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Frosé Recipe
August 26, 2016
Today's post is a good one! I love Grace's blog and was very intrigued when she posted a frosé recipe last week. I've been on such a rosé kick lately (because summer, #duh) and knew I had to give this recipe a try, although I did a little adapting.
-1 bottle of rosé - I used a bottle that was mostly full that I didn't really like because it was too sweet. I thought it would be perfect for a mixed drink though!
-1 cup of raspberries - Grace made hers with strawberries, but I'm allergic, so I made a swap. I also used frozen berries to speed up the freezing process
-A spoonful of sugar (really depends on however sweet you want to make it)
-2 oz. vermouth, optional - Grace used 3 oz, but I knew I didn't want it that strong. Honestly next time I'd either skip it or use something like St. Germain
-1 oz water
-1 gallon ziplock bag
-A bowl or container to set the bag in inside the freezer
Literally I just blended everything together, put it into the ziplock in the bowl in the freezer, waited an hour and served! Simple as that and you have a delicious end of summer treat!
Hope you can enjoy this or something else that's fabulous this weekend!
xo Catherine
How to Prepare the Perfect Wine and Cheese Night
August 10, 2016
I had a girlfriend over on Saturday and decided to put together a little wine and cheese spread because that's my favorite kind of dinner and Mark doesn't think it counts as dinner so I have to do it when he's gone! Anyway as I was laying it out I spontaneously decided to snap some pictures for a blog post. I think it still looks pretty nice but if I'd planned on taking pictures I would have picked a cuter knife for the cheese and actually remembered to put out the wine for pictures ;) Here are my tips for creating the perfect spread:
1. Have at least two different meats and cheeses so there's something for everyone. I like to go with a spreadable cheese like brie or goat, and a hard cheese like an aged cheddar. And for meat I pretty much always go with salami, and for a second I think prosciutto, or some kind of ham, is a good choice.
2. Fruit! I think that any fruit goes well with cheese, but berries are especially delish.
3. Grab a fresh baguette. I cut mine up and popped it into the oven so we had freshly toasted baguette and it was nothing short of amazing. I also had crackers so you could pick your carb poison.
4. Veggies too! I feel like veggies are excluded from cheese platters a lot, but I think that some veggies and hummus are essential and then you can feel a little less guilty about all the cheese and bread you consume :)
5. And finally finish with chocolate. I'm a chocolate fiend and don't think it counts as dessert if there's no chocolate, so this had to be included in my list! I had some brownies from the day before that I added to the spread because wine and cheese need to be rounded out with the magic that is chocolate. It's just a fact.
What are your favorite items to include in a wine and cheese spread?
xo Catherine
4 Tips for Dealing with Homesickness
August 1, 2016
I've been feeling more homesick than normal the past couple of weeks. I can't quite pinpoint why, but the pangs for home have been more frequent than normal. I'm extraordinarily close with my family, so being away from them has been hard to say the least. We make the best of it and usually communicate in some shape or form every day which is awesome. It's definitely the hardest when I know they're together without me though! Can anyone else relate?
Most of the time I'm pretty well adjusted to living here in California, but I still have my moments. These are a couple of tactics I use to get through the homesickness:
1. Know when you're doing to see your family next. This is sometimes hard to do, but if you say goodbye without having a concrete date of when you'll be together again that's going to be the worst. I'm a planner by nature so I like to have things on the calendar and knowing how long of a stretch I need to get through. This one is super relevant right now because when I said goodbye to my family after being home over the 4th of July I didn't know when I would be seeing them. Now we're in the midst of getting a fall trip planned so I'm starting to feel more at ease even though fall seems so far away!
2. Plan something. It doesn't even need to be something with family (but that would obviously be the best)! If you get something on the calendar that you can look forward to it keeps your mind off of other more negative things like how much you're missing home. It could be anything from a trip to a concert to date night.
3. Bring a little bit of home to you. There's nothing wrong with being homesick and sometimes you just need to give into it and do something that makes you feel like you're at home. For me it's listening to music that my mom likes. When I hear certain songs I feel like I'm home with her in the kitchen while she sings and makes dinner. It could also be making a favorite dish that your family always has or reviving an old tradition in your new city.
4. Keep busy! This one is the most important. Last summer when I was still job hunting I was miserable because I had all day long to think about how lonely I was. Now that I have a job I'm 100% happier. I even went a little above and beyond just working and now have activities I participate in and even made some friends ;) all of these things make your new place feel more like home. You've got to put down some roots even if you have no idea how long you're going to stay for. It will never feel like home if you don't have friends, groups you're apart of, or favorite places.
Are you living away from home? How do you cope with it?
xo Catherine
How to Wear Black During the Summer
July 13, 2016
If you're anything like me you reserve darker colors for the winter months. I honestly don't know why or where the association with certain seasons came from, but I want to try wearing more black during the summer. I don't have a huge amount of black in my wardrobe to begin with, but I feel like the chicest women are always donning black year round. So join me in my quest to be like them and wear black even during the summer! Here's how:
Opt for items that are made out of lighter materials like linen or denim. I think the easiest way to make black summery is via material. You wouldn't wear linen during the winter, so that alone makes it perfect for the hotter months!
Accessorize with black! Another great way to incorporate the darker hue is with summer accessories like a straw tote or strappy sandals.
Wear summery patterns in black. There are certain patterns like gingham or floral that are usually reserved for summertime, so that's another great way to look chic and summery all at once.
Don't wear all black. Yes, I agree that all black is no-fuss and pretty much always chic, but for summer I'd have to argue that you need at least one other color thrown into the mix. It doesn't have to be a vibrant hue, it could just be white, cognac, or even denim but all black is a little too heavy for summer. You'll thank me when you're in the sun!
xo Catherine
How to Tie a Belt That Is Too Big
March 14, 2016
I shot a quick little video tutorial for how to tie your belt like I did in this outfit post from last week. This little trick has come in handy for me a lot. I hope you enjoy (and don't judge my video skills too harshly)!
xo Catherine
p.s. I bought a zoodle maker and made this zoodle pad Thai from last Friday's post. It was so yummy! Would highly recommend.
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