The VIP Martini:
3 oz. Belvedere Red
.5 oz. Vermouth, Dry
2 Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives
Add the Belvedere Red and Vermouth to the cocktail shaker filled with ice. Cap, shake (for 10 seconds) and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with blue cheese stuffed Olives. Cheers!
AERIN Brass Match Striker
Aerin Lauder strikes gold with her new AERIN Holiday Home Object Collection. Designed for unique gift-giving and home accenting, the Match Striker is one of our personal favorites to give or receive. Inspired by an antique glass and silver piece Lauder’s father gave her years ago, the match striker adds a touch of elegance to the lighting of a fire or candle to make the action special. ”The gold match striker is the perfect finishing touch to any table. Either on the coffee table or on the mantle, it adds an element of luxury and style,” says Lauder. The Holiday Home Object Collection also includes floral nesting bowls and vases, wine stops and agate and pyrite accessories.
Peppermint Mojito:
1.5 oz Bacardi Superior Rum
1 oz. Lime Juice
1 oz. Monin O’Free Syrup
5 Mint Leaves
2 Dashes of each – Mint Bitters, Free Brothers
.5 Tablespoon Club Soda
Add the first 5 ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Cap and shake. Strain into a pilsner glass filled with ice. Garnish with a peppermint candy. Cheers!
We’re looking forward to a lovelorn, aristocratic wallow in Anna Karenina this holiday weekend. Emily Watson, who plays the Countess Lydia Ivanovna, took The Book’s Full Disclosure questionnaire, above and below.
You’re penning an autobiography. What’s the title? When did that happen?
Your idea of perfection? My children running through the long grass
The greatest lesson you ever learned from a child? Be consistent
What talent do you wish you had? Dancing
Greatest fear? Being eaten by wild animals.
If not your current occupation, what would you like to be? Writer
Cat/Dog/Bird/Fish? Dog
If you could be any one person for a day, who would it be? Helen Mirren
What puts you in a creative mood? A hangover!
What is your most treasured possession? My phone
What is something about you that nobody would guess? Soccer nut
Favorite indulgence? Chocolate anything
If you could rewrite your history, what one thing would you change? That I saw my mum more before she died
Which artist do you admire most? Rothko
What would you do with one extra hour in your day? Read
What is the first concert/musical performance you attended? London Philharmonic Orchestra
Your most annoying habit? Leaving stuff lying around
What single piece of art do you wish you’d created? Michaelangelo’s Pieta
How would you like to be remembered? With great happiness by my children
Secret junk food vice? Chocolate again
If you had to pick your theme song, what would it be? [left blank]
The best way to show off a cocktail ring is while sipping a delicious aperitif. Here are four fantastic recipes just in time for the holidays. Cheers!
White Whisper:
4 oz Cointreau
1 oz Créme de Menthe
1/2 oz. Brandy
Shake well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled sugar-rimmed martini glass. Lastly, add a dash of grenadine.
Pair the White Whisper cocktail with Stephen Webster’s Quartz mother-of-pearl doublet and sterling silver ring.
The Jewel:
1 Part Gin
1 Part Green Chartreuse
1 Part Vermouth, Sweet
1 Dash Orange Bitters
1 Spiral Lemon
Shake well then strain into a martini glass.
Pair The Jewel cocktail with Stephanie Anne’s Green Malachite and bronze ring.
Blushing Fizz:
1 Part Elderflower Cordial Champagne
1 Slice Pear
1 Leaf Mint
Fill a blender with ice cubes. Add elderflower cordial. Blend and pour into a chilled champagne glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with a mint leaf and pear.
Pair the Blushing Fizz with Oscar de la Renta’s multicolor rystal, pewter and brass ring.
Au Kurant:
5 Parts Absolut Kurant
2 Parts Simple Syrup
1 Part Lemon Juice
10 Whole Cranberries
Pair the Au Kurant cocktail with Stephen Dweck’s purple druzy and bronze ring.
NYFW:
2 Part Rye Whiskey
1 Part Vermouth, Sweet
1 Splash Maraschino Liqueur
2 Dashes Bitters
1 Whole Maraschino Berry
Pair the NYFW cocktail with Aurelie Bidermann’s starburst ring.
#NMhappyhour #BeJeweled
Balenciaga Spring 2013.
In seasons past the stacked wrist was the official symbol of fashion blogger success. Finding the ideal mash-up of mixed metals, materials, eras and sizes was considered fashion science. With the mastery of one subject comes the next — multiple rings! Stacks of rings were spotted on every finger at the Balenciaga Spring runway in Paris this season. Naturally, like most of Nicolas Ghesquiere’s designs, the phenomenon caught on among fashion bloggers. This is how the trend transitions to the fashion blogosphere.
San Francisco-based blogger Blair Eadie, of the blog Atlantic-Pacific, wears a mix of stacked David Yurman & YSL rings with burgundy nails, an armful of cuffs, the leather leg and smoking slippers.
Blair Eadie of Atlantic-Pacific.
West Hollywood-based blogger Shea Marie, of the blog Cheyenne Meets Chanel, wears a mix of Gorjana monogrammed rings with black and gold nails, an armful of gold bangles, Vince t-shirt and leopard scarf.
Shea Marie of Cheyenne Meets Chanel.
Los Angeles-based blogger Julie Sarinana, of the blog Sincerely Jules, wears a mix of silver and gold metal bands with nude nails, an armful of studded bracelets, a Joie red leather jacket and Celine Luggage tote, in navy.
Julie Sarinana of Sincerely Jules.
Los Angeles-based blogger Jacey Duprie, of the blog Damsel in Dior, wears stacks of gold rings with an armful of iconic bracelets and a printed dress.
Jacey Duprie of Damsel in Dior.
Shop rings online at NeimanMarcus.com or in Neiman Marcus stores.
Pisco Punch:
2.5 oz. Pisco Porton
1 oz. Pineapple Gum Syrup
1 oz. Lemon Juice
1 Pineapple chunk, soaked in Pisco
Shake with ice. Double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a pineapple chunk. Cheers!
Linda:
1. Anything that gets people in the holiday spirit.
2. Soul Cycle in Manhattan every week!
3. Sunday morning’s at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. One of my favorite eras is the Byzantine.
4. Window shopping on Madison Avenue
5. Getting away to Palm Beach. To be near palm trees and our stores in the winter.
Kim:
1. Designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka. Sequin designs their jewelry and we are always inspired by their collections each season.
2. Billy’s Cupcakes, the absolute best in New York.
3. Pet house rabbits (they are easily litter-box trained and super affectionate!) Check out www.rabbitcare.org for more information.
4. Neiman Marcus Palm Beach. I love everything about Palm Beach!
5. The Skybar in Newport, Rhode Island – a beautiful restaurant and bar. I met my husband here!
AERIN Beauty Holiday Palette.
Estee Lauder heir Aerin Lauder debuted her own eponymous label AERIN earlier this year. “I joke that I’ve been in the industry for 42 years, when really it’s been 20. Nonetheless, it’s been many years,” says Lauder. The AERIN collection is a response to people asking what beauty products Lauder uses. The collection evolves this season with a new holiday color palette, (in stores and online now) which includes six complementary eye shadow shades that make an “evening in or out” effortless and chic.
Aerin Lauder at Oak Restaurant in Dallas.
“Holiday is a bit more glamorous,” says Lauder. The eye shadow palette has a highlighter in it, which can be used on your cheek and brow bones. It also allows this idea of a metallic, iridescent or smoky eye come to life. The lipsticks are full sized but housed in small cases that fit into an evening bag. “It’s handbag chic, minaudiere chic,” says Lauder.
AERIN Holiday Palette.
According to Lauder, “beauty is very personal and it’s what makes you feel complete.” The beauty collection is inspired by a few of Lauder’s favorite things – “friends, flowers and fabrics.” The compacts are packaged in a gold linen, the colors are mostly inspired by nature (whether plants, trees or flowers) and the entire collection has been vetted through her friends. “My friends and I often discuss that we’re juggling so much, rarely have time for ourselves and we ask ourselves how do you make life easier?” This beauty collection is really mistake-proof and effortless. The products reflect moments where life is peaceful or fun. One of the lip shades is a creamy natural beige color, called ‘Sunday Morning.’ “This is such a moment, you wake up, read the paper, drink coffee and decide what to do for the day. It’s a moment of peacefulness, it’s a moment that I love,” says Lauder.
Aerin Lauder at NM NorthPark in Dallas.
When asked what her personal beauty philosophy is she says, “just because something is on trend doesn’t mean you have to wear it. You can enjoy it, you can see it, you can look at it in magazines but just because it’s of the moment doesn’t mean you need to embrace colored nail polish or lipstick. You should always feel comfortable with what you are wearing.”
Shop AERIN online at NeimanMarcus.com or Neiman Marcus stores.
Driven by the perpetual need for discovery and evolution, Hudson Jeans creative director Ben Taverniti and his team create more than just jeans each season. Discover Hudson’s 13 principles and see what goes into every pair of jeans. “After all, when you look good, you feel good and when you feel good you are ready to take on the world,” says Taverniti.
