Roasted Orange Negroni Sbagliato

The name might be a mouthful, but so's this cocktail-and a delicious one at that! The orange flavors remind me of the clementines my parents would slip into our Christmas stockings, and any sparkling cocktail gets my approval this time of year!


Roasted Orange Negroni Sbagliato

1 orange wedge
1 oz. Carpano Antica
1 1/4 oz. Campari
1 1/4 oz. lambrusco bianco

Lightly char the orange wedge over a gas burner or on a grill. Let cool.

In a mixing glass, muddle roasted orange with vermouth. Add Campari and ice, then stir. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass, top with sparkling wine.

Notes: This cocktail calls for some fairly specific ingredients, but there simply is no substitute for Campari (or Carpano Antica, for that matter). The one place you do have some wiggle room is with the lambrusco bianco, a tough to find bubbly that will be as delicious in this cocktail as prossecco, it's slightly lighter cousin.

Cheers, darlings-to a fabulous Friday night, a happy holiday season and a divine New Year! See you in 2012!


Photo by Stuart Millenberg, Recipe by Joe Campanale, dell'anima for Imbibe.

Unfussy

This unstructured bouquet of red tulips looks like it was just picked; there's a certain schoolgirl sweetness about it, don't you think?

Tell me, what's your favorite kind of bouquet? Do you love a single-bloom posy, or a rococo cascade?

Photo by Dixie Pixel.

Sarah and Justin

A gorgeous three-quarter sleeve gown, a stunning farm setting and this DIY wedding produced by two performers absolutely stole my heart. This pair met on the set of a TV show, got engaged in a theater and wanted their wedding to be their biggest production yet, full of heartfelt details and thoughtful touches.

Sarah and Justin decided on a "Snazzy Picnic" theme once they found their dream venue, the Collingwood Children's Farm. Guests mingled with the baby animals and sipped tea Sarah and Justin, along with a graphic designer friend branded, to stay warm in the cooler temperatures. The newlyweds spent months collecting 150 tea sets; guests collected the cup with their name on it during the pre-ceremony tea time, then found the matching plate at their seats later in the evening.

Sarah's gorgeous gown was modeled after a 2009 Giambattista Valli confection, to the delight of her seamstress, Alice of Alice Haute Couture. The ivory gown was perfectly complimented by red Kate Spade peep toe mary janes, a blusher veil from portobello and BHLDN gloves. Bridesmaids were 50s chic in navy "Raileen" dresses from Stop Staring, which matched the handmade flower girls' dresses and ruffled cardigans perfectly, and everyone carried posies of baby's breath, designed by Melanie Stapleton of Cecilia Fox. Justin was dapper in dark denim, a J.Crew vest, colorful bow tie and a Eugenia Kim hat, while groomsmen donned navy plaid shirts from French Connection, Charles Tyrwhitt vests and Carhartt jeans.

After tea and the outdoor ceremony, officiated by Melbourne radio personality Jon von Goes, guests headed to the Regal Ballroom in a 1938 Diamond T Bus for an evening of surprises, including a performance by the Golden Toppers, a 60+ all-women tap dance troupe, and a flashmob wedding dance that half the guests were in on. Each of the 15 tables had their own cake, baked by friends and family, and everyone dug into the ice cream sundae bar styled by the wedding's designers, Georgie Kay and Erin Lilja of Simply Georgeous Events. It was the perfect ending to an impossibly sweet celebration.


Photos by Jonathan Ong via Ruffled.

Ruby Slippers

Ruby slippers won't ever go out of style.

Photo by Kelly Lorenz Imagery, shoes by Manolo Blahnik.

A Crimson Kiss

I am positively bursting with excitement this week; the upcoming holidays give me an excuse to wear my preppiest plaids, hand out carefully chosen gifts and celebrate our engagement with far flung family and friends, but it's 2012 I can't stop thinking about!

The New Year will not only bring kisses and Champagne, but a whole new look (and name!) to this carefully curated blog. You'll be getting a peek this week at images that influenced the new look, and come January 2, there'll be a big reveal! I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that you'll be as crazy about it as I am!


After last weekend's escapades and a spectacular but busy week at the office, I was ready for some quiet time, and boy was the weekend exactly what I'd hoped for. John welcomed me home with a cocktail (a daiquiri made with Barbancourt White) on Friday night, and we giggled over homemade pizza and (yes, I'm really admitting to this) Die Hard 2: Die Harder. I guess nothing says Christmas like holiday-themed terrorist attacks, right? You can imagine my disappointment when I learned that Die Hard 3 involved no twinkling lights, faux snow or Santa hats.

We were up early on Saturday morning (why is that so much harder to do on Thursday?) and cooked a lovely breakfast side by side at the stove. After errands that wrapped up our Christmas shopping and holiday prep, we headed back home to knock out work that's been piling up; really, does anything feel better than checking stuff off your to-do list, or cleaning up your image folders? Avocados are finally edible again, so we celebrated our last weekend in the Golden State with tacos, guacamole and limeade.

John brought me breakfast in bed on Sunday, and we discovered that our favorite Sconehenge scones are even more delicious warmed in the oven. Morning sun salutations, a cherry red pedicure, packing for our holiday travel and finishing my latest read, Mad Men and Philosophy, kept me busy while John was at school, desperate to log hours in the practice room before we fly out Thursday evening. A Sunday evening shepherd's pie (a tasty way to clean out the fridge) paired perfectly with Elf, and we felt ready to take on this week!


Tell me, what final preparations are you making this week? Are you hosting Christmas this year, or will you be headed to the airport like John and I?


Image by Ashley Garmon Photographers, Gown by Oscar de la Renta.

Champagne-Pomegranate Punch

'Tis the season for holiday tipples, and I've been thinking about what the inaugural punch for my new milkglass beauty should be (John, I'm sorry for peeking!). This pretty pink punch is full of my favorite thing-bubbles-but now I need to know is how big that new bowl is!


Champagne-Pomegranate Punch

2 750-ml bottles chilled brut Champagne
1 1/2 cups white rum
1 1/4 cups pomegranate juice
1 large lemon, thinly slice
pomegranate seeds
fresh mint leaves
simple syrup
ice block

Combine Champagne, rum and pomegranate juice in punch bowl. Add enough syrup to sweeten to taste; mix in lemon slices, pomegranate seeds and mint leaves. Add ice block to bowl.

Notes: While this punch calls for Champagne, it's smart to choose a less expensive bottle of bubbly-a Cava or blanc de blanc would be equally delicious. If you're whipping this up in advance, add your ice block as the first guests arrive to keep your punch sparkling!


Recipe by Melissa Clark, Photo by Gabriella Imperatori-Penn for Bon Appétit.