taking a tennessee swig

Posted by kait / November 26, 2013

The wanderlust is getting stronger, folks. This time I’m having visions of creekside picnics, long hot (but wonderful) days full of distillery tours and some of the best folk music you’ll hear in the North America. Yes, those deep South states are calling out to me and it is only a matter of time before Byron and I will have to pack our rucksacks and head down there.

It is not just the sweet bluegrassy sounds that are sending out siren calls for me – it is also the beautiful brown liquors that make you want to sidle up to the porch in an antique rocking chair and breath in the fresh Appalachian air. Tennessee in particular is topping the destination list for me right now. It may have been a vision in the night or perhaps it was the Jack Daniels‘ party I went to last week launching the Sinatra Select bottle in Canada. Invited to attend the soiree at Teatro’s Opera House, I was sent a simple wooden humidor engraved with ‘Join Jack and Frank’ – enclosed was a Mombacho cigar.

Yes, it was a well known fact that ol’ Blue Eyes had a thing for a good bottle of whiskey and Jack Daniels’ was his first choice. It is no surprise that the two brands (Frank Sinatra Enterprises) eventually came together to create a flagship bottle that fans of both would enjoy and savour. The finish is smooth and the taste is reminiscent of butterscotch and caramel corn. I’ve never been much for sipping straight up booze but after learning how to drink it properly (ie. slowly) I find it quite enjoyable. So yes, you might find me curled up with some No. 7 on the rocks this holiday – not sure about the cigar however…

photos via + Jack Daniel’s

SPREAD THE HOLIDAY JOY

Posted by kait / November 20, 2013

Could there be anything better than writing heartfelt messages to the ones you love during the holiday season? Well, perhaps writing said heartfelt messages on beautifully customized cards created by some of the most talented designers out there. I was first introduced to Minted three years ago when I first attended Alt Summit in Salt Lake City. Minted was there and shared some of their beautiful new designs with us bloggers and well, the rest is history – I totally fell in love with their product. I love browsing through the thousands of curated designs, seeking out the perfect card to send to my friends and family and clients.

Last year, my cards from Minted were perfectly vintage-inspired with a plum pudding – everyone loved them! I got a chance this week to peek through their Holiday 2013 designs and there sure are some winners in there. Since we don’t have kids I tend to prefer the non-photo graphic cards (I don’t think anyone really wants photos of just Byron and I) and I found SO many that I fell in love with, as you can see here. I definitely swoon over those vintage-style fonts and bright happy colours and classic holiday imagery (think partridges, station wagons and party favours).

They’ve also upped their game this year with Holiday party invitations and table decor so that once you send your cards out, you can continue the fun at home for your annual open house party. Oh, Minted what will you think up next? I’ll be sitting here waiting to find out. xx

A Partridge in a Pear Tree // The Christmas Tree // Merry & Bright // Fa La La La //Retro Resolution

PAY IT FORWARD

Posted by kait / November 13, 2013

Happy International Day of Kindness, pals! I hope that you are able to go out of your way today to be kind to someone, anyone. It only takes a moment to make someone smile and let them know that they matter!

Today a very dear friend of mine surprised me at our coffee date with a super thoughtful gift. It was just the simplest thing but I was blown away that she had thought to surprise me with a little present. In honour, of International Day of Kindness, I thought that, I too, shall pay it forward to someone special. I’ve partnered with Etsy Canada for their Pay It Forward Project to treat one of my readers to an awesome one-of-a-kind gift from some of the amazing indie retailers on Etsy.

I searched and searched and finally found my perfect Pay It Forward gifts! As you probably can tell, I love paper products with a passion. If you’ve ever seen my office, I am a bit of a hoarder of pretty paper bits, letterpress prints and amazing greeting cards (which I love to frame – mini art!). Well, I thought I would pass my love of printed goodness to you.

In honour, of all the amazing beer and food out there, I thought this gorgeous Beer + Food Pairings Calendar from Red Cruiser Illustration would be an appropriate way to start the new year! Keeping with the theme of tasty goodness, you’ll also get this sweet letterpress note card of everyone’s favourite hot sauce, Sriracha from Printerette Press. And because, I love dogs I couldn’t resist throwing in this adorable dachshund Woof! card from Quill & Fox. Frame those two cards up and you’ve got instant letterpress art ready for your walls. Or you could pay it forward it write someone a heartfelt note.

To win this little package of goodies all you have to do is leave a comment here telling me your plans to perform a random act of kindness this week! It could be absolutely anything from shovelling your neighbour’s walk to treating your girlfriends to dinner. I can’t wait to hear what you’ll get up to. The giveaway ends with a random drawing this Friday November 15th at 12noon so be sure to get your entry in!

In the meantime, I hope you celebrate International Day of Kindness with a smile and with the intention to be good to people.

UPDATE: Giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Diana Prymack for winning + sharing your paying it forward stories!

THE PICARD MANEUVER X FIESTA MOVEMENT

Posted by kait / November 12, 2013

Over the past couple of months I have been super inspired by the Fiesta Movement. Myself along with a gaggle of other lifestyle bloggers have been sharing this exciting movement to get out more and experience life to the fullest. Meanwhile, Fiesta Agents from all over the world take on the monthly theme and shoot amazing videos sharing their interpretation of the mission.

This month’s Fiesta Movement theme is #entertainment and as I am gearing up for holiday party season I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to brush up on my entertaining skills – namely cocktail crafting. Last month, I was in Victoria, BC for a press trip and visited a great little cocktail joint called Little Jumbo. With a beautiful list of tasty beverages and fresh oysters at our avail, we couldn’t help but start sampling. The first drink that caught my eye was called The Picard Maneuver. Yep, a cocktail with the perfect nerdy reference. It sold me on it immediately. And boy oh boy, was I ever pleased. The layers of flavours in this drink are heavenly, almost tasting like some kind of perfect cloud. I knew it had to come home with me. The Picard Maneuver would be my Holiday 2013 cocktail, most certainly. I quickly pocketed the Little Jumbo swizzlestick as a memento of my time in the gorgeous Prohibition-style bar and made a silent vow to myself that I would recreate this cocktail as soon as I had the chance.

The really cool thing about this drink is that it was created using Victoria-based Silk Road Tea’s London Fog tea. One of my favourite things I loved hearing about on this press trip was how so many of the local producers, chefs and bartenders in Victoria really work together and collaborate on a lot of menu items.

What you need:

Silk Road London Fog tea (made into ice cubes)
1 oz Giffard Grapefruit
1.5 oz Tanqueray Gin
Sparkling Wine
Splash of Lemon Juice

Place London Fog ice cubes in a tumbler. Mix in Giffard Grapefruit and Tanqueray Gin. Splash in a bit of Lemon Juice. Give it a little swizzle with your Little Jumbo stirstick and top up with sparkling wine. The best part of this cocktail is when the London Fog ice cubes slowly start to melt and unleash a soft velvety flavour into the grapefruit that is, well, truly mindblowing. I can’t wait to share this cocktail with friends and family over the Christmas break – special thanks to the creator of the drink at Little Jumbo, Nate Caudle. You’ve changed my life.

Little Jumbo
506 Fort Street
Victoria, BC

Silk Road Tea
1624 Government Street
Victoria, BC

This is a sponsored post and I was compensated for my participation. The opinions expressed are my own.

COCKTAIL O’CLOCK x FIESTA MOVEMENT

Posted by kait / November 5, 2013

I am kind of obsessed with the culture of mixology and bartending. While I have only a tiny bit of talent in the area, watching mixologists do their thing is my new favourite hobby. I was recently in Victoria for a press trip and we ended up indulging in some SERIOUS cocktail sessions at the Cichetti Bar – I had no idea that so much work went into the cocktails I was drinking. From hand-juicing to roasting almonds and infusing spirits, you can really take your cocktails to new heights with a few simple tips from a mixologist. Since I really want to up my entertaining game for the holidays, I figured that learning some new skills would be the perfect self-directed challenge for November.

How appropriate that the Fiesta Movement‘s theme for November is #entertainment. What is the Fiesta Movement, you ask? Well, I’ve been sharing the movement since last month, you can see my posts about #adventure here and here. Bloggers share the movement while Fiesta Agents from all over the world take on the monthly theme and shoot amazing videos sharing their mission!

As I was browsing through the endless videos, I was looking for something that exemplified my love of parties and home entertaining. This Slow Motion Photobooth video totally made me laugh – I hope it makes you laugh too!

Next week I will share some simple ideas on how you improve upon your cocktail game at home and a recipe for my favourite new beverage! What do you love to sip in the winter?

This is a sponsored post and I was compensated for my participation. The opinions expressed are my own.

THE POWER OF PALS

Posted by kait / November 4, 2013

On a recent trip to the desert, where we had been promised (a strong word, I suppose) inspiration, empowerment and next-level networking, some friends and I encountered quite the opposite. There was the three of us, sauntering around the pool at our beautiful hipster hotel, mystified as to how we had ended up in this bizarro gong show of a ‘retreat’ that we had spent thousands of dollars to attend. And while I am sure there were people who walked away from the experience feeling excited and inspired, until we took things into our own hands there was perpetual yawns plastered on our faces.

Instead of dwelling on this and retreating out of the beautiful hot sun, we decided to make our time there AMAZING. Since we all live in the same city, it worked out like gangbusters that the three of us ended up spending our days together. It meant we could actually go home and do something groundbreaking with what we had learned – from each other. The power of pals is an incredible thing, my friends. Not only can a good pal inspire you to achieve your dreams but they also make you smile, laugh, cry and learn how to be a better person. I relished in the power of my pals that weekend. We brainstormed and laughed and met people from all over. We made it completely worth our while.

My lesson learned from this? Never do anything you don’t want to do. Especially, if you know it is not going to help you in any sort of way. Abandon it and feel good about your decision. Find something new that inspires you and lifts you up. In our case, it just happened to be the decor, the cocktails and the people of the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs. Cin-cin to that!

Photo via