First, keep hair off your face with Emi-Jay Summer Color Hair Ties. Better yet, dose your hair with Neil George Detangling Nourishment Spray before you pull it back. I love the beachy smell, but it also keeps hair healthy with UV protection and natural jojoba and calendula conditioners.

The most important thing at the beach—and everywhere else outdoors—is to keep the sun off your face. Invisible Zinc Tinted Daywear does triple duty with a zinc sunscreen, moisturizer, and tinted foundation so you arrive with a sun-kissed glow. Take care of the rest of you with Invisible Zinc Face and Body Sunscreen. A light, easy-spread natural sunscreen, it offers broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection and is perfect for even the most sensitive skin.

No matter how much protection you put on your face, a hat always helps—especially one of Susan van der Linde’s terrific wide-brimmed panama sun hats.

When you’re having fun on the beach, there’s no reason for your body or your lips to be parched. Keep hydrated by mixing packets of David Kirsh Vitamin Mineral Super Juice with ice cold bottled water to make a fruity vitamin-packed energy drink. And make sure lips stay moist—and pretty—with Vanitymark Dr. Kiss, a hydrating lip balm with a pink tint.

Stephanie Maxwell is owner of Maxwell Aesthetics and writes frequently about topics related to beauty and skin.

1. Bonnie Young
Bone & Celadon embroidered jeweled dress, for my granddaughter, Eliza. She would love this dress and it’s great for summer trips.

2. Corzine & Co.
Kim Seybert white linen napkins with green bamboo embroidery. These are great for summer entertaining, especially al fresco. And I love anything with a bamboo motif.

3. G. Gilbert
Yigal Azrouel striped crisscross top. It would look terrific with my black or white cigarette pants this summer.

4. Georgia Tapert Living
Multi-colored silk Ikat pillows. I’m crazy about the blues/yellows on white—so crisp and fun for summer in my living room.

5. House of Lavande
1970’s numbered and signed gold cuff, because I love it and would wear it with everything!

6. Weinstein’s
”Happy en Vipere” Lanvin bag in snakeskin. The size is perfect and I would carry it year round.

7. Style Paris by Susan Sutherland
Ulysse riding jacket. I’d buy it in navy to wear with jeans.

8. Blackberry Farms
Blackberry Jam and Creamy Crunch Peanut Butter. Everything they have is so delicious and my grandsons adore PBJ sandwiches. They are staying with us for a week this summer.

9. Sid Mashburn
Globe-Trotter Centenary 21” trolley. It is fabulous looking and also durable.

10. Susan van der Linde
The Giselle Croc Bag. The color and quality are simply divine!

Glamorous Rooms by Jan Showers is available at Bungalow Classic on TAIGAN.com

Josh Bach Valet Tray, Aidan Gill, New Orleans
This vide poche would even manage to organize me while traveling.

Wire Bird Cage, Bungalow Classic, Atlanta
Again, lots of style impact for not so much argent.

Herend Conch Shell, Corzine & Co., Nashville
Just so pretty…a little old lady perhaps, but how delightful, especially with other matching items scattered down the table?

Chinoiserie Hat Box, Digs, Nashville
Really great looking, and very value engineered for the price.

Clear Glass Mug, Georgia Tapert, NYC
Love these for morning latte.

Dodie Thayer Large Serving Dish, Hollyhock, L.A.
Crazy for anything lettuce.

Christopher Spitzmiller Faux Bois Lamps, Hollyhock, L.A.
The chicest thing chris as come up with in a while—the faux bois glazes are exquisite.

Neoclassical Fruitwood Arm Chair, Hollyhock, L.A.
The perfect dining chair has finally been invented.

Billie Holiday Photo by Herman Leonard, Richter Gallery, Nashville
Leonard’s photos are so emotional and evoke so much feeling.

John Derian 6’ Field Bench, Pied Nu, New Orleans
Like a backless banquette, perfect for seating in the middle of a room.

Vintage Turquoise Torchieres, Niba Home, Miami
So chic, and so unusual, in my now ubiquitous favorite color.

Peking Glass Jarlet in Persimmon, Niba Home, Miami
Love any peking glass, and have rarely seen this color.

4-Light Iron Chandelier, South of Market, Atlanta
Perfect for a kitchen or an informal dinning room. It’s provence-y without the “Deux”!

The new Clarisonic Mia in yellow or pink to support breast cancer research. The Clarisonic Skin Cleansing brush uses sonic technology proven to gently yet effectively loosen dirt and oil to clear your pores—in just sixty seconds a day. Not only will you notice a reduction in the look of fine lines and pore size, your skin will be better prepped to absorb serums and moisturizers. The new small size fits in your makeup bag and makes travel a breeze.

Jump start weight loss with the David Kirsch 2-Day Detox Kit. In just forty-eight hours, you can cleanse your system and turbo-charge your metabolism so your body can start rebooting for beach season.

Conquer cellulite with the Bliss Fat Girl Slim Trio. This tush-toning set includes a scrub and two creams featuring encapsulated caffeine molecules that target those dastardly orange peel dimples. Wear the day cream underneath Solidea Silver Wave shorts for especially good results.

The Baby Quasar brings the spa home. Using superior technology, including red and infrared light, the Baby Quasar stimulates the production of collagen, thereby diminishing the appearance of wrinkles and enlarged pores. It is also extremely effective in firming and toning the skin and increasing blood flow and circulation.

VanityMark Summerskin Body Bronzer is a great way to instantly give your skin a healthy glow. Makeup artist Brett Freedman added a touch of pink to give skin a “lit from within” appearance that never looks fake or orangey.

Lest we forget the men, there’s Alford & Hoff Moisturizer SPF 15. This lightweight emulsion contains emollients and high-tech humectants with a boost of their anti-aging “SIR@stac Complex” to moisturize for dramatically younger-looking skin with added sun protection.

Stephanie Maxwell is owner of Nashville’s Maxwell Aesthetics and writes frequently about topics related to beauty and skin.

Shop Maxwell Aesthetics on TAIGAN.com

THAT’S TRUCKDRIVIN’ (compilation)
by Red Sovine
track: “Girl on the Billboard”

“Who is the girl wearing nothing but a smile and towel in the picture on the billboard in the field near the big old highway?” A Del Reeves classic sung by Red Sovine.
Pete, Matt, & Sid

CLUB SKA ’67 (compilation)
by Roland Alphonso
track: “Phoenix City”

We love this song because we know all the words and it’s easy to sing to.
Pete, Matt and Sid

GREAT SONGS AND PERFORMANCES THAT INSPIRED THE MOTOWN 25TH ANNIVERSARY T.V. SPECIAL
by Marvin Gaye
track: “Mercy Mercy Me”

We love that Marvin Gaye was the producer especially at a time when most artists were not allowed to produce themselves and we love the dubbed out snare.
Matt and Sid

ANTHOLOGY
by Sly and the Family Stone
track: “Que Sera, Sera”

A cover made famous by Doris Day from an Alfred Hitchcock movie performed by Sly Stone – the world is flat. We love the slow swing and languid vibe sung by Rose Stone… it goes on and on.
Pete, Matt, & Sid

SOME KINDA NUT / MISSING LINKS VOL. 3
by Link Wray
track: “Genocide”

Wicked guitar on this way minimal track by Link Wray and his men.
Matt

MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD
by Talking Heads
track: “Found A Job”

A song to dance to and a song to really listen to – helpful & hopeful. This densely layered track is very cool with contrasting tones and jagged polyrhythms. The outro never gets old.
Pete

I CAN”T STAND MYSELF WHEN YOU TOUCH ME
by James Brown
track: “There Was a Time”

What’s there to say? Super bad, super funky, super super… Check out the YouTube clip from ’82
Pete & Sid

AFRO-BOSSA
by Duke Ellington
track: “Bonga”

Lighthearted, carefree, with an upbeat gentle warm nexus of general happy feelings.
Pete

12 X 5
by Rolling Stones
track: “Congratulations”

I love this song… Brooding lyrics that are offset by the charm and swagger of early 60′s Stones.
Matt

track: “It’s All Over Now”

Bobby Womack cover with a country vibe… soul + country…the best parts of the south
Sid

REAL ESTATE
by Real Estate
track: “Beach Comber”

Tone City, USA… These Jersey beach boys deliver the best sounding modern record that I have heard in long while. A perfect breezy pop song for sunny days and road trips.
Matt

ARMED FORCES
by Elvis Costello
track: “Oliver’s Army”

Kind of a heavy message with a happy tune. If you like to sing along, this is your song. The piano is especially good.
Sid

KIND OF BLUE
by Miles Davis
the whole album

Probably a little clich̩, but no joke, we could keep flipping this album all day & never tire of it. Cannonball Adderley, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly Рwhoa!
Pete, Matt and Sid

We all know air travel can wreak havoc on skin. David Kirsh’s Vitamin/Mineral Super Juice packets are great for hydration on long flights and so convenient to carry. I keep several in my bag and add one to a bottle of water on the plane instead of drinking soda or alcohol.

For external hydration, I recommend Journee Bio-Restorative Day Cream, which provides UVA and UVB protection, and Lumiere Bio-Restorative Eye Cream by Neocutis, to reduce puffiness. Both are as essential as your boarding pass.

I also like to bring along items that not only fight dry air, but those pesky cold or flu causing germs as well. The Jao Mini Flight Rescue Pak is skinny enough to slide into a jacket pocket or purse and comes in its own flight-approved zip-seal bag so there’s no hassle getting through security. The Pak includes a week’s supply of a facial moisturizer, a shea-butter-based lip balm, and a 2-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer and refresher so that you don’t pick up more than your luggage at the end of your flight!

If you are planning a trip to sunny climes, a beach-bag must is the Detangle Nourishment Spray from Neil George. It contains an all-important UV protectant and is infused with jojoba and calendula to condition. I also love the Neil George Indian Gooseberry Treatment Oil for super shiny, silky hair. It’s terrific in a cold, dry climate, but also combats the devastating effects of sun, salt, and chlorine after a day at the pool or beach.

Safe travels!
Stephanie

Stephanie Maxwell is owner of Nashville’s Maxwell Aesthetics and writes frequently about topics related to beauty and skin.

• New Orleans-born Suzanne Rheinstein, owner of L.A.’s Hollyhock, combines her sumptuous Southern tendencies with West Coast sensibilities. For her it’s about context—and plenty of greens and flowers:

“In Southern California, you don’t want a green-and-red Victorian Christmas. With the light and the weather, it would look ridiculous. Red velvet just doesn’t do it here. So I use corally red and even lime green a lot.”

“Last year, after the crash, my daughter Kate jokingly said she longed for the over-the-top 80’s, so we did the entire retro thing. I did the banister in evergreen garland entwined with pleated coral Fortuny ribbon that I‘d saved from that era. In the early ‘90s, I had done almost exactly the same thing for the cover of House Beautiful—we also stuck gold spray-painted magnolia leaves into the garland and used them on the dining room table.”

“Every year I order 12 dozen 12-inch clay pots of paperwhite narcissus and group them on the landing outside the front door and down the front steps. It’s the one time of year I love floristy flowers like super long French tulips in white. I have a Sheffield plate hot water urn I always mass them in. But I also love using the things that come from here, like rosemary and holly (a lot of people don’t realize that is where the Holly in Hollywood comes from—it grows beautifully here). They both look so pretty mixed in with the paperwhites.”

“One year we didn’t have curtains and I hung all the windows with natural pinecone wreaths hung with beautiful three-inch vintage satin ribbon in chocolate brown.”

“At Hollyhock we’re giving a dinner this week for Margaret Russell in honor of her new book Style and Substance: The Best of Elle Décor [see fetch, October 22, 2009]. We’re doing a ‘runner’ of magnolia leaves, showing some of those gorgeous soft brown undersides, down the center along with silvery gold pine cones and lots of votives.”

• For Barbara Heath, owner of Atlanta’s The Mercantile, it’s all about making memories. And trees—lots of them:

“Our daughter Lauren was born on December 1 so we always have had a Christmas theme to her birthday parties. One year in pre-school, she was the bon-bon in The Nutcracker so we recreated the scene in our dining room: pillars wrapped in very wide red ribbon to mimic candy canes, crystal garland down the staircase to give the illusion of icicles. I even created a game—pin the tail on the mouse king! The girls came in party dresses and a local Swedish bakery created a wonderful princess torte and colorful petits fours……Another year we transformed our sunroom into Santa’s workshop and twenty first graders created ornaments. I made aprons out of muslin trimmed with Christmas calico prints, hand-printed each guest’s name on the front, and stuck a candy cane in each pocket.”

“Our foyer is open to the second floor so we usually place a 12-foot tree there filled with glass ornaments—I love to see the light reflecting through them. In the family room there’s a nine-foot tree, decorated with family ornaments—the ones from our travels, the ones Lauren made in her childhood, all the ones with memories. I made the old-fashioned sequined felt tree-skirt around the base when I was a little girl. Lauren [now 16] also has a tree in her bedroom—usually pretty hip with brightly colored ornaments and lights. Her room is a bit more toned down now, but it used to be soft lavender with bright pink and orange accents, so you can imagine. There’s another tree outside on the back porch with multicolored old-fashioned lights, which are fun to see from the family room and the kitchen. And then in the kitchen itself there are three small trees of varied heights grouped together that hold miniature brass kitchen utensils and mini-Spode Christmas Tree patterned serving pieces. Finally, there is a small white tree with gold and silver ornaments in the guest room—just something simple to bring cheer to our houseguests.

• Kay Douglass, owner of South of Market in Atlanta and Charleston, heads to the beach every year, where she keeps it minimal. It’s all about the basics—food, family and lights:

“We go to our house in Rosemary Beach every year, and one of the reasons for going is to de-clutter and find some peace. Even the shopping stops because there are not that many places to spend money! We have a simple brown twig wreath on the front door and a six-foot fake twig tree, which we cover in tiny white lights and just a handful of ornaments. Outside, the vegetation in our courtyard between the house and the guesthouse is overgrown, almost New Orleans style, and we string lots and lots of the same white lights through the trees out there too.”

“There are no themes, but I guess if I were pressed, I’d have to say white. Our house is right on the beach and we keep the doors open as much as possible. Outside there’s white sand and inside at night I light tons of candles, white ones. I always take at least some of my favorite Maura Peters candles down with me. They’re in big simple glass jars and are very slow burning. The scent, orange jasmine, is divine.”

Pictured above, glass glitter bird ornament from Goldbug Studio at The Mercantile.

Shop Hollyhock, The Mercantile, and South of Market on TAIGAN

He is also a terrific entertainer. Below, he shares a list of innovative and elegant tips that will make you look like a star for the holidays with a minimum amount of effort—or expense.

CHIC CHIPS AND DIP
I love hors d’oeuvres you can put together in five minutes. Buy the best classic—i.e. plain, salted—potato chips you can find. Mix sour cream with white or black truffle oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. If you want to amp it up a bit, add some finely diced wild mushrooms sautéed with a splash of white wine.

EASY EGGPLANT “CAVIAR”
Half an eggplant lengthwise, brush each side with a little oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and any fresh herbs you have on hand, and roast in a 450 degree oven until golden brown. Drizzle with olive or walnut oil and serve surrounded by toast rounds or your favorite cracker. If you want to add a bit of zing, grate some manchego cheese over the halves when they come out of the oven. This is so simple, but gorgeous on the plate.

THE ULTIMATE COCKTAIL
I’ve been fooling around with a new cocktail I call the Revolutionary. It’s a variation of a Sazerac, except that if a Sazerac is a Bentley, the Revolutionary is a Bugatti. In a shaker filled with ice, pour one and one half ounces of rye whiskey, a splash of clear crème de cacao, and a splash of clear crème de menthe. Shake, and pour into a short old-fashioned glass that has been rinsed with absinthe. Garnish with a lemon peel. I promise you, it is phenomenal.

NO KNIFE DINNERS
I love to offer elegant food fit for a dinner party that doesn’t require a knife—just a fork, a napkin, and a plate. That way people don’t have to worry about how they are going to eat; they can mingle and a grab a seat anywhere. It’s hard to do with meat as a main course, but with seafood it’s easy. Make a fresh “relish” of arugula tossed with citrus segments (orange, lemons, limes) and a drizzle of olive oil. Pan sauté shelled shrimp and/or scallops and finish with a splash of white wine, butter, and a squeeze of the citrus. Serve on individual dinner plates with the relish in the center. For a spectacular dessert, zest the citrus before you do your segments for the relish. Mix the zest with a pint each of raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Add a half cup of sugar, a healthy splash of Grand Marnier and some vanilla extract, toss and let macerate for a couple of hours. Serve over Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream. It looks beautiful and the flavor is amazing. In fact, the whole menu looks like you’ve knocked yourself out over a fancy, expensive dinner—but it takes less than an hour and will cost you under sixty bucks for six people.
Other no-knife options include classic Creole grillades, a great stew or daube, even beef bourguignon, all from the store. Serve with spoonbread, which is as easy as making grits or polenta. To either one, add cheese (half parmesan and half white cheddar) and beaten egg whites, and bake. It’s hard to go wrong. For dessert you can turn store-bought bread pudding into an impressive bread pudding soufflé. Let the pudding come to room temperature, fold in some more beaten egg whites, and bake in an elegant soufflé or casserole dish. This is always a home run.

Below, a LIST of a dozen more of our favorites:

Never switch a seating card.

Don’t pose with booze.

Don’t tip the owner. A handshake will do.

At funerals, a dark suit is fine. You shouldn’t own a black one.

Write letters. On paper.

If you’ve made your point, stop talking.

If you can afford it, own your own tuxedo.

There is no reason to tell anyone you are leaving the bar.

Take your sunglasses off indoors. This includes elevators and planes.

Wear a pocket square. The corner of a bed sheet will work in a pinch.

Be a good wingman.

And most important of all: No ma’am. No sir. No exceptions.

Shop Sid Mashburn on TAIGAN for Walker Lamond’s Rules for my Unborn Son and for the Sid Mashburn knit ties from Italy pictured above.