It dawned on me over the holidays that I'm partial to stationery, cocktail napkins, and other "stuff" that have quotations or phrases emblazoned on them. It might be a gentle reminder to "Don't Forget", or perhaps something cheeky like "We Don't Care How You Do It Up North!" (The latter was printed on paper cocktail napkins that I once had.) I've always admired the needlepoint pillows with witty sayings on them that Mario Buatta seems to be able to find. (Where, oh where, do you find these, Mario?) And then there is the needlepoint pillow that a disgruntled girlfriend once gave to famed Hollywood producer Robert Evans that read "He knows where you've been sleeping." That took guts, no?
I decided to take a quick tour around my home and snap some photos of the notepads, napkins, and matchbooks which feature quotes. And no, no "He knows where you've been sleeping" pillows around here.
My friend Louise seems to be a fan of quotations too. She owns monkey notecards printed with this quote by Edna Woolman Chase- " Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess." Chase certainly had a point. Louise was kind enough to give me one which I display on my bookshelves.
Another gift from Louise were these matchbooks with the immortal words of Cicero (the quotation had to be shortened because of the size of the matchbook)- "A room without books is a body without soul." Truer words were never spoken.
Didn't we all go crazy for Charlotte Moss' fabulous notepads and cocktail napkins that celebrated the spirited words of Diana Vreeland, Tony Duquette, and other style icons? I would argue that it takes a cup of strong coffee to get out of bed in the mornings, but what do I know. Why argue with Diana?
And for the grand finale:
Yes, an actual piece of paper from Albert Hadley's famous "Don't Forget" notepads. To me, this is the equivalent of owning a vial of Elvis' sweat. It was stuck in a copy of "Decoration" that was once part of the Parish-Hadley library. I found it late one night around midnight, and I was positively dying to call somebody, anybody. How many people, though, want to receive a call in the middle of the night saying "Oh my Lord, I just found some of that Albert Hadley "Don't Forget" notepaper!"
All photos taken by Jennifer Boles, copyright The Peak of Chic.
Here's mud in your eye.
I've been giving a lot of thought to house cocktails lately. A few months ago, House Beautiful asked me to come up with a cocktail that would be fitting to serve at one's mountain house. The first thing that popped into my head was "Southern Cola", a cocktail for which I absolutely cannot take credit. The creator of this libation was mixologist extraordinaire Greg Best of Holeman & Finch in Atlanta. The drink, by the way, is made of Coca Cola, Amaro, and a lime juice ice cube, and it's really quite delicious.
More recently, my neighbors David and Scott served me a variation on the Satsuma Mojito, a drink favored by Julia Reed. David's version- he calls it the Satsuma Stinger- consists of Satsuma juice, soda, vodka, and mint. It was refreshing and fizzy and yes, it's so good that before you know it, it's 1am and you're stung. This needs to become David and Scott's house cocktail.
And finally, over Saturday lunch with my Charleston friends Mitchell and Randall, I asked what the hot cocktail of the moment was in their hometown. The response was spritzers and cocktails made from Elderflower syrup or St-Germain (an elderflower liqueur that's especially delicious when mixed with champagne and soda.)
All of this talk about cocktails led me to the decision that I need to come up with a house cocktail to serve my guests over the coming months. This actually is of vital importance to me as I live in a building where all we seem to do is eat a lot, drink a lot, and stay up well into the night discussing important matters like gossip, old Atlanta, and decorating. Hey, why not when all you have to do to get home is simply get on the elevator and press a button-hopefully the correct one to your floor.
I do already serve Kir Royales from time to time, so this could be an option. It's classic, something that I like. In fact, I believe that the first time I had one was at The Carlyle when I was college-aged, so this drink just might be the sentimental favorite for me.
Of course, I could channel Nan Kempner and start proffering Bull Shots to my guests. Don't we all remember that W article in which Nan downed her Bull Shot, claimed she was "pissed drunk", and then proceeded to say that she "loathed fat people"? Do you think Bull Shots make you fat?
Maybe I need a house cocktail that contains Bourbon because after all, I'm a Southerner. If you could bottle Sid Mashburn's classic and cool, traditional yet hip Southern vibe and mix it with bourbon, then that just might be the perfect Southern cocktail. 
If all else fails, I could serve what I oftentimes do: Riondo Pink Prosecco. The taste is crisp and dry, the hue a rosy shade of pink, and the bottle's label is chic. What's not to like? But it's a new year, and it's time I venture out of my cocktail comfort zone and serve something different. I need help! You're a fun-loving group of people. What do you think?
by Christopher Idone; Campbell's Beef Broth silkscreen by Richard Pettibone; julep cup photo from Park Avenue Potluck Celebrations: Entertaining at Home with New York's Savviest Hostesses
; prosecco photo by Jennifer Boles.
I've had this photo of Barbara Cartland for a few years now. Torn from a British magazine, it shows a young Barbara in quite a pretty gown. I don't really know why I've kept it, although perhaps it's because I'm a fan of the late romance writer. I've never read a single one of her books as historical romances aren't my cup of tea. No, I guess I'm a fan because I like the idea of Barbara Cartland- her signature shade of pink, that ever present canine companion, and her über-feminine persona. Oh, and the false lashes don't hurt either.
I'm glad that I hung on to that black and white photo of her, because I finally found the opportunity to use it. Who knew that The Englishwoman's House
Cartland's bedroom in shades of blue and coral. Would you have expected any less than a heart throw pillow on the bed?
The library, also in Nile blue and coral. How beautiful is that blue paneling? Take away the pink carpet and the room looks great today.
The all-important kitchen. I can't quite tell what was being served on her china, but it looks good.
A c. 1650 French four-poster bed that graced one of the bedrooms. Cartland deemed it "the most beautiful bed in the world."
The gentlemen's cloakroom featured numerous Barbara Cartland caricatures.
(Cartland house photos from The Englishwoman's House
Have you seen this week's Space of the Week on New York magazine's website? If not, you surely do not want to miss it. Wendy Goodman has made me very, very happy by posting photos of legendary magazine editor Mary Jane Pool's Manhattan apartment- one of my very favorite homes ever.
The apartment, you might remember, was featured in the March 2008 Domino along with photos of Pool's previous apartments. It's elegant, comfortable, and supremely stylish. This is the kind of home that I'm trying my hardest to create. I've borrowed a few images of Goodman's, but I really urge you to see the entire slideshow. My only complaint is that it's not three times as long.
And by the way, does anyone know where I can find tables similar to Pool's, as seen below? One or two would be perfect for my own Mary Jane Pool apartment in the making.
(For my own take on Pool's great style, click here.)
(Images taken by Wendy Goodman for New York magazine.)
I have a mind like a steel trap. Or, the memory of an elephant, depending on how you'd like to say it. It's something that has vexed various boyfriends through the years. Because let me tell you, if they said something that didn't sit well with me, I never forgot it. And I never let them forget it either. Not that I endlessly nagged them about their lapses in decorum or chivalry. No, I filed it away in my mind and then brought it up when and only when it seemed appropriate...like in the heat of battle.
Well, the steel trap has come in handy again, though this time not in a romantic entanglement. This time, it helped me piece together photos of a really chic use of corduroy. I was flipping through Architectural Digest International Interiors
So, I figured if everybody else in Atlanta was taking a few snow days, I'd do the same. Of course, there was absolutely no excuse for me not to compose a few posts or two. The power did stay on, after all. But sometimes it's a real treat to do absolutely nothing, and that nothing included spending an embarrassing amount of time on Neiman's website. It wasn't for naught, either, because I found an Etro skirt that I'm dying for as well as some YSL shoes. What really caught my eye, though, was this Carolina Herrera skirt, shown above. It's really unique and striking, right? I tend to avoid wearing anything floral on my person, something which I attribute to those Laura Ashley dresses from the 1980s. (They were cute, but a little went a long way.)
No, what really struck me about this skirt is how reminiscent it is of Mary Delany's botanical paper mosaics. Then I read that much of Herrera's Spring 2011 collection was inspired by 18th century botanical plates, so the connection makes sense. Of course, Mary Delany never used tape in her work (or at least not that I'm aware of), but other similarities are there. Here is a little side by side comparison:
"Phlox suaveolens", 1776
"Amygdalus Persica", 1778
"Cynoglossum omphalodes", 1776.
"Arctotis calendulacea", 1777.
Top images from Neiman Marcus; other Herrera photos courtesy of Style.com; Delany images from Mrs. Delany and Her Circle (Yale Centre for British Art)
I won't bore you with my New Year's resolutions because quite frankly I don't make them. But, if forced to make one, I might say it would be to make the time to do more needlepoint. I've been working on the same canvas now for three years- seriously. It's an Erica Wilson design called Erica's Diamonds, and the reason that I chose it was because it was surprisingly modern looking. Do you know how hard it is to find needlepoint designs that aren't cutesy nor overwrought traditional? My only hesitation about Erica's Diamonds is that it's a riot of color, and I haven't a clue where I'll eventually put it once it's been made into a cushion. But still, once I start something, I must finish it-even if it's three years later. So, I will finish this darn thing in 2011.
What I would absolutely love, and I really mean love, is to find canvases with designs that are chic or modern or unique. To me, the ultimate needlepoint designs must be those geometric masterpieces by the late Sol Kent:
Now this is my kind of needlepoint. It's sophisticated and the colors are subtle. But the important thing to note here is that Kent created his own graphic designs. I suppose that he couldn't find contemporary looking canvases either.
The late Birmingham designer Joe McKinnon took up needlework late in life. He worked on pillows, game table covers, and runners like those, above. I don't know if he designed these particular examples himself or not. That Chinese fretwork pillow would be perfect in my home.
The first time I came across Lou Gartner's book on needlepoint, Needlepoint Design
The conclusion that I have come to is that I simply don't have the time to create my own designs and put them down on a canvas. And then there's the actual process of stitching too which takes a lot of time- or at least, it does for me. So, I either need a Lou Gartner or Sol Kent in my life to whip something up for me at my request, or I'm going to have to wait until my retirement years to do it all. Unless, of course, any of you have any better ideas!
(Kent photos from Veranda, Fall 1994, Cameron Wood photographer; McKinnon photos from an old Southern Accents; Gartner photos from Needlepoint Design
