Let’s class-up the picnic, shall we? Throw on a dress, pull out the crystal and dine in STYLE. If you don’t have crystal, go buy some. If you’re too broke for crystal, collect beautiful glass jars and just pretend.

I have a love affair with vintage glass containers – they are charming in the way your great-grandmother’s poodle pin cushion is charming. They remind you of simpler times when people kneaded dough for hours and actually sewed things. I am on a perpetual hunt for vintage glass jars and have amassed a huge collection. Beautiful Swedish jars the color of emeralds, intricately cut azure candy jars, amber apothecary jars from Italy, fat jars, slender jars, some with lids, some without.

When heading out for a picnic, vintage milk jars are perfect. Forget the Big Gulp, and what a TERRIBLE name for a drink. Something that is meant to be thrown back in one giant swig with half of it ending up on your Nascar sweatshirt should be outlawed. Beverages are meant to be sipped, loves.

Gilles and I have a lovely ritual during the summer months. We head out to the orange groves, lay down a quilted blanket, spread out our fare and while away hours and hours. Salted cinnamon milk for the little one, white wine pour moi. Perfection.