“Home For The Holidays”

Grand Tour Magazine
September 2004
Deborah Fabricant

...you are going to create an all-red, festive, splashy, fun-filled soiree that will keep your friends talking for the next year!

Yes, I know. The holidays are here. AGAIN.  If you are like me, you want to make it special in every way, but hit the wall when it comes to a new idea for holiday entertaining.  Well, girls and boys, help is on the way and it’s called “monochromatic”, the hottest idea to hit La-La Land in a long time.  And now it is brought to you just in time to make you the hero of all the party animals in your ‘hood.

Here’s the deal. For your Holiday party you are going to create an all-red, festive, splashy, fun-filled soiree that will keep your friends talking for the next year! I’m going to help put it all together, from invite to the last detail, hot off the tables of the hotter than hot parties in Hollywood. All you need to do is go shopping, and I know you just love to do that!

As I always advocate, the invitation is key to setting the tone for any event, so get yourself to “Elements Card Bar” in Irvine and speak to Donna or Deb. They will design you an invitation to end them all. Very clever, these girls, always coming up with new and unique ideas.  For our All Red Party, they created a mailing tube invite, wrapped in silk, painted with a little gold. Inside revealed a matching invitation and reply card. Very Chinese, very hot, very “I have to go to this party”!

Now, for the table. Since the All Red theme is Asian, I hopped on over to Chinatown in LA to see what goodies I could find.  Oh baby! I hit pay dirt!  First find was square black satin pillow covers with tasseled ends. Great for placemats that can be filled and recycled into pillows for a sofa or bed. Bought 12 of them. I then found chopsticks, fortunes in paper envelopes (place cards!), red paper lanterns and a very cool kimono that I later hung in my bedroom.

Next stop: The Floral Supply Syndicate where I found inexpensive shiny red cylinders that were perfect for flowers, red votive candle holders and 12-hour candles.  On to Michael Levine Fabrics where I found beautiful red duponi silk, gold cording and some gold tassels.  Perfect for the tablecloth!
Now, for the flowers and finishing touches.  At the LA Flower Mart I picked up red gerberas, green berry branches and garnet roses. Use any red/green combination that suits your fancy; just remember to keep the arrangements simple and monochromatic with only one accent color, in this case, green berries.  At Cost Plus World Market I finished the look with large square white plates topped with red round plates, red goblets and red napkins tied in a knot and placed at the top of the place setting.

Putting it all together: Lay the red silk on the table, draping ends with gold cording and tassels, top with satin pillow cover placemats, allowing the tassels to hang over the edge of the table. Layer plates, napkins, place cards and chopsticks. Hang Chinese lanterns from the ceiling or chandelier, lit from within. Mount the Kimono on a wall near the table, line the flower-filled red vases down the center of the table, place votives in and around flowers and you are good to go!
Now, what to serve?  Well, either dust off your favorite Chinese cookbook, hire a Chinese cook, or pick up the phone and order take out…your choice. Either way, with a table like this, you have already hit a home run.
Last but not least, shake it up baby with the hottest drink in town! It’s called a Caravella Limontini, made with Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur from the Amalfi Coast, and boy, is it good!! Here’s how to make it.

Caravella Limontini

  • 1 ½ ozs. Vanilla Vodka
  • 1 oz. Caravella Limoncello
  • 2 ozs. Pomegranate juice

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass and serve garnished with a lemon peel.  Makes one cocktail. Recipe can be increased to make a pitcher.
(Note: these are not only delicious, but are a beautiful RED color!)
So, there you have it…your “it” party in monochromatic for the holidays.  Have a beautiful, loving and safe Holiday Season!

Resources:

Elements Card Bar: 4255 Campus Dr. Irvine  949.854.3690
Chinatown: Take the Hill St. exit off the 110 freeway and follow the signs.
Floral Supply Syndicate: 740 Wall St. LA 800.273.5697
Michael Levine: 920 Maple St. LA 213.622.6259
LA Flower Mart: 766 Wall St. LA
Cost Plus World Market
Photography: Natalie Perkins