4 perfect cocktail mixers for Spring

It seems like all of the sudden there is a cocktail mixer explosion. The competition has never been more fierce! Lucky us!

But what's the difference between shrubs + simple syrups?

Shrubs (or drinking vinegars) are made from combining fruit, sugar + vinegar. They're sour, sharp + slightly fruity.

Simple syrups are made by boiling equal parts water + sugar. But that's only where they start. You can add herbs, dried flowers, citrus, basically everything goes. Strain out anything you put in + you have a syrup ready to go.

You can make your own of both, but honestly there are so many companies out there making beautiful shrubs + syrups. I collected a few that look so delicious for Spring. Spring flavors are light, bright, sometimes floral + citrusy. But I can imagine all of these in a spritzer with some wine, carbonated soda + fresh fruit. 

Drink up!

shrub // syrup // drinking vinegar // simple syrup

4 warm drinks for winter

STFU it's already cold weather, warm drink season!

Even though it's a snow storm out there, it was 60-something degrees out when we were shopping for a Christmas tree last year. So, hey we haven't seen the worst yet.

So for these cold days I absolutely love the ritual of warm weather drinks. It's the silly dance moves I do while the kettle is warming up to a boil. It's the smell of freshly scooped coffee grinds or the tea bag as it leaves the packaging. It's slicing lemon for the tea or shaking the whipped cream can over hot chocolate. It's a lot of things, but honestly warm drinks are just so comforting.

And delicious, let's not forget about that.

Stay warm this weekend + shop my picks below:

hot chocolate // coffee // chai tea // tea

Fruit bowls to gift this holiday season

We're heading in prime eating season people because #thedietstartsnever, but also it's the holidays. To counteract all of the sweet + fatty food that will be on the menu in the coming weeks, let's work on building up our fruit bowls.

A few fruits I can't stop snacking on this time of year includes juicy clementines, crisp apples + soft pears. We're keeping the fruit bowl stacked with them. But what would all that beautiful produce be without a dreamy bowl for them to sit in?

My sneaky, sneaky reason for loving fruit bowls as a holiday gift is that it serves as the perfect vessel for a modern gift basket. Not that wicker doesn't have it's place, but I think a handcrafted ceramic bowl filled with local produce or packaged goods is money. Going home to your lova's home for the holidays? Bring something like this + you'll be everyone's hero.

Shop my favorites below:

moon bowl (find similiar) // ceramic fruit bowl // large harvest bowl // ivory fruit bowl

Four of my favorite coffee mug designs right now

When I went off the college my mom got me a mug. Not just any mug, but a mug with my dog's face on it.

I thought it was kind of silly, but it always came in handy. Heck, even my roommates liked that mug! So much so that the interior was stained brown from how often it was filled with black tea.

These mugs are not like my college mug, but they certainly are winners as well. Each is ceramic, but has its own story + unique design elements. I love these mugs because they are effectively like art pieces but they are incredibly functional. Shop them all below!

white ceramic cloud mug // ceramic coffee mug // speckled mug // gray woodland coffee mug

4 trivet designs to covet

I'm a skilled juggler. No, not in the way you're thinking, but more so in that I often have four pots cooking on the stovetop kind of way. 

Thankfully I have never actually burned a countertop, but abused them--I'm guilty.

That's when trivets come into play. It used to be very difficult to find quality designs with unique details. It might take some searching, but it's easier to find then than you think. 

Pinterest is surprisingly a great place to start when you want to assess the styles available. From there you can do an Etsy search to find one in the right price + material.  

Today I'm rounding up four of my favorite finds, with a variety of price points, materials + designs. Sidenote: shoutout to AHeriloom that just updated their website too! It looks gorgeous + now I want all if their trivets, cake stands + cuttingboards. 

kitchen trivet (find similar) // coaster trivet // appétit leather trivet // pan mat

4 perfectly simple aprons for the next time you want to DIY brunch

When I was little I would spend every Saturday at my grandma's house. My grandmother knew how to keep me + my sister entertained. We would cut funky shapes out of cucumbers, dance around to our favorite tape cassettes + take field trips to the local nursery.  

Another favorite activity was sorting through my grandma' old things--gold costume jewelry, photographs + delicate aprons. 

Most people don't wear aprons anymore, but more + more so they are coming back into fashion.  

Companies like Hedley & Bennett are the rockstars of this revitalized interest in aprons, outfitting everyone from professional chefs to fashionable amateurs. 

Today I'm sharing four of my favorite apron designs (plus where you can buy them!) I like each of these because they are super simple + reasonably priced as well. 

A few tips when looking for an apron: structure is always more important than looks. Always search for one with pockets + well constructed seams. Aprons need to hold up after tons of washing, so make sure the fabric is fade resistant as well.  

Shop my favorites below: 

linen half apron // reversible dish-towel apron // adele (find similar) // black wide stripe chef apron