Summer Staple

Jack Rogers Navajo sandals have been my summer staple for the past six years...that is until mine busted while busting a move in Mexico last week (yes I had the same pair for six years!).  I thought about replacing them with a pair of Tory Burch t-strap sandals but I just can't seem to resist this classic.  I mean, anything that Jackie O wore you really can't go wrong with.  So for now, I'll save the extra $100 that the TB's cost and buy this sparkly gold pair.  Here's to another six years, Mr. Rogers!

What's your summer staple?

A Kennedy Christmas

I just about died when I discovered this painting of the White House Christmas tree.  In the early 60s First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy captured the efforts of her historic White House renovation by painting the Blue Room's whimsically decorated Balsam fir. It's said that Jackie began the tradition of selecting a theme for the White House Christmas tree by decorating the 1961 Blue Room tree with toys, birds, candy canes and angels modeled after Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.  I'd love to find a print of Jackie's painting to hang on my gallery wall every Christmas.....her style reminds me of the watercolor paintings by French artist Jacqueline Duheme .

My how times have changed.  In 2009 the Obamas chose Simon Doonan, the creative director of Barney's New York, to decorate the White House Christmas tree.  Doonan, known for his extreme design choices, featured ornaments like the oh-so-festive Chairman Mao.  What a difference a few decades make, uh?  This year, since my childhood Christmas ornaments are at my parent's house, my tree will be filled with peacocks aplenty!  I'll share the results soon :)

(images via Style Court and  Kennedy Library)

Divine Dressing Room

On February 23, 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy launched the most recognized and celebrated redecoration of the White House in its history. In her quest to build a visual collection representative of the past, present and future of America, Mrs. Kennedy enlisted Stephane Boudin president of the French design house Jansen.  Founded in 1880 by Jean-Henri Jansen, the firm was known for bringing colorful, quasi-historical swank to the homes of C. Z. Guest, Nancy Lancaster, Coco Chanel and the Duchess of Windsor.

A true expression of Boudin's style was the decoration of Jackie's dressing room. Stepping away from Sister Parish's design for the room, which was less than two years old, the design of the dressing room, pictured above, conveyed a sense of sophistication, luxury and warmth. From this small corner room the Frenchman removed all traces of Parish's casual aesthetic, replacing them with French antiques, a leopard skin throw, and elaborate silk draperies trimmed with tassel fringe.  Even though it was designed circa 1962 this room has a timelessness about it - I love it all, especially the personal photos tucked in the frame of Jackie's vanity mirror.

Perhaps the most stunning feature in the room was the trompe l'oeil painting on the doors of the First Lady's wardrobe.  The doors, painted by Parisian-based artist Pierre-Marie Rudelle, featured a collection Mrs. Kennedy's favorite objects.  Items duplicated in the artist's painting included John F. Kennedy's Pulitzer-winning Profiles in Courage and a portrait of Caroline Kennedy as an infant.  Check out a detail of the doors below.

 You can see the evolution of this divine dressing room here. 

(Images Architectural Digest, JFK Library)