Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Trending Tuesday: Summer Cocktails


Hi loves! I hope everyone is having a great start to the week! Ashley here today, bringing you one of my current #trendingtuesday favorites! Who doesn’t love a quick, easy and delicious cocktail? Especially during these summer months, I love to always have a few different options available. Whether you are day drinking or just having a drink (or three) with dinner or at a BBQ, all of these are quick to mix up! My only requirements are that the cocktails are light and refreshing and that I make enough for a couple of rounds!

{Homemade Wine Cooler}

One of my go-to cocktails during the hot months is any type of white wine (I prefer Pinot Grigio or Riesling) topped off with La Croix sparkling water and a splash of juice, such as white grape. Sometimes, if I don't want it to be too sweet, I'll substitute vodka for the white wine.Then, add your favorite summer fruit! My favorite sparkling water flavors of the moment are Mango, Apricot and Lime. 
via

{Watermelon Punch}
To make four servings, add about 3.5 cups of seedless watermelon, 1.5 cups white vermouth, 1.5 tablespoons of sugar to a blender and pulse for about 10 seconds until it has liquified. Add 3 cups of crushed ice and pulse again. Garnish with edible pansies and serve in a chilled glass. 

{Rum Punch}
One of my all-time faves. My husband and I honeymooned in St. Lucia, and Rum Punch was the most popular drink served. We drank these daily, and it reminds me of swimming in the clear blue water with my feet in the beautiful white sand. All you need to do is mix about 1.5 cups of light rum, 3 cups of orange juice, 3 cups of pineapple juice, 3 tablespoons of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of cranberry juice, and 2 tablespoons of grenadine in a large pitcher. Mix well, and pour into a glass full of ice. Garnish with lime wedges. 

{Bobby Flay's Coconut Banana Colada}
This is another drink that brings me back to the days of my honeymoon. St. Lucia is known for their bananas and rum, so put those together and what do you have? Place 2 peeled and frozen bananas and 1 cup of canned pineapples (with juice) into a blender, and puree until it is smooth. Add 3 ounces of coconut rum, 1 cup of canned creamed coconut, 2 cups of ice, and juice of half a lime. Blend until it becomes frothy. Pour into a cold glass and garnish with the remaining sliced lime. 

And, when all else fails and you are in the need for something even quicker than these...grab your favorite summer beer and a cold mug! We keep two different summer seasonals stocked in the refrigerator at all times. 
via 


And, last but not least...I'm dying to try this one and can't wait to get my hands on it!! Unfortunately, it will not become available until December, but you can sure bet that I will sipping on this by the fire!

What are your favorite cocktails or seasonal drinks of choice? I'd love to hear all of them! I hope you have a great week, and be sure to check and see what Caroline is up to tomorrow! 
Until next week, much love.
xoxo, 
Ashley

Be sure to link up with the lovely ladies of #trendingtuesday and see what everyone else is loving! Kristina, Amanda, Katie, and Zelle.  











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Monday, June 23, 2014

Weekending

Is it Monday already? Time just flew by this weekend for us but I am happy to report that we were super productive and had a happy weekend.

Here is a quick recap on our weekend:

{Friday Night}

We had the best dinner at Saison with our pals Anna and Jeremy. This was our first trip to this quaint little restaurant and definitely not our last. From the moment we walked up, it was pretty much love at first sight. The delicious aroma, the "oh-so-Richmond" vibe, the old over sized bar and the fact that there were probably only 10 tables made me instantly feel like "This is my new fav place". We were seated right away and handed the most amazing menu. They use old books and insert their ever changing menu in the first couple pages. How clever is that? While their food menu is on the small side, their cocktail, beer and wine menu is not. Everything we had was delish and we are already planning our next trip back!











{Saturday}

Well, I had to work on Saturday but we had a great group of girls and the day just flew by. After work and a quick change into some comfy clothes, we were off to my brother and SIL's house to babysit the munchkins. Libbie and Palmer were just perfect and precious in every way. It is so nice there were two of us and two of them. Palmer and Reid were two peas in a pod, playing baseball in the back yard, having a "boys only, no girls allowed" convo and even a little bike riding. I enjoyed my "girl time" with Libbie. She is really something these days, babbling and blowing bubbles. And that smile! I say this all the time, but boy are we blessed with a such a sweet niece and nephew!
(Picture quality is bad I know, sorry! I only had my phone!) 






{Sunday}

This was one of the most productive days we have had in a long time. We, I mean Reid, finally finished painting the guest bedroom and what a difference a coat of paint and primer makes! While Reid was painting away, I was off running a million errands. I had a HomeGoods gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket and a guest bathroom that needed some TLC. Check, that place always delivers. Grocery store, check. Target again, check. Home, to display all my pretty and very reasonable finds. I also installed the Target curtains in our bedroom and I think I love them. I need to grab some tiebacks and have had my eye on these for quite a while. Is it bad that the tiebacks are more than the curtains? 
via

I can't wait to show you the finished product from all our hard work on Sunday, so be on the lookout. Ashley will be here tomorrow to fill us all in on what's trending these days!

A special thanks to Biana and Meghan for hosting their Weekending link up! 

Weekending

See ya Wednesday!

xoxo,

CAD 

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Friday, June 20, 2014

Friday Favs!

Hey Loves!

Thank goodness it is Friday! Even though I have to work tomorrow, I am still thrilled it is the weekend.

Since I am getting my butt back in gear in blogland, what kind of Friday would it be if I did not link up with my favorite ladies for Five on Friday and Friday Favorites?

Here is what I have been loving this week:

{one}

Fresh Flowers. 
I just love fresh flowers in the house and always try to have a few stashed about. My absolute favorite are pink peonies. Nothing else can brighten up a room quite they they can!
via

{two}

These Target Curtains.
Oh, my. I love these curtains. They are on sale right now for $19.99 at Target. I bought two and hope they look amazing in my master bedroom. The little detail is muted gold and just so stinkin cute!
Find them here!

{three}

Mindy Kaling.
I just finished reading her book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), and I must say...this girl makes me laugh. Now, most of this book is straight up nonsense. It is funny nonsense but most of the book is her rambling on about anything that pops into her head much like this blog. I caught myself shaking my head, laughing out loud, being embarrassed and pretty much judging/ loving her. She is a pretty smart cookie with crazy ideas and a very witty noggin. If you are in the mood for a hilarious quick read check it out. It will not require any brain power to get through this book... just a lot of laughs!
Find it here!

{four}

These pants from Old Navy.
Wait, are they pants or pajamas? I am still not sure. But I bought them anyway because they feel amazing, they look like linen, you cannot see through them and they have an elastic waist. I think they will be great to pull on over a bathing suit or running around town!
Find them here!

{five}

Speaking of bathing suites....
We paid our final invoice for our Turks and Caicos trip today and now August 6th cannot get here fast enough. Provo here we come, ready or not!
via


As always, shot out to the the ladies below!

Five on Friday: April, Christina, Darci and Natasha

Friday Favorites: Amanda

See ya Monday Loves!

xoxo,

CAD


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Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Life Lesson Learned

Gosh, it feels like it has been forever since my fingers have found my Macbook Pro and logged into Blogger. These last two weeks have been a doozy to say the least but the worst is over, the sun is out and time heals everything.

First, I want to thank everyone for all the kind words over the last week. I need to thank my incredible husband who stood by my side, held my hand, patted my back and let me sob like a baby. I simply did not expect to have such a reaction to my dear friend's passing. It has shaken me to my core and I am trying to be a big girl.

 Simon's services in Raleigh were hard but necessary and I found myself completely wiped out when we got back yesterday. The only way I can sum up the experience is that it was sad, sweet, funny, tragic, uplifting, depressing, powerful, amazing, loving and so Simon. It is estimated that over 2000 people attended his service, and this number is only a small testament to his bigger than life personality and giving soul.

During the ceremony, the minister asked a very simple question, one that was on all of our minds "What do we do now?" His answer was simple... we live as Simon would have. We celebrate the wins, learn from the mistakes, remember the little things, give really big hugs, have serious fun in everything we do and always ask others "What may I do for you?". This is a life lesson for everyone and a huge wake up call for me.

The only way to honor this amazing man is to take this lesson to heart and try to live it every day. I am going to smile and laugh a whole lot more. Whine and complain a lot less. Tell people I love how I feel. Not take myself too seriously. Be genuinely happy for others. Be goofy. Be more gracious, giving and kind. Be like Simon.


I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them,
My hand will save
Finest bread I will provide,
Till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give My life to them,
Whom shall I send?
Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord.
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.
 
Thank you for reading today. I know I have been mia a little lately but I promise we will have some "serious fun" soon! There is so much to be excited about and my fav bow-tie wearing friend would want us to look towards the future and smile a great big smile!

So much love today!

xoxo,

CAD


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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Ashley's Weekend in Chicago

Hi loves! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far! Ashley here today, bringing you lots of pictures from my past weekend in Chicago! First, I want to take a moment and send love and prayers to my dear friend, Caroline. She just lost a sweet friend, Simon, so please keep her in your thoughts. 

Andrew and I were lucky enough to go visit and stay with some friends in Chicago for a long weekend. Andrew traveled to Chicago when he was 14, but I had never been so I was beyond excited to visit a new place. Our friends were gracious enough to host us and show us around their lovely city, but we ventured out on our own as well. Enjoy all of the pictures! 

{Arriving to Chicago}

{Evan took us to his favorite coffee place before we ventured out. He sadly had to work that day, so Andrew and I were on our own.}

{A Mediterranean breakfast to start the day}
 





{Architectural Boat Tour}

{Oh, let me just tell you about the current uproar regarding the Trump Tower...not good!}

{Navy Pier}



{Me enjoying my first Chicago dog....delish}

{Enjoying our lunch in Millennium Park}


{Of course, we had to visit the Bean!}

{So happy we were able to meet up with a Clemson friend, Mamo!}

{It might not be deep dish, but this pizza from Spacca Napoli was seriously the best pizza I've ever had! The cheese was flown in from Italy that day! Talk about fresh}

{The beautiful Chicago skyline behind us, while visiting Lake Michigan}

{My all-star, traveling baseball husband really enjoyed visiting Wrigleyville!}

{Evan and Terran, thank you so much for your hospitality and a fabulous weekend in Chicago! We will definitely be back, so get ready!}


Alright guys, if you stuck through all of the pictures, you are a trooper! I hope y'all have a great day! 
xoxo, 
Ashley


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Friday, June 13, 2014

Simon.

The world lost an amazing soul yesterday who will be missed by many. My sweet buddy Simon pasted yesterday in a horrific accident. He had one of the warmest souls and the world is less bright today without him in it. This man smiled more in his 30 years than I will in my lifetime and I owe him a huge thanks for all the laughs along the way.

My heart is just a little too heavy for a real post today but I wish you and your families all the love in the world. My sister in law said it best: "Life is short. Hug your loved ones!"

Cheers to you Simon! 






xoxo,

CAD 
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