party time! let the holiday season begin

it really does begin with Thanksgiving: that mad rush of forced family visits and catching up with friends, adding an extra dash of glitter to hide the snowboots, twinkly lights, romantic dreams, and a pushing mass of humanity, all searching for something the holidays can't give, if it's not already there.

that paragraph makes it sound like I'm a total Grinch, I know. That is only because I haven't yet explained how I've fallen asleep on the couch every night since I put up my twinkly decorations, with all the other lights off and a puppy snuggled into my side.

The first snow fell the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, the morning nearly my entire family trudged across the road and through the field to have breakfast at the restaurant next door. I put up the decorations that afternoon, my mom and her sister bickering over how to deal with their mother, that grandmother telling me I'd missed a spot on the tree, and my favorite {only} girl cousin studiously readying herself for finals, more than 2/3s of the way through her BSN in Nursing.

I love Christmas, the early snowfalls, the baking, the extra family time, and the joy of finding just the thing to make everyone happy when they open it on that special morning. This year is going to be particularly busy: not quite a week before Christmas, my best friend and I head on a journey to Indianapolis, St. Louis, rural Illinois, and back to throw a baby shower, visit her family for the holiday, and make it back to mine on Christmas Eve. It is going to be hectic, stress-inducing, and fabulous.

But for now, I'm kicking of the season right: a slumber party. Yes, a number of nearly thirty year old women are spending the night at my house. We'll be ogling the best of British actors with a triple feature of Bridget Jones' Diary, Love Actually, and The Holiday...all whilst stuffing ourselves with bread and cheese and curry, veggies, gingerbread cookies, and wine. I'm putting a huge pile of toasted bread on my coffee table, with all the dippings and chese scattered around it and calling for a free-for all. Movie nights call for informality and frivolity. and popcorn later.

To keep things in a festive mood, there is bubbly Pinot Grigio in my fridge chilling right now. Plus, to keep us up for 369 minutes of movies, I'll be mixing up some creamy Holiday cheer {equal parts Bailey's and hot espresso, shaken over ice until frothy and cold, poured in a martini glass}. It's all a recipe for a fun and delicious slumber party, right down to the cozy party favors. We're all thinking lounge clothes and are happy for at least one holiday party that doesn't require something with a control top or high heels.

I've already worked out my ideal version of Saturday's outfit on my newest time waster: Polyvore. Even though I can't find a reindeer jumper, I did manage to pick up some fleece leggings. score.

holiday slumber party by vmrvictoria

I'm not kidding. This is cozy time & friend time, and a time to stop all the crazy and just enjoy the season for what it is: a time of love and gathering. What do you do to escape the crazy and share the love this time of year?

"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor

southern supper; or how atticus finch doesn't lend himself to drinking

a few weeks ago, book club met. It was a small meeting, with just three of us, but we ate supper pickles and mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits, collard greens, skillet fried chicken, and lemon meringue pie. We discussed To Kill a Mockingbird, then swooned over Gregory Peck in the movie, discussed the book a bit more, and drank. It wasn't that there was a lot of drinking, though one of the women brought an entire bottle of Southern Comfort, but there was a lot of cocktail mixing.

It all began when someone wondered what Atticus Finch would drink, were he a drinking man. We soon discovered that we could mix something at least moderately palatable for every character but Atticus. Even Tom Robinson managed to get himself a drink, tasting of Robitussin as it did. We mixed and sipped, tossed, washed, and mixed again. Nothing but water or sweet tea would do for Atticus.

In the end, there were only two drinks we found that would center an evening: the Miss Maddie and the Uncle Jack Finch. Nothing else would we continue to drink after the first. All of the following cocktail recipes are serve over ice, unless otherwise specified. The biscuits, chicken, and pie all deserve their own recipe posts...sooner rather than later.

Miss Maddie
1 tall glass sparkling pink lemonade
1 or two shots Southern Comfort
over ice

Uncle Jack Finch
1 tall glass of sweet tea
1 shot Southern Comfort
1 shot Jim Beam or any bourbon
lemon slice garnish
over ice

Miss Stephanie Crawford
1 tall glass Cranberry Raspberry juice
1 shot Southern Comfort
1 shot Amaretto
over ice

Dill Martini
2 parts gin
1 part dry vermouth
1 slice supper pickle garnish
standard stirred martini preparation

Scout Finch
1 tall glass of sparkling pink lemonade
1 shot bourbon
dash of gernadine
lemon slice garnish
over ice

Tom Robinson
1 tall glass of Coke
1 shot Southern Comfort
1 shot bourbon

"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor

hurricane; or how late summer cries out for watermelon margaritas

lately, the remnants of Hurricane Isaac have been dumping all sorts of tropical heat an humidity on my foresty little world. It has been a long and {thankfully} incredibly busy summer in the store, and while I usually adore my Cook Forest wear, from tank tops to tye-dye, I'm ready for autumn. I'm ready for sweaters and scarves and furry booties. Last year around this time, I was whining that it was hot while I wanted to bake Molasses to Rum to Slaves cookies. I broke out the cotton dresses and had a blast.

This year, I'm relying on chilled, pureed fruit to get me through this early September heatwave. It has been just hot enough lately that the entire family is getting on each others' last nerve, and all I see from my European friends are tweets about rain and sweaters. It's enough to make a girl go spare. Instead, tonight, Mom and I settled into my barely cool apartment with icy fruity drinks and some of the best the BBC has to offer.

We adored Downton Abbey {who didn't? I'm dying for the Ralph Lauren AW12 collection of tweed and newsboy caps}, so we dove back a bit further in time to explore Cranford. I saw the first season the first time around but managed to miss the Return to Cranford, so in a few weeks we'll both be enjoying something new. Cocktails all around, though Miss Deborah Jenkyns would never approve of ladies consuming alcohol. Good thing we're not really ladies, then.

Watermelon Margarita
As with most mixed drinks, it's really about proportions to your taste. I used about 3 cups of watermelon chunks, pureed, with 4 shots of tequila, a heavy splash of sweetened lime juice, and a handful of ice cubes. Salt or sugar the rims as you like. Altogether, we had two smallish drinks each. Blenders are one of the greatest inventions ever.

"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor