Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1433453
W ho else isn't prepared for the holidays? Our hands are up. For inspiring s o u t h e r n holiday entertaining, our go-to girl is Jane Scott Hodges. For those who aren't already part of the Leontine Linens cult, she is the empress of the monogram, upon which every good Southern party is built. Since founding the company in New Orleans in 1996, Hodges has preserved the classic monogram art form but infused it with bold color and style. With her two children now living in Texas full-time, we're thrilled to run into her again and again at lunches and galas when she makes one of her frequent trips from New Orleans. Gather ye fabulous holiday suggestions from our petite chat with the madam of monograms. Decorations that always go up. I cherish my collection of Fortuny stockings from Becky Vizard (bvizdesign.com). I bring them out at Christmas and hang them from the grand mirror in the entry hall in hopes that Philip [her husband] might get the hint that an empty stocking needs to have some shiny bauble in it for me to find on the 25th. W h a t 's i n y o u r punchbowl. Nothing says the holidays in New Orleans like a Brandy Milk Punch; try the Commander's Palace recipe (commanderspalace.com) at home. A fully stocked bar cart is the perfect decorative accessory to ensure guests get the libations they want! I'm always half-expecting a Black Magic Drumline chugging through my house later in the evening. Big Easy feasting. O u r N e w O r l e a n s h o l i d a y dinner always starts with a bowl of traditional seafood gumbo; it was the tradition of my mother-in-law. Philip and my son Nalty take over the kitchen — we serve a standing rib roast, cheese soufflé (thefabfete.com), and an array of side dishes ending with a croquembouche that the family prepares ahead of time. Need sustenance to soak up some of that Brandy Milk Punch. Star of your tablescape. Secret to my success: two words, colored linens! They're a game changer on the table and as important as the flowers and candles. Square placemats — as necessary a table accouterment as a bon vivant from a fallen Southern aristocratic family — frame round plates beautifully and allow you to fit more guests around your table. I always recommend a felt liner under placemats to protect your table and dampen excessive sound. You're the queen of m o n o g r a m s . A n y particular one you dust off for December? The Leontine iconic Etienne monogram takes LEONTINE LINENS' JANE SCOTT HODGES OPINES ON BRANDY MILK PUNCH AND BRASS BANDS By Billy Fong. Photography Paul Costello. (Continued on page 94) A drink station with all the accouterments Leontine Linens monogrammed napkins Jane Scott Hodges CHRIS GRANGER 81