Drink of the Moment: Jameson in June

Look at this - TWO posts in the same week!  It's a flippin miracle, and it's been waaay too long since my last 'Drink of the Moment'.  Last weekend being Jay's birthday weekend, I mixed up a lovely little sumthin sumthin with his favorite joy juice, Jameson.  So, on that note, I bring you the very special treat of what I'm calling 'Jameson in June'.


Now I am  not typically a huge Jameson fan unless I'm in the throws of a severe winter cold (when it does wonders mixed with warm lemon juice and honey), but I know a LOT of Jameson fans who don't need a reason or a mixer to enjoy a nip every now and then.  This little concoction is by no means a replacement for the slow sipping of a whiskey on the rocks or the late night shot (or two), but it is a surprisingly refreshing and tasty alternative for those who were already fans looking to mix it up a little, AND those of us who were just waiting for a reason to become a fan.  To top if off, it's super easy to make.

Jameson in June

                                                                                  

2 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey

4 oz Apple Juice (I used Simply Apple)                  

Splash of St Germaine (or elderflower cordial)

Splash of lemon juice

Pour all ingredients into glass, stir, and serve over ice.  Garnish with mint sprig.

The best part about this little gem, is that it's already gotten me thinking about what I'm going to do with it for a winter version.  Jameson in January anyone?  Until then, what are you waiting for?  Go ahead and get your new June juice on!

Revlon All Access Summer Imaginarium, Why Not?

Ahhh ... summer is finally here, and what to do?  One of the great things about summer is feeling like you have time to sit back, relax a little, and get away.  Well, unless you're me ... but I digress.  Part of the whole appeal of loosening up and taking a break is really not so much in where you go or what you do, but how you yourself are changed and impacted by whatever it is that's different for you; and hopefully this is a good thing.  Think about it, part of the reason you come back from a vacation feeling refreshed is because you've been able to get a different perspective that you can take back and apply in your every day life - you have a slice of time where you can be someone slightly (or not-so-slightly) different from your norm.  Instead of rhetorically asking 'Why?', you instead ask 'Why Not?'.


Well, if you're looking to break from your routine without dropping a wad of cash to go sweat it out with all of the other families vacationing with their kids while on summer break; or if you're on a quest to find that mysterious, sultry, diva 'alter ego' to cut loose while you are vacationing in a place where no one knows your name, then look no further.  The folks at Revlon have come up with an iPhone app that gives you that daily spark of beauty and fashion inspiration to challenge yourself to go above and beyond what might be your daily norm.

Revlon All Access brings you exclusive, daily beauty and fashion insights directly from Revlon All Access experts Gucci Westman, June Ambrose, Polly Blitzer, and Annabel Tollman.  Much like a summer holiday, it almost dares you to try new things and come away feeling like you've explored something new.  Some of the daily tips may be a little extravagant for your typical Tuesday or Wednesday, but isn't that kind of the point?  So just allow yourself to ask 'Why Not?' and give it a try. It may just be the thing that helps you make every day a mini getaway ... or at least gives you a different enough perspective to imagine yourself into feeling like it is. 

This is where today's tip took me!

Poolside Posh: big turquoise earrings (by Amrita Singh), check; slicked back low bun, check; strong lip, check; dramatic silhouette, double check.

If you don't think I have absolutely lost my mind at this point, then you can download the app for free here, and see where it might take you.  Happy summer holiday!

Time Out

After several attempts at starting to write, and then stopping abruptly because of outside influences, I figure I should just cut to the chase and get this going.  As I mentioned in my last post, you know that things have been a little shaken up around these parts, so after a few less than relaxing days this weekend was exactly what the doctor ordered.


Thanks to some wonderful friends who just bought a new boat, Jay and I were lucky enough, and extremely grateful to spend a large part of Saturday cruising the James River.  We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day to be on the water.  Starting from just below the City of Richmond we got to take in a lot of sites, including the estate of Jimmy Dean (as in the country music star and more importantly the king of sausage - not the rebel without a cause), and the recreations of the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, on the way to our Jamestown destination to have some lunch then head back to Richmond.  

The late, great Jimmy Dean's estate.  

View down the James.

Jay couldn't wait to break out the brownie bites - his favorite.

The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry.

Look close (or enlarge the shot) and you'll see replicas of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.

All smiles.

I can't think of a more fabulous way to kick off the summer and forget about all of the daily noise for a second.  Thank goodness for friends who are there to help us take a 'time-out' in life when we most need it ... especially the ones with boats!  ;)  

Holidays in Cambodia

"It's a holiday in Cambodia

It's tough kid, but it's a life

It's a holiday in Cambodia

Don't forget to pack a wife"
-The Dead Kennedys-

Thanks to a pretty severe mess upheaval catastrophe snafu of monstrous proportions change in my work environment paired with the busiest season of the year, you might have noticed that I've been pretty absent on here for the past few weeks or so.  While I won't bore you with the details now, I don't see this work thing clearing up any time soon so I might actually explode become institutionalized literally break into tiny pieces find myself in some situations which could provide for a pretty good read if things keep up.  


While I might feel a bit like I'm having a figurative holiday in Cambodia in the worst sense, one of my cousins, Aliesje, is once again off on a world adventure to the real Cambodia, and has decided to share her experiences in a new blog.  Some of you may remember hearing about her trek through the wilds of Africa in Malawi, where she scared little children with her pallid complexion yet unending need to help (thus scaring them more).  Now she is off again to strike further fear in the hearts of unsuspecting bystanders (apparently from this first post through her softball sized feet and unfortunate dry shampooed hair).  Though she refers to it as helping with women's law, juvenile justice, and assisting victims of the Khmer Rouge, I know she's really just secretly trying to take over the world.  So, if you're looking for some interesting summer reading about traveling to exotic places while you yourself are sitting in your back yard with your feet in a wading pool and your hand around a beer can with a cocktail umbrella and soggy piece of fruit perched on the edge; or if you're stuck in a crap shoot like me and just need some serious perspective then maybe you can consider giving her a visit here, at: Le Cambodge Summer!  I guarantee your slums won't have quite as much soul.  :)