The Grazing Board, vol. 9
Snack away on our Highlands fling Fourth of July, my Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy rejection of cos-play, the travel crib of my dreams, and why I apparently can't read.
6 minute read.
1. Highlands Fling
I’m reporting live from Highlands, North Carolina, where Phil, Cosima and I are on our annual July getaway to the Blue Ridge Mountains’ brisk air and mosquito-free evenings; a reprieve from humid Charleston. This year, our trip included the Fourth of July and it was everything I wanted it to be: a whole hog roast at Highlander Mountain House, an open air concert in the park, fireworks in town… Growing up in NYC, the Fourth felt like a very big deal because it marked the official and undeniable start of a North Eastern summer with al fresco dinners in the city and long weekends at the beach. In South Carolina, yes, there is a lot of holiday pride on the Fourth, but it feels more like just another blistering Southern summer day to me. I wanted to make it special for us, and I think mission accomplished.
We book the same rental home each year, this being our fourth, and I’ll be sharing a video tour of it on Wednesday. If you have children or dogs, or just like to be walkable to town, this is a great home for you to have on your future vacation list.
Funny store: Years ago, Phil and I came to Highlands for a winter visit and rang in the New Year with dinner at Highlander Mountain House’s tavern, the Ruffed Grouse. The hostess sat another couple at our four-top table and we all just assumed the restaurant had double booked tables and was attempting a family style party atmosphere evening. Turns out, she thought the couple were our friends to be seated with us, but by the time she realized her mistake and returned to move them, our little group had gone from awkward strangers to dining companions and we decided to stay together for the meal.
Sidenote for parents: Cosima is not yet three years old and, at home, still loves sleeping in her crib (“It’s so cozy!” “I love my bed!”). She is too big for a Pack-and-Play, but not able to fall asleep on her own in an actual adult bed alone in a room, and also cannot fall asleep in an adult bed if I stay in it with her because that is just too fun to wind down. So we bought this travel crib and, you guys, it is amazing. It folds down to travel, but you put it together into the same size as an actual crib. You even use your own crib mattress, so it’s just like being at home. Bingo. Definitely recommend this if you are not ready to say goodbye to the crib, but also cannot do a big bed quite yet when on the go.
2. Cos-Play or just Chameleon? Let’s CBK, instead.
Any time I pack for an out-of-town trip, I realize how Charleston-centric my wardrobe has become over the past seven years. I try to tamp down on that and buy pieces that reflect the environment, but also myself. Similarly, when filling my suitcase, yes, I like to pull items that will align with the destination, but I want to try on a new dress, not a whole new personality just because I’ve upended myself geographically.
Sometimes I see people really dressing the part—a trip to Miami brings out all the glitz, a weekend in New York is all black, a vacation to Aspen and we’re suddenly dripping in turquoise and silver lariats. It looks fun and I do dabble, but within the parameters of what I already have. Here, in the Appalachian Mountains, I definitely took advantage of the much cooler weather and woodsy atmosphere to wear, for instance, a sweater embroidered with wildflowers, a botanical sarong as a dress with little frogs and fauna featured under a chunky cotton cardigan, and forrest green velvet mary jane shoes.
I enjoy how the change in scenery can inform my outfit, but don’t take advantage of it to wear a costume. And even with that, I keep returning to images I’ve seen of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy at the beach. Do you know what she was wearing?… Exactly the same thing she wore on the streets of Tribeca. Her black clingy Calvin Klein sweater over a camel hair pencil skirt became a black tee shirt over camel colored khaki slacks. The same sunglasses. The same accessories (none). Same CBK. Just a different location.
That, to me, is true personal style. Something to consider. Your thoughts?



This prompted me to notice the CBK inspired pieces available now. If she were dressing for summer 2025, I think these dresses, tops and slacks would be hers.
3. My Personal Library
I told you in a prior email that I was super excited to read “It’s a Love Story” by Annabel Monaghan because “Nora Goes Off Script” is a favorite book. I even drove to the local independent bookseller in an attempt to be an ostentatiously responsible citizen and buy my copy locally. (I ended up ordering it off my Amazon app in the parking lot, but I tried.)
You guys, I cannot get into this book. I can’t! Is it me?! Has my attention span diminished as the author of “The Anxious Generation” told me social media and screens would do to me and my children? Have you read it?! In the meantime, I pruned a few bookshelves of my prior reads and left them at the local “leave a book, take a book” stand. Each book states my name, the month, and year that I read it in my handwriting on the first page. Some of them, I wanted to rip that corner of the page out for fear I’d be judged for my reading taste! You know I read all sorts of things out of curiosity. Some epic heavy lifts, some absurd beach reads, from fiction to religion to memoirs to conspiracy theorists to political biographies. It’s funny to look back at what you were doing years prior. Apparently, I was reading “Untamed” by Glennon Doyle, LOL! I’d never heard of her at the time, but everyone was talking about this book, so I read some chapters and skimmed others. Where is she now? I don’t even know.
Bottom line: my bookshelf is in need, so please let me know the titles on your summer reading list because I am in search of literary motivation and inspiration.
xxBlaise
I couldn’t agree more about It’s A Love Story, sadly. 😭 I thought something was wrong with me. 😅💕