How was your Memorial Day Weekend? I, for one, couldn’t be happier to toast the (un)official start of summer. Here’s how we spent the long weekend (hint: I met one of my idols!) and links to this Little White Dress and frayed straw hat — summertime essentials in my book!

Last week, Fred Baby’s sister called from San Francisco to see what we were up to for Memorial Day. We didn’t have any plans so were thrilled when they booked tickets a few hours later to come visit with the kiddos.

I don’t talk about my other niece and nephew much simply because their parents don’t want their pictures shared publicly, which I totally respect, so you’ll just have to trust me when I say they’re adorable!

Whereas Kaylee is my mini-me, our nephew William looks just like Fred Baby and our niece Lily looks just like Fred Baby’s sister. For them, it is like re-living their childhoods. Lily is older and they’re even the same number of months apart as Fred Baby and his sister.

Growing up with a sister, and having Kaylee as a niece, I’d only ever experienced girls. But it’s so funny to see the innate differences between boys and girls, and to see our niece and nephew interact.

We spent our days in the pool, evenings taking walks to the bunny patch in our neighborhood, and then were entertained with a dance performance after dinner on the terrace one night. Lily did delicate ballet poses while William spun in circles repeatedly, his eyes trying to keep up. Boys!

They left on Sunday, and on Monday we had an impromptu gathering and mini-reunion of sorts at our house of some of the showhouse designers.

It was a blast! Christopher and Dawn came over with their friend, Janie Bryant. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because she’s the genius costume designer behind Mad Men. Like many, I’ve adored her work for years and had the best time hanging out poolside!

Sometimes meeting your idols can be disappointing, but often they surpass your expectations. Janie was in the latter camp and could not have been nicer, more down to earth, and fun — even if she did not give me Jon Hamm’s phone number. 😉 Plus, she matched our house to a T!

Natasha, who designed my Cloffice was also in town with her hubby, so it was like an open house. My favorite kind of get-together. Totally spontaneous.

As if seeing family and friends, old and new, wasn’t enough to get me excited for summer, I had a phone call today that was the icing on the cake.

You know how much I love Kate and Andy Spade? Well, today I found out that  Andy’s a fan of my Instagram! How crazy is that? It seriously made my day (and more) but I’m trying to play it cool, like totes norms. But I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t feel extremely validating. Blogging can be a solitary endeavor (is anyone reading this?) so when you hear things like that, it means a lot.

Here’s to a summer full of happy surprises and dreams coming true!

Links to what I’m wearing below. These photos were shot at the Desert X installations in Palm Springs, including Phillip K. Smith III’s “The Circle of Land and Sky” and Claudia Comte’s “Curves and Zigzags.”

PHOTOS by FRED MOSER

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I’m wearing:

little white dress c/o | frayed straw hat | black hat | similar sunglasses | similar silver flip flops

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