The Curiosities of the Gothic Rose

If you’re ever near Placerville, California you must make a pit stop at the Gothic Rose Antiques & Curiosities boutique. This shop specializes in unique and macabre treasures and has a wonderfully curated collection of merchandise. Not to worry if you're nowhere near Placerville, California...you can also peruse and purchase their one-of-a-kind goodies online, maybe you’ll even find a special gift for that friend who has everything. Here are a few of Mr. Peacock’s favorite pieces at the Gothic Rose…

These antique German doll heads look eerily festive in this bowl with moss and berries.

You know Mr. Peacock loves a good brooch and the Gothic Rose doesn’t disappoint. This coat of arms brooch would look amazing adorning a tuxedo.

As would this devine sterling silver baroque Satyr brooch.

If you like lions, this unusual lion brooch with black rhinestone eyes or…

...this lion crest brooch would also look sharp on any jacket.

This charming owl bookmark would make a lovely gift for the bookworm in your life. (I think this already sold, but I still had to show it because I like it so much!)

This owl wind spinner would look interesting hanging in any little nook in your home—watching over you.

Mr. Peacock loves this footed sugar bowl! It would be nice for holding all the little treasures piled on top of your dresser.

This display mannequin head looks like it’s right out of a 1930’s film.

These naughty Greek Cards would make an amusing stocking stuffer.

Who can’t resist a tattered top hat…

…or a unicorn! This 11" tall mystical beauty is made of bisque.

Take a peek at the Gothic Rose Antiques website here. Be patient, there is a lot of things to look at on the site and it can be overwhelming—but there is always some wonderful hidden pieces. Keep in mind these are one-of-a-kind treasures and may be already sold. You’ll need to telephone the Gothic Rose to verify if the item you’re interested in is still available at 530-295-0703 or email here. The Gothic Rose Antiques & Curiosities is located in historic downtown Placerville, California at 484 Main Street. Tell them Mr. Peacock sent you!

Cookin' with Salvador Dali

In the mid-nineties, I traveled to Oklahoma to visit my friend Doug. He took me on the grand tour of Tulsa’s finest thrift stores. Tulsa has a large proportion of wealthy folks from old-school oil money, so the thrift shops can sometimes hide some wonderful discarded treasures. It was mid-August and the temperature was in the 90’s with 100% humidity, so Mr. Peacock's butt was dragging a bit and my enthusiasm was definitely waning. Midway through our thrifting excursion, Doug struck gold and found a mint condition copy of "Les Diners de Gala” aka “The Salvador Dali Cookbook” for $4.50. I was so excited for him...but I wanted to find my own $4.50 copy of "Les Diners de Gala!"

Here’s the cover of “Les Diners de Gala”— front and back.

A few years later, I acquired my own treasured copy (but not for $4.50) of that beautifully eccentric tome by Mr. Dali—who was the king of all peacocks. The previous owner of my Dali cookbook left a weathered Florida newspaper clipping entitled, “Dali’s outrageous cookbook is part of museum collection,” neatly tucked inside the book. The museum, the article was referring to, is the Salvador Dali Museum, which is located in Saint Petersburg, Florida. The article explained that there were only 400 copies printed (I'm not sure if that is true or was a rumour started my Mr. Dali himself) and it originally sold for forty bucks.

Salvador and Gala Dali.

The book itself announces that “Salvador Domenech Philippe Hyacinthe Dali conceived and materialized this work dedicated to Gala,” his wife—who is stylized on the golden cover. There are 136 recipes in this glorious cookbook, which is an artwork in itself.

"Monarchial Flesh Tones"—Chapter 7: game and poultry.

Chapter topics of "Les Diners de Gala" include exotic dishes, snails and frogs, and aphrodisiacs.

"Sodomized Entrees"—Chapter 4: meats.

Dali adds to the adventure of the book with some linguistic looseness—made-up Dalinian words like “hors-texte” and “gastro esthetics.” In explaining his “gastro esthetics,” Dali writes, “In fact I only like to eat what has a clear intelligible form. If I hate that detestable degrading vegetable called spinach, it is because it is shapeless, like Liberty.” I guess, so much for spinach.

"Nocturnal Cravings"—Chapter 11: sweets and desserts.

The book is lavishly illustrated with a combination of drawings, paintings, collages, and photographs. "Les Diners de Gala" is a real jewel in my cookbook collection.

This spread shows an elegantly dressed table, with detail shots of recipe #56, "Veal cutlets stuffed with snails," and recipe #57, "Frog Pasties." The "Frog Pasties" are similar to a traditional Irish Pastie, meat filling topped with pastry, except Dali's is made with frog legs.


Recipe #129 for "Avocado toast" is mashed avocados with lamb brains and almonds—spread on toast.

Here’s recipe #71 for "Peacock a l’Impériale," which is made with quails.

"Soft Watches Half Asleep"—Chapter 11: sweets and desserts.

The collages in "Les Diners de Gala" remind me of the "easy fun ethereal" series of work by the artist Jeff Koons created a few years ago. Click here to see Mr. Koon's artwork.

Here’s Mr. Dali’s recipe for a pick-me-up drink:

Casanova Cocktail
“This is quite appropriate when circumstances such as exhaustion, overwork or simply excess of sobriety are calling for a pick-me-up. Here is a well-tested recipe to fit the bill. Let us stress another advantage of this particular pep-up concoction is that one doesn’t have to make the sour face that usually accompanies the absorption of a remedy.” —Salvador Dali


The juice of 1 orange
1 tablespoon of bitters (Campari)
1 teaspoon of ginger
(Mr. Peacock is assuming that Mr. Dali is referring to powdered ginger)
4 tablespoons of brandy
2 tablespoons old brandy (Vieille Cure)
1 pinch of Cayenne pepper

At the bottom of a glass, combine pepper and ginger. Pour the bitters on top, then brandy and “Vieille Cure.” Refrigerate or even put in the freezer.
Thirty minutes later, remove from the freezer and stir the juice of the orange into the glass. Drink…and wait for the effect. It is rather speedy.

"The I Eat Gala's"—Chapter 10: aphrodisiacs.

It's Friday, go ahead and make yourself a nice Casanova Cocktail! You can buy an autographed, first edition, of "Les Diners de Gala" here for $5000, and if you’re lucky find one for under $300 here. "Les Diners de Gala" would make the ultimate gift for any gastronome!

The exquisite artwork of Mrs. Delany

In 1771, at age 71, Mrs. Mary Delany (above) began to create cut out paper artworks (decoupage) as was the fashion for ladies of the court. She called these detailed paper collages—paper mosaicks [sic]. Thanks to a decoupage craze in the 18th century, Mrs. Delany achieved an unexpected fame in the court of George III and Queen Charlotte. The King and Queen were both interested in botany, and admired her botanical accuracy in these exceptional paper mosaicks.

"Passeflora Laurifolia, Bay Leaved"...there are over 230 paper petals in the bloom.

Mrs. Delany supposedly began her intricate paper mosaicks when she noticed the similarity of color between a geranium and a piece of red paper that was on her table. Taking her scissors, she cut out the scarlet paper and, using more colored bits of paper for the leaves and stalk, she created a picture of a geranium.

"Dianthus caryophyllus, a variety of Jersey Pink (carnation)"

Her skill, knowledge, and experience, both in the arts and botany reached their pinnacle with her meticulous flower collages. With the plant specimen set before her, she would cut minute particles of colored paper to represent the petals, stamens, calyx, leaves, veins, stalk and other parts of the plant, and using lighter and darker paper to form the shading. She would then glue the cut paper pieces on to a black paper background. It’s uncertain what kind of glue she used, but it was probably egg-white or flour and water (Mr. Peacock use his trusty Glue Sticks to collage).

"Physalis, Winter Cherry"

Mrs. Delany created 1,700 of these intricate works, from the age of 71 to 88 when her eyesight failed her. Mr. Peacock hopes that he is still working on art projects in his seventh decade.

"Fragaria Vesca, wood strawberry"

It’s hard to believe that Mrs. Delany’s paper mosaicks are over 200 years old. Her work looks like it could be a photo torn out of a spread from Martha Stewart Living magazine.

"Scarlet-flower'd Ipomea, Ipomea Coccinea"

Remember these artworks are not paintings or drawings, but small cut pieces of collaged paper! Each little piece of paper creates a tone and shade of color. Occasionally, Mrs. Delany would glue on a real leaf into the mix.

As you know, Mr. Peacock is a huge fan of decoupage and collage and loves the work of Mrs. Delany. Mr. Peacock’s own collage style is more loose and not as precise as her technique, however, it’s similar in the medium usage of cut pieces of paper and glue.

Mr. Peacock's "Still Life with Eau Dynamisante"

I use cut up bits of magazine pages to create the color and tone in my collaged "paper mosaicks." I usually paint the background or use colored paper.

Here’s the “still life” in my bathroom that I used as the inspiration for my collage piece.

"Crinum Zeylanicum, Asphodil Lilly"

Mrs. Delany’s work can be seen in person in the Enlightenment Gallery at the British Museum. If you happen to be in London on December 17th, the British Museum is hosting a free gallery talk—Mrs. Delany-Flowers and Landscape: Readings from her Letters. Get the full info here. But if you can't get to London, don't worry—buy the book. Mrs. Delany's descendant, Ruth Hayden, published a book on her work: Mrs. Delany; Her Life and Her Flowers. You can buy it here. The history of her life is interesting, although it’s a bit disappointing that this book isn’t an oversized coffee table edition, so you could see each mosaick larger than this small book format.

Prop 8—The Musical

If you haven't seen this hysterical Prop. 8-The Musical, by Marc Shaiman (Hairspray)...or just want to watch again and giggle, here it is....(thanks Melissa!)

The cast (in order of appearance):
California Gays and The People That Love Them: Jordan Ballard, Margaret Cho, Barrett Foa, J.B. Ghuman, John Hill, Andy Richter, Maya Rudolph, Rashad Naylor, Nicole Parker

Proposition 8'ers and The People That Follow Them: Prop 8 Leader- John C. Reilly Prop 8 Leader's #1 Wife- Allison Janney Prop 8 Leader's #2 Wife- Kathy Najimy Riffing Prop 8'er-Jenifer Lewis A Preacher- Craig Robinson Scary Catholic School Girls From Hell-Rashida Jones, Lake Bell, Sarah Chalke

The Frightened Villagers: Katharine "Kooks" Leonard, Seth Morris, Denise "Esi!" Piane, Lucian Piane, Richard Read, Seth Redford, Quinton Strack, Tate Taylor

Jesus Christ: Jack Black

A Very Smart Fellow: Neil Patrick Harris

Fine and Dandy—Cator Sparks

Cator Sparks is a freelance writer and peacock who grew up in the South and now lives in Manhattan—uptown in Harlem. Whether he is riding a camel at the pyramids in Egypt, attending a chic social function, or simply having cocktails with friends at the Beatrice Inn—Mr. Sparks always epitomizes the utmost of wit and elegance. His daring and fearless style make him a true peacock icon...

Mr. Peacock: How would you describe your style?
Cator Sparks: I imagine some people can just say 'dandy', 'grunge' or 'preppy' but I run the gamut. Some mornings I wake up and feel cosy, outdoorsy and pull on a vintage flannel, dark denim and my L.L. Bean duck boots. Other times I feel like an "Arian from Darien" and dress in Ralph, Tim Hamilton and Sperry. But for any evening event I always lean towards a Victoriana edge with an ascot, tie tack, frock coat, cigarette case (my mothers) and a custom Rod Keenan hat.

How old were you when you consciously realized you were a peacock?
I guess I have always known. I remember admiring old family pictures of my great grandfather on his plantation decked out in hunting gear and my grandmother with her legions of boozy boys who surrounded her at social events wearing the most beautiful suits and signet rings.

Who's your style icon—living or deceased?
Diana Vreeland. Period.

Who has influenced your style?
Everything influences my style. The air I breathe, the snap on the street, the news, Harlem, NPR. As for people David Bowie has always been an influence as has the Brawny Man.

Do you have a favored menswear designer or brand?
I am a bit biased because I adore my friend's menswear lines: Tim Hamilton, Loden Dager and Robert Geller. But I also adore Westwood Man, as well as Etro—on the bigger brand front.

What's your favorite item in your entire wardrobe?
My bespoke tuxedo I had made by Duca Sartoria for my 30th birthday. It fits unlike anything else I have ever owned.

Do you archive favorite items in your wardrobe that are past their prime or get rid of them?
That's what my parents house is for! I have amazing rave tees from the early 90's and some great vintage photo print shirts tucked away down there. Most of the Westwood I have bought in the past 10 years I still rotate into my outfits. I don't think I can ever throw any of that out. It is so special to me.

Have you had any sartorial disasters that you can share?
I had the bright idea in 1999 that a 70's look would be fun to experiment with again. I walked into Hermes in bell bottoms, vintage jacket and photo print nylon shirt and nearly got laughed out of the store...

Are there any menswear trends you abhor? Adore?
Abhor: leisure suits/jogging pants out of the gym, tevas
Adore: bow ties, great suits and beautiful shoes

Any item you are looking forward to wearing this holiday season?
I'm looking for more Fair Isle sweaters. Anyone? I want more intoxicating colors in the mix. Pinks! Violet! Emerald! I am also excited to wear my new Penfield coat. It is big, warm and super cosy. It is definitely for my lumberjack look.

What do you think of the current state of mens apparel?
Safe! Thank God the hunter look is hot now because everyone is buying up classic brands like L.L. Bean, Pendelton, Filson and Orvis because they look good, manly, and they last! With the economy the way it is we may have to not only look the part, but pick up an ax and start building our own cabin to hide in.

What's your pet peeve with the way most men dress?
Sloppy. If it has a hole in it, fix it or trash it. And the pants dropping around the tallywhacker area is so irritating and just plain tacky.


Mr. Sparks is featured in the new, must-own book, Style File-The World's Most Elegantly Dressed, by Iké Udé, publisher of eRUDE Magazine. You can buy it here. He also has a charming website here. Thank you Mr. Sparks, you're an inspiration for gentlemen peacocks everywhere!

Make your own Patchwork Label Jacket

For years, I would carefully remove all of the labels from my clothing. It didn't matter whether a garment was from Gucci or Kmart—I just disliked looking at the labels in my clothes and them rubbing against my neck in shirts or jackets. I think I partially acquired this obsessive habit due to my father’s distaste in "advertisements" on clothing. "Advertisements" is what he called any logo or identifying label on apparel (ie the alligator on a Lacoste shirt or the polo pony on a Ralph Lauren shirt). He sold Lacoste and other brands in his golf pro shop, but never personally wore any clothing with a visible logo or identifying label. He thought it was free advertising and marketing for the brands, and its appeal was geared toward middle class people seeking status symbols for themselves. Obviously he didn’t like Mr. Peacock wearing logos or labels either. In junior high school, I wanted to wear a Lacoste shirt so badly. He finally succumbed and let me have a hideous Lacoste pullover that he couldn't sell in his shop. It was an olive green and orange wide-striped velour pullover with a v-neck. That pull-over was so ugly, but I still had fun wearing that little alligator. I thought it looked kinda punk. When I got older, my parents would argue over other clothing and hair choices I made. My mother ultimately won the argument, and I could wear whatever I chose for myself. After working at various large retail corporations as an adult, I fully understand my father’s repulsion of blatant brand marketing and advertising on apparel. It’s more prevalent now, than when I was in seventh grade.

I liked the design of the labels (typography, color, etc...) and always saved them in my sewing box, with my fabric remnants and thread. I took some of the labels I had removed from my clothing and sewed them into a "patchwork" pattern on the back panel of a vintage denim, Wrangler jacket. It was a bit toungue-in-cheek and I nicknamed my jacket—the "label whore" jacket. I mixed in brand labels (ie…Helmut Lang), garment care labels (ie…dry clean only), some humorous labels from vintage pieces (ie…Man Skin, Made for my Hubby), and some very graphic apparel labels from the 80’s (ie Hell is for Heroes). I like the "patchwork" mosaic pattern the labels create on the jacket.

Here’s the instructions to make your own patchwork label jacket:

1) Remove Labels
Carefully remove the labels with a seam ripper and an X-Acto knife. Be very careful and patient, because you don’t want to cut through your garment or the label.

2) Prep Labels
Remove all the loose threads from the labels. Iron them, face down with a cloth over them (I used a handkerchief), using a moderate heat. This will "flatten" the labels.

3) Select Garment
Find a piece of clothing you would like to "patchwork" the labels onto. I used the back of a vintage denim jacket, but you could use any clothing item from a sweater to a shirt—whatever you like. Make sure the clothing item is clean and dry.

4) Arrange Labels
Lay the clothing item on a large flat surface—a table, ironing board or even the floor. Gather all of your labels and start positioning them (with double sided scotch tape) in an arrangement you prefer. I arranged mine in a very linear, grid-like arrangement, but you could be more abstract, and even overlap the labels.

5) Finalize the arrangement
Once you have an arrangement you like, try on the garment and look in the mirror. Do you like the arrangement? If not, rework the labels until you’re happy with your layout and design arrangement.

6) Fuse labels to garment
Once you finalize your arrangement, start ironing each label down with a piece of iron-on fusible tape, like Stitch Witchery. Cut a piece of fusible tape to fit each label. Use the handkerchief cloth again, placed over the label as you carefully iron each label using a moderate heat. You can iron a small group of labels at a time too, but be careful and patient as you go.

7) Sew labels to garment
Okay, now you’re ready to sew the labels to the garment. You can sew them by hand with a simple straight stitch, or use a machine. I used a sewing machine, with clear acrylic thread—set on a straight stitch. You want to carefully “outline” each label with stitching, so the labels don’t fall off when you wash the garment. If you don't sew on the labels and just use the fusing tape, the labels will start to peel off the garment after a few washes. Carefully trim all the lose threads when you're finished sewing.

8) Ready-to-wear
Your "label-whore" jacket is finished and ready to be worn! If you don’t have enough labels Mr. Peacock suggests checking the bargain bin at your local thrift store. Look for interesting looking labels (ie…labels with cool typefaces, colors, interesting or funny names). You could also beg your friends to let you raid their closet for labels, just be extra careful when removing them!

Mad for Plaid

Mr. Peacock loves plaid, or should I say tartans. Every Christmas Eve in the late 1960’s, my mom would dress me in a different plaid sport coat. Here I am, on Christmas Eve, getting my red plaid jacket buttoned-up by my mom—with my dad watching in the background. My father had a very strict wardrobe palette of only solid black, gray, navy, white and occasionally a solid pastel polo shirt, but never a pattern—especially plaid! And he never wore jeans or khakis—ever. My mother, on the other hand, had a very eclectic palette and wardrobe and liked plaid and other patterns. She could wear anything, whether it was a gown or jeans—and look great. In this photo she's wearing a chic black wool cocktail dress, with a black satin ribbon tie and bow at each cuff. My dad is wearing different shades of charcoal gray from head-to-toe.

Another Christmas Eve, I'm dressed in a blue plaid jacket, red bow tie, black flannel trousers and black polished shoes—with my dad looking on. My dad is wearing a white polo, gray trousers, black cashmere socks (yes, cashmere!) and alligator shoes (he owned at least 20 pairs). How could I not grow up and be a peacock with parents who dressed like that?

The easiest way to get some plaid into your wardrobe is to start with a shirt. There are some wonderful plaid shirts available this season. Here are some favorites of mine. The Belgian fashion designer, Kris Van Assche, showed some nice pieces in his Autumn/Winter 08/09 collection. He adds a spin to classic menswear items.

Mr. Van Assche cleverly adds a faux “black necktie” along the placket of this red plaid shirt. I love it with the jeans and tuxedo inspired jacket! You can buy it here.

He takes this traditional black and white plaid shirt and pairs it with an 80’s inspired belt and black pleated trousers.

Here’s J Crew’s take on a black and white plaid shirt. It's on sale here.

This black watch plaid cotton flannel shirt is available at Woolrich for a bargain price of $39.50, right here.

I’m drooling over this shirt at Urban Outfitters, with the tuxedo shirt pleating in the front. It’s very Comme des Garcons. The blue satin ribbon detailing along the inside of the placket is a nice touch. Buy it here.

My partner, Jason, spotted this $2 wool beauty wadded up in a box of junk as we were leaving the flea market last month. I love the brown and black tones with the red highlights in this plaid.

In college, I wore a pair of flannel pajamas to a holiday party in honor of my college pal, Melissa, that was hosted by her parents. I loved those pajamas and really thought they looked like a "suit" and wore them with a dress shirt and tie. Nobody laughed directly at me, but I'm sure there were a few giggles behind my back. I don't know what I was thinking! Those plaid pj's did not look like a suit. I'm not sure what I'm wearing this Christmas Eve, but the odds are it's probably gonna to be something plaid, but not plaid pajamas—at least not until Christmas morning.