Bottoms Up!

Time to Party, Cherubs!
Santa Shot

1 part grenadine syrup
1 part green creme de menthe
1 part peppermint schnapps
Pour grenadine to about 1/3 of your shot glass. Carefully layer the creme de menthe, then the peppermint schnapps.

Red Rudolph

1/2 ounce orange curacao
3/4 ounce cinnamon schnapps
1/2 ounce vodka
6 ounces cranberry juice
Heat the cranberry juice until it’s hot. Pour everything else into an Irish coffee mug and then slowly add the hot juice. The temperature of the drink will be warm. Top it with whipped cream and garnish with sugar sprinkles on top.

Christmas Cookie

1 ounce peppermint schnapps
1 ounce Kahlua
1 ounce Carolan’s Irish CreamCombine the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly, then strain the ingredients into a chilled martini glass.

Red Hot SantaTini

2 ounces chili-infused vodka
2 ounces Godiva chocolate liqueur
Cocoa powder
Cayenne pepper
Sweetened whipping cream
One small Thai chili pepperMix some cocoa powder together with a pinch of cayenne pepper, and rim a chilled martini glass with it. Shake the vodka up with the chocolate liqueur and pour the mixture into the glass. Top it off with the whipping cream and garnish by floating the chili pepper on top of the cream.

Snowball

3 ounces 1921 Tequila Cream Liqueur
3 drops of vanilla
crushed ice
1 ounce of evaporated skim milk
1/2 ounce Kahlua
cinnamon powder
cinnamon stick
Pour all the ingredients – except for the cinnamon powder – into a blender. Blend for about ten seconds. Pour it into a wine glass or brandy snifter. Sprinkle cinnamon powder on top and stick the cinnamon stick down in the glass for garnish.

Hot Buttered Rum

2 ounces of dark rum
cinnamon stick
1 pat butter
1 slice lemon peel
Boiled water
Put the cinnamon stick, lemon peel and rum in a mug. Fill it with boiling water. Float the butter on top, then stir it in with the stick.

Egg Nog

6 eggs
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup brandy
1/3 cup dark rum(or bourbon)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
2 cups of whipping cream
2 cups milk Refrigerate all the liquids and get them very cold before you make the drink. Beat the eggs at medium speed until they’re very frothy. Gradually add the sugar, vanilla and nutmeg as you continue beating. Now turn the mixer off and stir in the whipping cream, milk, brandy and rum. Chill it until you’re ready to serve. It’s best to keep it chilled at all times. Garnish each individual serving with the nutmeg sprinkled on top and a cinnamon stick.

Merry Christmas and have a Fabulada New Year!! 

Santa Baby

I've been collecting a beautiful and utterly Fabulada assortment of festive, retro and downright bonkers Christmas decor to inspire you on to gorgeous and glittery festivities. Everything from retro reindeer to Dalek trees. Which reminds me, this week my best friend called me from Vlad Tepes Strasse (Dracula Street) in Transylvania, as he promised, just to make me Undead jealous. I asked him if he had garlic. He replied, 'Why do I need a Dalek?' I'll forgive him this once, as forces beyond nature may have been interfering with reception. 
Anyway. Christmas! Pin Ups and Pasties! Shut up and get on with it, woman. 

Mid Century Modern perfection

Who remembers these?

Sugar swizzle sticks in champagne

The Essex version...ah, memories

Bear tree madness

The Lego tree

Betsey Johnson's pink tree this year in New York

The Dalek tree

Coming your way, Godzilla

 

Merry Christmas, cherubs, love from Fabulada!!

Vitamin C

Are you taking your daily dose of Orange now winter has set in? Me, I'm hale and hearty after getting my annual flu shot and thus having 'flu-like symptoms' (the flu) for 2 weeks. But hey, at least I decided when I was going to have my flu this year. Got it out of the way nice and early. 
Now, my dears, I've got some nicely vivid color for you to blow through a grey (or white) week. I mean fearless, all-out orange, drenching entire rooms. It's tempting to lean towards retro every time with it, as it so suggests neon 60's and woolly 70's, but with barely a nod in that direction here's some courageous commitment to color. I'm starting out with monochrome...which always implies black and white to me, but simply means one color. Guess which one. 

I'm admiring the pendant lights.

A new meaning to Bathroom Scales. Overlapping tile greatness.

Fabulous lit wall reflecting on polished concrete

Orange on orange kitchen...with oranges, in case you missed the gist

This cave type business

Eva Zeisel Belly Button Room Divider 1958

However, if you aren't the type to saturate a color (no offense, but few of you are, we're a rare breed) adding a splash of it in the form of supercool pieces is the way to go. If you're not even brave enough to do that, come see me for color therapy. 
VMX Architects kitchen

Paisley taxidermy by Near & Deer

Philippe Stark's joyous punches of orange

My new favorite designer, Dutch wonder Marcel Wanders, for the Kahema Grand Hotel in Bonn, Germany

Glasgow hotel Citizen M tones it down with black

Does a Smeg fridge ever look bad anywhere? They're just fab, aren't they? One day, one day...

Velvet elegance on high back chairs

A rare fiberglass Boomerang Desk by Maurice Calka - this thing rocks! Also came in black, white, green, yellow, lime and red, many have accompanying chairs too if you can find them.

A little neon pinup action never hurt anyone. Captured by by Thomas Hawk.Bottoms up! 

Light Me, Darling

As Patsy from Ab Fab used to say - Light me, darling. And I have some Absolutely Fabulous fireplaces lined up that will astonish you. You know what I like - glamor, daring, color and creativeness. Definitely fulfilling those briefs today. 
Round about now is when the mulled wine starts making an appearance in venues and it really is my favorite drink in the world. Last year saw me getting my fix in a 15th century pub overlooking the glorious Thames and St. Paul's, with London aglow in the dark after a day at the Tate Modern. I'm still wondering how to top it this year. If you know of somewhere, take me with! 
Meanwhile I'm in front of the fire, and it had better be a Fabulada one. Here's some! 
Justen Ladda has taken the concept of burning building into a fireplace with Swarovski Crystal curtains. I bloody love this one! 

Just about the most wonderful Art Nouveau fireplace ever designed. By Alphonse Mucha, naturellement.

 

In Malibu, creations with shells by Mili La Conche.

Here's a close up detail of their work:

Deco chrome glitz. Love it.

Winter owls. Nice festive display.

Chromed carving complimented by high polished tile. Uberglam.

 

It doesn't get much more Fabulada than tufted surround and fluffy everything covered in roses. Or does it?  

Mosaic Mary.

Frank Lloyd Wright mosaic tile surround, Los Angeles

Glitter walls. Now you're talking.

Pink crown over the mantle. I'm moving in. So great. 

Elements of pink brought in by a Dale Chihuly chandelier. Drama!

Campest of all: The Entry hall of Eaton House Studio: