Purple On Purple Beauty
November 29, 2008
Sometimes I feel like playing with a bit of color, but I don’t want something heavy and too dramatic. I will want something that is soft, delicate, but still has a bit of a pop to it.
Pastels usually end up being the direction I go in, but this time I wanted to to go full color- all with purple. All purple would normally mean various purple shades in a dramatic smoky eye look, but this time I played it soft and gently.
I used a little eye liner to dress it up a bit, too- make it more unique and interesting. It is very subtle but when you have purple most intense on the edge of the eye meeting purple mascara- it definitely pops!
Matching my eye shadow to my mascara is something different that I look forward to experimenting with a bit more. It isn’t too dramatic or over the top at all- it is very subtle. Only it certain glimpses of sunlight does it really make itself known, too- which I kind of like. The mascara appears to be nearly a black purple, maybe an eggplant, but only in certain lights does it appear extremely vibrant.
Find Your Number, Imbibers One Hundred
November 28, 2008
I discovered this list first from Cigar Smoking Man and had to do the same. This is a list originally posted by ART OF DRINK and is really quite a fun little list! I encourage you to compare your own experiences to this list thus far.
This list isn’t all encompassing, nor is it a “good stuff only” list. There are a few things that may make you pause. In most cases the list is not brand specific, but for certain things it is, because of the world wide popularity. Feel free to participate, or not, but it is a good exercise to see what you are missing in life.
Remember, this is just a list of things you should try, not the “best of the world” list. The list is about contrast and variation of flavour. I’m sure a few scotch addict’s, vodkaphiles and beeroholics will recommend a particular brand, but in most cases, this list is style specific, instead of brand specific. But please feel free to make recommendations.
Instructions:
1) Copy this list into your blog, with instructions.
2) Bold all the drinks you’ve imbibed.
3) Cross out any items that you won’t touch
4) Post a comment at Art of Drink, and link to your results.
OR
If you don’t have a blog, just count the ones you’ve tried and post the number in the comments section.
List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire
1. Manhattan Cocktail
2. Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee)
3. French / Swiss Absinthe
4. Rootbeer
5. Gin Martini
6. Sauternes
7. Whole Milk
8. Tequila (100% Agave)
9. XO Cognac
10. Espresso
11. Spring Water (directly from the spring)
12. Gin & Tonic
13. Mead
14. Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale (I’ve had many Trappist Ales, love them- have not had this one yet!)
15. Chateau d’Yquem
16. Budwieser
17. Maraschino Liqueur
18. Mojito
19. Orgeat
20. Grand Marnier
21. Mai Tai (original)
22. Ice Wine (Canadian) (and eiswein German)
23. Red Bull
24. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
25. Bubble Tea
26. Tokaji
27. Chicory
28. Islay Scotch
29. Pusser’s Navy Rum
30. Fernet Branca
31. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
32. Bourbon
33. Australian Shiraz
34. Buckley’s Cough Syrup
35. Orange Bitters
36. Margarita (classic recipe)
37. Molasses & Milk
38. Chimay Blue
39. Wine of Pines (Tepache)
40. Green Tea
41. Daiginjo Sake
42. Chai Tea
43. Vodka (chilled, straight)
44. Coca-Cola
45. Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)
46. Barley Wine
47. Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl)
48. Pisco Sour
49. Lemonade
50. Speyside Single Malt
51. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
52. Champagne (Vintage)
53. Rosé (French)
54. Bellini
55. Caipirinha
56. White Zinfandel (Blush)
57. Coconut Water
58. Cerveza
59. Cafe au Lait
60. Ice Tea
61. Pedro Ximenez Sherry
62. Vintage Port
63. Hot Chocolate
64. German Riesling
65. Pina Colada
66. El Dorado 15 Year Rum
67. Chartreuse
68. Greek Wine
69. Negroni
70. Jägermeister
71. Chicha
72. Guiness
73. Rhum Agricole
74. Palm Wine
75. Soju
76. Ceylon Tea (High Grown)
77. Belgian Lambic
78. Mongolian Airag
79. Doogh, Lassi or Ayran
80. Sugarcane Juice
81. Ramos Gin Fizz
82. Singapore Sling
83. Mint Julep
84. Old Fashioned
85. Perique
86. Jenever (Holland Gin)
87. Chocolate Milkshake
88. Traditional Italian Barolo
89. Pulque
90. Natural Sparkling Water
91. Cuban Rum
92. Asti Spumante
93. Irish Whiskey
94. Château Margaux
95. Two Buck Chuck
96. Screech
97. Akvavit
98. Rye Whisky
99. German Weissbier
100. Daiquiri (classic)
Hmmm, about 59/100. There is much more to be done, how exciting!
Gorgeous Gloves To Love
November 25, 2008
The coolness in the air means I can finally bring out those lovely winter accessories I have been anxious to wear. It is just cool enough to play with little bits of accessories and not yet to the point of freezing and being hidden inside a large coat!
For now I will enjoy this lovely weather and indulge in my collection of accessories, gloves being a rare delight that I am finally having the opportunity to wear.
I love the delightful details so many of the glove designs offer- like these pastel yellow gloves with the delicately placed jewels. The cashmere material feels luxurious against your skin, too- which I love. Though they may not look at it, these little gloves can be quite toasty.
And then of course there is the classic- the white kid leather gloves. I cannot get enough of these, I adore them! This particular pair is lined in silk and just melts to your skin. When people say something fits like a glove, I always think of these especially. They are such a luxurious item!
Any excuse I can come up with to wear them and I will, without hesitation. They truly a lovely gem. It makes me want to dress around the gloves- hairstyle inspirations included. Maybe a nice broach as well. Hmmm, ideas are coming to me- more on them later.
Elegance in Vintage Beauty
November 24, 2008
I love vintage- it has such a charming feel to it as well as that one of a kind factor. During my recent travels I found myself very fortunate to come across this beauty of a set.
Not since I was a child playing with my mother’s jewelry have I seen something or had something like this- everything about it I love.
The colors, the cuts, the shine, the uniqueness and simplicity manifested into something so great- I am so happy with this new piece alone- not to mention the beautiful pieces that came along with it.
Now this is one gorgeous cocktail ring, and a beautiful match. This along with the bracelet it came with below are absolutely pretty and fabulous. I am so delighted!
It was completely unexpected, too- during our drive up to a vineyard in Washington, we stopped for a quick bite to eat. It was this charming little shopping area consisting mostly of bookstores and specialty shops. While deciding where to eat, a friend and I stepped into a store that had caught her eye. I naturally followed as my curiosity is always high. I fell in love with this darling little shop, the moment I saw this set it was love.
I found some other gems, too- but perhaps that is for a later time. I think these pieces are so beautiful by themselves and should be viewed as such.
Simple Last Minute Little Up Do
November 20, 2008
It would be about seven in the morning or so when we returned home- so that calls for a lot of time for a style to hold through. I began with my hair down, but as the humidity increased so did my hair.
And so I needed my hair secure and out of the way, but still cute of course. I need something to keep me up and ready to go; and glamorous hair always does just the trick.
I didn’t want anything fussy or that would easily loosen, so I sectioned my hair into three parts and twisted them tightly finishing them off with some pins. It did just the thing for me and helped keep me alert since the style is quite light compared to my otherwise heavy hair.
TINI Bigs With Finlandia Love
November 19, 2008
It was our last night in Seattle and it turned out to be one of those nights that is so perfect you couldn’t have ever attempted to plan it. Just one of those, wow- really nights.
It began simple enough- we did the tourist thing and took lots of photos, eating our way throughout the city (yum yum oh incredibly yum on another note!). On a great recommendation from a particular cigar smoking man, we decided to end our visit with a night at the famous TINI BIGS Lounge.
We had a red eye to catch back home, so it would be a night at the bar, some walking around, and then on to the airport for the flight back home. We walk in to this lovely little bar fairly early at about 5:15 in the afternoon or so. It was already dark, the time change does some wonders on that doesn’t it? So we were ready for some drinks. The bartenders were very friendly and introduced themselves as they welcomed us in. One of them asked if we would like to order, but if that we decided to wait five minutes drinks would be free.
… excuse me?
That’s right… apparently, and for this evening only, they were celebrating their official sponsorship of Finlandia Vodka. The international ambassador for Finlandia had flown in for the event and everything- so from 5:30 until about 8:00 any drink with Finlandia Vodka in it in any way was complimentary. Wow, how beautiful is that!
I must admit, when I first walked in and saw the drink list there were numerous bourbon and gin based drinks that had caught my attention- but how could I refuse complimentary drinks especially when there was a celebration to be had for the bar itself? It would be just rude.
The drink above was the favorite of the evening, the Pop 5. It contains Finlandia wild berries, midori, white grape juice, sweet n’ sour, and sparkling wine. It has quite the refreshing twist and pop- lovely drink! The Grapefruit-Tini pictured just below was also quite scrumptious with Finlandia Grapefruit vodka, campari, Cointreu and orange juice. These drinks were the features of the evening and so we felt it was appropriate to order them. Yum.
I will have to venture into the other drinks the next time I visit, and there will certainly be a next time.
As for their food menu- the mac and cheese is heavenly- crisped on top and creamy in the center- cheesy perfection. Definitely a must for the evening as well!
Some Aussie Love
November 16, 2008
Okay, so this lovely cookie somehow was only just introduced to me. Oh how yummy and delightful of a treat- we have much catching up to do.
We are still in Seattle, and some of our friends here with us are from Australia. They were missing the tastes of home, when one of them discovered a pub that seemed to serve authentic food and beer of their homeland. Well, we decided to give it a go and see for ourselves.
And one of the things we discovered upon entering the place was that they offered Tim Tam cookies- sounded interesting enough on its own to me, but our friends were ecstatic! And I can see why now- these cookies are so fluffy and moist and light… simply heavenly! Completely new to me, and I am quite thankful to have been introduced to them. How fun!
So next on the list for us was food- if we were going to be drinking then we first needed some food in our bellies. It had been quite the long day and we were all starving. Well, our Australian friend- one of them in particular, was more focused on the beers… returning to the table with 24 bottles in his arms of this..
Basically, he went ahead and ordered all the beers they had chilled… lol- not kidding. We asked him if he had bought them out, to which he answered “no, don’t worry, they are putting more in the chiller now.” Nice… I think the first eight disappeared rather quickly to him. Bottoms up. It isn’t my usual style of beer (I like mine black or Belgium for the most part) but it was pretty alright.
So then came a matter of ordering the food. I ordered an Aussie Floater, a meat pie served upside down on top of split pea soup. Meat and peas- thought it was a safe order as how could that be bad. And it wasn’t bad at all- quite delicious, I would order it again.
It was an incredibly fun and delicious experience- not to mention entertainment as our Aussie friend continued to drink and dance about the table. I had one bite left of the meat pie in the soup left- I was full as I was snacking all around… and he refused to let it go to waste, by digging his hands into the soup and finishing what was left of my plate- lol. Very entertaining indeed.
If you ever get the chance, do take a taste! You will love it and love the experience. Let’s look at those cookies again, shall we? I saw them again the next day while making a quick shopping stop, only they were being presented by Peperidge Farms cookies. Will have to look for them again once I am home.
Pike Place, Fish In Hand
November 15, 2008
We are now in Seattle, spending some time on business and pleasure- truly a delight. Above is a gorgeous view from the plane; you can actually see snow blowing off the top of the mountain, too. Very pretty.
So, a visit to Seattle to me also means a must visit to Pike Place! The oh so famous fish market is even greater in person- too delicious also- sooooo yummy, wow the size of some of those beauties.
Soooo, we are having an absolute great time here. They even let me go behind the counter- too cool. They are all very nice and you can tell they have fun doing what they do.
Here are some photos from Pike Place 
More to come, soon!
