Holiday Style: Red & Gold

I love all things sparkly during the holidays. My favorite color combinations for holiday style are burgundy, red and gold. I like those colors in my fashion, accessories, even my cocktails.

Maybe because I grew up in Canada and my high school was named after the first Prime Minister, Sir John. A. Macdonald, a Scot, but I love a good tartan. Plaid says Christmas to me. My favorite new plaid jacket is a sculpted piece courtesy of Byron Lars. I paired it with velvet and gold embroidered choker from my Weng Meng collection. My holiday makeup always has a M.A.C. lipstick as a part of it, I have been a loyal fan since college. Today is was their holiday themed "Spice it up" shade.

Outdoor fashion, I treated myself to a Cole Haan coat of burgundy wool and gold details. I have tried a few nail art options. The first is a snowflake and gift wrap design. I started with Essie's Swing Velvet as a base red, then Sally Hansen's sparkly ombre. I used a white Essie nail polish and a toothpick to draw in the most simple snowflakes. For the gift wrap nail, I used a base of gold nail polish and the Sally Hansen Ombre sparkle again. I used the Swing velvet to draw in the ribbon.

I spent the weekend in Upstate with some old friends. We decided to have a great night in decorating cookies and cocktails. I created what I call the "Liverpool Lovebomb" to commemorate the evening. It was the perfect holiday sip!

Liverpool Lovebomb

3 oz. cranberry juice

2 oz. vodka

1 oz. Creme de Cacao

1 splash Cointreau
Prosecco

Mix the cranberry, vodka, Creme de Cacao and Cointreau in a shaker with ice and fill your prettiest cocktail glass halfway. Top the rest of the glass with Prosecco. Garnish with fresh cranberries and mint.

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Cointreau x Dannijo: The Art of the Soiree

Cedar Lake Events was home to a fantasy indoor garden Wednesday. Cointreau showcased a range of exotic cocktails to start the summer paired with scrumptious bites. The visual senses were seduced by the glittering jewelry from Dannijo, the brand founded by designers Danielle and Jodie Snyder.

Cointreau has been a staple in my bar for years as a key ingredient for my cosmopolitans and margaritas. I tasted several new cocktails that night that I will be adding to my repertoire.

Dannijo jewelry came out of the gate with spectacular statement pieces in 2008. The sisters self-taught themselves to make jewelry using their father's tools. Their label launched from a project to benefit Danielle's non-profit organization to create economic opportunities for women in Africa. Now their jewelry and handbags are sought after by top celebrities and "It" girls around the world.

Tin Can Studios in Brooklyn created the most beautiful decor for the party. There was a gigantic orange tree as the central point of the event space that seemed to bloom Cointreau and glittering jewelry from its branches. Other topiaries were dripping in jewels. The beautiful banquet table was set with wild-looking florals of intense color, stretching out from partial terrariums. The overall effect looked like an organic amethyst.

Platters of vegetables offered innovative flavors along the table. A rich smoked duck appetizer followed. The bar offered up salmon rilettes, pate, and cheese. Servers enticed with desserts like a chocolate tart that looked like tiny flower boxes of dirt and creamsicles that hung off bamboo spirals like tendrils of a vine. Here is a recipe for one of the most refreshing cocktails I sampled:

Cointreau French Lemonade:
2 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz. Cold-pressed Watermelon Juice
3 oz. Club Soda

Build all ingredients over ice in a highball glass. Stir gently. Garnish with a watermelon wedge and lemon wheel.

Thank you Cointreau and Dannijo for a decadent evening! A mix of opulent style, food and drink is a treat indeed.
(photos by Mariana Leung)

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