summer moscow mule

S got me hooked on moscow mules last winter when we made them for the first time together on NYE. These little babies are not only beautiful in presentation, but s-t-r-o-n-g when made with the ingredients we bought! I'm not much of a recipe follower, but we found one that called for four simple and easy to find ingredients. Just add the copper mug and you've got an elegant, 1940s-era cocktail ready to be sipped. Now they are kind of our signature drink :)

The absolute, hands-down most important thing to get right about this drink is the ginger beer. S and I have had trouble finding Crabbie's ginger beer lately, but this is the beer to have as the base of your drink! It is delicious, but makes makes the Moscow Mule pack a completely unexpected punch. It tastes like ginger ale, but has a spicier flavor that ginger ale can't quite cut. The beer is a little expensive, but it is completely worth it - don't skimp on this part!

I am also a big lime person, so I added some fresh limes in addition to the lime juice (it can be found in the grocery store near the margarita mix).

Lastly - the mugs! S was so right about this one - you need the mug for this drink to taste and feel like the elegant 40's cocktail that it is. They are not only beautiful pieces of hardware that will look great in a cabinet or bar cart, but they are timeless and pretty easy to find. We found ours at Bed Bath and Beyond (link below) and ended up buying 6 or so more because my family wanted to add their own set to their collection!

If you're interested, these are the ingredients we used (and loved): copper mug / crabbie's ginger beer  / rose's lime juice / limes / ice 

And the recipe, along with some other summery takes on the drink, can be found at this amazing site. 

happy sipping! ciao, xo
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june

Dear June,

It's good yet bittersweet that you're leaving us! It has definitely been a trying month, and it continues to be very challenging...but the summer is sweet, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

So...let's start with the most recent. I got a new car! It felt weird driving off in a brand new car, feeling like it wasn't new at all but back to what I had before.  I detest the whole negotiations bit, the haggling is absolutely exhausting! But it was a big accomplishment and step for progress, so I am pretty excited. We took it for a lovely, lazy Sunday drive up the river and found ourselves in a totally new spot - Frenchtown, NJ - where we walked around the main street, popped in the shops, and had lunch. How cute is this town!? American flags everywhere, old industrial buildings, little restaurants and cafes and shops right along the Delaware.

This month I have been working SO hard on the ever-rewarding and time consuming craft of calligraphy! I have two wedding collections that I am working on, which has been so amazing. These brides are lovely and have such great taste in wedding paper and stationery. I am so thankful that they have entrusted me with this project! Through these, I have learned so much about etiquette and all of the ins and out of format, spacing, and keeping up with tradition. I'm learning to hone my skills. The most importance is patience and deliberation. Each black canvas needs to stay blank until all the preparations are made - each item off the checklist, checked twice. Ink? Water? Viscosity? Opaque enough? Spelling? Spacing? Choice of tools? All of this is time consuming, and requires my full concentration and attention all of the time. I love the feeling of accomplishing a full set! I can't wait to see how these two projects turn out!

A few days ago by little bro rang in his 20th birthday! We sneakily threw him a big surprise party at our house, with all of his friends, family, s'mores and a bonfire, yummy BBQ food and of course some good old lawn sports - volleyball is my absolute favorite to play as a team! S loves Spikeball, but we didn't get a chance to play at the party (hello, beach!). My sister planned the whole thing and it went so well.

Next week, I am going here to ring in July 4th and spend some time in the sun and by the sea! I absolutely love the chilly early morning walks, multiple coffee stops (I miss coffee SO much - I can't drink it and work on my calligraphy usually in the same day) and coming and going to get some relief from the sun. I think my favorite aspect of the shore by far is watching all of the boats through their binoculars and watching them come and go. I normally figure out which one is which based on time of day, or color...I am such a nerd! But I love it. So next time you hear from me, it will probably be about the beach!

ciao, xo

summer bucket list

This summer is lining up to be a busy one, and I am incredibly shocked that June is already halfway over! Since my last entry, so much has happened. Periods of growth, frustration, thankfulness…I am glad that for now, there is a sense of calm around me that is surrounding me more and more with the onset of summer.

So naturally, as I always do, I am looking ahead with anticipation. I am so excited for the summertime and lapsing into a deep relaxation. I've been thinking about the things I want to do, but the first thing on my list is probably the most important:

• Live EVERY day slowly, thoughtfully, and with purpose.
• Go white water rafting!
• Get some fun, action photography shots…I’m envisioning a rope swing??
•  Hot air balloons
• Wine tasting with S
• Miniature golfing down the shore
•  Enjoy a girl’s weekend with my gal pals
• Get up to 4 miles running after physical therapy
•  Go kayaking in the OBX
• Do a spontaneous day or weekend trip with S?
• Star gazing
• Be good to my skin
• Finish the current wedding projects currently queued up with @ataylorstudio
• Expand my calligraphy practice
• This is an ambitious one…new paint on the walls in my room?
• Another ambitious one…get acclimated to summer eating with a more vegetarian diet
•  Tend to my herb garden
• Experiment with some European and Asian recipes…I subscribe to the Try to World boxes and have got some awesome themed collections from Thailand and Portugal…have to pluck up the courage to try some home cooked international flavor
• Finish 3-5 summer reads

What's on your summer to-do list!?

ciao, xo 

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whirlwind trip: seattle

 Seattle!! What a gem! We spent a beautiful whirlwind of 2 days here in the Emerald City and it was an absolute delight, such a great city to explore from scratch without any major plans. My first instinct was noting how laid back and outdoorsy the city felt; it is not a city of high glamour or materialism. It seems to be booming and growing everyday, with new construction and building. In every corner of the city, blue and green surrounds the eye.

The highlights of the trip were our trip to Bainbridge Island and the family time that we were able to spend with my aunt, uncle, mother and cousins in between our time in the city. We planned the trip poorly, but managed to fit in a lot of the items on my bucket list!

Day 1 : We arrived early in the morning at met my mom at our hotel in downtown Seattle.  We stayed at the lovely Westin and honestly, it was one of the most luxurious rooms I've stayed in! The down sheets and comfy pillows were by far my favorite part! We got started right away after stowing our bags, and headed first for Pike Place Market. S and I wanted to do some touristy things, like see the fish being thrown at Pike Place and the scenic views of the Puget Sound. We had so much fun with my mom goofing off and leisurely walking past the stalls! My particular favorite were all the flower vendors, who had the most vibrant bouquets with generous heaps of sunflowers, dahlias, snapdragons, and ranunculus. We had lunch at the delicious Sound View Cafes - our table had chicken quesadillas, sandwiches, and fries - and enjoyed our seat. We were perched right above the piers along the Puget Sound, so we had a prime view of the ferries humming along the waterways and disappearing in and out of the fog.

After lunch, we perused a lot of stores and got used to walking the hills of Seattle. We stopped by Beecher's Cheeses and glimpsed at the first Starbucks location - but honestly they were teeming with people and the thought of being stuck in lines was horrible. We made our way out of the Pike Place area and we ended our day shopping by visiting the REI store. Seriously, it was the coolest of stores I've been to. I'm not a big outdoors enthusiast, but after going into REI I wanted to become one! The camping equipment and apparel had me dreaming of redwood forests and open Washington roads.

For dinner we went to visit family in the northern suburbs of Seattle - a simple pizza and wine with the family was SO relaxing and chill. I was in love with the area and was so glad we spent the day entirely outside. S and I had an early start that morning (we were up at 3am!) so I was definitely craving sleep by the time dinner was done.

Day 2 : The original plan was to see the San Juan Islands by ferry but due to our lack of planning and time constraints, we figured that a short trip to Bainbridge Island would satisfy our desires to travel on the Washington ferries. It was! We enjoyed the morning so much, even though it was a bit cloudy and we didn't see Mount Rainier very clearly (darn!). The expansive blue waters and hazy hills in the distance make Seattle so dreamy - I know it rains a lot, but it makes the greens lush and happy. Bainbridge Island was ridiculously beautiful, and as we pulled up we realized that it was quite small and quaint. S and I strolled around by foot and opted to take a walking trail along the water that eventually led up into the town center. We saw the marina, which was quite parched of water as Seattle is experiencing a dry summer. After exploring the woods, looking at the wild berries and all of the boats in the water, we meandered up into the center of town and found the most adorable main street. It was filled with cafes, a bookstore, cute boutiques and gift shops, and other mom & pop stores. Absolutely no chains or franchises (except for maybe a bank). It was charming! My favorite stop was our spontaneous find at the Blackbird Bakery - seriously we just stumbled upon it! - for a latte and a little apple pie. We loved that little bakery!

On our ferry ride back, we snapped photos of the Seattle skyline once it came into view and figured our next move. I was really interesting in snapping some pictures of the city from a high point - thank goodness S is always up for my outrageous ambitions - so I did a little old fashioned searching on a paper map from our hotel. I found that the Columbia Center, the tallest building in Seattle, was the best spot for observing the city and the surrounding water and mountains. It also happens to be the 2nd tallest building on the west coast! Seriously, it was gigantic and quite impressive. We ventured to the observation deck on the 73rd floor for $15 each (ouch) and had a most amazing 360degree view of the city. If it were a bit clearer we probably would have seen Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker! That was a bummer. But the view was so stunning, we stayed up there for quite a while and really got the most out of the deck. We had lunch at the Columbia Center and planned our way back up to the suburbs for a last family visit.

Our remarkable visit is over, but we cannot wait to be back to explore more of the Pacific Northwest!! I am itching to go back!

Highlights:

- Mercury Coffee based out of Woodinville is seriously amazing coffee - the best I have had in a WHILE! I am so glad I discovered this company, and wish there was a location near me. Check it out! We had a fantastic experience at the cute to-go shack we visited, along with fantastic service. A must-visit. It makes Starbucks taste like dishwater!
- Pike Place calligraphy, flowers, and fish tossing!
- Taco dinner with family outdoors, enjoying the last of the daylight
- The walking trail at Bainbridge Island, and exploring the woods with S!
- Seeing (or at least being pointed in the direction of) Seattle giants such as Microsoft and Nintendo
- The stadiums (S's fave!)
- Blackbird Bakery
- Seeing the Space Needle at night, peeking through the buildings as we zoomed down I-5
- Hanging out at REI and contemplating camping life - it would be fun to hang out in a tree tent, right?
- Introducing Mom to UBER! :) She loved it and we had amazing drivers!
- Stopping for iced coffees with Mom and S
- The Columbia Sky Deck - seriously amazing views, arguably the best in the city.
- Our hotel - love at first sight!
- Metsker's Maps is a favorite store in our family! I use a lot of their maps in my work, and could spend hours in there - it's amazingly overwhelming.

ciao! xo

el matador beach

Hello from El Matador Beach in Malibu! S and I embarked on a mini-road trip adventure to see the dramatic rocks and coves of El Matador. It wasn't like anything I had ever seen (or expected!). We didn't just stumble upon it - it is known in LA for being one of the most picturesque and romantic beaches with a killer view of the Pacific. And it did not disappoint! We had some snafus getting some parking, but all of that was quickly forgotten once we got up close to these massive rocks jutting out of the beach.

To get down to the beach there is this rickety, rusty and steep staircase that brings you down. Other than that it's just slopes of sand and hoping that your flip flops don't fail you! Actually, I was surprised there wasn't another - safer - way to get down to the beach, considering we're in LA. But that is what makes El Matador one of the lesser known, "hidden" beaches. We finished our time at El Matador by walking and examining each part of the beach -  which is quite small.  Each little segment of the sand is hidden by the expansive rocks obscuring your view, so I particularly enjoyed walking beyond each and every rock to see what sort of vista it offered. Every once in a while we were sprayed by an errant wave crashing against the rocks, and us :)

This spot is a favorite of photographers, too. I saw a mother and son doing a family portrait with a photographer in the shady coves of the less-crowded parts of the beach, and can only imagine how beautiful those portraits will turn out! The rocky background or smooth Pacific blues just complement each other so well. We didn't stay long, but you can definitely do a day trip here (parking is $8 or free on the PCH - unless you're me and put $20 into the machine that doesn't spit back change). 

I want the weekend back for more adventures with S!!

ciao, xo

southern cali on bicycle

helloo! just popping in from southern california with a

 quick post of what daily life {on bike!} looks like.

S bought me a blue beach cruiser, complete with basket and suuuper wide handlebars!

It is perfect for coasting along the Strand, which is made 

for walkers/bikers/skateboarders and the like.

I have been loving exploring the area by bike, locking up, and wondering around.

The height of the day - around noon - is so hot, and the sun is so strong, so I usually duck into

a cafe or some workspace to get some emails out or some reading done.

I have been limited in where I explore but I'm branching out more and more everyday!

ciao! xo

ps. my bike's name is Wilbury, named after these guys!  woo!