FRANK & EILEEN: You’re an accomplished gardener, cook, designer, and we have it on good authority, margarita maker! Tell us about your new book, Lush Life: Food & Drinks from the Garden?
VALERIE: Lush Life is my love letter to California. At its heart, the book is a collection of my most treasured recipes. I’ve also included cocktail recipes and all the tips, tricks, and sources that I’ve fine-tuned over the years. My friends (and James Beard award winners), sommelier Rajat Parr, and chef Suzanne Goin contributed wine pairings and a foreword.
Valerie is photographed wearing Frank Superfine in White and our Billion Dollar Pant in Black.
VALERIE: Lush Life is my love letter to California. At its heart, the book is a collection of my most treasured recipes. I’ve also included cocktail recipes and all the tips, tricks, and sources that I’ve fine-tuned over the years. My friends (and James Beard award winners), sommelier Rajat Parr, and chef Suzanne Goin contributed wine pairings and a foreword.
Valerie is photographed wearing Frank Superfine in White and our Billion Dollar Pant in Black.
FRANK & EILEEN: You’re an accomplished gardener, cook, designer, and we have it on good authority, margarita maker! Tell us about your new book, Lush Life: Food & Drinks from the Garden?
VALERIE: Lush Life is my love letter to California. At its heart, the book is a collection of my most treasured recipes. I’ve also included cocktail recipes and all the tips, tricks, and sources that I’ve fine-tuned over the years. My friends (and James Beard award winners), sommelier Rajat Parr, and chef Suzanne Goin contributed wine pairings and a foreword.
Valerie is photographed wearing Frank Superfine in White and our Billion Dollar Pant in Black.
VALERIE: Lush Life is my love letter to California. At its heart, the book is a collection of my most treasured recipes. I’ve also included cocktail recipes and all the tips, tricks, and sources that I’ve fine-tuned over the years. My friends (and James Beard award winners), sommelier Rajat Parr, and chef Suzanne Goin contributed wine pairings and a foreword.
Valerie is photographed wearing Frank Superfine in White and our Billion Dollar Pant in Black.
F&E: How has your personal style developed throughout your journey from gardener to author? Does your look evolve depending on whether you’re writing at your desk, shaking up cocktails, or tending to your Santa Barbara Garden?
VALERIE: Style is a big part of our family story. My dad owned and operated men’s fine clothing stores in Los Angeles and Orange County. My roots in traditional tailoring from my father and work experience at Ralph Lauren—plus our California lifestyle—inform how I present myself today. Santa Barbara is casual living at its finest: a button-up with jeans or a shirt with sneakers can take you anywhere. And while I love an opportunity to dress up, generally, if I’m not in workout clothes, I’m outfitted for the various tasks my days bring—gardening, writing, meetings, filming, cooking, and wrangling teens.
Valerie is photographed wearing Eileen Famous Denim in Vintage Stonewashed Indigo and Kinsale in Navy.
VALERIE: Style is a big part of our family story. My dad owned and operated men’s fine clothing stores in Los Angeles and Orange County. My roots in traditional tailoring from my father and work experience at Ralph Lauren—plus our California lifestyle—inform how I present myself today. Santa Barbara is casual living at its finest: a button-up with jeans or a shirt with sneakers can take you anywhere. And while I love an opportunity to dress up, generally, if I’m not in workout clothes, I’m outfitted for the various tasks my days bring—gardening, writing, meetings, filming, cooking, and wrangling teens.
Valerie is photographed wearing Eileen Famous Denim in Vintage Stonewashed Indigo and Kinsale in Navy.
F&E: How has your personal style developed throughout your journey from gardener to author? Does your look evolve depending on whether you’re writing at your desk, shaking up cocktails, or tending to your Santa Barbara Garden?
VALERIE: Style is a big part of our family story. My dad owned and operated men’s fine clothing stores in Los Angeles and Orange County. My roots in traditional tailoring from my father and work experience at Ralph Lauren—plus our California lifestyle—inform how I present myself today. Santa Barbara is casual living at its finest: a button-up with jeans or a shirt with sneakers can take you anywhere. And while I love an opportunity to dress up, generally, if I’m not in workout clothes, I’m outfitted for the various tasks my days bring—gardening, writing, meetings, filming, cooking, and wrangling teens.
Valerie is photographed wearing Eileen Famous Denim in Vintage Stonewashed Indigo and Kinsale in Navy.
VALERIE: Style is a big part of our family story. My dad owned and operated men’s fine clothing stores in Los Angeles and Orange County. My roots in traditional tailoring from my father and work experience at Ralph Lauren—plus our California lifestyle—inform how I present myself today. Santa Barbara is casual living at its finest: a button-up with jeans or a shirt with sneakers can take you anywhere. And while I love an opportunity to dress up, generally, if I’m not in workout clothes, I’m outfitted for the various tasks my days bring—gardening, writing, meetings, filming, cooking, and wrangling teens.
Valerie is photographed wearing Eileen Famous Denim in Vintage Stonewashed Indigo and Kinsale in Navy.
F&E: Name 3-4 wardrobe essentials that showcase your personal style.
VALERIE: Number one is a crisp white button-up shirt. F&E’s Frank silhouette is perfect for my small frame—long enough to wear as a cover-up at the beach and thin enough where I can tuck it easily into denim. High-waisted jeans, khaki shorts, and a cardigan sweater round out my list. (I’m also all for no-show socks and never leave the house without earrings, a dainty necklace, and a straw hat!)
Valerie is photographed wearing Frank Superfine in White and our Billion Dollar Pant in Black.
VALERIE: Number one is a crisp white button-up shirt. F&E’s Frank silhouette is perfect for my small frame—long enough to wear as a cover-up at the beach and thin enough where I can tuck it easily into denim. High-waisted jeans, khaki shorts, and a cardigan sweater round out my list. (I’m also all for no-show socks and never leave the house without earrings, a dainty necklace, and a straw hat!)
Valerie is photographed wearing Frank Superfine in White and our Billion Dollar Pant in Black.
F&E: Name 3-4 wardrobe essentials that showcase your personal style.
VALERIE: Number one is a crisp white button-up shirt. F&E’s Frank silhouette is perfect for my small frame—long enough to wear as a cover-up at the beach and thin enough where I can tuck it easily into denim. High-waisted jeans, khaki shorts, and a cardigan sweater round out my list. (I’m also all for no-show socks and never leave the house without earrings, a dainty necklace, and a straw hat!)
Valerie is photographed wearing Frank Superfine in White and our Billion Dollar Pant in Black.
VALERIE: Number one is a crisp white button-up shirt. F&E’s Frank silhouette is perfect for my small frame—long enough to wear as a cover-up at the beach and thin enough where I can tuck it easily into denim. High-waisted jeans, khaki shorts, and a cardigan sweater round out my list. (I’m also all for no-show socks and never leave the house without earrings, a dainty necklace, and a straw hat!)
Valerie is photographed wearing Frank Superfine in White and our Billion Dollar Pant in Black.
F&E: You move between your many roles—mom, wife, entrepreneur, and expert entertainer—so seamlessly. Do you have any advice for women looking to make a career pivot?
VALERIE: First and foremost, my job is being a mom. My professional ride has been more of a journey than a mapped-out plan—work projects started small and evolved as I learned and accomplished more. I started writing down recipes and taking photos of what I was cooking because people asked me to. I became a master gardener to grow better-tasting vegetables. Once my garden started expanding, people asked me to help them design theirs. As my daughters have gotten older, I’ve been able to explore new career challenges. You must be willing to try different things until you find the one that works best. The numerous positions I held in the past were the stepping stones that got me where I am today.
Valerie is photographed wearing Mary Famous Denim in Vintage Stonewashed Indigo.
VALERIE: First and foremost, my job is being a mom. My professional ride has been more of a journey than a mapped-out plan—work projects started small and evolved as I learned and accomplished more. I started writing down recipes and taking photos of what I was cooking because people asked me to. I became a master gardener to grow better-tasting vegetables. Once my garden started expanding, people asked me to help them design theirs. As my daughters have gotten older, I’ve been able to explore new career challenges. You must be willing to try different things until you find the one that works best. The numerous positions I held in the past were the stepping stones that got me where I am today.
Valerie is photographed wearing Mary Famous Denim in Vintage Stonewashed Indigo.
F&E: You move between your many roles—mom, wife, entrepreneur, and expert entertainer—so seamlessly. Do you have any advice for women looking to make a career pivot?
VALERIE: First and foremost, my job is being a mom. My professional ride has been more of a journey than a mapped-out plan—work projects started small and evolved as I learned and accomplished more. I started writing down recipes and taking photos of what I was cooking because people asked me to. I became a master gardener to grow better-tasting vegetables. Once my garden started expanding, people asked me to help them design theirs. As my daughters have gotten older, I’ve been able to explore new career challenges. You must be willing to try different things until you find the one that works best. The numerous positions I held in the past were the stepping stones that got me where I am today.
Valerie is photographed wearing Mary Famous Denim in Vintage Stonewashed Indigo.
VALERIE: First and foremost, my job is being a mom. My professional ride has been more of a journey than a mapped-out plan—work projects started small and evolved as I learned and accomplished more. I started writing down recipes and taking photos of what I was cooking because people asked me to. I became a master gardener to grow better-tasting vegetables. Once my garden started expanding, people asked me to help them design theirs. As my daughters have gotten older, I’ve been able to explore new career challenges. You must be willing to try different things until you find the one that works best. The numerous positions I held in the past were the stepping stones that got me where I am today.
Valerie is photographed wearing Mary Famous Denim in Vintage Stonewashed Indigo.
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Thanks for cozying up for 'a cuppa with' Valerie!
To follow along with Valerie's adventures and shop her cookbook, Lush Life: Food & Drinks from the Garden:
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