This is just a note to wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, Solstice, what have you…

We will be taking the remainder of the year off to recharge our batteries for the fabulous projects we have scheduled for the New Year and will be returning to the office on Monday, January 5th to kick start 2009. Kathy and I both are so grateful for the amazing clients we’ve had the opportunity to work with this year, along with all the cool people kind enough to hang out on our waiting list.  Thank you for your business!  And if we haven’t worked with you yet, we look forward to doing so soon.

Happy Holidays and a safe New Year!

xo

• 2 cups red wine
• 1 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup spiced rum
• 1/2 cup Ocean Spray Ruby Tangerine Grapefruit Juice Drink, chilled
• 2 cups Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry Raspberry Cranberry Juice Drink, chilled
• 1/2 cup green or red grapes, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 lime, sliced
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 apple, sliced
• 1 cup sparkling water or club soda

Combine wine, vodka, spiced rum and juices in a punch bowl. Add fruit and chill. Add sparking water just before serving. Makes approximately 10 5-ounce servings.

I know everyone is preparing for their holiday traditions and office parties so a bowl full of cranberry punch might ease everyones holiday stress.  Especially if they aren’t done shopping!  I like to freeze juice in ice cube trays to keep this kind of concoction cold longer and the spirits higher.  Enjoy your holidays everyone!  Cheers!  *spikes*

(Recipe & photo courtesy of Cocktail Times, our favorite mixology website!)

• 1 1/2 parts Grey Goose vodka
• 1 part peppermint schnapps
• 1/2 part simple syrup
• 1/2 part cream
• Garnish: Candy cane or peppermint patty

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat. Strain into rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with candy cane or peppermint patty.

Ok, so I’m not loving the name, but the recipe sounds good… if you’re one for creamy drinks. I generally am not, but I’d give this a go. I had a great peppermint martini at Bing Crosby Lounge called a “White Christmas” — this kind of reminds me of that.  Let us know if you try it!

(Recipe & photo courtesy of Cocktail Times, our favorite mixology website!)

We were remiss this year in offering up some of our holiday wallpapers.  If your desktop has that not-so-festive feeling, try one of these on for size!

Shameless plug: Have you picked up your copy of The IT Girl’s Guide to Blogging with Moxie yet this holiday season?  It makes a great gift!  Hint hint. HINT HINT.

Happy Holidays!

We like to share other cool sites with moxie, so when Kathy sent me a link this morning to Moxie Beauty, I knew it was a must-share!  Although they’re in the UK, so shipping might be tight for those of us in the States, they have cute illustrations and I love their burlesque concept. All of their “girls“ sound like they’d smell fabulous, but I think Chastity Blaze would have to be my pick: Dark, juicy cherry, plum, and berries tempered with spices, musk, vanilla, and velvety sandalwood.  Yup, that’s me! I think Kathy’s either Boom Boom LaRue or Bella LaDonna.  Though neither suit her as a stripper name.  I picture her more of a Tini McQueen… but I digress.

Speaking of cocktails… ok, we weren’t but just go with me here. We’ve been sharing some of our favorite holiday cocktail recipes this month and while I know Kathy just shared one yesterday, I simply *must* tell you about this delicious drink I had at the Yelp Elite Cosby Sweater Holiday Hootenanny the other night at Confidential.  When I heard about this drink, I thought, “Surely I read that wrong… egg nog and sake? SAKE sake?“ 

Yes, Virginia, there really is a sake nog.  Except the clever little name for it as a Nogasake — a blend of egg nog and sake, served on the rocks, dusted with cinnamon.  Angels I have heard on high!  It was really, really, really good. It was so good that I went on and on about it to the point that a friend who hates everything was willing to try it and conceded… it’s not bad.

I guess we have The Office to thank for this bizarre but delicious concoction, but this is a damn fine holiday cocktail that’s *cheap* and easy to make.  And if you’re not a nog drinker, chin up.  I’m not either, which is what makes it all the more memorable. Drink up!

Nogasake

• 1 part Gekkeikan Sake
• 3 parts ready-made egg nog

Pour sake into rocks glass with ice.  Add egg nog. Dust with cinnamon and serve with a cocktail stir and/or short cocktail straw.  Mmm.

Google found others who have tried it and hated it, but I’m not sure if they were using the right ratio or the right sake. I’m sure it probably makes a difference, so I asked the bartenders and they graciously showed me the bottle and shared their recipe.  Thanks, Confidential!

• 1 1/2 ounces citrus vodka
• 21 1/2 ounces sour apple liqueur
• Splash of Angostura bitters
• 4 ounces chilled ginger beer (or ale)
• 1 maraschino cherry

Fill your favorite cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, liqueur and bitters; shake well. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with the ginger beer and garnish with a maraschino cherry (or two!)

I found this recipe on the Food & Wine website and thought it was an interesting combination and a fresher approach to the traditional apple martinis.  I’ve been on a ginger kick latey and this sounded like a fun casual recipe for a holiday gathering.  Cheers!

• 1 oz Monin gingerbread syrup
• 2 oz Bacardi Big Apple rum
• 2 oz apple juice
• splash of lemon juice

Place 1/2 cup of simple syrup and 4 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs on separate plates. Dip outside rim of martini glass into simple syrup, then into graham cracker crumbs several times to ensure coverage. Set aside. In a cocktail shaker, combine rum, gingerbread syrup, apple juice and lemon juice. Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into rimmed martini glass. Garnish with red apple slice.

Doesn’t that sound delicious?  Yum!  This recipe is courtesy of our favorite cocktail site, CocktailTimes.com!

You may have noticed a little dose of Christmas cheer here on our website.  The adorable holiday versions of our characters were again designed by the ever-talented Derek Yaniger.  (He’s got a very cool new art/coffee table book out, Wildsville!  It would make a great gift for Christmas, don’t you think? *wink*)  Of course, so does our book, Blogging with Moxie!

This is just a reminder that we’re on administrative hiatus for the month of December. There are a few jobs that we are wrapping up in the first couple weeks of the month and then after that we will be enjoying the holidays with our friends and family, gearing up for the amazing new year and new projects ahead of us.

However, that said, we’re going to be opening our schedules tomorrow to begin reviewing requests for proposals for the Winter 2009 season.  We will begin by contacting any prospective clients who wished to remain on our waiting list from the Summer first, then respond to any and all inquiries we received from September 2nd - 11:59pm tonight, December 1st.  If you wish for your project to be considered for the Winter season (January - March), please make sure to get your thoroughly-completed Request for Proposal submitted by midnight tonight.

I, Joelle, will be out of the office December 3rd - 7th in Atlanta to go over the inquiries with Kathy personally. (If I am finishing up a project for you, fret not. I’ll be responding to email.)  We are really looking forward to reviewing your inquiries and discussing your projects further with you. 

Here’s to a beautiful, fun-filled, happy, happy holiday season to you and yours!  xo