A celebration to remember
BY JESSICA RITZ Gifting expert Simone LeBlanc’s business is naturally tuned into the seasons and holidays, as is her entertaining philosophy. For New Year’s Eve, “I love to create something that pulls you into yourself, and to set intentions.” ¶ “One thin
A lush New Year’s Eve table spread includes a subtle vignette with cards, pencils, small bells and a geo stone, which people are free to use or ignore. “I like the idea of allowing people the opportunity to take it deeper if they want, but not forcing it,” she says. (Her own New Year’s includes burning the intentions she writes.)
LeBlanc’s Californian approach manifests itself at the holiday table: This year, she’ll use slim spears of selenite, a translucent crystal named for Selene, the Greek moon goddess, tucked into each place setting. It’s a choice that serves multiple purposes.
Selenite purportedly “helps with memory, which is important [for] reflection,” LeBlanc says, and “is a really nice conversation starter, too. It gets an honest communication going on a light and loose level,” she adds.
LeBlanc’s entrepreneurial niche is curating gifts for clients who don’t want to or aren’t able to shop, but wouldn’t think to buy a gift card or order from a catalog. Her creations are the stuff of both earthy and ethereal West Coast dreams, with crafty touches, muted colors and handcrafted objects — from apothecary to textiles — that are all vetted through her tastes. Her company evolved from LeBlanc’s stint as a fashion stylist. Clients trusted her eye, so they started asking for her help selecting and packaging presents.
“All the gift boxes are about storytelling and encapsulating a moment. What will this person feel when they receive it?” she says. “The core of the business is the idea that our job is to be invisible. It’s our job to allow you to receive all that gratitude.”
In addition to the sets culled from LeBlanc and her team’s favorite makers and designers, LeBlanc is expanding an eponymous line that so far includes small handmade leather goods, scented candles, a chocolate bar collaboration with Valerie Confections and other products.
While she exudes a certain Golden State sensibility, LeBlanc’s family’s Southern Cajun roots are a significant influence. She describes the importance of “old school graciousness” that originated from her parents’ upbringings in southeastern Texas and New Orleans.
When entertaining guests, “you want them to feel relaxed, and have it be casual and welcoming — and you put the effort into taking care of them.” So, the selenite is also a New Year’s party gift from the hostess.
In all aspects of her work and home life, LeBlanc has developed her own brand of aesthetic equilibrium.
“Working with a neutral base and layering colors and moments, and certain elements for contrast” summarizes her general approach to creating a holiday-appropriate table. Florals in particular need “to have a looseness and rambling quality,” she says, while other components should “feel tight and considered.”
A linen tablecloth doesn’t need to be starched and ironed, for instance, but it should fit the surface well.
Her New Year’s tablescape is “a balance of modernity and antiquated” components, such as black and white patterned Heather Taylor Home napkins and vintage flatware. Champagne coupes capture classic New Year’s Eve elegance.
For the festive group meal, LeBlanc prefers serving food family style. Nancy Silverton’s chopped salad from “The Mozza Cookbook” and the late Judy Rodgers’ roast chicken made famous at San Francisco’s Zuni Cafe are goto recipes that provide “the delicious basics that everyone loves.”
In the end, planning a meaningful New Year’s gathering is an extension of LeBlanc’s daily gifting and design work. Opening a present involves experiencing “emotional layers and physical layers,” and she tries to incorporate “something that’s indulgent and something that’s lasting.”
The same symbolism can be applied to celebrating the transition from one year to the next, in the company of family and friends.