If red and green make you feel more blah than fa-la-la, turn up the flame with chili pepper, lava red and hot, hot pink. Over at BHG this month, we’re packing a punch with a palette that’s ready to party.

Teaming up with my friend/co-worker/life coach Jessica Thomas—she designed Modern Mix!—we kept things simple and graphic. A classic cake plate puts edibles on a pedestal, while ombré icing amplifies our theme. Pair confections with a punch guests serve themselves, so you can have your cake and eat it too. Raspberry napkins tilt the mix pink; copper-y glasses add shine. Ice tends to melt quickly in punch, so to keep ours from watering down, we made big ice cubes in muffin tins topped with cranberries and sliced oranges. (Just use a little warm water to release them). Here’s a peek behind the scenes!

Close-up on the flowers now—roses, carnations and big, beautiful begonia leaves.

Bonus pics! Here are two outtakes you won’t see in the magazine. Pink amaryllises sweeten the scene; gilt wallpaper glams it up.

Now that’s one way to heat up the holidays.