Summer Cocktail Series: Mint Julep

I'm not a big drinker, but when the weather warms up, I usually crave something sweet and fruity. Sangria is my summer drink of choice, but it's not something that can be made on the spur of the moment.

So I thought it would be fun to try making a different cocktail every week and record the results. First up, a mint julep following this recipe. I had all the ingredients, and it seemed simple enough. And it looks good, doesn't it:

I'd never actually had a mint julep, so I don't have anything to compare it with. The recipe seemed a bit strong, so I used a little more simple syrup and a little less whiskey. Erik doesn't care for whiskey, but he's a trooper so he gave it a try. He really liked it, giving it four out of five stars! I rated it a 3.5, only because it wasn't very minty. Next time I'll try steeping the mint in the simple syrup while it's warm.

All in all, though, it was a good effort. Next up: a Tom Collins.

I'm Mad About ...

Good morning! I'm off to the Bay Area this weekend. Here are some things I'll be thinking about on the long drive up there:

By Andrewrabbott (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

• Will you be celebrating Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee?
• Today is National Doughnut Day—a good excuse to indulge your sweet tooth!
• I'm drooling over this stunning Beverly Hills home.
• Is your home overstyled? I'll admit, I might be a little guilty of that, but I honestly love everything I own. And I still want a bar cart.
• If you care about animals, please take a minute to ask True Religion to stop using real fur in its clothing.

Have a great weekend!

Decisions Made

You probably know by now that it takes me awhile to make a decision. Not always, but I can take my time. But after struggling with some decor choices, I think I've finally made up my mind.

First in the dining room, I think I've found curtain fabric I like. Well, two fabrics, either of which will work:

Pretty, aren't they? They have the colors I'm looking for (a white background with red, blue and yellow—well, they're more gold, but close enough), and the patterns are fun and not too traditional. Jo-Ann's didn't have enough of either pattern when I was there, but I'm sure I'll be able to find what I need.

I also want to make a matching panel for the sliding glass door in the kitchen. I've been struggling with what to do about that since we moved in. It has vertical blinds (shudder!). I leave them open most of the time since we don't have privacy or light control issues there, but I like to close them when the gardeners are here, because that calms my dogs (OK, only a bit, but I'll take what I can get). The panel can go over the blinds and hide them for the majority of the time they're not in use.

I also think I'm going to use a stencil rather than wallpaper on the back wall of the dining room. My reasoning is that if I decide I don't like the stencil, I can always paper over it. Plus, I want to use the stencil in other rooms, so it won't go to waste. I haven't decided exactly which stencil yet, but probably this one.

As for the living room, I think I'll take Charmaine's advice and paint it the console coral. It's a very bold choice for me, but I need to push myself a bit. Thanks, Charmaine!

I've also decide to stick with the curtains that are there but maybe add some trim to the ends in the same fabric I use in the dining room.The colors will work, and it will all tie in together.

So now that I've made my decisions, it's time to get to work!

Are you stuck on any home projects? How did you finally get past it?

I'm Mad About ...

Nice to have a long weekend—I could use an extra day to relax and take care of some projects. That's if I have time—I've been invited to a party and a barbecue! I also hope to take some time to reflect on the sacrifices Memorial Day is meant to commemorate.

Vit Lustinec, Wikipedia

Meanwhile, here are some things that caught my eye recently:

• What a great idea: keeping a gratitude journal.
• Love the simple flower arranging tips from Emily Henderson in the latest HGTV mag. I just can't seem to do anything more complicated than pop a bloom in a bud vase!
• I've been listening to this album nearly nonstop for the last few weeks.
• A very sweet story of not-so-young love.
• What do you think about the maxi-skirt trend?

Home Office: Paperwork

One of the biggest problems when it comes to organizing is what to do with all the paper that accumulates. Bills, invoices, receipts—it usually all ends up in a pile somewhere, often on top of the desk.

Electronic communication makes it possible to eliminate some paperwork. Bills are paid online, email replaces paper letters. And yet it never quite seems to all go away.

Here's how I control the clutter in my home office. I have a filing cart that also holds my printer/fax/scanner:

The files are labeled (color coding might work better for people who are very visual) and alphabetized. Most of what's in there is personal papers—household info, vet records, receipts, that kind of thing. I try to take something out when I put something new in, but some of the folders don't get cleaned out nearly often enough, so every few months I go through it and purge old receipts and what not.

Work-related papers and tax info are kept on this unit, easily reachable from my desk:

The pink folder holds tax receipts, and the file box on the bottom shelf contains invoices and such from jobs that I've done. I also have dictionaries and style books at arm's length, but these days I mainly use online tools to look up words.

I keep some other, less-often-used reference books on another book shelf:

There's no closet in the office, but we have big closet off the kitchen where I keep printer paper and other office supplies. I want to get a Stockholm box (or two) from the Container Store to keep paper and printer refills close by, but for now it works fine.

Houzz has tips (and lots of eye candy) for creating a paperless home office, but I'm not quite ready for that yet.

How do you organize your workspace?

Eating Well

I haven't done much cooking lately, but since my Cooking Light group met Sunday, I had a good excuse to get in the kitchen. We get together a few times a year, each of us brings a dish, and we just have a great time eating and gabbing.

I made Couscous with Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Edamame, using this recipe. It was super simple and fast, and it came out great. I love one-pot meals!

And, of course, I had a helper (or two):

I'll definitely make this again—but I won't have to anytime soon. It made a big bowlful, and there was so much good food at the get-together, I have plenty left over for lunches.

I'm Mad About ...

• Thanks for this, Donna.
• These folks do good work.
• If I had a little girl, I would definitely make this for her (and for me!).