Giveaway

A Cozy Day In + 52 Lists Giveaway

October 23, 2018 by Natalie 1 Comment

Recently I spent a cozy day in with my best friend Sam. We met each other through mutual friends 15 years ago but only became super close over the last 5 or 6. We even went to the same college but weren’t really friends then either! TBH she went on a date with my ex-boyfriend so I kinda hated her.

LOL. Sam if you’re reading this—don’t worry I’m totally over it.

I’d like to think that we came back into each other’s lives at just the right time when we were ready to be friends or perhaps when we needed each other the most. I think it’s true that people come into your life for a reason, sometimes exactly when you need them to.

As we get older different things are becoming more important to us. Last year Sam got married and also found a new job with more responsibility. While I moved in with my long-term boyfriend and started my own business. We both even talk about moving out of state sometime in the future. Which means it is possible that one day we won’t be living in the same state anymore. It’s safe to say that we both have our own busy lives going on but we try to make time for each other as much as we can.

Moorea Seal recently released another book in her 52 Lists Project series called 52 Lists for Togetherness. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to grab a copy for Sam and me to fill out together. The whole idea behind the book is to learn more about who you are, how you see your loved ones, and how you can thrive together by creating 52 lists, one for every week of the year. You can fill it out solo or you can use it as a tool to connect with loved ones by working on the lists together.

We spent a cozy day in filling out a few lists while sipping on Boozy Apple Cider a la Modes, a recipe that I made on A Beautiful Mess last Winter. This drink is so delicious and couldn’t be more perfect for fall. Mulling cider in the house is probably my favorite activity to do in the colder months. It’s so soothing and fills the air with warm baking spices.

Let us not forget about the bourbon.

Who could do such a thing?

Sam even got to meet Beemer — the little black kitten I rescued from the hood of a BMW in September. She’s so adorable and I think we might be keeping her but probably changing her name. Thoughts on the name Dolly? Please leave kitty name suggestions in the comments below. Bowie had to make an appearance too. He’s so jealous, he needs ALL the attention. It was a lovely day filled with snuggles from the animals and lots of talk about the present and the future.

I’m pretty sure the animals just wanted to steal sips of our Boozy Apple Cider a la Modes though.

I’m looking forward to filling out each list in 52 Lists for Togetherness and I’m so excited to be teaming up with Moorea Seal to gift one reader two books so they can also work on their lists with a loved one. I can’t recommend the journals in the 52 Lists Project enough. If you’re looking to deepen connections with yourself and the people around you this is the perfect way to do it. You can enter to win by heading over to my Instagram and following the rules. You can also pick up a copy here too. Good luck everyone!

What do you do to keep the relationships flourishing in your life? Would love to hear your tips below. xo

Blended Watermelon Mojitos + Weekday Weekend Giveaway

July 28, 2018 by Natalie 3 Comments

Happy weekend everyone! I’m sharing a recipe for Blended Watermelon Mojitos from A Beautiful Mess’s cookbook Weekday Weekend. If you haven’t picked up a copy of this book yet, I urge you to! As someone who has struggled with an on again off again vegetarian diet, this book has really helped me stay on track with healthy eating habits.

The whole idea behind this book and the Weekday Weekend concept is simple. For 5 days a week, you eat according to 5 rules.

eat a variety of foods
no refined or artificial sugars or sweeteners
no refined white flour or white rice
no dairy
no alcohol

Then on the weekend, there are no rules! At first, it was a little hard, especially the no alcohol part. But these rules, or diet if you want to call it that, is totally sustainable. You eat healthy all week and then there’s still time to indulge in all the sweets and cocktails your heart desires. In moderation of course! 😉

This weekend I’m indulging in these Blended Watermelon Mojitos plus I will be giving away copies of Weekday Weekend to 3 lucky readers over on Instagram. So head here and check out the rules for entering. I will be announcing winners on my IG stories on Monday. I’m so happy to be able to share this book with you because it has really helped me with my own healthy eating struggles and I hope it will help you too!

Blended Watermelon Mojitos, serves two

2 cups cubed seedless watermelon

4 oz. light rum (I used Plantation)

1/4 cup simple syrup (1:1)

juice and zest of 1 lime

12 fresh mint leaves plus more for garnish

2 cups ice cubes

First, make your simple syrup. Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Place on medium heat and stir to help dissolve the sugar. Do not boil. Let cool and store in a bottle in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To make your blended watermelon mojitos combine all the ingredients in a blender and process on high until smooth. Divide between 2 glasses or serve in a half of a small hollowed out watermelon. Garnish with mint sprigs, lime, and anything else fun that your heart desires.

I love eating healthy all week because I know that I’m doing something good for myself and my body. Eating healthy does not mean you have to sacrifice flavor. Weekday Weekend will show you how to become more aware of your eating habits and learn more easy options for improving them. There are so many delicious recipe ideas for breakfast, meals, snacks & sweets, and of course drinks. Sweets and cocktails are my favorite so I’m usually counting down the days until Saturday. These Blended Watermelon Mojitos are so easy to make and the perfect weekend treat.

I hope you will enter the giveaway over on Instagram and give Weekday Weekend a read and try!

The Art of the Bar Cart + Giveaway

October 20, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

I’ve read many blogs over the years, some of which inspired me to start my own blog. One of those blogs is Ashley Rose Conway’s Craft + Cocktails. Ashley has come out with a new book The Art of the Bar Cart and it is just as inspiring! She collaborated with design director and party planning expert Vanessa Dina to share some really fantastic tips for styling your home bar cart.

The Art of the Bar Cart features 20 different styled bar setups themed around spirits, personal style, and seasonal occasions. The book includes easy tips to re-create each look as well as recipes for the perfect drinks to pair with each bar cart. It is a gorgeously photographed guide for inspiring any reader to make a décor statement, and a drink to serve alongside. Sounds perfect for me, right? So perfect, I want to give you a copy!

I love this book so much because it’s such a good reference for styling tips and recipes. There really is a bar cart for everyone. That rum cart is practically my exact bar cart already! The Art of the Bar Cart shows you how to curate the perfect bar cart, essentials, and the ideal recipe to whip up alongside it. This is the perfect book for home entertaining and it couldn’t come at a more perfect time of the year. Holiday season!

I will definitely be using this book as a resource whenever I’m looking to spruce up my bar cart. I’ve even been using my credenza as a second bar station in my living room too. Do you have a designated bar area in your home? If you don’t its time to get one! Good luck and enter below.

From Art of the Bar Cart by Vanessa Dina, photographs by Antonis Achilleos, Text + Recipes by Ashley Rose Conway (Chronicle Books, 2017)

Black Cherry Autumn Spritz

October 16, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

I’m really excited to team up with Bai again to inspire your Fall cocktail creations. I love their products because they are super low in calories and sugar (only 5 calories & 1 gram of sugar per serving) and are filled with antioxidant goodness. Using their sparkling antioxidant infusions is great for making highballs and any cocktail you want to add a little fizz to. I’ve created the Black Cherry Autumn Spritz with their Bolivia Black Cherry option that goes perfectly with red wine for a Fall spin on a popular Summer beverage….

Styling Your Home Bar | Bloomia Giveaway

August 28, 2017 by Natalie 1 Comment

For years I’ve had a rule that once a week, I buy myself flowers. Very rarely did anyone else purchase flowers for me and it was an exercise in self-love. I realized quickly that having fresh flowers in the house added a pop of color and life to my living space and the sight of them also made me smile. This was the beginning of a plant lady in the making! I’m so happy to have teamed up with my friends over at Bloomia for this post to spread a little happiness and talk about why flowers are important to me at home and in my work.

Bloomia is a global floral company with offices and production companies is the U.S, Chile, South Africa and the Netherlands. In the U.S their flowers are grown in King George, Virginia (about 40 minutes away from D.C) and are available in main supermarkets like Wholefoods, Wegmans, and Trader Joe’s. Their mission is to spread happiness through their sustainably grown, pesticide free, thoughtfully designed and consciously delivered floral products.

I’m running a giveaway over on Instagram, so after reading this post make sure you visit my account over here this afternoon to enter. All you have to do to be qualified to win is make sure you’re following me and Bloomia and leave a comment tagging a friend to whom you’d want to send flowers. Two lucky winners will get flowers shipped directly to their door courtesy of Bloomia. The giveaway will run until Sunday, so you have all week to enter.

I’m going to go over styling your home bar but first wanted to share some tips about styling your own floral arrangement. I thought my vintage Lilly Pulitzer dress with cocktails and flowers on it was perfect for this occassion!

Cut an inch off the stems using a sharp knife, especially if the flowers will sit a while before being arranged. The fresh cut will help the stems absorb water better.
Remove any leaves that fall below the water line.
Add large, heavy flowers first, turning the arrangement as you work to ensure even placement on all sides. Fill in with smaller, airier blooms, and leave enough space between the stems so individual flowers have room to shine. Include flowers with various shapes and stem lengths.
Make your bouquet taller than its container by about one and a half times. Also, make the width balance the height.
Use different textures that are interesting to look at it. I pick a color pallette and try to stay within three colors.
Arranging flowers in odd numbers is a great way to have some nice variety. Sometimes I will pick a base color of five flowers and then add in different colors in three’s.
Change the water every day and recut stems.

Having a bar cart or a bar station in your home is fun because you get to change it up seasonally and it’s also a great landing spot when entertaining guests. I love to have fresh flowers on the bar cart because it adds a pop of color and some really nice texture.

Your booze is important! I love seeing pretty styled bar carts all over the world wide web BUT I would never trust someone who didn’t have some bottles on their home bar. It’s a bar, right? I love to keep a variety of spirits here, that way there is something for everyone. Keeping your higher end spirits here is also a great idea so you can showcase the best of your selection. Have a bottle each of Vodka, Gin, Light Rum, Dark Rum, Bourbon, Rye, Scotch, and Tequila. Having some Amaro available is great too for sipping after dinner. You can keep some bitters here as well but you should never have your vermouth on the cart unless you’re mixing with it. Vermouth should always be kept refrigerated because it is a delicate fortified wine that will go bad if left out at room temperature.

I love to keep a bowl of fresh fruit on my bar cart for the same reason I love to keep fresh flowers; it adds natural texture and a pop of color!

If you have pretty bar tools this is a great way to display them. I keep all of my gold and copper barspoons and strainers in my crystal mixing glass. I’ve also displayed my collection of colored cocktail shakers. Having a jigger is necessary for making sure your pouring is consistent when making drinks, and so I keep those available for use here.

Having a few peices of glassware available is also neccessary …and some straws too! I keep it organized by using trays to seperate certain things. I also try to style by color, just like with the flower arrangments. Picking a base color is key to having something that looks finished and cohesive. Obviously, my base color was pink. 😉

I hope you enjoyed my tips and tricks for making a flower arrangment and styling your bar cart. Check the slideshow above to see how many different arrangments I made with my Bloomia flowers.

What’s your favorite thing on your home bar?

Do you love keeping flowers in your home as much as I do?

What’s your favorite flower?

I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. I hope this post brought a pop of color to your Monday. Good luck to everyone who enters the Bloomia giveaway, and I can’t wait to see what you do with your flowers!

Lemongrass Pina Colada with Bai

July 10, 2017 by Natalie 4 Comments

If you’ve been following my blog over the past year, you know my favorite cocktail is a piña colada. That’s why I’m excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with Bai for National Piña Colada Day to bring you something delicious with their Molokai Coconut flavor. It turns out Bai is just as crazy about coconut as me!

What’s the great part about using their Cocofusion flavors in your drinks? They are super low in calories and sugar (only 5 calories & 1 gram of sugar per serving) and are filled with antioxidant goodness. We’re basically using this to add coconut flavor but taking out the guilt, which is A-OK with me! Any objections? I’ve paired this wonderful fruit juice with homemade lemongrass syrup, pineapple, and rum to bring you a fun and interesting variation on the much loved classic, the piña colada.

Lemongrass Pina Colada

1 1/2 oz. white rum

1 1/2 oz. Bai Molokai Coconut (any of their other cocofusions will work too)

3/4 oz. pineapple juice

3/4 oz. lemongrass syrup

For the lemongrass syrup, first remove the leaves on your lemongrass until you’re left with the white core (about 5 stalks). Chop it up and add it to a pot with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water.

Bring to a slight bubble and then turn the heat down and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Let cool on stove for a few hours and then strain out lemongrass.

Now to make the cocktail! Add all your ingredients to your blender pitcher, add ice, and blend on smoothie setting. It’s that easy! Pour into your serving vessel and garnish with a pineapple wedge, pineapple leaves, and a piece of cooked lemongrass.

I love how all the flavors compliment each other perfectly. The replacement of coconut cream for the Bai Molokai Coconut, makes the drink less creamy but doesn’t sacrifice flavor. The lemongrass is sweet and fragrant and blends together with the coconut to make a very crisp and refreshing drink. We couldn’t celebrate National Piña Colada Day without a giveaway, so head over to my Instagram for a chance to win 2 cases of Bai. All you have to do in order to be entered to win is make sure you’re following me @arseniclace, @drinkbai, and tag a friend in the comments you want to share a piña colada with! I will reach out to the winner on Instagram on 7/15. Cheers, good luck and thank you for reading this sponsored post here on Arsenic Lace.

Giveaway with Shaker and Spoon

February 15, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone! Excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with Shaker and Spoon for a little giveaway. If you’re not familiar with them they do a monthly subscription cocktail club. All you have to do is pick up the bottle and they take care of the rest! That just sounds too easy, doesn’t it? It defintely takes the hassle out of making drinks at home. No running to the super market, fussing over making syrups, running around for those impossible to find bitters. I know we’ve all done it…I defintely have.

Fear no more, because with Shaker and Spoon you can confidently make drinks for your date, friends, or just for yourself, and the cocktails will always be perfect and stress free.

I recieved February’s After Party Box which included ingredients for three champagne inspired cocktails, because after the holidays everyone has bubbly laying around, am I right? Guilty! I made the Time After Thyme by my friend Pamela Wiznitzer.

This cocktail combines the herbaceous fusion of cucumber, celery, and thyme with the fresh citrus of grapefruit and the effervescence of sparking wine. The Time After Thyme was devine and completely refreshing and very easy to make. All I had to do was build my ingredient in the glass, add ice, stir, and top with champagne. I may have had two (or three). I can’t wait to try the others and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on one of these boxes!

All you have to do to enter is go to my Instagram, comment on the photo that I’ve tagged Shaker and Spoon in, tag three friends you want to share cocktails with and make sure you’re following me (@arseniclace) and Shaker and Spoon (@shakerandspoon). Winner will be chosen at random and the contest will go for 48 hours. Good luck everyone, and hurry up and enter!

Everything but the booze!

Cheers and Good Luck!

Giveaway

Blended Watermelon Mojitos, serves two

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