If you know me, you know I constantly am professing my lasting love for Ms. Patricia Altschul. She is everything i aspire to be & more.
I first became acquainted with Patricia via Southern Charm ( heard of it? I’m sure- how could you not? Arguably the best show on TV ) & she REALLY got me with the white breakfast tray & newspaper side holders. Then I saw she had a silver egg coddler & it sent me over the edge.
Immediately I researched. Once I found out she wrote a book, I took my own tray to bed & perched up in my caftan ready to read all her fab tips. AND WHAT A BOOK– a resource really. So specific. From her bitter orange potpourri, to her flamingo glass cocktail stirrers, to even the way Michael the Butler makes her Beefeater gin martini ( no olive juice tho- too much salt ), I fell in love.
Anyway, I stalked her to come on the podcast & we started to develop a friendship over IG. Pat graciously invited us to her home for a tour ( O M G ) to do the podcast & then to dinner. I spent 23042 hours picking out what to wear- & off we went. I FEEL LIKE you guys need to know details of this whole thing because 1.) she’s one of my favorite interviewees 2.) pat loves beauty/skin 3.) she very much has impeccable style. SO I added a PATRICIA highlight dedicated to her home & now here I am sharing 10 things I’ve learned from her.
Her book, The Art of Southern Charm, is so good & I picked up so many tips & tricks from her it’s ridiculous. Everything from potpourri to what stationary needs be happening for thank you cards. Let’s get into it.
10 Things I’ve Learned From Patricia Altschul:
( GRAB YOUR BREAKFAST TRAYS !! You’ll need something to take notes on. )
1. Invest in a good tailor.
Patricia is huge on a good tailor. She believes any garment can look perfect with a few simple alterations. Add a shoulder pad, tighten the waist or just make something that isn’t quite right fit you perfectly. Customize anything. Kim Kardashian is also a fan of a tailor.
2. Stay up to date on the news.
Patricia has the most chic breakfast tray you’ve ever seen with a little side holder for her newspaper. She enjoys a hard boiled egg in her silver egg coddler while she reads the morning paper.
3. Nothing is better than a smile.
If you’re going to invest in anything it should be your teeth according to Patricia. It’s one of the first things people look at when they meet you. Healthy teeth keep you looking nice & youthful. Patricia recommends straightening, bonding & whitening.
4. The best potpourri on the planet is Agraria’s Bitter Orange Park Avenue Potpourri.
I can attest to this because I bought it & now it’s all over my house. I have to say it’s absolutely magical. Of course the minute I walked into her house Michael The Butler offered me a martini, but he also walked us through the entire house which was covered with this specific potpourri. You should also know that she loves the Bamboo candle by Nest. This is a good tip guys. There’s nothing worse than bad potpourri.
5. Be unapologetically yourself.
Patricia is straight to the point & a no bullshit kind of woman. What you see is what you get. What’s the point of being anyone else but yourself?
6. She loves Tatcha & Dr. Dennis Gross skin products.
Patricia told me she does a double cleanse. So first she’ll cleanse with Tatcha pure one step cleansing oil, then with Dr. Dennis Gross’ facial wash. She then uses The Cream by Augustinus Bader. Patricia heard it’s the only thing that actually works in terms of anti-aging.
Other favorites on her vanity were Tatcha water cream, Yeouth hyaluronic acid, Skinceuticals f e ferulic, Niod multi-molecular complex, & a good old TSC favorite…a big ass bottle of NOW grape seed oil.
7. There’s nothing better than proper stationary.
Patricia uses a very specific disposable fountain pen that she says “can make the world’s worst hand writing look elegant. She also has personalized stationary, which of course I had to copy her on immediately.
8. Patricia has a strong addiction to a certain soap.
This specific soap has been around for so long & smells like lilies. It’s Clause Porto Madrigal water lily soap & it’s been around since the 1920s. The smell is delicate & the bar is massive. She told me it lasts a long time which is efficient.
9. Learn how to host a party.
Patricia totally inspired my baby shower which is why we had an alligator party. I kind of put my own spin on it by making everything pastel. Patricia was even kind enough to send me her own alligators from her own collection. Blog post on the baby shower is coming soon!
10. Never dress down.
Patricia is a huge fan of dressing up & always recommends that if you’re going out, you should look put together. She absolutely loves her caftans but she says that you can’t be attractive to someone else if you look like you’ve just been shot out of a cannon. LOL.
So there you have it. Those are 10 things I’ve learned from Patricia. She’s major inspo for me & I just feel like her taste is impeccable. She is unapologetically herself & she has a butler named Michael, so we’re basically the same person.
All I need is a caftan & dry martini – coming soon to a theater near you after pregnancy.
If you haven’t listened to Patricia’s episode on the podcast yet, you have to listen. She talks motherhood, the key to marriage, & 3 tips for a first date. I’m hoping she’ll com on the blog soon to spill some more secrets.
x, lauryn
+ be sure to check out the breakfast tray you have to have.
++ check out this post for the skin care hack of a lifetime.
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