March’s Monthly Happy Goals

March's Monthly Happy GoalsThis month is going to be a marathon! Really, I think the entire year of 2018 is going to be filled to the brim with amazingness. Every time I think we will have a breather or a moment to catch our breath we get another call, email or text that gets up right back to overdrive. It’s funny how we began the year with a few dates worth of events and just a few weeks into the new year our calendar is seeing more and more ink. The past few weeks have been record breaking. We are almost ALL BOOKED UP for March and October. We are blessed to have such a following for both John Arriola Films and Le Vintage Photo Booth. With that said it is going to take a lot to keep the stress and craziness at bay. That means we will have to work hard to keep the happy going, so that we don’t lose our minds in all the chaos. That is where March’s Monthly Happy Goals come into play.

MARCH’S MONTHLY HAPPY GOALS
1. Find the time to sit down, relax, and take a load off with a nice cup of tea and a good book. Read some oldies, but goodies, like The Great Gatsby, or anything by the talented Jane Austen.

2. Get back to pampering myself. Recently I’ve been thinking about the good ol’ days of high school, when I had a lot more time to myself. That was when I had time to pamper myself. For instance, I had the time to give myself manicures and pedicures, hair treatments, facials and so on. Man, those were the days.

Adulting is difficult. Every day you are pulled and tugged in every direction. You are expected to perform certain duties, and sometimes life and all of its complications takes precedence over our own well being. It’s easy to forget about ourselves. But we must remember that when we are not well in mind, body and soul we cannot be expected to function properly.

So this month everything changes! I vow to reserve at least one hour every Sunday to pamper ME. Yup, that one hour will be dedicated to ME and ONLY ME. My special time to think about myself and not feel guilty about it. First on my list is a facial and foot soak combo.

3. Have a John Hughes Movie Marathon. Oh my goodness John Hughes was the most amazing story teller. His movies are fantastic! He had such a way of representing the life of a teenager and telling the funniest stories. Both my husband and I are huge fans of his movies and we’ve been talking about having a John Hughes Movie Marathon. And March seems like the perfect time to do so. It will include movies he either wrote, directed, or produced. Excited about this!

4. Be creative! My sweet husband is always encouraging me to pursue my passions in decorating, styling and crafting. He has been my constant cheerleader and my biggest supporter. This month seems like the perfect time to try new things. We have some projects lined up for the next couple months that will allow me to exercise my decorating, styling and crafting chops. It is going to be fun!

5. Explore & Adventure more! It is so easy to get stuck in a routine–a life of monotony. Sometimes you just get caught in the hamster wheel. Our job isn’t so much routine, it’s quite the contrary, rather my complaint is that our job kind of rules our life. I can’t think of a moment we aren’t thinking about our business, clients, and/or future events. I’d like to break from that a bit. I want to explore and adventure more separate from work. For instance, go on drives to take photos. Or explore our local parks. We need some time away from work to call our own.

This month is about taking care of ourselves. It’s about making sure our mind, body and soul are taken care of, so that we can have a wonderful productive day, week, month, and life. Let me know how you’re keeping your happy!

11 Classic Cocktail Recipes

11 Classic Cocktail RecipesEvery year there is a new fad or trend on the horizon, ready to take center stage in the wedding industry. What exactly this new fad or trend is no one can predict until it is out dominating the blogs, magazines and social media. I love trends as much as the next person, however, I don’t like the disposability of it. Sadly, the trend is here today and suddenly gone tomorrow. I prefer something that will leave a lasting impression on the day of and for years to come. And I am not the only one who feels the same. Many newly engaged couples feel as I do.

These couples aren’t scared off by words like, “old-fashioned,” “traditional,” and “conventional.” Rather, they are intrigued by such an idea. They desire a wedding filled with classic touches. They are looking to inject their wedding with tried and true traditions or classic elements that were once a staple in weddings. They see a value in what used to be, rather than a fad that may be here today, but gone tomorrow. They desire a wedding that is timeless and won’t show its age in 10 or 20 years.

Creating a wedding filled with classic or traditional details is quite easy, there are a multitude of ways to do so. You won’t have any problem finding just the right elements for your special day. One lovely way to do so is through classic cocktail recipes. You will likely serve your guests a drink or two, so why not serve up a classic cocktail. Whether you choose one, two or all of the following recipes, your guest will thoroughly enjoy them!

These 11 Classic Cocktail recipes are sure to be a favorite on your wedding day and for years to come!

OLD-FASHIONED WHISKEY SOUR
1 1/2 oz. whiskey
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
4 tsp. cherry juice
5 oz. sweet and sour mix
olives or mushrooms to garnish

Mix whiskey, bitters and cherry juice in an ice-filled martini glass, and fill the remainder of the glass with sour mix. Garnish with olives or mushrooms and serve with a swizzle stick.

TOM COLLINS
2 oz. gin
1 1/2 oz. lemon juice
2 tsp. sugar syrup
splash of soda water

Combine gin, juice and sugar syrup in a highball glass. Stir, add ice and fill with soda water.

CLASSIC MARTINI
1 1/2 oz. gin
1 tsp. dry vermouth
cocktail olive to garnish

Stir gin and vermouth with ice cubes in a mixing glass until chilled. Then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cocktail olive.

CLASSIC CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
sugar cube
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
3 oz. Champagne
1/2 oz. cognac
twist of lemon
slice of orange to garnish

Soak sugar cube with Angostura bitters in a Champagne flute. Add Champagne and cognac, squeeze in a twist of lemon and garnish with half a slice of orange.

GIMLET
1 1/2 oz. gin
2 tsp. lime juice
wedge of lime to garnish

Shake gin and lime juice in a shaker with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

MOJITO
5 mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh chopped lime
2 oz. white rum
1/2 oz. sugar syrup
1 tsp. superfine sugar
splash of soda water
sprig of mint to garnish

Muddle mint leaves and fresh lime (with peel). Shake with rum, syrup and sugar, and pour into a highball glass. Top with soda water and garnish with a sprig of mint.

CLASSIC BLOODY MARY
2 oz. vodka
3 oz. tomato juice
1/2 oz. lemon juice
black pepper and salt
3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 drops of Tabasco sauce
wedge of lemon and celer stalk to garnish

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a highball glass over crushed ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge and celery stalk.

MANHATTAN

2 1/2 oz. bourbon
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
4 dashes of Angostura bitters
maraschino cherry
orange peel to garnish

Combine bourbon, vermouth and bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Strain over a cherry placed in a chilled martini glass. Rub the cut edge of the orange peel over the glass rim and twist it over the drink.

OLD-FASHIONED
1 tsp. sugar
splash of water
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
1 maraschino cherry
wedge of orange
2 oz. bourbon

Mix sugar, water and bitters in an old-fashioned glass. Add cherry and orange wedge. Muddle into a paste, then add bourbon. Fill with ice and stir.

MINT JULEP
1 tsp. superfine sugar
5-6 mint leaves
3 oz. bourbon
sprig of mint to garnish

Muddle mint leaves with sugerfine sugar and a splash of water in an old-fashioned glass. Fill with ice, top with bourbon and garnish with mint sprig.

FRENCH 75
2 oz. sour mix
1 1/2 oz. cognac
5 oz. Champagne

Combine sour mix and cognac in a Collins glass with a litter ice, and stir. Fill with Champagne, then garnish with a French flag!

Cocktail Source THE COCKTAIL 200 Fabulous Drinks by Jane Rocca

XOXO Valentine Wreath

XOXO Valentine WreathThanksgiving has come and gone. Christmas has come and gone. And New Year’s has come and gone. Now we have Valentine’s Day to look forward to. What does Valentine’s Day have in store for us? Hearts, kisses, candy, red, pink, a romantic candle lit dinner for two and everything else synonymous with the day. I am partial to this holiday as it includes a few of my obsessions, hearts, the color pink, and the color combo of pink, red and white. During this time I like to sink my teeth into some fun and pretty DIY Valentine’s Day projects. Today I’m sharing one of my favorite Valentine projects, an XOXO Valentine Wreath.
XOXO Valentine WreathCreating this XOXO Valentine Wreath is easy and quick to make–my favorite kind of project.  And can be personalized depending on the supplies you have on the ready or available to you. I gathered materials I already had in my craftroom, so many of the items may no longer be available. However, there are easy to find alternatives during the Valentine season. If you aren’t crazy about the XO letters or lips, switch them out for something more your taste. For instance, flowers, the word LOVE, or hearts.XOXO Valentine WreathWHAT YOU’LL NEED
– 1 wreath round form 12in (I used a 12in. Biodegradable Craft ring, bought at Walmart, it looks like a flat wreath form. However, any wreath form will do. Whatever tickles your fancy will be fine.)
– 1 spool of cotton yarn. Depending on the kind and size of wreath you decided to use will vary the number of spools. (I bought mine at Walmart made by Sugar ‘n Cream yarn in the color Seabreeze)
– A pack of XO letters. Enough to go around the form.
– A pack of rubber lips. Enough to go around the form.
– hot glue gun
– glue sticks
XOXO Valentine WreathDIRECTIONS
1. Begin by applying a drop of glue on the back of your wreath form and place the end of the yarn on top of the glue. Give it a moment to dry. Then add another drop of glue on top of the yarn and previous glue drop. That means you will have a layer of glue, the yarn and another layer of glue. This will secure the yarn and keep it from moving as you begin to wrap the yarn around the wreath form.

2. I planned to wrap the yarn around the wreath only once, therefore, as I wrapped the yarn I made certain there were no gaps in between.

3. As I wrapped the yarn on the wreath form I applied a small amount of glue to the BACK SIDE to secure the yarn. I did this about every 2-3 inches. If you don’t apply the glue, every time you let go of the yarn it will unravel. This little bit of glue will secure the yarn and allow you to leave the project if need be or take breaks without disrupting the work you have already done.

Note: I will say this was the most tedious part of the whole project. It took quiet a while to completely cover the entire wreath. Once the wrapping was complete, I did have some achy fingers afterwards. I would suggest taking a few breaks during the wrapping process to let your fingers rest a bit.

4. Once you have finished wrapping your wreath form and the glue has dried, you may move on to the next elements.

5. I placed the XO letters and lips on the wreath playing with the arrangement. Once I found a sequence and spacing I was happy with I then began the gluing.
XOXO Valentine Wreath
XOXO Valentine Wreath6. I let the glue dry and once it was dry it was ready to be hung.
XOXO Valentine Wreath
XOXO Valentine Wreath

 

 

February’s Monthly Happy Goals

February's Monthly Happy GoalsCan you believe we are entering the second month of the year? I surely can’t. It seems like yesterday we were preparing for the holidays. Well, the time has flown and it is time to acknowledge February is upon us- I don’t want to, but I must. Now to get into February’s Monthly Happy Goals.

FEBRUARY’S MONTHLY HAPPY GOALS
1. Savor all that February has to offer! For instance, good weather, my hubby’s birthday, Valentine’s Day, and love.

2. It’s my husband’s birthday this month and we plan to celebrate ALL month long! With cake, unexpected excursions, movie nights, dance parties, and many more fun activities.

3. It’s the month of LOVEEE and to celebrate we must have many, many, many candle lit dinners for two. Dinner should be made into a big to do. We get so busy throughout the week and dinner time is the perfect opportunity to slow down and enjoy one another. And to do so I am planning many romantic dinners for two.

A romantic dinner for two doesn’t have to be such a grand thing. For instance, at home make meals special. Turn on some music, turn the TV off, and dim the lights. Voila, you have a romantic dinner for two. If you’re feeling more ambitious move the meal outdoors on a patio or porch and add a few twinkle lights.

4. Make handmade Valentine goodies for family and friends. Create something pretty to handout for Valentine’s Day.

I was such a huge fan of Martha Stewart. Just how much of a fan? You could fine me on any given day making something published in her magazine or made on her morning show. I especially loved all the creations she made for the holidays. For instance, handmade cards, crafts, cookies, or other goodies for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s, Easter and so forth. I’d follow her religiously making everything she made and gifting them to friends and family. I haven’t done any of that in the last few years. Two-thousand eighteen is the year of change. No more excuses. I can’t blame the lack of time no longer. I just have to make the time and do it.

5. Don’t be shy and really get into the Valentine’s Day spirit. That means wearing everything and anything with hearts, anything pink or red is a YASSS, glittered anything is welcomed, and lace and ruffles are a must. Hey, you only live once and it’s time to seize the day!

I hope you have a splendid February filled with tremendous love, loads of candy, lovely goodies and romantic dinners. Let me know how you are spending your February and Valentine’s Day.

xoxo
Brenda Martinez-Arriola

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