A Colorful Tribute to Lilly Pulitzer

       

Some things inspire you at first glance.

For me, my first encounter with a Lilly Pulitzer dress left a lasting impression and budding love for the colorful prints that have become the iconic party and play clothes of the Palm Beach crowd.

Despite growing up just minutes from Palm Beach, I didn't actually discover Lilly until high school. I'm not sure how I managed to overlook the splashy, citrus-colored patterns in which many girls and women around me were proudly clad. A Lilly girl isn't exactly a wallflower -- "Lillys" are made to stand out in a crowd.

Regardless of my former obliviousness, my newfound awareness of the dresses made it difficult not to notice them everywhere around me. Once she caught my eye, there was no denying it... I was smitten. And like any high school girl, my "awakening" meant just one thing: I had to have one.

I bought my very first Lilly dress at a clearance sale at a boutique on the island -- the only way I could afford one. I treasured that thing like it was priceless. I still have it in my closet today.

My very first Lilly.

It wasn't my favorite print, by any means. The fabric was a bright lime green, with punchy little animals in whites and citrons parading all over the simple a-line cut, Lilly's trademark signature cleverly hidden among the swirls like a preppy version of "Where's Waldo". {Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure it might have been a piece from the kids collection that was big enough to fit me.}



But still, I was just happy to have a Lilly of my own. It meant something to me. Like I was initiated into some exclusive pink & green society. Like suddenly I'd be invited to sip pink lemonade at a Palm Beach garden party. {Certainly, that wasn't the case. But if nothing else, it made it easy for my family to find me amidst the church crowd.}

From that moment on, I decided that slowly but surely, I'd grow my Lilly collection. Though my purchases gradually progressed to more classic pieces, I still find myself mesmerized by the whimsical, and even humorous prints that make the Lilly brand both vivacious and distinctive. There's something special about all the little details that go into a Lilly.

Inner hem lace detail of one of my Lillys.

When I heard about the passing of Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau this weekend, I felt like I had lost someone dear to me. It's a phenomenon that happens when you feel a connection to someone you've never met. Sure, we empathize with the loss of any individual out of respect and human connectedness.

Lilly Pulitzer, 1963.
Photograph by me, image from Essentially Lilly.

But sometimes, the feelings run deeper. An admiration... a fondness. Something that elicits a feeling of kinship.

Maybe it was Lilly's creativity. Her ingenuity. Her streak of entrepreneurship. Maybe it was her  irreverence in a world where things are expected to be "just so". The challenge in her prints to live life like the party it's meant to be.

Photo taken of page in my Lilly Pulitzer agenda

Whatever the reason I felt such a bond, my heart was deeply saddened. Perhaps it's a natural consequence of wearing someone's name like an emblem for so many years.

Photo taken of page in my Lilly Pulitzer agenda.

There's no denying that Lilly left her colorful mark on the world... on me, on my closet, on the header of this very blog. {I sent a picture of a Lilly print sketch from my agenda as inspiration to the graphic designer.} She's the reason for the "Prep" in The Kitchen Prep. And though she is no longer with us, I have no doubt in my mind that her vibrant legacy will continue to live on for many years to come.

A toast to Lilly.

May we each live to inspire those around us as you have.

Deepest sympathy & prayers to her family and friends.

Tropical Fruit Bellinis
Adapted from Essentially Lilly: A Colorful Guide to Entertaining

1 mango, peeled & chopped
1 peach, peeled & chopped
1/2 cup guava nectar
1/2 cup apricot nectar
1 bottle Prosecco or other sparkling beverage {seltzer water or ginger ale for an alcohol-free version}

Sugar for rims, optional*
Lime for garnish, optional

1. Combine fruit and nectars in a blender. Puree until smooth.

2. Pour 1/4 cup puree into each champagne glass. Top with Prosecco or sparkling beverage and stir gently.

3. Garnish with lime.

To sugar rims: Pour about 1/4 cup juice {or water} on a shallow plate. On another plate, sprinkle about 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Dip tops of glasses into the juice, shake to remove excess liquid, then dip into sugar.

Note: The fruit puree can be made ahead. Just prepare, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

A Tribute: Bloggers for Sandy Hook Elementary

Today is Friday, December 21, 2012. The day, it's been said, that the world is supposed to end.

But last Friday, the world did come to an end for many in Newtown, Connecticut.

Parents sent their little ones off to school, most likely in a hurry with things like Christmas shopping and work and weekend plans on their minds. A day like any other.

Except, the day didn't go on as it should have. The world that was whole when the day began was shattered when innocent lives were taken in a horrifying and heartbreaking turn of events.  And our world, whether or not we realized it, was changed forever.

We, as a nation, have survived tragedy repeatedly. Acts of terrorism. Natural disaster. Catastrophic destruction. Disease. Violence. War.

It never gets easier to witness the sheer devastation of the loss of life that results from any of these things. Lives that end before their time. Hearts that will never fully mend. Nothing that can be done to fix any of it.

But somehow, like a magnetic force that brings fragments together to form a whole, we morph from individuals into one collective barricade around those who have suffered. Communities unite, strangers reach out a helping hand, and together we link arms and forge ahead once again.

During one of my last visits to New York City, I wandered through the cemetery at St. Paul's Chapel {which, if you know me well, you realize how out of character this was for me}. At the center of converging cobblestone paths, I found myself standing in front of a large bell that read, "Forged in Adversity".

That phrase struck something within me. Like the resounding sound of the bell itself rung throughout my body.  "Forged" - a word that, by definition, means "to take or shape by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it", or "to move forward gradually or steadily". {Source}

We have all taken a beating. We've walked through fire - some of us in our personal lives, some as a community or a family, as a nation, as a people. We have been shaped by the things we live through, made stronger by the calluses that result from the deepest wounds.

We have all been forged in adversity.

Together, we will move forward from this tragedy. We will stop to pick up those who have no strength left to stand and no tears left to cry.

When I saw Dorothy from Crazy for Crust's post about Bloggers for Sandy Hook, I knew I wanted to take part because it was something I could do, even in a situation that feels so helpless.  Post something -- anything, it said. To pay tribute to the lives lost and condolences to those that been forced to live through the sadness.

So, today I'm posting a simple recipe. One that can be made with your children and enjoyed with your families because, more than ever, we realize we're lucky that they are with us another day. They're nothing fancy. Just sweet, pure, and white to remind us of the angels that have been called back to heaven too soon.

 

Sending my deepest sympathies and prayers to those who have been affected by this devastating event.

For ways you can help, please visit this link.

White Chocolate Dipped Shortbread
Adapted from Ina Garten

3 sticks butter {3/4 pound}, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Chocolate:

1 1/2 to 2 cups white chocolate chips {or white candy melts}
2-3 teaspoons canola oil, depending on desired consistency

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together softened butter and sugar for about 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla extract.

3. In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the butter, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. When dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl, it's ready.

4. Divide dough in half onto two pieces of plastic wrap, and shape into two flattened disks. {Sometimes I like to roll out the dough to desired thickeness while it's soft}. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

5. Remove from refrigerator and, if you haven't already done so, roll out to desired thickness. {I make mine about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters into desired shapes.

6. Place on prepared baking sheets and bake for approximately 10-14 minutes depending on the thickness of cookies, until just set and barely becoming golden around the edges.

7. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to cooling racks.


For White Chocolate:

1. In a small microwave proof bowl, combine white chips and oil. Heat on high for 30 second intervals, stopping and stirring until melted and smooth. {Start with less oil and add a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.}

2. Dip cookies half way into melted chocolate and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with desired decorative sprinkles or toppings.

3. Let set in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.