Candlelight and the clink of glasses will start any cocktail hour off in fine form, add Gris Gris and the evening will be twice as nice. According to Creole Voodoo, Gris Gris (pronounced “gree gree”) is a magic spell that can be used for good or evil. In this case, a splash of Gris Gris Cocktail Magic puts a happy hex on the whole affair.
What’s glossy, heavy and read all over? These newly released coffee table volumes from Rizzoli featuring inspiration from brilliant designers and tastemakers. One of my favorite hostess gifts to give is a gorgeous book that reflects her taste, ordered with two-day shipping from Prime and wrapped in a satin bow. To find a coffee table under the tree is thrilling too—a reason to linger in lounge wear a little longer, glass of wine in hand, savoring every page of your new tome somewhere between Christmas and New Years.
Meet my favorite hors d’oeuvre of all time, the cheese ball. An elegant take on the traditional sphere of fromage, plucked from the pages of a 1970s cookbook (perhaps Junior League or maybe a Southern Living volume) of my mother’s. She has been making this to mark holidays and any celebratory event since before I was born and when I reminisce on a soirée, I can almost taste the Roquefort. The best part is that it is such a simple recipe and a certified crowd pleaser.