Hello, Gorgeous

Chanel flagship storefront window display in NYC.  I'm loving the way the 2 models are positioned, with one's back toward the street.  I'm also loving all the pearls!

*I hate that there is so much glare - it was extremely bright that day and all the light was reflecting off the glass.  This was the best I could do at the time.



Strawberry Mint Juleps

Every good southern hostess needs to have a great cocktail recipe up her sleeve.  Mine?  Strawberry Mint Juleps.  Why, you may ask?  Well, for starters, mint juleps are famously southern.  They are the signature drink of the Kentucky Derby, a fabulous celebration of horse racing, fashion and southern tradition.  Secondly, the combination of mint and strawberry is sweet and refreshing.  Perfect for hot spring and summer days.  And last, but certainly not least, my recipe calls for Jack Daniels.  Most juleps are traditionally made with bourbon, but bourbon and whiskey are interchangeable (they are essentially the same).  As a Tennessee girl, my loyalty lies with Jack Daniels.  So that was an obvious draw for me when coming up with this recipe.

I looked at several recipes for Strawberry Juleps and Mint Juleps in Southern Living and on different blogs around the web, but I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.  I wanted to use both strawberries and mint (most recipes called for one or the other), I wanted to use Jack Daniels (didn't find any recipes that used whiskey), and I wanted something bubbly in it (because, let's be honest, bubbly is always more festive).  So I came up with my own recipe.

Strawberry Mint Juleps

1 strawberry

5 mint leaves

1 tsp Jack Daniels

1 tsp sugar (I used 1 packet sugar substitute)

crushed ice

1 or 1 1/12 shots Jack Daniels

soda water

1 sprig mint for garnish

Muddle the strawberry and 5 mint leaves in 1 tsp of Jack Daniels until mostly smooth.  Add sugar and stir.  Pour into a tall glass.  Fill glass 2/3 of the way full with crushed ice.  Pour in 1 to 1 1/2 shots Jack Daniels and fill the rest of the way up with soda water.  Garnish with mint sprig.  Makes one cocktail.



Pretty Fonts

These fonts are so pretty and inspiring to me.  I love the creativeness and uniqueness of them.  They are imaginative, fun and charming...pure joy on a piece of paper!

{paper crave} {linsday letters} {moira events} {plurabelle calligraphy} {camille styles}

Currently Obsessed

Here are my favorite finds this week on Currently Obsessed:

 {tory burch mini logo clutch, $395}

{mossimo supply company, $12.50}

 {asos peplum top, $37

 {kate spade iphone case, $40}

 {tbags los angeles, $172

 {ray ban original wayfarer, $150}

 {old navy, $14.99}

 {essie, 4-pc collection, $17}

 {current/elliott ankle skinnies, $298}

 {chloe scalloped bikini, $287}

 {lilly pulitzer buttercup shorts, $74}

 {j brand skinnies, $187}

C Wonder

I discovered another cool new shopping website.  It is called C Wonder, and it was created by Chris Burch (Tory Burch's ex-husband).  It is stock-full of cute, summery clothes, accessories and home goods.  Everything has a Tory-feel to it, but it starts at a lower price point than Tory Burch.   I must say: I adore everything Tory Burch makes, so I definitely wouldn't say C Wonder is quite on-par with her brand, but it is certainly very cute. 

There are several darling boutiquey stores in the NYC/Hamptons area, but the preppy, nautical-themed website is very user friendly and enticing as well.  I already have several items in my "shopping cart."

My Habit - Amazing New Shopping Website

Have y'all seen Amazon's new shopping website, My Habit?  You must check it out!  You can find great designer clothing at discount prices, all the while knowing you are shopping "safely" online because it is a part of the Amazon family...  How great is that?!  You need to sign up in order to use My Habit (providing email is necessary), but if you already have an Amazon account, you can just use that to log in.

My favorite aspect of the website is that instead of a regualr/boring sell-shot, My Habit has the unique feature of showing short video clips of the model posing and turning in the garment, so you get an idea of how the fabric moves and falls.  It is pretty amazing, as I have never seen that before.  You can click the link here to see what I'm talking about.  It should play automatically.

My Habit recently lauched a "Home" section, where they sell everything from stylish pillows to cast iron skillits and crystal glasses.  I think I might need a little e-commerce retail therapy!

 

{Jiti Fork Pillow} {Belle Maison Ceramic Pedestal Vase} {Chloe} {Marc by Marc Jacobs}

When life hands you lemons...

With Memorial Day just around the corner, it certainly feels like summer is here to stay!  One of my absolute favorite things to do is sit by the pool or lake, and sip Arnold Palmer's.  Not familiar with this perfect summer beverage?  It's a refreshing blend of iced tea and lemonade.  It also happens to be legendary golfer Arnold Palmer's favorite beverage, which is where the name comes from. 

Every southerner has his or her own unique recipe for Arnold Palmer's.  Here is mine:

Fill a large pitcher with 2 quarts of tea and 2 quarts of lemonade.  Stir well.  Slice up one medium sized orange and place the slices into the pitcher.  Add 2 large sprigs of fresh mint (about 10 leaves).  Refrigerate until chilled, then pour over ice to serve.  You can make this with either store bought tea and lemonade, or make your own.

Iced Tea:
In the south, iced tea is always sweetened, so there is really no need to say "sweet tea."  It's always assumed that "iced tea" means it will be sweet.  I love to make sun tea, which is something my parents used to make when I was little.  You take several large black tea bags and place in a covered pitcher filled with water.  Let it sit out in the sun for a couple hours to brew, then sweeten to your liking and chill.

Lemonade:
The beautiful Sea Island resort in Georgia makes the most delicious lemonade I have ever tasted in my life!  I begged and begged for the recipe, but all I got was a little hint from one of the chefs.  It really surprised me what he said: use Country Time lemonade mix, but double the amount of powder it calls for when mixing up a pitcher.  No, all that sugar is definitely not healthy, but it sure tastes good!  I always float lemon slices in mine for extra tang.

You can always add vodka to this for a refershing adult beverage!