HUMP DAY HAPPY HOUR

Two weeks ago, I shared my New Year's resolution with you in this post. And since I wouldn't want to let you down, I've been hard at work testing my latest cocktail, a Blackberry Gin and Tonic. While searching for recipes, I was intrigued by the idea of a cocktail shrub. Honestly, I can't say I even knew what it meant before I found this recipe. I guess hipster and mixologist aren't synonymous with Ashley. Ha! With a little assistance from Lady Google, I learned that a shrub is just "a concentrated syrup that combines fruit, sugar, and vinegar, resulting in a sweet and acidic mixture that can be used in a variety of drinks." I've never had much of a green thumb, but this seemed like one "shrub" I could handle. See what I did there? Anywho, I gave the recipe a whirl and enjoyed the fruits of my labor this past weekend. The end result was equal parts tangy and tasty—a great way to welcome the week ahead! 

BLACKBERRY GIN AND TONIC

Recipe from A Thought For Food

SHRUB INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Blackberries

1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

3/4 Cup Sugar

*NOTE: The shrub in this cocktail takes a week to prepare.

FOR THE GIN AND TONIC:

1.5 oz Gin

.75 oz Blackberry Shrub

Tonic Water

Blackberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Toss blackberries in a bowl with sugar. Let mixture sit at room temperature for one hour.
2. Mash blackberries with large spoon. Let mixture sit at room temperature for one hour.
3. Mash the fruit mixture again. Let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
4. Add vinegar, stir, and let sit, covered, for at least one week. Make sure to give mixture a good stir every day.
5. After a week, strain the fruit mixture and save the liquid in a covered jar.
6. For the G+T, pour gin into a glass, followed by the shrub. Add a handful of ice and top with tonic. Garnish with blackberries.

The shrub-making process is a fun one with oodles of fruity possibilities. 

If gin is your spirit of choice, give this recipe a shot. You won't be disappointed.

ETSY: TAKE FIVE TUESDAY

Read my lips—there will be NO regrETSY purchases on my watch. Trust me.

Instead, how about five shops that will make you push that little heart button with utter delight:

• BRIGHT JULY // Add spice to any space with Caitlin's gorgeous selection of punchy throw pillows. How adorable is the appliqué? With a selection this fabulous, there's something stylish for everyone.
• PARROTT DESIGN STUDIO // Sarah has the happiest assortment of hand-printed paper goods on Etsy. That's a fact! I'm particularly obsessed with this simple Mini Heart Notebook. It would the perfect size to keep handy in my trusty tote.
• SCOUT AND LILLY // After purchasing this pennant as a Christmas gift for Flyboy, I got hooked on Kathleen's simple accessories and home decor. The colors in this geometric and sunset-hued silkscreen print are fan-flipping-tastic!
• MOGLEA // It's not the first time I've expressed my love for Meg Gleason's lovely letterpress goods. While I adore all of her snazzy note cards and notepads, I think it would be really fun to have one of her custom return address stamps. I know we move a lot, but I think I could get some good use out of it until it's time to pack up again.
• WREN AND RUMOR // This past Christmas, we received this striped swaddle blanket from my aunt and uncle. Max is a big fan of the black-and-white print. I can't help but be smitten with the quality. It washes up like a dream and the cute aesthetic is easy on the eyes. If I saw this Lime Stripe Sweater Blanket sooner, I probably would have planned the nursery around it. The happy hue makes my heart burst with joy.

Have you stumbled upon any like it, love it, gotta have it, Etsy treasures lately?

LIFE'S LITTLE DETAILS

"THE DETAILS ARE NOT THE DETAILS. THEY MAKE THE DESIGN." — CHARLES EAMES

Just hanging out with a fox in a bow tie. No biggie.

Being a big sister is hard work, you guys. 

This beautimous gem was originally intended for the nursery, but I got greedy during nap time and gave it a new home in the living room. Oops!

Throw pillows that distract me from atrocious baby gear. Can I get an amen?

Max has monkey feet. There, I said it! They just look so odd; I can't stop staring. In my defense, Flyboy agrees.

Fake it 'til you make, it right?

My goodness, I adore this dog in a really BIG way! 

I couldn't help but be inspired by this colorful goodness.

Singing along to a happy tune.

Happy Monday, m' dears! I hope your weekend was glorious. It was sunny and seventy degrees in Swell Rio, which means we spent a lot of time outdoors and running errands. Woo Hoo! I don't have much on my mind today, so I'll spare you the silly rambling. I just know that we survived our first week sans Flyboy. Oh, yeah! Go Team Fine. Now on to the next...

Here's to another marvy week ahead!

LURVE LOAVE LUFF

 

Let's get right to it, shall we?

Here's what made me feel all twitterpated, smile contagiously, giggle uncontrollably, etc.

• Flask Bangle // How clever and functional is this? And I'm totes kidding about making it part of m' mom uniform. Or am I?
• Deco Dots Pillow // Are you familiar with Erin Flett's Etsy shop? If not, hop to it! I love all of her screen print designs.
• Essie Polish in Roarrrrange // Hello, Tiger! I might consider trying this shade at my next manicure. I'm pretty sure my nail lady thinks I'm boring. What's wrong with alternating between red and pink?
• Teardrop Vase // I got this adorable vessel for Christmas, and I'm just a little bit obsessed with its perfect gold spots.
• Jeweled Flat Sandals // Last Spring I missed out on the PERFECT sparkly sandals from J.Crew. Now I've got my eye on these bad boys. To act now, or wait to see what else they come up with?
• Poplin Pocket Top // I snagged this in French Blue, and I can't wait to wear it. It will be covered in spit-up in no time, but at least I'll feel fancy for a hot second. That's really all that matters, am I right??
• Joyful Necklace // Add a colorful touch to any outfit. Not to mention, navy, red, hot pink, and mint are my jam.
• Jersey Duffle Jacket // Toggles and stripes. Be still my heart. I'm thinking this coat is a Maxwell MUST! 
• Real Techniques Bold Metal Brushes // My cousin got me hooked on these reasonable and quality makeup brushes. I'm especially smitten with their new collection. They look so luxurious.
• DIY Sequin Marquee Heart // In case you're looking to get creative this weekend Sugar and Cloth has you covered.
• Finger Wall Clock // I was browsing the CB2 website recently and stumbled upon this gem. I think it would look adorable in the nursery and it would be über helpful during his bedtime routine.
• Hiya Toots! // From a time when saying "Hello" was a verbal art form... Well done, Anemone Press!

Cheers to another snazzy week, m' dears! As always, thanks for stopping by.

THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

THANKFUL FOR: The pill-popping sitch seems to be improving for Beesly, and that makes me a very happy camper. Out of the three capsules she takes a day, I usually have success with two. Per the vet's recommendation, we gave Pill Pockets ANOTHER try. If I get it sealed up just right, she won't resist it like she did when we were in Hawaii. I'm not sure why she's okay with them now, but at least it works most of the time. That being said, I do have to woo her with a Beggin Strip reward after she's swallowed her meds. I'm not only pleased with the ease of pill-popping, but I'm also impressed with the puddle of drool she produces. Get it, girl!

THINKING ABOUT: A piece of me died last Friday when Max's Jumperoo arrived. Why must baby toys be so stinkin' ugly? Yuck! Up until this point, I haven't had to buy anything too incredibly hideous. For months, I dreaded the day I had to buy an exersaucer or jumper. In anticipation, I Googled high and low to find at least one tasteful option. I mean, what sort of snazzy things do the Europeans use? In all of my searching, I found zilch. I read hundreds of comments on Apartment Therapy in hopes someone, anyone, would share at least ONE aesthetically pleasing product. Nope, not happening. With the coercion of my mother, I finally gave in and purchased one. Eww! Max loves to stand, and she thought it would be a nice option to have while Flyboy is away. Since mom's always right, I gave in. She reassured me that I could stow it in the spare bedroom whenever it wasn't in use and that put me at ease. Then it arrived. With my nose turned, I put it together and it's just as atrocious as I thought. I didn't realize, however, how ginormous it would be. OMG! In an effort to save myself from a potential meltdown, I attempted to hide it in the guest room. I picked it up and found that it's too wide for me to fit in our hallway. I have to turn it on its side. Honestly, I'm not even sure if Max enjoys it. Can't I just give it away? Could he be one of those oddballs that doesn't like toys like this? Pretty please. When I shared all of these sentiments with my mom, she erupted with laughter. I feel like this is payback for all of the Fisher Price crap we had when I was a kid.   

FEELING: The nuthouse was in rare form yesterday. It seemed as though everything went to hell in a hand basket by 11 am, which didn't leave me feeling very hopeful about the day or weeks ahead. I wanted to cry, but that didn't seem like my best option. In an effort to regroup, I took a moment to focus on something that brings me joy. Enter rare bird, Iris Apfel. Seeing pictures of her and reading about the fashion icon makes me dizzy with delight. In fact, I've decided I want a life-size cutout of Iris to have on hand when I need a little pick-me-up. It would be something similar to the Flat Stanley Project we participated in as kids. Does anyone remember that? Anywho, I think a "Flat Iris" would help me channel her pizzazz. It would be just the right oomph to take on the day with gusto.

LISTENING TO: There was a moment this past Tuesday night where my phone was shuffling through my iTunes library, and I couldn't have picked a better song for the shit-uation. It was poetic, really. Just wait as I paint you a picture. You see, I had everything set up so I could bathe Max in the kitchen sink. Feeling hopeful, I thought, "Maybe tonight bath time will be fun?" So I changed his diaper, grabbed a few washcloths, and wrapped him in his adorable hooded towel. Feeling rather peppy, we skipped down the hallway with nothing but smiles and coos. Then I started to feel a rumble in my hand. "Oh no, it can't be. He's never done THIS before." I slowly peeked inside the towel and realized we better go back to the nursery and get ANOTHER towel because the stinky explosive mess he just made is no longer fit for, um, drying. As this is all happening, I hear Hall and Oates in the background: 

Well well you (ooh ooh ooh ooh)

You make my dreams come true (you you) you (you you)

Well well well you (ooh ooh ooh ooh)

Oh yeah you make my dreams come true (oooh ooh ooh) hell yeah

As Max started wailing, I began cackling. Sometimes life has the best comedic timing. Yep, this child makes my dreams come poo.

WATCHING: Please tell me you watch Fixer Upper on HGTV? I seriously love me some Chip and JoJo. Just one episode will have you dreaming about shiplap and subway tile. If we're going to live in TX, why can't it be in Waco?

EATING: I'll be honest, I'm using Flyboy's absence as an excuse to really hunker down and focus on my diet. I'm starting to see progress when it comes to losing the baby weight, and I'm hopeful that with a little extra TLC, I can drop a few more pounds. I'm sure this is probably annoying to read about, but it's a priority to me. Aside from the occasional Starbucks treat, I'm not indulging in anything really exciting.  Most of my meals these days consist of roasted veggies and either some salmon or baked chicken.

READING: This mom stuff is tricky. As the queen of self-doubt, I've found a lot of solace in the Shel Silverstein poem, The Voice. I guess it makes me feel better about the choices I make for myself and for Max on a daily basis. I need to trust my instincts.

There is a voice inside of you

That whispers all day long,

"I feel this is right for me,

I know that this is wrong."

No teacher, preacher, parent, friend

Or wise man can decide

What's right for you--just listen to

The voice that speaks inside.

LOVING: Last week, I decided to switch up my spinning routine. I have five DVDs that came with my stationary bike, but after watching the same videos for five years, the workouts tend to get a little stale. With a little online digging, I learned about the Peloton iPad app. Have you heard of it? The free app has a variety of on-demand spinning workouts in addition to live classes that you can stream on your device. How cool is that? I was worried that I'd have to have a Peloton bike in order to use the app; however, I've found that any ol' spin bike will work. Whenever I work out, I put Max in his Mamaroo Swing and he watches as I pant and sweat. 

Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!