Today my  blogger friend Amanda Thomas of Here Comes the Sun shares her take on a fresh favorite- vodka mojitos in a jar! Here’s what Amanda has to say about the drink:

It’s summertime here in New Zealand at the moment, and there’s nothing quite like a fresh and fruity cocktail to get you through a heat wave. Mojitos are traditionally made with white rum, but in our home we have a tradition of making them with vodka and we think it tastes just as good! If you want more of a fruit-kick it also tastes great with a flavoured vodka like strawberry or passionfruit. The mint leaves give it a beautiful fresh taste and it’s always a hit at picnics and dinner parties. Enjoy!

Cut up four of your limes into wedges and place them into your jug along with the vodka and soda water. On the stove, melt equal parts sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved and add this syrup to the jug as well. Mix in fresh mint leaves (crush them a little first so that the essential flavours are released) and one cup of lime juice. Stir the jug and serve into jars filled with 3-4 cubes of ice. Slice your final lime through the middle to create circular segments and place one segment on each of the mason jars for garnish.

Have you ever stumbled on an inspiring picture that you just can’t get our of your mind? When I saw this living room picture from Lonny Mag, I was instantly obssessed. The floral wallpaper, fun art, and glamorous bar cart! So lovely. But where could I find art like that for my home? Well, I recently found the answer!

The heart art is an Andy Warhol piece, and I can buy my own from Art.com. I never studied Andy Warhol in any of my college classes, so I wasn’t familiar with much of his work besides the Campbell’s Soup Cans and Marilyn Monroe. I was surprised to find quite a few of his pieces that I’d love to have in my home! Right now I’m saving my pennies to buy my own framed piece from Art.com, and am so relieved that they actually have affordable framing services too! (I just found out how expensive custom framing is- yeow!) I’m thinking we’re going to spring for the Elvis, or as I call it, The Douling Elvises. How fun would that be?! Which one is your favorite?

Winter is a great time to pile on extra glamour with fancy gloves and luscious fur collars. I’ve collected some vintage furs through the years, and I think they make all of my winter outfits more interesting- no hat necessary! (Though hats are always an added bonus, of course.) Fur is obviously a controversial addition to any outfit, but I’m of the mind that wearing vintage furs is alright, as they otherwise would just be collecting dust at antique shops and vintage stores. Reuse and recycle, right? But what about you? Would you ever wear vintage fur? And what do you think about wearing faux fur?

O U T F I T   D E T A I L S :

dress: Call Me Chula on Etsy | shoes: ASOS (sold out – similar pair here) | gloves: Medina Antique Mall
fur: Secret Past (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) | tights: ASOS (sold out – similar pair here) | necklace: thrifted
photos by Phil