SAMIRA NASR
EDITOR IN CHIEF

Welcome to my newsletter! I'm back in your inbox for a special holiday edition. For the next few weeks, I'll be sharing my latest fashion obsessions, recommendations from the most stylish people I know, and my favorite gift-giving places and ideas. Let's dive in.

PERSON

I have known Kevin Sharkey for over two decades. As executive director of design for Martha Stewart, he is the person she entrusts to execute her vision when it comes to products that bear her name. I like to describe his role as Martha's confidant and secret weapon. He has impeccable taste, and the best thing about it is it's not fussy. I think one of the first things we ever bonded over was our shared love of carnation flowers. The other thing to know about Kevin is he thinks big and loves everything supersize. He loves to entertain, and it is not uncommon for him to tempt his guests with giant, perfectly stacked arrangements of Oreo cookies (think: 100 Oreos) or a massive bowl of chips next to a mound of caviar. Whereas I often do my flower arrangements with a dozen or so flowers, Kevin prefers his arrangements with dozens and dozens of them. Every summer, a group of us travels together, and he is that friend who will head into town on his bike and come back with a bag full of the best cashmere sweaters that he found in some small boutique or the most elegant place mats that he will unearth in a tiny flea-market stall. His eye is discerning, and his quest for beauty is insatiable. If it's out there, Kevin will find it. He almost can't help it. I am so delighted to share with you some of his favorite addresses.

1. Economy Candy storefront. 2. Foliage Garden houseplants. 3. Leontine Linens. 4. Kasé dashi soy sauce.

RIBBON RESOURCE:

My favorite resource for the best ribbons in the country is John Mark Enterprises in Memphis. From the simplest grosgrain to the most lavishly embroidered velvets, John Mark has them all, in the most glorious colors imaginable.

SKIN MAGICIAN:

Without question, the best dermatologist in the world is Dan Belkin. Martha Stewart introduced me to Dan, and he is as kind as he is brilliantly talented. He keeps us all healthy and looking our absolute best. Martha is walking proof!

PARADISAL PLANT NURSERY:

I'm obsessed with houseplants, and Foliage Garden keeps my apartment looking like a veritable Garden of Eden. The owner, Maryann, has curated the most beautiful collection of plants in New York City.

THE NE PLUS ULTRA OF SOY SAUCE:

I love soy sauce, and when I say I love, I mean I REALLY LOVE soy sauce. I am always on the hunt to find the best bottle. I have to look no further than EN Japanese Brasserie for its Kasé dashi soy sauce. It is truly the ne plus ultra of soy sauces. (Sadly, this restaurant recently announced it's closing in December, but you can still buy the house sauce here.)

MONOGRAMMED LINENS:

Leontine Linens in New Orleans is responsible for making sure that my table and bed are always suitably dressed with the most beautiful linens—all exquisitely monogrammed. Be warned: Once you start monogramming, it's difficult to stop.

PERFECT POTS:

I think that the choice of pot is just as important as what you plant in it. I wouldn't even consider an option that wasn't created by Guy Wolff or his son, Ben Wolff. The pots that they produce are true American masterpieces.

HIGH-LOW HORS D'OEUVRES:

My guilty pleasure and entertaining go-to is golden ossetra caviar served with Ruffles potato chips or, in a pinch, Frito-Lay corn chips. It is the perfect mix of high-low. Black Diamond Caviar is my secret source, as it has the best quality at the absolute best price.

ORGANIZATIONAL SAVIOR:

I can't sleep unless my life bears some semblance of organization. Muji and its vast array of plastic boxes, bins, and trays helps keep chaos at bay and allows for me to have a good night's sleep.

INTERNATIONAL GROCER:

Despite almost 30 years working with Martha Stewart, I remain a hopeless cook. One thing that I can do is make rice—with the help of a Muji rice cooker (see above). Kalustyan's is where I buy my rice, as well as the herbs and spices that catch my eye and seduce my nose from all around the world.

CARDIGAN CONNOISSEUR:

I live for a great cardigan, and nobody makes them better than Thom Browne. They have easily become part of my daily uniform, and I wear them year-round, regardless of where I am, what I am doing, or the weather. They are my second skin.

CANDY MECCA:

I almost forgot Economy Candy—my mecca for candy, which I am obsessed with.

PLACE (TO GIFT)

Photos courtesy of Christofle

There are few things more depressing to me than eating lunch at my desk with plastic flatware. Aside from being a bad choice for the environment, it's just not chic. This Christofle portable flatware set is the perfect gift for that person in your life who is on the go but loves a nice dining experience, no matter where they may be. Imagine just keeping this perfect little set in your desk drawer and getting to use it every day for the mere 20 minutes often afforded for lunch. Wouldn't it just make everything taste better? Well, the answer is yes, yes it would. The planet will thank you too.

THING

My mother is the most stylish woman I know, and she has a unique gift of transforming the most random object into something beautiful and covetable. I have watched her transform the most unflattering hat into a perfect evening bag with a piece of ribbon and two safety pins. Her favorite colors are chartreuse and leopard (to some, it's a color), and she has never met a pearl she didn't feel the instant need to pile on, thread, or hook onto what she may already have dangling from her neck. While I may not have inherited her love of bright colors and bold patterns, I share her love of—dare I say obsession with—a pendant necklace. I love layering them, and I love stringing anything, from a rare Cartier pendant to a button from a cardigan, onto a shoelace to tie around my neck. Pendants make a uniform unique; they are talismans I wear on most days for protection, but they also just look so darn great. Over the years, I have amassed quite a collection that I still wear and reinvent with a ribbon, a shoe string, or a beautiful chain. The combinations and possibilities are endless. Some of my favorites include my Lisa Eisner Saint Christopher, my FoundRae lion and crescent moon pendants, and my Phoebe Philo for Céline letter pendants, which I still wear on an old piece of jersey fabric.

Here are four more I think are worthy investments:

Sophie Buhai

I have always loved Sophie's work, and, like me, she appreciates a pendant on a piece of string. I would recommend tying a bow on the front of your neck instead of the back to show off the beautiful silver-dipped ends on the cord.

SHOP NOW

Van Cleef & Arpels

I have always loved this pendant, and it is definitely on my wish list.

You could just keep this one on forever and add to your neck stack.

SHOP NOW

Hermès

Now, if you were my mom, you would take this one and tie a bunch more things onto this perfect piece of cord. Sometimes, more is more.

SHOP NOW

TenThousandThings

I'm a sucker for all things rose quartz because it is the stone that heals and opens the heart. This is another piece that I covet and would keep on and just add to, depending on my mood.

SHOP NOW

See you next week!