It's a joy to welcome writer Jo Rodgers as our next guest in our You Are What You Give series. Jo is British-American, resides with her family in London and writes about culture, travel, and interiors for respected titles including The New York Times, House & Garden, Conde Nast Traveller, Vogue, and Country Life. She turns a phrase like no other, and despite living the high life travelling to some of the most gilded hotels in the world, is also one of the nicest, wisest and most grounded people I know. A voracious reader, she gives the best book recommendations, and has kindly indulged me in sharing a festive favourite page turner as an added bonus. Thanks for this dose of Christmas inspiration, Jo...

"Membership to the London Library, from my Dad"

"We have little kids, so we’re in the thick of the holiday bells and whistles - snickerdoodles and twinkle lights, tree sap underfoot, greenery down the banister. That scale of celebrating feels like a gift to everybody. The children love the hullabaloo, and I’ve been surprised by how fun it’s been for us as parents."

Tell us a great Christmas read...

"The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers"

Seasonal Seafood Chart from Petri Prints, £125 "Petri Prints sources and frames one-off antique prints (I bought an 18^th century print of the Chelsea Physic Garden from them earlier this year, which is in our sitting room), as well as offering a rotating selection of reprints. This seasonal seafood chart is so eye-catching with its block-printed mounting."

Flora Soames Norfolk Work Jacket, £335 "I have this jacket in the “duck egg” colour and wear it throughout the year (it’s unlined and not heavy, so comfortable for British summer, but looks terrific with a chunky jumper underneath too). The crimson is more daring and sumptuous. It would be delicious for holiday parties."

Pentreath & Hall Intaglio Soaps, £30 "Have you ever seen a jazzier bar of soap? The artist Bridie Hall makes these by hand in London, and they look like a total joy. We have a couple of Bridie’s intaglio magnets on our toaster and I’m delighted by them every day."

A Sofa from Robert Kime "If we are really and truly pushing the boat out, cash no object, I would have a squashy handmade sofa from Robert Kime. For the fabric, I’d choose something that will age gently, like Tynemouth Ticking in green or blue, or maybe Larsson Linen Cherry, because I plan to recline on this sofa forever."

Cheese puzzle £39 "One of these puzzles is already in our Christmas gift staging area upstairs. It was irresistible to me. I love puzzles and I love cheese. If you are in the same boat I don’t think we can go far wrong."

Bare root roses from David Austin Roses, £23 "In midwinter I almost never remember to order, let alone plant, bare root roses, so it would be a big treat for someone else to swoop in and take things in hand. Three of my favourites are Desdemona, Scepter'd Isle, and The Generous Gardener. They’ll bloom the first summer after they’re planted, even though they look like a pointless bunch of sticks when they go in. It’s magical."

Green Stripe Brushed Cotton Velvet Pyjamas, £145 by Siân Esther "My two-year-old son has a pair of these handsome green pyjamas. The quality is beautiful, and needs to be felt in person to be appreciated. They make them for women too. An ideal getup for Christmas morning, I’d say."

Ohnishi Seisakusho Tortoise Shell Ballpoint Pen from Choosing Keeping, £80 "I go onto the Choosing Keeping website from time to time to look at this pen from Japan. Have you ever seen anything so elegant? In my fantasy about owning it, I’m interviewing somebody—probably it is Tom Hanks—and taking notes, and then he notices my special tortoise shell pen. “Wait!” he says. “Stop the recording. You have to tell me about that.” A friendship blossoms."

An Umbrella Stand from The Lacquer Company "I wrote a story about The Lacquer Company, a miraculous shop on Pimlico Road, a few months ago. In the course of things, I realised that what is missing from our house is a smattering of lacquer accessories. They add razzmatazz to grown-up spaces. I have my eye on an umbrella stand."

Brass Clover Matchbox Sleeve by Matilda Goad, from £50 "The specific genius of Matilda Goad is that she takes workaday things and spins them into treasure. This brass matchbox sleeve is a great example. I’d love to have it living on my mantel."

Trug from Daylesford Organic, £170 "When I go into the garden to clip odds and ends for vases, I carry everything back in my hands like a beast. I have been meaning to buy a nice trug for years but never get around to it. This one from Daylesford is especially handsome, and I love the larger size."

Kalee Blue Tablecloth from Penny Morrison, £230 "I love a printed tablecloth, especially outside in the summer. This one made by Penny Morrison (whose beautiful, terrific-smelling shop is walking distance from us in London) makes me think about eating pancakes in the garden."

"The Hand-Sewn Party Streamers. We have a mix of the “pistachio & moss” and the “holly & ivy” colours, and it’s our third Christmas decorating with them. They’re cheerful and bright and easy to put up, either around the tree or hung from the ceiling (we’ve done both) and you can use them for years."



Thanks Jo!