Today kicks off my new series “Kitchen Keeping” and I am thrilled beyond measure to feature some of my very special friends and their fabulous kitchens and recipes.
I am so honored to have sweet Shelly join us today from Confetti Style, a design interior blog on entertaining, gifting and crafting. 
I first met Shelly when I was a newbie to the blog world. It was a Sunday afternoon of blog overload. I remember it so vividly, I clicked on the cute name and found myself entranced in the pages of her post. I knew I had to meet the woman behind all the confetti so I took a leap of faith and reached out to Shelly and the rest is love, friendship and thankfulness. Shelly lives in the Atlanta area with her darling husband, Eugene and they just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary (Hi Eugene, hugs). With such high demands for her design business and social media platforms like Instagram, Shelly is busier than a bee but thanks to an inside hook up #friendsforever, Shelly agreed to join us today to share one of her delicious “sips” and a peek into her love for entertaining. Hi Sweet Lady, thanks for joining us today. What do you have in store for us?
Hi friends. I’m thrilled to be here on M. Jones Style as part of Marsha’s Kitchen Keeping Bloggers series. Now I must be honest, when Marsha asked me to share one of my favorite fall dishes, I immediately broke out in a panic. You see, there are people who love to cook (Marsha) and then there are those of us who don’t (Me). While I don’t mind being in the kitchen, I’m at my best when I’m whipping up cocktails and entertaining. So today, instead of sharing a favorite recipe, I have a yummy cocktail just in time for your fall festivities.
Shelly, What’s the one thing you love most about entertaining?
Besides spending time with family and friends, the best part of entertaining for me is creating a beautiful tablescape that brings the party to life and creates an experience for my guests. I love the whole process of layering the table linens, mixing and matching dinnerware and creating a fun centerpiece. The love and attention that I put into my table decor is a direct reflection on how special I want my guests to feel when they are sitting around my table. 
Oh my goodness, this table is Gorgeous!!!
Tell us about one of your entertaining ‘oops’ and how you created a mess into a masterpiece?
I know I’m not the only one who’s tried to open a bottle of wine only to have the cork break off into pieces inside the bottle. The first time that happened to me I had to come up with a quick solution. I used a strainer to strain the wine into a bowl and then poured the wine into a beautiful carafe. To fancy up the wine a bit, I added sliced peaches and served the wine from the carafe instead of the bottle. The combination of wine and fruit was so pretty…now during the summer, I ditch the bottle on purpose and serve white wine from a carafe.
What a clever idea. I bet you have lots of lovely carafes from your thrift finds, no doubt.
What’s your favorite signature cocktail and why?
Since I love to entertain, I have a favorite cocktail for each season of the year. During the spring I love a drink that’s light and refreshing like a Lemon Drop Martini. In in the summer when fruit is at its peak, I love a tall glass of Sangria. When fall and winter roll around, I prefer a warm cocktail like a Spiked Apple Cider or Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps.
Who doesn’t love chocolate and with a nip added, all the better. Your bar cart is swoon worthy! 
What are three cocktail/bar essentials you can’t live without?
Serving cocktails when entertaining is an essential part of any party and there are a few bar essentials I keep stocked…an eclectic mix of glassware, pretty cocktail napkins and a cute ice bucket.
If you could invite anyone over for apps and sips, who would it be?
That’s a tough question since there are quite a few people I’d love to have over for a party but I’d have to say legendary fashion icon and style maker, Iris Apfel. Iris, who happens to be 95 years young, is my fashion muse and I would give anything to sit down and chat with her about her life, how she developed her personal style and where to shop for all the amazing fashion jewelry.
Big hugs to Marsha for inviting me to be apart of her fun series. Before I go, I thought it would be fun to share my Spiked Apple Cider recipe with you today. I hope you give it a try!
Shelly thank you so very much for popping in today and spending time with us. We all could use a little Confetti in our lives.
Friends, you will love Shelly and her amazing creations on ConfettiStyle and Instagram. Be sure to hop over to visit Shelly and toss her some confetti!
Save RecipeIngredients
- 4-5 cups apple cider
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 ounces spiced rum
- Whipped cream
- Cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon to garnish
Instructions
- In a small pot heat the apple cider, spices and rum over low/medium heat. Stir often while the mixture is heating so the spices will blend into the juice and dissolve. Once it is hot, pour into two double-pane glasses or mugs and top with whipped cream. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon. Serve warm and enjoy.
