Lazy Girl: Episode 2

Seaside Style

On a warm July day, when ice cubes clink in glasses raised on sun-kissed decks, when children are coming home bedraggled and dripping from their swims, and weary from their sailing lessons on the bay, and throughout the village lawn mowers are silenced for the evening, this is the Golden Hour in Orient.

The hour when two sisters meet for a glass of white wine. Sighing at the cool beauty of it all. The sparkling water, the lavender haze of Russian Sage, the Yarrow, now brownish and awaiting pruning ere it may bloom again in yellow bliss and the bunnies seeking supper among the clover and tender grasses on the lawn. The errant, yet adored Thistle, loved for its purple hue, stalwart in the sea grass.

 Carol Markel

Jeanne Markel

The cocktails are but a prelude to our romp about

the village, accompanied by our Director of Photography,

Jack Wedge.

 Stopping by an artist's studio on a sunny afternoon,

we are at the William Steeple Davis house and studio.

Born in 1884, Davis was a painter, printmaker

 and photographer who lived in Orient all his life.

He established a trust for artists to live and work

in his house and studio.

Darlene Charneco, who creates mixed media

mapping series, is the current resident.

On Carol

Hat by Lola. Blouse and skirt:

Carol's personal vintage Cacharel.

On Jeanne

Straw Amish hat:

Dress by Marimekko for Uniqlo

 A charming picket fence provides a rustic backdrop.

Cacharel was a favorite brand of mine in the 80s when

I lived in Philadelphia. There was a Cacharel store in the

Bourse Building which was built in 1891 and

served as a stock exchange before it was repurposed for

chic shops. It also held an Yves St. Laurent boutique,

 Cacharel pressed all the 

French fashion code buttons:

Freshness, Romanticism and Femininity.

Jeanne's dress features

pears and grapes in cool colors framed

perfectly by the fence post pillars.

How fresh she looks in the

Finnish brand's graphic

print so cannily produced by a

collaboration with Japan's Uniqlo brand.

 Hedges provide privacy to this Orient house.

A pop of pink adds color.

 A diminutive cottage has, in summers past,

been rented by an architect.

 My hat by Lola sports an artfully tied

grosgrain ribbon bow.

Jeanne's boater was left at her house by

a forgetful guest.

 We end our journey on a dock with

the Orient Yacht Club in the distance.

A big thank you to our

Director of Photography,

Jack Wedge.

See Jack's imaginative animations

here

A Bientot!

A New Season of Lazy Girl Starts Today!

Hydrangea Town
My oh my how long has it been since the last episode of Lazy Girl? Much too long to count. But today it's back, same theme song, same Lazy Girl. I am on the North Fork of Long Island, my go-to summer place. My brother, David, found a cute, little house for me to rent, quite by chance. There is absolutely nothing to rent out here because New Yorkers have left the city in droves for parts where the rabbits roam and the deer and the mosquitoes play.

I am thrilled to be here and to be with family after months of isolation. Adding to my joy at being in the country is my new bike, which I ordered from REI online and had shipped to my sister Jeanne's house here in Orient. Her husband was kind enough to put it together for me. And what a ride. This is the Electra Townie 7 speed in "Curry." It has pink tire rims. The rattan basket is from Trek.  It's a step-through style bike originally designed for ladies of the 1890's to ride with their long skirts. (I made that up.) I love it's graceful curves.

Curry in a Hurry

 There is an embarrassment of riches in this town.

The Hydrangea macrophylla are in full bloom and glory.

 The name Hydrangea is from the Greek and means

water vessel because of the shape of the seed capsule.

 The common name of this shrub is Hortensia, a Latinized version 

of the French name, Hortense. Are you expecting a

girl baby? Name her Hortense.

 Hydrangea can be blue, violet or pink

depending on the soil pH. If the soil is acidic,

the flowers will be blue. If alkaline, they will be pink.

The Orient Country Store is open, but you

cannot go in. Window service only with

appropriate masks and physical spacing.

A Bientot!