My Fashionable Holiday Helper

Ask me what a woman wants for the holidays and I can give you a list a mile long. But what to give to a man? Well, my list shortens considerably as I haven't a clue. Thank goodness that I have John Auerbach to turn to for help. Not only is John is a native Atlantan (you knew I had to mention that!), but he is also General Manger of Gilt MAN, having been with Gilt Groupe since the very beginning. Yes, it is John who has helped to make Gilt MAN one of the hottest things on the web. I guess Details magazine agrees since they named him a 2010 Maverick for his work with Gilt.

With street cred like that (or might that be web cred?), John seemed the perfect person to turn to for help in figuring out what men may be pining for this holiday season. And as I suspected they would be, John's holiday gift ideas are both super stylish and super fun too. I may not be able to wear that Martin Greenfield for Gilt suit, but I'd sure be happy with some E. Braun bedding or that Fornasetti incense burner. What about you?

"Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Watch. Audemars Piguet is the oldest, family owned watch company in the world and the Royal Oak Offshore is the hallmark of any great watch collection. Dress it down with a rubber band and you're good to go for a day at the beach or a black tie affair."




"LED book sculptures by artist Airan Kang, available through Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery in NYC. With the recent migration to digital books like the Kindle, Kang's pulsating light sculptures are not only beautiful but also provocative statements about the future of the written word."




"Stop counting sheep and start counting thread count with E. Braun's super stylish and indulgent line of bedding. Not only are the sheets beautiful but they hold up incredibly well wash after wash. Go with the Sateen finish for extra comfort."




"Apple iPad (with Gilt Groupe App, of course)! I travel a lot for work and the battery life on this thing is like the energizer bunny! I can check my email, surf the web and watch multiple movies all on one charge. It's also extremely portable and easy to pack. "




"Unleash your inner hippie with the Fornasetti pistol incense burner. Fornasetti's iconic and whimsical designs translate perfectly here, making this wooden box with a decorated ceramic burning tray the chicest way to infuse any environment with a seductive and inviting scent. In a characteristically witty Fornasetti gesture, as the incense stick burns, the ashes fall neatly onto the barrel of the gun."




"A well respected fashion editor once told me that you can always tell a well dressed man by his socks. I couldn't agree more. Nothing expresses individual style as much as a brightly clad ankle. Happy Socks (available on Gilt MAN) are my favorite."




"Stop counting carbs and start counting carbon!! With damage to the environment quickly becoming an irreversible fact, it's important that people try to understand ways to minimize their impact. A big part of this is calculating your personal carbon footprint which is basically the total sum of your carbon producing activities i.e. driving, air travel, household energy use and even food and other products that are shipped long distances to be consumed . Cut back where you can and also investigate purchasing carbon offsets from companies like Patagonia Sur (www.patagoniasur.com), who plant trees that sequester carbon naturally thus helping to mitigate the release of CO2 into the environment. Patagonia Sur will even provide geotag coordinates and a google earth link so you can check up on your little forest from the comfort of your home or office. It's a great gift for anyone on your list and for the environment too."




"Martin Greenfield for Gilt. Fashion elite and those in the know have been flocking to Brooklyn Based tailor Martin Greenfield for the last 50+ years, for tailored clothing that promises an impeccable fit and exquisite old world tailoring. In fact Greenfield is responsible for producing many of the best made suits on the market, sold under many of the designer labels you know and love. Recently Greenfield designed a collection just for Gilt – with all of the handwork that he's known for – but at a fraction of the price. The fit is amazing and should be a staple in every man's fashion arsenal. "




"Lanvin Sneakers. Best selection is at the Webster in Miami. They're incredibly comfortable and look good with just about everything."




"Momofuku “Birthday Cake”. For a gastronomic experience beyond compare, this amazing cake, available in the Momofuku bakery in New York City, is nothing short of a diet assasin. Calorie counters enjoy and proceed at your own risk!"

Photo at top courtesy of John Auerbach.

The Boles Family Christmas Tree

Last week was spent decorating my family's Christmas tree. Now, in years past, the tree trimming went something like this: buying the tree, loading it on top of the car, poor Dad schlepping it inside and getting it into the Red Devil (the super duper Christmas tree stand), stringing it with lights, decorating it with ornaments that we've had forever, and my mother vowing that "Next year, we're going to do this differently. Your father can't keep dragging a 7 foot tree into the house." Fortunately for Mom and Dad, this year's tree is a godsend.

I was contacted a few weeks ago by Green Valley Christmas Trees and was asked if I was interested in having them send me a tree to decorate. Believe me, it didn't take long for me to email a resounding "Yes!" I admit that I had never thought about ordering a Christmas tree or wreath online before, but now I'm a convert. You order your tree which is harvested and shipped on the same day to ensure freshness, and within a few days it is delivered to your doorstep via FedEx. I chose a 6-7' Fraser fir, and sure enough, within a few days, it was delivered to my parents' home. The tree was absolutely beautiful and fresh, and the shape was pretty close to perfect. And the best part was that my father's back was spared the pain of tree hauling duty.

Since buying the tree required so little effort, I decided to give this year's Boles family tree a whole new look. I had a large remnant of Rubelli fabric called "Tea Introduction", an exotic print filled with blues, pinks, and aubergines, which I used as a kind of slapdash tree skirt. It also served as inspiration for the color scheme of the tree. For the ornaments, I chose blue, silver, and pink ball ornaments mixed with peacocks (I don't think they were present for the tea introduction, but hey, they're exotic), pagodas, and aubergine colored feather-like things. When your tree has a theme, you have to be pretty flexible when buying ornaments. Finding exotic ornaments-especially in an aubergine color- in two days ain't easy!

The best part? My father's back is in one piece and my mother left the decorating to me. I'd say we're starting off the holidays on the right foot.



Rubelli's "Tea Introduction" was the inspiration for the tree's theme.

These peacocks were right up my alley- a gorgeous shade of blue and covered in little sequins.

The pagodas are reminiscent of those found in the fabric remnant.

I think this is a feather, but it was the aubergine color that sold me on them.

(All photographs by Jennifer Boles for The Peak of Chic)

A Hauntingly Beautiful Dessert

I'm being haunted by the Croquembouche. This tower of spun sugar and cream puffs has been on my radar for quite a while, but lately, they seem to be everywhere.

I got started on a roll with the Croquembouche that graced the lavish dessert table, above. That Christmas party took place in a gorgeous Upper East Side apartment in 1966. Amazingly enough, the host reads my blog, so I've had the chance to speak with him about his holiday hosting skills. I'll post that within the next week. But in the meantime, you gotta admit that that Croquembouche was quite the show stopper.

Mary McDonald obviously agreed. She served one up to her guests at her formal Christmas party from a few years ago. In fact, this Town & Country photo made an appearance in one of my very first posts way back when.

The version found in Tiffany Christmas is decked out with chocolate leaves and sugared almonds.

I also come across this one that is holding court with a glazed Smithfield ham.

And then, I was at the bookstore where I saw the cover of Fine Cooking magazine. Yep, a Croquembouche.


Last night at 3am, I had the great idea that I would make my very own Croquembouche and photograph it to share with all of you. And, at 7am, I thought better of it. Some things are better left to the pastry chefs of the world. Otherwise, I feel it is a recipe for disaster.

Back in the Olden Days...

While making my bed this morning, I was thinking. I have a lot of time to think while making my bed because there seems so much to do. There's the tucking in of the sheets and blanket, putting the blanket cover back on top of the bed, and arranging the mohair throw at the end of the bed. Then there's fluffing of the four (yes, four) standard pillows and placing them neatly at the head of the bed, not to mention the two Euros and the boudoir pillow. We just seem to have so much "stuff" on our beds today. And beds are high off the ground now. I used to have my bed perched up on those plastic cones that you get from the hardware store, but then I realized that that was just plain stupid. I'm no pygmy- I'm 5'8"- but it's silly when I have to stand on my tip-toes just to get into bed. And forget about Alfie. There would be no way that my canine short stuff could even make it up on the bed if I still had it jacked up. (And by the way, that's not my bed at top. Pretty linens, though. A lot of pillows, too.)

So what I was thinking about this morning was this:





Remember when we used to make our beds up like this? When we tucked our pillows (usually just one layer) under the bedspread? This was the way I learned to make my bed. In fact, I believe that I spent much of my childhood doing it this way. It's as if one day, this simple bed making method just went "poof!" and the next thing you knew, there was an explosion of pillows, duvets, covers, and throws.

I'm not necessarily advocating a purging of our bed accoutrements. I like my pink and white Schweitzer Euro shams and Yves Delorme mohair throw too much. All I'm saying is that it used to be much easier when our beds were minimalist.

And I'll let you know where my thoughts take me tomorrow morning when I repeat this daily exercise.

A London bedroom by designer Joseph Braswell.




This bedroom decorated by Louis Bromante is rather Mad Men.





This bedspread is a look that does not need revisiting.




A master bedroom designed by Arthur Smith





Thomas Jefferson's bed at Monticello.

(Second image in post is the bedroom in the Madrid apartment of designer Duarte Pinto Coelho.)

A Colorful Pick-Me-Up

Sometimes, I'll look around a room in my home and think "OK, we need to spice things up around here." My walls are more or less the colors that I want them to be, the furniture is placed just so, and tablescapes are arranged to the best of my ability. (It's vignettes that I usually need help with.) But even when a room looks pretty good, sometimes it needs a little oomph. A kick in the pants. Something to make it seem alive and kicking.

For me, the remedy is adding a little pop of color somewhere. Usually that entails a vase of brightly colored flowers like those on my living room mantel, shown above. There is nothing easier than getting a bunch of bright pink or coral roses or blood red carnations and strategically placing them on tables, mantels, even bar carts. But flowers aren't the only weapon. A vivid throw pillow can pack a punch as can artwork, books, lamp shades, or rugs. It really doesn't matter what it is as long as it doesn't seem too forced- the kiss of death in decoration. Just think of these little splashes of color as a shot in the arm for your home.

Spice up your room through...


Throw Pillows-in the Bettencourt villa at Neuilly.



A Poliakoff painting-in Roger Vivier's sitting room.



A brightly colored canvas- by Rothko.



Stack of books- in the London home of Tamara Mellon as designed by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard.



Towels (yes, towels)- in the master bath of David Lackey.




Flowers-in a home decorated by J. Randall Powers.



Coral and a bowl of oranges-in the Dallas apartment of John Bobbitt



A firescreen- in the Milan apartment of Count and Countess Panza di Biumo



Plates and candles- in the Montparnasse apartment of design duo Ravage.



(Image at top, copyright Denis Reggie. Mellon photo from Rooms to Inspire in the City: Stylish Interiors for Urban Living by Annie Kelly, Tim Street-Porter photographer. Bettencourt photo from Architectural Digest International Interiors; Vivier, Rothko, and di Biumo photos from The Best in European Decoration. Powers, Lackey, and Bobbitt photos from Domestic Art: Curated Interiors. Ravage photo from Paris Interiors.)

The Must-Have Accessory

What do you think of when you think of Bill Blass? Peerless style? Swoon-worthy homes? Those architectural models?? Admit it. Who hasn't pined for one of those models that Blass displayed so stylishly in his abodes.

Recently, I was at Spalding Nix Fine Art where I spied some really good-looking models of staircases, obelisks, and domes. My initial thought of "Oh wow! Antique models" turned to "Oh Lord! Must be out of my budget." Well, not true on either count. Though they look like they could be antiques, they're not. They're new, but you wouldn't know it thanks to their rich patinas. And the price? Very affordable. Nothing is over $390. That fabulous obelisk, above, is a mere $50.

So, if you're ready to start, um, building an architectural model collection, visit Spalding's website or gallery pronto! At the very least, you can peruse the gallery's collection of antique furniture and paintings. Spalding is famous for his discerning eye and his enthusiasm for collecting.

Spalding Nix Fine Art is located at The Galleries of Peachtree Hills, Building 5, Suite 30-A. He can be contacted at (404) 841-7777.





Demi-Dome, 16 by 18 by 9.75 inches, $275



Bell Tower Antica, 34.25 by 13.5 inches, $390



Spiral Staircase, 14.75 by 12.5 inches, $130



Grand Staircase, 19.25in by 12.5 inches, $200



Lighthouse Steps, 23.75 by 6.75 by 4.25 inches, $130

Image at top: Black Obelisk (15.75 by 2.75inches, $50) and Mission Stairs (25.75 by 6.75 inches, $130)