Well red

Guy Bourdin

I wear red nail polish throughout the year but like it especially during the holidays.


Like my beloved tartan, there is something very festive about red nails, though I hardly limit myself to special occasions.

While I have been getting manicures since I left college and entered the working world, I don't particularly like getting them.  I hate waiting for them to dry and not being able to use my hands. 



(One upside?  Catching up on my celebrity gossip.)

Somewhere over the years I ventured from one coat of sheer polish to red.  Not too long or too squared off, and never any sparkle.  Just red, in whatever shade appeals to me when I walk into the salon.



No guts, no glory:
Ms. Vreeland had no fear of red, as seen in her Billy Baldwin designed living room.

Red nails seemed to be the norm half a century ago, though in so many photos they are concealed with gloves!



Mark Shaw photograph, 1955



This desperate housewife never skimps on style.



Marilyn, of course



A young Joan Collins in her pink bedroom with her matching pink poodle.



And of course, the Hitchcock heroine.


While there are so many aspects of our appearence that we cannot control, this one we can.  


Right?


Right.

Xox,

Jenny

Plaid men: take II

There are no words.


It is that time of year when I bring out my "party pants", winter's answer to my summer stand-by.

I rarely wear pants, but this is one seasonal exception, and between now and late February, I will don these timeless tartan trousers:

A sampling.

For the month of December, I will often pair with one of my pairs of plaid pumps.  


The only thing better than tartan is layered tartan, no?

I have been a devoted fan of this festive fabric forever and was so excited when this book came out:

My copy was lost in the move and will hopefully resurface soon.

I remember my parents' holiday parties as a sea of plaid, each as likely to be my father, or mother, as the next.  I finally bought my own pair from J. Crew years ago, for a Scottish-highland-themed party.  They continued to come out with plaid pants every holiday season, but then changed the styling and I stopped buying them.  I added to my collection a few years later when J. McLaughlin came out with their own version.  What is it about us J's and our tartan pants?


And what other article of clothing can I realistically see myself wearing well into my 80's and 90's?


A solid investment, if you ask me.

Which is why I roped Jack into the game with his own pair from Brooks Brothers, and I have my eye on this black watch pattern from Orvis:

Dare I get carried away on this site...

While I prefer my plaid more preppy than hipster- I may have to invest these skinny pants for Pierce, from Gwen Stefani's line at Target when it debuts... in four days.

Anyway, you can imagine my delight last week when I stumbled upon this pair:

While they are "factory", and not 100% wool, they are quite soft and cut just the way I like.  No bells or whistles.

And how conveeenient that my mom just found this cute pair for Pierce- his very first party pants!

You know we never pass up an opportunity to coordinate.

No need to ask: we planned it.

Xox,

Jenny

Class act

On Wednesday I went back to the Public hotel for a party in honor of Derek Blasberg's new book, Very Classy.

My mother and I have quite the collection of style-guide books.  We can't resist their promise of effortless glamour and improved overall existence. 

(A sampling of our combined collection)


We are forever trying to be more French.  Wait, no, Parisian.

I had vetted out Derek, the editor-at-large of Harpers Bazaar, with a former colleague of his, and mine, and she assured me that he was both "amazing" and "hilarious".  Clearly young Derek, who is not yet 30, is doing something right. 


He is also native of St. Louis, and we bonded over East coasters misconceptions about the Midwest...

(Thanks Annie!)

The book looks hilarious and is chock full of tips and advice in a readable format, including charts, how-to's, Q&As, diagrams and quite a few photos of the author himself, with his many well heeled friends.  

My mom's birthday is this week so I asked Derek to sign a copy for her.  He wished her a happy birthday and and then sweetly complimented her on yours truly.

Flattery will get you everywhere.


Xox,
Jenny

Sunny days

Last weekend at the park I was talking to another mother about my issues with TV.

Mostly, that Pierce has no interest in it, whatsoever.  Now don't get me wrong, Pierce loves his books, and I would not want him glued to an episode of Cops for 30 minutes, but perhaps five, even two minutes in front of Dora could not do any harm?  Right?

Pierce turns off the TV as soon as I turn it on.

This woman shared her secret, that, it appears, millions of parents have known for a while.

Sesame Street. 

Duh.

Specifically, the Sesame Street videos her child watches on YouTube, like this charming remix by Feist:

(This makes me want bangs)

Pierce and I watched this at least three times last night, and while he spent much of the time trying to type on the keypad, he sat still for quite a bit of it.

Progress!


I also came across this video.  I remember this song so well from my childhood.

I will always love Madeline Khan.  Not only for her remarkable voice but also for her memorable portrayal of Mrs. White in the movie version of the board game Clue.





I also have a special place in my heart for Grover, the Elmo of the 80's.

Not only for his endearing, inquisitive nature, but also for this timeless classic.

We grew up on Sesame Street.  My mom even made my these charming Sesame Street curtains when she was expecting my older sister, before she knew much about the show:





That would be my brother, in the corner.  So bright and cheery, the curtains were passed down from Annie to me to David.


I have liked the idea of making my own curtains since I saw this post on LGN.  Sheets as curtains- brilliant!

I like the vintage feel of these sheets by Pottery Barn.


Though not much of a DIY'er myself, I imagine a seamstress could retrofit these puppies as curtains for a fraction of the cost of custom.


Okay, time to get to work.  But just one more song with Judy Collins to take you back...

Xox,
Jenny

Paper source

Image via Pinterest


When I was young I would go to work with my dad about once a year.  This was a big event.   I would take off school and get dressed up and we would take the train downtown and go out to lunch and maybe the zoo in the afternoon.


We still have photocopies from those office visits, similar to the one above. 


They are, to me, some of the most touching images and I always get a little choked up whenever I come across them now.  


I remember my dad punching in his copy code, required at his big law office.


I remember making copies of whatever lucky stuffed animal I chose to bring with me.  


Of our hands, the side of my face, the side of my dad's face.  Our glasses.


Most of all, I remember what a fun adventure it was, never knowing what a complete hassle it must have been for him having me there.  A joy too, of course.  But still.


I am going to start doing this with Pierce, today, and wanted to share with you a great product my mom introduced to me a few years ago:

Yes, printer paper.

No, they are not all the same.

It is soft to the touch but not shiney and makes great copies.  Perfect for printing out dozens of tearsheets and nice enough to use for more official documents.


Not sure how our handprints will come out- my small Epson printer might not work as well as a larger one used in an office.


But I will try.  And if it doesn't work out, perhaps a trip to Kinkos is in the cards.

Xox,

Jenny