Apple Cider Mimosa

September 26, 2014

Happy, happy Friday! I hope you had a wonderful first week of fall – yay! After a long weekend in Michigan and then a short week of playing catchup from being gone for a few days, I’m more than ready for a weekend at home to do a few projects and test out some new recipes 🙂

One of the major things I was hoping to do while visiting the family was to take a trip to the cider mill because those just don’t exist in California. Unfortunately, while enroute to the mill, it started POURING and we had to turn around and call it a day. We picked up some fresh apple cider from the market the following morning and whipped these up to sort of ease the blow of not being able to partake in one of my favorite midwestern traditions. Just in time for the weekend, I wanted to pass along a super fun fall spin on the classic mimosa 🙂 They are SO good! I promise you will love them!

Apple Cider Mimosa

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total: 10
Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 tsp brown sugar
1 ounce scotch (optional)
2 ounces fresh apple cider
4 ounces ONEHOPE Sparkling Wine
Apple slices for garnish
Caramel sauce & brown sugar for rimming (optional)

Directions

1. If rimming your flutes, dip the rim of the glass into caramel. Using a small plate or bowl works best for this. After coating the rim, dip your glass into brown sugar.
2. Combine brown sugar, scotch and apple cider in a flute.
3. Top with ONEHOPE Sparkling wine and garnish with fresh apple slices.

Recipe adapted from here.

TGIF!

September 19, 2014

{image taken by me last year from my aunt’s home in Michigan}

Greetings from the good ol’ Midwest! I’m in Michigan for the weekend to spend some time with my family. After the death of a family friend and learning that my grandparents were going to be making the trip from Florida to the Mitten, I decided to take a few days to venture home. I know it isn’t technically fall yet, but it’s close and fall is my favorite time of the year here. I’m looking forward to quality time with my loved ones and hopefully a trip to the cider mill to bring me back to earth after a few really stressful weeks. Looking forward to catching up with some great content next week! Happy Friday!

Missing Michigan

August 7, 2014

For whatever reason, around this time of the year, I get really nostalgic for Michigan. I will stand firmly next to the claim that there is no place more beautiful in the summertime and will forever miss the Mitten during the warmest months of the year. Last week in LA we had rain (rain!) in the summer which is so rare. I honestly can not remember the last time we had rain in July or August and it’s been at least 5 months since I’ve seen a drop fall in our little beach town. Hearing thunder made me ache to the core for home in all of its summer lush with endless rolling hills of emerald green. If you follow Sarah Sherman Samuel of Smitten Studio, you already know of her cabin project on the shores of Lake Michigan. If you don’t, prepare to fall in love. Anytime she posts about Michigan, I get so homesick yet excited about the thought of Jake and I maybe having our own cabin one day in my home state. Regardless of whether that ever happens, I’ll still look to her little cabin renovation for inspiration for my own home in the future.

PS: These are just a few favorites from Smitten Studio. Sarah’s entire renovation process is INSANE and you have to check it out here. Her line of products is pretty amazing too and can be found here.

Wedding Flowers

November 1, 2011

My cousin Mike recently asked the love of his life to marry him and I’m absolutely thrilled not only for their future together, but to be doing their wedding flowers next year 😉 YAY! I couldn’t think of a more splendid way to welcome Erin into our family and can’t wait for their big day (next September) which still seems way too far away to wait. Erin found a bouquet she fell in love with online, so when I was home recently for their engagement party, I decided to try to replicate it as much as possible and experimented with what will potentially be the perfect centerpieces for their autumn Northern Michigan vineyard nuptials. What do you think?!

Homeward Bound

October 6, 2011

This morning I’m headed back to Pure Michigan and I simply could not be more thrilled to truly experience fall for the first time in a few years. My cousin just got engaged to one of the loveliest women I’ve ever met and our two families are celebrating with an engagement party on Saturday which is the reason for the last minute trip. Since I’m only going to be there until Monday, I’ve been thinking about what else to cram into just a few days. Top of my list? Experiencing some gorgeous fall colors, a trip to the cider mill & pumpkin patch, plenty of autumn flavors and lots of family/friend time. I can’t wait 🙂

{Image via}

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