Guess Who Got Their Stocking A Little Early?
Dog Stocking! from Jordan Reid on Vimeo.
December 2010
What I'm Doing All Afternoon
Dipping pretzels in fancy chocolate to hand out to our neighbors!
(And maybe eating a few myself.)
Mmmm.
Christmas Mint-inis
Above, the “Christmas Mint-ini” that I whipped up for Kendrick last night.
JORDAN REID’S CHRISTMAS MINT-INI
In a shaker filled with ice, combine a 5-count of Grey Goose (vanilla-flavored vodka is especially good), a 2-count of Creme de Menthe, and a splash of Peppermint Schnapps.
Add a generous tablespoonful of Cool Whip, and shake well.
Rim the edge of a chilled martini glass with red sugar or finely ground candy cane (or just sprinkle some crushed candy cane onto the surface, as I did; the larger pieces may fall to the bottom of the glass, but that’s pretty, too).
Strain the liquid into the glass, and garnish with a candy cane (mini ones work best, but we only had regular-sized, so I cut off the bottom 2 inches).
Target Gift Card Winner!
Congrats to Mkelly1230! Thank you so much to everyone who entered.
Happy holidays and lots of love,
J
Winner chosen via Random.org.
Perfect Christmas Cocktail / Nantucket Red
At an event last week, I met reader (and fellow blogger) Rachel, who told me that she’d made my sugared cranberries a few times…and she recommended adding vodka to the recipe to give them a little extra kick. All you do? Just replace about a cup of the steeping liquid with vodka before leaving the cranberries to sit overnight.
Now, it seems to me that these would be a bit…vodka-y…for snacking, but they’d make a gorgeous garnish for a Nantucket Red (my favorite holiday drink).
I have no idea where I got this recipe from, but I’ve been making one version or another of it during the holidays since before I was legally allowed to purchase the ingredients. It’s gorgeous and festive, and everybody loves it.
To make a Nantucket Red, fill a glass with ice, then pour in 1 1/2 oz good-quality vodka, about 5 oz cranberry juice (more or less depending on how strong you like it), a splash of Chambord, and soda water (or champagne, if you have it handy) to fill. Give a good stir, and garnish with fresh cranberries or the sugared vodka cranberries described above.
Alternative preparation: Combine vodka, cranberry juice, and Chambord in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass; top with a little soda water or champagne and garnish with fresh or sugared cranberries.
Tip: This recipe is even more delicious with flavored vodka…click here for a great cranberry-and-orange vodka recipe!
Image via.
NYE Outfit Inspiration
Inspired by my earlier post, I present to you what I would very much like to wear this coming New Year’s Eve:
Plus this (I’ve never worn anything like this in my life, but hey: New Year’s Eve is a good time to experiment, no?).
Plus these.
And maybe these.
All sort of ridiculous? Sure. But if I’m going out - and I’m not saying I am - I might as well wear things like tutus and zebra-print booties. Right?
I Have Trouble Getting Fully Dressed Lately
Yeah, I know: ‘tis the season for sparkle, and merry brightness, and heels and hairdos and such…but I can’t do it. This weather just makes me want to burrow down into soft things and stay put.
Even when I have reasons to get dressed up, I usually end up wearing my daytime uniform (relaxed-fit top + flare jeans) and giving a bit of a nod to the season with my makeup and some dramatic accessories.
If you’re feeling similarly interested in working around the season’s sartorial requirements, here are some ways to take the sweatshirt-and-jeans look up a notch (but just a notch)…
Dream picks:
Clockwise from top left: Oonagh by Nanette Lepore Open-Shoulder Sweater ($228); MM Unplugged by Miss Me Sweater ($88); Joie Cropped Sweater ($218); DVF Viviana Sweater ($425); Kain Lennon-Striped Jersey Sweater ($130; favorite!); Joie Ballerina-Neck Sweater ($198).
And some far more affordable options:
Clockwise from top left: Brandy & Melville Rother Sweater ($55; favorite!); Cozy Off-Shoulder Dolman Tunic (various colors, $24.90-$26.90); Rachel Roy Boyfriend Pullover ($59); Sloppy Speckle Sweater ($60; also favorite!); Sparkle & Fade Boucle Drop-Arm Sweater ($58); Forever 21 Chunky Striped Sweater ($19.80).
For your lower half, mix and match any of the above with your favorite jeans (such as the Hudson Wide-Leg Jean in Holywell, $178), for a casual look…or with one of these amazing pieces, if the event requires a little extra pizazz:
TopShop Frilly Tutu Skirt ($70); TopShop Foil-Print Extreme Wide-Leg Trousers ($50; these are much more amazing and dramatic than they look in this picture); Lily-White Sequin Miniskirt ($29; or you can splurge on the Haute Hippie version that I’ve been coveting for months, which is on sale now).
Target Giftcard Giveaway...
…closes at 5pm today! Enter here.
Must...Post...Every...Christmas
Click here for last December’s archives, which include tips on button-sewing, snowball construction, & vanilla extract-making, my first time hosting an event, DIY Fruit Infusions, DIY drawer liners, me in a toga, and a lockout moment that I turned into a boon with the help of tequila and Beyonce.
