the style du jour

a dash of thrift, a sprinkle of stripes and a whole lot of lovely

The Best (Sophisticated) Jello Shots – Fizzy Prosecco Jello Shooters

While we don’t have any wild New Year’s Eve plans this year, I still like to dress up a bit (sans yoga pants) and plan a little special dinner with fun cocktails for the two of us.

To mix it up and try something new, I tested a super easy champagne jello shot recipe – one of the many I’ve come across recently. Apparently bubbly in jello form is the new thing (this is not your average college jello shot, may I add) and I kind of love it. Using Siri Daly’s recipe as a starting point, I made these fizzy, berry-filled jell0 shots to ring in 2017.

With only four ingredients including champagne or sparkling wine, vodka, ginger ale and gelatin powder, this recipe takes about ten minutes to prep and a couple hours to gel together in the fridge. These are sure to impress your NYE mates, whether you’re enjoying it from the couch with your loved one or entertaining friends.

For this batch, I used Lamarca prosecco and added colorful blueberries and strawberry slices for a sweet addition. I tried a few different serving options, including an oversized square ice tray, little glass shooters (repurposing my votive candle holders) and stemless flutes. I used a spritz of cooking spray in each before adding the liquid mixture to make for a seamless jelly removal.

For serving, you can leave them in the glass with a cocktail mixing wand or remove and dust with sugar or top with cookie sprinkles. Dress it up with a pretty toothpick with berries and voila! Your Fizzy Prosecco Jello Shooters are ready to eat (er, drink?)!

*Toothpicks, mixing wands, straws and stemless flutes are from Target’s Bullseye section for $1.00 – $3.00!*

Visit the TODAY website here for the full recipe. If you give these a try, please let me know how you like them and how you gave them your own twist!

I hope you all have a safe and happy start to the New Year! Cheers!

XO,

Emily

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DIY: Utility Vest with Patches

**DISCLAIMER: Let me just say this upfront. Do not be misled by the title. I’m NOT a DIY-er. I went through a short-lived phase of chasing Pinterest project dreams, and after a few tears  failed attempts (and sad stacks of wannabe customized hand towels later), I bid adieu to the crafting scissors and have been on my merry way. But, iron-on patches, this is something even I can swing. So, if you’re like me, please do not be intimidated to read this post!** img_0047

I love the patched trend right now. From denim to bomber jackets, patches are popping up everywhere. Even if sold at a mass retailer, the patches give the look of unique, worn-in and one-of-a-kind. Who doesn’t want to wear something like that?

When I stumbled across these pretty little Logophile patches from Saks (these are just a few of them), I decided to make my own one-of-a-kind piece. I mean honestly, I can’t resist another form of monogramming something with my initials…

I spent a good amount of time searching for just the right utility vest and found the perfect option on Amazon. 100% cotton, hits about mid-bum, cinches in at the waist and has one pocket-less side to easily add patches. While this color wasn’t available with Prime, it’s only $26.00 shipped.

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Here’s everything you’ll need. Patches, vest (or jacket), clean pillow case and an iron.

Use Heat ‘n Bond if your patches do not have adhesive backings. Per my earlier disclaimer though, don’t ask me how to use it. 🙂

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Patch Application – Go!

1. Set your iron to the high/cotton setting. Lay your vest/jacket on a hard surface so the heat is applied evenly. In my case, I placed a thin blanket on top of my coffee table.
2. Use your pillow case as a buffer between the iron and the fabric of the vest/jacket and the patches. First, heat the area were you’ll apply the patches. Set the pillow case on top of the vest and apply heat from your iron. I did this for about five seconds.
3. Assemble the patches so they look just so…done!
4.  Place the pillow case over the patches and apply heat from your iron. Don’t move the iron once it’s down. Simply hold it still over the patches. I did this for about ten seconds at a time, lifting up the pillow case to check the patches and using more heat to make sure all the edges were fixed to the vest fabric.

Sit back and marvel at your craftiness. But seriously, hands off! Let it cool and set for about an hour.

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I’m thrilled with the finished product. I’ve been wanting a dark green vest like this for crisp fall days or to layer in cooler weather and the patches give it a little punch of color and character.

What do you all think of the patches look? Is this a DIY you would try??

 

XO,

Emily

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