Holiday parties bring together family, friends and co-workers to enjoy good food, great  company and drinks for the holiday cheer.  The tradition of entertaining has not changed, yet the way you entertain has been recreated. Creativity and modern looking spaces are a key factor for the 2010 holiday season. Often we find that the holiday season entertaining is the same old thing year after year. If you are looking for a memorable holiday get together – a party that people will want to come back to year after year, try to stay away from the traditional foil paper décor and move towards a more chic look with  single color families creating a monochromatic, sophisticated look. For this holiday season, the theme should extend into the food and beverage. Try creative drinks and desserts to really wow your guests. Visit the bottom of this blog for trendy and color matching martini recipes for your holiday cheer!

Winter Wonderland 

This trend seems to be the most popular and reoccurring trend that hosts and event planners seem to lean towards this year. If you are going with the clean, white look, it is very easy to transform spaces with a bit of imagination. If you are having a party rather than a sit down dinner, opt for lounge style seating on couches, small high top tables and long and narrow communal tables so you are creating more of a social networking environment for your event. There are many rental companies out there that offer an array of lounge furniture anywhere from curvy plush furniture, to modern boxy furniture to LED furniture and tables that can help create the right look for a Winter Wonderland event. 

 Think of incorporating some fun elements such as silver disco balls which are always fun when used and done correctly. For those who love DIY projects, consider purchasing some silver string curtains or beaded translucent curtains to section off different lounge areas that will give you a great lounge feel and appeal. Try filling centerpieces with many tiny silver balls to give reflective light off the candles that you light. Opt for different size glass cylinders to fill and use some silver candles in others.  You can mix and match silver elements and crystal fillers for a rich look. For a sit down dinner, use clean white square plates with foiled silver runners and silver satin napkins to pull it together. Check out the bottom of the blog for White Chocolate Martini recipes and Mint Chocolate Chip Martini recipes.

Hannukah Winter Wonderland

To transform your Winter Wonderland into a Hanukkah party, this can be done quite simply with lighting. Ambiance is a very important element, and if Hanukkah is your party and you really would like to tie in the blue, use some touches of blue, but sparingly.  Think about using the lighting with a blue color wash to give the room and icy holiday feel which works great with white and silver.

To tie in your holiday theme to food,  go for something fun and consider glittered jelly doughnuts if you are having a Hanukkah party, For centerpieces, you can take the DIY approach and purchase some small wooden dreidels and cover them with silver and light blue glitter to add a slight touch of blue that still works with the chic, modern look.

At the bar, try a white Belvedere Martini at the bar, no need for a full bar if you are creating some signature drinks to go with your color theme. Visit the bottom of the blog for several blue martini recipes including raspberry martini recipes.  

 Gold, Silver and Copper Holiday Trends

Other holiday trends lean toward foiled colors, still staying with the monochromatic look. The popular colors include gold, bronze and silver.  To make a great statement at the dinner table, consider bronze or gold. You can stick with bronze color linens and accents such as candle holders and plate runners for a sit down dinner. If you are inviting two different groups of people to your Thanksgiving dinner and Holiday party, you can even use the same theme twice.

For Thanksgiving consider adding burnt orange accessories and accent such as napkins or even renting burnt orange plates for a more fall/winter look. For your holiday party you can opt for clean white plates, with foiled plate runners and napkins, and beautiful foiled candle cylinders that are available around the holiday season for purchase.

The holiday season  is also a great time to try out these fun glittery colors that you don’t get a chance so much during the year. Craft stores and home decor stores offer many great pieces that normally would not be found throughout the year. Dare a little and go crazy with the gold, but not too much. Have fun with multiple shades of golds and coppers and combine the two if you are not comfortable with monochromatic colors. Try vintage gold, old world, shiny and bright gold accents together to bring a dramatic look for your party. Don’t forget to try out some amazing new cocktails to go along with your theme colors. Check out recipes at the bottom of the blog to go with your color themed holiday event including Gold and Bronze  Martini recipes.

Silver and Bling for Holiday Cheer

Silver is one of my favorite colors to work with, although many consider it a “cold” color, I think it’s a color that lends itself well to that crisp, clean, blingy look that I love. For the holiday season there are many great decor ideas that can be incorporated into the table with silver. Try some fun DIY center pieces such as silver tinted pomegranates, blinged out napkin holders, clear chandeliers that can be hung up for the holiday, and classy silver plate runners to give the whole house a holiday spirit.

Yummy Holiday Signature Cocktails

Silver Martini (or cocktail)
2 oz Malibu Rum
2 oz Cupuacu puree
Splash of fresh lime juice
Edible silver powder (available at bakery/cake decorating outlets)
Garnish: Lime wedge

1.Coat bottom of martini glass with silver powder.
2.Combine remaining ingredients into a shaker with ice.
3.Shake well.
4.Strain into silver-coated martini glass. The silver powder should float to the top.
5.Sprinkle extra powder to deepen color.
6.Garnish with lime wedge

Gold Martini (can also be a regular cocktail)
•2 1/2 oz Stolichnaya Elit vodka
•1 1/2 oz Malibu Coconut Rum
•1 tsp shredded coconut
•Garnish: Coconut flakes
•Edible gold powder (available at bakery/cake decorating outlets)

1.Coat bottom of martini glass with gold powder.
2.Combine remaining ingredients into a shaker with ice.
3.Shake well.
4.Strain into gold-coated martini glass. The gold powder should float to the top.
5.Sprinkle extra powder to deepen color.
6.Garnish with coconut flakes.

Bronze Martini
1 1/2 oz Kahlua
2 oz Monte Cristo 12-year
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
Edible bronze powder (available at bakery/cake decorating outlets)
Garnish: Coffee beans
1.Coat bottom of martini glass with bronze powder.
2.Combine remaining ingredients into a shaker with ice.
3.Shake well.
4.Strain into bronze-coated martini glass. The bronze powder should float to the top.

White Chocolate Martini 

2 parts Vodka                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1 part Godiva White Chocolate Liquor

 Mint Chocolate Chip Martini

1 oz. Belvedere Vodka                                                                                                                                                                                               1/4 oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1/2 oz. White Creme de Menthe
1/4 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream

Sprinkle extra powder to Garnish Options for all  Chocolate Martinis with
White  Chocolate Shavings , White Hershey’s Kisses or chocolate mint cookie

Blue Martinis

(Light Blue Martini Recipe) Blue Raspberry Martini

two ounces vodka

two ounces raspberry liquor

twist of Curacao.

Shake them together in an ice filled cocktail shaker and strain into a martini glass.

 Garnish with fresh raspberries.