If God wanted Us To Be Naked....

"If God wanted us to be naked, why did he invent sexy lingerie?"-Shannen Doherty

With my very best friend getting married in December and with more friends home for summer vacation at the same time than I can remember in years, the opportunity to throw a bridal shower could not be passed up! Since Kristy is not only my best friend but she is also a wonderful mommy, a hard working student, always only a phone call away and one of the most fun and fabulous people I know, her shower had to be just as awesome. Hosted at my lovely friend Sinead's new condo, we threw a "Panty Party" in Kirsty's honor. What is a panty party you may ask? Well as the bride had to travel across the country and back again, lingerie doesn't take up very much room in a suitcase and it is way more fun and exciting then new towels and hand knitted dish clothes (that is unless those things excite you!). The day was filled with champagne mimosas, baileys avec coffee, munchies, friends, sexy gear, laughs and an underwear tree (she had to guess who brought her which ones!). Sinead went above and beyond and was a wonderful hostess! Cant wait to do it again!
-m

Hand made invites...each one a little bit different!

We decorated!

Champagne isn't the easiest to open!

I Collect Antiques....

"I collect antiques. Why? Because they are beautiful..."-Broderick Crawford

I am officially all of  twenty-six years old as of yesterday. How did I spend it? Well I antiqued all day with my mother and had a lovely lunch in an eclectic cafe. I met my dad for delicious Lebanese food and topped all of that off by spending the evening with a few of my very best friends at a play that celebrated one of the very best islands. Best birthday ever.

Today however, I am going to blog about the antiquing. This is a summer tradition of mine and my mother's. We hop in the car, coffee in hand and drive until we find and antique shop. We hunt for treasures, bargains and long forgotten furniture. Over the years we have furnished my bedroom, my kitchen and picked up many pretty pieces for mom's house as well. Sometimes we come back empty handed and once it was with a single key that I have been wearing around my neck ever since. Yesterday we hit the china and crystal mother load. I ended up with crystal wine glasses (eleven for a mere $22) and an almost full twelve piece china set ($35 including fruit nappies and soup bowls!). Yes, china is very old fashioned, some might call it archaic but I plan on having a very fun, very fancy dinner party. Wanna come? I also picked up two old magazines to frame from 1948 and 1953. Mom and I each got petite crystal ash trays for rings on our bed side tables and mom found some beautiful stem wear and little juice glasses. It was a big day. Thank goodness for dishwashers!

Half way through the day we stopped in Victoria By The Sea and had lunch at The Landmark Cafe. What a neat little place. Pantry shelves from the floor to the ceiling greet you with a variety of interesting nick-knacks. Strong coffee, hot soup and an open kitchen where you can watch the chef work his magic made for a perfect pit stop! If you have not tried antique hunting and even if you couldn't care less about old stuff, it is always fun to spend a day thrifting though the past. Try it out!
-m

Pretty glass finds...

Mom in a fancy hat!

Beautiful pears spotted while walking through Victoria

Landmark cafe!

When Life Gives You Limes...

"When life gives you limes....make a mojito!"-unknown

Or in my case, when your mother grows a variety of mints on the deck.... make a mojito! Which is exactly what I have been doing for the last six days and exactly what I intend to do for the next week (or at least until my vacation is over!). Ah vacation on the island...nothing beats it. Beach weddings, beach days, evening on the deck and so many friends and people to see that it is both overwhelming and wonderful. Pause for mojito break! I kid....sort of. Enjoy the last of the summer!
-m

Perfect mojito with a ginger twist:

-several fresh mint leaves
-lime
-white rum
-ginger ale

So, skip the soda and simple syrup and opt for a less convoluted and lazy summer mojito that is equally as refreshing . Beat the snot out of your mint in a mortar and pestle (or in the bottom of the drinking glass with a wooden spoon). Add a wedge of lime and continue to beat. Pour contents into tall rocks glass. Add one or two ounces of white rum. Squeeze in more lime, smother with ice and then drown with g.ale. Mix well and serve, preferably on a deck in the sun!

Best thing ever!

A Bold Adventurer...

"A bold adventurer succeeds the best"-Ovid

One of the many adventures planned for this summer was to get my tea leaves read at the Kitchen Witch. On my last trip to the fair red isle, I packed my car with three of my besties and we headed out with just a route number and hoped for the best. Approximately five wrong turns, a red dirt road and an hour longer than the trip should take later, we arrived at out destination. Phew, good thing I keep a map in the glove box. We arrived to find out the "witch" didn't read tea leaves on Thursday (she has a cleaning business we were told..). That didn't stop us from enjoying the quirky charm that the old school house exuded, the tasty gluten-free treats and the life story of the owner who was originally from the deep south. We are trying again this Sunday!!
-m

Yup..we are lost!

Classic red dirt road.

Found it! Looks a little sketch..

Yay!

Thumbs up eh?

A Cynic Is A Man....

"A Cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin."-H.L. Mencken

Flowers! The market is positively teeming with flowers. You can hardly smell the breakfast bar, coffee and fresh baked bread over floral fragrances coming form every direction. The roof top garden has them planted, the second flower man is back in action and there are hundreds of pretty plantable garden enhancements outside on the sidewalk. Wild flowers, peonies, lily's, irises and all of the year round favorites. It is almost overwhelming!
-m