Americano

Before the roast beef, mushrooms flambéed with brandy and the raspberry-chocolate trifle drizzled with Chambord, a sparkling aperitif is just the light, bright cocktail a heavy holiday dinner demands. Originally called the Milano-Torino (Campari comes from Milan, Cinzano vermouth from Turin), this sparkling sipper was renamed for the American tourists who went wild for it during Prohibition!

Americano 

1 1/2 oz Campari

1 1/2 oz sweet vermouth 

club soda

orange wedge

Fill a highball glass with ice, add Campari and sweet vermouth. Top with club soda and garnish with an orange wedge. 

Notes: While the original calls for Cinzano, I adore Carpano Antica in this and any other cocktail that includes sweet vermouth. That said, any sweet vermouth you have on hand will do the trick. 

 Image by Anna Williams. 

I'm off to the East Coast and then Texas for the holidays, so A Crimson Kiss will also be enjoying a little vacation. But never fear–if you're in need of a drink, my favorite holiday cocktails include Baltimore Eggnog, Agricole Rhum Punch and the classic Tom & Jerry! 

Thank you for all your support and friendship this year, darling readers–cheers to a happy holiday and a wonderful new year!

Ruby

 Inspired by ruby red earrings worn by Queen Olga of Greece, these crimson beauties from Bauble Bar would certainly look gorgeous with your favorite little black dress at holiday celebrations this December!

Tell me, do you have anything sparkling on your wish list this year? I've got my fingers crossed and my heart set on a monogrammed bauble from Sarah Chloe!

Philippe and Oriana

 

 

Simply timeless–my very favorite kind of celebration. 

When college sweethearts Philippe and Oriana decided to tie the knot, they recalled a memorable dinner date at the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building in downtown Chicago. Certain that the timeless setting would be perfect for their wedding, they kept the rest of the details and decor simple–with the exception of their gorgeous attire! Oriana, a true vintage gown enthusiast, actually wore a borrowed gown that her girlfriend's family had inherited from a church friend–turns out, the 1950s Marshall Fields & Co beauty fit her like a glove from the first moment she slipped it on! Oriana paired her dreamy dress with with a period veil, pearls and sand-colored sandals from Nina, while her groom wore a pristine vintage tuxedo. They were married in view of the city where the met and fell in love, and after a sumptuous dinner, danced the night away. 

An enormous thank you to Emilia Jane of Emilia Jane Photography for sharing these spectacular photographs–I couldn't possibly pick a favorite from this gorgeous group!

Santa Baby

Santa baby, slip a slingback under the tree, for me

Been an awful good girl

Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight...

Image by Melissa Schollaert Photography.

Cozy

John told me that he'd snagged tickets to the San Francisco Ballet's production of Nutcracker, so a little before 5pm on Friday night, I slipped into his favorite Diane von Furstenberg red polka dot wrap dress. He picked me up at the office and we snacked on steak tartare and french fries while sipping Champagne at Chez Maman before headed to the opera house, where the Tchaikovsky classic actually had its US premiere in 1944, for John's very first ballet performance. He'd been vague about where we were sitting, but when a steward opened the darling little door to our center box and gestured to the first two seats, I had to surpress the urge to squeal–and the bubbly delivered a few moments later didn't help!

After the gorgeous performance, we decided the very best thing to do would be to continue exchanging our Christmas presents early; I'm headed to the East Coast on Friday afternoon and John will be on a different plane to Texas, so we won't be reunited until the 27th! We couldn't resist pulling the mattress and a big pile of pillows into the living room, and sipping the Sauterne from John's stocking while we giddily opened each others' gifts. 

We've only used the heater in our apartment once; I came home and discovered a sickly looking John napping under a thick cloud of natural gas, so we figured it was better to pile on the sweaters. But this weekend was so chilly, we spent the majority of Saturday with the blankets pulled up to our chins with library books and cups of cocoa! We had a big beautiful breakfast of poached eggs and roasted fingerling potatoes with freshly squeezed orange juice, then dove back into bed to watch our breath float out in front of us! Eventually we braved the chilly wet weather for a little Indian food, then drew a scalding hot bubble bath before curling up with The Holiday.

John was up early on Sunday morning and went on an expedition for espresso and Gruyere; he whipped up the most delicious omelettes stuffed with cheese, onions, roasted potatoes and little slivers of chicken apple sausage while I was still dozing. After breakfast and some cleaning up, we bee-lined to Sightglass for caffeine and people watching. We knocked a few other downtown errands off our list before heading to the grocery store for provisions; John made a delicious vegetable curry while I pursued my favorite blogs and prepared for the week ahead. I even managed to squeeze in a little yoga while my favorite chef worked in the kitchen, and over a shared Sapporo, we toasted to an absolutely perfect weekend.


Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Attending holiday parties, singing carols or maybe a lap around the ice skating rink?

Image by The Studio B Photography, Bouquet by Virtu Floral & Event Design.

Rosemary Peach Smash

So you're cooking up a gorgeous holiday spread and you've bought a little package of fresh rosemary sprigs. Once the turkey or the lamb leg is rubbed and the stuffing is flavored and the rolls have been brushed with butter, salt and a little pinch, you've usually got the greater part of a package of fragrant rosemary left and nothing to do with it. Until now.

Rosemary Peach Smash 

1 1/2 oz bourbon

1/2 oz honey

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 ripe peach slices
fresh rosemary

Muddle peach slices and a rosemary sprig in a shaker, then add ice, bourbon and lemon juice. Shake for 10-15 second, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a rosemary sprig. 

Notes: Use whatever bourbon you have on hand, and feel free to subsitute peach for nectarine in the stone fruit selection isn't at its best. You could even skip muddling the rosemary if you slapped the sprig used for garnishing vigorously enough, but to each their own. Cheers!

Image and recipe inspired by Kelly Carámbula of Remedy Quarterly for Serious Eats.

Rose Wrapped

I'm a sucker for gorgeous garden roses and a beautifully constructed bouquet, but that ivory rose wrap is just an irresistible detail I couldn't pass up!

Image by Liga Photography, Bouquet by Botanica International Design Studio.

Katie and Derek

 

 

A childhood in Provence practically ensures a passion for delicious food and beautiful surroundings–so you can imagine the impact it would have when planning your wedding! The bride wanted to pay homage her to roots with an intimate celebration, so her sister hand-stitched the table runners and programs, her aunts and sisters arranged Emily Carter Floral Designs' flowers along with lavender and herbs in her mother's French Biot glass collection and Perrier was served on the lawn of The Barn on Walnut Hill in North Yarmouth, Maine.

Katie wore a gauzy Vera Wang gown, Prada shoes and green Christian Dior earrings in the same shade of bottle green as her attendants, who paired their vintage baubles with black cocktail dresses of their choosing. Derek chose a classic Giorgio Armani tuxedo and asked his groomsmen to suit up in black tie, too! 

Classic black and white invitations from The Paper Guppy announced the wedding's afternoon ceremony; after marrying under an arbor, the newlyweds and their guests headed to the spacious white tent for dinner catered by A Moveable Feast. They served Mom's beloved Chicken Provençal, served family-style, with the recipe printed on the menu left at each place! 

A huge thank you to Jessica and Jason of A Brit & A Blonde for sharing their gorgeous photographs, and this beautiful wedding! Tell me, what's your favorite detail? I'm smitten with all those green gems, and the bride's chic gown!