Town & Country articles from December 2008

Town & Country archives from December 2008

Taking stock (so to speak).(EDITOR'S LETTER)
December 1, 2008... I WAS IN CAPRI, a lava stone's throw from Naples, when the volcano erupted. No, not Mount Vesuvius. I mean the American economy. Even on a resort island, usually removed from everyday cares and global woes, this was big news. It had already...

A masterpiece is made.(In Your Own Words ...)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... We have come from a time when people of color had to drink from specific water fountains and were forced to use separate restrooms, to the history breaking that has enabled an African-American to run for president of our country. You have no...

Trumping the rest.(In Your Own Words ...)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... The story and photos of young Ms. Trump ["Daddy's Little Girl," July] were simply beautiful. I am not interested in the tales of moguls' spoiled children and their antics and current mug shots, so when I received my issue with Ivanka on the...

Too much information?(In Your Own Words ...)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... My issue arrived today--always a happy mail day, as I look forward to reading Town & Country cover to cover every month. However, I paused when I turned to, of all pages, "Social Graces" [August]. Call me prudish, but in the story...

A true beauty.(In Your Own Words ...)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... I read Ann Hodgman's "Nip, Tuck and Duck!" ["Social Graces," September] with a smile, a smile that lasted until later that evening, when I happened to watch Roman Polanski's 1965 paranoid masterpiece, Repulsion, starring a very young Catherine...

Bernstein's legacy.(In Your Own Words ...)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... Barely discernible in the photograph of a 1967 party scene at Leonard Bernstein's Park Avenue apartment that accompanied Jamie Bernstein's "Life With Father" story [August] is a portrait of the conductor [above]. Last year, while viewing the...

Town & Country blossoms.(In Your Own Words ...)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... As a loyal subscriber for twenty-three years, I kept all my issues of T&C--until recently, when a dear friend, Charles Arena, of Arena's Florist, in Rochester, New York, came up with an idea for his windows. One became "Town" and the other...

UNICEF.(PARTIES: New York)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The Event: The world's leading humanitarian organization for children held its fourth Snowflake Ball at Cipriani 42nd Street, in Manhattan, last winter. To signify the gift-giving season, the UNICEF Snowflake, a...

Scene & be seen: a calendar of events, trunk shows and benefits taking place at a store or location near you.(Directory)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Martin Katz Meticulously crafted and stunningly original, are the hallmarks of Martin Katz' pieces. This beautiful 6.54k green tourmaline is mounted in 18k white gold with a pair of square diamonds and 270...

New York Botanical Garden.(PARTIES: New York)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Occasion: The junior committee of the NYBG hosted its ninth annual holiday fundraiser, the Winter Wonderland Ball, last December. The Setting: Cocktails in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory--the garden's crystal...

The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.(PARTIES: New York)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Cause: Since 1946, the Society, the volunteer organization of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, has raised money for services and programs that help patients and families impacted by cancer. This past May,...

Chicago.(PARTIES: Chicago)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The Events: The Windy City is home to numerous outstanding cultural institutions, three of which held particularly memorable gatherings this year. The Highlights: The Ravinia Festival, the country's oldest outdoor...

Palm Beach.(PARTIES: Palm Beach)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The Venue: The picturesque Mar-a-Lago Club, in Palm Beach, was the setting for two popular charity galas held earlier this year, the American Cancer Society Ball and the Boys' Club of New York Fashion Show and...

Gifts that give back: holiday treats that make a difference in the life of someone you may never meet.(ON THE TOWN)(Joan Hornig)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SAINT JOAN If it is more blessed to give than to receive, your halo will be twice as shiny for giving jewelry by designer Joan Hornig. The nature- and travel-inspired pieces on her Web site are bound to bring joy...

An evening of elegance: Town&Country and Quail Lodge.(scene & be seen: A calendar of events, trunks shows and benefits taking place at a store or location near you.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Town&Country and Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Course took luxury into a higher gear with an unforgettable evening during the Monterey Peninsula's famed automotive week. Overlooking the magnificent scenery of Quail...

Reveling in reveillon.(ON THE TOWN: Gifts That Give Back)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Reveillon, the long dinner that many French-speaking households enjoy at or close to midnight on Christmas and New Year's Eves, is alive and well in New Orleans. If you have the stamina--for both plentiful amounts of...

Caring through couture.(ON THE TOWN: Gifts That Give Back)(Helpers House of Couture)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Shopping at San Francisco's Helpers House of Couture can bring out the child in even the coolest fashion insiders. Better still, the proceeds from their purchases go directly to the local charity Helpers of the Mentally Retarded, an...

A Neiman Noel.(ON THE TOWN: Gifts That Give Back)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You won't find a partridge in a pear tree in the 2008 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. In lieu of birds in bushes, you'll discover more than 350 elegant clothing, jewelry and other gift items, such as the candy box at...

Computers for kids.(ON THE TOWN: Gifts That Give Back)(One Laptop per Child Foundation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The statistics are grim: one in three children in the developing world will not complete fifth grade, and some developing nations spend a paltry $20 per year on each student, not enough to meet even the most basic...

Hybrid hospitality.(ON THE TOWN: Gifts That Give Back)
December 1, 2008... With the long election season in Washington finally at a close, why not treat yourself and a loved one to a city weekend in a space where everyone--Democrats and Republicans alike--can now breathe a little easier? Designed with the environment...

Caroling for a cause.(ON THE TOWN: Gifts That Give Back)(Salvation Army Band)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Bells will be jingling at the '21' Club once again when the restaurant hosts the Salvation Army Band for holiday sing-alongs that will take place at selected lunches throughout December. On the 23rd and the 24th the songfest will occur at...

American tastes: foods, music and other gifts for the holiday season--and beyond.(IN THE COUNTRY)(Buyers guide)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Spicy tang Of the Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory's Traditional Cheddar Cheese Straws and the sweetness of the Original Lemon Straws (10 oz; $14; 16 oz, $20) result from old recipes used by Yazoo City bakers. A...

Tiny bubbles.(IN THE COUNTRY: Staying Indoors)
December 1, 2008... Although the Champagne usually flows fast on New Year's Eve, for those occasions when you want the effervescence to last, Mary's Garden Champagne Savers are the answer. Place one of these nine solid-sterling-silver botanical sculptures...

All the high notes.(IN THE COUNTRY: Staying Indoors)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 'Tis the season for The Four Seasons, by Vivaldi--especially the version played by the great Joshua Bell. Here he performs with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields chamber orchestra (Sony Classical; $18.98). Bell...

Green pastures.(IN THE COUNTRY: Staying Indoors)(Lasater Grasslands Beef)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Grass-fed meat continues to tantalize the taste buds of chefs and food connoisseurs. Cuts that come from cows raised on high-quality pasture are well textured, with a naturally rich beefy flavor that doesn't weigh you down. Grass-fed beef is...

The life of the party.(IN THE COUNTRY: Staying Indoors)(William Yeoward's 'William Yeoward on Entertaining: Inspiring Ideas to Create Fabulous Settings')(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... In addition to serving good food and wine, tableware designer William Yeoward insists, there are two other necessary ingredients for hosting a successful party: self-confidence and a sense of humor. In his new book, William Yeoward on...

Holiday creche.(IN THE COUNTRY: Staying Indoors)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... An 18th-century Neapolitan creche has been restored and put on exhibit at the Abbey of Regina Laudis, in Bethlehem, Connecticut. Harold Koda, curator in charge of the Costume Institute at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, led the...

The new Old West.(IN THE COUNTRY: Going Outdoors)(Canyon Wilderness of the Southwest)(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When you open this book's four-foot-wide gatefold to reveal the Grand Staircase, part of Utah's Escalante National Monument, you get the almost vertiginous sense of taking a first step down into the landscape. Canyon...

Follow the sun.(IN THE COUNTRY: Going Outdoors)(Armillary Sundial)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of Henry Francis du Pont's favorite items on his family's former Delaware estate, Winterthur, was the Armillary Sundial. Winterthur is now a museum, and its curators recently commissioned a replica of the sundial...

Photo finish.(IN THE COUNTRY: Going Outdoors)(Casio Exilim Pro Ex-F1)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Some of life's most memorable moments happen in a flash--or, more specifically, a sixtieth of a second. The Casio Exilim Pro Ex-F1 ($999) is among the first consumer cameras with the ability to shoot sixty images per second, making it ideal for...

In pears.(IN THE COUNTRY: Going Outdoors)(Asian pears)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Once reserved for Asia's nobility, Asian pears are now available to everyone. The fruits embody the best traits of apples and European pears--they're sweet, crisp and juicy, with a melange of flavors ranging from butterscotch and brandy to a...

Land lords.(IN THE COUNTRY: Going Outdoors)(Their American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country)(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The independent farmer endures--growing cotton or soybeans, raising cattle or hogs. American photographer Paul Mobley and writer Katrina Fried set out to photograph and interview families who still work the land....

A joy ride.(IN THE COUNTRY: Going Outdoors)(Ultra Motor A2B electric bicycle)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sometimes when you're riding a bicycle and encounter a daunting hill, you reluctantly dismount and walk the rest of the way to the top. Ultra Motor's new A2B electric bicycle (about $2,500) allows you the option of...

The well-packed suitcase: how to carry on for your five-day trip.(Ultimate Access)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] I never check a bag. As a result, my luggage is never lost and it always arrives at my destination at the same instant I do. Over the years I've saved hundreds of hours by avoiding the baggage carousel. Rolling...

160 gifts of the season.(GIFT GUIDE Hostess Gifts-GIFT GUIDE Monogrammed)
December 1, 2008... 17 pages of the best presents for your loved ones. 1. RAYNAUD porcelain Caviar chargers ($220 each), devinecorp.net. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2. DOLCE & GABBANA silk-Lurex tank top ($595), dolcegabbana.it. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]...

160 gifts of the season.(GIFT GUIDE Malachite-GIFT GUIDE Moghul India)
December 1, 2008... Malachite [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 90. JEAN PAUL GAULTIER jewel ($495), at Bergdorf Goodman, NYC, 800-558-1855. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 91. ARMANI/ CASA Ball candles ($130-$165), 212-334-1271. 92. DIOR Generous I malachite...

Designer visions at the Laurel.(scene & be seen: A calendar of events, trunk shows and benefits taking place at a store or location near you.)(Stephen Miller Siegel)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Town&Country worked with esteemed New York City designer and architect Stephen Miller Siegel to envision the home of a woman who has just sold her loft downtown and is starting a new chapter in life. Cultured and well-traveled, she's made the...

Gifted: culturally minded finds with soul, style, substance--and, of course, spirit.(ARTS & CULTURE)(Buyers guide)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Soul [A] Few early-20th-century photographers could match Edward Steichen in painterly Pictorialist technique. Make a lasting impression with a gift of Edward Steichen: Lives in Photography (W.W. Norton; $100),...

Super Tuscan.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Four Seasons Hotel Firenze)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FLORENCE Stepping into the just-opened Four Seasons Hotel Firenze is like taking a journey back 500 years, to a time when poets roamed the cobblestoned streets and the city was at the height of an artistic...

Lone-star hideaway.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Dos Brisas)(Restaurant review)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TEXAS An hour's drive outside Houston, up a serpentine road flanked by pecan trees, lies a weekend escape for food lovers eager to swap city traffic for rolling hills and fields. Here, Doug and Jennifer Bosch have...

Soul train.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Ghost Train to the Eastern Star)(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thirty-three years after writing the 1975 classic The Great Railway Bazaar, Paul Theroux retraces his train tracks from London to the Far East and back again in search of "the grotesquerie of what happened since" and...

The Hollywood treatment.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Melrose Place)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LOS ANGELES Sparkling chandeliers and wallpaper accented with Swarovski crystals inject the White Room at Kate Somervilie skin-treatment center with a dose of old-school Hollywood glamour--as they should. The Melrose...

Swede St. Bart's.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Les Amandiers Route Saline)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... ST. BART'S One hundred thirty years after France reacquired St. Bart's from Sweden, the island will finally honor its Scandinavian heritage in style with the first Swedish Week (November 16-23), a celebration of cinema, arts and music hosted...

Alpine bliss.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)(Bavaria's Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa & Cultural Hideaway)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... BAVARIA High culture and spa living go hand in hand at Bavaria's Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa & Cultural Hideaway (pictured), tucked into an Alpine nature reserve outside Munich. Three years after the 1916 castle suffered a fire, the 140-room hotel...

The Natorious traveler.(TRAVELER'S NOTEBOOK)
December 1, 2008... Designer Josie Natori doesn't believe that a road warrior should sacrifice glamour. Which is why Natorious, her new fifty-piece collection, was created to be mixed and matched. A wide array of colors and fabrics--like tops in solid and printed...

Where have all the presents gone? Is the practice of sharing holiday gifts slipping away?(SOCIAL GRACES)
December 1, 2008... IN CERTAIN CIRCLES the Christmas holiday is becoming more about charitable giving and less about actual gift giving. On the face of it, that would seem like a good thing. But there is a downside. One traditional and, I think, wonderful aspect...

Starlet O'Hara: as nurse Nellie Forbush in Broadway's landmark revival of South Pacific, Kelli O'Hara proves to be a heart-lifting--and healing--presence.(Cover story)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ON A THURSDAY AFTERNOON, shortly before getting ready for her evening show, Kelli O'Hara is sitting in her dressing room in the blue-painted bowels of Lincoln Center Theater, dressed in a white knit top and jeans,...

Seventh heaven: searching out holiday sparkle? Try the seventh floor of New York's Bergdorf Goodman.(Company overview)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Who wants to be alone during the holidays? Not the crowds that gather at the corners of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in New York City. Rockefeller Center may have its horn-blowing angels, tweens on ice skates and a...

Peak experience: for generations, the Swiss Alps resort town of Verbier has drawn skiers with its pristine slopes and rustic accommodations--and today, just the right amount of flash.
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On a narrow, forested lane just minutes past the main lift of the Swiss ski resort of Verbier sits a five-story alpine villa called, simply, the Lodge. It was the talk of the town when it opened, last December, in...

The talented Mr. Maier: Tomas Maier not only rescued Bottega Veneta, he reinvented it.(Interview)
December 1, 2008... DON'T ASK Tomas Maier a question if you don't want the answer. He's a man with definite ideas and strong opinions, the goto guy for candor. Like the doctor Hugh Laurie plays on the TV series House M.D. (whom Maier even resembles--without the...

The best of BV: home.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... 1 | Set of alligator suitcases ($23,500, $42,000 and $47,500). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 | Sterling-silver accessories, clockwise from top left: card case ($790), bookmark ($180), magnifying glass ($820), letter opener ($1,070) and...

The best of BV: fashion.(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... 1 | Black-and-white tote ($5,200). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 | Azure belt ($730). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3 | Black cotton sweater ($900), black-and-white silk-gazar skirt ($2,100), black napa belt ($440), cobalt calfskin shoes...

The 12 ways of Christmas: eat, drink, and be merry. They're three of the most popular holiday-time edicts, but joy can feel elusive if you've popped too many canapes or are so done up, you're outdazzling the tree. T&C's twelve tips will keep you twinkling through all your holiday soirees.(Buyers guide)
December 1, 2008... 1 SPARKLE, BUT NOT LIKE TINSEL 'Tis the season for glitter and shine, but you don't want to electrify the room. To keep shimmer tasteful, follow Nars international lead makeup artist James Boehmer's rule of thumb: highlight only one...

Weddings.
December 1, 2008... Mr. and Mrs. Nishan Paul Vartanian (Victoria Lee Hodges, in Peter Langner) Highlands, North Carolina [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Stephen West (Caroline Leigh Charlston, in Vera Wang) New York, New York ...

Horoscopes.
December 1, 2008... December [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sagittarius November 23-December 21 Saturn is glowering at you from the most public angle of your chart, and nothing will go smoothly if you try to force situations or cut corners. What's more, with...