New Influencers

As we come into the holiday season, it seems only perfect to introduce the world to the creativity and curation of Jenny Jackoboice. Nicknamed the hunter by her husband, Book has forever found the hidden gems and the uncovered joys via her world travels and she is constantly on the search for the new, the exceptional and the exciting. Jenny has created a home for her family full of expression and representative of who they are together, the traditions and memories they choose to create and fulfill. The story she shares today is about developing your home as your foundation, your family’s foundation.  And creating magical, beautiful experiences (with all her fun tips) to make your holidays meaningful, and more so, everyday feel like a holiday.

1. Who are you? And what were you like as a child?

I am a very intuitive and creative person. I have an artist’s eye and soul. My mother instilled in me an immense curiosity about the world and she exposed me to a lot at a young age. She took me in and out of New York City ever since I was 3, to see broadway shows, The Nutcracker, the exhibits at The Met (just the flowers alone are extraordinary there), and to just walk the streets..to see the people, the different fashions and unique styles and to just feel the energy. She encouraged me to read, try new things and to play in the yard. “Go entertain yourself!” she would say. So I was able to appreciate the bustling, vibrant city and the quiet of being in nature by myself. All of this helped me to develop my eye,  to trust it , and to create my own vision.

2. “Beauty is everywhere”- How does this translate in your personal & life’s work?

I believe in the power of beauty at every level. Beauty has the power to change the world in the most profound way whether it is a smile to a stranger or a stunning painting or a unique piece of jewelry. I apply beauty to every aspect of my life that I can! Might as well make it all as much fun and easy on the eye as possible. It just makes life better. Beauty enhances the quality of your life..embrace it!  When we lived through a huge renovation of our home and some of the plantings did not survive. We had always had hummingbirds on our property. “Mom I just saw a hummingbird and it was green and purple.” We would see them everyday. The children loved it and then one day they were gone. We all really missed them. So I did the research and planted some specific flowers that attract hummingbirds and I am happy to report they are back as a part of our lives. It is all those little things and what they mean to you that often end up playing a big role with your overall enjoyment of life.

Create the life you want and live it. As my dear friend, Chad who is from the South would say in her thick Southern drawl, “Jenny, the good life fairy is not going to come knocking on your door.” Amen

3. Your inspiration for JENNY BOOK is Hearth & Haven.  You believe home is the only place you can be yourself, tell us more.

I believe your home should be about you and your family. Make it yours and make it unique. Surround yourself with things you love, use and enjoy and forget the rest.  As the lady of the house, you set the tone and your family will gladly follow.Your home is the one place you can completely let your guard down and just be you. It is where you reach out to each other and where you recharge. I tell my children that their rooms are their oasis. A place where they can play, daydream and create or do nothing at all. Make your master bedroom your oasis.  Your home is where you create your memories with your friends and family.  Every time you have friends over and you enjoy delicious food together, you laugh, sometimes cry, you bond…a powerful energy exchange occurs and you have just added another beautiful layer to your home. That is magic!

“Do something that nobody else has done, something that will dazzle the world””-YOGANANDA

4. As a designer what propels you to connect with others and how does this desire show up in the details of your work?

I am propelled to create beauty. This is what I am built to do and it is what comes naturally to me, what I love to do.

I have been very fortunate to have traveled widely and I have lived in many parts of the U.S and abroad. I just try to take the best of every place I have experienced and bring it together in an organic way that is comforting, familiar but yet different. There is a saying from the markets of Asia: “Same, same but different!” That can be applied to so many things. Simple but yet complicated just like a lot of life.

5. You have been nicknamed the HNTR (hunter), where & how do you find the unique and extraordinary?

My husband nicknamed me the Hunter. When we have friends over often people would ask Where did you find this tray? What gorgeous wine glasses. Where did you discover this hors d’oeuvre? I have never had a wine like this before.” My husband would say, “The Hunter found it.” Elevate your experience and enhance your family’s life. I find unique things everywhere..when I travel..at estate sales..small boutiques..big chain stores..you name it. I can take something and turn into something else. If I cannot find what I am looking for, I can create it. An item can have many different looks and purposes.

6. Recently you curated a trip to “Discover Point Reyes” with your children over their school break- you said it was an opportunity to see the unusual, what did the itinerary entail?

It is a gorgeous drive to Pt.Reyes. You feel like you are driving through a landscape painting. I have collected some stunning pottery from the artist, Laurie Curtis. I called her up and explained that it was my children’s spring break and asked her if we could meet with her. She showed my children her studio and went through the whole process with them. She let them make their own tiles. It was an amazing experience..they could feel and touch things and create. Cowgirl Creamery is fun place to take your children and let them try different cheeses.  There is an old fashioned independent book store there, Toby’s,  the farm stand Flower (a beautiful shop with flowers and handmade items and gifts made by local artisans),  and wonderful restaurants. Then you go home and you feel like you really did something. They are family adventures..a vacation day in your own neck of the woods.

  7. With the holiday season in full gear, how do the seasons (Les Saisons) inspire you to evolve?

I think it is so important to embrace the seasons and apply them to as many aspects of your life as you can. Apply it to your home, food and fashion. So much time and energy goes into daily life and just keeping things running. The routine is endless for us all so that is why it is so important to celebrate the seasons and moments of life. Make it fun and mix it up. Have traditions but add an element of surprise. Combine the best of your family’s traditions, and your husband’s family’s traditions, and then add your own to create your family’s memories. Little shifts and changes can lead to big profound changes.  We are approaching the shortest day of the year, the Winter Solstice. Light the candles and fireplace and make some homemade  popcorn the old fashioned way and introduce your children to a movie that you grew up with and just be cozy together. You will all start to look forward to the shortest day of the year.

Five Holiday Entertaining Tips:

1. For a gathering of the ladies,  take one of your favorite quotes and make copies on elegant paper, choose a font that suits the quote and then roll it up,  tie with a pretty ribbon, and put them on a beautiful tray. Share the quote with the group, and then,  give one to each of your guests to take home.

2. Welcome in the new year with warm, delicious food, wine for the soul and the fire burning. Give each guest 6 little pieces of paper for: 3 wishes and 3 things that they want yet need to let go of. No one needs to share, it’s just a nice private moment. Once it’s done, everything goes into the fire. People feel uplifted..men & women alike.

3. Choose a petite wine decanter for each guest at your festive dinner party. It serves two purposes-It will hold a few flowers as a part of the decor on your table and as a parting gift for your guest. It is something that they can use and enjoy in more ways than one and it will remind them of the special evening at your home. Small wine decanters are a wonderful thing for people to collect.

4. For a sit down dinner, it is fun to have people switch places for dessert. This gives people a chance to talk to someone new and adds great flow  to a dinner party,  a chance to “break bread with others”.

5. After a beautiful dinner party it is fun to gather several stunning bowls and fill them with favorite colorful candies from childhood. For example: red Swedish Fish,  one color of M&M’s, or Hershey kisses. Everyone likes to feel like a kid again. People discuss their favorites and it brings back memories that often lead to funny stories. You can put them on the dinner table,  but then pick them up and retire to the living room by the fire for a night cap. A perfect ending to a party.

  8. What are your current holiday obsessions?

For entertaining, I am in love with the big cheese board from Hudson & Grace, it has such a presence to it and you can do a million different things with it. You can have a new look every time you use it. Follow the Seasons! For a fun gift, the jute catch all pouches with gold sequins by Ballard Designs ($12 each) are fabulous. It comes in two simple designs and you can fill it with specific items for each individual. I love the XOXO brass letters which benefits St. Jude hospital by West Elm. It is $24.95. For keeping your feet warm and dry this winter, you cannot beat the Joan of Arc by Sorrel. I get stopped with complements and questions about them all the time. They are that rare combination of comfortable, practical and so fashionably chic. ($230). Last, I think a classic red lipstick is always a good idea for the holiday season. Kevyn Aucoin’s signature Blood Roses ($33) fits the bill and his lip gloss, Casa Flora ($30). Both can be worn separately or together so you can get many different looks.

9. What has been your biggest “A-HA” moment?

My biggest “A-Ha” moment was when I lost my dad two weeks before my sixteenth birthday. It was unexpected and he was only 45.

Even if you are lucky enough to make it to 100, it is a short ride we are all on and I just want to pack in as much joy, beauty and wonderful memories with friends and family as I can. I wish that for everyone. I have had many other “A-Ha” moments and look forward to many more. Just keep on evolving and going with the flow of life. Rock on!

10. Where do you see JENNY BOOK in 2016?

In exactly the same place creating, inventing, loving, nurturing, exploring and kicking ass…compound interest for the good. Creating the life I want to live, encouraging others to create the life they want to live, and contributing beauty to the world.