A Hearty Happy Hour

The Easy Peasiest Summer Cocktail Recipe just got Skinny!

1 part Firefly • 1 part Water,  over ice (lemon wedge optional)

 Firefly and water is my number one summer go-to. Simple and satisfying. Truly tastes like a spiked ice tea and less bitter than just adding vodka to brewed ice tea. Firefly just recently released a "skinny" version and I tried it last night. It's naturally sweetened with Truvia and I taste a hint of honey flavor, but besides that it's pretty darn close to the original. So close, that I'll opt for the 72 calorie version vs. the 110 calorie one.

If the establishment you're at does not have Firefly, Jeremiah Weed (Fun Fact: Jeremiah Weed and Water is known as a... Michael Phelps :) is on par with the same flavor (maybe a bit more of the brewed taste), but do not settle for that Seagrams crap, cuz it's crap.

Words I've heard recently that I'd like to incorporate into my day2day vocab:

Flummoxed: To confuse; perplex. via Creative Mornings

Myopic: Lacking tolerance or understanding; narrow-minded. via Trump Jr

Saboteur: Someone who commits sabotage. via some Apprentice

Muddle: 1. To make turbid or muddy. 2. To mix confusedly; jumble. via this Recipe

Trepidatious: Feeling trepidation (a nervous or fearful feeling of uncertain agitation) via ?

Moonshine: 1. Moonlight 2. Empty talk : nonsense 3. Intoxicating liquor. via Jack Daniels rep on radio

Surly: 1. Menacing or threatening in appearance <surly weather> 2. obsolete

3: irritably sullen and churlish in mood or manner via some song

Gonads: A reproductive gland (as an ovary or testis) that produces gametes via ?

Dang!: Damn! via some graphics blog ?                                                                                                          

Dang, you surly saboteur, don't feed me no moonshine. Your myopic point-of-view has left me trepidatious and flummoxed, go muddle your gonads!

Bohemian Swagger... takin' notes.

I was sifting through old inspiration folders today and came across this image. I'm still in love with it. It's somewhat simple yet embodies perfectly the look and feel I'd like for my home.

I want great sources of natural light.

I want breezy/casual arrangements.

I want to mix low and high brow art and not take any piece too seriously.

I want to mix patterns from all different regions.

I want to gild stuff in gold.

I want flowers around me... the live ones.

I want pops of bold color. Hot pink? Sure... Why? Because I can.

I want to show off my favorite fashion pieces.

I want to fill my home with music at all times (Can't you hear the music? I can.)

I want to mix textures and reflective surfaces.

I sneeze glitter!

Might be living in these this summer...I picked them up in Old Navy the other day. Couldn't resist the silver and gold sparkle infused plastic. The 8 year old inside of me was doing cartwheels.

Purchase here.

My alter ego 'tude for Tuesday

via

More Goodies

from one of my favorite Designer/Illustraors who recently re-designed her site, click in and don't forget to check out "Teen Girl Mode" (cute).

I want all of these!

Purchase them for me here.

Non-creepy Gnomes

Gnomes creep me out. It probably comes from watching too many B-rate horror movies, but I just know there are lil demons living inside. Sweet Lips has one that he actually kept in his Living Room–twice as creepy. I insisted "that thing" has to go... at least outside, where it belongs. Yesterday, I came across a post on Apartment Therapy about fashionable Gnomes and I must admit, these are pretty cool! Check out the Zombie Gnomes (cuz Zombies are so having a moment right now ;)

I took the liberty of incorporating some in to an ideal patio set-up.

Links at Polyvore

The Ugh Meter

Ever have one of those days where the wind can blow slightly in the wrong direction and it irritates the hell out of you??? I had one today and it started first thing...

Let's say: -100=Curl into the fetal position and sobb (loudly), -50=Play hookie and stuff face with Hagan Dazz,  0=neutral, +50=Walkin' tall(ish) with a bit of swag, +100=Kanye-type ego in full effect

April 20th, 2011
-20 (6:45am) Migraine beginning to creep in
-30 (7:00am) Recall horrible nightmare involving my sister and I being tortured by her juvie kids
-35 (8:15am) Work only has crapass coffee left for the Keurig
-10 (9:30am) 3 advil finally begin to kick-in
-25 (10:00am) Struggle with company site... version 13
0 (12:30) Walk out for lunch to a beautiful day
-35 (12:45) Try on some dress options for Easter... not liking what I see in the mirror
-10 (1:00) Yummy Fuji apple salad for lunch
-25 (2:00) Struggle with logo for company software... version 33
-35 (4:45) My work load for the next day has just tripled
-40 (4:50) Photoshop keeps crashing
-45 (5:40) An added 20 minutes to my commute home due to who the hell knows what
-15 (6:00) Eat a peanut butter cup and watch a bit of reality tv
+10 (6:15) Boyfriend tells me how beautiful I am (without knowing of my crapass mood)
+25 (6:30) Release some stress by smacking some tennis balls around with the BF
+40 (7:15) Discover at the liquor store that my favorite summer-time drink now comes in a "skinny" version
+45 (7:30) Eat a satisfying taco dinner accompanied by white wine
+50 (8:30) Take a long steamy shower
+55 (9:00) Make a timeline of my day... get it out of my system, make peace with it.
Hoping to only go up from here...

With glittering eyes...

seen via

My alter ego 'tude for Tuesday

seen via

Fornasetti Plate Art

I've seen these plates many times before and always thought they were cool, but after viewing Michael & Paul's House Tour today, I had the sudden urge to do research. I want, I want, I want! I need them all (!) or maybe just one (after seeing their pricey price tag).

According to several sources: Piero Fornasetti was born in Milan in 1913. He was a painter, interior decorator and designer. He is most famously known for this series (themes and variations). The series is based off of an image he found in a 19th century French magazine. The image is of Lina Cavalieri, an operatic soprano. "What inspired me to create more than 500 variations on the face of a woman?" asks Italian designer, Piero Fornasetti of himself. "I don't know," he admits, "I began to make them and I never stopped."

****************************I love obsessive people!*****************************

Below are a few of my favorites:

It's not easy to find your favorites to purchase, but some are available here and here.

Über Dope.

These are paintings (!) by So Yoon Lym

seen via 

A Hearty Happy Hour

This post was the inspiration for my 

Blackberry Plum Mojito

Directions: Muddle (love that word)  a bit of simple syrup (boil a cup of sugar and a cup of water), 6 blackberries, 1/2 plum (peeled/diced), 8 mint leaves, Add ice, rum, lime juice, shake vigorously (love that word too), pour over ice in glass, add some of the muddled fruit, top with more mint and a splash of club soda. 

Serious Yummmmmm...........................................................................

Your music taste vs. your whorishness

According to Tastebuds (a new dating site that lets you find people who share similar music taste), fans of Coldplay keep their legs locked, while fans of Nirvana are easy breezy. Hmm... not so sure I agree... I can recall many men (fans of Coldplay) that had an open door policy to their bedroom, but here are the stats:

Friendship bracelets are like so "in" right now.

Peep these blinged-out versions... brings me back to summer camp. I'm adding these to my "To Do" list, right under file 2010 taxes. Purchase at Frieda and Nellie for $$$ or make your own here for ¢ OR make me one... I swear I'll be your best friend for like all of June.

Love me some charts

via Shmitten Kitten

Absurd Overheard

Karen Kurycki is the designer and illustrator who operates Absurdoverheard.com, where she illustrates a collection of absurd/funny/silly statements overheard... kind of like "Kids Say the Darndest Thing" for adults. Below are some samples of her illustration and quote pairings. Love the idea and love her illustration technique.

These read: “Ah, love is in the air and it smells distinctly of vegetable oil base.”-@CrankyPressman via Twitter  AND “Just saw a gangsta sippin a strawberry Yoohoo. Welcome to Charlotte.” -Carl Smith (@carlsmith) via Twitter

My alter ego 'tude for Tuesday

"It ain't easy being green." -Kermit the Frog

Prediction: The Giraffe is the New Shark

via swiss miss

Romp 'round the Bedroom!

Saw these lingerie rompers today at Target. The photos don't do them justice... much nicer in person.

Purchase here, here or here.

The Olsen Breakdown

Effortless Springtime Style via one of those Olsens...

Links here.

RAD

Graphic 3-d (!) Paper Art by Julien Vallée

via web designer depot

My alter ego 'tude for Tuesday

via ffffound

The Sum Total of Our Choices

“We’re all faced throughout our lives with agonizing decisions, moral choices. Some are on a grand scale, most of these choices are on lesser points. But we define ourselves by the choices we have made. We are, in fact, the sum total of our choices. Events unfold so unpredictably, so unfairly, Human happiness does not seem to be included in the design of creation. it is only we, with our capacity to love that give meaning to the indifferent universe. And yet, most human beings seem to have the ability to keep trying and even try to find joy from simple things, like their family, their work, and from the hope that future generations might understand more.”

— Professor Levy played by Martin S. Bergmann, a New York University clinical professor in psychology, in the movie Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) by Woody Allen.

via Swiss Miss

Harry Diaz

Love these prints by Harry Diaz!

seen via design work life

A Hearty Happy Hour

I have a feeling that this is what my Hearty Happy Hour is going to look like :(

My eyes feel like they are about to start bleeding, my tongue is in a constant state of having tasted scolding hot soup and my nose feels like someone keeps upper-cutting it with a sledge hammer. Not very TGIF.

I do not condone abuse of NyQuil btw. Been there, done that and it was not a pleasant ride... Left it on my nightstand one night when I was disgustingly sick, kept taking swigs during the night so I could sleep. The next morning, like a zombie, I went to work and thought to myself, "Self, I think you're high or tripping or hallucinating or somethin'." Not a good scene in a corporate office.

So word to the wise: Keep your NyQuil in your medicine cabinet.