Marrakech: and a tale of a party at Jawad Kadiri's house, high Moroccan decorating drama

Jawad Kadiri.  His house had been on the cover of Elle Decor.  His hotel had been home to the cast of Sex and the City II during filming in Marrakech.  He had an over-the-top night club with belly dancers.

But most importantly, he looked awfully darling in this shell encrusted hat. (French friend, Alain, looked rather pasha-like, too.)

A handful of people -- including lucky us -- spent New Year's Eve with him at his eye popping house in Marrakech.

Oh my.  High drama.

Sculptural arches, saturated colors, tadelakt wall finishings, amazing light fixtures.

Oh!

Moody accessories.  

Glamorous girls. 

Dancing in a sunken lounge under a huge dome ....

jumps for joy.

Secrets....

We left at around 3:30am but not without kicking up our heels.  (Ahem, Yes, that's my cigar smoking husband here, along with beauteous French friend Latitia.)

Hope your 2011 is everything you want it to be.  (And that it include adventure!  Because that's the point really, isn't it?)

Marrakech: and a tale of a homemade New Year's Eve, Part 2

Well, New Year's Eve is not just about children, of course. And so the grownups had their New Year's Eve table in the Peacock Pavilions dining tent, too.  

In winter wonderland mode, there were handmade snowflakes hanging from the tent's roof.

And on the table, olive branches from our very own olive grove.

Peacock Pavilions intern Sarah, a florist in Salt Lake City, made these sweet napkin rings.  She also stenciled place mats on craft paper, using Royal Design Studio Moroccan stencils that were originally made for Peacock Pavilions!   I purchased the embroidered napkins in the Marrakech souks.  

 Crafty Peacock Pavilions intern Dave (Sarah's husband) crocheted these little capes for the Egyptian hand blown vases.

 

 We used our peacock plates that I bought at Anthropologie.  And Sarah made darling handprinted place cards, this one for Peacock Pavilions artist in residence, Todd.

Ah voila!

There were some delicious things on the menu, including smoked salmon and foie gras that lovely best friends had brought from France.  And of course a champagne toast.

But most of all there was laughter.  Because that's all a good party really needs, anyway, don't you think?

And then afterwards...........dancing at midnight at a Marrakech villa featured on the cover of Elle Decor. But that's a story for the very next tale....

Images by Sarah and me.

Marrakech: and a tale of New Year's Eve, Part 1

It was New Year's eve and we were having a tiny dinner party at Peacock Pavilions.  Intern Sarah made some decorating magic in our Moroccan dining tent, for both children and grownups.  

The small ones had their very own table, covered in craft paper.  Sarah stenciled the prettiest place mats for them, using Moroccan stencils from Royal Design Studio.  

My best friend had flown in from Geneva with her family for the occasion and brought darling chop sticks.

I had wrapped tins with old Rajasthani embroidered belts and Sarah, a florist, put in bougainvillea and oranges from the Peacock Pavilions garden.

The visiting violinist children were so happy that they broke into song.  Here's one.

And the visiting best friend? Well, she was impressed, too.  Or maybe it was just the violin:-)

Images by Sarah Winward and me:-)

Marakech: and a tale of tinsel at Peacock Pavilions

Here's hoping that these holidays find you all wrapped up in tinsel.  

PS My favorite color this Christmas?  Shiny.

PPS Peacock Pavilions is in the New York Times! (eek, pinch me).  Check it out here and in the Sunday print version of the Times. And many thanks to the uber cool reporter, Charly Wilder - that girl's a star.