mint love social club

{friday cocktail: chartreuse smash}

2013-05-24T07:31:00.002-05:00

Last night we hosted a cocktail class at our house that Chris and his friend Josh auctioned off at a recent Charity Event. This was one of 7 cocktails they created for the group of six that bid on the prize. It is light and refreshing- absolutely perfect for summer. I'll be sharing all the recipes from the class next week so make sure to check back!

**normally you would serve this cocktail in a high ball or spritzer glass, but we were serving half pours of some of the cocktails last night so that is why it is in an old fashioned glass.

{new flamingo artwork}

2013-05-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

I feel like I have been seeing flamingos everywhere lately right?!?! Maybe it is because summer is right around the corner or something. I happened across this vintage flamingo print by Roger Tory Peterson while antiquing with my mom and felt like it would be a perfect addition to our house. I love the kitschy feel that flamingos always give, but in this particular print the colors are bit more on the muted side which gives the whole thing a great 70s vibe.

In the future I would love to pick up a sister print to this one and then use it with the current one flanking each side of a bed, but for now I'll be happy with these guys hanging out next to our bar in the living room!

If you would like to buy this print for yourself you can scoop up an

unframed poster version right here or a very similar piece from West Elm right here!

{our wedding photo album}

2013-05-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to finally have the physical copy of our wedding photo album in my possesion!! I have been working on creating this book for a couple months now- continuously tinkering with different photo choices and layouts. I chose to use Blurb's photo services for our wedding album because I have always had such a great experience with them (you can see the series of photobooks I made with them as well as a link to a super helpful review in this post).

I chose their biggest format which is 12" by 12" square for our album since I knew that all the photos I would be using would of a high enough quality to handle the huge size of the pages. Initially I debated keeping with a simple one photo per page layout to really highlight each and every shot, but in the end I wanted to include sooo many photos that this would have been unreasonable. The book includes a variety of layouts from 1 or 2 photos on a page to 4 photo collages to two full page photo spreads. I only included two pages of text in the entire book which are our wedding vows that we each wrote and surprised each other with during the ceremony. Blurb just released a line of thick "pro-line" paper which is 140 point paper which costs extra per page, but worth every single penny.

Our book ended up being about 240 pages since I decided at the last minute to include 80 or so pages at the end of my favorite photobooth shots. Initially I thought the photobooth pictures should be in a separate book, but there are too many great shots that really capture the feeling and emotion of the party/reception that I couldn't leave them out.

Although the pictures are not as high of quality as they are in the actual printed book, you can see the entire book in digital preview format right here.

**no compensation or sponsorship has been provided to me by Blurb- I really just love their service and quality product!

Here are a few snapshots of our album:

{turning spicy tuna bowls into an appetizer}

2013-05-21T08:31:00.001-05:00

One of my weeknight dinners is a deconstructed spicy tuna bowl which I blogged about almost two years ago here! We made these bowls for dinner the other night and I thought it would be fun to try turning this fave dish into an appetizer version by making it into bite size pieces.

Technically since this dish is a deconstructed sushi roll, the appetizer version would be turning it back it into sushi rolls. While sushi is great, it is very labor intensive so I decided instead to arrange the ingredients on a bed of thick cut cucumber slices. Following the ingredients and process from the original recipe, simply stack ingredients on top of a cucumber slice starting with the rice followed by the ahi, sprouts, avocado, and spicy mayo. Sprinkle the top of the dish with panko flakes and sesame seeds. Keep prepared slices chilled until ready to serve.

{what i loved this week}

2013-05-17T13:30:00.000-05:00

on instagram: @camillestyles picnic looks absolutely perfect.

chris & I (in last minute costumes) ready to head out to Kellogg's annual 90's party.

on pinterest: "rasmopolitan cocktail" favors from Martha Stewart would be perfect for handing out a bachelorette party. Giving doors a simple makeover that makes a big difference. Love the look of these tissue tassels taped randomly on a wall as a backdrop rather than strung on a string.

on the blogs: I am obsessed with this chic black and gold birthday party especially all the fabulous paper goods!

in real life: It's peony season!!! This gorgeous (and massive) arrangement of coral charm peonies is currently brightening up our studio at Bliss Weddings.

in the magazines: I love seeing Kate Upton all glammed up in this retro spread for Vogue.

on my wishlist: This neon statement necklace sold out before i could scoop it up a few months ago, but now its back in stock at asos!! I love this simple green dress for a bridal shower or sunday brunch. The price tag is bit hefty for these headphones, but I love the design.

{friday cocktail: spring sparkler}

2013-05-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Wedding season is definitely in full swing which means a calendar full of bridal showers, bachelorette parties, engagement celebrations and wedding receptions!! A social line up like that also calls for many celebratory (aka sparkling) drinks so I thought I would whip up a quick champagne cocktail inspired by spring wedding season. The only thing I love more than a great bottle of champagne is a dry and crisp bottle of sparkling rose so that is what I used for the foundation of this cocktail. Add in some Chambord and aromatic lavender bitters and this cocktail is transformed into a sweet and pink drink perfect for the next bridal shower or bach party!

(also- if you are wondering why the main image isn't the usual cocktail photo you see on Fridays it is because I had my camera on the wrong setting and all the photos of the real cocktail were blurry. Hey- that's life- it happens, but the cocktail was tasty and it got drank so that's all that matters right? right.)

Cheers!

{diy shortcake bar + free printables}

2013-05-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

On a recent trip to Trader Joe's, I picked up a pack of their fresh shortcakes which inspired me to create a little diy shortcake bar for a weekend brunch. This little set up would be so perfect to add on to the buffet at a bridal or baby shower. I chose to offer a mix of classic and fun options for the shortcake toppings including the pepper jelly and cream cheese mix to add a spicy savory option! At the bottom of this post you can download all the printables you see used here!

{are flags necessary to hold your shortcake together? no. do they look cute? yes. moving on....}

{The toppings selection I offered included classic strawberries and cream, lemon curd with lavender, and red pepper jelly with cream cheese. Some other great options could be be nutella and bananas or a selection of flavored jams.}

click here to download the shortcake bar instructions sign

click here for the toppings labels

click here for the heart flag garnishes

{jeff+katie's wedding paper goods}

2013-05-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

As you might have seen on instagram last month, we travelled back to Southern California to celebrate the wedding of two of our very good friends, Jeff and Katie. The event was absolutely beautiful and one of the most fun weekends I have ever had. The couple was married at one of the most lush southern california venues called Rancho Las Lomas in Silverado Canyon. Besides being a massive estate with a gorgeous area for the ceremony/reception, there is also a menagerie of zoo animals on the property including tigers and zebras!!

Katie asked myself and fellow bridesmaid, Kay, to help out with creating the menus and programs for the event which we were more than happy to do (and by happy I mean ecstatic- we all know how much I obsess over paper goods!). We drew inspiration from the color of the bridesmaid's dresses and went with a simple design that showcased white text against the saturated blush/coral backdrop. And then we of course had them printed at the best kept secret in downtown LA.

Here are a few snapshots of the menus and programs in action on the big day (you can see even more of the lovely photos from this day on their wedding photographer Cean One's blog right here):

{programs on the ceremony chairs and amazing florals by Chelsea of Hello Gem- the same talented lady who did my own wedding flowers}

{custom beer escort cards/favors plus a little sign you might recognize from here and the

menus at each dinner place setting}

Congrats Jeff & Katie!

{event images via Cean One Photography, all the rest taken by Mint Love Social Club}

{quick entree: pan seared scallops with pea & avocado puree}

2013-05-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

For the better part of my life, I have not liked eating fish (with the exception of sushi- yes I know that doesn't make a lot of sense), but lately I have been making a concerted effort to seek out more fish recipes. Surprisingly, I have really enjoy most of the fish meals we have tried cooking and I am beginning to believe the whole not liking fish thing was all in my head this entire time. We whipped up a quick and easy scallop dish the other night inspired by a lot of the scallop appetizer recipes I was seeing that featured pan seared scallops on a bed of some sort of pureed veggie. I liked the idea of using peas for the base puree, but we tossed in some avocado for an added creamy texture. We used the frozen scallops from Trader Joe's which are great since this recipe lends itself nicely to appetizer portions so you can always have the scallops on hand in your freezer to be ready for guests. Recipe is at the bottom of this post!

what you need:

8 to 10 scallops- we used the frozen ones from Trader Joes
1 avocado
1 cup peas- frozen is fine for this as well
2 roasted jalapenos, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 stick of butter

Puree cilantro and olive oil. Set aside to be used as a drizzle for finished plate.
Place avocado, peas, and jalapeno in food processor and blend until smooth. Salt & pepper to taste. Can add olive oil to reach desired consistency if mix if too chunky.
Lightly salt and pepper the thawed scallops. Add butter to a non-stick pan and place over medium heat. Once butter has stopped bubbling, add the scallops. Cook one and half minutes per side.
Set scallops aside to rest for a few minutes while you prepare the dinner plates with a bed of the avocado/pea puree.
Place scallops on top of puree and then lightly drizzle with cilantro oil.
Salt to taste.

**if you wanted to modify this for an appetizer dish you could portion a small spoonful of the puree in a appetizer spoon and top with one scallop as you see in this photo.

{what i loved this week}

2013-05-10T13:30:00.000-05:00

here's a little round up of things I loved this week- links to each are at the bottom of the post!

Happy Weekend!

on pinterest: this casual summer outfit in the perfect neutral shades (plus I already own the skirt!). these simple white cylinder planters. this recipe for mandarin orange & olive oil donut holes sounds like the perfect mix of sweet and savory.

on instagram: I have been loving seeing all the sneak peeks for the National Stationary Show that is coming up- especially the beautiful offerings from @SugarPaperLA. These rosemary skewers look pretty and add flavor from @inspiredbythisblog

on the internets: Phillip Lim for Target was just announced- I will start counting the days now!!

on the blogs: I was dying over every image from this cocktail & food pairing post on Inspired By This- would love to re-create this kind of set up for a future dinner party!

in real life: I finally hunted down these Zara heels (I actually located them in orange county after they sold out seemingly everywhere and had to have a friend go pick them up to ship them to me in Chicago- thats not crazy. at all.)

in the magazines: The striped paper suite by Cheree Berry in the Martha Stewart Spring 2013 issue is simply amazing.

on my wishlist: This white lace kaftan/cover-up is perfect with summer around the corner and another Palm Springs trip on our calendar for June! I would love to wear this necklace to dress up a simple white t-shirt & jeans ensemble. An affordable black dress that is equals parts sexy (its almost backless) and bohemian

{friday cocktail: the sls rose}

2013-05-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

After falling in love with a fabulous cocktail made with rose and jalapeño at the SLS Beverly Hills on our anniversary trip (see some live footage of me drinking that very cocktail in this video), I just knew I had to try to recreate something similar once we got home.

Ideally I would have found some simple rose flavored syrup like this one that we used own, but I came across this $10 bottle of Jo Snow Rose Cardamom syrup from our local Binnys and was intrigued by the flavor combo. While this isn't what I originally wanted, it still made for a great cocktail. Heat from the jalapeño spice from the cardamom and sweetness from the rose all come together to make for a unique taste that is sure to impress your next dinner guest. You can also substitute a real cardamom pod and regular rose syrup similar to this cocktail.

{last minute mother's day gift ideas}

2013-05-08T09:34:00.000-05:00

I hope you are resting easy with your mother's day gift already nicely wrapped and ready to head out to brunch this Sunday, but if not then here is a little gift guide for some last minute ideas:

1. Fabulous Henri Bendel stacking bangles for her to add to her jewelry box.

2. Luxe mirrored vanity trays at a great price!

3. Tory Burch clutch/crossbody bag in a great springtime color.

4. Not just the normal (gross) flower delivery, but a shipment of pink peonies!

5. A unique and fresh scented Hermes perfume that she wont already have.

6. Elegant La Perla lace and silk robe.

{mango cocktail makeovers}

2013-05-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Now that the weather in Chicago is just starting to resemble Spring, that makeover and cleaning itch has definitely struck me. We have been working on completing a lot of home decor projects that were either half done or not even started yet! In the spirit of makeovers, I thought it might be fun to "makeover" three of the cocktail recipes from my blog using mangos sent over to me from The National Mango board! Here are the recipes for the three cocktails I made over- you can see the original cocktails recipes here: Blood Sugar Sex Magic and Soju Margarita. While I have never actually posted a full recipe for a classic mimosa (because well...it's two ingredients total.), I have posted about the existence of mimosas at many of our parties including this one and this one!

{compensation was provided by The National Mango Board for this post. All opinions are my own.}

{one year anniversary trip video}

2013-05-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

One of the best decisions we made with our wedding was deciding at the last minute to splurge on videography. I love to watch our highlight video every now and then because it completely transports me back to that day.

Our DLSR camera actually takes great high quality video and I have been meaning to shoot more with it as well as learn how to edit it. The trip to The Parker Palm Springs that Chris surprised me with for our anniversary seemed like the perfect chance to try it out! Here's the video we put together using footage from both our DLSR camera and my Iphone then edited in iMovie. After figuring out the basics of the video editing software, putting together the video was surprisingly quick and easy. While I definitely have some room for improvement on both shooting video footage and editing it, having this great little memory of our trip definitely motivates me to want to make more videos of future trips.

Our 4 day trip to LA and The Parker Palm Springs was a much needed trip to warmer weather to escape the dismal spring that Chicago is having. This video sums up our trip which was basically comprised of drinking cocktails, laying by the pool, drinking champagne, playing lawn games and drinking more cocktails - oh and celebrating our first year of marriage!

{friday cocktail: mint love julep}

2013-05-03T09:35:00.000-05:00

I am still trying to come around to drinking and enjoying whiskey or bourbon based cocktails. While there are a handful that I love (like this one or this one), my first preference remains gin for this time. Since we will be viewing the derby tomorrow I feel I must be drinking some sort of cocktail out of a julep cup so I developed a little modified mint julep recipe to suit my tastes. You can see my recipe for a classic mint julep right here if that's your thing.

{kentucky derby jersey stirrers}

2013-05-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Who's ready to watch the fastest two minutes in sports this weekend otherwise known as the Kentucky Derby?!?! Well you will be most prepared if you download and print these drink stirrers that will allow your guests to mark their pick for winner by showcasing it in their mint julep! The stirrers showcase each of the horses that will be vying for that awesome rose wreath this weekend. As of now, I think my money's on "Fear The Kitten" because well...that's about the best name for a pony that I have ever heard (who cares that he is placed at 50 to 1 odds!).

Click here or on the image below to download the 2-page PDF printable of the drink stirrers!

{new traditions}

2013-05-01T08:52:00.000-05:00

For the most part Chris and I tend not to give each other extravagant gifts for holidays or milestones. Rather than buy each other something, we have usually taken a trip or purchased something together that would benefit the both of us such as an item for our home. We never had an official date for the beginning of our relationship so our one year wedding anniversary was the first opportunity we have had to celebrate this kind of milestone.

We decided that our first wedding anniversary would be a great chance to start a new tradition that we could honor every year on our wedding date. We agreed that rather than getting gifts*, we would purchase a small print or piece of framed art each year in hopes of creating a memorable gallery wall years later. We also decided to write notes to each other and attach them to the back of the frame to be read on our anniversary five years later- meaning we won't read year one's note until the fifth year anniversary and year two's note until the sixth year, etc.

Originally we decided on this beautiful photo of a Palm Springs sunset available on art.com, but when I went to purchase it two weeks ago it had mysteriously disappeared from the site! In a scramble to find something we loved just as much to replace it and ultimately coming up empty handed, we chose instead to select a photo from our wedding and have it enlarged to 12' by 16". Our photographers captured this beautiful image of a pair of lawn chairs that were nestled near the dinner tables at our reception at The Cree Estate and something about this image just felt romantic and private (plus the light in the photo is gorgeous)!

*chris broke this agreement by surprising me with a trip to The Parker for 4 days!

{one year}

2013-04-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday marked our one year wedding anniversary! I know it's cliche, but I really cannot believe how fast this entire has flown by. I have heard that people say the first year of marriage is the hardest, but ever since I have been with Chris every single year has proved to be even better than the one previous with this year being the best one yet. Chris surprised me with trip to California where we are currently celebrating our anniversary at one my favorite places, The Parker Palm Springs. The Parker happens to be where we spent our wedding night as well as my bachelorette party so it holds a really special place in my heart.

Re-live all the wedding posts here or the video here.

{friday cocktail: top 5 sparkling bottles under $20}

2013-04-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

Since our one-year anniversary is coming up this Sunday and I am in a celebratory mood, I thought it might be fun to bring you my favorite budget friendly bottles of sparkling wine rather than the usual cocktail recipe. If you follow this blog with any regularity you know that champagne ranks pretty high among my favorite things. Over the years I have developed a set of go-to bottles I can find almost anywhere. Here is my top five bottles of sparkling (in no particular order) which you should be able to locate at your local market or liquor store. All are under $20 and the majority clock in around $10 which makes them perfect party staples or hostess gifts or tuesday night drinking staples (hey- no judging.) If you wanna get fancy and completely disregard a budget friendly purchase then this bottle is the one for I reach for.

1. Saint Hilaire Brut

2. Korbel Brut

3. Mionetto Prosecco

4. Zonin Prossecco

5. Chandon Sparkling Rose

Ill be spending the weekend at my favorite place ever and surely

partaking in some bubbly- follow along here.

Cheers!

{kentucky derby party inspiration}

2013-04-24T11:25:00.000-05:00

With the Kentucky Derby right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to put together a little party inspiration for in home viewing party. I have never actually hosted (or even watched) the Kentucky Derby, but I know it would be an easy and festive little party to throw together. All you would really need is a few mint juleps and tea sandwiches plus requiring ladies to wear fabulous hats and gents to don a bow tie. Throw in a few grass green party decorations as well as maybe these awesome party favors and you are ready to go!

{side dish: red beets with avocado puree}

2013-04-23T10:35:00.001-05:00

The same line of thought that led me to want to make the kale aid smoothie last week also steered me in the direction of wanting to a find a healthier/lighter side dish option to go along with some fish Chris cooked up last week. I spotted this dish over the Kitchy Kitchen (one of the best food blogs out there in my opinion) and I knew it would be perfect! We decided to cheat by buying pre-steamed red beets to cut the cooking and prep time down. We also added in some chopped walnuts for a little bit crunch as well as chipotle yogurt sauce for a little bit of spice. For the chipotle yogurt sauce we simply mixed about 1/4 cup of plain greek yogurt with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chipotle peppers and sauce (you can add more of less depending on how spicy you would like it).

This turned out way better than I could have ever imagined! The chipotle yogurt sauce sort of stole the show so I highly recommend adding it in since without it I think this dish might lack a bit of flavor. This recipe worked perfectly as a side dish, but would also come out nicely as an appetizer especially one that travels well since it can be served cold!

{friday cocktail: the other london}

2013-04-18T00:01:00.001-05:00

Chris recently took a trip up to Canada and brought me home a bottle of reaaaally good maple syrup. There are two things you should know about this gift: first of all, my mother is Canadian so maple syrup is what I was basically raised on it and second, Chris and I have a longstanding argument concerning Aunt Jemima vs Authentic Maple Syrup. Maple syrup makes for a great sweetener for cocktail recipes so we decided to try some out using the new fancy bottle. Since the syrup Chris brought home is made in London, Ontario, we decided to name the cocktail "the other london." It is definitely a more sweet recipe than most of the whiskey recipe I have posted and the dark rum rounds out the edge of the whiskey so its suitable for those who don't normally choose a whiskey cocktail (like me!).

Cheers!

{true food's kale aid smoothie}

2013-04-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite places to go when I'm in Southern California (besides my first love) is True Food Kitchen, the menu is incredibly fresh and tasty plus they have a fun cocktail list. Even if I don't have time for a full meal there, I love to stop in and grab their Kale Aid smoothie!

After returning home to a very rainy Chicago this week, I decided a Kale Aid smoothie would be a great reminder of warmer weather. A little googling and I was able to find the exact recipe and you can see my adapted version below which adds in almond milk instead of water and a splash of agave nectar for added sweetness! This smoothie is super refreshing as well as good for you- don't let the leafy ingredients and green color scare you away!

what you need:

half cucumber, peeled & sliced
juice of one lemon
1 cup kale, de-stemmed and chopped
1 stalk of celery
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 chunk fresh ginger, peeled
3/4 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon agave nectar

Add all ingredients into blender or food processor until all leaves are fully incorporated.
Enjoy!

{a little vacation shopping}

2013-04-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

In case you were wondering why blog posts around here were a bit light for the last two weeks it is because I was spending time in California attending a host of wedding related activities for two of my girlfriends plus a little trip up to San Francisco to visit my parents. Even though my two week trip included a bachelorette weekend in Santa Barbara, a bridal shower, a 5 day trip to SF and a full wedding weekend in Orange County, I still managed to squeeze in a little shopping! Here are some of the goodies I picked up!

{a little leather travel jewelry case from Nordstrom}

{a fun costume jewelry ring that I paired with my bridesmaid's dress from last weekend}

{vintage decanter labels I finally found while browsing antique stores with my mom

in Sonoma you can find similar ones right here}

{a BCBG dress for a wedding next month that I also wore to the rehearsal this past weekend}

{a tassel keychain from the new C. Wunder store in Newport Beach- comes in a ton of cute colors!}

{a leather jacket from Zara in the perfect of nude/blush}

{I have been wanting to find another leather jacket for years, but finding the right

color (in a reasonable price range) has been a challenge until now!}

{bliss weddings & events' KIKI party}

2013-04-11T10:04:00.000-05:00

Today over on the Bliss Wedding blog, we are finally sharing the photos from the Kiki party they threw to welcome their newly opened Bliss Studio & office space! Check out the inspiration board I put together for their event below as well as a few snapshots and head over to the Bliss Blog to see more!!!

This is one of the best party themes I have seen in a long time! Inspired by the Scissor Sisters song "Let's Have a Kiki" (go enjoy that gem right here). A kiki party would be perfect theme to use for a bachelorette party theme or a milestone birthday!

{find out all the details on the kiki kiss mirror later this week on the bliss blog}

More shots from this fabulous party theme right over here.

{all images via Studio This Is, Inspiration board by Mint Love Social Club}