Crafty Wednesday {Vodka Infusions}

Last Thursday Rachael and I hosted our last craft night until fall.  We held it at a bar/supper club in our town and had 20 people.  We did two crafts.  We made vodka infusions and people got to hand paint their own shot glasses. I did the vodka infusions part and Rachael taught people how to hand paint their shot glasses.

There are a TON of recipes out there for vodka infusions. I did quite a bit of research on them while preparing for this class and I'll list my top tips below.  We wanted to use in season fruits and vegetables for this class so we choose three infusions using mostly in season ingredients. People could choose the one they wanted to do.

The three we had at the class were

Strawberry Rhubarb-mix strawberries and rhubarb using a one to one ratio

Bloody Mary-mix tomatoes, garlic, onion, celery, lemon, fill and peppercorns to your personal preference

Cucumber Mint-mix cucumber and mint using a four to one ratio

We used these bottles from SKS glass.  We got the larger 750 ML size but you could also get the smaller size for this project.

You want about two inches of fruit/vegetables at the bottom of your jar. I just love the bottles we got but honestly if we do this craft again we will just get mason jars because after a few days your vodka is infused and you will need to empty out all of the fruits, vegetables, etc from your bottle. These bottles are pretty but getting rid of all the organic stuff from your bottle would be so much easier with a Mason jar.

I first learned to make infusions when I went to the Beekman Boy's Christmas class last November.  Since then I have been really interested in making them and seeing what kind of different flavors you can mix together. 

 Some of the ladies that come to our class don't drink so we had them do the strawberry rhubarb or cucumber mint infusion and just add water. I made a mint and cucumber one for myself and it was delicious.   Flavored water is great for a party! 

 Everyone had a blast!  We have found that people just love to get together and create something that they made.  It always makes us so happy when people come to our craft nights and have a good time.  

If you decide to make your own infusions here are some notes that have helped us--

1.  Don't take too much, think about how much you'll drink or need for a party and make that amount.
2.  You need to shake your infusion twice a day and taste it once a day.
3.  Most flavors take 4-7 days to infuse but make sure you taste it daily to get the taste that you want.
4.  Alcohol is very good at extracting flavors from herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables.  It takes a lot less time than you think for an ingredient to flavor your vodka
5.  You must strain everything out of your vodka.  Because overtime those stay bits of fruits, herbs etc will create an off taste with your vodka.
6.  You can store your infusion at room temperature or in the fridge.  
7.  Don't eat your fruits or vegetables after they infuse your vodka they will taste awful...trust me!!

Let me know if you try infusing your own vodka or water!  I

Happy Wednesday.
Xoxo

Friday Favorites!

Today I'm linking up with Andrea, Narci and Erika to share my Friday favorites.  We did a couple of fun summer things this week which is always fun!  This weekend is high school graduation in our town so we have a few graduation parties to go to and I also hope to get some things done around the house.

1.  My friend Stephanie had a girls night at her house Wednesday night.  She has an incredible outdoor fire pit and made us the most delicious chicken and shrimp fajitas and watermelon margaritas.  All of our kids were there too which was fun.  It was a great night.

2.  Last night I volunteered at the prom.  I worked at the smoothie bar and it was great.  I loved seeing all the kids dressed up and I got to work with my friends.  Ava volunteered at the after prom party at the high school and she didn't get home until 5:30 this morning!  She will tired today.  

3.  Book club is at my house next month and I picked out such a good book.  It's called The Marriage Pact and it's about newlyweds who get a wedding gift to join a group called The Pact.  They end up getting wrapped up in a creepy marriage cult.   I am not all the way through it yet but it is a page turner!!  I love reading and try and read a few books each month. You can see last months book review here.  

4.  I ordered my new planner this week and it came yesterday. I got a Day Designer for Blue Sky. Last year I got the Erin Condren planner and I liked it (especially the personalized cover!) but honestly I  didn't love it.  It was small and I need a lot of room to write things down.   I've had the Day Designer before and I'm excited to go back to it!  

That's it for me this week. I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Weekend Top 8

I'm counting Thursday and Friday in our weekend because honestly the last four days have been a blur!  Here's a look at what we've been up to lately....

1.   Last Wednesday we closed on our rental house so G and I have been over there almost every day since cleaning, cutting down overgrown trees and shrubs and trying to make a plan of attack.  We are hoping to get it powerwashed this week so we can start painting the exterior (it really needs it!!)

2.  Speaking of G...we celebrated him all day yesterday for Father's Day!  He's a great Dad and I am so thankful for him every single day.  

3.  We had our monthly craft class on Thursday night for Branch and Bloom.  We did vodka infusions and we decorated shot glasses.    I will do a full post on the infusions we did for my Crafty Wednesday this week.  We hosted this event at a bar/restaurant in our town and it was so fun!  This was our last craft class for the summer.  We are taking a couple of months off to be with our families and our classes will start again in September.

4.  I hosted all the people that do my same job (working with fraternities and sororities) for a one day conference on Friday.   Most of them came in Thursday night so we met for a late dinner and ice cream after my craft class.  I love catching up with these ladies every year and sharing ideas, resources, etc.  

5. My friend Rachael and I did a flower arrangement on Friday afternoon for the annual Art in Bloom floral/art exhibit in our town.  We have done an arrangement every year for the past few years and we always love the challenge of matching up an artists piece with flowers. This year was especially challenging because we chose a macabre piece involving skulls and a crow. 

 I got to meet the artist who did the piece on Friday night and he was really nice and so thrilled that we choose his artwork.  He didn't think anyone would because it wasn't a "pretty" piece.   BTW, the artist got second place in the art show for his art pieces sadly we did not place in Art and Bloom this year.

6.  High school graduation is Saturday for all the schools around us.  Everyone here has big graduation parties to celebrate their high school graduation.  We went to our first party last weekend and the rest are spread out over the next two weekends.  They are always fun to go to and it's always fun to see the kids that we have known since they were little graduate from high school.   Here is a picture of me and some other Moms from the graduation party last weekend. 

7.  I love going to the farmers market on Saturday's in the summer.  They always have the best stuff!  Last Saturday I got a little bouquet of flowers (Ava made the ceramic vase in her ceramics class) and some vegetables to make roasted vegetables for a party we went to on Sunday.  

8.  Sunday my friend Sabrina had us over for a a Father's Day cookout.  It was a beautiful day and we spent the afternoon swimming and being outside in the sunshine.  It was a fabulous day!!  Here is a picture of the Moms by the pool. 

I hope you had a fabulous weekend!!

Xoxo

Friday Favorites!

Today I'm linking up with Erika, Andrea and Narci to share my favorites from this week!

1.  Yesterday was our 21st wedding anniversary!   We celebrated by walking downtown and going to a nice dinner on our Main Street. We also walked at got and got ice cream.  It was a great night!!!   If you need us today we’ll be cleaning our house getting ready for our second baseball family to arrive tonight.

2. Ava went to her first prom last weekend.   Her best friend Mary is an aspiring photographer and took beautiful pictures of Ava and her date.   I just love these pictures of them together.

3.  Tuesday night I volunteered serving beer at a concert at Ommegang.  It was such a fun night and we made $3500 in tips for the YMCA!

4.  Wednesday night my friend Rachael and I took our friend Heather to dinner to celebrate her birthday.  Origins is a local, organic cafe in a beautiful greenhouse.  It’s family owned and they have the best food!   We went there and had a amazing dinner.  It was so fun and the night was a great way to celebrate Heather who is a total foodie and loves trying new, healthy delicious food. The meal was a prix fixe and was so delicious!   We had a great night!

5.  Last month I was elected to be the President of my garden club.  On Wednesday we planted flowers on the Main Street in our town.  There are about 40 planters on Main Street and the garden club members filled them up with beautiful flowers!!

6.  Yesterday I met with some alumni who graduated 60 years ago from the College where I work.  They are all sorority sisters and wanted to know about sorority life at the College today.  It was so fun chatting with them about their time at Oneonta.  

That’s it for me this week.  I hope you have a fabulous weekend!!!

Xoxo

Book Review {May}

Last month was a good reading month for me.  I love reading and the best days are when I can spend a little time each day reading.  This month I read three great books and I can't wait to share them with you! 

You can read my other book reviews from this year here 

January

February

March

April 

My favorite book this month was The Lightless Sky by Gulwali Passarlay.  I read this book for my book club and it was so so good.   We had a great discussion of this book at our monthly book club meeting.  This book told the true story of 12 year old Gulwali who fled from Afghanistan at his mother's insistence  after his beloved father and grandfather were killed and 12 year old Gulwali was recruited by the Taliban.  His harrowing journey lasted a year and during that year he was at the mercy of his handlers who were helping him escape.  As a refugee he was passed from handler to handler and was treated horribly at times.  He was also imprisoned, and faced many days of having no access to food or water.  In the end he did make it to England and got asylum there.  He graduated from College, eventually reunited with his mother and even carried the Olympic torch in 2012!    This was a hard book to read and it's amazing to me that he survived all of the trauma he endured during his year of being a refugee.  It's so crazy to me that there are millions of people just like Gulwali who are refugees at this very moment.  It made me realize that the freedom, safety, security and comfort that I have always had is a big blessing.  

I also read The Paris Wife by Paula McClain.  This book was about Ernest Hemingway and his first wife Hadley.  Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding the couple moved to Paris, France where they fall in with a fun and lively friend group that includes lots of drinking, partying and affairs.  Ernest struggles to write and takes many unfulfilling day jobs until he can afford to write full time. Hadley struggles with Ernest and with being his wife.  In the end the pair divorce because Ernest falls in love with another woman.  

The last book I read this month was Present Over Perfect.  I had heard great things about this book and I was thrilled when I saw it on my library app.  I downloaded it and finished it in a few days.  In this book the author Shauna Niequist talks about how she was exhausted from trying to be all things to all the different people in her life.  She was tired of being tired all the time and she knew something needed to change. She started focusing on what matters most to her-her family and being present with them day to day.  I struggle daily with being so busy and trying to fit everything in and this book was a breath of fresh air.  I need to slow down and focus on what is important and this book really brought all of that into focus for me.

If you've read any good books lately.  I'd love to hear about them.  I am always looking for good books to read!

Happy Thursday!
xoxo 

Prom Night

This weekend Ava went to her first prom!  She went with her boyfriend Ethan who goes to a different school than Ava.   The prom was held on Saturday night and we spent Saturday getting her all ready to go. I had so much fun helping her get ready.  Her friend Mary did her makeup and took pictures for us and my friend Rachael did her hair.   It was perfect.  She had the best time!!

Her friend Mary did her make up early in the day and then Ava and I headed to my friend Rachael's so she could do her hair.  Rachael is a hair dresser and she cuts and colors my hair for me every time I get it done.  Ava goes to her too.   She loves doing hair but she hates doing up do's.  Ava's was actually the first up do she's ever done!  I think she did a fabulous job!

Here's the after.  I think her hair turned out great.  Thank you Rachael!!

Last month we went and got her dress.  She wanted something simple-no ruffles, no sequins and nothing sparkly.  We found the perfect dress for her at Boscov’s department store.  It was black and simple and she just loved it!

Graig, Grandma Jan and I went for Ava to take pictures at Ethan's grandma's house.  She has a beautiful house with a huge front porch. It was perfect for taking pictures.

Of course we all  took lots and lots of pictures.  We all  had such a good time with Ethan's family and his friends.  

Here are some pictures Ava's friend Mary took for us.  These turned out so beautiful.

Here is the girl behind the camera.  We love Mary and are so thankful that she and Ava are best friends.  

It was a fabulous night for our Ava!

Xoxo

Life Lately

Just popping in to give you some peaks at our life lately.... May was  crazy busy for us (I feel like I say that every month-ha ha) we are moving into our summer house...it's a little ranch house nothing fancy..but we rent out our regular house to summer baseball families that are here for the baseball camps.  so that has taken most of our time lately.    We also just finished another semester at the College. 


Here's a picture of our little house.  We just love this little place. 

Last weekend Ava went to her first prom with her boyfriend Ethan. Saturday she spent the day getting her hair and makeup done.  My friend Rachael did her hair and her friend Mary did her hair and Mary took some beautiful pictures of Ava and Ethan for us.  Graig, Grandma Jan and I went with Ava to Ethan's grandparents house to take pictures before the prom.  It was such a fun day and Ava had a great time.  I hope to do a full prom post soon!

A couple of weekends ago my friend Coleen got married!  It was such a fun night and I am so happy I was able to share in the festivities with them.  Here is a picture of me, our friend Erica and Coleen. 

Memorial Day weekend my friend Amy had her annual Memorial Day party-it was raining and nasty out but we made the most of it.  It was fun getting together with friends.  Ava even grilled the hamburgers for the party. She loved doing that!

Last week Amy Schumer made a surprise visit to our town! We knew a few days in advance and almost everyone I know got tickets to go.  She donated all of the money from the ticket sales to charity which I thought was so great.  She was adorable and funny and it was a fun night out!  I went with my friends and we took a quick picture while we were waiting in line outside.  

In May I took a weekend trip to Washington, DC with my friends to watch the Dodgers play.  My friend Vicki's nephew plays for the Dodgers and this is our second annual trip to see them play.  I hope he has a long career because we love going to watch him play!  We had a great weekend.  I hope to do a full post on our trip soon!!

That's a tiny look at our life lately.  I hope you have a great Tuesday!

Xoxo