Good Morning Lacquered Lifers. During my plane travels over the weekend I finally had the time to read a book. Isn’t that something? Honestly between all the shelter magazines, the NYTimes, and Vanity Fair I am rarely able to finish a book. This weekend I read I’ll Drink to That, by Betty Halbreich, the grand dame of Bergdorf Goodman’s fitting room. It was a really wonderful book, both lighthearted and very honest. Chatting with my mother about the book, we both agreed that it definitely opened a window into Betty’s generation and how they lived. Betty has lived in the same Park Avenue apartment for over 60 years, and when I found these pictures on Town & Country’s website, I knew I had to share them. These photos display a way of life with a value put on presentation and entertaining, that is almost extinct. While I am extremely guilty of leaving the house without makeup, or wearing workout clothes when I’m not headed to the gym, the house always presents itself well in public. As I am sure you all have gathered from my frequent entertaining posts, this appreciation and value for being a good hostess is something I take very seriously and something I have seen coming back into fashion. And thank god. Because honestly what is better than being able to share your home and your things with your friends. Take your wedding china and your silver out of the cabinet and eat on it … because that’s what its for. I’ll drink to that.

Photos via Town & Country