BACK TO THE BASICS FOR THINGS TO COME!

As I mentally move the junk from the trunk of my right and left cranial hemispheres, I'm learning that moving into 2013 just FEELS better already when I apply the quality over quantity aspect of my thought process, to every facet of my life in general.

It appears that I'm not the only one who feels that life has been too-too for a long time now. As a former bartender, I'm pleased to see a return to the cocktail classics! Justine Sterling, from FOOD&WINE magazine, interviewed several mixologists across the country to ascertain this train of thought for 2013:

"...F&W interviewed bartenders from across the country, who predict a world of restrained and sophisticated low-alcohol cocktails, tequila at brunch and tableside drink service...."

The most elegant cocktail I ever saw was the Martini of James Bond *SIGH*...

Shaken, not stirred, he brings martinis to life!

In the movie, 'Vanilla Sky', Penelope Cruise's character says of Cameron Diaz's character at a party, 'I think she's the saddest girl ever to hold a martini.' James could've given her lessons in sexy and sophisticated, never the more so than when he's blithely sipping!

Back in the day, martini was THE classy cocktail of worldly imbibing, and everyone knew you made the basics with 5 parts gin, one part vermouth. Dry or dirty? Optional. Martinis ruled the world in those days, as did the movers and shakers who drank them. Don't get me wrong, because I love a Green Apple Martini as much as the next frisky femme. But the time for classic martinis has returned. Gin and I are no longer simpatico, so I'll be switching to vodka martinis, Sobieski Vodka martinis in particular, but it will be a smooth transition!

The 2nd fancy drink I learned to make, and very en vogue, was the Manhattan. In an glass made for Old Fashioned's, soak a sugar cube in 4 or 5 drops of angostura bitters. Using a small splash of water, muddle together til sugar is disolved a syrup forms. Add a maraschino cherry, an orange slice, and a tiny bit of the cherry syrup, and gently muddle. Take your time, Old Fashioned's aren't meant to be rushed! Add 2 ounces of your fave whiskey, stir everything together til mixed, and top off with a dash of soda water. Ahhhh... feel the luxury of those cushy red leather sofas yet??? Lively and easy convos? Hip atmosphere? Take your time... it'll hit you!

Manhattans are less time-consuming to make than an Old Fashioned, and as sexy as a Martini. Whether created for a banquet hosted by Winston Churchill's mother for Presidential candidate Samuel J Tilden in the 1870s, or by a bartender named Black on Broadway in 1860, those in the know all agree it claims the name of one of New York's 5 boroughs. Frisky and easy, Manhattans are simply 2 and 1/4 ounces bourbon or rye, 3/4 ounces sweet vermouth, 2 dashes angostura bitters, shaken or stirred over ice til chilled, then strained into a chilled cocktail glass and topped with a maraschino cherry.

Meet another old school friend of mine, Tom Collins!

Shake 2 ounces of dry gin, 3/4 ounce simple syrup, and 3/4 ounce lemon juice with ice.

Pour into a chilled Collins glass and kiss it with some soda water.

Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.

YUM. Big girl lemonade!

My friendship with whiskey soured almost as quickly as it had begun, due to an unfortunate incident involving 7 celebratory shots of a former OG fave, The Floater (3/4 shot glass of Crown Royal topped with Peppermint Schnapps), in 30 minutes. Rookie bartending mistake: NEVER LET THE CUSTOMERS TALK YOU INTO ANYTHING! :)

Now Margarita's are my feisty drink, and they're best at their old-school basics:

Shake 2 ounces of tequila, 1/2-1 ounce of agave nectar, and 1 ounce fresh lime juice 

over ice. Strain over ice into a chilled glass, or without ice into a martini glass that's salted or not. I prefer clear tequilas, maybe it's a myth they don't cause hangovers, maybe it's the placebo effect, but so far Patron and I are still friends!

2013 has only begun, and I'm excited to see where it leads us!

Predicted trends often never see fruition, but I'm betting that getting back to basics 

will indeed make its mark on our lives. 

And why not? Old days, old ways... Some traditions are meant to be kept!

SPRING HAS SPRUNG & SKIN IS IN!

Ahhhh, SPRING!!!
Harbinger heralding the return of SUMMER!
No finer season in my eyes!
But first, we have prep work, and if we begin in Spring,
we have plenty of time to be sloughed, sassy, sunned,

and suited, in time for the sizzling temps to come!

Maybelline's Baby Lips lip gloss and treatment is a gift you should give your lips all
year long! This genius product combines an SPF 20 with hydrate-you-long-time chapped lip
fighting power with a sheer tint (or no tint if you prefer) of color. Grape Vine 020 is how I roll!
Maybelline promises a smoother looking lip in 4 weeks time but I notice a difference as soon as
I apply. My lips do the silky smooth happy dance smile upon application! And I notice fewer
fine lines asap. Since I've used it a couple times daily for less than a couple weeks, I doubt it's renewed my lip line-eage that quickly, I attribute the look to the quality of the gloss.
Whatever. I don't care how I get to the result, as long as I get such a great result!
$3.99 at Target!

  

I read tabloids for their photos ('See, without retouching stars pretty much really DO look just like us!'), and because celebs get products we'll get, LONG before we get them! They're great learning tools for seeing cool & unique ways of putting styles together, allowing us to ponder how to modify for ourselves while we await the arrival of said clothing, bag, etc. I get really upset with myself if I find I'm turning into a fashion SHEEP, but I have fallen in a most major way for celeb status symbols at least twice. The first time took me 5 yrs before I purchased the Balenciaga motorcycle bag, now deemed 'The Classic' I believe. I'm still in love with that bag. The 2nd time was after watching caravans of celebs sporting Havaianas flippies all summer, every summer! Havaianas were birthed in 1962 and modeled after the Japanese Zori sandal, using a textured-rice pattern on the footbed of the sole, to honor their heritage.

It took me only a couple seasons to give in to the mystery of Havaianas (Ha vah YAH nus); I bought
a dozen pairs in different colors for myself and another half dozen for fam and friends. If you think the $2 versions are compatible, you'd be incredibly wrong, and I encourage you to try them to believe them! SKIN IS IN, and Havaianas has you covered! $26 and available at so many department stores, online stores such as revolve.com (free shipping and returns!), and also at their website: www.havaianas.com. My new faves are these Slim Animals in White/Rose, though I'll be getting the
Slim Animals in dark brown as well. TIP: I bought mine at Macy's on sale for lotsa $$$ off the retail price, so google 'coupons for Macys' and see if you can luck into a deal on the most comfy shoes I've ever worn! And I wear them all year here in Florida, where my feet don't start hurting until about 10 hours of wear. But that's just feet screaming #fatiguefail, not Havianas fault, I'm sure! 

'I can see her
brown skin shining in the sun...
You got your hair slicked back...
and... WAYFARERS on baby!'

1952... RayBan struck gold with the ultimate in style hip!
Wayfarers gilded a lotta lilies in those days, and became a classic.
Don Henley immortalized them in another classic hit, 'Boys of Summer'.
And except for a pair of Diesels bought in a rush cos a friend sat on my Wayfarers, I refuse to buy anything but.

Price ranges from $125-$200, in new shapes, sizes, lens colors, UV-protection, and even polarized!
Besides their official website, you can find Wayfarers at Sunglass Hut (often on sale), and at department stores. Your eyes will thank you! Added bonus, fewer crow's feet! 

'Popsicle... It's not Summer... Without It...'

I remember...

Breezy summer days and comfy summer twilights spent chasing lightening bugs, playing tag, fishing off the houseboat in the lake, holding seances at our summer bff's across the street from Gran and Pa's house... practicing gymnastics and cheerleading... happily helping with chores, they were so much fun the way Gran and Pa made them for us in those rolling Tennessee hills... hitting the pool in our new hot stuff teen 'kinis... pretending not to notice the buff little hotties... pretending we didn't care if they didn't notice us... little burgers at The Blue Circle... sketching our pencils to a nub... and ohhh soooo many others amazing memories. And Popsicle was there for them all! Banana was my choice, and it seemingly disappeared for awhile, to return nowadays as 'Banana Mania'. I'll google to find locations, cause Summer really ISN'T summer, without Popsicles, for me!

While we're in a SKIN frame of mind, how cool is this beach towel?!
Gorgeous feline!!! While I'd never wear or own an exotic animal skin,
the beauty of their prints are undeniable. This adorable fella's available at Target and target.com
for around $15. 

Betty and Veronica, more childhood faves that rocked my summer!
Matter of fact, I have such fond memories of their warm weather antics that I still read them every summer beside the pool and at the beach. Sometimes, you CAN go home, and whether you buy used Ebay copies (which I prefer doing, recycle!), or new versions, Betty and Veronica will be happy to get you in the summer swing of things!

You'll likely end up mad as a hatter if you enter summer's UV-10 rays without the  protection of a hat! Not only could it help prevent a nasty case of sun stroke or worse, it will rev up your entire pool and/or beach side ensemble, evoking sights and senses of Cap D'Antibe in the '50s! What a visual: lounging along the Mediterranean Cote D'Azur, between Cannes and Nice... If you can't get there, you can feel your way there in your mind, topped by this chic stunner! Available at Target, in the $16 price range. If it gets dirty or lost, the affordability comes in handy!

Summer isn't summer without refreshing summer libations, and Pinterest is FULL of them!
Pinterest will take up wayyy too much of your outdoor summer life if you allow it, so beware this possibility! While perusing, type in 'cocktails' or 'summer cocktails' and prepare to be WOWED!
This Watermelon Frosty (You can leave it virgin or add #Sobieski_Vodka too! I'll be trying it with peaches, mango, strawberries and combos, as well!),
Thank you Kathy, from kblog.lunchboxbunch.com!

Enhances boobage.
Helps hide muffin top.
On-trend stripes and bright colors!

I do believe this is my new 2012 suit!
Halters are sooo flattering for helping rock what little I got!
And side ties? Adjust for muffin spill overs!
Tricolor skin print? SKIN IS IN!
*SIGH*

Purple is my fave color of all and this suit combines  perfect purple with the halter style, and a ruched-side bottom for hip lower waist slimming effect (by not cutting into the muffin top). Love the little ruffling details!

Victoria's Secret is my spot for swimsuits.
I couldn't choose just one, so I chose my top 3!
You can't beat the styles, colors, or price range.
They have an entire bikini, in diff color options, for the same prices as Target!
Besides offering tops and bottoms of all sizes and figure-flattering styles, they also carry tankinis and one piece suits, including sexy cutouts! If you're covered til summer, still check out their summer swimsuit sales around June/July'ish! Great deals if you catch your size in time!

'Tan don't burn, get a COPPERTONE tan!'

I grew up listening to this song, and rocking my Coppertone!
There's still no other smell of summer that makes me as happy as this one!
Coppertone's famous scent is available in every SPF, and also as a self-tanner, which is
the smart way to tan! Trust me, I just got the 'all clear', ruling out a melanoma to the side of my navel!

BE SUN SAFE!!!

Wear an SPF at all times outdoors!

For our finishing touch, for now, OPI has collab'd again with Sephora to create these new shades of Chip Resistant Polishes. We are too busy during our summer days, and nights, to mess with chips. These cool new shades should help eliminate that aggravation for longer than the norm. Bonus?
If you prefer a more subtle summer look in swimsuits, beach towels, etc, pull it together with a fashion-forward daytime mani/pedi nail glitter!

Have no fear, as summer's not quite here, and I'm not quite finished, with my summer prep blogs!
Til then, do stop and smell some beautiful spring roses! They don't last forever ya know, nor does Spring!

"An optimist is the human personification of spring."
-- Susan J. Bissonette