Magic at Carly Simon’s House

Oh my, magic everywhere! Today we went to Carly’s house to swim and have dinner. She is so amazing with the kids! She told Annabelle there were all sorts of magical secret places in her house that only kids can go to, no grown-ups. Watching Annabelle and Henry run down the thick green grass pathway surrounded by  wildflowers on all sides and towering trees, the storybook house behind us, was like being in a fairy tale. Annabelle was ecstatic. Every knob and nook and cranny in Carly’s house is pure magic. Swirling stained glass knobs, velvet pillows, gorgeous curtains, and every room painted in a different fantasy. One area was painted like a little farm (Trompe L’oeil I think they call it)by lovely mermaid artist, Margot Datz, then swirling stairs painted like you’re swimming in a pond. When you reach the tops of the stairs, you emerge into Carly’s bedroom painted lotuses and the most gorgeous desk I’ve ever seen–like the desk of a pirate/wizard. Then out onto a balcony with stunning views; then through a lavendar door into a princess room that overlooks another lavendar and blue princess room with a heffalump (Carly sang in Winnie the Pooh and the Heffalump), then down more swirling stairs and coming upon pink clawfoot tubs, hanging glitter purses… just MAGIC!
There was a little tiny door going up the steps that she lifted Henry and Annabelle into and gave them a flashlight. She asked Annabelle what she found in there and Annabelle said, “Junk. Just a lot of junk. But here’s something.” And she came crawling out with Carly’s Grammy Award.
Up in the bedroom, Carly encouraged Annabelle to climb under all her stunning clothes and find “the little man” which turned out to be her Oscar and a Golden Globe.
Many more twists and turns later we were in the honeymoon cottage she shared with James Taylor, and then walking down a rambling old path to the horse ring. My allergies were so bad at this point I could barely open my eyes, but I hung in there, carrying the little prince on my hip who also has an eye swollen shut from a bug bite. From there we entered the kitchen which has cathedral ceilings and a fireplace and literally glows from the colors of the woods–and she has a lavendar dishwasher–and a girl came in and sang for us and her voice was just staggeringly beautiful. It was completely unreal to hear someone open their mouth and sing like that, no problem. Then Carly’s son, Ben, pretended to be a monster to make the kids laugh.  When he saw Henry’s swollen eye, he said, “If I see the bug that bit you, I’m going to give that bug a knuckle sandwich.” Then he and Carly sang Itsy Bitsy Spider to the kids in the most gorgeous harmonies.