As you know I recently did two posts on the incredible The Vintage Contessa….well guess what…she turned right around and did a post on me today…..Here it is….enjoy!! http://thevintagecontessa.net/
I’M FEATURED TODAY ON THE VINTAGE CONTESSA’S BLOG!
eclectic taste
PROFILE: THE VINTAGE CONTESSA PART 2
LET’S CONTINUE WITH ANSWERS TO THE nenasnotes QUESTIONNAIRE…WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK, MOVIE, THEATER, TYPE OF MUSIC…
My favorite book I have TWO actually! A THOUSAND DAYS IN VENICE and Mrs. WHALEY’s GARDEN. My favorite movie was AUNTIE MAME with ROSALIND RUSSEL.PLUS, MY FAIR LADY. As far as theater I have seen many more BALLETS than OPERA’s But I love them both. I use to dance with the San Francisco BALLET as a teen and I would get to preform in the NUTCRACKER every year. Small parts. IL DIVO for SURE! As far as SINGERS GO! We just saw them in concert…….I was DOUBLE MASKED!
HOBBIES. Gardening which is an expensive hobby and Thrift store/ Salvage yards finding “THE GOODS” never skied as a dancer we were not allowed to, nor ice skating. Cooking, I suppose that could be a hobby as The ITALIAN has to EAT every night! If he is not home I LOVE to have a bowl of CHEERIOS! Other than that NO! Not much more going on with me………except I have been sick for years(SIX) and NO DOCTOR could figure me out! In September, I was diagnosed finally. Just now getting the medications sorted out and I am FEELING SO MUCH BETTER! BUT THAT IS NOT A HOBBY! Bottom line HEART SURGERY at 50 YEARS OF AGE……..LADY WINDERMERE SYNDROME discovered a year ago January (look that one up as I have yet to get it right!) Also called MAC. Then this mysterious aliment I have had for years where I would lose my vision and feel faint and be left with a headache for two days! SO very little I could do even BEFORE COVID!
YOUR HOME, MODERN, TRADITIONAL, ANTIQUES, ECLECTIC…NOT MODERN that is FOR CERTAIN……..TRADITIONAL maybe~sort of but not really me. I think if I had a bigger house it would have gone MORE TRADITIONAL. ANTIQUES MY GOD YES! French, Italian and English. My home is a combination of things I LOVE or grew up with. Having an antique shop I only bought what I really liked or knew that would sell. So, when I closed up after 12 years because the building was from the early 1900’s and not kept up; I brought most of it home with ME! THE ITALIAN was afraid of the next major EARTHQUAKE here in CALIFORNIA and that the building would collapse. It is SINKING as there is NO FOUNDATION, but it was PERFECT for what I did and was called THE HEN HOUSE.
WHO WOULD YOU HAVE AT YOUR FANTASY DINNER AND WHAT WOULD YOU SERVE…….Dinner Guests would be a mix of people!
1. AUDREY HEPBURN: NO ONE has reached her glamour and charm!2. CECIL BEATON: JUST BECAUSE! 3. TONY DUQUETTE:What an ARTIST and what stories he could tell! 4. HUTTON WILKINSON: I ADORE HIM he lives LIFE! 5. DIANA VREELAND: We are VERY similar in character from what I have read! 6. JULIA REED: I found her books after she passed but what a wonderful person she seemed to be! 7. ALI MACGRAW: I adored her growing up and she looks FANTASTIC today. 8. MY MAILMAN! Because he smiles and always has a kind thing to say. 9. GIANFRANCO FERRE: I loved his designs, but I hear he was a pain to work with! 10. THE ITALIAN OF COURSE!: He would do THE PASTA and THE MAIN course so I could CHAT with ALL these FUN, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.
THE MEAL would be a PASTA to start……….could be anything, but I bet it would be PESTO with a bit of whipping cream. Salmon or Trout done on the barbecue. Julia Reed’s potato casserole, green beans, and a green salad plus a strawberry dessert or a Pavlova made by me! Always fruit at the end except that is the desert so NO, but of course a LIMONCELLO made by THE ITALIAN in HOUSE! AND A CAFE if NEEDED! If its Winter time the NUTS and CHOCOLATE would arrive on the table after the DIGESTIVO!
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT VISITED AND ON YOUR LIST …. Hands down SARDINIA.
We had a Mediterranean honeymoon and I have such fond memories from there. The water was so clear. You could see the fish swimming. Porto Cervo was filled with grand yachts and sailboats. If I remember correctly the Prince AGA KHAN owned that port. It was the main center of COSTA SMERALDA. Population is 421 inhabitants! THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN! We were rescued by a TOPLESS ITALIAN WOMAN in a small speed boat as our boat got stuck in the sand not by us but by the owner of the sailboat IL CAPITANO the owner of the boat!! Bottom LINE we were about to be BEACHED! She was yelling at me in ITALIAN and I was not understanding a THING! She twirled a rope to me which I then caught after a few try’s! We got pulled out before a disaster happened! I also will ADD the entire beach was up to their waists pushing us out to SEA! GREECE is HIGH on MY LIST to SEE NEXT!!!
HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED…..Funny as I asked one of my BLOG READERS recently to write my OBITUARY. Even though she has NEVER MET ME! She is a FABULOUS WRITER and I know she “GETS ME. ”How would I want to be remembered” that is a GOOD QUESTION! I do hear FULL of JOY and ENTHUSIASM for LIFE. Also ELEGANT is another word I hear A LOT!Which to be HONEST I do not see…………I have had a lot of struggles and heart break in MY LIFE. I really NEED to give this MORE thought.I ADORE THE QUOTE “LIFE IS A BANQUET AND MOST POOR SUCKERS ARE STARVING TO DEATH.” BY AUNTIE MAME. Perhaps I would like to be remembered as a GRACIOUS BEING, CONCERNED, CARING, LIVING THE BEST POSSIBLE LIFE SHE COULD POSSIBLY LIVE. I have told my ITALIAN HUSBAND many times I will write on his TOMBSTONE “I’M STILL WAITING!” As he is a man on THE GO and I am ALWAYS waiting for him to come HOME!
HERE ARE A COUPLE OF THE VINTAGE CONTESSA’S RECIPES….
WARM GOAT CHEESE SALAD made by a REAL CONTESSA!
600 grams goat cheese(Pinky size width, maybe ring finger depends on your finger size! Can’t go wrong!
Olive oil, Fresh thyme, Bread crumbs
Marinate sliced cheese in olive oil with thyme overnight. (Do not put in refrigerator, cover and leave on counter top.) Roll cheese in bread crumbs and put in baking dish. Heat 15 minutes at 300 degrees.(watch that it softens but does not melt.) Serve on Rucola Greens dressed with olive oil and vinegar and tomatoes.
PESTO made by my Italian
1. Cuisinart full of basil leaves NO STEMS! Two fist fulls.(MAN’S FIST FULL!) 2. 1 teaspoon Salt 3. 1 teaspoon Red pepper (MORE IF YOU LOVE HOT) 4. 2/3 cups Pine nuts 5. 1 cup Whole Walnuts nuts plus 1/2 cup walnuts more or less crumbled = 5 ounces 6. 3 to 4 Garlic cloves (LARGE)peeled. 7. 1 1/3 cup Olive oil 8. BLEND. 9. Add the olive oil as you mix through the top. Taste with finger adjust as YOU like! ITALIAN WAY ALWAYS PUT ROCK SALT IN THE PASTA WATER AS YOU BRING TO A BOIL. MORE THAN YOU AS AN AMERICAN WOULD THINK. A BIT LESS THAN A WOMANS PALM OF HAND. Once you drain the pasta DONOT WASH WITH COLD WATER! IN FACT NEVER DO THAT!Dump back into the pot. ADD some olive oil, a good amount stir as you do this. Then add two Tablespoons of PESTO for two or three people. Left over pesto should be covered with OLIVE OIL so it does NOT MOLD. Then plastic wrap tight. Put in refrigerator. Good for a long time! In each individual dish on top PARMIGANO, but just a little bit DO NOT cover the top like MOST AMERICANS DO or you will not taste the PESTO only the cheese!
DO NOT be like ME!When I first met the ITALIAN I said,”I like the GREEN BOTTLE (BOX) BETTER”!!!!!!!!As that was what I grew up on
SOME OF THE VINTAGE CONTESSA’S FAVORITE LINKS……
LINKS YOU WANT ME TO INCLUDE: THE BLOG……….https://thevintagecontessa.net/2022/03/14/caftans-more/
INSTAGRAM………..https://www.instagram.com/contessa_and_her_pig/
BLOGS YOU FOLLOW…………..https://makemineaspritzer.com/snowberrys-main-bedroom-reveal/
http://www.tamerabeardsley.com.
https://1010parkplace.com/tag/brendas-blog/
I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED ALL THE EYE CANDY AND INSIGHT ELIZABETH HAS SHARED WITH US…..I KNOW YOU WILL WANT TO SHARE YOUR THANK YOUS TO HER, ALONG WITH MINE, FOR JOINING MY nenasnotes JOURNEY. WANT MORE….BE SURE TO FOLLOW HER ON INSTAGRAM, LINK ABOVE, AND HER SPECTACULAR BLOG, ALSO LINKED ABOVE. GOBS OF HUGS…..
PROFILE: THE VINTAGE CONTESSA PART 1
I find it beyond fascinating how many interesting people you can encounter on social media and also how lovely it is to make new friends who enjoy many of the same things that you do. Elizabeth Kirkpatrick aka The Vintage Contessa is exactly one of those people and I wanted to share her story with you! I asked her to do The nenasnotes Questionnaire and she immediately agreed. The following is Part 1 of her responses (she writes her fabulous blog, http://thevintagecontessa.net/ in ALL CAPS and has asked me to keep “ALL CAPS” that she has used for her answers!) I know you will be fascinated with her stories and be charmed and intrigued with her breathtakingly gorgeous photos….enjoy!
nenasnotes QUESTION….WHEN READING YOUR BLOG POSTS I NOTED THAT YOU HAVE HAD MANY INCARNATIONS….WHICH HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE AND WHY
INCARNATIONS? That is an interesting observation, but I do believe you are correct! As a child I wanted to be a BALLERINA or a VET. That did not come to fruition. Then I worked in FASHION RETAIL Then Wholesale, The Gucci Accessory Collection. We sold to the Specialty stores and Department stores. That is how I met my husband of 36 years. We worked for a woman who had the distribution for the United States and Canada. Then married in Florence, Italy in 1986. Then I became a MOTHER to TWO BEAUTIFUL SONS. Then an Antique/Vintage Collector which became a store front. After they grew up a bit I opened a shop that sold antiques and vintage for 12 years. Last came the BLOG :THEVINTAGECONTESSA.NET. Then Instagram hit! I found people who had similar passions as myself. Plus I was OVER 50 so The ADVANCED STLE movement enticed me! I thought what ARI SETH COHEN https://www.advanced.style was doing was FANTASTIC. To answer your question about which one was my favorite I would say being a MOTHER and being married to THE ITALIAN in SAN MINIATO AL MONTE in Florence,Italy. Can I have TWO PLEASE? A Nena’s Note….yes, you can!
As time goes by I get MORE and More ECCENTRIC.For example when the Boys were younger I would wear long skirts with sweatshirts mind you the skirts I found in the consignment shops were usually TAFFETA!
The shoes were always running shoesAs a young woman and still today I get comments like “Where are you going all dressed up?”And I think to myself I am NOT DRESSED UP at all. I get stopped often in the Produce section of the grocery store a lot by older men saying thank you for dressing up……..you remind be of days gone by.
WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF YOUR TALENT? TALENT! I wouldn’t say I have talent, but I do have a good eye whether it be clothing, interiors or gardens. My “talent” for clothing was born from looking at VOQUE and HARPERS BAZAAR and TOWN & COUNTRY at a young age. I did DREAM of being a model or SHOWGIRL like a ROCKETTE as I loved the HEADWEAR. Feathers & Rhinestones were HEAVEN to me! I should have been in theater! I would have adored CECIL BEATON.I really have Never Changed from that young girl. Most of my DREAMS have been fulfilled.
WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU HAD “MADE IT”EXPLAIN…I do not think “I HAVE MADE IT YET” I keep plugging along. Once my sons left I was a LOST SOUL.I have kept doing what I love. The garden the clothing and collecting stuff. I did make it in THE CLOSET DEPARTMENT however! As we had a very small closet we shared. I kept complaining about how I needed more space! My ITALIAN built an addition to the 1940’s house for all my clothes.
HOW DID YOUR ORIGINAL PASSION BRING YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW…AND WHEN DID YOU DEVELOP YOUR UNIQUE STYLE
MY MOTHER! I have always LOVED antiques. I would shop with my MOTHER at a very young age. My first collections were OLD KEYS & BOTTLES. I still have an old milk bottle from those days and a set of old keys that have faces on them. If I remember correctly they were $12.00. I thought about INTERIOR DESIGN but the drawing scared me. I remember when TONY DUQUETTE lived down the street from us in San Francisco. Since then I have met many decorators at Book signings, Anita Campell, Timothy Corrigan, Charlotte Moss, Paul Wiseman Princess Michael of Kent and Hutton Wilkinson. I actually was invited to DAWNRIDGE for lunch with his wife as he was out of town. That was an experience I will never forget! I still love ballet, animals and clothing. I am still SHOPPING when most people are CLEANING out! I have found “MY PEOPLE” on BLOG’s and INSTAGRAM who rock MY WORLD. Who actually “GET ME!” Another Nena’s Note, I profiled Hutton, awhile ago, and also did a review on his book DAWNRIDGE!
TALK A BIT ABOUT YOUR “MENAGERIE” I LOVE ANIMALS. I always wanted a farm. My mother was from INDIANA and would tell me about the runt of the litter sleeping by the stove in the kitchen when she was growing up. By age ten I had a chicken that turned into a rooster! My Father was not an animal person, however somehow we always had a cat. No dogs. I had rabbits outside and was ALWAYS building a BARN. Today I have a dog and a cat who is missing at the moment and a TEA CUP pig that lives in THE HOUSE! He is THE BEST ANIMAL I have ever owned. They are very clean. They are very smart. He learned the doggie door in ONE DAY! He eats very little to be honest like 1/3 of a cup of piggy pellets with a fruit or vegetable! Twice a day. The vegetables MUST BE COOKED! I also save the old bread and soak it. Of course when he goes OUTSIDE it must be warm enough and NO RAIN he will graze in the garden! He learned the first year NOT TO EAT MAMMA’s ROSES! He understands” NO” very well! He has his second dinner with us at the table at night. A bite of salad or vegetable NO MEAT! He has his own FORK…SILVER ANTIQUE which is placed on a KINFE REST so we do not get it confused with OURS! He comes when I call! He also sprints around the house and has NEVER broken a thing!MY house is PACKED with STUFF! Sometimes the cat and the dog and the pig all dine with us at the table waiting their turn! Somehow he knows when dinner is over as he heads to bed or wants a TUMMY RUB!
As he heads to bed in the living room I ask for a kiss and he turns his head to oblige me! I get the NOSE as the mouth is un-reachable!
