I am pretty confident that by now everyone in our stores’ community knows Madeline Patierno. I think she has been with us for almost 10 years, not even counting her recent sabbatical to New York for a year.

If you’ve been in lately, you know she’s back in store, which makes us all so happy. The extra bonus to having Madeline back is knowing that we get to see her mom, Lydia, a little more often.

Lydia Patierno is the very best kind of customer. She always stops in with maybe a bottle of wine, some fresh bread she has made, or possibly peaches from a drive up to Pennsylvania. Of course we appreciate the treats, but really we just love seeing her. She always has a smile, a big laugh and a fun disposition that just makes her easy to be around.

Some of you are lucky enough to have been to her restaurant that she owns with her husband Lou: Girasole in The Plains, Virginia. I am not just saying this – it’s the best restaurant I have ever been to! I even took my friend Nicole (Chef Nicole of Virginia’s Darling) and she agreed with me. If you are ever out in Middleburg or anywhere close to The Plains make sure you go to Girasole, especially for Mother’s Day. If you can grab a spot on the patio I am certain you will thank me after, and wonder why it took you so long to discover this little magical piece of Tuscany that’s just an hour away from us.

The secret to being a great restaurateur is taking care of people and that it is obvious that in addition to the amazing food, Lydia’s graciousness is the key to Girasole’s success and reputation. When my husband Brad was sick, Lydia brought over bags and bags of food. Of course, homemade bread was included. It occurred to me at this time that Madeline probably never ate store-bought bread growing up. She confirmed this. I asked her when she figured out that the food she ate was not normal and not what other people had at their home. She laughed and said “college.” I mean my mom is a great cook, but this is another level.

Well, when it came time to do a shoot for Ann Mashburn and Lizzie Fortunato we knew we had to convince Lydia to model for us. This is the other thing about Lydia: she loves clothes. Well, not just clothes. She loves jewelry, bags and shoes as well, and all of the things, especially Jermone Dreyfuss. She also wears it well. Lydia has a style that we all aspire to have. She has a casual elegance about her clothes which makes sense, since she is on the go. Most days she is at Girasole and if not there, she is running around town or visiting family. She does love clothes but what matters the most to her is her family. Madeline is the youngest of three but their family extends to many cousins and aunts and uncles. 

We have loved getting to know Madeline and the Patierno family and we are so glad that Lydia agreed to model for us.

Come in to The Hive and check out all the styles, Thursday, April 25 through Sunday, April 28.

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