The Emilie Loring Collection

It’s that time again, and this year, we have Emilie Loring’s published biography to celebrate!

Enjoy your tea, fancy or casual, indoors or out, 
and take photos to share.
Send to me at: contact@pattibender.com

I will open a blog post that morning and update it
throughout that day and the next with your photos. 

As always, if this time doesn’t suit, have your tea earlier, and I’ll hold onto your photos until the 31st.

This is a day to celebrate all things Emilie: tea, her books, her biography, and her enthusiasms–gardens, fashion, humor, conversation, color, and a phrase well turned. Display your books–including Happy Landings!–and have fun.

I will have my tea in Blue Hill, where I’ll stay in a new cottage this year, this time on the opposite side of Blue Hill Bay from Emilie’s Stone House. In her day, I would have seen it across the water, but I’m afraid the forest hides it now. I’ll let you know.

Tea-time Fashions?

I’ve been thinking about dressing in an outfit from one of Emilie’s books ever since I heard from the sisters in Minneapolis who dressed for tea as characters from Emilie Loring’s novels. Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” has just been through here, and I loved how she changed outfits to represent each era of her music. Maybe that would be fun for the tea, too, since Emilie’s books spanned the 1920s, 30s, and 40s.

Emilie loved fashion and always dressed her characters in up-to-the-minute outfits. I don’t have vintage clothing in my wardrobe–check that… I probably do, but from my eras, not hers! In any case, I see some possibilities.

Here Comes the Sun! Anything in a shade of violet.

“Don’t you wear any color but shades of violet?
“Observing man. Hooverizing on colors was a measure of economy with us Lorraines so I dyed all the girls’ white hand-me-downs violet to match my eyes when they are not blue.”

Gay Courage: Definitely green and white, almost any combination.

Her green sweater, her short skirt of the same shade…

A green sweater was flung over her shoulders, a Lenglen bandeau, white like her frock, bound her ruddy hair.

… her green sports frock against a background of pale yellow…

In a filmy green gown…

… lovely in her green brocade and filmy lace…

Gay Courage

Faith Jarvis (Across the Years) wore green, too.

“Mind if I say I love you in that spruce-green wool frock?”

… very up-to-the-minute in canyon-green hat and jacket, and the latest word in pleated plaid skirt…

Across the Years

Pamela Leigh (Fair Tomorrow) wore more colors than some of Emilie’s characters–a “little black dress” in Boston, navy blue with a green sash and accessories to the courtroom, and a yellow frock in the kitchen.

Fran Phillips (I Hear Adventure Calling) also had a colorful wardrobe–a “swanky yellow dress” with gold sandals, another of white (with jade jewelry), an all-amber outfit, a bouffant skirt of blue, green and silver; and more green, of course.

Side characters wear shades of pink, blue, and silver, which matches my wardrobe better, but there are SO many green and white outfits in Emilie’s books that I think I’d go that way. Maybe a white “frock” and green sweater… or white slacks and blouse with a green sweater. I wonder how I’d look in a Lenglen bandeau?!

Costumes are definitely NOT required, but if you do try that, or if you bake one of Emilie’s recipes, or do something else that you dream up, be sure to let me know when you send in your photos. It’s always so fun to see the variety of ideas that this event conjures up!

Come to a book talk

There are three Happy Landings book talks coming up, all in Maine. I’ll be at the Blue Hill Public Library on July 27th and the Friend Public Library in Brooklin on August 1st. Click here for dates and times: In-person events

Finally, I’ll go across to Bar Harbor’s Jesup Memorial Library on August 3rd. Please introduce yourself, if you come, and say hi online, if you choose to attend that way. Here’s the link: Sign up for Jesup Library presentation

Happy Landings

Life intervenes sometimes, and I’ve been away from book things for awhile. It feels good to be going out on the road again, thinking about the book again, getting ready for our annual tea, and preparing to take Emilie Loring’s story to all-new groups of people. If you’re at all close, I hope I’ll see you “Downeast.”

If you still need a copy of Happy Landings, let me know. My home stock is nearly depleted, but I do still have some to autograph and mail out. Or talk to your local bookseller and ask them to order it. I’m happy to send bookmarks to accompany their sales.

But mostly, I hope you’re finding your moments of joy this summer.

After all, living is the greatest thing any of us have to do.
Why not make an art of it?

Emilie Loring

Next stop: Blue Hill!!!

I’ll be back very soon to share Emilie’s special, summer places with you. Until then,

Happy Landings, everyone!