Bring on the Bling

By Kelley Moore

(Photo by Kate Baldwin)

Kelley Moore’s stylish ideas for exchanging gifts with your friends—a holiday jewelry swap

The holiday season is filled with party after party, which means plenty of occasions for dressing up. And sometimes, a girl needs a wardrobe refresher—which is just what a bold piece of jewelry can provide. But instead of spending a bundle on a new bauble, why not host a cocktail party and combine it with a chic jewelry swap? Swapping jewelry with your girlfriends instead of exchanging gifts saves you shopping stress, money and allows you to focus on the important part of the holidays—spending time with your loved ones. Invite friends over for an evening of drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and ask them to bring a few pieces of jewelry for a swap. Since one size fits all, it’s a great alternative to a clothing swap. I assembled my friends Stacya Silverman, Dori McLennan, Rayne Nahajski, Yvonne Fletcher and Rosaline Hampton at the Madison Park home of shoe designer Carolina Sadowski for the festivities.

When guests arrive with the jewelry they want to trade, display it on and around seasonal decorative pieces, such as these eye-catching snowflakes.

Lisa pours a cocktail for Carolina at the shoebox bar I created. To duplicate the look, stack clear plastic shoe boxes—filled with glass ball ornaments and your prettiest shoes—against a wall, approximately three deep and 10 high. Place a few snacks and drink options on top for a fun place to gather.

As we all gather around the living-room table to start the swap, spirits are high—perhaps aided by the delicious Campari cocktails we’re sipping! Dori admires the bold necklace Rosaline is showing Yvonne.

Caterer extraordinaire Lisa Dupar arranges items from her delicious menu of easy-to-serve hors d’oeuvres. Her serving platters allow the gorgeous food to stand out on the table, where I’ve added a touch of contemporary glamour with silver orchids. Intricate Roost silver votive holders and a “ghost” candelabra with silver glitter taper candles add height and a bit of holiday glam. Serving trays are displayed on clear plastic shoe boxes filled with silver ball ornaments.

Guests loved the cauliflower panna cotta topped with salmon roe.

For dessert, Lisa created tiny but decadent cocoa nib s’mores topped with rich chocolate ganache;

instead of serving them on a plate, we placed smoked-salmon sushi poppers in chic martini glasses, adding an element of sophistication to the table;

and Oregon pink shrimp cocktail with Bloody Mary relish is a hit in these no-fuss shooter glasses.

Yvonne offers merry wishes on this chalkboard tree, which is a great way to personalize your space throughout the holiday season. It’s a surprisingly easy project. Simply paint a 4-foot by 8-foot piece of plywood (Home Depot is the place to go!) with chalkboard paint. Select your favorite wallpaper and secure it to each corner of the freshly painted plywood with double-sided tape. Then, draw the outline of a Christmas tree with an X-Acto knife and remove extra paper. With a spray adhesive, secure wallpaper to the plywood, and, voilà! Lean it up against a wall for a sturdy backing. (And don’t forget to supply the chalk for guests.)

I always send guests home with a small gift, and since our hostess is a shoe designer, I made drawstring shoe bags (great for traveling or keeping jewelry and shoes safe from scratches) and filled them with Foot Petals shoe pads and foot cream.

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