The slightly bitter taste of cranberry and Aperol go perfectly with champagne or Prosecco bubbles. And cocktails with bubbles always feel right for a holiday get together or New Year’s Eve. Cheers!

Related: Cape Cod Cocktail, Sea Breeze, French 75, 40 Fun Cocktails to Make at Home

Cranberry Spritz Ingredients:

• Champagne or Prosecco
• Aperol
• Cranberry Juice
• Orange Slices
• Fresh Cranberries
• Cranberry Ice Cubes (optional, but so fun!)

How to Make a Cranberry Spritz:

Combine the champagne or Prosecco, Aperol, and cranberry juice over ice in a wine glass. Garnish with fresh cranberries and orange slices and serve chilled.

If you want your drink to feel extra festive, you can freeze some fresh cranberries in an ice cube tray beforehand to add a really pretty presentation element.

This drink is pretty simple to make—just one or two servings (use a mini bottle of champagne if that’s all you need) or you can open a few regular-sized bottles if you’re having a party!

This is seriously such an easy and delicious cocktail to throw together—I’m totally obsessed with it this season! xo. Emma

P.S. Love cranberry cocktails? Check out …

• Easy Orange Cranberry Margarita
• Spiced Cranberry Punch
• Prosecco and Cranberry Mimosa
• Cranberry Jello Shots

Print

Cranberry Spritz

an easy cranberry cocktail for any holiday or gathering

Course Drinks

Keyword cocktails, cranberry, spritz

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 person

Author Emma Chapman

Ingredients

• 3 parts champagne or Prosecco
• 1 part Aperol
• 1 part cranberry juice
• cranberry ice cubes and orange slices optional

Instructions

• Combine the champagne or Prosecco, Aperol, and cranberry juice over ice in a wine glass.
• Garnish with fresh cranberries and orange slices and serve chilled.

Notes

If you want your drink to feel extra festive, you can freeze some fresh cranberries in an ice cube tray beforehand to add a really pretty presentation element.

A literal tower of champagne with what looks like the cast of Downton Abbey pouring the champagne into the top glass.

The funny thing about the champagne tower feat is that is has such a mysterious and fancy air about it, but you can do it for any party that you have—no British butler required!

How to Make a Champagne Tower:

Step one: The first step is to figure out how many tiers tall you want your tower to be. You have 1 glass on the top (1×1=1) and then 4 on the next tier below it (2×2=4).

Then 9 on the next tier (3×3=9), 16 on the tier below that (4×4=16), and then 25 on the tier below that (5×5=25).

Keep adding tiers that are one number bigger (multiplied by itself) until you get to the final number of glasses you need or the tier height that you were envisioning.

Step two: Once you know how many tiers you want and have done the math on how many glasses you need, you’ll most likely want to rent real glasses in that amount. Or, you can also buy these to use if you don’t want to rent real ones.

Just make sure that you get the “coupe” style of champagne glasses, the shorter wider glasses, rather than the “flutes” which are tall skinny glasses and can’t be stacked.

I have actually made a successful tower out of both rented glass and plastic glasses, but I did find that the rented glasses we had were actually 3-4 various heights that were slightly different.

That’s not a big deal at all if you’re using them on tables for a dinner party, but we had to carefully sift through the glasses to try and find ones that were similar heights for each tier, and that was super annoying.

It seems like maybe that rental company had glasses from a few different brands mixed together, so maybe ask when you rent real glasses if all the coupes are exactly the same from the same brand, and you won’t have that problem.

With the plastic glasses, you just need to be very careful attaching the cup part of the glass to the stem and make sure that you are attaching them as level as possible. Otherwise, you’ll have a similar problem where all the glasses are crooked and you won’t have a very sturdy tower.

Step three: To make your tower, start by arranging your bottom tier on a sturdy table (not one that’s wiggly or in a spot that would be bumped easily!) in a square with each glass touching all the glasses that surround it.

Then, start your next layer by placing the base of your second tier glasses directly in the center of where 4 of your bottom glasses come together. You should be able to look down at the base of your second tier glass and see a diamond shape (created by the 4 bottom tier cup edges) centered in the base.

Step four: Build your smaller layer on top of the larger layer below, trying to see that diamond shape in the base of each glass. Try to get the second tier to be as close to each other as possible, with the sides touching if you can.

Once you are done with your second layer, keep building up and up until you have just one glass on top!

How to Pour the Champagne:

You can either leave all the glasses empty and pour the champagne into the top glass so that it eventually overflows and spills all the way down the tower (filling the glasses as it goes down) or you can build the tower with the glasses mostly full already.

Leave the top one empty so that you’ll still get to fill the top glass and see it overflow all the way down the tiers, but it will all happen a lot faster.

If you’ve ever seen a large tower being filled from the top that started out with empty glasses, it can take a pretty long time to fill them all, so you may start to lose guests’ attention by the time you are pouring in the third or fourth bottle.

How Much Champagne Will You Need?

Add up how many glasses you have multiplied by how many ounces the glasses hold, and that will tell you how many ounces of champagne you’ll need.

Be sure to check the ounces on the bottles that you’re wanting to get to make sure you have enough.

Now that you have your tower and enough champagne, pick the moment you want to debut your tower skills. Maybe after a short welcome speech or a toast in honor of the party occasion? And then, fill that tower from the top!

You may need a chair to stand on while pouring if you’re a shortie like me, or just ask your 6’3″ friend to do the honors …

It’s always a party highlight when a champagne tower is present, so if you’re looking for extra fun at your next event, this may be the perfect thing! xo. Laura

Speaking of champagne, check out these recipes!

• Rosé Champagne Mini Cupcakes
• Champagne Berries
• Strawberries and Champagne Galette with a Chocolate Crust

If you haven’t yet, be sure to subscribe to our podcast wherever you prefer to listen. That way you will automatically receive an episode update every week (and it’s totally free!).

You can stream the episode here on the blog or on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, and Stitcher. You can see the full archive of our previous episodes here.

Show Notes:

Are you more of an Emma or more of an Elsie when it comes to New Year’s goals? Do you prefer one big goal or a new small goal each season?

Music jar

-Here’s the first post I did about our music jar goal last year.

-Here’s the full list of bands in the Larson’s 2019 music jar.

Thank you for an incredible first podcast year!!! In all our years of blogging, we have never felt so connected to our audience. It’s been so special! We’re excited for 2020 … lots of good episodes planned! xx- Elsie

Miss an episode? Get caught up!

• Episode #10: How to Decorate Affordably (And Not Just From Target!)
• Episode #9: Update on our Florida Bnb Projects
• Episode #8: Self-Help Books That Changed Our Lives

Episode 11 Transcript

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Elsie: You’re listening to a A Beautiful Mess podcast. With the New Year upon us. We thought it might be the perfect time to share about our New Year’s goals, resolutions and maybe a few things that Emma doesn’t love about the tradition. We’re also going to share another embarrassing story, and this time it’s Emma’s embarrassing moment. So Emma is going to start us off with a little Scroogey Scrooge moment about what she doesn’t like about New Year’s resolutions, which I feel like a lot of people will relate to this.

Emma: I don’t think it’s very Skroogey, I think it’s very logical. But no no, for real. So I love goal setting, just like Elsie we’re big goal setting people, self-help people, I mean we’ve already shared like our self-help books we love. So you get it. We are very into goals. So you would think New Year’s would be one of my favorite holidays. But I have noticed over the last few years myself just getting kind of annoyed with it. And I kind of get almost a little bit anxious on New Year’s Eve. So I was like, all right, what’s up with that? Maybe I should think about this a little more rather than just, oh, that happened. And it kind of sucked. And I just keep going. Like, maybe I should, like, think about this and maybe there’s a way I can improve it. So as I’ve done that, I’ve thought of two main things that kind of bother me about New Year’s. First of all, I feel like the way we celebrate New Year’s Eve and the idea of goal setting are so incompatible, at least in my life, like a lot of times, New Year’s Eve is very much a: Okay, I’m going to go out with my friends. We’re gonna have drinks. We’re gonna stay up late, which to me staying up till midnight is quite late. I like to go to bed at 10.

Elsie: In Missouri, the way you celebrate New Year’s Eve is like alcohol, alcohol…alcohol.

Emma: Get a Uber home. That’s pretty much New Year’s Eve. Yeah, and it’s right after Christmas. So there’s just been a lot of like eating sugar cookies, drinking with your family. And if you don’t drink that’s cool, but like as you can tell, I’m a drinker. So it’s just like doesn’t feel to me like, oh, this is what I want to be doing the night before I start a big new 12 month goal. I want to stay up late and drink. I’m like, no, that is the opposite of what I would do normally right before starting like a big goal setting time in my life. So like this is just a strange and I think that’s part of..

Emma: I do agree with that especially it if it’s like a fitness related goal. And you’re gonna wake up hangover. That is like, kind of a no no.

Elsie: But almost any goal to waking up hangover is just like, oh, I’m not going to get anything done today. Now I’m in my 30s, so if I wake up hung over, that day is just useless. So…

Elsie: That’s why a lot of people have a day off.

Emma: Yeah. Yeah. But so that makes me kind of anxious. I feel like on New Year’s Eve, I’m always like, oh, I need to be having fun with my friends. I don’t want to be a downer. But then I’m also like, I just want to go home and go to bed because I got stuff to start tomorrow. I can’t be up late, but that’s what we’re all doing. This is weird. And I think I just never really articulated that in my own mind before. So now I’m like, okay, that is something that kind of feels weird to me. Good to know. So there’s that. And then the second thing is New Year’s Eve happens very close to Christmas. So I celebrate Christmas. And New Year’s Eve is like one week after it or so. I think it’s pretty much always one week, but maybe it’s one…

Elsie: Yeah the week after Christmas is like the strangest week of the year.

Emma: Yes.

Elsie: Because a lot of people have work, most kids have off school. Like you’re waiting for New Year’s to begin. So it’s just kind of like yeah, like a week long Christmas hangover.

Emma: Right. And I’m very. I know you’re like this too Elsie, I’m very like routine. And I’m not very type-A. Like, I can be a flexible person, but I like to have a kind of routine life. I like to wake up on Monday morning and it’s time to work. I work hard and I get done by 5:00 or 6:00. And then I have things I do in the evening. I just have kind of a routine and I like that.

Elsie: It’s comforting.

Emma: Yeah, that I know what to expect. And I I know when I’ve had a good day because I accomplished the things I needed to do in my routine anyway. So that whole week after Christmas. Things are kind of thrown off. And I just feel like there isn’t enough time for me because it’s…Christmas is such a busy time of year for me at work and it’s a busy time personally. I love Christmas. I celebrate it all the way. There’s just not enough downtime for me to really evaluate the previous year. And…

Elsie: That’s why you have to do it now. Like, you have to start ahead of time.

Emma: Yeah, you almost need to start before like…to me, I feel like I almost need to start before Thanksgiving. And if I don’t, then I’m not going to have the time because there’s just so much like, our blog. There’s so much going on for the holidays. It’s just a big time of year for most bloggers career-wise, which is great. And love it. And then you have family in town or you’re making dinner, a big dinner for your family, or maybe you’re traveling some. I’m doing all of those things for Christmas. So it’s just like, I just don’t feel like I really give myself the time to sit quietly and think about what did I love about the previous year, what worked well, what didn’t work well, what do I want to repeat? What do I definitely not want to do again? Like just really take the time to celebrate what I accomplished and then think, how can I improve for the next year? So that bothers me, too, where I feel like there’s not enough good downtime to really evaluate. I don’t love to like barrel through life not, I just think if you don’t, like, take a minute to look back at what you did. How do you really know what goal to set next? Because you’re just sort of like never evaluating anything. So anyway, I don’t love that. It makes me feel kind of like stressed to come up with a goal. So those are like my little things that have kind of bothered me about New Year’s and New Year’s Eve in the past. And now that I feel like I’ve identified those things, I can better handle them.

Elsie: Yeah. So what are you going to try differently this year to give yourself a better New Year’s experience?

Emma: OK. So this is my plan for this year. So I’m going to celebrate New Year’s Eve to the fullest extent. However, I feel it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m going to like drink a ton because I’m not really in that place in my life. I’m too old. Get the hangovers. Can’t do that too much. But anyway, I am just going to have fun with my friends and I’m not going to view it as tomorrow I start my goals. Nope. I’m just going to have fun with my friends. It’s the last big holiday of the year. Obviously, it’s the last day of year and that’s it. Just going to have fun. And the next day I’ll probably wake up late because we stayed up late and just clean a little bit or whatever. But I’m not starting my goals. And then I’m going to spend the next couple weeks after that evaluating the previous year, 2019. So it’ll fully be over. So I feel like at that point I can really look at it and I’ll do that for our business because our fiscal year for our business is the same as the calendar year. So I have that and then my own personal life stuff and whatever so we do that. And then my birthday happens to be January 21st. So it’s only obviously 21 days after New Year. So I think I’m going to make that my starting line for my New Year’s resolutions and consider that my new year.

Elsie: That’s I love that idea. And it’s perfect. I mean, if your birthday’s not in January, maybe this doesn’t work for you, but for you, it’s perfect.

Emma: Yeah. If your birthday’s in June. I’m not like trying to give you advice.

Elsie: My birthday’s in November. So..

Emma: Yeah. So that’s how I’m going to solve those issues for me. But I don’t know. Is that all weird to you? Are you like, I love New Year’s or are you like, no, that all makes sense.

Elsie: Ok. So I think it makes sense for you. And everyone has to do what works for them. Right. But for me, I like New Year’s. I like, I would rather…

Emma: What do you guys usually do?

Elsie: Oh, OK. So the last couple years, like last year, we had a dinner party at our house with our kids.

Emma: That’s cute.

Elsie: Yeah. And Laura came over and they stay up. No, no, no. They all went to bed. Yeah. It was awesome. And so, yeah, we kind of had our little New Year’s party the last couple years. We’ve had a dinner party at our house. Yeah. Because I don’t like going out on New Year’s because it’s like the worst menus of the whole year. You know, like the tiny little menus where you order or the same thing and it’s like double the price. It’s just not my favorite night. Kind of like going out on Valentine’s Day. We don’t do that either. But anyway, I love New Year’s goals. So, yeah, I’m excited about this episode because this was the first year of my whole life that I made New Year’s goals. I made two and I did them the whole year and never stopped. Which is so crazy because I’m, you know, the the Enneagram seven, like I have a very hard time following through with things. And I’ve made lots of goals in my life that I did for like two days or four days or two weeks, you know, and then stopped. So that was a great feeling.

Emma: I think that’s most people, too. Like I think a lot of people do that.

Elsie: Yeah. Oh yeah. And there’s no shame in that. Like whatever. I always think of it as like, at least I did two weeks of something good instead of nothing, you know. But yeah, this was kind of like a breakthrough for me because I actually finished them so I want to talk about them in this episode and then set a new goal cause I’m feeling a lot of momentum right now.

Emma: Yeah. Because you had success. Yeah. So we’re both going to talk about some of our new goals, but let’s do that first. Let’s hear about what you did last year for the full twelve months and your experience of it.

Elsie: Okay. Like the recap.

Emma: Yes.

Elsie: All right. So we made two big goals in 2019. The first one was to do a music jar, which we actually started right before the new year. And we’ve done it every week, all year. There have been a couple weeks where we like spent two weeks on an artist or where we had an artist that kind of didn’t work out and we just moved on to the next one. But for the most part, it has been a big, big win for us because people with little kids understand like you…it’s so easy to get stuck in a loop of listening to the same, like the Frozen soundtrack or, you know, whatever songs that they think are fun from school or things like that. So our kids have been listening to a different artist each week. Sorry, I should explain what it is. The music jar is just a jar that has 52 artists written in it on a little piece of paper. And each week we draw one out and spend the whole week listening to the artist. And for the most part, we do it when we drive in the car. And then depending on how fun the artist is, sometimes we’ll do it for like a dance party at home or, you know, something like that. That’s fun. The big win from it is that Jeremy posted an Instagram story recently where he was kind of quizzing Nova about music. And she’s just so literate on old music, like she knows the difference between like Billy Joel and the Beatles and The Beach Boys. And it goes on and on and on. And we’re just really proud of that. It’s cool. Like she can hear songs when we’re going through the grocery store and say who it is. And she really just generally has a very open palate for different types of music, which is really special.

Emma: Yeah, and she’s four. So it’s funny to watch her kind of have her own opinions about what she likes and doesn’t like, which mostly she likes kind of everything. I think you’ve shown her, I think you had one week that was definitely a fail at least that I remember you told me.

Elsie: We had a couple that we like kind of skipped through because they were just she just wasn’t that into it.

Emma: Mm hmm.

Elsie: Yeah, I think you said White Stripes, which obviously they’re amazing, but didn’t work for her.

Elsie: White Stripes, Alanis Morissette, and one other one, I am having to remembering…

Emma: Alanis Morissette, interesting she didn’t like that.

Elsie: It’s kind of hard to listen to first thing in the morning. Like I love it. It’s very nostalgic, but it’s definitely like a mood food.

Emma: Hmm. Interesting. I mean, obviously, I’m sure you put all the artists you like on the pieces of paper, but it’s just it is interesting to see the ones she really take too. I don’t know. It’s just fun to watch someone’s little opinions blossom.

Elsie: That’s true. So, yeah, it’s really fun to ask her what her favorites are…

Emma: Well, halfway through the year. Marigold joined the family, too. I’ve seen her dancing along to some of the music and she also has music you play for her like often. But…

Elsie: Yeah, they both listen to ABBA religiously because that’s kind of our palate cleanser. Like if someone’s crying, you know, that…

Emma: Changes the mood.

Elsie: Yeah. Yes. It’s our special music. We dance to it all the time. And right now we’re listening to lots and lots of Christmas music because it’s almost Christmas at the time we’re recording this. So yeah, those two things…magical. So in the show notes at abeautifulmess.com/podcast, we will put a link to my list of all the artists we included last year. That’s like a question people DM like every day because I think it is kind of intimidating to think of 52 artists. We did mostly old music and I will say this coming year we’re gonna continue the music jar because we have loved it so much. We’re going to put more new artists in it as well because yeah, I I did kind of realize at a certain point that it was like 95 percent old music, which I’m really glad that they know of that. But I also, you know, want them to know about Lizzo and stuff.

Emma: So you had two goals that you did this past year that you stuck to. So you told us about the music jar. Let’s hear a little about the other one.

Elsie: Yes. OK. So my goal at the beginning of the year was to go one whole year, only buying used clothing. And I did stick to it 100 percent. I’m really proud of myself because it was very difficult at times. And I learned a lot. But I will say a lot of people are asking me now, are you going to keep doing it forever? And I’m like, no, oh, I’m so excited to be able to shop, especially with like small shops and, you know, local stores. It felt kind of weird not to be able to shop anything new at all all year long.

Emma: What was the inspiration behind it? Because I love it. I love the idea of only buying used clothes for a year. Or I could see a lot of benefits. But what for you made you decide to start that?

Elsie: So what inspired me ended up not being what I got out of it, which happens sometimes, but what inspired me is that I wanted to put a lot more vintage into my closet. And I still do. I think that, you know, in home decor, one of my big things is that, you know, you have to put a little bit of vintage in every room or it just doesn’t feel complete. It doesn’t feel finished. It’s not charming enough like, and it can just add so much. So I wanted to do that with my closet. And I honestly didn’t really get there. I didn’t add that much vintage this year as I thought I would, but I learned other things that were really beneficial. So I guess it was still a win.

Emma: Yeah. What were some other things that you learned? Because you I bet you you saved a good amount of money. Because…

Elsie: I definitely feel like I saved money, which we were saving up this year for a downpayment for our forever home. And that was like pretty significant, scary large amount of money. So it was kind of nice to just not be shopping online at night at all. So wait, did you ask me what I learned?

Emma: Yeah.

Elsie: Okay.

Emma: Yeah, I kind of threw out the money one because that’s probably what, I don’t know. I always think about that. But yeah. What else?

Elsie: So I definitely saved money. The other thing that I feel like I really learned. OK. Well, let me just say, first of all, I imagined when I started it that I would be going to thrift shops and vintage shops all year long, that, you know, just not being able to shop at all the places I normally shop like Madewell or Nordstrom or whatever would motivate me to go to these used shops more. But in January, there’s no way we could have known this. We were matched with a baby and then we were traveling to China to adopt her. And then I’ve had a new baby in my life for the past six months. So I honestly didn’t have any time. I barely went to thrift shops in person at all. It just wasn’t the year I thought it would be in that way, which is fine, obviously, but I did learn…a really positive thing is how easy it is to shop used on Poshmark. And I used Poshmark a ton, and I also bought some stuff on Etsy and eBay. But for the most part I would buy, you know, a couple things each month from Poshmark and I really felt like…There was a few times when I ordered something and it didn’t quite fit right. And I had to like kind of resell it or whatever or give it away to a friend. But for the most part, I found things that I would have paid way more for new. I was buying stuff from a lot of the same brands where I shopped before and, you know, good prices and it felt good buying something used, you know, that was helping clean up someone else’s closet and adding to mine.

Emma: I think a lot of times, too, when you’re shopping used or vintage that, I mean, not always. And this is a little bit of a generalization, but I do think a lot of times the return policies aren’t, as, you know, fluid as when your shopping new. So I do think I would wonder if at least for me, I could see it kind of changing how I evaluate buying something because…

Elsie: Definitely.

Emma: I think a lot of times I’m like, oh, I’ll just buy this. It looks cute. It’s on sale. Whatever. And I’ll just return it if it doesn’t work out. No big deal. And I do return stuff. But I like the idea that you would have to a lot more be like, well I can’t really return this. I’m going to have to resell it or give it away. So do I really need this in my closet? Will I really wear it? Does it seem like it’s really going to work for my body type? You can’t always know if something’s going to fit. And you could do your measurements and, you know, try really hard. But sometimes you can’t tell until ou try it on.

Elsie: Yeah.

Emma: So there’s that piece. But I just, I kind of like that idea. I think it makes it where you have to. I just think anything that makes you pause a little bit more and evaluate what you’re doing in life is sometimes a good thing. Obviously, you don’t want to stop living your life. But I’m always kind of on hyperspeed. So I think anything that makes me pause and be a little more thoughtful isn’t a bad thing.

Elsie: That’s true. So like returning, obviously it is important and you have to do it if you shop online a lot, but it is kind of wasteful. And when you develop a habit where like, what I used to do is just order like a huge amount of clothes from a ASOS you know, every month or so and then return like 75 percent of them. And I don’t know, I think it’s, I’m glad to be out of that habit. But I do think that if anyone out there listening is like thinking about doing this challenge, if you’re in a place in your life where you could, like get your ass out the door to Buffalo Exchange, you would get more out of it than I did. Like I didn’t go one single time this year to Buffalo Exchange, just because, like, my life wasn’t conducive.

Emma: You had a baby.

Elsie: Right? Yeah. Yeah, but it was still worth it to me. And it is still a great challenge. And I definitely feel like I’ll be checking Poshmark more often next year, even though I could shop new. I still think I’ll want to shop used and I still have a goal of adding more vintage to my closet. It just didn’t happen for me this year.

Emma: Well, let’s talk about some of our New Year’s goals for 2020.

Elsie: OK. Do you wanna go first?

Emma: Yeah. Yeah. And this is probably obvious, but I do think part of the fun. I love hearing other people’s goals because not because I’m necessarily going to do it. But a lot of times it sparks other ideas for me. So I do hope that this episode does that for people because it can be so easy. I don’t know about you, but I start to see all the little jokes and memes at New Year’s time where everyone’s like, I got a gym membership and used it one day and everyone kind of wants to just like shit on goals. And I’m like, hey, now, don’t do that. Goal making is awesome. It can change your life. But yes, it’s hard. And you know, if you OK, let me just say my things, because I think you’ll maybe know where I’m going with this a little bit. So unlike Elsie, who successfully did two goals for 12 months, I have a hard time with that. Twelve months is just a very long time to stick with something. So, one, I just don’t have a lot of ideas that will take me 12 months. A lot of them could I could kind of do it and then be it be completed, if that makes sense. And then the other thing is something in my mind, if I am all of a sudden like, okay, you now must do this for 12 months, a little piece of me immediately wants to rebel and be like, oh, yeah.

Elsie: Ohhh.

Emma: I don’t know why. I don’t know why. I’m a rule follower when I understand the rules and agree with them. But if I don’t agree with them, I’m definitely the kind of person who’s like, yeah, I’m not going to do that. I’m going to pretend like I’m doing it. But I’m not because I don’t think this rule is worth it. So anyway, I have to really buy into a goal in order to do at 12 months. So what helps me is if I kind of make more like shorter timelines. So I think that’s what I’m going to do this year for New Year’s slash/it’s really more my birthday goals at this point because I’ve started at already told you I’m doing it for my birthday. I’m going to make three to four goals for the year and kind of do them as quarterly goals. Now, that’s my thing for the year. And if you’re like,.

Elsie: I think that’s a great plan.

Emma: Yeah. Obviously, you can stick to something for twelve months, you just told us how you did that, which is rad. But if you’re like, I don’t know, I don’t have any ideas for that or I in the past have been really disappointed by that. And it’s soured me on. If I’m the person who can achieve goals and I’m like HEY, do this instead. Because you definitely are a person who can achieve goals. Never say that to yourself that you can’t. So here are mine. So I’m doing, I so far only have three ideas. I have a feeling I might add a fourth or I might kind of let myself off the hook for Q4 because this holiday season. We’ll see. But so my three are number one. I want to work on my personal style. I feel like…

Elsie: A great goal.

Emma: Yeah, I read like half of The Curated Closet years ago, which Elsie talked about that book in a previous episode, but we’ll link it in the show notes.

Elsie: Can I say something?

Emma: Yeah.

Elsie: Okay. So I just started doing The Curated Closet Workbook.

Emma: I was gonna ask you about that.

Elsie: And I highly recommend it if you want to do that. I mean, obviously the book is great just to read, but the workbook, it kind of gives you homework. And right now, I’m on the second week of like documenting my outfit every day and how it made me feel. And I feel like, yeah, I started it early to kind of get into the new year because I know that I’m gonna be like off my challenge. And I didn’t want to just, like, start shopping like unaccountably? Like, I wanted to still say, like, very conscious. So anyway, it’s great for that if you want to build up your wardrobe in a very conscious, like, thoughtful way.

Emma: So my question is, should I finish reading…I’ll probably start over because it’s been too long now. But should you read Curated Closet first and then do the workbook or can you just do the workbook? Obviously The Curated Closet…the book is great, but just tell me for real, could you just do the workbook?

Elsie: You can just do the workbook because a lot of the same information is in there and it gives you…it’s a workbook. It gives you places to fill in things and homework to do so if you kind of already get the idea of what The Curated Closet is, then just go ahead and jump in.

Emma: Well I might do that then because. Yeah, I want to work on my personal style. I just feel like…so I work from home. There’s lots of days where I don’t see anyone except for like the good people at Walmart or whatever.

Elsie: Same, same here. Yeah.

Emma: I just don’t…or I see no one. It’s just my dogs. And so I don’t really feel motivated to put together cute outfits like that would feel like a waste of time. And I know I’ll never get myself to that. But also, I don’t like to just feel like I haven’t tried at all. I like to feel like I put myself together and I’m good with how I look today, even though I might not spend 30 minutes…

Elsie: The workbook will be perfect for you because I have the same exact issue and I kind of have like developed a plan for having more thoughtful work day options, you know, like just a whole little drawer just for working at home.

Emma: Yeah.

Elsie: That feels just a little bit better.

Emma: I want like a cute uniform.

Elsie: Yes.

Emma: Just have that…

Elsie: That’s what you need.

Emma: …three to five of them. And then I wash them on the weekend and that’s it, you know, because I just don’t want to think. I want to feel put together but I don’t want to have to think about it all the time. So anyway, so that’s part of my goal and it has to do with clothing. But it also has a little bit to do with like makeup and hairstyles and, you know, little things like that, too. I’m not really planning to buy a ton of stuff. I’m hoping to more pare down what I already have. I’m sure I will buy a few things. thrifted or new or whatever. So. Yeah, that’s pretty much the goal on that one. So that’s one. My second goal is I want to take some kind of online cooking or baking class. I’m leaning towards baking. Basically, I love cooking. Elsie and I have a cookbook out Weekday Weekend, check it out if you’re interested. But I love cooking. I’ve always loved cooking for a long, long time. I still do. But in the last like year or so, I’ve noticed that I am just a lot less motivated about it. I don’t feel very inspired about cooking. I have been making a lot of the same things and it’s fine. But that’s just like a piece of my creative life that I really enjoy. So I just want to get back into it. And so I’m thinking I’m going to take some kind of online course that I’m, what I’m aiming for is I haven’t picked out a course yet once I pick it out, I’ll share it in case anyone else is interested. But I’m wanting something that gets me to make things that I wouldn’t normally make, like I’m not necessarily looking for easy weeknight meals, I feel like good on that. I feel like I know how to make that kind of stuff. I know how to make that stuff up. And that’s great. And that’s what I use most of the time. That’s great. But I’m really wanting something that’s more like some kind of weird pastry or I always see these cakes on Instagram — my discover page is all cute animals and food. The algorithm knows what I like. So there’s these cakes. I don’t know what they’re called, but they basically look like a big bundt. They look like a donut. And people do these videos all the time where they put this like very shiny looking glaze over the cake. And it ends up looking like very hard and almost like it would crack when you cut it. I don’t know what they’re called, but I’m always like, that’s a weird cake.

Elsie: Donut cake. Yeah, it’s called donut cake.

Emma: So I don’t know. I’m interested in something like that that pushes me to get some new skills. I don’t really want to buy a bunch of new kitchen equipment. That’s the one thing I’m like eh, we’ll see. But I am interested in like learning some new stuff and hope that, you know.

Elsie: That’s so fun. That’s inspiring. I love it.

Emma: Yeah, so I’m gonna do that. And then my third one. You could probably guess if you’ve listened to past episodes is I’m going to finish my novel that I’ve started and I’m going to do something with it. I don’t know what that means. It might just mean sending it to our agent. It might mean self-publishing. It might mean just putting it online for free. I don’t know. I don’t really have a strong what I’m gonna do with it at the end, but I’m just gonna finish it and do something with it. So…

Elsie: Hell, yes. Sister, you can do it. So you wanna hear my goals?

Emma: Yes.

Elsie: Well, actually, I do have a bunch of like mini goals like how you were just saying. But I decided this year. So we are going to continue the music jar. But I don’t feel like I really need to, like, make it a goal because I already know that we can.

Emma: Yeah, you’re like, this is part of my life.

Elsie: It’s a part of our life. Yeah. That feels so good to say. So what I’m gonna do this year. I thought a lot about this. And this is I think that something…I wanted something challenging. But also I think the key to what I did last year, is something that I could really do. So this year, I’m going to take a photo every day.

Emma: Oooh. That’s fun.

Elsie: Yeah. And I’m thinking like I kind of want to get into like black and white photos, I don’t know. But to take a photo, I should say, not with my phone. A photo. Not with my phone everyday. And yeah I’m excited to do it now.

Emma: Not with a phone? Oh…

Elsie: Yeah. But like over the past couple of years I have not used my camera much at all because we have a photographer and she comes over to my house twice a month and I shoot basically all my blog photos with her and then I shoot basically everything of my kids with my phone. So, yeah. I just was kind of feeling like that was something creative that I wanted back in my life. Like I still am one of those people that misses, like the old Flickr days and stuff. So, yeah. So that’s going to be my goal for the year. And then, of course, I’ll have lots of little other goals along the way. Like I mentioned, I’ve already started The Curated Closet. I also wanted to get more into cooking like what Emma was talking about. But yeah, this also…

Emma: I’ll send you how to make the donut cake once I figure it out. (laughs) So the photos, are you going to do anything with them like are listeners gonna see these or is this really more just for you or like how is that going to work?

Elsie: Uh, I don’t know.

Emma: Sometimes that ruins it for me. If I have to show people…

Elsie: I’ll probably share some of them, like on Instagram and stuff. Just, you know, if it makes sense. But yeah, it’s…it’s more of a personal goal. It’s just something I want to do. Like, I don’t even care if I, like, put them all in an album or anything. I just want to, like, know that I’m doing it every day.

Emma: Yeah.

Elsie: Maybe I should keep a folder of some kind. I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that part through, but I just want to be using my camera again and that is really why I’m doing it.

Emma: Is it also that you’re going to edit the picture? Because to me, photography is very like taking it in camera settings if you’re using a DSLR or whatever, and then editing is another side of it to me.

Elsie: That’s true.

Emma: So are you doing both or is it more about the taking with the camera settings and all that? Or is it you’re going to do because if you’re already going to edit, it can save you really easy to just throw it into a folder on your desktop.

Emma: True. But I actually think I am going to get one of the SD cards that connects with your phone because I really don’t use Photoshop anymore and I…I really just prefer to edit with A Color Story. I just don’t give a shit about Photoshop. So yeah.

Emma: Yeah. I’m kind of the same.

Elsie: I’ll probably send it straight to my phone or if I don’t get a card maybe just email it to myself, whatever, like the good old days. But yeah, I’m excited to do…

Emma: Airdrop. Airdrop it.

Emma: I really am like a big believer that you know, even if I don’t do it perfectly every day, if I keep doing it all year, it’s going to make a big difference in my life. I just know it will. So I’m excited.

Emma: Yeah. Oh yeah…

Emma: Yes okay. So do you have any other small goals? I feel like a kind of interrupted you to ask about.

Elsie: I have a ton of small goals. So in our episode next week…

Emma: New segment 50 small goals Elsie has for the new year.

Elsie: There’s at least fifty. In our episode next week. I have a big announcement.

Emma: Oh!

Elsie: So, yeah. We’re not gonna talk about that today though. That’s for next week for the first week of January.

Emma: What a tease!

Elsie: So that is like consuming a lot of my brain right now. And obviously, like New Year, new blog posts, you know? Yeah. There’s so many things that I want to do better at, you know? Yeah. I was telling Emma yesterday, I kind of I think I want to run a half marathon again.

Emma: Yeah. She was asking me if I could do it. And I was kinda like. Mmmm…because we did one years ago.

Elsie: Yeah.

Emma: I have this thing where when I go on walks now I’m only 33 years old. I do a lot of jokes on here about how I’m mold. Actually, don’t think I’m old. Please don’t. You don’t need to write me an email telling me I’m young. I really appreciate it. I’m good. These are jokes, but my knee pops when I go on walks like sometimes so much that I have to listen to something while I’m walking because it’s so gross sounding

Elsie: What!?

Emma: Yeah. And I’m like, what does that mean? So I’m I’m a little fearful of running. I think working out is very important. And I definitely have some goals around that all the time. Not even just New Year’s. Just all the time. Need to move. Don’t want to sit at a computer all day. Yeah, but I am like I don’t know if running’s for me. I hate to be that way, but I’m like, I don’t know, man. I think my knees kinda. I don’t know.

Elsie: I’ll find someone. It’s okay. And honestly, it’s also something I could do alone because when we did our half-marathon last time…

Emma: You can face time me and I’ll be like “Good job. You’re doing it!”

Elsie: That’s true. I was gonna say, we did run it, like in the race together. I don’t even really care about doing a race. I just want to do the training, though. And the training you do by yourself anyway.

Emma: Training’s kind of the whole thing.

Elsie: For the most part anyway…So it’s just you and your podcast.

Emma: You do get a medal, though, you know the little medal.

Elsie: Oh yeah, I don’t care about that. I don’t even know where my old one is. I probably threw it away.

Emma: Yeah, I don’t either.

Elsie: I just want to, you know, run. What is it like twelve or thirteen miles.

Emma: Thirteen point one. I want to say.

Elsie: Yeah, I just want to do that because I haven’t been into running for a while and I just thought it sounded like a good thing to do. And recently since we started the podcast I’ve gotten so many more podcast like I just think it would be cool to have like a part of my day…

Emma: That’s listening to podcasts?

Elsie: Right!

Emma: I agree. I sometimes will be like what tasks are on my list where I could listen to a podcast and then I start to move those up a little bit, which is not always the most efficient thing to do. But yes, I totally know what you mean because I have a lot of like gotta listen the new episode of this that’s out, so. Yeah. Run sister! Run Elsie, run!

Elsie: I’m going to do it. OK, so now it’s time for Emma’s embarrassing story. And this story comes from Emma’s first. This is so crazy how it happened this way… Her first day of high school and then her first day of college. Take it away, Emma.

Emma: And they’re very similar stories. Oddly enough, I think I’ve learned my lesson. But no. Also, if you’re like, what is this segment? We’ve only done it I think one other time and Elsie did her ghost toilet story. So…

Elsie: It’s just a story, or it’s just a story time of embarrassing moments.

Emma: Well, I just really want to bring up the ghost toilet again, basically, because it’s very funny.

Elsie: I’ve gotten a lot of messages about ghost toilet. And…

Emma: Yes, she sends it to me sometimes and I’m like, “oh, people are into this”. Who doesn’t like a little potty humor mixed in with the supernatural.

Elsie: Yeah, I feel very related with.

Emma: Anyway, my story has no ghosts and no toilets, unfortunately, but it does happen on my very first day of high school, which if you’re listening from another country, that means I would have been, I think, 14 years old. So at my high school, it was a different building from my junior high or middle school, sometimes they’re called. So the high school building just had freshmen through seniors. And so I’m basically the youngest part of the group of the youngest people in this building and a lot of people I didn’t know. So the sophomores who are a year older. I knew some of them because they had been 8th graders when I was a seventh grader. But all the other kids, like, look a lot older than me. And I feel a little bit intimidated. Like there are boys who have beards, you know, and you’re just like, well, I thought I was a kid still, you know? So that’s that’s the first day of high school anyway. So it’s already an awkward time. And I’m from the Midwest, Springfield, Missouri. So it’s still warm when we start school. It’s still kind of like summer’s just ending. So I was wearing like shorts and sandals doing my first day of high school and I go to gym class. And how our gym class worked was part of the class there are days where you’re like doing book work. You’re learning like what a metabolism is or I don’t even remember what we learned, honestly. Stuff, health stuff. And then other days are like a gym day and you change into your gym clothes and you probably play dodge ball. You know, you have to run a mile and different things like that. So it’s the first day of school. So it’s it’s basically a sit in the classroom and get your syllabus day and they tell you like that’s all you do all day on your first day of school is they tell you like what you can expect. And you’re really, I’m just trying to like figure out the building because I’m like, I’ve never been in this building. And now I have to figure all my classes are and everyone looks older than me. So we’re in gym class and my teacher, he finishes up the syllabus and talking about what we’re gonna do that year. And he’s like, all right, let’s go ahead and do one little exercise. We’re going to walk up and down the gym bleachers and we’re going to find our resting heart rate and then our target heart rate or something. I don’t even know the right terms for it, but it’s basically getting your heart rate up. Like when you do cardio. And our gym was an older gym, so it had these wooden bleachers that would kind of push out when it was time to like have a game and people needed to sit in the bleachers and then they would push up against the wall and kind of disappear and look just like a wall of wood. They’re very old, very creaky, just old timey bleachers. Like I said, I’m old. Just kidding. So I’m like, okay, well, that doesn’t sound too bad. We’re just walking up and down these bleachers. So we’re all doing it. It’s kind of loud because again, they’re like these old creaky bleachers and I’m wearing sandals. So of course, when I get to the top of the bleachers, I turn around to go back down. And I’m trying to move fairly fast because we’re supposed to get her heart rate up and my sandal catches into one of the little wooden bleachers and it’s so loud, like I fall all the way down the bleachers and it’s like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And I hit the very bottom and it really hurt. But it definitely hurt my pride even more than my body. And as I kind of pick myself up out of this pile of a human that I’ve fallen into, I see that not only did my class see me fall down these bleachers, which is embarrassing. I know all these kids have gone to school with them for years, but I see that also this like junior and senior class of high school boys is like weightlifting class. So it’s all these like boys who are athletes. All the cool guys are like in the gym because their class got out. And so they all saw me fall all the way down the bleachers to which I’m sure was a very attractive look for me. And it was a very like, anytime I’d watch those like high school movies, like 90s movies that are like, you know, the dorky girl and all that. I was like, oh, my God, I’m that girl. God, I hope I turn into the pretty girl by the end of this movie. Because it’s like right now, I’m definitely the dorky girl. And that was my first day of high school. You’d think I would have learned from that because what happened my first day of college was I was running to class. I went to Missouri State and it has a fairly large campus. I mean, not huge, but it’s big enough that you sometimes have to almost jog from one class to another if your classes are across the campus. Easy. Yeah. So I’m doing that, rushing to class. I don’t wanna be late my first day. It’s embarrassing to walk into a class late, I don’t like a lot of attention. I don’t really like a lot of eyeballs on me. It’s awkward. So I’m like rushing. I don’t want to be the last person to walk into class. And of course, my classes at being on the fourth floor of this building. So I’ve already jogged across campus and I’m trying to like run up the stairs to not be late to class. And I trip, but I’ve learned a thing or two about falling hips. So when I trip, I just kind of like stretch out my body instead of curling into a ball. So if you curl into a ball, here’s what happens. You fall all the way down the stairs cause you roll. And if you stretch your body out like one of those squirrels…

Elsie: Like a spider monkey!

Emma: Yeah, that’s trying to fly. Then you then you kind of stop yourself because you like, you know…

Elsie: Good job.

Emma: Yeah. Oh yeah. So I stopped myself. So I just I fell and just sprawled out right on the stairs. And I’d love to say like, oh, the kids were so nice and they picked up my books for me. But no I had a couple people who literally stepped over me who were like rushing to their class.

Elsie: Go to hell! Like what ever.

Emma: And yeah, that was my first day of college, which was marginally better than high school because less people saw it, but. Yeah,.

Elsie: That’s such a funny coincidence. And I’m glad you told your…okay. So I guess if you have a story about falling really bad and embarrassing yourself then you can send it to Emma…

Emma: Or if you have any tips about falling. I just shared with you mine. Just sprawl out. Don’t ball up. Especially on stairs.

Elsie: That’s cute, Emma.

Emma: Thanks so much for listening. If you have a couple minutes, it means a lot to us if you share our podcast, you can post about it on Instagram or Facebook. We see when you do this

Elsie: Thank you!

Emma: It means a lot. And if you have a couple more minutes and you want to leave us a review, that means a ton. And truly, it really does help podcasts grow. So also, by the way, if you have other podcasts you love, take a minute to leave them a review, too. I know that doesn’t benefit me in any way, but it really does help podcasters grow. So if you have a moment and you’re not driving, do that and it’s really helpful and we appreciate it. Thanks!

Elsie: You’re supposed to say see you in 2020, bitches!

Emma: See you in 2020, bitches!

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Champagne berries are the classy cousin of vodka soaked gummy bears. Ha!

Simply soak your berries in champagne for at least one hour (up to overnight) covered in the refrigerator.

Drain and toss in sugar. Then freeze until you are ready to serve. I used raspberries, but strawberries would be great here—very Pretty Woman.

You’ll likely want to serve these with small toothpicks, tiny forks, or crackers that guests can use to scoop up the berries. But there are lots of options here, so you do you. You could also do a champagne tower and have these at the bottom of it!

Champagne berries feel oh so appropriate for a New Year’s Eve party, but any special occasion could be fun as well. Enjoy! xo. Emma

Print

Champagne Berries

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword berries, champagne, new years evve

Ingredients

• 1 bottle champagne
• 3-4 cups berries any variety
• ¼ cup white sugar granulated

Instructions

• Soak the berries in the champagne, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 hour and up to overnight. Drain, then toss in the sugar. Freeze until you are ready to serve.

Notes

It’s best to freeze in a thin layer if possible, so you don’t end up with a giant frozen ball of berries. I will freeze the berries on a baking sheet for an hour or two and then condense to a bowl or reusable bag. That way they don’t all freeze together.

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

Supplies:
–white tray
–gold foil liquid paint
-paintbrush
–gold peel and stick vinyl
-painter’s tape
-clear gloss spray
–10 point star template

Tape off the perimeter of your tray (the part that you don’t want to be painted) with painter’s tape.

Place your tray outside on a large piece of newspaper or cardboard. Dip your brush into your gold foil paint and, in a swinging motion, fling your paint onto your tray surface. You may want to wear thin gloves to protect your hands as well. Keep redipping and flinging the paint at different angles and distances from your tray until you have the desired pattern you want. Allow the paint to dry.

Peel off your painter’s tape. Spray your pattern with a clear gloss to seal.

Tape off the sides of your handles and paint the middle with your gold foil paint. Allow to dry, peel off tape, and seal with your clear gloss.

Print your 10 point star pattern and cut your star out with scissors. Use as a template and trace your star on the back of your gold vinyl.

Cut out your star, peel the backing, and place your star onto either the center or side of your tray. Add champagne and snacks and your tray is complete!

Since the paints used on the tray aren’t food safe, make sure to serve your food items on another food safe plate on top of the tray (those two rouge crackers above are just on it for the photo). But you can serve drinks on it and they should be fine. New Year’s parties are some of my fondest memories with friends, and having little touches like new glassware or a pretty tray can make even simple celebrations feel more special. Of course, this is a tray you can use at any party all year long, so don’t feel like its use is over after NYE. I’ve been using mine on top of a dresser with candles and photos on it—so pretty! Cheers to the new year! xo. Laura

Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

To celebrate this year, I thought that I’d make some disco ball cupcakes because what goes more perfectly with NYE than shiny, glittery disco balls?!

You might think these are cupcakes topped with fondant tiles at first glance, but NOPE, no fondant on here! Believe it or not, there isn’t anything on top of these aside from buttercream frosting and a little edible glitter.

I’ve covered all the details below; follow along so that you too can start the new year off on the sweetest, sparkliest note. Disco Ball Cupcakes, makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1 box chocolate cake mix
silver cupcake liners

For the buttercream frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
black gel food coloring
edible silver luster dust 

Mix your box cake with the ingredients listed on the package. Line cupcake pans with silver cupcake liners. Even though the recipe says you’ll be making 12 cupcakes, each disco ball is actually two cupcakes (bonus!) so fill all 24 liners. Bake cupcakes at 325°F for 25 minutes.

Once baked, divide the cupcakes by the shape of their tops. Set the 12 most level cupcakes together to serve as the bases for each disco ball, and the 12 larger (more dome-shaped) cupcakes together. Allow the cupcakes to cool to room temperature.

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare your buttercream. In a large bowl or bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter on low speed for 1 minute.

Gradually add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth. Add in one small drop of black gel food coloring. Mix until the color is combined. If the gray is too light, add a little more until you’ve achieved the most similar shade to silver.

In a bowl, add one of your large (domed) cupcakes and break it down with your hands until you have a bowl of crumbs. Add one large dollop of frosting into the bowl, mix together with your hands (just as you would if you were making a cake pop), and roll the mixture into a ball shape.

Lightly frost the top of one of your smaller (more level) cupcakes, and then position the cake ball on top. Use your palm to gently shape the cake ball to a dome shape.

Frost with a thin layer of gray buttercream, smooth with a spatula (or your finger), and then place the cupcake in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to allow the frosting to set. Repeat the process with your other cupcakes as well, pairing each of the smaller cupcakes with a larger cupcake for the topper.

You’ll notice that once the frosting sets in the freezer it becomes MUCH easier to work with—any uneven spots can easily be smoothed with your fingers once the frosting has firmed.

Take a couple of your cupcakes out of the freezer and allow them to slightly come to room temperature. As they do, make your indentations into the frosting.

Use a trussing needle, toothpick, or any flat edge (ruler, spatula, etc.) to make horizontal and vertical lines across the cupcake, roughly 1/2-inch apart.

If you notice your frosting is cracking as you make the indentations, the frosting is too cold. Allow it to sit untouched for a little longer if you’re having that issue.

Once your lines have been made, use your fingertip to add the silver luster dust onto the surface of each cupcake. Make sure the frosting is still cold while you’re doing this.

If it’s warmed too much while you were adding the lines, place the cupcake back into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes until the frosting is firm to the touch.

And voilà, a disco ball cupcake! Repeat the indenting and glittering steps with your other domed cupcakes until you have a dozen disco balls ready to party!These cupcakes do take some time with all the in-and-out of the freezer business, but they’re totally worth it. If you’re attending or hosting a New Year’s party, they are the perfect treat to ring in the new year with! xo. Alana

Print

Disco Ball Cupcakes

Course Dessert

Keyword cupcakes

Servings 12

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• silver cupcake liners

For the buttercream frosting:

• 2 cups unsalted butter softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• gel food coloring black
• edible silver luster dust

Instructions

• Mix your box cake with the ingredients listed on the package. Line cupcake pans with silver cupcake liners. Even though the recipe says you’ll be making 12 cupcakes, each disco ball is actually two cupcakes (bonus!) so fill all 24 liners. Bake cupcakes at 325°F for 25 minutes. Once baked, divide the cupcakes by the shape of their tops. Set the 12 most level cupcakes together to serve as the bases for each disco ball, and the 12 larger (more dome-shaped) cupcakes together. Allow the cupcakes to cool to room temperature.
• While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare your buttercream. In a large bowl or bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter on low speed for 1 minute. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth. Add in one small drop of black gel food coloring. Mix until the color is combined. If the gray is too light, add a little more until you’ve achieved the most similar shade to silver.
• In a bowl, add one of your large (domed) cupcakes and break it down with your hands until you have a bowl of crumbs. Add one large dollop of frosting into the bowl, mix together with your hands (just as you would if you were making a cake pop), and roll the mixture into a ball shape.
• Lightly frost the top of one of your smaller (more level) cupcakes, and then position the cake ball on top. Use your palm to gently shape the cake ball to a dome shape. Frost with a thin layer of gray buttercream, smooth with a spatula (or your finger), and then place the cupcake in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to allow the frosting to set. Repeat the process with your other cupcakes as well, pairing each of the smaller cupcakes with a larger cupcake for the topper. You’ll notice that once the frosting sets in the freezer it becomes MUCH easier to work with—any uneven spots can easily be smoothed with your fingers once the frosting has firmed.
• Take a couple of your cupcakes out of the freezer and allow them to slightly come to room temperature. As they do, make your indentations into the frosting. Use a trussing needle, toothpick, or any flat edge (ruler, spatula, etc.) to make horizontal and vertical lines across the cupcake, roughly 1/2-inch apart. If you notice your frosting is cracking as you make the indentations, the frosting is too cold. Allow it to sit untouched for a little longer if you’re having that issue.
  
• Once your lines have been made, use your fingertip to add the silver luster dust onto the surface of each cupcake. Make sure the frosting is still cold while you’re doing this. If it’s warmed too much while you were adding the lines, place the cupcake back into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes until the frosting is firm to the touch. And voilà, a disco ball cupcake! Repeat the indenting and glittering steps with your other domed cupcakes until you have a dozen disco balls ready to party!

Credits//Author and Photography: Alana Jones-Mann. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

In this post, we are working with ALDI. All of the wines and chocolates you see in this post are from ALDI and they are soooooo good. Quite a few of the wines I picked up are award winners (plus they are still really affordable in case you are stocking up for a party; I got all of my wines in this post for under $50!), and I cannot get over how many great little chocolate treats they have in stores. The chocolate truffles are adorable! Makes getting ready for a party too easy.

In case you want to know what I specifically stocked my wine bar with, here it is: Belletti Prosecco, Coastal Cove Sauvignon Blanc, Dancing Flame Red Blend, William Wright Reserve Pinot Noir; plus a few special edition William Wright Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Blend, and Chardonnay (those last three are the ones that have the cute black and white graphic design look on the labels), created in partnership with designer Timothy Goodman and available in select ALDI stores this December!

For red wines, they don’t need to be served chilled, and they are super easy to have on hand for a party. Just open an hour or so before the party so they can breathe and you’re basically good to go. But I’ve always thought wines that require refrigeration (so they can be served chilled) are a bit tricky at a party. Mainly, if they are tucked away in your refrigerator, sometimes it’s hard to remind guests that’s where they are. After all, sometimes people feel a bit odd just going through your refrigerator. Plus there’s the whole “out of sight, out of mind” issue, so it’s possibly guests may not know you have chilled wines and then it becomes your job all night to remind them. Which I don’t know about you, but I’m not a good enough hostess to remember to do that once a party gets underway.

Wouldn’t it be better if the chilled wines could somehow sit out on a table or a wine bar while looking cute but still staying cold? Good news, I’ve got two methods to recommend to you—both super cute and effective, but one is much easier than the other. Plus, who doesn’t like options?

First, I wanted to see about the whole solid ice bucket thing. I’ve seen these in magazines before, but I was curious how easy they were to make and how long they might last once they were sitting out (like they would be for a party). So here’s how I made one along with tips and thoughts for you.

What you need in order to create a solid ice bucket is two containers, weights (or rocks), and whatever you want to use in the water to make the bucket look pretty. For my larger container, I used a (new, cleaned) plastic trash bin. And for the smaller container, I used a plastic cleaning wipes container (I cleaned it out and removed the paper label from the front). You want to make sure that your larger container will fit easily in your freezer, and also make sure that your smaller container is still large enough that the wine you plan to serve fits inside.

Fill the smaller container with your rocks/weights (so it will not float) and set this inside the larger container. You want some space in between the bottom of the smaller container and the larger one, so that your final frozen bucket will have an ice bottom as well. So I added a few plastic pearls under so the water would flow and freeze around the entire inside container. You could use a number of things here though; I was just using some plastic white pearls throughout, so this worked well for me.

Fill the container with water and the confetti or whatever you plan to use in the look of your ice bucket. Keep in mind that water expands as it freezes so you can leave some space at the top. Place in your freezer and freeze overnight.

I froze my container in two layers so I could get more confetti throughout the final look, but this partly depends on what you use inside the water and if they float or settle or not.

I also used very hot water (almost boiling) as I had hoped this would result in a more clear frozen ice bucket (as opposed to the cloudy ice look), but it didn’t seem to make a difference for me. So, up to you on that.

When you’re ready to serve, run some warm water around the outside of the large container to loosen the ice bucket so you can remove it. Then pour very warm water into the inner container (over the rocks) so it will warm and loosen so you can remove it as well. Place on a serving dish with a lip as well as some white or matching fabric napkins (to soak up moisture as the bucket melts). Add your chilled bottle and you’re party ready!

How long does it last? This was the part I was very curious about, so I tested it to see. My bucket was about 1 inch to 1.5 inches thick and it held up pretty well for a little over six hours. I did have to drain water from the serving dish once, so it wouldn’t overflow. But I was impressed how long it lasted!

Now my bucket did crack after about two hours; I guess as it began to melt, some part was weaker and this resulted in it cracking. It still held together, but just to ensure it didn’t melt and fall away, I wrapped some gold plastic ribbon around it (which still looked cute) and it actually froze back together over the next hour or more. So, if yours cracks, I’d recommend tying some ribbon around it and all will be well.

Another option is to freeze confetti or other cute objects in ice cubes and add them to a glass or acrylic ice bucket for a similar and super cute serving look. This option is even easier and a bit cleaner since the ice melts inside the container.

So there you go—two easy and fun options for serving chilled wine. Happy holidays, friends and wishing you tons of joy and happiness in the new year! xo. Emma

P.S. If you’re making something like this, please make sure not to ingest the confetti!

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman.

What if we just skipped the constricting pieces and had more practical fun? Let the makeup do the talking and the outfits swing us into another fantastic new year? Yes? Perfect.

See that’s the great thing about makeup, it can do it to any look. For New Year’s, I love focusing on my eyes, making them pop with bronze tones and deep settings. Leaving my lips with just a little color. You know, enough to be kissable when the clock strikes 12. Here’s how you can get New Year’s Eve eye-popping ready in just five minutes!

Makeup:

–Stila eye shadow + blush + mascara pack (This is the most cost effective way to get glammed up. I personally did the research, and two eye shadows roughly equal this pack. The great thing about this: The colors are not too much, leaving them appropriate for any other normal day.

–Gold eye shadow. I’ve used the same gold eye shadow for about six years. Mine is from Mac Cosmetics, and it’s the best for the inner corners of your eye and your brow bone.

–Stila Kitten eye Shadow. This is the only shadow that I specifically suggest for New Year’s. You need the extra sparkle for the festivities. This has the most bang for your buck while leaving you super sparkly!

-Red lip gloss. I chose lip gloss instead of a red lipstick because it gives a bit of shine, but also can be applied lightly without looking undone.

-Liquid eyeliner. Mine just so happens to be blue, but I suggest a black liner.

–Concealer. Concealer is so important for any bumpy shadow application. It hides the bags, leaving all the focus on your eyes.

-Blending brush

-A liquid foundation brush (I use it for blending larger concealer spots)

-A precision shader brush

-Eyeshadow primer

One. Start out with a basic face. I use a tiny bit of foundation on my problem areas. Normally, I love a more natural face with hints of makeup, so I always suggest applying makeup to your problem areas only, and then blend it with your finger. If you’d rather apply a full face of foundation, then do so. (Do not apply your concealer yet.)

Two. Apply your eyeshadow primer. Primer is great for keeping any type of eyeshadow on. But it’s especially important when you plan on sweating and dancing the night away.

Three. The thing to note about applying eye shadow is this: You want to always have about three shades for one eye. It should go from light to dark, the shades should move gradually, but all be of the same family, respectively. So, for the first or “better part” of my eye, I applied a light shade of pink. Then for the second part of my eye, I applied a darker more bronze tone. I do each shade one by one on each eye, making sure the two colors transition easily into each other.

Four. Now you’re going to take your darkest (third) shade and apply it right under your brow bone with the skinny brush. This shade will help create a focus point for the eyes. Giving them a deeper look. (After I apply shadow, I use my index finger to blend it in a little more every time. I know I can use a brush, but my finger blend works so much better for me.)

Five. Now it’s time to apply some of your concealer. For this part, I apply it right on my eyebrow bone. Applying the concealer on the brow bone gives my eyebrows a more defined look, and again, makes them stand out a bit more.

Six. Using my gold eyeshadow, I apply it right on the brow bone under my eyebrow. You want to blend this with your finger to give it a more natural look. You also want to apply that same shade of gold in the crease of your eyes just a tad.

Seven. Now it’s time for the fun stuff! Using your index finger, you want to dig your finger lightly in your kitten eyeshadow (or any super sparkly eyeshadow you have). I recommend using your finger instead of your brush because this stuff is creamy, but also, weirdly flaky. I found that when I applied it with a brush, it didn’t apply evenly, and it also scattered all over my face. I had more control over the application using my finger. I also chose to stick with a rose gold sort of  shade because I wanted to bring out the bronze color that was on the second part of my lid. This helps keep the overall natural New Year’s look you desire.

Eight. Now it’s time to apply your eyeliner and concealer! Normally, I am against a cat eye and a bright lip, but since this lip has a more blended effect, it was fitting. Before you apply your black eyeliner on the bottom part of your eyelid, apply your concealer first. I only apply concealer halfway under the eye, then I blend it with what…my finger! Haha When you finally apply your black eyeliner (after you apply your concealer) you want to use a pencil or a paste or very carefully use a dark eyeshadow that won’t flake in your eye. For a smokier effect, you can also use a Q-tip to blend a black eyeshadow below your bottom lashes.

Nine. Now you can apply your blush. I use a pale pink that accents my cheekbones but doesn’t overshadow my eye. I suggest this technique for New Year’s Eve especially.

Ten. Apply your red lip gloss to the bottom half of your lip. I only choose the bottom because that is more than enough for the top. Just rub your lips together, fill in and let it go. We want the lips to have a punch without completely taking over.

Eleven. Blend! Blend! Blend! Literally everything. I am a cross your t’s and dot your i’s girl. I have been the victim of a camera flash non-blending makeup mishap a few times. It’s not fun. Take your blending brush or your finger and just blend whatever seems unnatural or just too much (like my concealer above).

And you are done!! Now it’s time to enjoy the festivities!

Are you feeling this overall natural New Year’s Eve look?

What I loved most about this particular makeup is that I didn’t feel heavy wearing it. There was a definite “umph” in the shine factor, but not a ton that would feel jarring. Because the sparkly shadow is more creamy, it stayed on smoothly and perfectly and wiped off easily with a bit of witch hazel.

Let me know if you plan on giving this look a try. Happy New Year to you all! LaTonya

Credits//Author: LaTonya Staubs. Photography: Nneka Salmon. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions. 

Playing hostess for the holidays is much more fun with the right accessories. A comfortable, chic party dress is a must, but so is a beautiful serving tray (or two, or three!). We cover the bar in our kitchen with snacks and treats for our party guests  to enjoy, and a few trays can be a great way to organize the food chaos. When it comes to serving drinks, I do the same thing. All of our mixers are stored on a tray on our dining room counter, and then we serve house cocktails on a tray for our friends to enjoy.

As you’ve probably surmised, I love using serving trays while playing hostess, and I love using them in decorating my home too. Always ready to add a new tray to my collection, I whipped up this new one using just a couple of bar pulls and a cutting board. And it only took me five minutes to create!

Creating this tray is as simple as attaching the bar pulls to the top of a nice cutting board, but if you need a little guidance, I’ve included steps below.

Supplies:
-cutting board (I used this one)
-long bar style drawer pulls (I used these, though this is a less expensive option.)

Tools:
-power drill with drill bit
-measuring tape
-pen or marker

Step One: Place the bar pull handle onto the cutting board close to the edge and make sure it is centered width-wise. Use a measuring tape to measure the distance from the edges of the cutting board to the point where you will be placing the screws that attach the handle. Write down this measurement.

Step Two: Remove the handle and mark the points you measured in the previous step. Before drilling, make sure you measure the distance between the two marks to verify that it matches the distance of the attachment points on your actual handle.

Step Three: After triple checking your measurements against the handle, drill into the cutting board with a drill bit that matches or slightly exceeds the size of screws for your handles.

Tip: Place a piece of scrap wood beneath the cutting board when drilling to avoid damaging your work surface.

Step Four: Use a screw driver or your power drill to attach the handle to the cutting board with the screws that came with your bar pull handles. If your cutting board doesn’t have bumpers on the bottom that raise it up slightly, you will want to either countersink your screws or cover them with little rubber pads.

How simple was that? You can completely customize the look and cost of your tray with different cutting boards or handle styles.

Such a great party tray, but this guy would also look great on an entry table to corral catch-all dishes or incoming mail. I love it! –Mandi

Credits // Author and Photography: Mandi Johnson. Photos edited with Stella of the Signature Collection.

When it comes to parties (especially with the holiday season and New Year’s Eve on the horizon), my go-to decor theme is usually always sparkly or metallic, and I give myself double points if the item is both. I loved the feeling I got when I saw this sequin ampersand project, and it occurred to me that sequin trim would be the perfect supply to make a glittery phrase garland for upcoming holiday parties. We’re teaming up with one of our favorite craft stores, JOANN for this easy project that will add quite a dose of glittery pizazz to your next event, and I bet you’ll keep the garland displayed long after the party is over.

 Supplies:
–stretch sequin gold trim (I used a little over a yard of this for each 9″ tall letter)
-scrap cardboard
–X-Acto knife
–hot glue gun
–metallic cord trim

First you’ll want to print each letter in your phrase so you can use them as a template to cut out your cardboard letter. Choose a simple bold font (I used Function Pro Bold) and a font size that makes the letters just under double the width of your trim. My trim is a little over 1″ wide so I made my letter font around 2″ wide so the trim would be sure to cover the cardboard. Tape each letter to some scrap cardboard and cut out the letter with an X-Acto knife. 

To make the ends of the trim look as neat as possible, you’ll want to fold and glue the ends under so the trim doesn’t unravel and drop sequins. So, at the end of the outside edge of your letter, use the hot glue gun to glue the trim end face down going away from your letter.

Fold the trim back the opposite way and continue to glue the trim all around the outside edge of the letter. When you reach the other end, cut the trim so it hangs a little past the end, fold the trim under and glue in place. Repeat steps with the inside edge of the letter. Make sure both lines of trim are going in the same direction so they will look more like one piece instead of two. 

If you have a letter with intersections, don’t worry about doing the folds on places where you can cover those ends with another row. So on the “H” I just cut and glued the middle horizontal lines, then covered those cut ends with the vertical lines that had folded ends.

Once you have all your letters completed, you can line up your phrase (backwards of course!) and glue your hanging cord to the back of the letters. Once the glue sets, you’re ready to hang your garland!

I really really love how this project turned out. It’s such a statement piece for a party, and you can customize it to fit your theme.  You could easily make it “MR & MRS” for a wedding, or “IT’S A BOY” for a shower, or “JOY” for Christmas, or whatever you like! You get the idea…What phrase would you make? xo. Laura

Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.