I couldn’t have planned this post any better because today it finally feels like Fall. The windows are open, there’s a beautiful breeze coming in and it’s a most wonderful 66 degrees out there. Time for an old fashioned, right? 😉 I had an idea to make a Fall spiced syrup that you can use a number of ways all throughout the cold months. My favorite way to use it is in an old fashioned, but you can use it in a daiquiri, a fix, or even your coffee. Use it in any cocktail that calls for simple syrup by merely swapping it out and making your drinks a little more Fall appropriate….
Archives for September 2017
Sunday Kind of Love | Paris Edition
Greetings from Paris, everyone! If you’ve been keeping up with my adventures over on Instagram you know that I’ve pretty much eaten/drank my way through Paris and Cognac. I’m going to write a separate post about some of my favorite bars and restaurants plus my trip to Maison Ferrand but just wanted to pop in and say bonjour. Sunday is my favorite day and I’m taking a bit of a rest. This week has been a whirlwind and I may have stayed out a tad bit too late last night (oops), so I slept in and got some room service. I sure don’t mind writing this blog post from the cutest hotel in Paris, with the windows open, enjoying some coffee and a few pastries. Life is magical sometimes and I’m very grateful to have had the chance to go on this trip.
I’m staying at the beautiful Hotel Henriette located on a small and quiet cobblestone street close to the Mouffetard district. Earlier in the week, I was at Hotel Bachaumont which was equally beautiful but it is exciting to get to explore a whole new neighborhood. For this Sunday post, I wanted to share some photos of the hotel and a few I’ve snapped on my Parisian adventures!
This is the view of the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero. I’m so happy I finally got to see it in person and fulfill a lifelong dream. The only thing I wish is that there was someone else there to get a photo of me in front of it. Oh well, next time! How cute and charming is that carousel?
This is Rue Crémieux, a little cobblestone pedestrian street with private houses in the 12th arrondissement. I had so much fun photographing it, but it was admittedly hard because there were so many other people there also trying to snap some photos. I couldn’t check into my hotel yet so I dropped off my luggage and spent a few hours here and patiently snapped photos as people cleared out. It actually started to pour while I was there and I had to duck under a tree. That may sound crazy but I got all the photos I wanted and I think they will be the most important things I have to remember Paris by. I will definitely be framing some of these. I took so many I would need to dedicate a whole post to this street.
Hotel Henriette couldn’t be any more perfect for me. The design is such an elegant mix of antique/French with a very bohemian feel and blended with more modern furniture and lighting fixtures. My design style is very similar which is why I picked it and it’s even more beautiful in person. I wish I was staying a little longer because I feel very much at home here. Hotel Henriette is going to be my default hotel whenever I come back to Paris. Seriously, when can I come back to Paris?
I hope you’re all enjoying your Sunday. I fly back tomorrow evening and I’m hoping to get up bright and early to go to the flea market. Will they let me bring furniture on the flight? Au revoir! xo
Fig + Vanilla Sidecar
Bonjour everyone! If you’re reading this, I’m probably touching down in France right about now. To celebrate my trip to France with Pierre Ferrand, I’ve made a delicious variation on one of my favorite Cognac classics and have come up with a Fig + Vanilla Sidecar. Like most classic cocktails, the exact origin of this drink remains slightly unclear. The first recipe appeared in 1922, in Harry MacElhone’s “Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails” and Robert Vermeire’s “Cocktails and How to Mix Them”. In MacElhone’s book, he cites the inventor as Pat MacGarry, a popular bartender at the Buck’s Club in London, but later cites himself. Vermiere states that it was MacGarry as well. I’m putting my money on Pat MacGarry!…
Sunday Kind of Love
Sunday came so fast this week. I’ve spent a lot of my time preparing for my trip to France and making sure everything is in order before I leave tonight. I shot a cocktail but didn’t have enough time to get it up, so that will be on the blog tomorrow. HINT: I’m making something with a French based spirit in celebration of my trip to France. I’m going to take a lot of photos and try to update the blog atleast once while I’m there. Maybe my Sunday kind of love post next week will be a Paris edition. One can only hope! 😉
- Last weekend my livingroom was on The Everygirl again. I know you’ve seen my livingroom a bunch of times by now, but the article is here incase you want to check it out. I think I’m going to do the One Room Challenge in October by myself this time around. I’m working on so many projects in the apartment that I feel like I’m a bit overwhelmed and that I can easily get distracted. Doing the challenge will help me stay motivated and focus on getting another room totally completed. At this stage, my bedroom just needs wallpaper, which means I should probably just order it. That will force me to put it up. This is the one I’m getting. I took advantage of Labor Day sales and ordered the items I linked to last Sunday. When I return from France there will be a new kitchen table, chairs, and a rug for the kitchen. All the kitchen will need to be complete, is some art and styling. I’d really love to get a new light fixture for that room as well. I was thinking this one. I will keep you updated about the One Room Challenge and what I will be concentrating on once it starts.
- Imbibe Magazine included me in their Summer #imbibegram roundup. My Dark ‘n Stormy Popsicles were one of their favorites this Summer! They were one of mine too. Get the recipe on A Beautiful Mess!
- Speaking of ABM and popsicles, my Gin + Tonic Popsicles went up this week and they are AMAZING. Super refreshing and easy to make at only four ingredients. Summer isn’t over yet!
- Voting closed for the Readers Choice portion of the SAVEUR Magazine Blog Awards. Each category has a Readers Choice and Editors Pick, so I have two chances to win an award. I was on the fence about if I should go or not, but I decided that I should and booked my flight and hotel this week. I will be in Charleston 10/1-10/3. If you have any recommendations please send them my way. I have always wanted to go to Charleston, so this was a great excuse! Wish me luck.
Stay tuned for a new recipe and follow me along on Instagram to see all of my France adventures. Au revoir! xo
Sunday Kind of Love
I hope you all enjoyed your week and are making the most of your holiday weekend. I’m having some regrets about the summer as we approach fall… I didn’t make it to the beach once! I’m coming to terms with the fact that I might have some serious workaholic issues that I need to work through. Did I just create more work for myself? I’m not sure. 😉
- It’s the last few days to vote for Arsenic Lace as Best Drinks Blog in the SAVEUR Blog Awards. Please go here and cast your votes as many times as you can until 9/6.
- The Strawberry Hibiscus Frosé I made for Palm Springs Style was featured on The Feed Feed. Check it out here and grab the recipe!
- These Jalapeño Mango Margarita Popsicles went on Palm Springs Style this week as well. They are as good as they sound. Boozy, super fruity, and SPICY! My most flavorful pop-tail to date. Making these is a must!
- I pulled the trigger on the ABM x Kelly Moore bag that I mentioned last week. I desperately needed a new camera/laptop bag to travel to France with. If you’re on the market for a new camera bag, check them out. I went with the gold one because I figured I should expand my wardrobe outside of the color pink.
- I wrote about my favorite frozen cocktails in Jersey City on ChicpeaJC for the holiday weekend. Check it out here and if you’re local, check a few places out and have one before Summer menus disappear. This is the Missionarys Downfall that I put on the Summer frozen menu at The Archer.
- You have a few more hours to enter my giveaway with Bloomia. Go to my Instagram and follow the rules. I will be picking a winner later today. Who doesn’t want fresh flowers delivered right to their door?
- There’s a huge sale going on over at West Elm for Labor Day. Should I pull the trigger on the kitchen table? Was thinking about putting this rug under it, which is also on sale. Thoughts?
That’s all for this Sunday. I’m headed out of town to spend some time with family for the day. Hopefully I can update the blog before I leave for France. One of the next Sunday Kind of Love posts just might be a Paris edition. xo
Tropical Rosé Sangria
I’m holding on to Summer for dear life over here. I already see people posting fall cocktails, and drinking pumpkin spice lattes. While I love fall and all the delicious flavors it brings, I’m a summer girl, and it’s so hard to say goodbye. Luckily, this year I will be a bi-coastal blogger. When it’s cold and dreary here, I will still be creating warm weather appropriate drinks for Palm Springs Style, another blog that I contribute to. Dreaming of warm weather will be a little easier this Winter and hopefully, I can arrange a jaunt back to my favorite little city sometime in the new year. It’s Labor Day Weekend and I hope you have something fun planned. I’ve whipped up this fruity sangria recipe to make sure we send Summer off in style. Unlike classic sangria made with red wine, orange juice, and orange liqueur, this Tropical Rosé Sangria recipe is lighter, fruitier, with a tropical and sweet finish.
Tropical Rosé Sangria, serves 4-6
1 bottle of rosé
1/2 cup cognac or brandy
1/4 cup Giffard passionfruit liqueur
1 cup fresh pineapple juice
strawberries
kiwis
mango
lime
pineapple
Slice your strawberries, kiwis, mango, lime wheels and pineapple, then place in a bowl or pitcher.
Add pineapple juice, cognac, passionfruit liqueur, and rosé. Stir and then cover, let steep in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, add ice and pour into glasses.
I think this is my favorite sangria recipe that I have ever had. Swapping the orange liqueur out for passionfruit liqueur was a last minute decision but a brilliant idea. I’m so happy I did it! If you’re not familiar with Giffard, they make a range of delicious liqueurs for using in cocktails. The Crème de Fruits de la Passion (Passionfruit) was released in the U.S this past Spring. I highly recommend picking up a bottle and trying some of their other varieties of liqueurs that are available. Using fresh pineapple juice instead of the classic orange in this sangria recipe really made the tropical element come to life and complemented the fresh fruit and rosé.
Sangria is so easy to make and that’s why it’s great for large parties or gatherings. This recipe is so good you might not want to share it though. Enjoy your last big weekend of Summer and if you decide to make this recipe, chime in on the comments and let me know how it turns out! Cheers everyone! xo