Newport Vineyards and Polo

Last weekend was gorgeous so we took advantage of the weather in the Newport, RI area. We toured Newport Vineyards and did a wine tasting in the outdoor tent. Of course, we also purchased a couple of bottles of wine (Rising Tide and In the Buff) and sat out on the beautiful grounds of the vineyard to relax with a glass.

Then it was off to watch the Newport Polo match with some friends. It was our first time seeing this posh sport and we had such a fun time sitting out on the sidelines chatting, sharing cocktails, eating pannini's from a local deli -- and watching the match, of course.

It's also great people watching. The crowd is a mix of your stereotypical "old money" folks wearning searsucker and picnicing on fine china, and many everyday people like us.

One of many perfect summer days in Rhode Island.

New bag in town

I usually don't spend a whole lot on designer handbags. In fact, I never do. (Do you know how many accessories a girl can buy for the price of a Louis Vuittan bag?!)

But about a year ago I found an off-white leather Coach bag with gold trim for a really great deal and went for it. I loved this bag more than anyone should love any material item. Not soon after buying it, a container of hand sanitizer I carried around spilled in it and though I've tried numerous approaches to cleaning it, the large, orange stain just won't surrender.

Knowing myself, a white bag for everyday was a huge mistake. Live and learn. It's officially in retirement, long before its time, and I'm grieving.

The the new bag in town is this yellow leather Nine West bag that I got a great deal on at Marshalls. I also bought a burgundy, gold, blue and pink Cinthia Rowley silk scarf to accessorize it, along with a chic green Etienne Aigner wallet.

Yellow is so great because it goes great with so many other colors. And since it was a bargain, there is no buyers remorse, and it won't be tragic if when something happens to it.

Beach style obsession

When I picture myself on the beach, I'm wearing a glamorous floppy hat and perfectly flattering swimsuit. I'm sipping an ice cold umbrella drink, reading Travel + Leisure magazine, looking bronzed and shiny and I'm the envy of all.

In reality, when I'm at the beach I'm constantly fixing my bikini to keep everything where it is supposed to be. My hair is in a pony tail with whisps flying every which way, I'm reading Budget Travel, sipping near boiling bottled water, my sunscreened body is full of sand and my shoulders are burned and I'm trying not to compare myself to women on the beach who are actually perfect looking.

Still, a girl can dream. And my current obsession is the chic beach look inspired by the French Riviera.

The Tory Burch crescent bag (lower right corner) is so fabulous, I'm dying for it. But it's a tad out of budget, so it serves more as a style inspiration. The big chunky gold link bracelet is first on my hit list.

I am also in love with the Tory Burch vivian Rattan Clutch:

And though I've never been the type of girl to sport a boat shoe, these Sperry leopard prints have won me over! Perfect for a boating day in New England.

Farmers Markets, Pineapple Mint and Coconuts

One of my favorite things about summer is going to one of the local farmers markets in Rhode Island. There's a major locavore movement driven by organizations such as Farm Fresh Rhode Island that promote the use of local products. Many restaurants here use fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses and of course, seafood from local fisherman.

I hit the farmers market at Goddard Park in East Greenwich last week and there were vendors selling all of those things, plus artisan soaps, crafts, flowers, jewlery, dog treats, and many plants.

I specifically went there to pick up some fresh fruits and herb plants. Last year, I purchased a chocolate mint plant that came back again this season. This time, I bought some Pineapple Mint, Lemon Verbena, and Provence Lavender to create planters and gardens full of wonderful scents.

I love adding these mint leaves to teas and ice water -- and of course, in cocktails. I made a martini using some of the pineapple mint leaves this week:

Pineapple Coconut Martini

1 shot Premium Vodka

1 shot Coconut Water

1 shot Pineapple Juice

6 Pineapple Mint Leaves

A couple dashes of coconut extract for added flavor

Mix all the ingredients ptogether in a cocktail shaker full of ice and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a couple of the pineapple mint leaves.

The reason I added coconut extract is because coconut water doesn't have a whole lot of flavor. Making it this way, instead of using coconut milk or cream, keeps it light.

You can also rim the glass with shredded coconut or use coconut milk instead of coconut water to make this a decadent drink instead of a light cocktail. Either way, it's perfect for a hot summer day.

Here's another coconut-based cocktail post.

Rockin' Red Sangria

The best sangria I ever tasted comes from a down-home Italian / American family restaurant in Rhode Island called Bassett's Inn. The place has been there forever, with its booths and sneeze guard protected salad bar and its 1970s decor. In fact, my fiance remembers sitting at the bar as a kid eating marischino cherries while his father tended bar.

We go there from time to time for some comfort food and during one visit I raved about the red sangria to the bartender, who was nice enough to share the recipe she uses.

Here's how to make this Red Sangria by the glass:

Ingredients:

Red wine

1 oz. Orange Liquor (Gran Marnier or Gran Gala)

1/2 oz. Brandy

Dash of Sour Mix

Dash of Orange Juice

Pinch of Sugar

Splash of Club Soda

Shake all of the ingredients (except for the club soda) together with ice and pour into a large wine glass. Add a splash of soda and garnish with fuit, such as an orange slice, lime, and a cherry.

Relax and enjoy.

Lemon Lime and Vodka Thyme

When life hands you lemons, add vodka. And fresh thyme, and a little lime.

Those are the ingredients in a new cocktail recipe I tried this week using the fresh thyme that we started from seed this season.

I originally saw a recipe for fresh lemonade in Real Simple magazine that included some ways to make homemade lemonade cocktails. I will make lemonade from scratch at some point, but I used Trader Joe's low cal Lemonade (100% organic).

The magazine's recipe for a Thyme and Lime Lemonade makes enough for four, and it suggests letting it sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Who can wait that long? Here's how to make this recipe on the fly, for one person:

Ingredients: One shot of vodka, two shots of lemonade, two wedges of lime and five sprigs of fresh thyme. Club soda (optional)

Mash together the lime and the thyme. I used a mortar and pestle.

Add the lime and thyme to a glass with ice, and add the lemondade and vodka. Add a splash of club soda if you like a bit of fizz.

Stir it up and prepare to pucker up. It's perfectly sweet and tart.

More lemony cocktail recipes:

Limoncello-Basil Cooler

Limoncello Recipe in the Raw

Limony Libations

Light Coconut Cocktails

There's nothing better than a Pina Colada on a hot summer day. But the traditional versions with Pina Colada mix are extremely sweet and loaded with calories.

I've noticed recipes made with Coconut milk or Coconut Water instead of mix lately, and gave one of these recipes a try last night.

The result: a light summer cocktail without the guilt.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Coconut Water, 4-5 shots Clear Rum, 1/2 cup Pinapple Juice

Cherries, pinapple or coconut flakes, for garnish (optional)

Instructions: Fill a blender halfway with ice. Add clear rum, coconut water and pineapple juice. Blend it together for about one minute.

Pour into four glasses and garnish with cherries or chunks of pineapple, and sprinkle in some coconut flakes.

I love the flavor of toasted coconut, so sometimes I rim the glass with that. To make it, you put about 1/4 cup of coconut flakes in a small saute pan and heat them until browned. Then, rim the glass in a bit of coconut milk or with pineapple and rim the glass in the toasted flakes. It's heavenly!

Coconut Martinis are another delic option that you can use those flakes for.

Ingredients:

1 oz Vodka 1 oz Malibu Coconut Rum 1 oz Pineapple Juice 1/2 oz Creme de Cacao
Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice until freezing cold. Pour into a chilled martini glass that is rimmed in toasted cocunut.

Enjoy!

Leopardized beach bags

For my bridesmaids gifts, I wanted to buy beach bags and fill them with must have's for a week of sun and sand. I looked around for a while until finding these sturdy straw beach bags with wooden handle rings and clasp. The only problem was, I didn't care for the ribbon detail on the outside of the bag.

It just doesn't have anough personality for my girls.

So, I went to the local Michaels Stores Inc., found some tan and pink leopard ribbon, and easily replaced the boring brown ribbon that came with the bags.

Since these bags only set me back about $10 each, I can fill them with fabulous gifts; La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral SunScreen Fluid, C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve, Starfish Jewelery, a soft pashmina for the beach, and more.

Sun, sand and jeweled starfish

Starfish are the jewels of the beach, and I'm always so excited when I see a live one in the ocean. I'm obsessed with these creatures and I love the idea of crystal studded starfish jewelry for our wedding.

So, after looking at many gorgeous starfish inspired necklaces, earings, and rings on OverstockSilver.com, I bought some for my girls to wear with their cobalt blue bridesmaid dresses.

I also have my eye on these Juicy Couture Starfish Sandals -- for myself. Starfish will also play a part in wedding guest gift bags. I bought a few packages of realistic looking ceramic starfish (6 for $1.99) at Christmas Tree Shops, and I'll use raffia to tie them onto gift bags.

I'll also use these to create a beachy theme in the entry way of our home and some other areas of the house. We don't live right on the water yet --it's about 10 minutes away -- but my belief is, if you build a beachy home, it will come.

Wedding in Paradise Project: Labels

I recently created personalized wedding sticker labels to place on wedding guest gifts and favors, which we'll give to guests when they arrive at the resort.

I looked at some wedding labels online, which can be ordered and printed for about 50-cents each. But it's more fun and economical to make my own. So, using some stock art and free Picnik photo editing software online, I created custom art for labels.

A package of 60 EcoFriendly White Shipping Labels (Avery) only cost about $5. I downloaded the company's free printing template, and copied my label art into it. Within a few minutes I had custom labels that I absolutely love.

I'll also put these on wine bottles and other gifts that we'll give to the wedding party as tokens of appreciation.

More beach wedding projects to follow.

Beach Wedding Invitations

I'm I'm a do-it-yourself kind of girl, and our upcoming wedding provides plenty of opportunities for me to play Martha Stewart. In the past year since our engagement, I've been collecting ideas for destination wedding decor, guest gifts, etc. and I have so many fun things to do.

The first order of business was invitations. I ordered a number of invitation samples from websites and looked through many invitation sample books at a local print shop. Unfortunately, the wedding invitations within our budget were low quality, and the few I really liked would have easily cost us over $500 for only 50. Champagne taste on a beer budget.

So, using my amateur Adobe Photoshop Elements skills, I designed our beach wedding invitations, bought the materials and printed them all out myself. Here's how:

Custom Invitations

I like designing, so I spent hours figuring out the wording for the invitations, reponse cards, and the accomodations cards and went through many stock art images before coming up with the right look and feel. I went with a Coral Reef theme.

I then purchased a box of 52 blank invitations in Tiffany Bright White with a Pearl Deckle Border ($33) and matching response cards ($30) at a local paper supplier, plus a book of Shimmery, multi-colored cardstock from a craft store ($11), a bag of raffia to tie around each invitation ($3), and oversized envelopes ($33) to match the invitation lettering and accomodate the cardstock backing and raffia bows.

I invited some girlfriends over for an invitation making party, made some appetizers and Sangria using Prosecco and fruit, and within a couple of hours, the invitations were all together, stamped and ready to mail. (Thanks girls!)

Prior to mailing out invitations, we sent out save the date cards. I bought these "Boarding Passes to Jamaica" through Zazzle. We sent those out one year in advance, to give guests time to make travel plans.

So many more creative projects to share. Stay tuned!