Hot Cocoa Martini
Ingredients:
1 packet Hot cocoa mix
4 oz Milk
1.5oz Vanilla or whipped cream vodka
.5oz Creme de Cacao
Directions:
Prepare your favorite brand of cocoa mix according to package directions. Let the cocoa cool before adding to a shaker full of ice. Next, mix in your liquors and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a martini glass (or glass of choice) and garnish with a fancy marshmallow.
This makes one drink, but I recommend making more than one packet of cocoa at a time. This fun wintery drink is very delicious and you’ll want more than one! Cheers!
A copper Christmas
This is the 5th year I’ll be changing up my Christmas color scheme! One of these years I’ll repeat the past (silver & gold, pinks, all white, traditional red & green), but not this year! I knew I wanted to do something a little more neutral, but wasn’t sure what direction to go. Then I saw this copper tree collar from Target and it sparked the whole design!
I’m absolutely in love with how it all turned out, even if it is late in the season. I’d normally have decorated in late November, but we just moved into our new house the day before Thanksgiving! It’s been busy around here to say the least.
There was the normal hassle of just unpacking everything, but also taking the time to order and wait for new furniture. We came with a one bedroom condo worth of stuff and now have a three bedroom house to fill. I’m so excited to start building the home I’ve always dreamed of and plan to share a lot of my ideas and projects on how I plan to customize it!
The house definitely needs a lot of TLC in the cosmetics department. The first thing we did was give our closets and fresh coat of paint before putting our clothes in. I’m so glad I at least started sourcing holiday decor starting in October!
Target also had these ornaments as well as these ones that went with the tree collar. To the mix I added ornaments from Walmart and Hobby Lobby. I wanted a nice assortment of finishes and sizes to give the tree an organic and slightly vintage look.
I think my favorite thing I added however and these copper bows! I bought two rolls of this $3 ribbon, cut them into strips then tided then on the tree. They really complete the look!
Target has a lot of other great copper accents to round out my whole look, like these metal trees and this adorable letters to Santa box that I put on top of my mantel. The copper lanterns fit in perfectly too and I can reuse them in the summer and fall!
I went with a simple vignette for my coffee table decor. This gold tray with be another year round staple, but this candle brought the scent of Christmas into our home!
I definitely plan on going a lot bigger next year when I’ve have more time to expand to other areas of the house! I hope you enjoyed this years color scheme - comment your guess for next years!
a home for the holidays
We bought a house!! I could not be more excited to be typing those words! While we’ve only lived in Nashville for six months now, owning a home has been a dream of ours for years. A dream that started to feel like it was not going to happen. Trying to find a house in this market has been just awful. We put offers in on eight other properties. Eight times of thinking we found the right one, getting our hopes up, only to be let down. But it’s made us appreciate the one we did get even more. It’s the perfect space for the two of us (and Penelope) and we’re so excited to make it our own!
We moved in Wednesday November 24th and still managed to cook a Thanksgiving meal the next day! There’s been so much to do with getting settled, but I wanted to start on holiday decor as soon as I could! The first thing to greet you is our front porch, so I had to start there!
I wanted the entry way to be super welcoming. Greenery with the warm glow of white lights screams classic holiday to me. I love how the garlands frame the doorway and everything is anchored with the two small trees.
Layering doormats gives the whole look a little more dimension and looks more complete than just one mat. I used this green striped mat as my base then topped it with this “happy holidays” doormat.
I finished everything off with a green and white wreath that I've had for a couple years.
I like a very classic looking exterior for Christmas - all white lights are my favorite. But somehow, while strolling the aisles of Target one day, this little guy stole my heart! I’ve seen this Christmas corgi for two years now and never pulled the trigger. Now that we have a yard, I figured I could set him out far enough from the classic decor. He adds the perfect bit of whimsy and just makes me smile!
I’m so glad that we were able to decorate as much as we did after only moving in three weeks ago. I can’t wait to continue to dress our home for the holidays for years to come!
Pimento Cheese
It has officially been one month since we moved to Nashville! What better way to celebrate my new home in the south than with some pimento cheese?? I have to warn you: this dip is extremely addictive!! It’s sure to bit the hit of the party and your friends will beg to make it all summer long!
Ingredients:
8 ounces extra-sharp yellow Cheddar, shredded*
4 ounces white Cheddar (preferably Vermont Cheddar), shredded*
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces diced pimentos, drained
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
*Shred the cheese from a block- it’s more work, but worth the effort!
Directions:
Add the Cheddars, cream cheese, pimentos and mayo to a bowl and mix together. Add the chives, garlic powder, cayenne, smoked paprika and salt and pepper and mix until thoroughly combined.
Serve with crackers, pretzels, or even top your burger with it!
Original recipe compliments of Miss Kardea Brown can be found here 💕
I hope you enjoy! I plan to share more southern inspired recipes soon!
Watermelon Margaritas
Summer’s most iconic fruit? Watermelon of course! And while it’s in season, I plan to take full advantage by creating a refreshing cocktail!
Ingredients:
Seadless Watermelon
Fresh Limes
Tequilla
Simple Syrup
Optional: Jalapeño
Directions/Prep:
Juice about 6 limes
Blend approximately 2 cups of chopped watermelon
Make simple syrup: combine water and sugar in a sauce pan over stove on low to medium heat, until sugar dissolves, let cool
Recipe:
To a shaker, add:
Ice
1.5oz tequilla
1 oz fresh lime juice
3/4oz simple syrup
2oz watermelon juice
SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE
Pour over a glass with ice & enjoy!
Recipe makes 1 margarita. You can garnish with a lime slice and watermelon wedge for prettiness or add in some jalapeño slices to make it spicy!
Happy Sipping!
