Happy New Year!

Thanks for stopping by from time to time in 2008. It was lovely getting to "meet" each and every one of you. 2009 can only bring bigger and better things to us all and I can't wait to share it with you through Design Crush!

I'm signing out for the year and will be back Friday. Until then...

Here's to 2009!

:: photo via ffffound

On the Rocks: New Year's Eve Edition.

One of these years I'm going to throw the perfect New Year's fete. The cocktails would of course be of the utmost importance. (Especially if you want your guests to beg you for a repeat 365 days later...) I wouldn't want them to be too champagne heavy - although some sort of bubbly would be a must - and unique enough that you've never experienced them before. Something like these...

Bazooka Bubblegum Cocktail

Ingredients:
- 16 pieces bubblegum, preferably Double Bubble, cut in half
- 2 cups vodka
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon simple syrup
- 1/2 egg white or 1 tablespoon pasteurized liquid egg white
- 1 cup ice

In large airtight container, combine bubblegum and vodka. Seal and allow to infuse, stirring every 6 hours, for 24 hours. Pour vodka through fine mesh strainer, discarding bubble gum. In cocktail shaker, stir together 2 ounces bubblegum-infused vodka, lemon juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white if using. Add ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via epicurious

Midnight Manhattan

Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz cherry-infused Woodford Reserve Bourbon
- 1.5 oz cherry-infused Graham’s Six Grapes Port
- Ice cubes

To garnish: 3 spirits-soaked cherries

For the cherry-infused spirits:
- 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted
- 8 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon
- 8 oz Graham’s Six Grapes Port

Put 1/2 cup of cherries into each of two clean jam jars. Top one jar with bourbon and the other with port, and store them in the fridge for a week. To serve, strain the alcohol (reserving the cherries) and combine the bourbon and port in a highball glass over ice (Plonk shakes it with ice and strains into a martini glass). Garnish with the spirits-soaked fruit. Serves 1.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via Men's Journal

Pineapple Citrus Punch

Ingredients:
- 2 cups lemonade
- 2 cups orange juice
- 3 cups pineapple juice
- 2 cups gingerale
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups vodka
- pineapple spears for garnish
- fresh cranberries for garnish
- ice cubes

Combine the first 5 ingredients and keep chilled until ready to serve. Serve over ice cubes. Garnish with pineapple spears and cranberries. Serves 6-8.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via Dragon's Kitchen

Champagne Mojitos

Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups packed mint leaves, plus 12 mint sprigs, for garnish
- 6 limes, cut into wedges
- 2 cups light rum
- Cracked ice
- 3 cups Champagne or sparkling wine

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook over high heat just until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. In a large pitcher, combine the sugar syrup with the mint leaves and lime wedges and muddle well with a wooden spoon. Add the rum and stir well. Strain the drink into another pitcher. Fill tall glasses with cracked ice and pour in the drink, filling them about two-thirds full. Top with Champagne, garnish with the mint sprigs and serve.

:: cocktail recipe via Food & Wine

The Daily Eat: Damp Lemon and Almond Cake.

Delicate, yummy Damp Lemon and Almond Cake.

:: recipe and photo via Technicolor Kitchen

Mood Swing Studio.

The instant I laid eyes upon Mood Seing Studio's Luxe Bohéme collection I fell in lurve. I'm desperately wishing I had a few of these baubles to wear out tonight!:: via Modish

New Year's Eve.

I always set my expectations too high for New Year's Eve. Fine, I always set my expectations too high for every holiday. It's a sickness, I tell you!

This year most of my friends seem to be doing their own thing - from attending a mystery dinner to having people over for a chill night in. I, however, remain undecided and only know that it must include the fab black cocktail dress I plan on wearing!

What are your plans for New Year's Eve?

:: photo via ffffound

Mad Props: December.

December was the best month of the year by far for amazing posts! Guess it must've been everyone's Christmas spirit. Thanks for sharing all your wonderful finds and projects this month and enjoy December's Mad Props!

Special Guest Post by Ladies and Gentlemen : poppytalk

DIY Christmas Garlands : Design*Sponge

Beauty of Quilling : evie s.

Alice's DIY Catalogue Labels : Design*Sponge

DIY Fabric Tags by Inchmark : Black*Eiffel

DIY wreath project : Design*Sponge

Last-Minute Christmas Place Settings : Create My Event

Have a great one : d.Sharp Journal

Get your very own Santa's beard : Black*Eiffel

Bestow : d.Sharp Journal

Curated Christmas Tree : black . white . bliss

pink party : bread and honey

How to Make a Literary Clock : neatorama

Polish Paper Chandelier : Creature Comforts

12 days in one envelope : m.writes

Ring a Day : NOTCOT

Paper flower ornaments : How about orange...

Now That's the Spirit : In(side) the Loop

Hot Pink & Green Holiday : Hostess with the Mostess

Font-astic Gift Wrapping: Creature Comforts

Crafty Little Minx : Daisy Chain

Stuck Labels : Oh Happy Day

Candy Cane Cocktail Party : The Finer Things

Mailboxes : Remodelista

Urchin Chandelier by HelenBilt : More Ways to Waste Time

Paper Holiday - Garlands : Design*Sponge

To Resolute or Not to Resolute.

So, resolutions... are you for or against them?

I always have a few in the back of my mind and one that's been around every year since I turned about 15 - stop over-analyzing and over-thinking every little thing to death. Since it's still around you can guess how that one works out year after year.

But this year I'm venturing down a new path. I'm making an attempt at changing my entire outlook. (So really, it's more of a permanent change than a resolution.) This year I'm planning on not worrying about the future. Not how I'll get there or when I'll arrive. I'm just going to focus on the journey. I feel like a lot of the time I'm waiting around for my life to start, when really it's happening all around me and passing me by every single day.

What's your New Years resolution for 2009?

:: image via ffffound

Noisemaker Favors.

These noisemaker favors would be a blast to bust out at the strike of twelve! Now cleaning up afterwards... maybe not nearly as much fun...

Yeah Recycled Plates.

These Yeah recycled plates from Christopher Jagmin Design are sure to inspire dinner table conversation. Each plate is a found "orphan" and one of a kind. Be sure to check out his other pieces, too!

:: via Roadside Scholar

The Daily Eat: Almond Pudding.

Almond pudding that's sure to simultaneously comfort and indulge you while wiping away the winter blues!

:: recipe and photo via Cooking from A to Z

Bryant Typography Graph Wall Calendar.

Yes, yes, yet another calendar! I just can't get my fill. This time it's the Bryant Typography Graph wall calendar that I'm in love with. It's the overlapping type that does it for me.

:: via MadeByGirl

Happy New Year Bunting.

New Years is a tough holiday to decorate for in my humble opinion. But I'm absolutely loving this sweet Happy New Year bunting from hello handmade. Purchase the template and make one yourself - you still have time!

David James Duncan.

So true, yet so difficult at the same time...

Christmas List.

Did you get everything you wished for this year? What was your best gift?

My favorites...
• a cushy new down comforter
• a little k necklace (in silver)
• money for my Fence Fund
• I Listen to Bands that Don't Even Exist Yet poster
• The Big-Ass Book of Crafts
• Miss Sixty black pea coat with red detailing

:: image via ffffound

The Daily Eat: Amaretto Cake with Raspberry Filling.

You can't go wrong with almond flavoring. You just can't. Especially when it contains alcohol like this Amaretto Cake with Raspberry Filling.

:: photo and recipe via the Boastful Baker