lioninoil

black, white, and red all over

jackie — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:54:32 +0000

John’s little bro is tying the knot with his darling girlfriend this September. I volunteered to design the invites, which turned out to be so much fun that I’m still visiting wedding blogs just to ogle all the fantastic design ideas. Joe and Tess had tight budgetary constraints but we managed to come up with something unique and sophisticated…all with 110 invitations costing under $250 total. We cut costs by forgoing letterpress and creating a long-form invite that folds up to become its own envelope. I ordered stickers with a custom monogram of their initials to adhere the invitations closed. We also avoided the need for RSVP cards, envelopes, and postage by having all guests email their RSVP instead. (more…)

the closest thing to santa

jackie — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:58:46 +0000

That childhood feeling of giddy Christmas morning glee is not easily replicated in the world of adults. These days, my ‘neath-the-tree goodies are of a decidedly more responsible sort: socks, books, and cold hard cash. The closest I come to recapturing that “did-I-get-the-Barbie-ice-cream-shoppe?!” anticipation comes in the form of long-lost rolls of film packed with good times and fabulous long-forgotten moments. Behold! Chinatown dudes! Lonely Red Hook chair! Ravenous twin goats! What more could I ask for?

upstate great

jackie — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:04:43 +0000

Glenmere Mansion, whose photos I posted here in May and are now in the July issue of Robb Report, is one of few properties that has really stuck with me over time. If there’s one thing I love about a resort, it’s the feeling that each space is unique and has something special to offer. Glenmere accomplishes that in spades. The property also won me over with 24/7 snacking stations (there’s always room for scones!), a gorgeous library stocked with art books ranging from the Impressionist greats to Jeff Koons, and bottomless brunch Bellinis using—and this is important!—real peach purée. So, apparently, the way to my heart is no secret: endless proportions of food, booze, and art!

catch of the day

jackie — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:38:59 +0000

I’ve never been much of a fish gal. I prefer furry things, and underwater creatures aren’t exactly the snuggling type. But I must admit that after speaking with Okeanos Aquascaping co-owner and super-passionate aquarium lover Martin Schapira, I totally get the whole underwater world appeal. Granted, I’d probably have to settle for something more fishbowl-like as opposed to Okeanos’ shockingly expansive (and expensive!) aquariums, but alas, I do have a newfound appreciation for my little undersea friends.

natural high

jackie — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:18:01 +0000

When I showed up at this penthouse on West 72nd Street across from my favorite corner of Riverside Park, I thought, “Oh, that’s a nice terrace.” Little did I know that I was standing on one of four expansive terraces including a rooftop putting green. Designed by Martha Stack, the pied-à-terre had a rare (for space-strapped Manhattan, at least) appreciation for the outdoors, my favorite of which is captured by the mounted four-foot bluefish that presides over the sexy blue office. (more…)

one more time

jackie — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:50:06 +0000

Writing the same article twice is definitely a test in creative mettle. Luckily I had eight hours of uninterrupted work time in the form of a CDG-to-JFK flight to knock out my second piece about the One&Only Cape Town for Robb Report’s 2010 Best of the Best issue. It was even enough time to write an article about the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles for the same issue. Such productivity! And I still managed to watch the barely-entertaining, often-embarrassing duo of Ricky Gervais movies so thoughtfully chosen by American Airlines. (more…)

fast, cheap, and out of control

john — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:51:08 +0000

We turned my final submission for the Kinne Research Fellowship at Columbia into a big, beautiful book, published by Blurb. Jackie edited the original entries for an easier, more photo-focused flow (or because she thinks I talk too much). The electronic book can be viewed/downloaded on issuu, and if you want the unbridled, even-more-enthusiastic version, browse the original posts here. Also, definitely check out the interactive map that outlines the entire six-week trip after the jump. Now we just have to complete the second session in Mexico City. Fingers crossed we carve the time out this summer! (more…)

everybody loves twins

jackie — Thu, 20 May 2010 01:58:03 +0000

John and I rented a convertible and drove up to Vermont to check out the Chalet cottage at Twin Farms. Never mind the fact that it rained, sleeted, and flurried during various times throughout our trip (no wonder Alamo offered us a car upgrade at such a generous price!), we still had a lovely time at the world-class resort that was originally the vacation estate of literary legend Sinclair Lewis. I will admit that I’m not a huge fan of not being able to chose my own meals but the gorgeous Vermont countryside—even through dense fog—simply cannot be topped. John claims his favorite state is now Vermont (no doubt, cheese and maple syrup tastings had an influence on this declaration). I’m holding true to Texas but, damn, those verdant rolling hills do come close. (more…)

we were spring chickens

jackie — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:25:32 +0000

John and I took a mini-holiday last month to check out a new resort upstate called Glenmere Mansion. The owners discovered a rundown Tuscan-style mansion in Chester, NY, about four years ago and have now turned it into a classical-meets-modern resort, complete with a Miami-inspired pool, authentic Italianate cortile, and an enviable display of their own art collections (hello, Rauschenberg lithograph!). Admittedly, we brought the average guest age down by about 20 years. (At one point we felt so out of place that John likened us to Mac and Dee in the country-club-Vicodin-selling episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.) (more…)

back to it

jackie — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:53:26 +0000

I’d been holding off on posting anything not Seychelles-related in an attempt at some sort of cohesion. So now that that’s over and done with, I can finally post this article I wrote about Anthony Lawrence-Belfair’s custom furniture and new fabric collection for the April issue of Robb Report. I also shot the photos, some of which were previously posted on here (and some of which also ran in NY Spaces).