Holiday Style: By the Light of the Tree

As we head into the Big Christmas Weekend, our little home will be scrambl- I mean, leisurely decking our final halls and baking our little hearts out.

Blessedly, we have nary a party or commitment this weekend. So I'm saving my sequins for Christmas Eve, I think, when we trim our tree, head to the early family service at church, then have a lovely dinner of crepes, which has become a family tradition.

We may or may not also be having a cocktail or two by the light of the Christmas tree as we wrap The Beans' presents.

May the joy and peace of the season find you and yours.

1940s tree strung with real silver tinsel; Artillery Punch, my new cocktail love, after friends served it at their rockin' Christmas party last weekend (this link takes you to Chow.com's recipe, but for my friend's practiced alterations, see below for recipe); amazing gilded cocktail glasses; I can't wait to pair a cozy, slouchy sweater with similarly-hued sequins (also, cheap!). Check out the rest of the boards these pieces are are on for more ways to decorate, drink, and dress over the holidays!

Artillery Punch

Adapted from the New York Times, which was adapted from David Wondrich

Time: 90 minutes

Makes about 25 drinks (hmmm...maybe I'll just make a batch sans bubbly this weekend, then add the bubbly as I need - ahem - want a drink)

14 lemons

1 pound superfine sugar

750-milliliter bottle Old Granddad 100 Proof Bourbon

750-milliliter bottle Courvoisier VSOP Cognac

750-milliliter bottle 10 Cane rum

3 bottles Champagne or other sparkling wine

Nutmeg

1. Squeeze and strain the lemons to make 16 ounces of juice. Peel the lemons and muddle the peels with the sugar. Let the peels and sugar sit for an hour, then muddle again. Add the lemon juice and stir until sugar has dissolved. Strain out the peels.

2. Fill a 2- to 3-gallon bucket or bowl with crushed ice or ice cubes. Add the lemon-sugar mixture and the bourbon, Cognac and rum. Stir and add the Champagne. Taste and adjust for sweetness. Grate nutmeg over the top and serve.

Yield: About 25 drinks



Weekend Style: Holiday Version

This weekend was full. Very full, and I have the bags under my eyes to prove it. But we had a wonderful time, and spent time all together. Which is the Most Important Thing. Ever.

Clockwise, from top left:

Bark has become my go-to hostess (and teacher) gift. For a host(ess), "upgrade" by buying a pretty box and putting the crumbly, ridiculsouly easy homemade treat inside. For teachers, buy a simple white candy gift box at a craft or container store, then have your Beans decorate it themselves.

Danny Kaye (aka Bean No.2) had his stage debut Friday at his preschool Christmas pageant. He refused to wear his tinsel halo, but otherwise was obviously the star of the show.

While waiting for Santa to return from his lunch break so we could get our now-annual Santa Visit Picture, H and I gave in to Build-a-Bear. So meet Ken and Sally, all cozy in their boxes. Not kidding. That's Ken, not Rudolph.

We averted disaster with a playground stop on the way home from The Mall, and H averted a mama disaster by making a Frosting Bakeshop run and bringing a Viennese coffee to me.

Saturday night we got All Dolled Up in sequins and patent, complete with Red Lips. Well, I did, anyway. I don't think H wore any sequins.

Our first hosts served what might be my new favorite, Artillery Punch, which packs one, plus it has a storied history. Not a punch to be taken lightly.

Sunday brought foggy-headed (from sleep deprivation, not hangover) parents and energetic Beans, so we rolled into weekend wear for an early brunch at Open City.

Ken at brunch. You can now follow Ken on Instagram with the #KenofInstagram hashtag.

After all of the brunch frivolity, I had to head into the office and finish up a major deliverable. Just one more down between me and Real Christmas Time. Almost there.