five things Friday: birthday mocktail chat edition

Big weekend here with Father's Day landing on my birthday this year - and the summer solstice too, so we have lots and lots of daylight to cheers it all with. Though let's be honest, at nearly 32 weeks pregnant I am not going to be staying up all that much beyond our 9:30pm sunset, nor am I going to have an actual cocktail to celebrate. Though thanks to some of my new discoveries, especially Ritual's gin alternative and Fre's alcohol-removed sparkling rose, there'll certainly be a delicious birthday mocktail! And thus a great time to bring back the "cocktail" chat on a birthday theme.

So here are some questions, both birthday and summer themed in honor of this weekend (sorry, dads, it's my blog...), to discuss over our virtual beverage of choice (like maybe the above frose!):

1. What's your number one birthday present wishlist item this year, whenever your day might be?
2. Birthday cake filling: fruity or frosting-y?
3. What summer read are you most looking forward to?
4. Ideal summer vacation location: mountains or beach?
5. What's your summer beverage of choice?

Here are my answers - do share yours in the comments! 

1. What's your number one birthday present wishlist item this year, whenever your day might be? I'm angling for an iPad mini, as I think ahead to Netflix watching/Kindle reading/online crossword puzzling potential whilst nursing, and also to use with the Peloton app on my treadmill. But also I still really want these cutest ever espadrilles.
2. Birthday cake filling: fruity or frosting-y? Frosting-y all the way! No fruit in my cake or ice cream, thank you very much. But really the best ever is my dad's Oreo mousse filling - definitely some of that coming my way this weekend.
3. What summer read are you most looking forward to? I of course have a big stack of good stuff lined up for the summer, but right now with my summer reading mood I'm especially excited for Tokyo Ever After - the description of "The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians" makes it sound like the perfect escape.
4. Ideal summer vacation location: mountains or beach? Beach, please! With a big stack of books.
5. What's your summer beverage of choice? Usually I'd love a crisp chilled rose, but a go-to lately has been mixing the above-mentioned gin alternative with lime juice and Topo Chico bubbly water (a la this recipe). Super refreshing.

Cheers to the weekend's celebrations, or just plain the weekend!

five things Friday: wedding cocktail chat edition

It's wedding weekend around here! My youngest brother is getting married tomorrow, and I must admit I'm almost as excited to see Hendrik in his entire suit + wingtip shoes combo (he's the flower boy!) as I am to be adding a fun new sister to the family. While we're off doing some pre-toasting of the couple at the rehearsal dinner, I thought it would be fun to do a 2nd edition of wedding cocktail chat over here.

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So join me in a little reminiscing or dreaming about some of your favorite wedding memories or daydreams...

1. What's your favorite wedding movie?
2. How many weddings have you been in?
3. What season did you get married in (or would be your ideal)?
4. What would you choose as a signature cocktail for a reception?
5. Would you rather honeymoon in Europe or at the beach?

Here are my answers:

1. What's your favorite wedding movie? Don't know if it exactly counts as a wedding movie, but there's enough wedding stuff that it should, because it's just so good: Love, Actually.
2. How many weddings have you been in? Four - two as a flower girl, and two as a bridesmaid! (Oh, I guess five if you count the one I was in as a bride...)
3. What season did you get married in (or would be your ideal)? I got married in winter, and while I don't know if it would have always been my choice (it was convenient timing), I ended up loving the aesthetics of a winter wedding, and especially the convenient time for warm-weather honeymoon/anniversary trips!
4. What would you choose as a signature cocktail for a reception? I'd go with the French 75. A champagne cocktail seems like just the thing - classy. Plus yummy.
5. Would you rather honeymoon in Europe or at the beach? A trip to Europe always sounds amazing, but hands down, honeymoon at the beach. Ours was in Jamaica.

Other thing I'm excited about for this weekend besides the festivities themselves: I think I'm going to wear this outfit - score one for the re-use of a bridesmaids dress!

And if you want to peep my lovely sister-to-be, and the "love is in bloom" floral arranging shower I organized for her, check it out here.

five things Friday: Christmas break cocktail chat

Hendrik's been counting down for weeks... we're officially at the start of Christmas break as of this afternoon! We're appropriately kicking it off this evening with a family happy hour, with my sister arriving in town. And since my brain is already a teensy bit on vacation mode before my 4-day weekend, I thought we'd get started early with a virtual happy hour. Time for some holiday-themed cocktail chat!

So imagine pouring yourself a Santa spritz (yes, please, to any prosecco/champagne cocktail, I say), and tell me:

1. When did you finish your holiday shopping this year? (Or are you still going?!)
2. Favorite holiday season tradition?
3. Christmas PJs - yes, or no?
4. What's the top item on your holiday wishlist this year?
5. Stay in or go out for New Year's?

Here's my take:

1. When did you finish your holiday shopping this year? (Or are you still going?!) I've been done for about a week and a half, with everything wrapped up under the tree. I'm not a very last minute person, but I'm not usually THIS settled with it - but I ended up being very glad about it when our furnace broke and life was a bit chaotic for 5 days while we were in and out of living with my parents...
2. Favorite holiday season tradition? So many! I guess toss-up between stockings on Christmas morning (both with my little fam, and with my parents/siblings) and a big family gathering to decorate Christmas cookies.
3. The Christmas PJ tradition - yes, or no? Never really bothered for myself, but for Hendrik, for sure! I got him these this year, which are adorable. And they might just happen to look cute with the fair isle thermal joggers (similar to this) that I happen to have (given to me as a hostess gift when I did a girlfriends' cookie decorating party - such a great idea to have on hand to give as a cozy little gift!).
4. What's the top item on your holiday wishlist this year? The "happy lamp" that I had in my "need" gift grid would make me happy, indeed. Especially if it came with a good book (really interested in the new release Into the Night) to read while I get my light therapy...
5. Stay in or go out for New Year's? Stay in, all the way. I actually kind of hate staying up until midnight.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday and get to enjoy some time off to savor with family and friends. See you after Christmas!

Christmas weekend cocktail chat

Merry almost Christmas! We're taking a break tonight amidst 5 days of family gatherings to cozy up at home in front of the fireplace, so I thought it would be a great time for a holiday cocktail, and a little chat to go with it...

So, sip on something of your choosing, and do tell:

1. What gift are you most excited to give this year?
2. Favorite holiday movie?
3. Eggnog - yes, or no?
4. Do you prefer white Christmas tree lights or colorful ones?
5. Would you rather spend Christmas in the sun or the snow? 

Here's what I think:

1. What gift are you most excited to give this year? This crossword puzzle sampler pencil set - such a fun find for a few crossword aficionados in my life. 
2. Favorite holiday movie? I'd say Love Actually, but I'll always stop to watch Elf if I come across it on TV.
3. Eggnog - yes, or no? Ewwwww, no.
4. Do you prefer white Christmas tree lights or colorful ones? Much to Hendrik's dismay, because he loves ALL THE THINGS, I really prefer the simplicity of white lights for our seasonal glow.
5. Would you rather spend Christmas in the sun or the snow? My family did Christmas in Costa Rica one year, and I will say that going to the beach on Christmas Day was amazing - but having grown up in Michigan, I'm more used to a white Christmas so probably would have to pick that, for nostalgia's sake. 

Wherever and however you celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

five things Friday: birthday week cocktail chat

My birthday was on Tuesday and it was lovely, but I'm really playing up the birthday week situation here: since we did a family bike event on Tuesday evening, my birthday dinner date was on Wednesday instead. And then, we just happen to have a work event at Founders Brewery tonight, followed by staying over in a hotel (kid-free) so we can do a cycling event near there tomorrow...

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So join me in cheersing to 33 - though tonight's will be beer rather than party-perfect glasses of champagne like these - and let's start the party early with some birthday cocktail chat!

1. What would you put at the top of your birthday wishlist?
2. Favorite flavor for your birthday cake?
3. Best place to get a birthday coupon from?
4. What famous person do you share a birthday with? (See this site to find out!)
5. Have you ever had a surprise party (and/or are you a surprise party kind of person)?

Here are my answers - leave a comment with yours!

1. What would you put at the top of your birthday wishlist? I always have too many wishes, but this year the tops were probably a new camera lens or a KitchenAid mixer.
2. Favorite flavor for your birthday cake? Chocolate cake with Oreo mousse filling made by my dad. Every year.
3. Best place to get a birthday coupon from? Hmm, I do love adding to my latte bowl collection with the Anthro 20% off b-day coupon, but my favorite is probably the $5 to my local running store. Time for new socks!
4. What famous person do you share a birthday with? Nicole Kidman, Lionel Ritchie, and a whole bunch of so-called YouTube stars.
5. Have you ever had a surprise party (and/or are you a surprise party kind of person)? When I turned 13 - I thought I was going to babysit for the people down the road, but when I showed up at their house all of my friends were there with my mom! It was really fun, but as an introvert I think I'm not usually the big surprise party type.

five things Friday: wedding cocktail chat edition

My Cincinnati best friend is getting married tomorrow, and I'm so excited for her - and also for the fun hair + makeup girl time with her and the other bridesmaids, I have to say. Plus there's the fun of getting to check out a newly opened local brewery taproom for the rehearsal dinner!

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So since I have everything bridal on the brain this weekend, I thought this Friday version of cocktail chat should involve a glass of champagne and some wedding-related girl talk. So:

1. What's your favorite fictional wedding scene?
2. Where do you dream about creating a gift registry?
3. Did you have a "something blue" on your wedding day (or what would you go with)?
4. Would you ever consider an outdoor wedding?
5. What's your dream honeymoon destination?

My answers:

1. What's your favorite fictional wedding scene? The double wedding at the end of Pride and Prejudice, obviously.
2. Where do you dream about creating a gift registry? Crate & Barrel.
3. Did you have a "something blue" on your wedding day (or what would you go with)? Blue undies!
4. Would you ever consider an outdoor wedding? Nope. Way too type-A for weather uncertainty.
5. What's your dream honeymoon destination? Jamaica was great, but if the sky's the limit I'm going to say Santorini. Or really any Mediterranean island in the summer would be fine.

Cheers to the couple - and the weekend!

five things Friday: Christmas cocktail chat

Happy Friday before Christmas! I'm enjoying the first of my two official holiday days off from work, so I thought it would be the perfect time for us to all pour a (virtual) drink - preferably a champagne one like the poinsettia cocktail shown below - give a toast to the holidays, and do another round of cocktail chat.

So if you celebrate Christmas, here's what I want to chat about:

1. What's the #1 item on your Christmas list this year?
2. Do you wrap gifts as you buy them, or save it all to do at once?
3. Real tree or artificial?
4. What's your favorite holiday recipe?
5. Did you ever believe in Santa?

Here's what I've got to say:

1. What's the #1 item on your Christmas list this year? Wireless headphones - for tangle-free podcast listening while I do chores
2. Do you wrap gifts as you buy them, or save it all to do at once? On a rolling basis - I like to see things under the tree...and Hendrik really likes to see things under the tree
3. Real tree or artificial? Now that we have plenty of space (and high ceilings), real!
4. What's your favorite holiday recipe? For about the zillionth time I have to mention my favorite family recipe for cutout cookies - it's just not Christmas without them
5. Did you ever believe in Santa? Nope. We just didn't do the Santa thing growing up, and I'm not doing it with Hendrik either, telling him it's a character in a book, like Thomas and Winnie the Pooh are characters. That works for us, but still kind of paranoid he's going to be the kid to ruin it for some other 3-year-olds at school or something...

I'll be taking next week off to enjoy the holidays with family - wishing you the merriest of times too!

five things Friday: encore du cocktail chat edition

It was fun recapping our Paris trip this week - but it was even more fun to be there, enjoying my rosé in a café. Instead, why don't we have a little virtual apéritif together and enjoy another round of cocktail chat?

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I want to know:

1. What was your favorite college class?
2. Would you rather never be able to eat chocolate again, or have to wear the same thing every day?
3. What’s your go-to brand of shampoo?
4. What was your best Halloween costume ever?
5. What's the last thing you Googled?

Here are my deep thoughts:

1. What was your favorite college class? One called "The British Novel." My homework was to read things like Pride & Prejudice and Jane Eyre. How amazing is that?
2. Would you rather never be able to eat chocolate again, or have to wear the same thing every day? Gah, that's hard! As long as I could choose the outfit (maybe jeans + stripes + red flats), I think I'd keep the chocolate.
3. What’s your go-to brand of shampoo? I used and loved Bumble&Bumble products for a long time, but lately I'm on Aveda Smooth Infusion, which was great for the humid summer...
4. What was your best Halloween costume ever? Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. My mom sewed this great gingham costume that I wore with red spray-painted Keds and braided pigtails. My sister was the scarecrow and my best friend was Glinda, and it was awesome.
5. What's the last thing you Googled? How to spell Glinda.

five things Friday: birthday cocktail chat edition

With my birthday coming on Monday, I think some celebrating might be in order this weekend... and while I wish I could invite you all out for drinks, we'll have to settle for the next best thing: another edition of Friday cocktail chat.

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Let's talk birthdays and more...

1. What was your best birthday party ever?
2. You have a piece of chocolate birthday cake - add a scoop of ice cream, or no?
3. Most recent app you downloaded?
4. What band would you most like to see in concert right now?
5. Where's the farthest from home you've ever traveled?

Here's what I say:

1. What was your best birthday party ever? Toasting my 18th birthday in Italy was amazing, but gotta say I loved the Olympics themed 10th birthday party my mom planned, including gold, silver, and bronze-wrapped Peppermint Patties as medals.
2. You have a piece of chocolate birthday cake - add a scoop of ice cream, or no? No! I love and adore both of these things, but they do not belong on the same plate (or bowl).
3. Most recent app you downloaded? Strava, to record my road bike rides.
4. What band would you most like to see in concert right now? We have tickets to several great shows in a local outdoor summer concert series - Of Monsters and Men was really fun this week, and we're excited about Old Crow Medicine Show, but the only other thing that would get me more excited would be seeing (again) The Avett Brothers.
5. Where's the farthest from home you've ever traveled? to Kenya - about 7900 miles.

Thanks for chatting/celebrating with me, and happy weekend. Cheers!

five things Friday: cocktail chat edition

A couple of times in the past I've done "getting to know you" posts, which I find to be such a fun little chat time to connect with all of you out there, and so I thought it was time to bring them back. I was going to call it a coffee chat, but it's Friday! So let's call it cocktails and have a little heart to heart on important matters:

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Let's chat! Today I want to know:

1. As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
2. What's the number one place on your travel wishlist?
3. What's the last thing you took a photo of with your phone?
4. What's up first in your Netflix queue?
5. What's your go-to cocktail? 

Here are mine:

1. As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A ballerina who lived on a farm (for a short time, anyway).
2. What's the number one place on your travel wishlist? Paris!
3. What's the last thing you took a photo of with your phone? My nicely plated fish entree from last night's date night.
4. What's up first in your Netflix queue? Broadchurch - a British crime drama.
5. What's your go-to cocktail? I don't often order them, so sometimes I get stumped in those fun times when I've got an open bar at a resort or wedding - but then I discovered the French 75! Really I'm good with any champagne cocktail, though.

five things Friday: getting to know you edition

image (and tutorial): He & I

Hello and happy Friday, friends! I realized there are enough new friends and followers around these blog parts in the last while that I it might be time for a repeat of the "getting to know you" game (and it's been long enough since last time that my answers have changed!). Five fill-in-the-blanks for you:

1. What age you'd be if you could pick any
2. Last book you read
3. Where you go if you could spend this weekend anywhere
4. Currently saving up for
5. Current favorite blog

Here are mine:

1. What age you'd be if you could pick any: I really have no problem with 30 but kind of want to go back to my pre-injury 29. Apparently bodies fall apart at this age?
2. Last book you read: All the Bright Places (back on a YA kick).
3. Where you go if you could spend this weekend anywhere: Paris.
4. Currently saving up for: a sectional and dining table for our new house!
5. Current favorite blog: toss up between Inspiralized (in love with my new spiralizer) and He & I (which I randomly stumbled upon and loved browsing the DIY and travel archives on).

Now I want to know more about you! Do tell.

p.s. I'm the featured blogger today on High Five for Friday with Katie, Caitlin, Tif, and Della - hop over there to get to know some new friends and share 5 things about your week!

five things Friday: getting to know you edition

Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes my way with comments and notes... it was a very nice one with morning kick greetings from the little bambino, lots of sunshine, most lovely surprise packages arriving from friends and family, well wishes sent from very afar (the 6-person contingent of my family currently gallivanting around South Africa!), dinner at a new restaurant (ah-mazing), and plenty of spoiling from Peter, who went with me to the gym, took me to the camera store to pick out an accessory package for my new toy, and went out at 10pm to buy me yogurt for the next morning's breakfast because I was all out - and, of course, the birthday ice cream flavor of my choosing (buckeye blitz).

So that was fun. And has me feeling like 29 is off to a great start, even better after being reminded of this Jane Austen quote print from Minted - it suits, right? (Or maybe it just makes me feel good to think so.)

Of course I loved having a day all about me, but now let's have one for you! I always enjoy Alyssa's Spill it! posts, so here's my own version with five fill-in-the-blanks to learn more about you this Friday:

1. What age you'd be if you could pick any:
2. Last book you read:
3. Where you go if you could spend this weekend anywhere:
4. Currently saving up for:
5. Current favorite blog:

Here are mine!
1. What age you'd be if you could pick any: I'll stick with my new 29 actually. It's going to be a good year.
2. Last book you read: Gone Girl.
3. Where you go if you could spend this weekend anywhere: the beach at my parents' cottage.
4. Currently saving up for: an upholstered rocker for the nursery.
5. Current favorite blog: Say Yes to Hoboken.

Now... do tell! And have a great weekend.