Bonjour, Edith Wharton!

I'm back home now, but I wanted to post a few more pictures from our weekend in the Berkshires.  Here's some pretty fall foliage  I found in downtown Lenox.

And some lovely yellow maple leaves.  A golden burst in the blue-blue sky!

Oh, and here's a lady I saw on the street with very chic ankle boots.

I happened to be wearing my brand new leather boots that day.  Perfect for tramping through the leaves.

And perfect for taking a walk over "The Mount" home to the famous author, Edith Wharton.  I loved "The House of Mirth" and "The Age of Innocence."  Also, since I'm a big Francophile I also adored "The French and Their Ways" and "The Custom of the Country."

There was a recent photo spread in Vogue where a model dressed up as Edith Wharton.  All the photos were done by Annie Leibowitz.  Here you can see the beautiful gardens.

We learned that Edith Wharton did all her writing in bed!  And she wrote forty books in forty years!  Wow.  I've decided to start writing in bed.  Obviously, this is the secret to productivity.

Au revoir for now!

My Debut as Fashion Photographer

I've always fantasized about becoming a famous fashion photographer--kind of like Annie Leibovitz

or Herb Ritts (who I actually knew when I was an undergrad at Bard College.)  Yes, in fact, he actually photographed me giving a poetry reading.

But, I digress....

Really, I love the idea of fashion photography and so, I enlisted the help of my friend's daughter.  Her name is Julianna and she agreed to pose for me.  Isn't she gorgeous?!

She's a sophomore in college, but I can't tell you where because she doesn't want all her fans hounding her while she's trying to study in the college library!

My husband and I live on Waquoit Bay and so it's a perfect spot for photo shoots.  We thought the Wellingtons would be a nice contrast for the red evening gown.  Julianna actually wore this gown to her senior prom.  I provided the "Russian" fur hat.

I think this may be my favorite photo of her.  So ethereal!

Okay, I actually think this is my favorite photo of her.  And the blue feather boa?  

I bought that in Paris during a recent visit.  Tres chic!

 The light was so beautiful that day and really shows off her incredible bone structure.  Such a beautiful girl, and yet, so incredibly intelligent.  She scooped up lots of scholarships during her senior year.

Bravo, Julianna!