By Caitlin Kelly
Fresh flowers always!
My personal style signifier
Scarves. Silk, linen, wool, printed, plain.
The last thing I bought and loved
Two new printed lampshades for the bedroom.
The place that means a lot to me
Centre Island in Toronto, where I married in a small wooden 19th church on a glorious sunny September afternoon.
The best book I’ve read in the past year
I find most books, sadly, disappointing.
The podcast I’m listening to
Embarrassingly, none
My style icon
Auntie Mame, clothing, interiors and joie de vivre
The item of clothing I’d save from a fire
My burgundy cashmere turtleneck — 10 pounds from a London flea market
I’ve wanted to work in journalism
Since I was small. I watched my mother do it and have a lot of fun.
The journalism moment that changed everything for me
Winning an eight-month, Paris-based journalism fellowship with 27 peers, ages 25-35, from around the world, India to Togo, Japan to NZ. Plus four 10-day solo reporting trips across Europe. I returned to Toronto at 26 sure I could do almost anything.
My signature scent
Chanel No. 5 and Blenheim Bouquet
The best gift I’ve given recently
A tea-set, a repro Famille Rose pattern, to a young friend newly (by choice) single after nine years.
And the best gift I’ve received
An introduction to an editor at a Big Name magazine.
The last music I’ve downloaded
None. Not for lack of interest…overwhelmed by choices.
In my fridge you’ll always find
Cheese, apples, plain yogurt, good mustard.
I’ve recently rediscovered
The pleasure of sitting in the sun! Now it’s finally getting warmer.
The best souvenir I’ve brought home
A sepia tone photo of a woman, shot from behind, with a large palm leaf. Taken by a staff photographer at the Sydney Morning Herald. Also, an enormous black and white Sempe drawing of Paris.
The thing I couldn’t do without
My husband.
An indulgence I would never forgo
A great stylist, colorist and massages. Fresh flowers!
The last item of clothing I added to my wardrobe
A pretty cotton nightdress.
The one artist I would collect if I could
Egon Schiele.
The grooming staples I’m never without
Mascara, perfume, hairbrush, Malin and Goetz moisturizer.
My favorite app
Sirius XM.
In another life I would have been
An interior designer, choreographer or talk radio show host.
My best ideas come
In conversation with someone smart and lively.
The best bit of advice I ever received
Was from my late mother, who survived multiple forms of cancer, when I asked how she got through it all.
“What should I do? Jump out of my skin?”