The Historic Glen Cove Mansion – Roaring Twenties Splendor

Text & Images, Vivian Kelly

I’ve always wanted to check-out Long Island’s North Shore. It’s where some iconic “right time/right place” moments: F Scott Fitzgerald’s “East Egg V. West Egg” in The Great Gatsby in the Roaring Twenties when Gatsby had a party to end all parties at least once a week. I was able to blast back to this period in the past when I stayed at the Glen Cove Mansion in Glen Cove, L.I.

Maybe Fitzgerald was inspired by big business personalities such as John Pratt who was an attorney and executive with Standard Oil, the behemoth oil company founded by robber baron John D. Rockefeller in 1870.

John and his wife, Ruth Pratt [quite the career woman herself] maintained the 55 acre estate to the glamorous standards that were “an integral part of the many glamorous estates which comprised Long Island’s Gold Coast.” *

The front of the mansion is truly magnificent as is the entrance – huge double staircases, rich paneling and antique fixtures which put it on Country Life Magazine’s “best twelve country houses in America”. If you do nothing else, take the time to rent a bike from their fitness center on the second floor and tour the neighboring streets. You won’t be able to go down the long driveways – impossible to miss the forbidding “absolutely no trespassing” signs or the older white iron poles with black block letters spelling “”private”.

Once back at the Glen Cove Mansion, I day dreamed back to the Roaring Twenties as I biked around the former Pratt mansion’s circular drive. I imagined I could see the bejeweled guests arriving in flapper dresses and tuxedos, eager to attend yet another Gatsby-esque party to end all parties staged at the pool in the back of the property’s 55 acres.

*From the Glen Cove Mansion’s in-house guest information kit

Booking Information: I found the Mansion thanks to Living Social.com

Stocking Stuffers for Eleventh Hour Shoppers

Text, Vivian Kelly

I’m an eleventh hour shopper and d–n proud of it. Gal Pal, Demi Schimenti and I agreed that one of the funnest parts of the Holidays is that Christmas Eve visit to the Mall to grab stocking stuffers. I do it every year but this year, I’ve got a list prepared before-hand.

THe Stocking – One of Lady Gaga‘s “Gaga’s Workshop” alternative stockings, currently on the 5th Floor at Barneys NY.

Price: $45

For the Beauty Addicts in your life: Shiseido’s Honey Cake Translucent Soap. They come in my two favorite colors – Lilly Pulitzer pink and green. Available exclusively during the holiday season, for a limited time only at www.shiseido.com . A cult classic since its launch in 1956, these luxurious French-milled soaps are made from honey . $7.50

Grab a few at Lord & Taylor.

Nicole Lynn Cardillo, the company’s Executive Director of Public Relations told me that it ‘s also a good shampoo. Perfect – for those of us who like to travel light.

Stay at Lord & Taylor or hit Sephora and splurge on some NARS eyeshadow duos. Last night, I picked up Kalahari – a color that goes with everything, chosen and demoed for me by Courtney Ferris, who used to work for NARS. She’s currently the Laura Mercier Counter Manager, but as the NARS rep was gone for the day, she obliged, and we bonded over her iphone pic of her prize possessions – a pair of Louboutin peep-toes, that only come out for really big occassions.

Hop over to the Accessories counter at L&T and pick up one of Carolee’s limited edition icon pins – the Wallis or Elizabeth Taylor ones give a swank touch to the standard issue black sweater. If you can’t spring for Cartier, this one is the solution, at $75.

At Sephora – Warning- DO NOT dawdle! Get a couple of sets of FRESH’s brown sugar exfoliator and lip balm stick. The set is on special for $22.50 and both are unisex. Sign your special someone up for the Sephora rewards program starting with the points you get for this purchase.

Techie lovers – Jog over to Brookstone. I picked up the video spy pen for the James Bond wanna be in my life for $79.99, mostly because I’m dying to try it out too.

For the foodies, it’s off to Williams -Sonoma. Their red velvet cupcake mix is THE best out there for the Cake Boss fans on your list. If you have time, get them one from Crumbs or Junior’s so they have a model to emulate.

IF you have time and can order online:

Alexis Studio Design’s Asian Moonlight Earrings $45

Wear these in good company; they’re going in the Golden Globe Gift Bags.

Coffee hounds – you’re going to LOVE Organo Gold - coffees which are really healthy because of the Ganoderma herb they are infused with*.My favorite is the latte, it’s just sweet enough. Fashion Publicist-Friend, Dana Bethune, turned me on to it and like a true addict, I’m Jonesing for the next shipment of the latte packets to come in!

Accessories – IMAN Global Chic. Here’s bling without going bust. The Holiday Glam Crystal and Pave Knockout Ring is perfect for cocktail parties when you want to show off your holiday mani.

HSN is on it when it comes to deliveries.

Go to my favorite apothecary, MIN New York and pick up Acqua Di Parma’s Blue Mediterraneo Shower Cream or Shower Gel. After one too many rounds of battling for possession, I gave up and bought the “Mandorlo Di Sicilia” scented one so there’s one for each shower in the house.

And lastly for the bookish person on your list, Rizzoli’s MM-Personal, From The Private Archives of Marilyn Monroe

ENDNOTES

**About Ganoderma – that key ingredient in Organo coffee

Ganoderma an ancient Chinese herb revered for over 5,000 years as the world’s ‘superior’ herb. 100% ORGANIC GANODERMA LUCIDUM is also scientifically proven worldwide as one of nature’s most potent health boosters. It is associated with longevity, youthfulness, and vitality. “Often used as an immune stimulant by people with cancer (as well as HIV), Ganoderma has been shown to strengthen immunity as well as combat cancer-cell proliferation.”

A Night Out – Holiday Cheer W/ Shiseido at Town & Country’s Visionnaire 5th Avenue Apartment

Text, Vivian Kelly

Last week, I was the “plus one” for a swank event co-sponsored by Town & Country and Shiseido. Contributor Laura Wood and I were there for a veritable laundry list of reasons:

- to chat with her friend, Connor Raus, a digital strategist ad the Creative Director of Digitature and to watch him in action, filming host and stylist, Luciene Salomone

- to check out the decorated apartment

- to watch the Shiseido presentation of the Future Solution LX line, of which I was already a fan. [ Kaplow PR had gifted me Bio- Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream which feels insanely rich and luxurious, even at 6:30 in the morning when I've only got one eye lid open. A few colleagues have told me how "rested" I looked recently.]

The event invite promised ” a lip touch-up” which sealed the deal as I can’t ever pass up an opportunity to find a new shade of lipstick, never mind the 30+ tubes of lipsticks and glosses piled behind me on the FE home office shelf.

An added bonus to the affair was to wander about the lovely apartment and to peruse the gorgeous Rizzoli coffee table books. I’ve got MM Personal: From the Private Archive of Marilyn Monroe on its way to me for some much anticipated holiday reading.

Below, a video of host, Luciene Salome discussing the events of the evening.

Hal Rubenstein and his 100 Unforgettable Dresses- Spotlight on Elizabeth Hurley in Gianni Versace’s Safety Pin Dress

Text and Video, Vivian Kelly

I’m still reading 100 Unforgettable Dresses and using it as a “time out treat” from grading and teaching. The section that kicks-off the book is one of the best written and informative pieces of fashion history I’ve read in a really long time.

In the video below, author Hal Rubenstein talks to The Fashion Examiner about Elizabeth Hurley, Gianni Versace and the magic they created together with the infamous “safety pin dress”. In the book, Hal dissects the WHY part of the magic these dresses imparted on the women who wore them. The closest most women get to that “magic feeling” is when they step into their wedding dress and are transformed.

100 Unforgettable Dresses by Hal Rubenstein + Joe’s Jeans = Newfound Holiday Spirit

Text, Vivian Kelly

Yesterday, I finally edged my way into “the Holiday Spirit”.

The event that got me into the spirit was InStyle Fashion Director Hal Rubenstein’s Book Signing at Joe’s 77 Mercer Street, orchestrated by Paul Wilmot Communications.

Hal Rubenstein, Author of 100 Dresses, fashion guru-personality

I’ve blogged about Joe’s Jeans before because I was entranced by Paz de la Huerta in the recent campaign that was more art than commerce [love that]. The most recent campaign – colored jeans – grabbed me too, but in a different way. The last time I wore colored jeans was in the Eighties. It was Christmas Break at Duke, and I had some money to spend and found myself at Macy’s, in the Ralph Lauren Department. I was inextricably drawn to a pair of Tiffany blue jeans. What would I wear with them? I didn’t know, or care. I wanted them, they were on sale and they were “something else”.

Years later, [last night] when I had a look at what Hal wrote in my copy of 100 Unforgettable Dresses, I was reminded of those jeans.

His signature in my copy reads, “ To Vivian, Wear Something Unforgettable, Be Someone Unforgettable”. H.R.

Every time I wore those jeans, I got compliments from fraternity guy friends, and was thrilled that “stepping out of the box” could reap ego boosting benefits.

Every since then, I’ve gone with my gut – something Hal recommends. If you love it, GET it, you WILL wear it. Last night, I luxuriated in a pedicure and gobbled up as many entries in the book as I got the opportunity to read some of the entries. A few favorites:

Slip for Butterfield 8 [Elizabeth Taylor in Helen Rose

Green Evening GownFor Atonement [Keira Knightlley in Jacquelyn Durran]

Revenge Dress [Diana Princess of Wales in Christina Stambolian]

Elizabeth Hurley launches her career thanks to Gianni Versace's "safety pin dress"

Many of these dresses are about one of my favorite themes, “The right time and the right place”. Take Elizabeth Hurley’s career making Versace safety pin dress. Prior to her 1994 appearance to then boyfriend Hugh Grant’s Three Weddings and a Funeral, she was “the girlfriend” aka arm candy. After that came a those lucrative Estee Lauder contracts.

There’s so much more than this, consider this as an aperitif on a book that’s the perfect gift for anyone on your Holiday list who’s interested in any or all of the following: fashion, fashion icons, fashion history.

As far as the jeans, there are 55 colors to consider, but for now, the parakeet colored ones are in first place. Hey Santa, are you listening?

#1 on the list - Parakeet colored Joe's Jeans

Rambo’s Picks: Diamonds For the Holidays!

Text, Rambo Kelly

Transcribed by Vivian Kelly

I’m under pressure – I have to come up with a big theme for the Holidays. Okay here goes – DIAMONDS.

I found my theme after knocking over one of the books in the FE Library. It’s title was Elizabeth Taylor – my Love Affair With Jewelry. I really REALLY LIKE “LA LIZ” because she wore her diamonds for everyday. Why have something pretty if you don’t wear it? Dumb, huh?

We read in the LA Times that Thomas W. Burstein of Christie’s said the only time the famous ring left Taylor’s hand was when she offered it up to friends to try on. “She really had this notion that the jewelry should be shared and loved by everybody.” Nice lady, I bet she liked cats too.

My 5 Reasons to Give Diamonds

1. You don’t HAVE to give the real ice. There’s great stuff that looks like it – Carolee has a pretty version of Liz’s Prince of Wales pin they’re calling the “Triple Feather Plume Pin” for $95 that squeaks under that $100 or less budget range.

2. Another of my faves, Marilyn Monroe said that Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend. I look really good sitting next to the giant poster we have of MM in a red dress – shows off my platinum colored fur.

3. Our jeweler friend, Renato of New England Jewelers pointed out that “diamonds go with everything, unlike rubies, sapphires or emeralds”.

4. A little sparkle perks up a blah rainy day like today.

5. That 33.19-carat, emerald cut diamond ring would look great in my Xmas Stocking and Ollie and me could have hours of fun playing soccer with it…

Last Thoughts:

HURRY to Christie’s! Go and see this exhibit, before it shuts-down Dec. 12th. The auction starts Dec. 13th. If I can get through security, I’ll be there. Too bad I can’t hold a bidding paddle!

Fun Fact: The estimated worth of the Taylor- Burton diamond ring he gave ET in 1968 is $2.5 million to $3.5 million.

Ta ta, R-A-M-B-O

Unique Jewelry at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Store: Heidi Design

Text, Vivian Kelly

I’ve belonged to the Aldrich off and on over the years. I’m in an “on” period now and suspect it’s going to last this time, largely due to my meeting with the Museum’s Gift Store Manager/Curator, Lise Sharfin.

Lise is a talented curator and tastemaker who selects the most compelling collections.She has a BFA and an MFA and is a studio artist herself with an extensive retail management background, which combines both sensibilities. This positions her to inform her selections in the most interesting way possible.

She’s got a knack for selecting the unusual and there’s the jewelry, that’s got interesting historical references attached to it.

Some examples Lise gives to illustrate her point include: Judith Ripka =classism, Temple St Claire =Florentine Renaissance, and Eddie Borgo = Punk.”

This does not mean that if you can’t afford the above there aren’t other great options if you don’t want to spend thousands. There are collections such as Leslie Janson‘s repurposed vintage line and Bay Area based Heidi Metal Design, in the $200-400 range that are unique and bold and keepers in your jewelry box. The designer, Heidi Nahser Fink is the Jewelry Designer, her Design Studio is Heidi Metal Design is a consummate craftsman in who’s studied goldsmithing and a self-taught silversmith. Her designs are inspired by Medieval and Elizabethan jewelry. She created the Scepter and Ring for the “Red Queen” in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonder Land.

Lise is always sourcing for new and interesting additions for the Museum Store, but you can be sure that the jewelry selected will “reintroduce different areas within a contemporary context, which is an entry point for the audience to understand the jewelry. Secondary to that it’s all about their beauty, their craftsmanship, and the price point.”

Watch the video below, in which Lise talks about some of the jewelry she has selected for the Aldrich’s Store, and don’t forget to jump on line and knock-off some Holiday Shopping!

For more information about the Museum Store, contact Lise Sharfin at lsharfin@aldrichart.org

To learn more about the Aldrich, visit aldrichart.org

Hair Heaven – Leonard Zagami’s “Camelot at Dawn” Coupe

Text, Vivian Kelly

Anne Garside’s coffee table book, Camelot at Dawn delivered a sorely needed fashion moment in the midst of the disheartening 8 day power outage. The photos shot by Orlando Suero, were ones I’d never seen before.

Most of the photos we see of Jacqueline Kennedy are of her as as the First Lady or in her later incarnation as the mysterious “Jackie O”, dodging paparazzo Ron Gallela.

The images of Jacqueline Kennedy and her husband, shot in May 1954, in Georgetown, have that “easy” American style that put US fashion designers on the map. I related to Jackie’s khaki capris, striped shirt and flats, because that’s my daily uniform, but that hair! The short wavy haircut she had combined with bubblegum pearl necklaces and large gold clip earrings got my heart racing. Like turned to love when I got to the image of her lighting the candles for her first formal dinner party. The white strapless evening gown was stunning combined with the famous three strand pearl necklace and the haircut. I could get the necklace at Carolee but the hair – not so easy.

Jackie, before her first formal dinner party, Georgetown, 1954. Photo by Orlando Suero.

The only two guys who would really “get” this obsession were Anthony Palermo and Leonard Zagami. Off to New York I went to go show them the book and hopefully to walk out with a modern day version of this cut. If you’re not familiar with their work, have a look at their blog, and you’ll see what I mean by “editorial”.

While sitting in Leonard’s chair, getting my so-so short coupe transformed into a modern day version of Jackie Kennedy’s 1954 cut, Anthony [Leonard] came by to chat in between a barrage of color clients. I come to A-L for the outstanding hair services but even more so for their company; we share a mutual passion for hair that can transform you and can make you feel like your favorite fashion icon.

and Leonard [right], my go-to editorial hair gurus”]

Anthony [left

“Have you seen the Vogue covers book” asked Anthony. “Uh, no…” I confessed, feeling decidedly out of it but happy I had something new to get inspired about, while getting the haircut of my dreams. An added bonus was that Leonard told me about his Uncle, Salvatore Zagami, a noted sculptor/artist who brought works from his personal collection for the Salon’s FNO party back in September. Luckily for me, he left some of them in the salon and I enjoyed them as Leonard worked on my hair.

A Salvatore Zagami Sculpture, photographed by Anthony Palermo.

Considering my hair is finer than Jackie’s the cut I walked out with was as close as I could get. Leonard suggested playing with a strong mousse, such as Nexxus Mouse Plus Volumizing Styler. The key was to scrunch my hair to create the waves I wanted. Perfect, AND easy.

Leonard's modern version of Jackie Kennedy's 1954 Hairdo

Hair is like fashion. As with fashion, as soon as a collection is done, the question ”what’s next?” arises. As I got up, I asked Anthony about “the next step. Maybe the Lady Diana cut?” His eyes lit up and he said, “and maybe blonde too?”

Princess Diana's Short Haircut

Over the Holidays, we’re going to Foxwoods. While the others at the poker tables, I’ll be at the Lady Diana Retrospective, studying her hair and style. On a world tour, the exhibition “Diana, A Celebration” stops Sept. 16 through Jan. 15 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket. Graeme Murtonand Nick Grossmark, art handlers for the Althorp Estate in England, installed the iconic gown worn by Diana at her 1981 wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales.

Art handlers Nick Grossmark (black gloves) and Graeme Murton (white gloves) travel to each tour stop for "Diana, A Celebration," responsible for setting up the exhibition (wearing gloves to prevent damage). The duo are standing next to Diana's iconic ivory silk and lace wedding gown.

After that experience, I’ll undoubtedly have a Lady Di moment and head back to the A-L Salon to make my vision a reality, with a lot of help from my friends there.