shaking things up, and she's been at it ever since.

Her grandparents acquired the long-established Ridgefield farm in 1936, but only under Dina's young stewardship has it been run as a for-profit business and a sustainable one at that. Following a three-year certification process, its 100 acres — 45 of which are utilized for production — became fully USDA-certified organic in 2007.

During a brief but exhilarating visit, the question utmost on my mind was answered succinctly and brilliantly: Organic flower farming is a movement and one that's worth getting behind for the betterment of the planet.

Dina is emblematic of the young farmers taking their respective farmlands to new heights. She explains that what began as a "conventional, chemical-based farm of the yellow corn and round, red tomato variety" now produces some 160 crop varietals.

As part of the effort to manage the land better, The Hickories also raises livestock. Pigs, sheep and chickens work the soil and consume the yield overruns, plus the many varieties of beautiful, fragrant stems

The Hickories in Ridgefield. Photograph by Gina Gouveia.

that attract pollinators — you know, the flowers.

The Hickories is so much about the flowers, in fact, that it offers customers CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscriptions in flowers alone, or they can be added to a produce and/or livestock CSA as well. CSAs only for flowers and for the spring season are already sold out, but summer and fall CSAs are still available.

Another way The Hickories engages and educates flower lovers is through its Open Flower Studios, offered on select dates, when friends gather for design and informational workshops — stems and props included, just bring your beverage of choice. Dina is bringing new life and beauty to the table and to the conversation. "We are forging a creative and intimate relationship with flowers, working with the seasons and encouraging a shift in people's design choices," she tells me.

I learn from her that Connecticut has a rich history of flower production from Greenwich all the way through to Litchfield, but that all started to change in the 1930s as large, commercial operations, many of which sprang up overseas, pushed out the little growers and neighborhood florists who couldn't compete with the big box stores. "For me," she says, "as someone interested in saving the planet, we are slowly bringing them back into the fold."

One timely example of this movement can be found in the "Bee Kind" promotion that The Hickories is offering for Mother's Day. With cut flowers not yet in abundance in May, the farm sells a gift certificate for $80, entitling the recipient to three farm-made bouquets available for pickup on a choice of six future dates throughout the growing season. "By embracing and supporting certified organic flower farming,” Dina says, “consumers are enhancing rather than diminishing our ecosystem."

She is quick to offer praise for her hard-working employees, many of whom are female, a phenomenon that is a heartening trend in modern farming, according to Dina. She credits Laura Mulligan, with her for five years, for her "360-degree perspective on agrarian life," and for producing "floral thought pieces that capture moments

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

61

and tell stories."

The farm, nicely situated in the Farmingville section of Ridgefield with its vistas from Redding to the Long Island Sound, has been host to weddings and dinner parties — with flowers and bounty produced on site.

Visitors and shoppers are welcome at a bevy of interesting events and there's also a spacious farm store, abundant even at this early stage of the production year.

In every artfully arranged corner there is something to delight and enjoy. Alongside the refrigerated meat, eggs and produce are jars of marinara sauce made from the farm’s own tomatoes, pickled vegetables, local syrup and condiments, thoughtfully packaged and offered for sale via a self-checkout iPad, our modern-day honor system. And soon enough, there will be those organic flowers, their beautiful stems eager to fill your home with fragrance.

As I left the farm I glanced over at the to-do list on my passenger seat. The daily quote printed along the bottom of the notepaper was by Anne Frank and it could not have been more apt for my encounter with Dina Brewster, "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

For more, visit thehickories.org.

Blueberries (unripe), apples, flowering oregano, lace top hydrangea, eryngium, wind flower and a couple of sweet daisies make a picturesque tabletop display. Courtesy Laura Mulligan at The Hickories.

Dream Kitchens and Baths CRAFT-MAID ■ BIRCHCRAFT ■ HOLIDAY ■ CABICO ■ STONE ■ QUARTZ ■ CORIAN ■ DECORATIVE HARDWARE

Westchester-Fairfield Go Red For Women Luncheon

Friday, June 1, 2018 | 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Hilton Westchester

699 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY

To purchase tickets visit: westfairgoredluncheon.heart.org 2018 Go Red For Women Co-Chairs

FA M I LY

O W N E D

A N D

O P E R AT E D

S I N C E

19 6 5

Terri Ferri Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Grace Ferri United Hebrew of New Rochelle Willow Towers Assisted Living

KITCHEN & BATH, LTD.

Keynote Speaker

Belinda S. Miles, Ed.D. Westchester Community College

Signature Sponsor

164 Harris Road, Bedford Hills, NY 10507 914.241.3046 | www.euphoriakitchens.com H O U R S : T U E S - F R I 10 : 3 0 A M - 5 P M S AT 11 A M - 4 P M

|

G C L I C . # W C - 16 2 2 4 - H 0 5 Local Sponsors

Dr. Icilma Fergus Rowe Media Sponsors

62

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

A Day Program where they’re always in good company.

Waveny’s Adult Day Program in New Canaan offers meaningful camaraderie and care in a secure daytime setting. With ever-changing choices of recreational activities, hands-on personal care, managed medication, shower services, access to on-site therapies, and even overnight respite care, we serve the varied needs of seniors and their families.

Free door-to-door transportation is provided throughout most of lower Fairfield County. Learn how to enjoy a free trial day by calling 203.594.5429 or visiting waveny.org.

Daytime Caregiver Relief with Free Transportation

When you need Home Care, choose the team you already trust.

Waveny Home Healthcare and Waveny at Home bring the expertise, quality and local resources of a community-based healthcare system into the home.

If you live in Fairfield County, Waveny’s visiting therapists, nurses, home health aides, CNAs, companions and even live-in aides can come to you.

Our trusted team makes rehabilitation at home, and staying at home for the long term, a realistic choice.

Learn how Waveny can come to you by calling 203.594.5249 or visiting waveny.org.

A nonprofit continuum of care that’s planning ahead for you.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

63

EXPERTISE IN ALL PRICE RANGES

29 CALHOUN DRIVE | $5,875,000 | 29CALHOUNDRIVE.COM Shingle style residence with a refreshing new take in private association close to town. Sophisticated interiors & level yard with space for a swimming pool.

Joseph Barbieri | 203.940.2025

7 BINNEY LANE | $3,995000 | 7BINNEYLN.COM In a private association, this sunlit home features high ceilings & exquisite millwork. Glen Gate pool in private fenced yard w/ level lawn & expansive terrace.

Amy Rabenhorst | 203.550.7230

MEAD POINT COLONIAL | $3,950,000 | 569INDIANFIELD.COM Private L.I. Sound waterfront community. 24/7 guarded gate. 4+ beds/4.1 baths.Move-in condition.Pool w/auto cover. + Cottage with 1bed/1bath/kitch/laundry.Association beach.

Jill Tighe Kelly | 203.536.6280

230 BYRAM SHORE ROAD | $3,900,000 | 230BYRAMSHOREROAD.COM Panoramic views of Long Island sound. Private beach and dock. 6 bed/5bath.

Taxes under $26,000.

Karen Coxe | 203.561.2754

403 SOUND BEACH AVENUE | $3,795,000 | 403SOUNDBEACHAVE.COM ‘Better than new’’ 6 bedroom shore colonial with rocking chair front porch and private back yard with outdoor kitchen dining area and fireplace. Taxes under 26,000/ year!

Joanne Gorka | 203.981.4882

63 NORTH STREET | $3,300,000 | 63NORTHSTREET.COM Grand Federal-style landmark, in-town home is beautifully preserved with elegant details. Rear and second story porch overlooks landscaped gardens & a heated pool.

Carol Zuckert | 203.561.0247

GREENWICH BROKERAGE | 203.869.4343 One Pickwick Plaza | Greenwich, CT 06830

sothebyshomes.com/greenwich

Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo areregistered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are notemployees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.

EXPERTISE IN ALL PRICE RANGES

113 PATTERSON AVE | $2,500,000 | 113PATTERSONAVE.COM Classic New England home completely and tastefully renovated throughout. Turn key, move in condition. Conveniently located, walk to town & private schools.

Debbie Ward | 203.808.9608

PRIVATE LAND IN BACKCOUNTRY | $2,100,000 | SOTHEBYSHOMES.COM/0067930 This rare level, approx. 4.2-acre property enjoys a tranquil backcountry setting.This unique offering would be an ideal location to build a brand new home in exclusive Greenwich.

Joseph Barbieri | 203.940.2025

4 ARROWHEAD LANE | $1,925,000 | 4ARROWHEADLANE.COM At the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in the heart of Cos Cob awaits this immaculate 4BR colonial in a private and serene setting with in-ground pool.

Renee Haggquist | 203.618.3140

19 TAIT ROAD | $1,795,000 | 19TAIT.COM 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath home with a 2 car garage, set in a sought after “South of the Village” Old Greenwich location. Just minutes to town, train, beach and schools.

Daphne Lamsvelt-Pol | 203.391.4846

3 NUTMEG DRIVE | $1,499,500 | 3NUTMEGDRIVE.COM Classic, center-hall colonial on 2.10 acres offering privacy, quiet and natural beauty. Picturesque park-like grounds with heated in-ground pool.

John Graves | 46.981.8200

15 CANTERBURY DRIVE | $1,250,000 | 15CANTERBURYDRIVE.COM A covered front porch leads the way to this inviting center hall colonial which was built in 2006 and is sited nicely on a convenient Glenville culde-sac.

Amy Whitlaw | 203.536.6324

GREENWICH BROKERAGE | 203.869.4343 One Pickwick Plaza | Greenwich, CT 06830

sothebyshomes.com/greenwich

Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo areregistered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are notemployees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.

I

‘floral jewels’ at Teatown

n Ossining, a small island is home to one of Westchester County’s most diverse wildflower habitats. The island’s very creation was unintentional, but has allowed “a treasure chest of floral jewels” to thrive in isolation.

Wildflower Island — a 2-acre island within the Teatown Lake Reservation Nature Preserve — is home to more than 230 wildflower species, reachable by a wooden bridge from the nature center.

Protected from many of the ecological challenges on the Teatown “mainland,” the small preserve-within-a-preserve offers a view of the “the forest that once was,” as Teatown describes it.

The island is part of a 1,000-acre preserve overseen by Teatown, the largest privately owned pre-

BY RYAN DEFFENBAUGH

serve in Westchester County. Teatown’s 15 miles of trails attracted 10,000 visitors last year, while its educational programs reach an estimated 20,000 adults and children each year.

Wildflower Island is a more exclusive part of Teatown. It’s open only for guided tours on weekends between April and September, or through “Open Gate” days in the spring and summer.

The origins of the island, and Teatown itself, date from 1923. Gerard Swope Sr., the chairman of General Electric, purchased a large wooded estate in Ossining that year, known at the time as “The Croft.” He and his family built a network of horse trails there that today guide hikers along the property.

The bridge over Teatown Lake and gatehouse to enter Wildflower Island. Photographs courtesy Teatown Lake Reservation Nature Preserve.

A year after his purchase, Swope Sr. dammed a brook running through the property and flooded a low-lying meadow, creating a 42-acre body of water known as Teatown Lake.

But not all of the meadow was low-lying. The points of two small, stubborn knolls stuck above the waterline after the flooding to create Goose and Wildflower islands within the new lake.

Wildflower, the bigger of the two islands, is just about 100 feet from the reserve’s mainland. While Goose Island has been mostly left as is, Wildflower Island had clear potential as a place for learning and appreciating nature, according to Phyllis Bock, director of education for Teatown.

“They discovered the wildflowers there and decided, because it’s such a remarkable area, they could preserve it and use it for education about why stewardship is important,” Bock says.

It wasn’t until 1970 that the island’s wildflower wonders were actually found. Warren Balgooyen, Teatown’s first naturalist, paddled a canoe out to the island and discovered what Teatown describes in its official history as “a treasure chest of floral jewels.”

The island’s flowers were cultivated by Balgooyen and Marjorie Swope, Gerard Sr.’s daughter-in-law.

Jane Darby became the first Wildflower Island curator.

The land was operated at the time by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the organization that heirs of Gerard Swope tasked with creating an outreach and conservation center. In 1971, Teatown was officially established as an independent nature preserve with a board of 21 community members.

Since the island’s discovery, Teatown naturalists have added other types of wildflowers to the island, focusing on species native to the Northeast and Appalachian region.

The island’s seclusion helps it maintain that diversity of species. Wildflower species in Teatown’s main woodlands suffer from deer browsing, invasive species and other disturbances. With a water and fence barrier, Wildflower Island keeps away deer and is less susceptible to invasive species.

Bock says Teatown’s staff maintains the island by trimming trails and monitoring the growth of any invasives. This winter, heavy storms knocked out several trees, requiring more spring maintenance than usual, according to Bock.

Staff at Teatown opened up the island for the first Open Gate day April 14 to a crowd of more than 100.

It will be open for tours, by reservation, every Satur-

day and Sunday through September.

Bock has worked at Teatown for more than 25 years, starting as a volunteer before joining the fulltime staff. Asked about her favorite time to visit the island, Bock says you can’t go wrong in early May, when wildflowers such as lady slippers, shooting stars and wild columbines are all in bloom.

“It really starts popping around Mother’s Day with different flowers coming out,” she adds. “But I think my favorite time of year is toward the end of summer. We get the last blooming flowers coming in, things like ironweed, cardinal flower.”

Wildlower Island volunteers post a “Bloomlist” weekly on Teatown’s website to keep track of what’s new on the island.

“There are blooms throughout the season, so it’s nice to see all the different times of year,” Bock says.

“Even when there’s hardly anything blooming, it offers a different look at Teatown.”

On May 12, Teatown hosts its annual Plantfest, a celebration of spring that serves as a plant sale and fundraiser for the nonprofit. The event will include a mix of vendors, food, music and tours of Wildflower Island. For more, visit teatown.org.

Lady Slipper is one of more than 230 different species of wildflowers that bloom on Teatown’s Wildflower Island.

Beautify your backyard for Spring!

Visit us online @ www.gssawning.com or contact us @ info@gssawning.com

Gregory Sahagian & Son, Inc. 18 North Central Avenue Hartsdale, NY 10530 (914) 949-9877

Transform your deck, patio, or terrace into an extra living space that everyone will enjoy. Maintain the traditional appearance of your home by installing a stationary awning or create a more contemporary look with a retractable system. Our awnings allow you to maximize your outdoor living space, provide relief from the sun’s harmful rays, reduce energy costs and create an elegant expression of your personal taste and style.

A Full Service Awning Company Since 1990 Fully Licensed and Insured LIC.# WC-10266-H99

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

67

WAY

Riverside paradise

PRESENTED BY SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

68

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

69

W

ith apologies to Milton, paradise is regained in this Riverside estate, a 2.69-acre compound designed by Shope Reno Wharton with all the amenities for play — a pool, a tennis court, a squash pavilion, a guesthouse and a scenic pathway to the beach and private dock. Impeccably decorated by Victoria Hagan, the approximately 10,000-square-foot, 16-room house, built in 2004, incorporates natural light in a timeless layout.

A wide transverse hallway lets you flow among the generously scaled primary rooms, all of which have fireplaces and views across the private yard. Casual entertaining is easy in the beautifully organized kitchen and the adjacent family room, which opens onto a wide terrace and a screened porch with fireplace.

Upstairs, there are five bedrooms, including a master suite with a balcony. (There are also eight full and two partial baths.) Both sides of the house connect through a wide, book-lined hallway with access to a covered second-floor porch, ideal for summer reading.

There’s also a large apartment with private access over the garage. Additional highlights include a firstfloor gym, a guest suite with a private entrance, a finished lower level, and a mudroom designed for sports enthusiasts. A handsome and distinctive new outbuilding houses a first-rate squash facility. Other recreation areas — the pool, court and guest cottage — are shielded by a hemlock hedge.

You can also sail, swim or catch a sunset by following a gravel path beyond the court to the water and the dock, with its views of Mead Point and the Long Island Sound. Priced at $14.5 million, this estate is a rare and exceptional find — the perfect spot in which to settle down or to enjoy as a weekend retreat.

For more, call Heather Platt at 203-983-3802.

70

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

72

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

touched by

Roma Downey

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN RIZZO

Roma Downey during an appearance in Greenwich.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

73

A few Valentine’s Days ago, Roma Downey’s husband, Mark Burnett, gave her a most unusual gift.

Like many gifts, this one came in a box but one that could not be shaken for a clue to its contents. Instead, Burnett suggested that the couple repair to the garden of their Malibu home.

There, Downey says, she opened the box and out flew “a kaleidoscope” of butterflies. Yes, that’s what a group of butterflies is called, she tells well-wishers, who have gathered at The Perfect Provenance in Greenwich to celebrate the launch of her new book, appropriately titled “Box of Butterflies: Discovering the Unexpected Blessings All Around Us” (Simon & Schuster, $24.99, 256 pages). An inspirational memoir containing poems, biblical passages and images that have great meaning for Downey, the book is much like the actress/producer herself — filled with light, color, life. Much like a butterfly, too.

On this occasion, a pale blue butterfly pendant plays at her throat, while a butterfly ring sparkles on her hand.

“The butterfly has had a special significance in my life from the time I was 10 years old,” says Downey, who grew up Roman Catholic in Derry, Northern Ireland, during the Troubles between Catholics and Protestants. It was at that time that Downey’s mother — Maureen, a homemaker with artistic interests — died of a heart attack. Not long after, her father, Patrick — a schoolteacher turned mortgage broker who would die when Downey was 20 — took her to her mother’s gravesite. There a real butterfly alighted before flitting away.

“I realized it could be a symbol of my mother’s spirit and that I wasn’t as alone as I thought I was,” she tells WAG. Ever since then, “the butterfly…has reminded me of my mom, God and all things good.”

Downey herself is like a butterfly, with a delicate bone structure and a voice as soft as the flutter of a butterfly’s wings. Her warm smile alights on each person in the room.

It is a smile — the welcome of the face — that has brought her to The Perfect Provenance, where owner Lisa Lori is a supporter of Operation Smile, which Downey serves as an ambassador. The book launch is a benefit for the organization, founded in 1982 by plastic surgeon William P. Magee Jr. and his 74

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

wife, Kathleen, a nurse and clinical social worker, to transform the lives of those suffering from a cleft lip and/or palate, disfiguring but easily corrected birth defects. In a country with vast resources like the United States, such defects are treated early on; not so in disadvantaged places. Operation Smile has restored the smiles of hundreds of thousands of children and even adults in 60 countries worldwide, thanks to the work of 5,000 medical volunteers, who also train local medical personnel in the surgical procedure so they can pay it forward, says Todd Magee, son of the founders and a director of the organization. Cleft lip and palate can be cruelly ostracizing conditions, even life-threatening. Amid the desperation, Downey’s genuine concern radiates. (She tells us the story of her determination to see that one young woman got the transformational surgery.)

“She is the perfect fit for Operation Smile,” Magee says. “She’s all about people.”

Downey was introduced to the nonprofit through an episode of the TV series “Touched by an Angel” (1994-2003), in which she played an angel, Monica, who helps people at a crossroads in their lives, under the supervision of Tess (Della Reese). The series — whose guest stars ranged from Muhammad Ali to astronaut Sally Ride — was a phenomenon that went on to syndication, fueled in large part by the chemistry between Downey and the earth-motherly Reese. So close did the two become that Reese, an ordained minister, officiated at Downey’s 2007 home wedding to Burnett. She also contributed the loving foreword to “Box of Butterflies” before she died last year.

At first, however, Downey didn’t imagine herself in front of a camera but rather in front of an easel.

After graduating from Thornhill College, a Catholic grammar school in Derry, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from England’s Brighton College of Art before combining art and drama studies at Brighton Polytechnic (later incorporated into the

University of Brighton).

Drama won out over art. Downey was classically trained at the Drama Studio London. That led to Dublin’s prestigious Abbey Players and then to Broadway and then to the title role in the 1991 Emmy Award-winning miniseries “A Woman Called Jackie,” about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, which in turn led to “Angel.”

Since “Angel,” Downey’s work has taken an even more spiritual turn. She and Burnett — perhaps best-known as the producer of the reality series “Survivor,” “The Voice,” “The Apprentice” and “The Celebrity Apprentice” — produced the hit 10-part docudrama “The Bible” for the History Channel, which they adapted into the 2014 feature film “Son of God.” Their LightWorkers Media company — now owned by MGM but with Downey as president — has also created NBC’s “A.D. The Bible Continues”; CBS’ “The Dovekeepers,” a two-part miniseries based on Alice Hoffman’s novel about three extraordinary women at the Roman siege of the Jewish citadel of Masada; and the 2016 remake of “Ben-Hur,” starring Jack Huston, a scion of the acting family that includes Walter, John, Angelica and Danny.

At lightworkers.com, you’ll find “The Bible: Son of God” podcasts as well as faith-based lifestyle content.

“I love LightWorkers,” Downey says. “I’m all about hope and shedding a little light. ‘Better to light one candle than curse the darkness.’…We have to keep making noise for the good guys.”

Downey wears her faith with a lightness that matches the lilt in her voice. She says for instance, that she was educated by the Sisters of Mercy — or “Sisters of No Mercy,” as they were known to their students. Then acknowledging a priest amid the book party gatherers, she says, “Sorry, Father.”

A nod of the head suggests “no offense taken” before he ripostes, “but look at how you turned out.”

Indeed.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

75

living outdoors at home

WARES

L

BY JANE MORGAN

iving in New York City as I did in my 20s and 30s, I never understood the attraction of a sidewalk café. Even sitting at the most expensive, gorgeous outdoor dining table, I was still stuck in the middle of a concrete slab with the sun beating down on me, trying to prevent the wind from carrying off my napkin. I felt irritable instead of continental. Is there anything less comfortable than metal chairs? I don’t think so.

Flash forward to living in the suburbs and suddenly eating outside became “al fresco dining.”

Surrounded by greenery, space, the ability to mitigate at least some elements of the weather, I experienced a paradigm shift. Providing shade and shelter makes all the difference. A well-designed outside space not only encourages open-air entertaining, but it essentially becomes an extra room in your home. Inspiration taken from architectural elements can transform your yard into a mini getaway and provide a lot more style than your average, utilitarian, table-mounted umbrella: MISSION STYLE A dark-wood, vine-wrapped pergola and boxy, gray wicker seating offer contrasting shape, color and texture. Glazed pots filled with low-maintenance succulents create a layered look.

MEDITERRANEAN COURTYARD Adding a stucco fireplace creates a focal point.

Centering a dining table in front of it creates classic symmetry.

BUNGALOW STYLE Crisp, white Adirondack chairs, a bushel basket planter and a hammock will create a laid-back hangout. Display vintage pails and watering cans.

FRONT PORCH STYLE Paint the ceiling a contrasting color. Adding an antique porch glider, ceiling fans, a pair of rocking chairs and symmetrical planters creates an invitation to relax.

RUSTIC ROMANCE A basket-weave canopy over a rough-hewn table creates an intimate dining atmosphere. Hanging pillar candles from the canopy creates subtle mood lighting, while mismatched vintage chairs contribute to a casual-yet-elegant vibe.

MODERN COASTAL Use oversize, clean-lined furniture and throw 76

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

With a little imagination, you can turn your yard into an additional room.

pillows in nautical colors such as navy and turquoise for a Hamptons-inspired look.

SUNKEN SEATING Built-in banquette seating centered around a distressed wooden table creates a comfy dining space in which to enjoy meals year-round.

SOUTHWEST STYLE Warm yellows, reds and blues represent the warm Latin climate. Incorporate stone features such as concrete brick flooring and decorative

tiles. A fountain and lush plants help keep the patio cool.

Or just put your table under a tree and string some lights in the branches. Install lush vertical plantings on an ugly fence. Use planters filled with ivy, boxwood, lobelia and hydrangea.

If you are really missing the metropolitan milieu, try backing up a truck to your yard and let the exhaust run. Then honk the horn a few hundred times while you’re trying to eat. You’ll feel at home in no time.

For more, visit janemorganinteriordesign.com.

Proprietor, Bobby Epstein of the legendary Muscoot Tavern in Katonah, invites you to experience his newest restaurant—

Kisco River Eatery Come in and savor the fresh raw bar and our impressive variety of steak, pasta, chicken and seafood selections in our warm and cozy atmosphere.

Gather • Eat • Drink.

Lunch & Dinner 7 days a week Sunday Brunch 11-3 Happy Hour Daily from 3-6 222 East Main Street • Mount Kisco, NY 10549 914 • 218 • 3877 info@Kiscoriver.com www.kiscoriver.com Free Parking Around Back

WHAT'S COLLECTIBLE?

W

a silver lining for Georg Jensen pieces

BY JENNIFER PITMAN

hile many sectors of the silver market have taken a beating in recent years — the downturn in 18th-century English and American silver being a prime example — the silver of the Danish firm Georg Jensen has continued to hold its value. What has made the Jensen market continue to thrive? First and foremost, Georg Jensen is still a going concern, with retail stores worldwide. The firm’s advertising and sales efforts drive the market for its silver flatware and hollowware patterns, with sales in Asia a particular bright spot. Additionally, there is an active secondary market for Jensen silver — at auction or through dealers — where you can acquire vintage Jensen pieces at what can be a fraction of the cost of new production.

But much of the Jensen market's strength is due to a stellar group of designers who kept churning out designs that anticipated and reflected the styles of the day. There is an enormous breadth to the firm’s design — from Arts and Crafts to Art Deco to Scandinavian Modern. The firm also cleverly applied successful designs, such as the Grape or Blossom patterns, across a multitude of objects. For example, you can easily outfit a dining room table with the same motif on flatware, wine goblets, serving dishes and candelabra. Jensen silver also complements both modern and traditional interiors and is especially favored by contemporary art collectors. Over time, many Jensen designs have achieved iconic status, most notably the Grape, Pyramid, Blossom, Acanthus and Cactus patterns. These designs are instantly recognizable as Jensen, much like a Hermès bag, signaling both quality and luxury.

The firm has its roots in Copenhagen in 1904, when Jensen (1866-1935), a sculptor and silversmith, opened a shop selling silver jewelry and, soon after, silver hollowware. Jensen worked in the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau styles, drawing inspiration from nature. Flowers and fruits are the predominate motifs and Jensen’s most famous designs are the Blossom and Grape patterns.

Jensen wisely sought to expand his market beyond Denmark — opening his first international store in Berlin in 1909 and following in Stockholm, Paris, London and New York in 1921. Jensen also pro-

78

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Georg Jensen, Grape pattern candlesticks, sold for $2,750. Courtesy Rago Arts and Auction.

moted his work through international exhibitions, winning awards and gaining new clients. William Randolph Hearst was apparently so enamored of the Jensen display at the 1915 Pan Pacific Exposition that he acquired it in its entirety — just one of many Americans to fall in love with Jensen silver. Sadly, business acumen was not Jensen’s strength and he lost control of the firm in 1924. Years of acrimonious relations with his eponymous firm followed.

Jensen's collaboration with other designers expanded the firm’s repertoire beyond naturalistic motifs and ensured that the firm remained stylistically relevant. The firm’s support of innovative and long-tenured designers was the key factor in its continued success. Johan Rohde (1856-1935) was of foremost importance to Georg Jensen’s early years, joining in 1917 and remaining until his death.

Rohde’s work eschews Jensen’s naturalism, limits ornament and reflects more classical influences.

Among his best-known designs are the Acanthus and Acorn patterns.

Jensen’s brother-in-law Harald Nielsen (18921977) joined the firm in 1909, remaining until the 1960s. Nielsen served as the firm’s artistic director and was a prolific designer in his own right, able to work in both Jensen’s and Rohde’s style. He was also drawn to the geometric shapes of Modernism, as exemplified by his most famous design, the Pyra-

There is an active secondary market for Jensen silver — at auction or through dealers — where you can acquire vintage Jensen pieces at what can be a fraction of the cost of new production.

mid pattern. Also producing for Jensen in the Modernist style was Sigvard Bernadotte (1907-2002), an important industrial designer who happened to be second son of King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife, Margaret, Duchess of Scania, a granddaughter of Great Britain’s Queen Victoria.

Bernadotte began designing for the firm in 1931 and continued the relationship over a 50year period.

After the Second World War, the company’s most innovative designs were realized at the hand of the talented sculptor Henning Koppel (1918-81).

Koppel worked in the Scandinavian Modern style, and his jewelry and hollowware designs are completely abstract in form. Among Koppel's most famous designs are his water pitchers — like the Anden or Duck pitcher, which reflect his training as a sculptor.

And what of value? With more than 100 years of silver production, there is a great deal of Jensen silver available on the primary and secondary markets; prices remain strong. As expected, there is premium for works of early manufacture or designs of limited production. Georg Jensen silver will no doubt remain one of the bright spots in the field of vintage silver.

For more, contact Jenny at jenny@ragoarts. com or 917-745-2730.

“Sapori (Italian for “flavors”) is the newest and the fanciest restaurant to arrive on the outskirts of White Plains near the County Center.”

—New York Times

PRINCE WILLIAM HAS PRINCE HARRY, SNOOPY HAS SPIKE – YOU KNOW, THE BAD-BOY BABY BRO WHO’S A CHUNK OF CHARM AND A TON OF TROUBLE. That’s what WAG Weekly is to WAG. In our e-newsletter, we let down our hair (and occasionally, our grammar) to take you behind behind-the-scenes of the hottest parties and events, offer our thoughts on the most controversial issues of the day, share what couldn’t be contained in our glossy pages and tell you what to do and where to go this weekend – all while whetting your appetite for the next issue.

If you can’t get enough of WAG — or you just want to get WAG unplugged — then you won’t want to miss WAG Weekly, coming to your tablet.

Lunch, Dinner, Private Wine Room, Outdoor Dining • Valet Parking 324 Central Ave, White Plains, NY 914.684.8855 • saporiofwhiteplains.com

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

79

WEAR

O

read any good handbags lately?

BY DANIELLE RENDA

lympia Le-Tan has given new meaning to the term “pocketbook.”

Actually, she may have started the world’s coolest book club.

Le-Tan’s whimsical handbag collection resembles books — yes, books — from the likes of Robert Bloch’s “Psycho” to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and Daphne du Maurier’s “The Apple Tree.” Between the handbags’ vintage looks and graphic covers, you can hardly distinguish between the purses — and the real thing.

Unless you’re trying to flip through pages, that is.

Le-Tan designs her handbags to look like the books that marked her childhood. Born in Paris to an English mother and a French father, she grew up in a home whose walls were lined with novels, many of which bore striking covers. Le-Tan’s father, Pierre — who occasionally collaborates with her on some of her collections — worked as an illustrator, often bringing his daughter along to exquisite tea parties and grand galleries.

But Le-Tan’s adult life shares a storybook quality as well. While attending the Chanel Couture Atelier in Paris for an internship, Le-Tan worked closely with designer Gilles Dufour, the assistant to Karl Lagerfeld. In 2000, when Dufour left to work for Balmain, Le-Tan joined him, anticipating a change of pace. As a team, they worked to create T-shirts with provocative sayings, which was racy for the time. Needless to say, Balmain did not entertain the idea.

It wasn’t until she was fired from Balmain — and working part-time as a deejay for high-end clients such as Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga — that she started making bags as a quirky project of sorts. Having seen success, she went on to launch her line in 2009, designing her collections around literary or movie themes. Her handbags include an array of genres, from Marvel Comics to Agatha Christie mysteries to Ian Fleming’s spy novels.

The pocketbooks, which look to first-edition novels for cover inspiration, feature a lift-lock clasp and a detachable shoulder strap. (If you’re really looking for a reaction, wear one as a clutch.)

Le-Tan looks for books that have aesthetically interesting covers, of course. But the self-professed bookworm also tries to read as many of her

80

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

“books” as she can. And she encourages her patrons to become familiar with their pocketbooks’ muses as well.

In addition to making handbags and minaudières, Le-Tan creates equally whimsical clothing. Think book covers but as all-over prints for a blouse or pants.

For her, well-dressed will always mean wellread.

Olympia Le-Tan is available at Neiman Marcus Westchester. For more, visit wps.olympialetan.com.

Clockwise, from left: Meine Lieblingsmorde Book Clutch Bag in cream, $1,295; Rebecca Movie Poster Clutch Bag in beige, $1,840; The Great Gatsby Book Clutch Bag, $1,625; and Psycho Book Clutch Bag in black, $1,185. Photographs courtesy Neiman Marcus Westchester.

KENYA, TANZANIA, ETHIOPIA & RWANDA TOURS Exceptional Camps & Lodges | Authentic Experiences | Private tours for groups and families with children

OUR TRIP WAS ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE, ASTONISHING AND INCREDIBLE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES I'VE EVER HAD. THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS MAGICAL. I CAN'T WAIT TO JOIN JOHN ON ANOTHER TRIP. — Annie Chester, Los Angeles

“OUR ADVENTURE IN EAST AFRICA WAS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE, FROM THE EXTRAVAGANCE OF WILDLIFE IN AMBOSELI AND REMOTE VILLAGES IN SAMBURU, TO BREAKFAST OVERLOOKING NGORONGORO AND SCENERY ALONG THE PLAINS OF THE SERENGETI. THIS WAS A TRIP NOT EASILY FORGOTTEN.” — Evan Anthony, Cambridge MA

All packages include photography lessons | John Rizzo is a former Newsweek photographer, has worked on 6 continents & winner of two Arts Alive Grants, 2013 &2016

Africa Photo Tours Inc. | 455 Tarrytown Road Suite 1302 White Plains NY 10607 | (646) 221-6186 worldwide mobile | www.johnrizzophoto.com

WEAR

floral is back

BY DANIELLE RENDA

2.

4.

3.

5.

1.

T

here’s little standing between a woman and her botanical prints. Especially during the warmer months.

Luckily for the floral fans, flower motifs are trending at Neiman Marcus Westchester. And they’re being worn all over — from head to toe.

SULTRY SILHOUETTE It comes as no surprise that Notte by Marchesa was named after Marchesa Luisa Casati, an Italian socialite whose unusual beauty dominated the style scene in the 1920s. Casati’s vintage look, which has been described as a living work of art, is translated into a Floral Scuba-Knit Peplum Gown, which is sultry yet elegant. The floral print adds femininity, which is enhanced by the gown’s jewel neckline, column silhouette and ruffled waist. This is sure to turn heads — for all the right reasons. $1,195. (1) DELICATE DETAILS Create that laid-back, SoCal feel with the Maddie Floral Statement Earrings by Dannijo. These bohemian earrings feature Swarovski crystal elements and 10-karat gold-plated brass with dazzling, vivid accents.

Make the earrings pop by wearing them with an offthe-shoulder blouse or a sleeveless dress. $450. (2)

82

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

PRETTY PETALS The Embellished Leather Flat Sandal by René Caovilla — exclusive to Neiman Marcus — features crystal elements with the brand’s signature glittering outsole. The watermelon color scheme — green and pink — adds a touch of playfulness. Plus, with a small, 0.3-inch heel, the sandals are perfect for remaining trendy during those on-the-go moments. $1,095. (3) ON-THE-MOVE MULES If red bottoms are involved, your closet is complete. This Pigamule 120mm Snakeskin Red Sole Slide Sandal by Christian Louboutin boasts a vintage feel, with a floral print on Ayer snakeskin and a covered 4.8-inch heel. Pair with a contrasting print to make a statement or with a monochromatic look to let the shoe shine. $1,195. (4) PLAY ON POLKA DOTS Designer Johanna Ortiz is known for her festive and vibrant designs — and the Marquesas Islands V-Neck Cap-Sleeve Floral-Print Ruffed Broderie Anglaise Dress proves no different. The blackand-white, all-over polka dots add an interesting texture, which is complemented by the garment’s

architecture — the cap sleeves, the nip waist, the V-neckline and the slim silhouette. Pair with simple accessories as it really needs no embellishment. $1,850. (5) SHORT ’N’ SWEET There’s something quite charming about the Botanical Chiffon Silk-blend Mini Dress from Kate Spade New York. The round neckline and long sleeves with button cuffs boast a modest look, while the mini pleated skirt adds a touch of sassiness to this otherwise sweet look. Pair with a monochromatic blazer and heels for a more sophisticated feel or with chunky, bohemian-style accessories for a laid-back vibe. $478.

CRYSTAL CLEAR Sparkle in the sunshine with a colorful clutch.

Embellished with Austrian crystals, the Seamless Hibiscus Crystal Clutch Bag by Judith Leiber Couture features a red and fuchsia hibiscus pattern and a detachable shoulder strap. With a framed, hard-shell exterior, Napa leather lining and a hinged lock, this bag will elevate any ensemble from casual to classy. $4,495.

For more, visit neimanmarcus.com.

THINK SPRING! May 8–13

CSI2* USEF 5* Jumpers USEF Premier Hunters

May 15–20 CSI3* USEF 6* Jumpers USEF Premier & WCHR Hunters

WORLD-CLASS SHOW JUMPING in the Heart of Westchester’s Horse Country $130,000 Empire State Grand Prix CSI3*, presented by The Kincade Group | $50,000 Old Salem Farm Grand Prix CSI2*, presented by The Kincade Group | $15,000 Old Salem Farm Speed Derby | $15,000 Under 25 Grand Prix | $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby

SAVE THE DATE! Friday Night Jumpers April 20, October 12, November 2 and 30, 2018

All-new Old Salem Farm Summer Jumper Classic featuring USEF 2* Jumpers August 23–26, 2018

www.oldsalemfarm.net | Photo © Jump Media

Old Salem Farm is proud to host the 2018 Adequan® FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, presented by Gotham North | August 1-5

Old Salem Farm Fall Classic USEF 6* Jumpers September 11–16, 2018

American Gold Cup CSI4*-W September 26–30, 2018

Old Salem Farm | 190 June Road, North Salem, NY Ad Design by Jump Media | www.jumpmediallc.com

back to her roots

A

BY DANIELLE RENDA

nit Hora had no idea what to expect when she departed the plane in Brazil.

She was alone with a backpack in a foreign country — where she was entirely unfamiliar with the native language, Portuguese — but she had a plan. She was going to fulfill her wanderlust and find herself in the process.

“I knew it was going to be an adventure, but I really didn’t know what kind of adventure,” Hora says.

The Brooklynite — who was born in India and raised in New York City — was content working as a knitwear designer for Talbot’s and the Calvin Klein Collection, among other labels, which she did successfully for about seven years. But she started having moments of doubt about remaining in corporate America for the long haul. As fate would have it, her 18-month solo backpacking trip

through Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru and Colombia would bring Hora’s life full circle, reuniting the city girl with her traditional Indian roots and inspiring the creation of Mullein and Sparrow, a small-batch, vegan beauty company.

“The universe was really looking out for me,” she says.

Hora realized she wanted to study herbalism after visiting an Argentinian pharmacy, an experience she found particularly enlightening. Seeking relief from a cold, she requested over-the-counter medication, as she would in the United States. But in Argentina, medicine is seen as a last resort. In response to her request, the pharmacist asked, “Why would you want antibiotics?” “Are you really sick?” and “Did you try drinking tea?”

They were pointed questions that made her think.

Hora recalled her childhood, in which she first learned the principles of Ayurveda, an ancient form of Indian medicine. Her family would use holistic remedies to treat sickness, drinking warm milk with turmeric powder (otherwise known as a golden latte), for example, rather than taking a pill.

“It’s just a part of the heritage,” she says.

She decided to become a holistic esthetician and herbalist.

“I wanted to learn herbal healing from basically every country in the world,” she says, explaining that ingredients, and thus herbalism, varies with the native plants of each country.

When Hora returned to the States in 2008, she began creating wellness products in her Bushwick apartment from tinctures, tea blends, salves and herbal healing mixtures. Over time, she transitioned to beauty products — facilitated by ongoing

All of Mullein & Sparrow’s beauty products are made using all-natural ingredients.

84

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

The Rose Bath Salts are made with just four ingredients: European spa salt, Epsom salt, rosebuds and rose geranium essential oil.

product requests from her friends — with her company launching in 2012.

Mullein and Sparrow started with a single facial serum but has since grown to include facial mists, toners, washes, steams and masks, as well as facial and body oils, dry shampoo, exfoliants, cleansers, soaps, bath salts and an array of gift sets, with a skin cream and wet facial masks in the works. The components used in every product are specially selected by Hora, who discloses a list of all the herbal ingredients on her website, along with their benefits to the skin and body.

One herb that will always strike a chord with Hora is mullein, which is part of her company’s namesake. And it’s one that she, ironically, does not use.

“Mullein was the first herb that I learned in one of my herb classes,” Hora says. “I walked into this class — a hippy, dippy class — and a woman had a giant basket of herbs and said, ‘Pick something.’ And I picked mullein.”

Sparrow, she says, is simply a nickname given to Hora by her mother. “(My mom) says, ‘You’re always hopping from one place to another.’”

For more, visit mulleinandsparrow.com.

Westchester Philharmonic

June 17 at 3 pm

Jaime Laredo, conducting Anna Polonsky, piano Orion Weiss, piano Rossini: Overture to L’italiana in Algeri Mozart: Concerto for Two Pianos, No. 10 in E-Flat Major Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 (“Reformation”)

Tickets: (914) 251-6200 or westchesterphil.org

Tickets start at $36.

Concerts are presented at: Performing Arts Center, Purchase College 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY. Programs, artists, dates and times subject to change. ©2018 Westchester Philharmonic, Inc.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

85

what price beauty?

WEAR

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

H

The $1,000 Legacy Youth Treatment. Photographs courtesy Lancer Skincare.

oney, I just had a $1,000 facial.”

That’s what I suggest my cousin Michele Roque Tarazi tell her husband about our spa day together at Neiman Marcus Westchester. She might want to tell him to sit down first — and then add quickly afterward that she’s just kidding (sort of).

The facial is courtesy of Lancer, the luxury skincare line founded by Harold Lancer, a Beverly Hills dermatologist to the stars (Victoria Beckham, Ellen DeGeneres, Kim Kardashian and Ryan Seacrest, among them) by way of rural Connecticut. (See related story.) Lancer brand ambassador Nancy Thomas had graciously invited us to stop by the counter after lunch at

86

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

NMW’s Mariposa restaurant. At that time, an appointment has opened up with New York-based aesthetician Laurette Fournier for a facial in the store’s spa room. Are we interested?

I suggest that Michele — a busy hockey mom whose growing style and personal shopping business, You Can Do Better Than That, is based in Pelham Manor — have the facial while I take notes. We both enjoy the cucumber water and macarons provided by Neiman Marcus as well as chatting with the French-born, New York-based Laurette, who does facial demonstrations for Lancer on the East Coast at Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue as well as Neiman Marcus.

Each person’s skin is unique and so is the rou-

tine for nurturing even good skin like Michele’s.

After removing her makeup, Laurette applies The Method: Polish — the first of the three-step approach that she says put Lancer on the map.

This is an exfoliator to remove surface debris and oxygenate the skin. Next Laurette uses The Method: Cleanse to remove impurities and balance the skin’s pH levels.

The third step in The Method is Nourish, a moisturizer to boost oxygen and cell function and add a youthful glow. But we’re not there yet.

Next comes the Caviar Lime Acid Peel, which despite the name is not made with fish eggs but with glycolic acid, caviar lime, pineapple and papaya to even the skin’s texture.

HAVING SKIN IN THE ANTI-AGING GAME

The Lancer Skincare range aligns all disciplines of skin hygiene, skin health, skin beauty. The products feature original chemistry that is unlike anything else on the market.

“I can smell the citrus,” a relaxed, dreamy Michele says. “I feel delicious.” Laurette then steams her face and massages it with Lancer’s new Omega Hydrating Oil, made with fermented argan, olive, shiunko and licorice oils, omega fatty acids, tumeric and a copper complex to give the skin a more youthful appearance and greater elasticity. This is also a wonderful product for the nails, Laurette says.

After applying the Radiance Awakening Mask Intense to Michele’s face, Laurette gives her neck, décolleté, arms and hands a massage with Lancer’s The Method: Body Polish while the mask sets for 15 to 20 minutes.

Then it’s time for The Method: Nourish — but wait: Michele instead has the Legacy Youth Treatment, which sells for $1,000 a jar and packs more than 30 ingredients — including saffron and sake and amino and hyaluronic acids into five complexes. Designed for women age 35 and up, Legacy is not for everyone and should be used after other Lancer products.

We are still contemplating the $1,000 price

It was a childhood accident that led Dr. Harold Lancer to a belief in restoring rather than altering skin and to the establishment of the Lancer skincare company and Dermatology Clinic in Beverly Hills, California, where he has been in practice for more than 30 years, treating some of the world’s most famous faces.

The son of Austrian immigrants — and of Connecticut — Lancer is a graduate of Brandeis University, earned his M.D. from the University of California, San Diego, and did his dermatology residency at Harvard Medical School. He completed a plastic surgery program at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer, Israel, followed by clinics in London at St. John’s Institute of Dermatology.

Board-certified in dermatology, he is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and is affiliated with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, both in Los Angeles.

Recently, he took time to answer a few questions for WAG about his approach to skincare: What makes Lancer different from other skincare lines?

“The Lancer Skincare range aligns all disciplines of skin hygiene, skin health, skin beauty. The products feature original chemistry that is unlike anything else on the market.

“Most importantly, the biggest difference is the actual order in which skincare is actually performed, according to the Lancer Method. The steps are unique — exfoliating to start (and daily at that); then cleansing to follow, which not only engages a more thorough cleansing, but promotes the appearance of younger-looking skin; then moisturizing.”

Tell us about the childhood accident at your family’s Killingly, Connecticut, farmhouse that shaped your career in medicine.

“When I was 7 years old, I accidentally fell into a tub of near-boiling water, which resulted in 10 percent of my body being severely burned. A family practitioner in our farm town meticulously took care of my wounds daily, for weeks. Except for a small scar on my hip, you would never know I had been so badly burned. This early experience has certainly steered me toward my life’s work in dermatology. I became fascinated by skin — how it heals, how it ages, how it differs among people, how skincare has evolved — and I’ve made my name specializing in skin repair and healing.”

What’s the one big misconception people have about skincare?

“The biggest misconception is that skincare doesn’t matter, that a regular program is not important and the quality of the products doesn’t matter.

“Whenever I see a new patient, the first thing we do is get them on the Lancer Method and program. Having that at-home routine in place is going to be the foundation for everything else.”

Can you give us a sneak peek into a product you’re developing?

“What I can say is that we have some exciting things planned for this year, so please stay tuned.”

We have to ask: What makes a skin cream worth $1,000?

“The Lancer Legacy Youth Treatment is a culmination of my life’s work to date. It contains over 30 of the finest, sourced ingredients (including precious saffron extract, rare algae species and advanced peptides) that all make the product incredibly unique. Because of the level of ingredients, a complex formulation is critical to ensure stability and efficacy of the integrated ingredients.

“The result is a high-potency treatment offering the maximum payoff in anti-aging benefits. It’s the ultimate fuel for skin as it tackles environmental and time-related aging.”

— Georgette Gouveia

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

87

tag as Laurette applies the Eye Contour Lifting Cream with diamond powder and the Sheer Fluid Sun Field, a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30, and finishes with the Dani Glowing Skin Perfector, a lightweight cream named for Lancer’s wife.

Though the products use a wide range of plant extracts and are paraben-free, they are not 100 percent organic, Laurette says. Still, Michele’s skin looks fresh and scrupulously clean with a velvety texture and minimal pores. So much so that I return the next day for a facial of my own that uses slightly different products for my more mature skin, which nonetheless has good elasticity. Afterward, I feel as if my skin has been reborn — clean, baby-smooth and virtually pore-less — albeit with more of a matte finish than a glow.

At the counter, I try the Studio Light Flawless Concealer, which Laurette applies in medium, then light, to minimize my dark circles beautifully, and the Volume Enhancing Lip Serum, which plumps and softens my lips.

I feel like a thousand bucks.

For more, visit lancerskincare.com.

Harold Lancer, MD, with wife and muse, Dani.

#IAM...LEATHER

#IAM...CUSTOMIZED

#IAM...COLORFUL

#IAM...SILK

#IAM...CHIC

#IAM...DENIM

#IAM...STACKED

#IAM...SPRING

A unique women’s boutique featuring the hottest new trends in fashion, accessories, athleisure and jewelry.

Our mission: Empowering women to make them feel confident.

Supporting up and coming women-owned businesses and designers.

Giving back to local and women’s philanthropic organizations.

6 S P E N C E R P L AC E , S C A R S DA L E , N Y Open Monday - Saturday 10:30am - 6pm

88

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

•

9 1 4 -7 2 3 - 6 6 7 3 ( M O R E )

• I A M M O R E S C A R S DA L E .CO M Facebook/Instagram - @iammore.scarsdale

Meghan Markle says it with flowers

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

O

n May 19, Meghan Markle embarks on a new life when she weds Prince Harry, fifth in line to the British throne. The latest wedding of the century will bring with it new titles and duties. But one thing will remain the same: Her love of flowers.

Indeed, when Markle was an actress starring on the USA Network series “Suits” last year, she would festoon her Toronto apartment with blooms in vintage vases she’d photograph for her Instagram account. (Peonies are said to be a particular passion.)

So is it any wonder that they will be incorpo-

rated into the arrangements that Philippa Craddock is designing for the wedding at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and for St. George’s Hall?

“The floral displays in St. George’s Chapel will be created using locally sourced foliage, much of which will be taken from the gardens and parkland of The Crown Estate and Windsor Great Park,” a statement from Kensington Palace released on Easter Sunday read. “Where possible, Philippa will use flowers and plants that are in season and blooming naturally in May, including branches of beech, birch and hornbeam, as well

The peony is a favorite flower of Meghan Markle. If it’s in her bridal bouquet, however, it will have to be white as royal bridal bouquets are traditionally white.

90

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

as white garden roses, peonies and foxgloves.”

In going with the trendsetting Craddock, Markle and Prince Harry are bucking tradition, unlike the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — his brother, Prince William, and wife Catherine — who “followed in Prince Charles’ footsteps by choosing Royal Warrant holder Shane Connolly to fill Westminster Abbey with an avenue of trees,” Vanity Fair wrote. Markle and Prince Harry are also in the vanguard ecologically.

“The Royal Parks,” the Kensington Palace statement added, “will supply some pollinator-friendly plants from their wildflower meadows that will be incorporated into the floral designs. These plants provide a great habitat for bees and help to nurture and sustain entire ecosystems by promoting a healthy and biodiverse environment.”

As Craddock vowed on Instagram: “…the designs will be a true reflection of them as a couple, with sustainability at the forefront.”

The arrangements — which will be donated to charity — will also grace a specially designed tent at Frogmore House at the evening reception for 200. (Some 600 will attend the church service, which will be followed by a luncheon in St. George’s Hall.)

The wedding cake — prepared by California-reared Claire Ptak of the London bakery Violet — will also have a floral theme. The lemon elderflower cake “will incorporate the bright flavors of spring,” Kensington Palace shared. “It will be covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers."

There is one floral aspect in which Markle is unlikely to break with tradition and that involves her bouquet. It must be white so as to accent rather than overwhelm the wedding dress and contain a sprig of myrtle, a symbol of hope and love that dates from the 1840 marriage of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, who gave us many of the traditions of the modern wedding, including the white dress. The bouquet is also likely to contain white garden roses in honor of Prince Har-

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Courtesy Getty Images.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

91

Whatever Markle’s choices, expect a floral display fit for a princess.

ry’s late mother — Diana, Princess of Wales — who is also remembered with the White Garden at Kensington Palace.

The bouquet may also feature lilies of the valley, which would link Markle not only to Princess Diana and the cascading bouquet she carried during her 1981 wedding to Prince Charles but to other members of the royal family — the Duchess of Cambridge; and Prince Harry’s aunt and late great-aunt, the Princesses Anne and Margaret respectively — all of whom featured the delicate, fragrant bell-shaped flowers in their bouquets — as well as Princess Grace of Monaco. (It was Princess Grace who started the lily of the valley tradition, carrying a spray of the flower and a prayer book instead of a bouquet for her 1956 marriage to Prince Rainier.)

Markle’s bouquet will also surely be sent to the grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey — a tradition begun by Prince Harry’s great-grandmother, the late Queen Mother Elizabeth, who at her 1923 marriage to the future

George VI placed her bouquet on the memorial to her brother Fergus, killed in action during World War I. Royal watchers say that even though she will marry her prince at St. George’s, Markle will still send her bouquet to Westminster, just as her fiancé’s future aunt, Sophie Rhys-Jones, did when she married his uncle, Prince Edward, in 1999.

Whatever Markle’s choices, expect a floral display fit for a princess.

“Meghan has been very hands on with all elements of the wedding, but especially the flowers,” a royal source told Vanity Fair. “She met with the Queen and some of her staff at Windsor back in February to have some early discussions about what could be done at the church and at the receptions in terms of flowers. She seemed to have a pretty clear idea of what she wanted then.

It was lots of springtime whites and pastels and very romantic flowers. I would say her vision was very fashionable and fairy tale, if you know what I mean.”

New England’s Finest Since 1796.

125 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich (203) 622-6205 www.shrevecrumpandlow.com

92

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

THE PERFECT EXCUSE TO BE

FASHIONABLY LATE Join us Sunday, May 13th for Mother’s Day Brunch!

11:00am - 3:00pm 3-course prix fixe menu $59 Includes our champagne mimosa

RESERVE TODAY

1114 E. Putnam Ave, Greenwich CT, 06878

203.698.6999

jhouserestaurant.com

gifts for the globetrotting mom

BY DEBBI K. KICKHAM

D

oes mom love to travel? Has she always yearned to go from Boston to Bora Bora?

These travel-worthy gifts are sure to fulfill her wanderlust: 1. Traveling in style — Carry it off beautifully — anywhere in the world — with a Vessel duffel bag.

With every bag purchased, Vessel gives a school backpack to a child in need. Since this purposeful program was implemented, Vessel customers have provided more than 26,000 school backpacks. $265, vesselbags.com.

2. Take it away — The Barracuda Collapsible smart luggage does everything except pack itself.

Its super slim design folds down to just four inches. When you’re ready to go, Barracuda keeps your items organized, can charge your phone between flights and maneuvers easily with a rotating handle. $199, barracuda.co 3. The sweet smell of Europe — Village Candle, handcrafted in Maine for the last 25 years, has two delightful scents that'll get mom packing.

Italian Leather smells like the interior of a Lamborghini, and the French Macaroon is as delightful as the adorable pastry shop we just visited on the Rue Rivoli. Ooh la! $20.50 each, Villagecandle.com.

4. California, here we come — Mom's hotel room will come alive with the succulent scent of designer Monique Lhuillier’s new Citrus Lily collection, featuring California lemons and Italian bergamot. We love the $150 AirEssence Diffuser, the $55 Spray and the $50 TasselAire that are also ideal for any cruise-ship stateroom. Agrariahome.com.

5. Summer notes — Everything at Pickett's Press is hand drawn. If you can't find what you want in the extensive design library, the in-house illustrators will draw it for you. The seahorse summer notecards are sure to make a splash anywhere. Set of 10 custom-engraved note cards with hand-painted bordering, $65, pickettspress.com.

6. Create a unique gift — MyPhoto's singular mission is to create the easiest and fastest way for photos on your phone to become amazing products and gifts. We love the $22 hanging ornaments that can be made from mom's favorite travel pictures. Just email photos to 123@myphoto.com.

Within 20 seconds you will receive that photo on all the MyPhoto.com products you can purchase.

Prices vary, MyPhoto.com.

7. Instant pictures in a flash — The Polaroid Pop Instant Print digital camera lets mom capture, instantly print and share 3 by 4-inch photos from a

94

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

1.

5.

3.

4.

7.

6.

11.

12.

smartphone. It’s also Bluetooth enabled. Mom can even edit pictures before printing, with filters, stickers and text. Say cheese. $199.99, polaroid.com/pop.

8. World-class cream — Coveted by celebrities, Pevonia skincare delivers outstanding multicultural solutions to women in nearly 130 countries by restoring and revitalizing our largest and most visible organ — our skin. Don't ever let mom fly without the Pevonia Youth Renew Tinted Cream SPF 30, which offers get-you-glowing results and sun protection. $53.50, Pevonia.com.

9. Make it skin-sational — I would never leave home without my Foreo Luna Go, a petite, pink, travel-friendly facial brush that removes dead skin cells with sonic technology. Not only does the Luna Go unclog your pores, but there's also an anti-aging mode to firm facial skin and allow better absorption of skincare serums. $99.99, Foreo.com.

10. To your health — Why not let mom get better skin from within? Skinade is a collagen-boosting drink — available in travel-sized sachets — that boosts skin's radiance and clarity from the inside, with peptides, L-lysine and omegas. It tastes like peach and mangosteen (which tastes like a lychee nut-peach cross), and one drink a day helps keep wrinkles away. $150 for a 30-day full-sized supply, us.skinade.com.

11. It's the berries — Mom can fight the look of jet lag with Meg21 Antioxidant Boost that contains gooseberries, which have 20 times the vitamin C of oranges. Contains Supplamine, a patented anti-aging ingredient offering tightening and visible results, proven in nine clinical trials. $95, find retailers at meg21.com.

12. Weight-loss wonder — Is mom trying to lose those last five pounds before summer vacation? Help her out with a Crux air convection fryer that requires no oil and can easily make guilt-free sweet-potato fries and other goodies. $114.99, Macys.com.

Honorable mention — No matter what you get mom for Mother's Day, include this unbelievably thoughtful and useful gift — PBfit. I swear by this peanut butter powder (including one with chocolate) that's had all the fat and calories kicked out of it. Just add water, mix in a bowl (from room service) and serve on crackers for an ultimate diet mini-meal that sure beats anything in the hotel mini bar. 30 oz. jar, $15.99, betterbodyfoods.com.

For more on Debbi, visit GorgeousGlobetrotter. com and MarketingAuthor.com.

Consignment at itsatfiits nest!

Consignment finest!

Consignment at its fi nest!

Consignment at its finest!

LUXE LUXE LUXE LUXE

LuxuryLuxury LabelsLabels Luxury Labels Luxury Labels Featuring Luxury Designers & Contemporary Labels Labels Featuring Luxury Designers & Contemporary New items added New items& added daily! Labels Featuring Luxury Designer Contemporary Featuring Luxury Designers & Contemporary Labels Featuring Luxury Designers &daily!

Contemporary Labels New items added daily!

Handbags • Clothing • Shoes • Shoes Fine &•daily!

Costume JewelryJewelry Handbags • Clothing Fine New items added New items added daily!& Costume Handbags • Clothing • Shoes • Fine & Fashion Jewelry Handbags• •Clothing Clothing •• Shoes Jewelry Handbags Shoes• •Fine Fine&&Costume Costume Jewelry

Mention this ad and get

Mention Mention this ad and thisget ad and get

Up To

Up To

Up To

20% OFF 50% OFF 20% OFF 50% Mention this forget Mention this adad and Up To OFF 20% OFF 50% SaleOFF Items your purchase, exclusions Sale Items your some purchase, some exclusions Sale Items 20% OFF 50% OFF your purchase, some exclusions

your purchase, some exclusions

Sale Items

Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday by appointment White glove service available

Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday bySunday appointment Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, by appointment 191 King St., Chappaqua, N.Yglove . (Behind AURAavailable Salon) l 914–861–2649 White glove service available White service Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday by appointment luxeluxurylabels luxeluxurylabels White glove service available 191 King 191 St., King Chappaqua, N.Y. glove (Behind Salon) l 914–861–2649 St., Chappaqua, N.service YAURA . (Behind AURA Salon) l 914–861–2649 White available 41 St., Maple Avenue Armonk NY 10504 914-861-2649 191 King Chappaqua, N.Y. (Behind AURA| Salon) l 914–861–2649

a rare bloom - Vanessa Williams

BY GREGG SHAPIRO

Y

Speaking of anniversaries and special occasions, 2018 is the 30th anniversary of the release of your first album, “The Right Stuff.” Do you have any plans to commemorate the occasion?

“We’re working on something. I don’t know right now, but we’re trying to figure that out.”

ou’ll be hard-pressed to find a performer more versatile than Vanessa Williams. As a singer, she has had numerous hit singles and best-selling albums. As a singing-dancing actress, she has played leading roles on Broadway in the musicals “Into The Woods” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” She has performed memorably on the big and small screens in “Soul Food” and “Ugly Betty,” to name but two works. And she’s as comfortable playing comedic parts as she is doing dramatic ones.

The self-described “mother of four fierce kids,” Williams has co-written a book with her own mother, Helen Tinch Williams, who was a music teacher (as was Vanessa's father, the late Milton Augustine Williams Jr.) Both parents have had a profound effect on Williams’ life and career. But it’s fair to say that she has a special relationship with her mom, turning pages for her as she played the organ at St. Theresa’s Church in Briarcliff Manor for Mass and weddings when Williams was a child.

(Williams, who grew up in Millwood, was one of the first African-American students to attend the Chappaqua public schools from first through 12th grades, before going on to Syracuse University. It was, in a sense, a prologue to her trailblazing time as Miss America in 1984.)

Mother and daughter will be on hand to discuss their candid memoir, “You Have No Idea,” at Norwalk Community College May 12, the day before Mother’s Day. Warm in person and always professional with the media, Williams was a pleasure to speak with: We’re talking the day after your birthday (March 18). I want to wish you a happy birthday, belatedly.

“Thank you.”

When you’re on a concert tour, how much of the music is drawn from albums such as “The Right Stuff” and “The Comfort Zone” and how much comes from your performances on Broadway in musicals such as “Into the Woods” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman”?

“It’s a combination of my hits — ‘Save The Best For Last,’ ‘Colors of the Wind,’ ‘The Sweetest Day’ and ‘Dreamin” and ‘Love Is,’ which people all know from the radio. I also do a Broadway section, which is wonderful. I do some Sondheim, a couple of numbers from different musicals and one from ‘Into the Woods.’ I do my covers that I’ve done, some jazz and R&B. It’s a nice mix of Broadway, R&B, pop and jazz.”

I’m glad you mentioned covers because you covered songs by Bill Withers on “The Right Stuff,” as well as on your most recent album “The Real Thing.” What does a songwriter such as Withers means to you as a singer?

“I grew up with Bill Withers’ music. I’m a huge fan of his. I love his songs. ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ is a phenomenal song. He wrote and sang. I got a chance to meet him in the studio. He came and surprised me when I was recording his number.

It was a great opportunity to tell him how much I adored his music and songwriting. I’m at that age now where my kids are like, ‘This is a great song.’

And I say, ‘Do you want to hear the original?’ And they’re like, ‘Oh, my God.’ Most of my kids are very appreciative of the origins of where a lot of these songs come from.”

Did you do anything special to celebrate?

“I was in-flight from Guam, so I spent my birthday in a zillion different time zones. I had a total of eight birthday cakes all week, from every restaurant that I went to and every event that I attended in Guam. I flew in there last week on Monday.

They got word that it was my birthday. Everywhere I went they sent me a cake. I finished it last night when I came home. My mom made me dinner and, of course, a birthday cake….When I left Guam, I was serenaded by some wonderful Chamorro dancers and island music. It was spectacular.”

It’s been almost 10 years since the release of your 2009 album “The Real Thing.” Is there a new recording in the works?

“Yes. We started in January or February. We’re mixing now and it will be out in the fall.”

Vanessa Williams

96

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

You recently returned as a guest judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” What can you tell me about the experience?

“It’s great! Any time Ru calls, I’m there for him.

It was great because it was All-Stars. Shangela had judged before and is just amazing. It’s fantasy and the creativity is unbelievable — what the queens come up with for their costumes and makeup and ideas. Also, learning the choreography so quickly.

They had to do a huge number that they learned immediately. I’m so impressed by their talent, the resilience and how they can come up with some fantastic ideas and then make them come alive.”

Have you ever had occasion to see a drag queen perform a number as you?

“We did an episode of ‘Ugly Betty’ where there was a drag queen doing Wilhelmina. The whole episode was me going incognito to this club to see who was doing me. When they cast it, our producer asked me if my brother would be into it. My brother (Chris Williams) is an actor. I said, ‘Oh, my God, he’d love it.’ So, my brother plays me in drag. I think it was one of the proudest moments my mom ever had (laughs). Both her kids are performing in the same episode of a hit show on ABC. That was probably the most fun.”

As a performer who has appeared on TV, in

movies, on Broadway and on recordings, would you say that you prefer one type of entertainment over the others?

“I just got off the road after three weeks with my band. It’s wonderful because we’ve been performing together for 20 years. We started off with Luther Vandross back in 1997. There are so many tunes that we know and so many ways that we can shape a show. That’s my natural goto. There’s something about Broadway. I think it’s because I grew up doing shows and wanting to be on Broadway in musical theater. That first day of rehearsal when you get your new music and you’re sitting in a semi-circle around a piano with your music stand and you’ve met the cast for the first time. Then you hear what you’re doing and it’s always thrilling. The fact that you’ve put it up so quickly and then it’s opening night. You pray that you remember everything — your choreography and your words and your breath support. I think musical theater is probably the most thrilling because it’s the most familiar to me.”

Speaking of Broadway, are you planning to see your “Ugly Betty” co-star Michael Urie in “Torch Song Trilogy” on Broadway this fall?

“I saw him opening night when he was Off-Broadway. Of course, I’ll support him.”

Finally, you mentioned your mother Helen.

In 2012, you co-wrote the book “You Have No Idea” with her. As both a daughter and a mother, what would you say is the secret to a good mother/daughter relationship?

“Communication, obviously. And not being afraid. I think the biggest obstacle is that you withhold information because you are afraid of the reaction. You’re either afraid you’re going to disappoint or you’re going to get some kind of anger or defensiveness. Out of my four children, I hope that my kids know that they can come to me with anything, no matter how embarrassed or disappointed they feel I will be. But I’d rather know and be able to help them than not know. My mother has said that I am a much different parent than she was to me. I’m a different person and I had different circumstances. I did the best that I could. I’m happy that my kids feel that they can tell me anything.”

The Fairfield County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority presents a book signing and discussion with Vanessa Williams and Helen Tinch Williams from 1 to 5 p.m.

May 12 at Norwalk Community College’s PepsiCo Auditorium, 188 Richards Ave. Tickets are $65.00. For more, visit vanessawilliams.com/ calendar/.

Join the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Golf Outing.

Monday, June 4, 2018 | Metropolis Country Club | White Plains, NY DYSTEL MEMORIAL

GOLF CLASSIC

Presented by: Media Sponsors: Visit msnycdystelmemorialgolf.org to purchase tickets.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

97

sparkling on and off the field

BY DANIELLE RENDA

T

he oldest purveyor of luxury goods in North America, Boston-based Shreve, Crump & Low has designed everything from sporting trophies (baseball’s Cy Young Award, tennis’ Davis Cup) to gifts that are sure to score with mom on her special day.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Shreve, Crump & Low — with an elegant store on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich — has unveiled its stunning Vita Ring as a testament to the circle of life. Custom-made for each client, the ring groups semiprecious stones with a carat each of soothing topaz, restorative amethyst, energizing aqua, uplifting citrine, harmonizing tourmaline, illuminating tanzanite, purifying amethyst and peridot, a natural stress reliever. They’re all bound together by an 18-karat yellow gold eternity band.

The Vita Ring isn’t all that’s sparkling this spring. Shreve, Crump & Low — which has provided many of the awards for Greenwich Polo Club’s tournaments and hosted the kickoff event for the East Coast Open there — is sponsoring its own tournament at the club, June 10 and 17.

Whether it’s a new tournament or a new ring, Shreve, Crump & Low is poised for a shining season.

For more, visit shrevecrumpandlow.com and greenwichpoloclub.com.

The Vita Ring. Photographs courtesy Shreve, Crump & Low. 98

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

The Vita Ring isn’t all that’s sparkling this spring.

The silver cup for the new Shreve, Crump & Low tournament bowing at Greenwich Polo Club June 10.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

99

“When elephants walk so gently Upon their chosen path Should man forget the harmony Shared by mother and calf?”

– Denis Martindale

100

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

mother love

H

BY AUDREY RONNING TOPPING

umans may be the only sentient beings who actually celebrate Mother’s Day with presents, cakes and cards, but we can’t claim to be the only worthy mothers on planet Earth.

There are amazing nature photos that prove mother’s love is universal. In the animal kingdom, to which all humans belong, maternal instinct is so powerful and profound that it transcends languages, hieroglyphics and other traditional methods of communication developed by our wise ancestors. We really don’t need to be educated to recognize the deep motherly love revealed in these wild but gentle creatures whose intuitive body language speaks louder

than words. Perhaps the best way of illustrating this is that of a mother wolf teaching her eager pups to speak her language. Just throw back your head and howl.

Such “instruction” demonstrates that fourlegged animals, like two-legged ones, have strong familial bonds. Moms of every species are extremely protective of their young. It is often said that the most dangerous place to be is between a mother and her child, be it a lion and her cubs, a goose and her goslings, an elephant and her calf or a woman and her infant. Moms have been seen to manifest extraordinary courage and strength when their children are endangered.

Animal Planet is filled with stunning videos showing moms rescuing their young at the risk of their own lives. There is one showing a giraffe saving her child by fending off a pack of hungry lions and winning. Another displays a wildebeest protecting her calf from leopards. An elephant saves her calf from a crocodile. Mama duck attacks crows threatening her ducklings. A courageous mouse attacks a serpent slithering off with a baby mouse in its jaws and, even after the snake releases her pinky, little baby, mom mouse ferociously chases the coiling scoundrel into the woods.

Apparently, animals — like humans — have both good and wicked maternal instincts. According to Google, snakes have no maternal instinct and abandon their freshly laid eggs forever. But the wolf spider, unlike some other spiders, is a good mother who wraps her multiple eggs in an egg sac to carry on her back. Even after they hatch they ride on her abdomen. A mother walrus maintains close physical contact with her baby for two to five years after giving birth.

Perhaps giving birth to another being that began life as a tiny embryo, sharing the same energy for months while it evolved inside the womb, her body

enables the mom to develop, or at least sense, an intimate, spiritual connection with her progeny.

We are all the sum of their ancestors but unique individuals. Dogs often show us things they seem to discern from their collective memory. When I was a child, my father found a beautiful Collie pup standing alone on the railroad tracks after the circus train had just left. The dog followed him home and when he saw us six kids waiting for Dad, he wagged his tail joyfully, ran up to each one of us and offered his right paw to shake hands. From then on, to our amusement, Shep performed remarkable tricks he must have learned from his parents in the circus.

Needless to say, we were hooked for life.

We once had two beautiful white German Shepherds, the male, called Loki, insisted on bringing The New York Times to my husband, Seymour, its former managing editor, every morning. Loki reminded us of a Marine as he obeyed every command as if he had been through basic training. His twin sister, Minka, however was a loveable but obstinate one who only did what she felt like doing at the moment and was pronounced “untrainable” by her trainer.

Or perhaps she had a mother who spoiled her.

 

   

   

 



MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

101

Welcome to Pirri Hair Studio on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich. Owners (and brothers) Piero and Luigi Pirri have been in Greenwich for more than 25 years with their European salon, offering clients an exceptional experience that they won’t find anywhere else. The Pirris’ hair styling combines precision hair-cutting with treatments to tame tresses, custom coloring and flawless makeup application to create something that far exceeds other hair studios.

Styles range from classic to contemporary.

• EUROPEAN TRAINED. • FAVORED BY STARS. • PASSIONATE ABOUT ENHANCING EVERYONE’S INNATE BEAUTY.

The new A-List hair color of the moment is dirty blonde.

Soft wave with natural texture.

Glamour hair is back.

Voluminous medium length silky hair is trending.

Medium layered bob in rusty red tones turns heads.

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

VISIT THE PIRRI HAIR STUDIO IN GREENWICH, FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.

1 8 1 G r e e nw i c h A ve , S e c o n d F l o o r, G r e e nw i c h , C T 0 6 8 3 0 P i r r i H a i r. c o m | P h o n e : ( 2 0 3 ) 8 6 9- 4 5 0 0 Credits: make-up by Giovanna Sinno. Clothes provided by Hobbs London, Greenwich Ave., Greenwich, Ct. (A favorite of Princess Kate, Duchess of Cambridge)

the blooming of Berlin

WANDERS

B

BY BARBARA BARTON SLOANE

erlin — a city of culture and horticulture — has had a more wrenching history than most. No European city in recent times has changed as much, in the process transforming itself from a divided geopolitical anomaly into a modern mainstream capital. Old landmarks have been renovated, new ones acquired and others wiped out altogether, including what was once the most famous landmark of them all, the Wall. Berlin was a divided city post-World War II when Soviet and American tanks faced off at Checkpoint Charlie until the Wall fell in 1989 in an historic moment. Out of such chaos has grown a city that’s adaptable in the extreme. Its

waves of immigrants, expatriates and creative types ensure that tolerance is its greatest value — though that has not been without controversy in an increasingly nationalistic world.

“Is there anything left of the Wall?” It’s the first question many visitors ask. The answer is not much. A short section has been preserved and is in pristine condition. However, there is a stretch of the Wall called the East Side Gallery, the longest surviving section and the world’s largest openair gallery, showing the work of 118 artists from 21 countries. I stood gazing up at the artworks — some touching and evocative, some irreverent and some very much of the moment. No trip to Berlin would

be complete without coming and paying homage to this most iconic site.

I checked into the A&O Berlin Mitte, now run as a combination budget-hotel and youth hostel with, nonetheless, all the amenities necessary for a comfortable stay. It even had a disco with karaoke. Livening up the place that evening, Robert, the handsome man in charge, showed patience and forbearance as I struggled (and embarrassed myself), belting out “Rocky Mountain High” (Note to self: Don’t try that again.) My breakfast the next morning included delectable rolls, a selection of cold cuts and cheese, juice and good, strong coffee. Oh, and Berliners, as in the German version

Berlin Botanical Garden.

Photographs courtesy Visit Berlin.

104

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Sidewalk cafe.

Berlin Cathedral.

of a jelly doughnut. Breakfast was also filled with Berliners of the human kind as well. Shall we now put to rest the urban legend that President John F. Kennedy made a gaffe in his famed “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech? The crowd understood he was not talking doughnuts but the solidarity of all people who yearn to be free. In his honor, the Germans have built the compelling Museum The Kennedys, containing an impressive mix of personal items, historical documents and private and political photographs that provide an insight into our continuing fascination with this family.

I had only three days in Berlin, but I tried to see as many of the not-to-be-missed sights as possible.

The Brandenburg Gate is Berlin’s signature icon and once marked the turbulent division of East and West Berlin. This neoclassical structure stands

at the head of a pedestrian plaza just blocks from the New German Parliament, or Reichstag. You can reach it via Unter den Linden, a grand boulevard lined with 18th-century buildings restored after World War II. From here various new landmarks catch the eye — the postmodern towers of Potsdamer Platz and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe as well as the Reichstag, whose Norman Foster revamp includes a glass cupola. A trek to the top is a must. What makes a visit to these landmarks vastly important is that they all lie along a line that parallels the former Wall and, in one way or another, are intended to heal that wound of history and stitch the city back together. Other post-Wall additions to the landscape include the Jüdisches Museum Berlin in the hip Kreuzberg neighborhood — housed

in a remarkable building by Daniel Libeskind — a whole slew of new embassies and the huge Berlin Haupbahnhof, Europe’s largest railway station, which was opened in 2006.

Berlin has more art galleries than any other city in Europe and is a hot spot for rising artists. Museum Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Europe’s largest connected museum area. There are five museums in this complex — the Old National Gallery with ancient Greek and Roman artifacts; the Bode Museum, containing a vast collection of sculptures; the Neues Museum with Egyptian works of art, including the renowned sculpture of Nefertiti; the Altes Museum, built by this city’s greatest architect, Karl Friedrich Schinkel; and the Pergamon Museum replete with Babylonian and Hellenistic treasures. Adding to the delight of all of this culture is the horticulture — numerous pristine parks and gorgeous gardens.

I spent an idyllic afternoon at the Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin. In that brief time, I experienced exotic flora from the Far East, strange and scintillating blooms from a tropical rainforest and pretty wildflowers from the Alps.

An awesome attraction and a lovely touch is an almost 2-mile garden created to promote the scenting and touching of various types of plants for the visually impaired and guests in wheelchairs.

If you have an entire day to devote (sadly, I did not), a visit to the Britzer Garten is in order. This garden is vast, covering countless acres and, lucky me, I caught an early flowering of some of the tulips and wandered a spring trail lined with freesia, daffodils and crocuses. June and September highlight the Rose Garden and, in late summer, I’ve been advised, a visit to the dahlia exhibit is mind-blowing with more than 10,000 plants in 200 varieties — surely a bloomin’ incentive for me to return.

For more, go to visitberlin.de/en.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

105

WANDERS

I

blossom bliss on Nantucket

BY JEREMY WAYNE

can wax lyrical over The Longfellow Garden in Portland, Maine, and rave about the rhododendrons in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, but of all the great gardens in American Northeast, it’s Nantucket’s phenomenal front yards that truly take my breath away.

Last summer, after ice cream at The Juice Bar and a mosey along Broad Street, we left the midsummer mayhem of the island’s downtown historic district behind us and headed uphill.

There only minutes from downtown, but far, far from the madding crowd, the streets were so quiet you could almost hear a pin drop. And against the backdrop of ravishing 17th- and

18th-century houses, parochial life went on.

Nothing much to speak of — a resident fumbling for her keys; the mailman delivering mail; a senior walking the dog; and a kid riding his bike. But oh, those gardens. Because nowhere in the world are hydrangeas fuller or blowsier, bursting forth in vivid shades of fuchsia and Nantucket Blue. Nowhere are roses more voluptuous or more tumbledown, cascading from a pint-sized, classical pediment or spilling over a spruce white picket fence, than they are in the backstreets of old Nantucket town.

Envy will quickly set in and reason will fly out the door as you browse the real estate agents’ win-

dows on Main Street and imagine swapping your spiffy Westchester new-build for an 18th-century cottage on a cobbled street. But beware: Winters can be hard and lonely on Nantucket and even summer brings its problems, when the island’s population of 10,000 swells fivefold and what should be a quick trip to the grocery store can turn into an obstacle course and endurance test.

Thank heavens, then, for good hotels, of which Nantucket has more than a few. Nantucket Island Resorts is the name you need to know. It offers different types of stays in three island locations, and the properties run the gamut from swish to simple — “simple” being Nantucket code for relatively ba-

Front lawn at the White Elephant.

Photographs courtesy Nantucket Island Resorts.

106

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Hydrangeas at entrance to The Wauwinet.

sic, but tasteful and highly desirable nevertheless.

The White Elephant is a 10-minute walk from where the Hyannis ferry deposits you on the island, or just five from the Whaling Museum bang in the center of town. Clusters of heavenly cream and pink hydrangeas greet you at the hotel entrance; rooms — many with terraces — are cool and white with louvered doors; there are rockers on the front porch; and a wonderful restaurant, the Brant Point Grille, awaits at the rear. The food at Brant Point is tremendous — fresh and imagi-

native — and the view at dusk across Children’s Beach towards the yacht club and marina is just postcard perfect.

Down in the Boat Basin, the azure water laps the wharves and everything’s abuzz, by day and also after dark. This is where you’ll find The Cottages, 29 waterfront cottages and lofts lying hugger mugger along the piers, right on the water.

Some comprising just a bedroom, bathroom and tiny kitchenette, others larger and more elaborate, each has a thrilling view of the harbor,

glimpsed between the megayachts. What I love about The Cottages is that they allow you to be completely independent. Here you can play at being a retired sea captain, perhaps, or find the author within you and write a book. It will doubtless be a tale of the sea.

Interwoven between the Boat Basin’s humming bars and charming restaurants, and its candle shops and boutiques selling overpriced sundresses and strappy sandals, there are real ships’ chandlers and minimarts, reminding you that Nantucket is very much a living, coastal, boating community. But this is no Cannes or Puerto Banús: The island has never attracted a flashy crowd. Yes, we did catch sight of Malia Obama in the Boat Basin last summer, boyfriend Rory Farquharson in tow, sloping lazily between the shops and stalls, untrammeled by bodyguards or paps. But Malia is hardly Lady Gaga or a Kardashian — and that, really, is the point.

Nantucket is remote and this has helped it retain its allure. Not remote like the Hindu Kush, of course, but still tricky, or at any rate expensive to reach in an age when we are used to getting from A to B in a jiffy, with virtually no effort. The fastest — and ritziest — way to get there is with Tradewind Aviation, which will fly you up in under an hour from Westchester County Airport in an eight-seat Pilatus with cream leather seats and walnut trim. Jet Blue or Delta will also do the job, from John F. Kennedy International Airport or LaGuardia Airport, and at one-fourth the price, but you will need to book well ahead, especially for peak season travel.

Otherwise you must drive, and the drive from southern Westchester is long, and the ferry across is notoriously expensive; and, besides, four-wheeled transport is in any case redundant when you factor in the summer traffic gridlock in Nantucket Old Town. My tip, if you stick to downtown, is to come carless (park in one of Hyannis’ public lots before you catch the ferry). The island has an excellent bus service, serving all the towns and popular beaches, and, along with local cabs, Uber, improbably, works well here.

In your own car or taxi, when the summer crowds begin to pall, you must take the road to Wauwinet, a 20-minute drive heading northeast, past the cranberry fields and rose-covered cot-

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

107

tages; past fields of wildf lowers — fox grape, honeysuckle, pink lady’s slipper and cinnamon fern; past yet more gardens running riot with petunias, pansies, lobelia and lupins. The Wauwinet is a historic hotel, gloriously run by Nantucket Island Resorts, as laid-back as it is chic, as restful as it can be social, a prestigious Relais & Châteaux property idyllically set between calm Nantucket Bay and the Atlantic Ocean surf, just moments from each. One hotel, two beaches — the best of both worlds.

With its spa and tennis courts, picnics and fishing trips, there is plenty to do at Wauwinet, although frankly the best thing may be to do nothing at all. “It felt as if my father and I were the last two people on Earth, as we sat beside each other, all alone, on a pristine, unspoiled beach on the coast of Nantucket Island,” wrote my 13-yearold son last fall, about our time at Wauwinet, in a school essay titled “Best Hour of Summer.” It felt the same way to me too, sweetheart.

The hotel’s 32 guest rooms are elegantly furnished, old pieces mixed with modern ones, along with luxurious soft furnishings. And, for added privacy, there are four sumptuous cottages — each with a glorious small garden — just across from the main inn. (Rent the three-bedroom Anchorage House and a natty BMW is yours for the duration of your stay — transport problems solved in one fell swoop.) Toppers, meanwhile, the hotel’s restaurant, which I first ate at 10 years ago and loved, is one of the best on the island, worth the journey out to Wauwinet for its local fruits de mer risotto and roasted Atlantic halibut, even if you are not staying at the hotel.

Back in town, the restaurant at Greydon House, a handsome 1850 Greek Revival house recently opened as a hotel by the young heirs to the Gant clothing fortune, is probably the most sophisticated on the island. British chef Marcus Gleadow-Ware cooks up a storm, with nearly all the produce local and cocktails made with island ingredients like beach plums, wild grapes and rosehip. The hotel is open year-round. So, too, is the historic and deeply atmospheric Jared Coffin House, dating from 1846, at the top of Broad Street, with its cherry-wood floors, four-poster beds and antique-filled rooms and public spaces. Come to Nantucket off-season and you’ll find substantially lower prices, less harried locals and — joy of joys —

108

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Nantucket Bay lawn at The Wauwinet.

Thank heavens, then, for good hotels, of which Nantucket has more than a few. Nantucket Island Resorts is the name you need to know.

parking spaces in the center of town.

For us though, last summer, the dog days were over and all too soon we were on the ferry again, bound for Hyannis and home. “On the deck of the ferry, I took a deep breath and felt the rich, salty, Atlantic air fill my lungs,” wrote my other 13-yearold twin son, for his “Best Hour” essay. “I smelled the distinct, wonderful smell of the open water. I gazed at the bright blue sky, and the misty green of the ocean. Undoubtedly, that magical ferry ride was the best hour of my summer.”

Exposed to sea and sky, out on the deck with my sons, a wonderful summer and the memory of Nantucket’s glorious gardens printed on my mind, it just may have been mine, too.

For more, visit nantucketislandresorts.com, greydonhouse.com and flytradewind.com.

The 10th annual Nantucket Garden Festival runs July 17 through 19. For more, visit ackgardenfestival.org.

E R OA R I N

G

2 0’

N

TH

S

SI

CE

MUSCOOT

Voted!

TAVERN

One of New York States Top 15

Best Hole In The Wall “ Restaurants That Will Blow Your Taste Buds Away

”

Lea Monroe-onlyinyourstate.com

STEAK

|

CHOPS

|

PIZZAS

| SEAFOOD & RAW BAR

Stop in and experience the charm of this historic eatery, a neighborhood favorite since the Roaring ‘20s! Enjoy our cozy tavern where it’s always lively and cheerful or relax on our patio overlooking our horseshoe and bocce ball courts.

Live music on Saturdays and some Fridays On Sundays, enjoy outdoor live music from 4 to 8:30 Happy Hour Daily from 4-6 and again from 9-11 on Thurs, Fri and Saturday nights.

105 Somerstown Turnpike, Katonah, NY (Corner of Rt. 100 and Rt. 35) www.muscoottavern.com 914 • 232 • 2800

WONDERFUL DINING

all the comforts of mom at La Scarbitta

“A

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALEESIA FORNI

s soon as you walk in, you feel as if you've come home.”

That’s the promise on the website of Rosa’s La Scarbitta Ristorante, an Italian eatery in Mamaroneck owned by chef Rosa Merenda and her husband, Angelo.

It’s easy to see where the comparisons could be drawn between the restaurant and home — if not reminiscent of yours, then perhaps the home of a close Italian friend. Once you arrive, Rosa, playing

the role of the doting mother, quickly takes your coat, guides you to your seat and repeatedly tells you how beautiful you are. She places a hand on your shoulder and asks what you’d like to drink before inquiring about how your day has been.

The restaurant itself seems to offer similar comforts of home, with photos hanging from the walls, a scattering of seasonal decor and low music playing in the background.

We head to the cozy eatery at 215 Halstead Ave.

on a chilly weekend evening. It’s quiet tonight, something Rosa attributes to the recent erratic weather.

“And it’s flu season,” she adds.

After enjoying a glass of Chianti (“We only serve the best wine,” Rosa assures me), we start with an antipasto verde, which brings together homemade eggplant caponata with grilled zucchini, peppers and eggplant. The vegetables are tender and flavorful, and the caponata is perfect for slathering on the thick slices of bread we were

More than offer suggestions, Rosa is apt to tell you your order, but don’t worry, she proves to excel at pairing person to plate.

A plate of pappardelle is topped with miniature meatballs and meat sauce.

110

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Veal-stuffed tortellini in a rich bolognese sauce.

Antipasto verde.

Desserts include rich tiramisu and creamy cheesecake.

Apple pie is topped with ice cream and a strawberry drizzle.

served previously — so perfect that we need a second helping of bread.

Or, more accurately, Rosa brings us a second serving and tells us, “You need more bread. Because we’re Italian, we eat everything with the bread,” she adds.

Rosa, in addition to being the restaurant’s chef, more often than not is its sole server. She soon rattles off a list of the day’s specials, describing each one in detail, her passion for the food she serves shining through. More than offer suggestions, Rosa is apt to tell you your order, but don’t worry, she proves to excel at pairing person to plate.

“I’ll tell you what you’d like,” I overhear her telling a nearby table, a comment met with a hearty laugh from the diners.

I select an order of pappardelle, which is served with miniature meatballs — made from mixture of veal and beef — and covered in a sweet red meat sauce. A second entrée pairs veal-stuffed tortellini with a rich Bolognese sauce.

Rosa, who grew up in Bari in southeastern Italy and moved to New York as a teenager, says she learned many of the recipes served at her restaurant when she was a child, helping her family members whip up meals for lunch or dinner.

“I’ve always cooked, because it’s fun. You know how kids play bride?” she asks. “I was always the cook.”

For dessert, we turn our choices over to Rosa, allowing her to make our end-of-evening decisions for us. We start with a plate of apple pie, served with strawberries, powdered sugar and dollops of vanilla ice cream.

“It’s different from American pie,” she assures us.

“I don’t like American pie. I make it my way.”

Her take on the dish is flaky and thick, with warm and cold components blending perfectly.

We also enjoy separate, generous slices of cheesecake and tiramisu. The cheesecake is creamy and rich, topped with powdered sugar. The tiramisu is light and bursting with flavor, joined on the plate by a scattering of strawberries.

As we walk to the door, Rosa asking if we’d like any other food to box up and take along with us, I notice a sign that reads, “Come in as a stranger, leave as a member of the family.” It seems that tonight, I have not just gained a new place to grab an authentic Italian meal, but maybe my own Italian mother.

For more, visit scarbitta.com

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

111

the value of wine ‘cellars’

WINE & DINE

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUG PAULDING

T

here is a crazy statistic that says that something like 92 percent of the wine in the world is bought to be consumed that day. The person planning the dinner meal will walk out of the grocery store and go straight into the wine store and buy wine — one bottle. Obviously, these consumers have no need for a wine cellar. But if and when you evolve past this “buy now/drink now” state of mind, two things will happen. You will get to see the evolution of the wine over time perhaps.

And you will have a need for proper storage of the wine. And proper storage essentially means being stored in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment, more or less.

All wines should improve a bit after resting in the bottle, post bottling. And all wines have a life span of optimum drinkability. Well-made wines will ascend upwards for months or years and stay at an optimal plateau of quality drinking for an extended time and then will start to slowly fall off

Bernard BouÏssou, chef and owner of Bernard's in Ridgefield, in his wine cellar.

112

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

in flavor and experience. Lesser wines typically ascend quickly, plateau for a shorter time and then start to fall off quickly. Having a personal wine cellar will change your world. And by wine cellar I don’t necessarily mean a dedicated walk-in room.

In using the term “cellar,” I am essentially referring to a wine storage area. If space permits, racking out a room with shelving gives a great sense of building a lifestyle. But other storage areas could be the space underneath some stairs, the lower level of a closet or an under-counter wine refrigerator.

The temperature and humidity are key to preserving and storing wine properly. The longer you expect to hold the wine, the more important it is to have a proper environment. Look for a coolish place out of bright light in the home where the temps are between 55 and 65 degrees with minimal swings.

Get rid of the incandescent light bulbs and replace them with cool touch LED lighting. Look for some shelving, either custom-made or an online kit or

DIY rustic. My cellar is a dedicated room with long thick boards I milled, supported and spaced by 4 by 8-inch solid half-cement blocks. It’s not particularly attractive but efficient and functional.

I went to an expert to talk to him about the cellar. Bernard Bouïssou is the chef and owner, along with wife Sarah, of Bernard’s and Sarah’s Wine Bar just over the New York/Connecticut border on Route 35 in Ridgefield. Bernard grew up and cut his culinary teeth in the Sud-Ouest (Southwest) of France, moved to New York where he worked with Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque and met his future wife.

Together they pursued a dream and found an underperforming restaurant that needed new blood, new passion and an inspired direction. The food at Bernard’s is wonderful and worthy of a visit. Each bite, each course is a palate-pleasing romp that will make you giddy. But I wanted to talk wine with him.

When Bernard and Sarah bought the restaurant, the cellar had about 400 bottles. Today it contains more than 10,000. I asked what his advice would be to the new home wine cellar collector.

“First of all, find out what you like,” he says. “I love Burgundy, so my cellar is strong there. I also love Bordeaux and American (Cabernets). And it’s always good to find some larger format bottles.

They tend to get aged longer, as you need a larger group to justify opening it.” Bernard also told me, “Develop a relationship with a good wine store owner. They can tell you when something arrives to your liking. And it’s always cheaper per bottle to buy a case or two.”

Wines coming to a retail outlet or restaurant in Connecticut need to be supplied by Connecticutlicensed purveyors. But private buyers can shop online at stores across the country, directly from wineries that will offer bulk, or receive member discounts from the many wine clubs, such as the Wall Street Journal wine club (WSJwine.com), which offers 15 bottles for $70 as a welcome incentive. Other online sites, such as Wines ’Til Sold Out, (wtso.com) have one at a time deals that are significantly discounted.

I love to read a recipe and get inspired to cook up something. Or to read a newspaper or magazine wine story and get excited to try a wine I haven’t tried in awhile. Instead of getting in your car, it’s especially satisfying to walk to your wine storage area, grab a bottle and open it. With a little thought, a little direction and a little money, anyone can start his or her own cellar.

Reach Doug at doug@dpupatree.com.

Come for the food.

Stay for the love.

/ModerneBarn

@ModerneBarnRest

@ModerneBarn

430 Bedford Road | Armonk, NY 10504 | 914.730.0001 | www.ModerneBarn.com

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

xxxx

Café La Fondita in the heart of Mamaroneck’s industrial area conjures the sights and tastes of Latin America.

114

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

O

Café La Fondita arrives

n an early-spring day that is a tad too frisky for al fresco, we nonetheless gamely savor a Latin American feast in the outdoor seating area of Café La Fondita, Val Morano Sagliocco’s new takeout place in the heart of industrial Mamaroneck.

And what a feast it is — tortas laden with ham or chicken cutlets; dainty taco shells neatly filled with grilled shrimp and veggies; quesadillas stuffed with melting cheese; a zesty guacamole served with homemade chips. We wash it down with horchata, a rice cinnamon water, and Jamaica, a hibiscus sugar water. (OK, so there is some spillage, but hey, it’s a picnic, so all good.)

For dessert, we sample manager Carmen Padilla’s rich, creamy flan, a traditional baked custard

A torta stuffed with chicken cutlets.

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA PHOTOGRAPHS BY SEBASTIÁN FLORES

with a caramel glaze, and the house’s full-bodied coffee, Café Bustelo. Heaven.

It was in November of 2016 that WAG first introduced you to the approximately 250-square-foot La Fondita, with its Frida Kahlo-like exterior murals of Old Mexico, and a door containing a fulllength portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint, by Suzanne Bellehumeur. At the time, Sagliocco — director of Morano Landscape Garden Design in Mamaroneck, president of Ridgeway Garden Center in White Plains and managing partner of Lago, an Italian restaurant in Harrison’s Silver Lake section — was putting the finishing touches on the décor, which includes his photographs of trips to Latin America, particularly Mexico. That country is what he calls “one of my happy places.”

Municipal code requirements necessitated further construction. The photos came down — for now — and the Virgin Mary moved from the front door to an interior one. La Fondita had a soft opening Dec. 17 but is set for a grand opening on — you guessed it — Cinco de Mayo.

The eatery serves breakfast and lunch. On a Thursday afternoon, it hums with locals from neighboring auto body shops and other small businesses. Not surprising, considering that Sagliocco has a foot in both the landscaping and food worlds, he has big garden plans for the outdoor seating. Already tulips and hyacinths vie in color with the exterior walls. Tapering arborvitae offer privacy and foster intimacy. Climbing hydrangeas will soon join them. Planters with fresh herbs, particularly cilan-

A classic guacamole with homemade chips.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

115

Owner Val Morano Sagliocco.

tro, will crown one wall. In the summer, he adds, there will be citrus plants and hibiscus.

After lunch, we take a short ride to Weaver Gardens in Larchmont, Sagliocco’s third baby after La Fondita. (Pride of place must be given to daughter Sofia, born last December.) Slated for an early May debut, Weaver Gardens is a design center for wholesale and retail. Sagliocco has transformed the former Redwood Nursery into an elegant gray building with reclaimed wood interiors that will house all of your gardening needs as well as classes, surrounded by gravel paths containing specimens like cherry trees and 25-year-old Japanese maples. On one side of the building there’s a green wall lined with recycled cotton for growing vegetables.

“It’s a patented technology we’re a dealer for,” Sagliocco says, referring to PlantWallDesign’s green walls, usually found indoors. “I like the aesthetics of it.

And if you have one, you can grow your own herbs.”

The wall serves as a backdrop for a grill from Danver Stainless Outdoor Kitchens and porcelain pavers from M S International Inc. Always percolating with new ideas, Sagliocco is also working with Plant the Future, a Miami-based design firm that fuses the visual arts and nature.

It’s another one of his “happy places,” and he always wants to share his happiness with others.

For more, visit cafelafondita.com.

Friday, May 18th Friday, May 11th

Saturday May 19th

The Dog in the Dressing Room June 14th - July 1st

www.SchoolhouseTheater.org | (914) 277-8477 | Croton Falls, NY | SchoolhouseTheater@Gmail.com

116

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Discover The new IL FORNO Italian Kitchen & Bar Where Good Vibes meet Italian Inspired Cuisine!

Enjoy a Classic & Crafty Cocktail.

Have your perfect experience!

LUNCH AND DINNER Tuesday - Sunday 343 Route 202, Somers, NY 10589 (914) 277-7575 www.ilfornosomers.com

Private Events and Catering

WELL

Stephanie Filardi strikes tree pose in Bali during a leadership training workshop. Photographs courtesy Bronxville Wellness Sanctuary.

118

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

a haven in the mind

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

O

utside, winter lingers like an unwelcome guest. Inside, however, it is a lovely summer day by the sea. The thin, almost imperceptible line of the horizon and distant sails that flutter like white caps are all that separate the pale blue of the sky from the deeper blue of the water. As I stand on the pier of Playland Amusement Park in Rye, I smell the tang of the Long Island Sound and hear the lapping waves on the rocks, the echoing laughter of children on the beach.

As fishermen cast off from the pier, I look out at the Sound and am content.

Or at least I am in my mind. It is actually early spring, and I am at the Bronxville Wellness Sanctuary where co-founder Stephanie Filardi is guiding me through a meditation/visualization exercise. The room is warm and dark. Incense wafts through the air. Eastern sounds lace it as well. I am lying on a mat — a red velvet, lavender-scented, heart-shaped sachet that Stephanie has given me resting on my chest. I feel perfectly at ease and safe.

Before we begin, we chat. Stephanie is not only co-founder of the Sanctuary with trainer/masseur Peter Iocovello but the creator of Thriving You Thriving Life, an online educational and mentoring platform designed to help people find more joy in their lives. Certified in yoga instruction and holistic health, she’s also the self-published author of “Reclaiming Joy: Your 4 Step Guide to Happy, Healthy & Free.”

Yet those three qualities didn’t always define her life, she says. There was a time in retail marketing in Manhattan’s Garment District when she was engaging in self-destructive behavior — drinking and shopping too much. Needing to take her life in a new direction, she joined forces

with Peter, who was her trainer, and started the Sanctuary in 2011 in four rooms that were a former doctor’s office in the stucco and brick Studio Arcade that lies in the shadow of New York-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital in the picturesque village of Bronxville.

Stephanie debunks the myths of meditation. It is not the absence of thought. How can we empty our minds of all thought? she says. It’s not possible. Rather we acknowledge passing thoughts but stay focused and rooted.

Secondly, there is no such thing as a perfect meditation practice. You don’t have to worry about doing it wrong. You may feel suffused with contentment but you may find your meditation practice dredging up intense emotions — which leads to her third point: It’s not all Zen. Some meditation sessions may leave you more sorrowful than blissful.

But all are about three things, she says — awareness of yourself, your surroundings and your thoughts and feeling so that you can make choices that will lead you to nonjudgmental compassion for yourself and others. So you go inward really to reach out.

We begin with me lying on my back, a pillow under my head and a rolled blanket under my knees to take any strain off my back. I breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth slowly. As I continue to do this, Stephanie asks me to concentrate on each part of the body sequentially, moving from the crown of the head to the tips of the toes. Journeying through this landscape, she asks me to imagine I am buoyed and filled with a white-gold light. It’s only toward the end that she asks me to visualize a place that I experience in my mind with all my senses. I choose Playland and adjacent Rye Town Park, because it

Peter Iocovello

is a place where I have experienced much happiness with family and friends. In the end, I see myself sitting with my aunt as I often did on a park bench, looking out to the sea. We close with five minutes of silence before a chime invites me to return to the everyday world.

The Sanctuary has a variety of programs that include facials, massage and yoga therapy. I would definitely recommend meditating and the Sanctuary, particularly for anyone like me whose mind — and heart — are always running.

You can get Stephanie Filardi’s meditation download and find out more about the Bronxville Wellness Sanctuary at bronxvillewellness.com.

MAY 2018

WAGMAG.COM

119

WELL

I

the hip bone’s connected to the…

BY GIOVANNI ROSELLI

have bad knees.”

“My lower back is killing me.”

“My shoulder always bothers me when I reach overhead.”

Any of these sound familiar? Know anyone who has said one if not more of these statements?

What if I told you that there is a good chance the knees, lower back and shoulders aren’t the true root causes of the pain?

THE JOINT-BY-JOINT APPROACH The joint-by-joint approach to the body was created by two of the most successful and knowledgeable men the fitness industry has ever seen — strength coach Mike Boyle and physical therapist Gray Cook.

The approach simply says this: The human body is stacked with alternating mobile and stable joints. Before I move any further, this is not to say that a “mobile joint” only requires mobility and a “stable joint” only requires stability. This does imply that the mobile joints that I am about to list require much more mobility than stability and vice versa.

Let’s take a look at the major joint systems of the body: Foot (stable) Ankle (mobile) Knees (stable) Hip (mobile) Lumbar spine (stable) Thoracic spine (mobile) Scapula (stable) Shoulder (mobile) Elbow (stable) Wrist (mobile) THE IMPORTANCE OF JOINT-BY-JOINT Think about your body like this: If a certain joint system does not have the requisite mobility, then it has to find a way to get it somewhere else, generally above or below that particular joint.

For example, let’s look at the hip. The hip is the connection between the upper and lower body.

It should be able to move in multiple ways (forward/backward and side to side). If the hip does not have the mobility to work like it is intended to and it’s asked to do something that requires it be mobile, the body will have to compensate by

120

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Giovanni Roselli. Courtesy the author.

getting that mobility either from the lower back or the knees.

Remember those individuals with “bad knees” and a painful lower back? There is a good chance that it is because their hips are too stiff and tight, so their knees and/or lower back are being asked to do things that they really weren’t intended to do. In other words, if the hip can’t move, the lumbar spine (lower back) will.

ASSESS YOURSELF Take a moment and go through the joint list above. What hurts? A mobile joint? A stable joint?

Multiple joints?

Generally you can look at it like this: • Poor ankle mobility leads to knee pain.

• Poor hip mobility leads to lower back pain.

• Poor thoracic mobility leads to shoulder/neck pain.

This is not to say that the source of pain is never the problem, but there’s a good chance that there is something going on above or below the painful joint that is compensating. Without getting overly technical, the body is connected and works together.

So next time, instead of “I need to get my knee stronger,” you may just have to loosen up your ankles. Instead of masking low back pain with medicine and cortisone shots, you may have to look at getting your hip moving better.

This topic does run pretty deep, so please feel free to reach out to me for any additional questions, comments, etc., and I’ll be happy to help.

Reach Giovanni on Twitter @GiovanniRoselli and at his website, GiovanniRoselli.com.

BMW OF MT. KISCO IS A PROUD SUPPORTER OF ALL THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LEADERS!

DRV PNK

Come up the hill and see us!

BMW of Mt. Kisco 250 Kisco Ave, Mt Kisco, NY 1-914-614-0884 www.bmwmtkisco.com

Store Hours: Monday-Thursday 9AM-8PM • Friday-Saturday 9AM-6PM • Sunday Closed

a pooch that is all heart

PET OF THE MONTH

PHOTOGRAPH BY SEBASTIĂ N FLORES

C

ooper is a 6-year-old Beagle mix who was rescued from a high-kill shelter, where he was most likely abandoned due to having a heart murmur and chronic valve disease, which requires medication. This doesn't stop him, though, from being the friendly, affectionate, low-key guy he is. Cooper enjoys car rides and the outdoors and is great with other animals and kids. Indeed, he isn't a big fan of being left alone, so the SPCA would prefer placing him with someone who would be there for him more often than not.

And who wouldn’t want to spend more time with this bundle of love?

To meet Cooper, visit the SPCA of Westchester at 590 N. State Road in Briarcliff Manor.

Founded in 1883, the SPCA is a no-kill shelter and is not affiliated with the ASPCA. The SPCA is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m.

Sundays. To learn more, call 914941-2896 or visit spca914.org.

122

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Set your dog free from grains with

©2018 Blue Buffalo Co., Ltd.

BLUE Freedom.

Made with only the highest quality ingredients and none of the grains that contain gluten, BLUE Freedom® is grain-free at its finest.

We all want our dogs and cats to look and feel their best.

For some of our furry friends, that means being on a grain-free diet, which is why we created BLUE Freedom.

It always features real meat – and has none of the grains that contain gluten. Plus, BLUE Freedom has no corn, wheat or soy and no artificial preservatives or flavors.

If you think your dog or cat can do better on a grain-free diet, you can’t do better than BLUE Freedom.

Available for dogs and cats at your favorite pet specialty store.

Love them like family. Feed them like family.®

ambassador of love

PET PORTRAITS

B

BY ROBIN COSTELLO

y all accounts, a 5-month-old puppy should never have survived being thrown from a moving car — but then, that puppy turned out to be the resilient Tinsley.

Her new owner, Stephanie Bostaph of New Rochelle, knew there was something special about this little dog, an American White Eskimo mix. Even though she had to have one of her rear legs amputated, nothing stopped the precocious pooch. Everywhere they went, people were awed and charmed by Tinsley’s “dogged” determination and friendly disposition.

Stephanie was eager to share her special pet with those around her. She had a history of volunteering with seniors and instinctively knew that Tinsley would make a great companion for them.

The two of them enrolled in a specialty training and certification program to become a Good Dog Foundation pet therapy team. Good Dog’s mission is to ease suffering and promote recovery using animal-assisted services. Its program is recognized as among the most innovative in the nation.

Each month, Stephanie and Tinsley visit the elderly residents at United Hebrew in New Rochelle as part of their therapeutic work. The sessions are designed to bring comfort, ease anxiety and lift the spirits of the residents.

Stephanie says that during their visits, she notices the residents, (some nonverbal and physically limited) relax, smile and brighten. “Their eyes just light up for Tinsley.”

Tinsley communicates with the seniors via her own special brand of canine caring — resulting in a wordless connection.

She seems to know the important job she has — showering love, attention and affection on her senior friends. It’s hard to tell who loves the visits more.

Tinsley's beautiful spirit inspires us. It’s not what we have lost, but rather, what we do with what is left that truly matters.

Tinsley. Photographs courtesy MiMA Photography.

United Hebrew residents Carol Virrill (left) and Angela Fasano enjoy a visit with Tinsley and her owner, Stephanie Bostaph.

124

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Millions of mothers are born each year. From the moment a baby is born, the world seems to focus on childcare, but what about mothercare? Enter Dayna Kurtz, the brains behind Huffington Post’s Mother Matters blog. From postpartum depression and baby blues to healing meals and postnatal exercise, Kurtz guides new and veteran mothers alike through the best practices to care for themselves as they care for their children. Her unique approach also includes less common methods like acupressure, expressive arts therapy, and more to help mothers boost their mental health and reclaim their identity. Backed by irrefutable research and personal anecdotes, Mother Matters is the guide every mother needs to not only survive but thrive! Just in time for Mother’s Day....

d ay n a m k u r t z . co m

May 6 WHEN & WHERE

Though June 9 Rye Arts Center’s new exhibition features a brief history of comic books. “Turn the Page: The Evolution of Cartoon and Comic Art” looks at a spectrum of comic art, from humorous cartoons to social satire. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 51 Milton Road, Rye; 914-967-0700, ryeartscenter.org

May 2 “Itzhak” — A film portrait of violin virtuoso and former Westchester Philharmonic artistic director Itzhak Perlman and a conversation with director Alison Chernick.

7:30 p.m., Avon Theatre Film Center, 272 Bedford St., Stamford; 203-661-0321, avontheatre.org

May 3 through 27 The 21st annual “Art to the Avenue” turns downtown Greenwich into a strolling art gallery, bringing works of art to store windows throughout the month of May. Special opening night festivities on May 3 start at 5:30 p.m., Greenwich Avenue; 203-862-6750, greenwichartscouncil.org

May 5 The Symphony of Westchester closes its season with an “All-Romantic Concert” that features violinist Tessa Lark, below. The program includes works by Rossini, Tchaikovsky and Elgar. 8 p.m., Christopher J. Murphy Auditorium, 715 North Ave., New Rochelle; 914-654-4926, thesymphonyofwestchester.org

The Connecticut Chamber Choir presents its 40th anniversary gala concert, “Lux Aeterna,” with new works and 20th-century favorites. St. Theresa Church, 5301 Main St., Trumbull; 203-261-3676, ctchamberchoir.org

The Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley hosts a “Walk Over the Hudson” at the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge, spanning 1.28 miles. 1 p.m., 61 Parker Ave., Poughkeepsie; 914-493-6455, rmh-ghv.org

May 7 The Purchase College Conservatory of Music’s Purchase Chorus will explore the music of war and peace going back to the 15th century in “Voices of War and Peace.”

The concert will feature instrumental as well as vocal soloists from the conservatory. 7:30 p.m., 735 Anderson Hill Road; 914-251-6700, purchase.edu/music

The second annual St. Christopher’s Got Talent Fundraiser will honor Robert Maher and raise money for improvements needed to the Recreational Center of the nonprofit’s Dobbs Ferry Campus. 6 p.m., The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road; 914-693-3030, ext. 2265, stchristophersinc.org

May 8 Las Vegas comes to the Hudson Valley when the Hudson Gateway Realtor Foundation hosts its “Viva Las Vegas Gala.” The evening will be a glitzy, glamorous show featuring Elvis tribute artist Cody Ray Slaughter; aerialists pouring Champagne; black jack, poker, roulette and more. Proceeds will benefit Hudson Valley charities and nonprofits. 6 p.m., Glen Island Harbour Club, 50 Glen Island Park, New Rochelle; 914-681-0833, HGAR.com

show, which will be on view through June 30, will explore artists’ responses to a consuming digital world. It also investigates the effects that this digital world has on the relationship humans have with the natural world. 6:30 p.m., 155 Fifth Ave.; 914-738-2525, pelhamartcenter.org

May 12 The Emelin Theatre continues the fifth season of its “Dance Off the Grid” series. Each event offers multiple performances by dance companies that are redefining the genre. The May 12 performance includes Felipe Galganni, Nélida Tirado and Gaspard & Dancers. A Q&A with the artists will follow. 8 p.m., 153 Library Lane, Mamaroneck; 914-698-0098, emelin.org

Westchester Symphonic Winds presents its 30th anniversary concert, which features guest conductors Jack Stamp, Tom McCauley and Shelley Axelson in works for the 60-piece, community-based wind and percussion ensemble. 8 p.m., Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main St.; 914281-1976, westchestersymphonicwinds.org

Join Audubon Greenwich on its World Migratory Bird Day annual Early Morning Bird Walk and Breakfast, celebrating the incredible journeys of neotropical migratory birds. Expert ornithologists guide visitors in seeing the colorful migrant birds as they visit Audubon on their way northward. Followed by the breakfast and activities for all bird lovers and families. 6:30 a.m., Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road; 203-9301353, greenwich.audubon.org

Smart Arts at Westchester Community College presents the National Players’ production of “The Great Gatsby.”

8 p.m., Westchester Community College Academic Arts Theatre, 75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla; 914-606-6262, sunywcc.edu/smartarts

May 10

The Stamford Symphony presents Steven Hough, concert pianist, writer, composer and painter, playing works

by Beethoven, Schumann and Debussy. 8 p.m., Stamford’s Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St.; 203-325-4466, stamfordsymphony.org

May 6 The Music for Youth benefit concert includes the Brahms Piano Trio, Gershwin Preludes and the Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata to support scholarship and outreach programs in the Bridgeport schools. A wine reception follows. 5 p.m., Unitarian Church, 10 Lyons Road, Westport; 203-254-0123, musicforyouth.net

126

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Country Dancers of Westchester presents an “English Country Dance,” accompanied by live music from its house band, Serendipity. CDW faculty member Judi Rivkin will provide basic dance instruction to guests of all dance levels. 7:30 p.m., The Church in the Highlands, 35 Bryant Ave., White Plains; 914-762-3619, bit.ly/countrydancersofwestchester

Family Services of Westchester presents its annual Star Gala. Every year, the Star Gala brings together more than 300 people, including a roster of community and sports all-stars, for a night of fun and philanthropy. 6 p.m., Glen Island Harbour Club, 50 Glen Island Park, New Ro-chelle; 914-305-6836, fsw.org/stargala

May 11 Pelham Art Center will host the opening reception for its “A Rose is a Screen is a Rose” exhibition. The group

Connecticut Ballet’s annual Spring Gala, below, following the performance of a triple-bill, “Russian Classics!,” featuring three one-act ballets. Members of the company join guests onstage for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and mingling, while bidding on auction items. Proceeds support programming and educational outreach statewide. 7:30 p.m. (performance), 9:30 (cocktails), Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford; 203-325-4466, connecticutballet.org

Imagine

the possiblities

LIGHTING CONTROL

SPEAKERS

TELEVISION

POOL / SPA CONTROL

Soundworks is a passionate company integrating technology into your home using the latest in Apple products.

Soundworks is a certified Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association member which includes Certified (CEDIA) technicians on staff. Soundworks services, designs and installs integrated A/V systems in homes throughout the Tri-State area.

NOW YOU CAN

Home Theater | Automated Lighting Solutions | Automated Shading Solutions | Distributed House Audio & Video | Computer Networking

1 H U N T E R AV E N U E , A R M O N K

•

914.765.0461

•

S O U N D W O R K S N Y. C O M

Formerly known as the Renaissance Ball, the 31st annual Bruce Museum Gala will be themed “Jewels of the Jungle.” This annual benefit raises critical funds that support the Bruce’s ongoing art and science initiatives. The evening features cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions and dancing. 6 p.m., Greenwich Country Club, 19 Doubling Road; 203-413-6761, brucemuseum.org

FOR YOUR NEXT MITZVAH, BIRTHDAY OR PRIVATE PARTY

May 16 Five-time Grammy Award winner and Grand Ole Opry member Marty Stuart in concert with his Fabulous Superlatives. 8 p.m., The Warehouse at Fairfield Theatre Company, 70 Sanford St.; 203-259-1036, fairfieldtheatre.org

May 17 This year ArtsWestchester’s annual ArtsBash event will celebrate 20 years of the arts council being in its current landmark building in downtown White Plains. Featuring tastings from 30-plus restaurants, open artist studios and “ArtsWestchester’s Triennial,” an art exhibition that highlights what’s new and what’s next in the contemporary Hudson Valley art scene. 6 p.m., ArtsWestchester, 31 Mamaroneck Ave. 914-428-4220, artsw.org

Custom ed graphics aniz d vi capabilities deo

May 19 and 20 More than 70 artisans gather to share their talents and crafts at the 33rd annual Bruce Museum Outdoor Crafts Festival. Juried exhibitors specialize in ceramics, wearable and decorative fiber, glassware, wood kitchenwares, furniture, jewelry and more. The festival also includes demonstrations, activities for children and international cuisine on both days. 10 a.m., Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich; 203869-0376, brucemuseum.org

May 19 The Norwalk Symphony’s season finale is a concert performance of “The Marriage of Figaro,” conducted by Jonathan Yates. 8 p.m., Norwalk Concert Hall, 125 East Ave.; 203-956-6771, norwalksymphony.org

A Whimsical and Unique Venue for Your Next Party!

• Talented Events and Audio/Visual Team • Indoor or outdoor open floor plans lets guests enjoy a variety of environments • Multimedia Gallery with 35 x 12 foot projection screen and customizable interactive floor • State-of-the-art sound and theatrical lighting system For a personal tour, call 203 899 0606, ext. 208 steppingstonesmuseum.org/rentals

The Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden presents a hands-on ikebana workshop led by instructor Shoko Iwata. Participants will learn how to create a Japanese flower arrangement in the Sogetsu style. 1 p.m., 28 Deveau Road, North Salem; 914-669-5033, hammondmuseum.org

May 20 The opening of two exhibitions on the theme of the domestic environment — “The Domestic Plane: New Perspectives on Tabletop Art Objects,” a meta-group exhibition of more than 70 artists, and “contra la pared,” Argentinian artist Analia Segal’s first solo museum exhibition, 3 p.m., Aldrich Museum, 258 Main St., Ridgefield; 203-438-4519; aldrichart.org

The international chamber ensemble REBEL offers a program of classical chamber music by Mozart, Haydn and their contemporaries performed on period instruments at Bedford Presbyterian Church in Bedford. A catered reception follows the concert, at which the audience can meet the artists. 4 p.m., Village Green (Routes 22 and 172); 914-734-9537, rebelbaroque.com

Presented by ArtsWestchester (www.artswestchester.org) and the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County (www.fcbuzz.org).

Norwalk, CT

128

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

Join Us for the Women’s Enterprise Development Center’s

SPRING GALA & AWARDS CEREMONY

May 31, 2018 6 PM COCKTAILS 7 PM DINNER & AWARDS

Tappan Hill Mansion 81 HIGHLAND AVENUE TARRYTOWN, NY

HONORING

Alè Frederico

Vice President, Commercial Lending Chair, Metro NY Diversity Council TD Bank

Sallie Krawcheck

CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest and Chair of Ellevate Network

Johanna Zeilstra CEO, Gender Fair and Leader, Women Entrepreneurs Network

To RSVP, please visit www.wedcbiz.org For ticket and sponsorship information, please contact april.l@longpointgroup.com

1

WATCH

AN ACE OF AN EVENT On April 5, tennis legend Billie Jean King donated her galvanizing presence — along with $10,000 — to benefit the Norwalk-based Fairfield County’s Community Foundation: The Fund for Women & Girls at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. The fund, which raised more than $700,000 is celebrating 20 years of empowering underserved girls and women to do everything from leaving abusive relationships to getting college educations to starting their own businesses. Photographs by John Rizzo.

2

3

1. Billie Jean King 2. Georgette Gouveia, Lisa Wexler, Billie Jean King and Robin Costello 3. Billie Jean King, Kerry Doyle and Carol Rizzo 4. Billie Jean King playing air guitar to “Philadelphia Freedom” 5. Billie Jean King lobs some souvenir tennis balls into the crowd

EDIE AT THE BURNS It was standing room only recently at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville for a screening of the new film “Outside In.” The film is about an excon struggling to readjust to life in his small town.

A Q&A with the film’s star, actress Edie Falco, and JBFC board president Janet Maslin followed. Falco is a Golden Globe. Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning actress who is best-known for her roles in HBO’s “The Sopranos,” Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie” and, most recently, NBC’s “Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders.” Photographs by Lynda Shenkman.

4

5

6

6. Edie Falco 7. Janet Maslin and Edie Falco

F I N D a p hys I cI aN. 130

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

7

★

The GREAT

American BBQ Co.

BBQ Catering for Social and Corporate Events

Book your special event with us and receive free BBQ games or a beverage upgrade. Quantities are limited.

Your Moments Made Memorable Have as much fun as your guests while we cater your next birthday, anniversary, wedding, graduation, company picnic or outing with delicious BBQ, at your venue or one of ours.

You’re sure to love both the food and fun, making it a great memory for years to come!

Leave the Cooking To Us! 914.949.0978 • thegreatamericanbbq.com

1

2

3

WATCH

THE NEO-VICTORIANS The Hudson River Museum celebrated the opening of “The Neo-Victorians: Contemporary Artists Revive Gilded-Age Glamour� at a special reception. It was a festive evening with members, trustees and friends, many of whom dressed up in Steampunk attire. The exhibition is open through May. Photographs by Jason Green.

6 4

5

1. Justin Fornal, Marietta Api and Theodore Ward Barrow 2. Samantha Hoover and Mike Khader 3. Donna Sharrett 4. Aimi Latore, Ebony Bolt and Justina Kofie 5. Brian Cray 6. Nick Simpson 7. Camille Eskell and Bartholomew F. Bland 8. Saralinda Lichtblau, Marcia Brewster, Judith Schwartstein and Richard Haas 9. Masha Turchinsky, Dave Steck, Anna Birrattella and Patty Schuman

7

8

9

Call (914) 849 - MyMD to find the right doctor for your personalized needs.

132

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

DID YOU KNOW?

D I S C OV E R I N G

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEMENTIA

By Susie Sarkisian, Director of Family Services, The Kensington Assisted Living Residence

Dementia is used as an umbrella term to describe the symptoms of cognitive impairment.

Under the dementia umbrella, there are many different variations – Alzheimer’s included.

DISCOVER THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF DEMENTIA: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: • Most common type of dementia • Begins with short-term memory loss and repetition • Those affected demonstrate trouble with thinking and reasoning LEWY BODY DEMENTIA (LBD): • Very common, yet frequently misdiagnosed • Described as a combination of Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s • Common problems with sleep patterns, including acting out dreams and frequent waking

VASCULAR DEMENTIA: • Brain damage traced to cardiovascular problems, or mini strokes causing bleeding in the brain • Identified by drastic changes in personality, thinking, or reasoning immediately following a stroke • Those affected have trouble paying attention, organizing thoughts, or analyzing situations FRONTO TEMPORAL DEMENTIA (FTD): • FTD occurs when there is deterioration to the Frontal and Temporal lobes of the brain • Those affected experience problems with language and significant personality and behavior changes • Begins with shocking behavior and actions, progresses into a depression

With over 100 types of dementia, an accurate diagnosis is critical to create a treatment plan. At The Kensington Assisted Living, we specialize in memory care. Our team of professionals works with each resident to capitalize on their personal strengths and works with the entire family to create a comfortable environment for all.

To learn more about diagnosis and treatment options or if you need help with a loved one who is exhibiting any of the dementia signs above, please call The Kensington Assisted Living at 914-390-0080.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

100 Maple Avenue • White Plains, NY 10601 914-390-0080 www.TheKensingtonWhitePlains.com

1

WATCH

TOURO DEDICATION Touro College of Dental Medicine recently celebrated two special events — the dedication of the college’s new clinical training and oral healthcare facility, Touro Dental Health, and its second annual fundraising gala. Directly following the dedication, members of the community, college administration, faculty, alumni and staff attended the fundraising gala held at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Westchester in White Plains. The dedication honored the ongoing support of Henry Schein Inc. and MIS Implant Technologies, while the gala recognized the contributions of Stanley M. Bergman and Jay P. Goldsmith, D.M.D., founding dean of Touro CDM. 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Edward Halperin, M.D., M.A Ushi and Esti Stahler Edward F. Farkas, D.D.S. Ronnie Myers, D.D.S Moshe Krupka Elias K. Hashim, D.D.S. and Adele El Kareh, M.D. Alan Kadish, M.D. and Stanley M. and Marion Bergman

2

5 6

7

134

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

3

4

1

WATCH

A SISTERLY GIFT The Hudson Gateway REALTOR Foundation, the charitable arm of the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS, recently presented a check for $2,500 to My Sisters’ Place (MSP) in White Plains.

For more than 40 years, My Sisters’ Place has been a Westchester County leader and resource in the field of domestic violence and human trafficking.

MSP provides a continuum of direct services for adult and child victims (shelter, counseling, legal services and education), responding to the needs of families and individuals in crisis. Each year, the agency reaches more than 15,000 people through direct services, education and outreach.

2

3

1. Kristine DiFrancesco, Donald Arace, Harding Mason, Carly Levine, Eleanor Cotter and Mary Prenon

UJA CELEBRATION More than 400 guests joined UJA-Federation of New York for its Westchester Annual Celebration to salute the organization’s work and committed leaders and enjoy the comedy of actor-writer Colin Quinn. The event at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester honored longtime leaders Sarene Shanus and Harold Treiber of Mamaroneck and UJA's first Westchester Young Leadership Award winners, Kate Eichel and Mauri Chotin Zemachson, both of Scarsdale. Proceeds from this event benefit UJA-Federation, which sustains the activities of more than 80 core partners and hundreds of other nonprofit agencies, including 12 in Westchester, that provide services to combat poverty, help the elderly age with dignity, promote Jewish identity and renewal, strengthen children and families and open doors to those with disabilities and special needs.

2. Colin Quinn 3. Kate Eichel, Mauri Chotin Zemachson, Cindy Golub, Sarene Shanus and Harold Treiber 4. Neil and Wendy Sandler, Wayne Goldstein and Tara Slone-Goldstein 5. Eric S. Goldstein and Rikki and Barry Kaplan

136

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

4

5

Authentic Italian and Mediterranean Specialties

Try either of our locations 12 Bowman Ave, Port Chester, NY 10573

171 S Riverside Ave, Croton-On-Hudson, NY 10520

1

2

WATCH

STUDENTS OF THE YEAR For seven weeks, from January to March, a team of philanthropic high school students across the region participated in a fundraising competition called “Students of the Year” for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Connecticut, Westchester and Hudson Valley chapter. The mission of LLS is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

The tireless efforts of the students resulted in more than $125,000 in donations for this national campaign. A group of 90 guests were in attendance at a gala at The Loft at Chelsea Piers in Stamford where the students and their teams were recognized for their outstanding work. The celebration featured a silent auction, a Fund-the-Fight paddle raise, hors d’oeuvres, a dessert station and lively music.

4

3

1. Matthew and Amilia Gullotta 2. Mary Ellen, Kevin and Brian Dervin, Hannah and Beth Cleary and Richard O’Keefe 3. Alanna Levine 4. Dylan Goldstein and Owen Shaw

NEW BOSS

Westchester’s new county executive, George Latimer, spoke to more than 200 guests about the direction of the county at the annual Westchester Government Relations Legislative Breakfast held recently at the Temple Israel Center in White Plains. The breakfast was hosted by UJA-Federation of New York in Westchester and Westchester Jewish Council.

5. Harriet Schleifer, Arnold Linhardt, Cindy Golub, Karen Everett, George Latimer and Joseph Rafalowicz

LIONS ROAR AT TAPHOUSE The newly merged Larchmont Mamaroneck Lions recently partnered with the Sedona Taphouse in Mamaroneck to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. The Lions provided matching funds to those raised by the Taphouse in their weekly “Steak Out for Charity” program. Sedona and the Lions presented Habitat for Humanity’s Jim Killoran with a check for $2,173. Based on the success of the partnership, the Lions and Sedona have agreed to seek future fundraising opportunities.

6. Phil Oldham, Diane Oldham, Jim Killoran and Ron Duckstein

138

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

5

6

Eager Beaver Tree Service INTELLIGENT TREE CARE ARTISTIC DESIGN DETAIL ORIENTED LONG TERM PLANNING-IMMEDIATE RESULTS SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!

EXTRAORDINARY Serving Westchester and Fairfield 914-533-2255 | 203-869-3280 |

203-966-6767

www.eagerbeavertreeservice.com Doug Paulding | Dpupatree@aol.com

1

2

WATCH

3

A NOSTALGIC NIGHT Attendees of the launch party for “The Bridesmaid’s Daughter: From Grace Kelly’s Wedding to a Women’s Shelter,” by Pound Ridge resident Nyna Giles and Eve Claxton, could be forgiven for feeling as if they slipped through a portal in time. The scene was the Barbizon 63, the former Barbizon Hotel for Women in Manhattan, where Giles’ mother, the onetime Eileen Ford model Carolyn Scott, befriended fledgling actress and fellow resident Grace Kelly in the late 1940s. And while the hotel is now an apartment building — with a few holdovers from the past, a doorman says — the mood at The Club Salon was definitely nostalgic. Photographs of screen goddesses like Katharine Hepburn graced the walls. And the soundtrack included Irving Berlin’s “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing,” a song that conjured Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen’s brilliant song and dance routine in “White Christmas.” Photographs by Lynda Shenkman.

1. Nyna Giles 2. Nyna Giles and Eve Claxton 3. Kristin, Peter and Nyna Giles, Johnny Ferro and Danielle Weiss 4. Rachel and Michael Ohrnberger 5. Jack and Scarlett De Bease 6. Kathy and Don Pantino and Debbie Delucia 7. Cathy Nish and Stephanie Schwartz 8. Debbie Delucia 9. Skip, Erin, Ann Marie and Allison Denenberg 10. April Wilson and Sarah Grill 11. Caroline Shepherd and Hans Kaeser 12. Alison Manion Giglio and Sandy Hapoienu 13. Laura Clark, Karen Masnica, Robert Allen and Mary Beth Roche

4

8

12

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

7

6

10

140

5

9

11

13

International Wines, Spirits and Beers Free Wine Tastings on Friday and Saturday Daily Sales and Specials Corporate and Client Gifting Programs Event Planning Services

Classes, Seminars and Tutorials Private In-Home Tastings and Classes Free Delivery Service (inquire) Wine Cellar and Collecting Consultation We Buy Your Older Wines and Spirits

VAL’S TIP OF THE MONTH —

Why not treat your mom to a couple of bottles of Rose for Mother’s Day? It’s delicious, very popular, and pairs well with almost any food! Call us and we can deliver of ship!

203-869-2299

125 WEST PUTNAM AVE., GREENWICH, CT

203-813-3477

FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS AWARD WINNER 2018

21 GLENVILLE ST., GLENVILLE, CT BOTH LOCATIONS OPEN EVERY DAY

valsputnamwines.com | valsputnamwines125@gmail.com

FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1957

WAGVERTISERS MAY 201 8

A & S Fine Foods – 137 aandsfinefoods.com Alzheimer’s Association - 43 alzdementiaconference.org American Heart Association - 62 westfairgoredluncheon.heart.org ArtsWestchester - 85 artsw.org/artsbash

Muscoot Tavern - 109 muscoottavern.com

Stepping Stones Museum - 128 steppingstonesmuseum.org/rentals

Oasis Day Spa - 32 oasisdwestchester.com

Stickley Audi & Co. - 3 stickleyaudi.com

Old Salem Farm - 83 oldsalemfarm.net

Strategies for Wealth - 15 strategiesforwealth.com

ONS - 47 onsmd.com

Touro Dental Health - 51 dentalhealth.touro.edu

Penny Pincher - 99 pennypincherboutique.com

Tranquility Spa - 5 tranquilityspa.com

Pepe Infiniti - 29 pepeinfiniti.com

Trinity Pawling School – 58 trinitypawling.com

Pirri Hair Studio – 102, 103 pirrihair.com

Uovo Moderno – 28 uovomoderno.com

Prutting & Company- 71 prutting.com

Val’s Putnam Wines and Liquors - 141 valsputnamwines.com

The Kensington - 133 thekensingtonwhiteplains.com

R & M Woodrow Jewelers Inside Front Cover, 1 woodrowjewelers.com

Waveny Lifecare Network - 63 Waveny.org

Kisco River Eatery - 77 kiscoriver.com

John Rizzo Photography - 81 johnrizzophoto.com

Westchester Medical Center Health Network – 19 wmchealth.org

Dayna M Kurtz - Mother Matters – 125 daynamkurtz.com

Royal Closet - 6 royalcloset.com

Westchester Philharmonic - 85 westchesterphil.org

Landsberg Jewelers - 9 landsbergjewelers.com

Sapori - 79 saporiofwhiteplains.com

Westmoreland Sanctuary - 143 westmorelandsanctuary.org

Luxe Luxury Labels - 95 facebook.com/luxeluxurylabels/

Saybrook Point Inn Marina Spa - 55 saybrook.com

White Plains Hospital - 130, 132 wph125.org

Mary Jane Denzer - 7 mjdenzer.com

The Schoolhouse Theater - 116 schoolhousetheater.org

Mediterraneo of White Plains - 40 zhospitalitygroup.com

Shreve, Crump & Low - 92 shrevecrumpandlow.com

White Plains Hospital Center for Orthopedic & Spine Surgery – Inside Back Cover, 33 exceptionaleveryday.org/dancer

Moderne Barn - 113 modernebarn.com

Sothebys International Realty – 64, 65 sothebyshomes.com/greenwich

Women’s Enterprise Development Center Spring Gala – 129 wedcbiz.org

Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Golf Classic – 97 msnycdystelmemorialgolf.org

Soundworks NY - 127 soundworksny.com

World Class Parking – 36 wcparking.com

Greenwich International Film Festival - 135 greenwichfilm.org Greenwich Medical Spa – Back Cover greenwichmedicalspa.com Greenwich Polo Club - 59 greenwichpoloclub.com Gregory Sahagian and Son, Inc - 67 gssawning.com

Audi Danbury - 41 audidanbury.com Neil S. Berman - 50 bermanbuyscollectables.com Blossom Flower – 101 blossomflower.com

I Am More - 88 iammorescarsdale.com Il Forno - 117 ilfornosomers.com Ives Concert Park - 54 ivesconcertpark.com

Blue Buffalo - 123 bluebuffalo.com

The J House – Greenwich - 93 jhouserestaurant.com

BMW Mt. Kisco – 121 bmwmtkisco.com Breast Cancer Alliance - 46 breastcanceralliance.org Briggs House Antiques - 25 briggshouse.com Bronxville Wellness Sanctuary - 22 bronxvillewellness.com Cami Weinstein Designs - 23 camidesigns.com Chappaqua Crossing Apartments - 11 chappaqua-crossing-apartments.com Eager Beaver Tree Service - 139 eagerbeavertreeservice.com Euphoria Kitchen & Bath - 62 euphoriakitchens.com Georgette Gouveia - 37 thegamesmenplay.com The Great American BBQ - 131 thegreatamericanbbq.com

Our WAG-savvy sales team will assist you in optimizing your message to captivate and capture your audience. Contact them at 914-358-0746.

LISA CASH

142

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

ANNE JORDAN DUFFY

BARBARA HANLON

CINDY PAGNOTTA

MARCIA PFLUG

PATRICE SULLIVAN

WE WONDER:

WIT

WHAT’ S THE BEST ADVICE YOU R MOTHER E VER GAVE YOU?

Peter Barbieri

Caitlynn Biro event planner, Scarsdale resident

band manager, Greenwich resident

CJ Moy

Gabby O’Connor

Rebecca Rampersaud

“She might have gotten the quote from somewhere else, but my mother used to tell me never to argue with a fool, because then people might not be able to tell you apart.

That has definitely helped me in my life.”

“My mother always told me never to give up on my dreams. I’m so grateful that I have such a supportive figure in my life.”

“She told me to be yourself in every situation. Not everyone is going to like you, but at least you can say that you didn’t compromise your integrity.”

“My mom told me that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. We should be listening twice as much as we talk.

That’s advice that I follow to this day.”

“My mother’s best advice was simple: Whatever you’re doing, do it the best that you possibly can. I don’t think that will ever lead you astray.”

Russell Reese

Julie Rooney

Elizabeth Rosenkranz

Keyonta Thomas

Evan Woodnorth

“My mom was a big believer in the importance of honesty.

She said that if you never lie, then you never have to remember what story you told people. It keeps your life simple, and people will respect you for it.”

“My mother told me not to marry the guy I was with. He turned out to be the wrong one for me. That might not be universal advice, but it’s the best advice I ever got.”

“My mother simply told me not to care what anyone thinks of me. If I’m proud of myself and try to do what’s right in my eyes, that’s all that matters.”

“My mother told me that there are a lot of people in life who are going to try and take advantage of you if you let them. She told me not to be gullible and know who you can trust. She also told me that trust is something people have to earn.

It’s not a right.”

“My mom told me life is here to be lived, not to sleepwalk through. She’s always inspired me to gather as many new, unique experiences as I can while I’m here. I think the drive to live a life that you’re proud of is one of the most important qualities a person can have.

She taught me that.”

engineer, New Rochelle resident

salesman, Greenwich resident

graduate student, Hartford resident

server, New York City resident

insurance product analyst, New York City resident

teacher, Bronx resident

*Asked throughout central and northern Westchester County at various businesses.

144

WAGMAG.COM

MAY 2018

designer, Westchester County resident

journalist, White Plains resident