A Vogue + Vino Christmas

Well, it's that wonderful time of the year again, and looking on back on this fabulous year we want to thank YOU, our readers, our supporters and our audience for coming along on this journey with us.  We do it all  for you and would LOVE your feedback as to what you would like to see more of in the new year. DIY's? Outfit posts? {we promise there will be a lot more of that}, recipes? etc.  Please share in the comments below.  In the meantime, we wish you a very very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from us at Vogue and Vino! Since Christmas is our favorite holiday and we can listen to Christmas songs year-round, we thought we'd share our favorite songs with you! We hope you listen to this playlist while wrapping gifts, drinking some mulled wine by the fireside, and just enjoying your loved ones!  Cheers and until next year!

You can listen to a Vogue + Vino Christmas playlist here.

{ Winner, Winner }

And the 3 lucky winners from our OPI Giveaway are:

Ashley Guglielmo

Kelly Ford

Maral Khayalian - Grand Prize winner!

Congrats Ladies!! Please email us at Thegals@Vogueandvino.com to receive your beautiful colors!  Until then, Merry Christmas everyone!

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas { Giveaway Time }

 'Twas 6 days till Christmas and we felt a bit antsy, 

so we thought we'd surprise you and get a lil fancy.  

'Tis the season for giving so here we go, 

it's OPI colors, we thought you'd like to know. 

On Dasher, on Dancer, yes this may be a bit lame, 

but instead of one winner, we'll have 3 lucky dames!  

So please like us on Facebook and tell us you did, 

simply comment below and voilà, you could win!

We will pick you at random, so please don't delay,

 the deadline ends tomorrow morning, 

until then, have a fab day! :)

*To enter the giveaway, please like us on Facebook here, comment below telling us you did it, and tomorrow morning we will announce our THREE LUCKY winners!! {just in case you didn't understand our rhyme} ;) Winners will each win 8 OPI nail polish colors, and grand prize winner gets 16 gorgeous colors! Perfect for the holidays! Goodluck

Holiday Gift Guide { For the Parentals }

1. This Winter Berry kitchen cleaning set smells ah-mazing, Williams-Sonoma

2. Festive kitchen towel sets, Williams-Sonoma

3. For the wine connoisseur, a decanter with some attitude, Riedel

4.  Fashionable coffee table books which will spark more than a conversation, Net-a-Porter

5. You will never go wrong with a tray of Ladurée macaroons

6. A chic French press for the night-owls

7. Beautiful name tag holders, ZGallerie

8. For the constant entertainers, these nifty wine and cheese platters speak for themselves

9. A Kindle for the reading-in-bed-type-Dad

10. For the Armenian parents you want to impress, perfect "soorji-cavat" {Armenian coffee cups}, ZGallerie

11.  For the baking mom, new cake stand pedestals, ZGallerie

12. For the traveling couple, the newest Nikon Coolpix camera for those African safaris

13.  If your mom is anything like ours, she will never take time for her.  Surprise and pamper her with a beauty basket filled with the newest versions of her rather-old beauty products; think updated nail polish/top coat set, new curling iron, dashing red lipstick, etc! 

What are some other ideas you're thinking of getting mom and dad?

Tanya Kara Jewelry

Happy hump day y'all! We are so excited for today's post about an awesome company with incredible {did we mention affordable?} merchandise....drum roll please...Tanya Kara Jewelry! Founded in 2009 by the fashionista herself, Tanya Kara has grown to be the biggest  jewelry distributor in Orange County, with over 30 physical locations. A third generation jeweler, Tanya learned from the best and had a savvy eye for what was beautiful, flattering for women and fashion forward. Tanya Kara jewelry brings you ultra trendy and unique fashion jewelry at an affordable price. We know you will fall in love with it, just as much as we have.  But enough rambling, hop to it, shopping that is... you get 10% off with this code, VV10!  Instagram and hastag #vogueandvino AND #tanyakara to show us what you purchased!  Remember, Christmas is just a few weeks away.... these bits and baubles would make great gifts. xx.

Holiday Gift Guide { for your gal pals }

1. For the friend who collects luxury scents...this is a must! Do Son from Parisian perfumerie, Diptyque

2. The wine buff will love this convenient array of samples from The Tasting Room

3. A subscription to Vogue is always a good idea

4. For those rainy days, J.Crew leopard umbrella

5. Accessory fanatics? Adorable Rebecca Minkoff pave chain link bracelet

6. Vintage inspired turquoise medallion bracelet, J.Crew

7. For your bestie whose makeup always looks perfect, the Naked Palette, Sephora 

8. New Years eve sparkly skirt, Club Monaco

9. The ever popular over sized men's watch, Michael Kors

10. Classic Ray-Ban Aviators

11. For the jet setting gal, Tory Burch luggage tags

12. The perfect hands-free evening purse, Rebecca Minkoff Mac bag

13. A pair of Wellington Hunter Rain boots in a chic snake print

14. Slumber party with girlfriends? Perfect jam-jams for the occasion, Juicy Couture

15. Their most popular candle, Tubereuse from Diptyque

16. The infamous Arty ring from YSL, your friend will love you forever

17. Chicest flats in town, Juicy Couture

18.  For the beauty buff, Clairsonic face scrub, Sephora

{ Mix & Mingle } How to throw a fab Christmas party

{ Table runner and place mats, ZGallerie // Fine China, Michael Aram for Waterford, Bloomingdales }

There truly isn't anything like the holiday season.  Something about the fresh winter scent in the air, the cozy grey days, and the twinkling Christmas lights adorning each home in our neighborhood that always puts a smile on my face.  Plus, it doesn't hurt that I absolutely love Fall and Winter clothing, so seeing the busy streets lined with eager shoppers in trendy coats and scarves always does the trick too ;). When the time came to plan our annual girls' Christmas dinner-party, I jumped at the idea of hosting my closest friends at our home in Santa Barbara for the first time. It's been a tradition we have kept going for over 7 years, and as we grow older, our time together is that much more precious.  With every one's busy schedule year round, it was nice to catch up and have some quality girl time. Endless kir royals and non-stop wine were in abundance along with great conversations, personalized goody bags, Christmas tree shaped brownies and a house fully decorated for Christmas {even down to the scent}. Although we are all twenty-somethings, and the party was of course casual, I threw in some formal touches to spice things up a bit.  Here are some steps to throwing a fab Christmas party:

1. Party favors:
If your headcount is small enough, make personalized party favors.  It's always a nice touch and your guests will really appreciate the effort, not to mention the sweets inside. I used this easy recipe I found on Pinterest, along with red and green festive M&M's, initial ornaments that start with each girls' name, and of course, handwritten notes of the candy-cane story attached on each goody bag. Check out our Pinterest for some more holiday ideas. 

   




















2. Table Setting: 

Use your finest dinnerware and cloth napkins for an extra formal touch. I actually used my fine china for the first time since my 2011 wedding {oh ya!}. You can go an extra step further by setting the seating arrangement for your guests {10 and under} with festive name-tag napkin holders like these from Williams-Sonoma.  I scored my red ornament napkin-ring holders on sale last year and added these black and white Diane von Furstenburg ones for an added pop of color among the red napkins. 

3. Centerpieces: 
Always use fresh garlands as a centerpiece to complete your table decor for Christmas parties and be sure it isn't too tall to block your guest's view. The scent of the fresh pines during dinner is sure to keep up the lighthearted and jolly party mood!

4.  Holiday Spirits:

Of course, a fab Christmas party wouldn't be complete without Kir Royales with fresh cranberries afloat and mulled wine after dinner with dessert. I made homemade baked cinnamon donuts {in bundt cake shape, with pumpkin ice cream on top} from Ina Garten's new cookbook, Foolproof ... a Christmas party favorite.  We definitely couldn't get enough...

What are some of your holiday party recipes and decoration tips?