tapas

 

last month, my parents came in town a little early so we met up with them in the city for dinner and drinks. after going back and forth on where to go, we decided to check out a little tapas spot, bolero, right on the river. if you've never had tapas, they are assorted spanish appetizers that can be served as a snack or in place of dinner. the idea behind it, is to open up conversation in groups of people by keeping the attention of the person off their own separate plate.  

 

i first tried tapas while studying abroad in spain, with my favorites being: calamari, manchego cheese with honey, the spanish tortilla, or jamón ibérico with a bit of bread. and while it's not quite the same to partake while in the streets of spain, i still love the chance to enjoy it this side of the ocean with such great company.

 

our favorites were: fried goat cheese with honey, braised mushrooms, ceviche, grilled pork tenderloin and the sweet wrapped dates. that, paired with a light beer or paloma, were the perfect way to start a great weekend.

**this is not a sponsored post**

summer solstice

it's officially summer! that means long, sun-filled days spent poolside with a cool drink in hand reapplying sunscreen. i mean, what's not to love?

here's what i am looking forward to this season...

• host a summer-themed fiesta
• bake a pie (i've never made one before but, this one got me interested)
• make a batch of mint-infused simple syrup for mojitos
• tackle a few decorating projects
• lounge by the pool with friends
• set up the hammock on the front porch to enjoy summer nights
• try to grow basil (sixth time's a charm, right?)
• check out wine on the rooftop

cositas

 

[ferris wheels lit at night]

 

this past weekend was such a blast for T and i. we had happy hour with friends, a girly manicure day (for me, not for T) and blues and bbq. sunday, we planned to finish such a great weekend with a local outdoor concert at the park, when our dryer decided to break. fortunately, it's going to get repaired this week but, in the meantime, T and i had to take our (boat load of) laundry to a nearby laundromat. as much of a pain we thought it may be, we ended up having a blast waiting. it was one of those little moments where we got to learn something new about each other like: waiting at a laundromat is way easier when you are snacking on caramel, T loves to make up backstories to anyone he doesn't know (most are extremely goofy) and, when i was little, i thought the dryer section of a laundromat was fun. so, it turned out to be not too terrible in the end...we walked away with all our laundry done and still had time to grill out later that night.     

 

have a great hump day everyone!

 

[homemade pizza margherita]

 

[patches of sweet little flowers while on a run]

 

[tasting T and i's two favorite sodas growing up]

 

[steak rolls]

 

[fresh watermelon by the pool]

blues and bbq

 

summertime, to me, means good music and loads of yummy barbeque. which, i love barbeque so much, i don't really need to wait for summer to get here to have it. but, to have a local okie festival that features it? T and i couldn't get there fast enough! so last saturday, we met up with our friends austin and amanda to enjoy all the sights, sounds and tastes...

 

once we got there, we high tailed it to the food stand and aside from pausing to listen to the different blues bands, it was the quietest we had been all night. which is also why i completely forgot to snap daytime shots aside from the one above...you know, priorities and all.

[enjoying the music with the downtown backdrop]

 

[austin kept catching me snapping candids...it became a game to try to catch him off guard]

 

[such goofs]

 

we had such a great time listening to some of our favorite music and enjoying all the greats a summer night has to offer.

 

can't wait to check out another local treat!

'thyme' for a cocktail

 

the weekend is finally here so let's toast with a new cocktail!

 

last year, while in destin with my family, my grandparents took out some of the stragglers in their liquor cabinet to give to T and i. one of the liquors we received was limoncello which is delicious in its own right but, with it's lemony, liquorice taste, can be hard to pair with. so there it sat in our bar until a couple weeks ago i got to craving a lemon-driven cocktail. being lazy and not wanting to go to the liquor store for any normal go-to ideas, i thought it would be a good idea to try something using our lonely limoncello. the result? a light, summery drink that calms the overpowering limoncello to a friendly purr...so, i introduce, the sneaky cello.  

 

here's what you'll need:

 

vodka or gin (depending on your preference...T and i are divided)

limoncello

lemon juice

4 springs of thyme

drink muddler

 

first, strip two sprigs of thyme and place the leaves in your cocktail glass. using your muddler (if you don't have one, an ice cream scoop works just as good...so i've heard. okay, i used my ice cream scoop. no judging!), press firmly into the thyme leaves. your goal isn't to smash the leaves but to release the aroma of the herb. once you've done this, fill the glass with ice and pour 2-3oz of liquor. next, pour a couple splashes of limoncello and fill the remainder with lemon juice. lastly, add in your last two sprigs of thyme to help stir around the ingredients and leave for garnish.

 

then sit back, take a sip (or two) and relax!

striped mini

 

so, two things happened recently. one, i cut my hair. and by cut, i mean cut. i haven't had my hair this short since college and had been toying around with the idea for the past few months. i wasn't quite sure i wanted to go through with it at first but, boy, am i glad i did!

 

two, i have finally succeeded in finding the perfect military vest. i've had a closet obsession with them but, didn't like how boxy they tend to look on me...that is, until, i found this gem at target the other day. it's tailored enough so it doesn't swallow me whole while still maintaining its edge. perfect addition to a simple striped mini dress, puckered boots and black chrome bracelets.