Astor Courts: The Wedding Venue

I think we have all had enough of hearing about Chelsea Clinton's wedding today. Let the poor girl enjoy her day already. But I have to admit that Astor Courts is a pretty chic wedding venue. It's actually a private home that belongs to Clinton friends Kathleen Hammer and her husband Arthur Seelbinder who offered it up for the nuptials. I don't think this was a completely selfless gesture as it is currently on the market for $12 million.

Astor Courts was built in 1902 by Stanford White for John Jacob Astor IV in Rhinebeck, New York as a weekend retreat. It was also inspired by the Grand Trianon on the grounds of Versailles which accounts for the long lean lines of the one story building. The building was in pretty bad shape when the current owners purchased it in 2005 and they spent many more millions renovating it with the help of Standford White's great-grandson, Sam White. There is a great article in The New York Times about the renovation here. Hopefully the 50-acres of grounds will prevent pesky paparazzi from ruining the ceremony and the happy couple will enjoy their special day!

Photos by Bruce Buck and from Luxist

Gorgeous Garden

I stayed out a little too late last night and had a little too much fun. Now I wish I could spend the day recovering on a lounge chair in this gorgeous garden that belongs to Atlanta designer Robert Norris. I think anyone would feel better after spending time in it! Bon Weekend!

Photos by Erica George Dines

Chic in Camel

If you buy one thing this fall, make it something camel colored and if you want to splurge on something fantastic, make it something from Chloe. Their fall advertising is making me even more excited for crisp cool weather! Bon Weekend!

The Big Bambú

The best part about the roof garden at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is that it's open to the sky. So imagine my surprise when I stepped off the elevator and was faced with a 100 foot long bamboo structure that blocked the sun! It looked like a cross between Kon-Tiki and a hippie Swiss Family Robinson habitat. My visit was at the end of May when I was at the Met to see the Picasso exhibit so I hadn't read yet anything about the summer installation which officially entitled Big Bambú: You Can't, You Don't, and You Won't Stop. At first, I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not but once I had a chance to walk through it and read more about it, I definitely came to appreciate this amazing art exhibition.

Twin brothers Doug and Mike Starn and a team of rock climbers will be constructing Big Bambú until October and you can watch them build it before your eyes. I witnessed one worker strip the bamboo poles of leaves and cut them for the other members tied them together with nylon rope. You can see in my photos that the team climb very high off the ground and dotted throughout the installation. If you are also dressed properly, meaning sneakers and shorts or pants, you can schedule a guided tour that takes you along the footpaths and bridges that weave through the structure. I, of course, was wearing sandals and a dress so I didn't not take advantage of this opportunity which quite frankly looked scary! I am sure it would be very exciting for children though. It will interesting to check in periodically throughout the summer and see how Big Bambú has evolved and even more so to see how it ends. And more importantly, I wonder how many months it will take them to clean up!

Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic