Pop. Fizz. Clink: Champagne Cocktails

2014 has treated me exceptionally well with two happy and healthy babies and a stylish send off into the next decade. I’m hoping for anther rosy year so what better way to usher it in than sipping a festive pink champagne cocktail?

Style At Home recently highlighted some delicious new years eve-worthy champagne cocktails, styled in tones of gold and pink by my talented colleague Ann Marie Favot. I’m partial to this  blackberry lime fizz, which features one of my favourite liqueurs, St Germain Elderflower.

Blackberry Lime Fizz

serves 2

• 6 fresh blackberries
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tbsp simple syrup
• 2 oz St-Germain elderflower liqueur
• 8 oz chilled pink champagne or Prosecco

Directions

1. Place 6 blackberries on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid (the frozen fruit will help keep your cocktail nicely chilled).
2. Place the lime juice, simple syrup, elderflower liqueur and remaining blackberries in a cocktail shaker and muddle to release the flavours.
3. Add some ice and shake well. Strain into two coupes and top with the champagne.
4. Garnish with the frozen blackberries.

Bonus points if you mix your cocktail in these gorgeous gold-plated accessories from Cocktail Kingdom. I need that shaker, jigger and stirrer like yesterday!

(cocktail photo by Maya Visnyei , bottom photo: laura sant for saveur)

Gift Guide Picks

The holidays are upon us which means it’s time to shop for the ones you love and get them a little something something that will make them smile. This year I’m only highlighting things I’d truly buy myself, so don’t be surprised when you notice they’re mostly black, white and gold!

Every household needs a solid pair of scissors, so add some sparkle to the mundane with this shiny gold pair of shears from Nate Berkus’ Target collection. Target, $16.99

These glass water bottles by bkr are coated in a stylish silicone sleeve that protect from breakage while looking adorable all the way to your 8-glasses-a-day goal. Neiman Marcus, $30-35 each

 

This Tory Burch kerrington applique wristlet is kind of bizarre but also kind of fabulous with its creamy violet leather and amusing symbolism. It would be a great spot to stash your personal essentials in a larger diaper bag or tote. Tory Burch, $175

For your stylish gourmand, these black and white striped marble accessories up the chic factor of any kitchen counter. I particularly adore the cheeseboard and citrus press. Anthropologie, $24-98

This earthy yet smoky scent from Diptyque is perfect for snuggly winter nights and a luxury item you’d be hard pressed to buy for yourself, but be totally psyched to see under the christmas tree (or hanukkah bush). Holt Renfrew, $72

For the hostess with the mostess, the large white pedestal cake plate and glass dome from Rosanna is a perfect spot to display sweets and homemade treats while keeping them fresh. Red Letter, $44.95-72.95 

Who doesn’t love receiving chocolate as a gift? These handcrafted bars in exotic flavous like dark chocolate gold leaf take it to a whole other level with packaging designed by none other than Kelly Wearstler. I’d frame them they are so pretty! Kelly Wearstler, $13 each

Fans of Scalamandre’s classic zebra print will love this small tray from Lenox, which looks stunning sitting pretty on a console or used as a catchall for keys or change. William Ashley, $61.

For the art lover, this antique gold metal 3-D piece adds serious personality to your walls with an iconic mantra spelled out in all of its gilded splendour. ELTE Market, $95

 

For your friend who could always use some help in the organization department, this cheeky sticky note set has sayings that were ripped right from my and my friends’ daily diction, including a personal fave, “literally can’t.” Plus there is a bowtie involved - as the note says, “so cute!” Indigo, $12.95

A Glam Patch of Pumpkins

Halloween is just a couple of days away so here are some of my favourite no-carve pumpkin decorating projects I’ve seen online this year:

Nicole of So Haute splattered this gold and ivory beauty, which results in a shimmery Cy Twombly meets Kelly Wearstler effect. These would look right at home in a bowl on my kitchen island!

Over on Design Sponge, Hank and Hunt turned the humble gourd into a malachite masterpiece! Their deep emerald swirls are so unexpected and bold.

This etsy seller went the decoupage route with these fierce leopard print pumpkin forms that you could enjoy any time of year. Meow!

Perfectly Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Looking for a quick and nutritious snack this thanksgiving weekend? Try these tasty low-fat pumpkin muffins from Anna Olson that are a cinch to whip up and easy on the waistline.

These muffins get their delicious moist texture and natural sweetness from pureed pumpkin instead of relying purely on sugar and oil, so you can indulge in this classic autumnal treat and not feel guilty.

Anna Olson’s Low Fat Pumpkin Muffins

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• 1 ½ cups pure pumpkin purée
• ⅔ cup packed demerara or dark brown sugar
• ⅔ cup buttermilk
• 2 egg whites
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• pumpkin seeds (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with large paper liners.
2. Stir the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and allspice in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg whites and vegetable oil.
4. Pour the liquids into the dry mixture and stir just until blended. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a tester inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
6. Cool the muffins for 20 minutes before removing from the tin. The muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen. Do not refrigerate.

I added pumpkin seeds to the top for some added crunch but you can also sprinkle them with raw sugar, or stir in cranberries or other nuts into the batter to mix it up. Happy baking and happy thanksgiving everyone!

Shana Tova and a Little Jewish Humour

As the second night of Rosh Hashanah draws to a close, here is a video that will start off the year 5575 with a smile and a good chuckle:

Watching non-Jews’ reactions to typical Jewish fare such as gefilte fish and chopped liver had me laughing out loud and I hope you enjoy it too!

Wishing you all a sweet new year full of health and happiness!

Meet the Babies Party on Style Me Pretty Living

I’m very excited to share that a party I planned for the twins is up on Style Me Pretty Living today! Most Jewish families celebrate the birth of their children with a Brit Milah or a baby naming, but because the boys weren’t ready for that rite of passage at the same time and were too fragile to be exposed to large groups of people in the midst of flu season, we chose to have a bigger “meet the babies” party in the spring when they were a bit older and could celebrate together.

I created a vintage-inspired black and white theme and at the heart of the décor were over-sized black and white baby blocks featuring photos of the men of the family going back three generations. These large-scale blocks were a DIY project using wooden cubes I had cut at a lumber yard, that I then painted and podged with enlargements of the black and white photos and stick-on letters.

The two base blocks each show off photos from the early 20th century of the twins’ maternal and paternal great grandfathers and the top block features each grandfather with their father, my husband, on the top.

Although time consuming, making the blocks was a labour of love that added a special personal touch to the party. Guests enjoyed looking at the old photos and pointing out features they recognized in the boys, the newest generation!

There were tons of yummy treats including custom doughnuts from Glory Hole and gorgeous sugar cookies from Ellen Jane Desserts. Photographer Heidi Lau capture all of the lovely details so be sure to check out the full gallery here.

Here are all of the vendors I used:

Black And White Cushions: Ikea | Custom Napkins: Wedding Star | Doughnuts : Glory Hole Doughnuts | Florals: Emblem Floral Design Studio | Party Room: Oakdale Golf And Country Club | Plastic Bottles And Pacifiers : Michaels | Rentals: Lounge Furniture Rentals Inc | Striped Runner: Tonic Living | Sugar Cookies: Ellen Jane Desserts | Table Linens: Around The Table

Egg-cellent Easter Decor

There are so many different directions you can go with Easter decorations, but I’ve always been drawn to the classic spring colours and sweet small scale patterns that remain tried and true year after year.
Here are a couple of ideas I’d try out if I was to do the Easter thing:

I’d add a piece of art to my tablescape, such as this adorable print from Minted that would look sweet leaning on a sideboard. Art is a great way to add height to any vignette!

I’d also mix in some multicolour eggs into my florals by using the good old layered vase trick, like in this image from Better Homes and Gardens: nestle a smaller vase into a larger one and fill the gap in between with your desired filler. This would be great for Cadbury eggs!

Seder E-Cards from Paperless Post

When hosting the Passover seder, your invitations to family and friends usually go out via a quick e-mail or phone call, but why not mark the occasion with a free e-card? Paperless Post has some clever invites ranging from festive and fun to more sophisticated and savvy that will add extra flair to your seder. 

Here are a few of my faves:

This Matzo e-card is a rather literal take on a seder invite and is great way to get your little ones excited to munch on matzah at a more modern relaxed seder.

This seder invite feels a little more elegant but still low key, with the foods from the seder plate depicted as a fanciful border.

The most formal is this swanky invite, which asks the age old question of “ma neeshtana?’ in beautiful black and gold script. This is probably the card that I would choose!

A Closer Look at the Dining Room Wallpaper

My striking dining room owes its wow-factor to the stunning hand painted Chinese wallpaper and gold-leafed ceiling that envelopes visitors with its jewel box effect.

I’ve always been a hard core fan of Chinoiserie design and have admired the handiwork of  companies like Gracie and De Gournay, but my passion for this type of wallpaper was cemented when I visited Rough Point, the estate of Doris Duke in Newport. Her music room had antique panels of Chinese wallpaper she had purchased at auction and it left such a magnificent and regal impression on me. (you can read about it in this blog post I wrote almost 3 years ago- you can’t say I’m not consistent!)

With my enduring passion for this type of wallpaper, I was very happy to stumble upon the work of Griffin and Wong a couple of years ago, whose sales operations is based right here in Canada in Vancouver. The design department of Style At Home was lucky enough to view a presentation from Douglas Bray and I fell even more in love with how the delicate illustrations shimmered right off the silky paper.

After perusing Griffin and Wong’s 24 Chinoiserie patterns, I chose Du Paqier, a delicate motif containing mostly blooming cherry and magnolia trees with some birds and butterflies. I requested that the birds and butterflies be toned down in favour of more flowers so the impression was more blooming garden and less nature reserve.

I knew I wanted a soft aquamarine background to complement the similar colour of the Angelica mirror above the adjoining living room mantel, and for the main blooms I also colour-matched two accent textiles from the living room: the pinky-lavendar mohair in the flair chair and hot and pale pinks in the Madeline Weinrib lumbar cushions. The wallpaper also contains dashes of the blue of my formal china: Bernardaud’s Elysee.

The design truly was a collaborative effort, with photos of the process being shared with me along the way to ensure the correct colour balance was being achieved.

Seeing photos of the artisans at work makes me appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship behind each panel every time I am in the room. It also emphasizes the truly bespoke factor of the paper and appeals to the luxury lover in me!

The crowning jewel of the dining room is the gold leafed ceiling. It looks like it was applied by hand when it is in fact another wallpaper from Griffin and Wong. This dazzling gilded effect was not just an aesthetic choice.  It was also installed to help deflect from the fact that the ceiling height is dropped 2 inches more than the adjoining living room due to a structural beam. The warm metallic ceiling bathes the room in a soft glow, flattering guests and creating a warm festive mood which is the cherry on top of this fabulous space!

(top wallpaper detail and dining room photo by Stacey Brandford)

I Want That: Heart Art

I know this is a garland on a children’s website, but my gosh I think they designed it for me! In my signature trio of black white and gold, I just love the festive feeling of these strings of  hearts and may need to buy a couple for a future soiree!

Find it here: Heartstring Garland, $29, Land of Nod

Project Glam Kitchen: Millwork

I looked into big-box cabinetry options for the kitchen millwork, but after not being able to find a shaker door style and finish that I loved as well as not loving the idea of being confined to standard sizes only (which lost us a lot of precious inches in our apartment kitchen) I decided to go the custom route. With their stellar reputation for service and endless customization options, I chose to work with Cameo Kitchens and Fine Cabinetry.

I had a great time touring the showroom on Lawrence, where it was very helpful to see all of the different interior storage options, look at different layouts and door finishes and touch and feel how the hinges and drawers felt. As an avid cook and entertainer, I enjoyed having so many choices at my fingertips that catered to my needs and loved working with Gita, a personal kitchen designer who would translate my plans into actual shop drawings.

We started with a frameless kitchen construction, which was more wallet-friendly than a more labour-intensive framed kitchen, and chose a classic shaker profile for the doors that wasn’t too fussy. Having the millwork sprayed in Benjamin Moore Cloud White keeps the traditional look fresh and timeless.

A crown moulding detail between the upper cabinets and bulkhead and a nice valance below add polish and detail to the cabinetry. A valance underneath your uppers is always a great idea if you’re going to have under-cabinet lighting, as the depth of the decorative moulding can hide puck lights or LEDs quite well.

Another millwork detail that made a huge difference was a baseboard profile on the island as opposed to a plain toe kick. This truly makes the island look like a finished piece of furniture and I’m so glad we added that upgrade, considering the profile of the island is the first view you get when you walk into the kitchen.

Drawers are always the most efficient form of storage in a kitchen as opposed to cupboards with shelving, so we included three banks of them, as well as two drawers under the cooktop (a narrow one for pans and a taller one for pots).

It was great to see all the various pantry storage options. I chose simple wood pull outs in the end so I could reach everything easily and have the most flexibility in how I stored everything.

Custom inserts keep utensils and cutlery well organized and at the ready when whipping up a meal and setting the table, and a LeMans system in the single corner allowed me to corral a lot of small appliances into a tight space.

My husband is keen on green, which means having a waste management area to properly sort our garbage, recycling and organic waste was paramount. With a handy drawer above the garbage and green bin, new trash and recycling bags are always at the ready. We didn’t go with this exact version but it was great to see all the possible configurations.

up next: countertops and backsplash

Project Glam Kitchen On Newsstands Now!

Look for the full spread in the February issue of Style At Home and keep checking back here and on the Style At Home blog for more behind the scenes posts on how it all came together!

(photos: Stacey Brandford)

A Mommy-To-Be Friendly New Years Mocktail: Apple Ginger Sparkler

This year champagne is off limits, so here is an alternative from Miss Martha that has the same colouration and festive spirit, without the alcohol.

For Ginger Syrup:

1. Place 2 cups of sugar, 1 six-inch piece of fresh ginger finely diced, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook about 1 hour, until ginger flavor is quite strong. Let cool and strain before using.

For Mocktail:

• 1/4 cup Ginger Syrup
• 4 1/2 cups sparkling apple cider (make sure it is pasteurized)
• 6 cinnamon sticks
• 6 pieces crystallized ginger

1. Place 2 tablespoons ginger syrup in each of six glasses.
2. Fill glasses with ice cubes, pour in cider, and stir to combine.
3. Garnish with cinnamonsticks and fresh ginger, and serve.

(image via marthastewart.com)

Ice Ice Baby

Christmas cookie baking for holiday gifts is an annual tradition in my mother’s kitchen and hopefully next year will be in mine too. But for now, being 7.5 month pregnant with twins tends to get in the way of those types of standing-required activities, so I was content to be doing the sitting-friendly tasks this time around on her behalf, such as icing and cutting out shapes from her pre-rolled dough.

Having taken the pastry courses at George Brown, my mom just LOVES her culinary gear and I laughed at her when she first wheeled in a commercial rack into the kitchen for her baking exploits. The joke’s on me though as it totally does come in super handy when baking and icing for a crowd.

Having a plethora of both sugar and gingerbread cookies already baked up from a previous kitchen session, I organized my tools for the icing and decorating so I could move quickly between designs without letting the royal icing get too stiff.

I had the most fun with the gingerbread snowflakes but  went a little crazy on the sanding sugar for the sugar cookie versions due to my insistence that it looks like real snow (well it does!)

I also made some mittens (not of the kitten variety) using crushed peppermint candy shards for the cuffs- cute and minty fresh!

What’s your favourite holiday cookie recipe?

Weekend Cocktail #36: Swedish Mule

In honour of my impending inaugural visit to Sweden for an IKEA adventure (more on that later), I am reviving the weekend cocktail with a Swedish Mule from Karlsson’s Gold vodka:

Swedish Mule

• 2 oz Karlsson’s Gold Vodka
• 4 oz Ginger beer
• 1 oz Fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz Simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water)

Add all ingredients to a Collins glass filled with ice and stir to combine.

(image via liquor.com)