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Bon Weekend: 13 February 2021

by habituallychic

02 . 13 . 21

I’m actually not that sad that we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day during a pandemic since it means everyone can celebrate comfortably at home. It’s especially nice to stay cozy due to the Polar Vortex temperatures and snow in much of the country. Here are some things to keep you entertained and occupied for the long bank holiday weekend too.

I was lucky to receive beautiful pink roses from the Flower Box for Valentine’s Day this week. I’ve know of this company since they were founded by Whitney Bromberg Hawkings, a former VP of Communications at Tom Ford in London but it was nice to experience them in person. They arrived beautifully packaged with a note, a guide to keeping all their different flowers fresh, and a flower food packet. The box and paper wrapping were recyclable too unlike the cellophane in which flowers usually arrive. I just ordered 50 tulips from Flower Box for a friend’s upcoming birthday and the total cost was $119.76 with free delivery. You would usually only get a very small bouquet for that price in New York. They deliver in Manhattan, Los Angeles, and the Hamptons in the United States, and many areas of the UK, France, and Europe. This is not sponsored either. I’m just very particular about my flowers and wanted to share this new source with you since they represent my personal ethos of “simple, elegant, impeccable.”

I originally started watching Miss Scarlett and the Duke because it was on PBS before All Creatures Great and Small. I am sorry to say that I gave up on All Creatures Great and Small since every storyline was painfully cliché but I absolutely fell in love with Miss Scarlett and the Duke. This intelligent and original show aired in the UK last year and follows “the headstrong, first-ever female detective in Victorian London, who won’t let any naysayers stop her from keeping her father’s business running.” Kate Phillips from Peaky Blinders stars in the six-part mystery series while Stuart Martin from Jamestown and Medici, “plays her childhood friend, professional colleague, and potential love interest, Scotland Yard Detective Inspector William Wellington, a.k.a., The Duke.” Creator Rachel New said she was inspired by Jane Austen, Moonlighting, and Scarlet O’Hara and it has the perfect “will they or won’t they” banter and flirtation but the actors bring it to life even more with their intonations and subtle looks. I can’t say enough good things about this show. I donate to PBS so I was able to watch the entire series online and you can get caught up on past episodes before episode four airs on Sunday night at 8:00pm. Miss Scarlett and the Duke has already been picked up for a second season but filming has been delayed due of Covid.

I haven’t watched it yet but another show, Seaside Hotel, just premiered on PBS and follows guests and staff at a beach hotel on the North Sea. It’s in Danish with English subtitles and I find it easier to follow up with foreign shows and movies on my laptop. It airs Saturday nights or you can watch online. You can also add PBS to your Apple TV. Also just airing is The Long Song, a series based on Andrea Levy’s award-winning novel about the end of slavery in Jamaica. It airs at 10:00pm Sunday night or can also be watched online.

One of the reasons I really didn’t love Bridgerton was because it debuted on Christmas Day but it was definitely not family friendly. If you want something you can enjoy with family members of all ages, I suggest To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You on Netflix which is the third installment in the series.

I went to The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Thursday for the member’s preview of Goya’s Graphic Imagination. Upon arrival, I was disappointed to find it they had closed it early due to crowds so I cannot speak to the exhibition but it’s something new to see. Since I couldn’t view it, I wandered about the American and European Galleries which you can see in my saved Highlights. Keep in mind that the museum is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays now.

I’m not sure how many people are aware that the Frick Collection is closed for the next few years for renovations. I am so grateful that I stopped by for one last visit before they closed due to Covid last March. This March, we’ll be able to see their treasures in their new temporary home in the Marcel Breuer designed former home of the Whitney Museum on Madison Avenue. I can’t wait to attend the member preview to see how they display the art and furniture in the Brutalist building.

I wrote about Work to Ride many years ago. It’s a non-profit community-based prevention program in Philadelphia founded in 1994 that aids disadvantaged urban youth though constructive activities centered on horsemanship, equine sports and education. One of their former riders, Kareem Rosser, has just published a book about his experience and life, Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever. It would be a great gift for the equestrian or spoiled tennager in your life.

Because it’s President’s Day holiday weekend, that means there are great sales online.

J.Crew – 30% off with the code SPRING

Nordstrom – Up to 50% off. My favorite winter boots are on sale too.

Ann Taylor – 40% off full price styles with code WEARNOW

Club Monaco – Extra 50% off all sale styles with code YESPLEASE

Banana Republic – 40% off purchase (exclusions apply)

Mango – Extra 15% off everything with code VALENT14

Wayfair – Up to 70% off during President’s Day Clearance

Happy Valentine’s Day!

XOXO,

HC