The Vintage Contessa

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Palm Springs in OCTOBER

 

 I was given a MAMAS AND PAPAS get away from our sweet neighbors for my birthday back in JULY!

 Three days of SUN and DESERT in Southern California.

Better known as the STOMPING grounds of OLD HOLLYWOOD.

I was excited because it is the perfect place to “DON” a CAFTAN from Morning till Night.

 I decided ahead I would ONLY WEAR CAFTANS!

 SO, that is EXACTLY what I DID!

 

 

PAPA, was put to work snapping me and my OUTFITS!

Thats right PAPA is our Nickname and I’m MAMA!

You know HIM BEST as THE ITALIAN!

One NEVER knows HOW HIS PHOTOS WILL TURN OUT!

THE VIEW from the TOP of THE TRAM.

Thats the Airport landing runway!

Looks kind of SHORT from HERE!

 

 

  Diane insisted upon being my PHOTOGRAPHER!

  WE HAD FUN!

CAN YOU TELL?

CONTESSA AT LARGE in THE WOODS above the Palm Springs DESERT!

I read a book once about HOW TREES communicate to each other!

This tree behind us is leaning on the other for SUPPORT!

Or bending in for a KISS!

MY ITALIAN on the LEFT and MY neighbor PAUL on the RIGHT!

 

HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE in the TRAM!

The OPERATOR was GREAT as he had us SINGING SWEET CAROLINE at the top of our voices!

Every TOWER we encountered made the TRAM SWING!!!!!!!!

THE MUSIC REALLY HELPED!

Never Mind the floor was MOVING in a circular way!

CAFTANS AND KIMONO’s WORK WELL TOGETHER at SUNNYLANDS!

RECENT HISTORY

 

A WALK ABOUT SUNNYLANDS

proved full of INSPIRATION, COMFORTABLE BENCHES and THE BIGGEST JACK RABBIT I had EVER SEEN!

I LOVE THIS MULCH!

 

After SUNNYLANDS we hit the BOTANICAL GARDEN.

I lost my KIMONO to my BASKET BAG and pulled out MY HAT as the SUN was heating up!

Featuring a Carla Christoph DESIGN!

  Words that made sense to me!

ALWAYS good to remind yourself to SLOW DOWN!

I noticed Palm Springs to be VERY QUIET and NO TRAFFIC!

 WHAT A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!

The old House which is situated in the MOORTEN’S FAMILY BOTANICAL GARDENS.

I was looking for the date of this house and found this instead!

“We used to go out and collect tumbleweeds, package them up, put them on a railcar.  They’d ship them to the east coast and use them as window displays for Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, those upscale stores.”

 

CAFTANS and BASKETS compliment each other!

 

MY SHOES are by ILSA Jacobson and can be found here in every color of the rainbow!

HERE!HERE!HERE!

These were a BIRTHDAY GIFT AS WELL from my DEAR FRIEND JENNY!

I learned at these GARDENS from another LADY that they can go into the washing machine as well!

 She had the GREY pair on the day prior at THE TRAM!

 WE recognized each other!

 

POT DETAILS AT THE BOTANICAL GARDENS!

CAN YOU SPY THE BABY TORTOISE THIS ONE IS HUGGING?

(To the left of HER HEAD!)

The remains of an OLD COVERED WAGON!

THE LAURA ENGAL WILDER IN ME LOVED SEEING THIS!

LITTLE HOUSE on THE PRAIRE!

Those by gone days when Television was worth watching!

IT MATCHED MY OUTFIT SO MADE THE PHOTO SCROLL!

IT has seen BETTER DAYS!

I WONDER WHO SAT HERE?

   Color coordination was a FLUKE!

  The ITALIAN can FIX ANYTHING!

  SO, when the drawer at the CONDO said, “DO NOT OPEN THIS DRAWER!”

  He had to do it to see the problem!IT was fixed after a quick visit to the HARDWARE STORE!

Left with a BIG X on top of the message!

Here I am with DIANE and we are headed to dinner at SPENCERS in the OLD Palm Springs TENNIS CLUB where her husband grew up taking family vacations from the Bay Area!FAST forward TO TODAY and we are staying in one of the two condo’s his parents invested in in the 1970’s.

AGAIN we are coordinated without THOUGHT!

For those of you who say you are TOO SHORT TO WEAR A CAFTAN I would like to point out this is 5’10’ verses Diane’s height of………… 5’2″!!

IT WORKS!

  ART MUSEUM in Palm Springs!

WHAT IS THIS MADE OF?

TAKE A MOMENT BEFORE YOU SCROLL DOWN AND I TELL YOU!

  CRUSHED SODA CANS!

WE are in a MODERN ART MUSEUM which isNOT my THING but I do find this FASCINATING as I could not tell from a distance what this was made from!

I had assumed it was a weave of some sort!

A GOOD WAY TO RECYCLE!

    MORE ART!

OKAY people help me OUT HERE as I AM A RENAISSANCE WOMAN AT HEART with MY ART!

WHO DECIDES THIS IS ART?

I AGREE, it is a rather pretty SPILL……………..BUT NOT ART!

MAKES ME LAUGH OUT LOUD!

Which is worth the price of ADMISSION!

WHO DECIDES WHAT IS MODERN ART ANYWAY?

   I LIKE THE COLORS HERE.

  YOUR CONTESSA and a CHIHULY!

 From what I read these fragments of glass were LEFTOVERS from chandeliers that were made in VENICE, ITALY.

 COLORFUL and very OCTOPUS LOOKING!

 I feel I blended in PERFECTLY!

ART?

Taking up residence in THE Palm Springs MUSEUM

I KID YOU NOT!

I wonder how long the ARTIST spent on HIS KNOTS and how much time to leave the yellow draw strings TO SHOW OR NOT TO SHOW?

Second glance, I do not think those are draw strings!

 Note the size gradually goes up from round circular to end in a rectangular shape!

PLACEMENT IS KEY!

 (SERIOUSLY, if someone can help me understand how this is ART LEAVE A COMMENT!)

I KNOW A FEW OF YOU ARE ARTISTS OUT THERE!

CHIME IN!!

NOW, these were COOL………ORANGE CUSHIONS on the STAIRS to the MUSEUM!

 I bet BANKSY would ENJOY these on the way UP from our chicken coop!

   AFTER the MUSEUM we went  to race a couple of GO-CARTS!

 I do NOT think I have ever been in a GO-CART like this before……..BUMPER CARS YES!

   But NO BUMPING WAS ALLOWED in THESE WICKED GAS SMELLING ENGINES!

  I hiked up THAT YUME CAFTAN and put my PEDAL TO THE METAL!

WE were given 5 minutes which I believe was more like 10 minutes as I lost count after the third lap!

I could NOT wait for the BELL TO GO OFF!

MY TAILBONE is still feeling the bumps in the road!

 I HAD A HARD TIME ACCELERATING IN THE TURNS FOR FEAR I WOULD TIP!

 BUT I DID IT!

 A FEW YEARS AGO I WOULD HAVE SAT IT OUT SO THIS IS PROGRESS!

  AFTER THE GO-CART OUTING I ANNOUNCED I NEEDED A DRINK!

 OFF WE WENT TO THE PARKER HOTEL

 AS I had a couple of BLOGGING BUDDIES mention it!

They would NOT let us wander around as we were NOT staying there but we had a drink!!

The inside restaurant looked FABULOUS with a white baby grand.

THE MOST INTERESTING FACT WAS THIS WAS THE FIRST HOLIDAY INN IN CALIFORNIA BACK IN THE DAY!

IF THEY COULD ONLY SEE IT NOW!

 A QUICK BITE to eat at EL PATRON before we headed to the airport to fly home to a 4 point something earthquake that knocked things off the wall and broke a few bits and bobs in MIA CASA!

THAT NEVER HAPPENS!!!

THE JOYS OF CALIFORNIA LIVING!

The chef came out as I had asked for a TOSTADA as I’m Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Yeast FREE STILL!

He suggested cauliflower and corn with salsa and cabbage and a BIG home made TORTILLA.

Not only was I IMPRESSED with Their CARE and service but it tasted GOOD as well!

Earned them a YELP REVIEW from me!

BY the way I had MY FIRST DRINK IN 13 months a SKINNY MARGARITA!MY New TEXAN FRIEND told me there is NO YEAST in TEQUILA and to add Lime Juice and Agave Nectar.

Needless, to say I am HOOKED!

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. You certainly hit the high spots in P.S. E! My Uncle’s house is just north of the Tennis Club. It’s now an event venue but we love the old Palm Springs neighborhood.

    Reply

    • AS we arrived to the tennis club for dinner I said,”I ALWAYS LOVED THAT HOUSE!”which has to be your UNCLES as it is the ONLY ONE THERE!Meanwhile, my SWEET NEIGHBORS Nephew got married there a few years ago!
      WHAT A SMALL SMALL WORLD!
      XX

      Reply

  2. Love, love, love seeing all these great photos and being there on your Palm Springs getaway. I’ve wanted to go and now I REALLY want to go. Love all your looks and shoes and hats and baskets. You packed well!
    xo Brenda

    Reply

    • Lovely catching up yesterday!
      I will send you a few SNAPS of MISTER B……………….he is in HOG HEAVEN due to the FALLING ACORNS from the OAK TREES That surround our CASA!!!
      XX

      Reply

  4. What fun.Caftans, trams, bumper cars and art. That’s a full weekend. Looks like you had a great time. I’m not touching the art thing.Sometimes it has to be explained to me also. But it all looked like great fun. And what more can you ask for.

    Reply

  5. My gosh I live a lot closer and haven’t done/seen some of your experiences! I don’t understand the garbage bags either. Especially juxtaposed with Chihuly?!?! The caftans were all amazing!

    Reply

    • Perhaps an INSTAGRAM MEET UP IN Palm Springs IS REQUIRED HERE!
      I am SO excited YOU PAINT as well…………….YOU and SANDRA ARE going to have a GREAT TIME AT LUNCH!Her ART is going to be on display at the MUSEUM in L.A. !!!
      I LOVED YOUR SELF PORTRAIT on INSTA the other day!
      XX

      Reply

  6. What a fun and informative post! You look so glamorous! You and the Italian are so perfect together:) I don’t get modern art either? I just feel so calmed viewing old painted masterpierces, instead!

    Reply

    • THEY would be ROLLING AROUND SHAKING Their BONES THOSE OLD MASTERS…………their works of ART PAINT A PICTURE!
      With Modern ART we are suppose to GUESS what is going on?
      NO CLUE DON’T GET IT!
      XX

      Reply

  7. Where shall I begin….. no cannibis in CALIFORNIA what’s up with that… I really enjoyed your post with all your photos from the tram and terrain, to the Italian fixing the drawer, what a wonderful guest, and the gorgeous photos of the botanical garden. I love cactus as they are such low maintenance but so architectural. As for the MODERN art… well I’m with you! Garbage bags and spills??? Hmmm I’ll take the art on my walls any day! Of course you looked divine in all your caftans as did your neighbor. I loved the Moorten’s home. My kind of style. Could you go inside? Have been to the Parker Hotel and it is a beautiful place. I’m glad you enjoyed a drink there and not sure if that’s where you had your skinny marg but I don’t remember saying tequila has no yeast! I think all alcohol has some yeast and VODKA, the most distilled of all alcohols, so if no issues with the tequila, I say keep on! Otherwise switch to good Vodka! I’m so impressed by you going go carting!! I have never been but looks fun! thanks for letting us all be part of your weekend of fun. I hope no more tremors! At least with hurricanes we know when they are coming!!

    Reply

    • I knew YOU would LOVE THAT HOUSE therefore the PHOTO!NO,I couldNOT get inside it was roped off!I was disappointed!How odd I was certain you told me THAT Tequila has NO YEAST but maybe after our conversation I googled it and found that info which I googled again after reading your Note here and its says JUST VODKA has NO YEAST!That was MY MOTHERS DRINK until age 90!Well, hopefully it willNOT last FOREVER………this NO YEAST DIET!
      NOW I CAN HAVE A MARTINI!!!!!!!!YOU are ALWAYS A PLETHORA of INFORMATION!
      Keep informing ME!
      XX

      Reply

  8. Hello Contessa, I kept expecting to see a photo of you and Charlie Farrell in Palm Springs! The garbage bags would not get a spot in my own personal museum, but I noted with amusement that they are the exact incarnation of humorist Joe Keenan’s plotline of an opening at an art gallery of “Bags #3,” with the artist in residence telling trapped patrons of the 12-step process that led to their creation. Yet another example of art-in-life imitation art-in-fiction.
    –Jim

    Reply

  9. Oh my it looks like you had a blast!! I am amazed you didn’t melt in those kaftans!! You looked positively gorgeous in all your photos!! The Italian did well!!

    Reply

    • CAFTANS were LINEN light LINEN and a POLY/RAYON but NO I was fine!
      THE WEATHER was perfect!NOT TOO HOT.SOMEONE said its was 10 degrees cooler than normal down there!NO SWEATERS AT NIGHT!THATS MY FAVORITE KIND OF WEATHER!
      XX

      Reply

  10. What a wonderful trip. If anyone wants to send me a Chihuly I will gladly accept — no strings attached. then I’d tear my house down so I’d have a gallery to exhibit it in. Seriously, what planet have I been on? I’d never heard of Chihuly. I learned so much about him after reading your blog.

    Thanks for this really interesting blog. Comme d’habitude, you look gorgeous in the kaftans!I hope you’ve had no more tremors.

    Reply

    • Small after tremor the night after……….BUT REALLY SMALL!The reason things BROKE was the epicenter was just a couple of miles away from MY CASA!I can only imagine the scare BANKSY and WINSTON had as it happened at 11 pm!WE got home at 11:45pm from the airport………
      GLAD I CAN TEACH YOU SOMETHING!!!!
      PS. Ellie’s daughter is coming out with HER BOOK NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!
      ARE you following her on Instagram?
      XX

      Reply

  11. Thanks for sharing a cavalcade weekend with us Contessa (mamma!) ~ or should I say kaftancade? Who else w/could do go carts or alpine hike in a kaftan? Even for PS, you’ve left an indelible impression that turns heads. We had so much fun with you and your Italian (Pappa)!
    Love, the other (short) Mama & Papa?

    Reply

    • I realized AFTER I PUSHED PUBLISH I did NOT THANK YOU TWO!
      YOU KNOW I LOVED EVERY MOMENT!!!!!
      IT WAS SO EASY………one hour flight, small airport, short ride to casa, everything within minutes!!AND THOSE BEES BUZZING ABOUT every morning and that LITTLE hummingbird who came to greet me daily on the patio!WHAT A GIFT!
      THANK YOU!!!WE BOTH LOVED IT!
      XOXO

      Reply

  12. It looks you have a wonderful time. And so did The Italian. He reminds me of my father, always fixing things. My dad has fixed so many things that would otherwise have gone int he trash. You’re looking great, Elizabeth and all those bright colours really suit you. I’ve been having a bit of a bad October due to work and your photos cheered me up. I have to agree with you about modern art. Most of the time, it leaves me cold – except for a few exceptions. I love old-fashioned art. Botticelli and Van Gogh are my favourites.

    Reply

    • OH DEAR………what is happening with WORK?
      SEND me an email!!
      I did a REORT on Van Gogh in the 4th or 5th grade!I can recall I really ENJOYED researching him!I found ART HISTORY late in LIFE at college actually and I LOVED IT!Never knowing at the time I would end up living in a CITY where SO many of the PAINTINGS we studied RESIDE!
      DO you know they have SO MUCH ART that MOST is kept in the basements of these BIG Museums as they donot have the space to show them!
      XX

      Reply

  13. Thank you for such great pictures of Palm Springs. I have always wanted to see it, because it makes me think of Frank Sinatra. Love your caftans, especially the black on white one. Also the shoes and baskets, always very chic. Were the garbage bags actually made of solid resin? A Korean artist does that in ironic commentary on today’s world. I think all museums should have big pillows on the steps – I hope they start a trend.

    Reply

    • The BLACK on WHITE is done by a GAL who will be in my AGELESS STYLE POST Next week!She makes AMAZING CAFTANS!!!
      NO RESIN ON those trash bags just REAL LIFE PLASTIC BAGS!!!
      THOSE PILLOWS WERE FANTASTIC and SO COMFORTABLE!!!
      THANKS for your comment!!!
      XX

      Reply

      • Hi Elizabeth,
        I’m just getting caught up reading all the posts I missed during my very busy last few weeks. Palm Springs looks like it was the perfect spot for you, what a fun getaway and of course you fit right in with your glamorous caftans and those wonderful colors.
        I’m an artist and can’t really explain modern art, other than usually the artist is making a statement about something. It helps if you understand what the statement is! Just like abstract art, everyone has their own interpretation and feeling about it. I’m often left baffled myself!
        XO Heidi

        Reply

        • THANK YOU for your HONEST ANSWER!
          I do not think some of this stuff out there deserves to be called ART!
          Art to me is what I learned in ART HISTORY CLASS………NOT GARBAGE BAGS!
          SO HAPPY YOU HAD A GOOD SHOW!!!!!!!
          XX

          Reply

  14. Don’t be surprised if the condo owner suggests you come back to stay in another place in need of a few repairs.
    I immediately noticed that your shoes coordinated perfectly with your caftans. And then you had leopard with leopard! Impressive. Plus they look comfortable. And you always look so elegant in your caftans.
    That Chihuly sculpture looked familiar and indeed that is the same artist who did a huge piece in the lobby of the Atlantis hotel in Dubai, at the top of the palm-tree-shaped artificial island. An over-the-top place.

    Reply

    • Well, we were with THE CONDO OWNER and he would NOT let THE ITALIAN fix the water sprayer outside nor the dripping faucet in our shower!!!!!!HE WAS TRYING TO GET THE MAN TO RELAX!After the first FIX IT Job was complete!!MY husband does not know how to stand still or READ a BOOK he is constantly on the MOVE LOOKING FOR PROJECTS!
      He is A RARE BIRD!
      HE MARRIED ME!!!!!!!!!
      XX

      Reply

      • Hello, Contessa
        Can you do a book on Kaftans? You wear them perfectly! I, at 5’2”, cannot pull them off or maybe I should.
        That was a wonderful
        tour of Palm Springs. I have never been but this was a real incentive. Love the contrast of beautiful model amid desert life. Especially the tortoise as I once had a collection of 14 in my back yard in Texas.

        We (Jenny, too) are way overdue for a martini.
        So let’s put that one on the calendar.
        Wear your kaftan and i’ll wear cargo pants. My new love. And tell Papa my engineer husband who could also fix anything used to like to say(lovingly I hope) “I can fix anything but you.”
        Followed by a sweet smile, thank God.

        Reply

        • WHAT A SWEET SAYING RAE!!!!!!
          A BOOK ON KAFTANS………..NOW THATS AN IDEA!!!
          I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU OF ALL PEOPLE HAVENOT BEEN TO Palm Springs!THE TRIP Is an hour flight!SO EASY but out of San Francisco!!
          GET THE DAUGHTERS TOGETHER and rent a place there for 4 nights!!!LOTS OF VINTAGE DRESS SHOPS TO VISIT!
          YOU MUST SEE IT!
          XX

          Reply

  15. Hi Elizabeth – thanks for sharing all these lovely photos and your thoughts along the way. I felt like I was taking the trip too as I read along. You look so beautiful in all the photos! I like your choice of caftans for the trip – the warm colors really worked in the desert. As to the modern art – I don’t know that I could explain the trash bag installation – but I did appreciate your notation of the composition (composting? -Ha!).K.

    Reply

  18. Hi Elizabeth. So pleased you got to The Parker for it is a gem and right up your alley.
    Love your caftans and shoes gifter you by a friend. Would you mind please telling me your size and how they fit. I would like to order some; normally a size 10 1/2 but understand they fit a bit small. Would so appreciate your comments.
    Pleased you were able to get away to P.S. as I love the place.

    Reply

    • I wear an 8.5 in a shoe.In these Jenny got me a 39 which fit like a glove!THEY ARE A PERFECT FIT to my narrow foot!
      IN fact I need to order another pair they are so comfortable to wear!
      YELLOW is my next PICK!
      XX

      Reply

  19. Please excuse spelling mistake. Fingers slipped and I neglect to proof; not a good combo. I meant to write gifted by a friend and not “ gifter.”

    Cheers !

    Reply

  20. PARADISE! Thank you for taking us along on your journey! What a beautiful…peaceful…place. My husband has met his San Francisco buddies for golf, there. I stayed in Santa Fe for opera. I will have to go in October! Perhaps, we could meet there. The CHIHULY glass is my kind of Modern Art! LOVE IT! The garbage bags & liquid “sculptures” cross the line from visual art into philosophy/manifesto. It should be written about as it leans more into a thought than object and would be better stated clearly with words (IMO). YOU look gorgeous in your caftans and kimonos. REGAL! Yes, I am 5’2″ and have a couple of caftans. A fluid fabric works best as a stiffer fabric makes me look like a pinned butterfly specimen in a museum collection. If the fabric is stiffer…it has to run close to my body, so as not to overwhelm….smaller prints as well! I look taller in a column…and caftans can lengthen…but I have to be mindful of certain features. I also wear platforms/wedges with them…sometimes I might add an obi if I feel I am looking like a toothpick inserted in a sail. The beautiful decorations at the neck that you are wearing of some of the caftans…like Cleopatra…would overwhelm me as well. It is selecting the right caftan…and I have to say Carla…at Carla Christoph Designs did just that and helped me select the most flattering design for my silhouette! So thank you for sending me her way! Another incredible post!

    Reply

  21. What a fun birthday gift! Yes the caftans are perfect for Palm Springs!
    The flora in Palm Springs certainly is much different from New England’s. I hope to get there some day, preferably in the winter.
    I still occasionally watch Little House on the Prairie reruns!

    Reply

  22. What wonderful neighbors you have! and what a great breakaway you both had, lucky us for coming along, have never been there.

    lastly my love, you looked DIVINE!

    xxx
    debra

    Reply

  23. What a fun getaway! Love all the photos…well, maybe not the three trash bags in the museum. What’s with that? I had an art history professor once who said after years of being asked to define art, he finally came up with this: “art” is what rich people like.

    Reply

  24. What lovely photos from the gorgeous Palm Springs desert. Looks like a great time. Would you mind sharing where your fun straw bag was purchased? love it!

    Reply

    • ARTS AFRICAINS 5644 Bay Street Emeryville, Calif.
      510-923-0290
      ANY AFRICAN SHOP should have these!I have to say it is MY FAVORITE BASKET BAG!The leather handles are great and it is so STURDY!
      Hope you find one!
      XX

      Reply

  25. A fun time indeed! And so glad you found a margarita with your name on it.
    Yes, the quake was a real shaker! Hope you didn’t lose any crystal. We only had a picture fall off wall.

    Reply

  26. The backdrop is dazzling…the sun is so bright, the skies so blue, the simplicity of the desert landscape so rich in an unexpected way…I felt like the small wreath of orange cactus flowers should be atop your head (sans prickers, of course!), .. a desert queen wearing her crown : ) (There is a unique fragrance that I think comes from this part of CA or perhaps another southwest state, called ‘Desert Queen’– one of my favorites). I am in need of a getaway, and honestly felt after reading this post that I went along in your straw bag : ) The COLORS make me swoon…both photos and words (did you know your words are in color? They are.) More travelogues, please!! I think they should come back to movie theaters, instead of previews that simply remind you there is little worth seeing… and YOU should be the caftan-attired host : ) XO

    Reply

    • Small GET AWAYS are SO GOOD for the SOUL!I hope you can DASH AWAY SOON!
      I HAD NO IDEA MY WORDS WERE IN COLOR!!!!!!
      GOOD TO KNOW as I ADORE COLOR!!!
      DRESSED head to toe today in a MUSTARD ORANGE!With cashmere socks as I’m freezing!!
      If I keep on Keeping ON all that will be in my closet are CAFTANS!!!
      I kinda LIKE THAT IDEA!
      XOXO

      Reply

  27. What a fabulous trip and what incredible friends to take you there. You saw much more than I did visiting friends last year… although I had a blood orange margarita that changed my life.
    You looked maaavelous in each shot as I’m sure you look that way for real life too.
    My daughter was up in SF for biz s few weeks ago and visited her daddy before flying home. We agreed we’re coming this winter…hope Banksy will kiss us!
    We’re leaving for India in a month… so excited.
    Again, thank you for your kindness.

    Reply

    • BANKSY will GIVE KISSES!!!
      Come for dinner or lunch whatever suits YOU!ALWAYS WELCOME!
      I saw she was in PETALUMA!!!!!!!!!!!
      I have another instagram friend who is headed to INDIA SOON!YOU both live in L.A.I shall send you her instagram so you can follow her trip!
      I have been there years ago……….its EYE OPENING!!!
      YOU will have a MARVELOUS TRIP!
      XX

      Reply

      • I will post India pix… and how interesting you have another IG friend who’s going. It is the best weather for us wimps. My daughter’s friend has just moved from London to Delhi with her husband and baby. We will stay at their new house and then also go to Agra and Jaipur and have an Indian Thanksgiving with them, two years ago we spent it at their London home.
        We look forward to meeting you all one day…hugs to all!

        Reply

  30. Carissima Contessa,

    What a MOST MARVELOUS and ENCHANTING Holiday you had!!!! OMGoodness!! You look STUNNING in each and EVERY photo!!!! Am THRILLED You had a GREAT time with your ITALIAN and your AWESOME Neighbors!!!! Palm Springs looks like a FAIRY TALE LAND!!!!
    I MUST visit SOMEDAY!!!! I thought your “garbage bags” description was HILARIOUS!!!! Are you sure the caretaker just didn’t leave them there while taking care of other matters like visiting the loo or getting his equipment to CLEAN UP THAT SPILL on the Museum’s floor?!!
    I just LOVED EVERY BIT OF THIS!!!! SO GLAD YOU ENJOYED A YEAST FREE DRINK. TOO!!!! CHEERS TO YOU!!!! CANNOT WAIT UNTIL YOUR NEXT POST!!!! XX00
    Fran

    Reply

    • YOUR COMMENT MADE MY DAY!!!!!!!!
      THANK YOU!
      IN the kitchen for the last 4 hours making short ribs!Now I need a side dish……..think it will be rice as I have the veggies in the POT!
      NEXT POST AGELESS STYLE AND YOU WILL ENJOY IT VERY MUCH!!!
      NEXT WEEK………..end of week!
      XX

      Reply

  31. Wow, great photos and of course you always look so stunning and full of joy! Love the art, too! Looks like you had a most marvelous time!

    Love, Karenxoxox

    Reply

  33. We rode that tram to take Jill to see the snow when she was 2.
    Loved the cacti and the succulents in the botanical garden.
    Seems like a very relaxing trip- glad you got to get away.
    <3

    Reply

  35. You are not the right girl for that kind of holiday but from time to time you need a
    quiet break in life. Enjoy Margaritas or anything else and not thinking of Gluten,
    yeast etc.

    Reply

      • I knew most of the part of France already but it is always fascinating to
        explore more in the same places. The drive was tough even we made some
        stopps in between but it made it possible to see very interesting areas as well
        in Spain as in France. The shock was on the way back where my handbag
        was robbed with the passports, driving licence, wallet, keys of our home,
        mobile phone and my beloved pearl earrings I have got for our 10th anniversary. The endless interviews at the police station overwrought my nerves as the troublesome replacement of all the documents do. You know, no
        passport no driving licence etc.etc. and I ask myself “who was first, the henn or the egg”? But slowly I find myself and I am able to forget and forgive in order to have my faith back.

        Reply

        • Everyone’s worse travel nightmare. I am so, so sorry.

          This summer I thought I had lost passport in the Munich Airport and could not leave the airport premises. We were going to have to sleep in a small room which felt like an interrogation room and actually was. The lady head of the airport was extremely kind but the regs were so strict it was terribly frightening. Finally, we went for a beer in the airport shop area to make a plan for the following day and I pulled out some special paper towels for watercolor in my small purse and out came my PASSPORT!!! No long felt like an assumed criminal and booked the next flight out of Germany to Italy. I did cry a few times. Hoping your terrible situation get resolved soon. There should be a business that steps in and overtakes this horrible misfortune. But only WE can fix it.

          Reply

  36. Contessa! My family had two condo’s where you stayed until after my Dad passed away. We loved going to PS! Wish I had a trip planned now. So happy to see you did so much and had such a fun time. As always I love following along. You my darling are DIVINE!
    XOXO, Kim

    Reply

    • REALLY!!!!!!!!!!!
      THIS IS SUCH A SMALL WORLD!MY AUNTS had homes in Palm Springs PROPER and I spent a lot of my youth running around there Looking for LIBERACE!His house was in THE HOOD!I need to check your BLOG OUT……….NOT getting it in my feed!!DRIVES ME BATTY!
      BIG HUGS,
      XOXO

      Reply

  38. Loved seeing this blog. Daughter Barbara was the one giving you shoe advice at the Cactus Garden. She touched base in Sonoma and then flew right to New York for a 25 year reunion with TWA crew mates for an old TWA building overlooking a runway has been turned into a very clever hotel. That is information I was sure you would want to know!!!! – she said laughingly. Anyway it was a special little encounter with you. You just naturally look like someone special. Hope your health has improved.

    Reply

    • OH MY GOODNESS………..TWA UP UP AND AWAY!Wasn’t that the slogan?THIS IS SUCH A WONDERFUL SURPRISE HERE!
      I ADORED SPYING YOU TWICE in ONE WEEKEND IN Palm Springs!!!
      I flew TWA ALWAYS TO ITALY even when I married………..over there!WAS the daughter stationed out of San Francisco?!!
      MY step Mother flew for PAN AM for over 30 years!SONOMA is close to me…….I say WE all meet up for a LUNCH SOON!Except I believe you live in KANSAS?Next visit snap those heels like DOROTHY and I will drive up!
      THANK YOU SO MUCH for leaving a comment here………….Next Post is NEXT THURSDAY!AGELESS STYLE……..it’s a GOOD ONE!
      Please check in again!
      XX

      Reply

  39. My husband and I love Palm Springs. It is such a quick flight from Victoria Canada to palm Springs. So many great things to do and see there. Going back in March – thanks for sharing, lovely seeing some of my favorite places again on your blog. You looked radiant.

    Reply

  40. Ciao Bella,

    How did I let this one slip past me?? You look like you two had such good fun on your break – what terrific friends you have, gifting you a mini-vacation! Looking stylish, as ever, and always good to see how the magic happens on your photos shoots with those behind-the-scenes shots, hahaha!!!! … The Italian is a wonder. Does he pack a travelling tool kit instead of a book? … As for the rubbish bags-are-art, what is going on with modern art?? This past week I’ve seen two things this week on a gallery site I follow – an empty meat tray with torn cling wrap and blood remnants and a different artist with a plastic takeaway food container tied up in its plastic carrier bag!!!! Both of which were asking in the 4-figures!! At this rate, I’d advise the Needy to raid rubbish bins and flog what they find. The $$$ could come rolling in!!!

    We’ve not been to Palm Springs but did stay with friends who winter in La Quinta for a couple of days on our last visit to the US. The “new” Palm Springs?

    Glad the ‘quake wasn’t too dramatic for you and the animals. Not what we’d want!

    Baci xx

    Reply

    • YES, LA QUINTA is THE PLACE TO BE!
      GIAMPY and I were there a few years ago!Stayed at the OLD HOTEL………….love the history there.YOU were just down the street from Palm Springs………a mere 20 minutes I do believe!YOU DO GET AROUND MADAME PIPISTRELLO!I made a PITCH yesterday to the ITALIAN to go to AUSTRALIA…………..he did know about a flight from New York that was NON – STOP!!I thought that was interesting!!!ONE DAY WE ALL SHALL MEET UP!
      BACI back at YOU!
      XX

      Reply

      • Gah!! Non-stop from NY!!! It’s long enough to do the San Francisco or Los Angeles flight. After 15 hours you really need to get off a plane. We have super long legs to go to Europe these days, via Dubai etc. Bunny hopping like in the Olden Days sounded much more civilised. The trouble with the Pacific Ocean is there aren’t many places to stop … It would be good fun to meet one day!! Meanwhile, we’re getting excited about a girlfriend visiting from the US on Friday – she’s not been back here for 20 years!! How do we get to this age so quickly???

        Baci xx

        Reply

  41. I so enjoyed seeing Palm Springs through your eyes. What a wonderful gift , a fun getaway with friends. Your caftans were simply perfect. As a shorter girl I have never indulged maybe this year.

    Reply

    • Everyone’s worse travel nightmare. I am so, so sorry.

      This summer I thought I had lost passport in the Munich Airport and could not leave the airport premises. We were going to have to sleep in a small room which felt like an interrogation room and actually was. The lady head of the airport was extremely kind but the regs were so strict it was terribly frightening. Finally, we went for a beer in the airport shop area to make a plan for the following day and I pulled out some special paper towels for watercolor in my small purse and out came my PASSPORT!!! No long felt like an assumed criminal and booked the next flight out of Germany to Italy. I did cry a few times. Hoping your terrible situation gets resolved soon. There should be a business that steps in and overtakes this horrible misfortune. But only WE can fix it.

      Reply

  42. Loved all your photos and getting to see your sweet neighbors, again! I met them at dinner that night at your home and had a chance to visit quite a bit with Diane. Looks like you had a fabulous trip! xoxox, Brenda

    Reply

  43. OMG I am sorry I’ve missed this!! Gorgeous. I knew you’d love the caftans in PS!! It suits you that weather and the flora and fauna! How many beautiful caftans do you own? Each one of these is beautiful!! I’m glad you got to the Parker. That was lame you couldn’t walk around… I had no idea it was a Holiday Inn! How crazy about those tumbleweeds too. So happy you guys had fun. Looks like a blast. Who watched Banksy?? Hugs. xoxo

    Reply

  44. Loved-loved-loved reading about this trip! Honestly, I felt like I was there with you. You have that talent you know, to write in such a intimate and friendly tone. I’m 5’2 and I can never find long pieces that don’t make me feel like a kid in oversized pajamas so it was nice to see Diana in her caftan. Also I got such a kick out of your husband fixing that drawer. Do you know I have such incredible admiration for people that can do that? I missed that gene somehow. Not a fix-it person unless someone is explaining things very slowly lol.

    That skinny margarita sounds yummy. I’m usually a red wine person but margaritas are my fav cocktail.
    Now I know what to serve you. 🙂

    Reply

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