Happy Spring & Palm Royale

Palm Royale

 

Yesterday was the first day of spring and tonight is the premiere of the new series Palm Royale set in Palm Beach in 1969. It streams on Apple TV. Meanwhile the weather here in South Florida is a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 - sunny and 70s and absolutely perfect.

A Christmas Cocktail

Town & Country

 

Rosemary plants are for sale everywhere at the holidays (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.). I have one in my kitchen window and love using it for cooking and for the smell. And one of the best cocktails ever uses fresh rosemary. It is perfect for holiday hosting.

Adulting for Halloween

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Some Halloween decorating in my kitchen with my white pumpkin cocottes.

And here we have the perfect Halloween in Florida.

Weekend Fun

Danielle Rollins

 Bike riding is huge in my gated community. It seems very safe as well with very limited traffic at slow speeds. I have decided to get a bicycle and started researching. Of course I have fallen in love with a vintage wicker bike like this, but boy are they $$$. A nice one is about $2,000.  

And my Bartesian arrived yesterday and I inaugurated it with a Jalapeño Lime Shrub to which I added fresh jalapeño slices. It is lime juice and jalapeño and apple cider vinegar and it was fantastic. I ordered a second Bartesian for the lanai for entertaining. 

Bartesian Jalapeño Lime Shrub

I spent the day yesterday in the garden - my Brugmansias have all started blooming and they are gorgeous!

Brugmansia

Upscale Cocktails Made Easy

Bartesian

 I ordered the Bartesian over the weekend and am awaiting shipment. In the event you have not heard of it, it has been called the "Keurig for cocktails." You fill the 5 glass vessels with your own spirits, insert a pod, and in twenty seconds you have the cocktail of your choice. No artificial flavorings, no corn syrup. Great reviews. The screen even tells you the type of glass to use.

With the pandemic, the Bartesian got hotter than hot over the summer and there was a two month waitlist for it.

I love cocktails, but having to keep all the ingredients on hand and the time required and cleanup, not so much. I am beyond excited about this and am choosing all my pods. Fortunately, they have a great selection including all my faves. And they have seasonal pods for Halloween, Christmas, etc. 

I just decided on my pods to start and ordered Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Jalapeño Lime Shrub, Spicy Margarita, and Boulevardier.

Any other Bartesians out there? I'd love to hear your favorites. And I just got notice it has shipped!

"Chinoiserie" Beauty Products

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 I am always been very OCD about my hair and it has to be perfect 24/7. This has been a challenge with the heat and humidity of Florida requiring me to rethink my previously favorite hair products. I am a huge fan of Oribe. Last week, I received in the mail samples with a Nordstrom order of Oribe Brilliance and Shine Shampoo and Conditioner and Supershine Moisturizing Creme and my hair came out simply amazing. I ordered all three and they arrived yesterday. 

And the icing on top, the containers are navy/cobalt blue with gold lettering. Beautiful. I may just have to leave them out they are so chic. 

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It occurred to me that I also love the packaging of my favorite perfume Narciso Rodriguez/black with pink and my favorite makeup Chanel/black with its iconic interlocking CCs. I am very visual, and I'm sure the aesthetics play a role. Do you have any examples of this with beauty products you use? 

A little off the topic of beauty products, but I am a Manhattan drinker and love the packaging of my go-to cherries Amarena Fabbri. Beautiful blue and white ceramic vessels.

Amarena Fabbri

Day One

Casa Chinoiserie Chic

Thank you for all your supportive comments yesterday. Closing went well, although after an hour and a half with masks on in a conference room, I was so anxious to get outside and over to my new house. I had the car already loaded with things to bring over and as I pulled in I had to pinch myself that this is really happening. I did a couple of trips over bringing breakables. I decided since I will be back and forth supervising work on the house, it would be easier to throw things in my car than have to carefully pack everything.

I finally got back here late in the afternoon and had a favorite meal of sushi and Champagne to celebrate. This morning, I meet the painters and plumber and roofer at the house and it all begins.

I can't wait to try out the Samplize paint samples on the walls. I will take pictures and let you know how they work out.

And some miscellaneous updates, some might turn into posts soon.

Simplisafe

I just ordered a Simplisafe home security system after being with ADT in Virginia for years. I will let you know how I like it. Have any of you installed it?

My realtor gave me a lovely housewarming gift including all the fixings for mojitos. They might be on the agenda for later today at the new house.

Mojitos

I found someone on Etsy who handcrafts these personalized hand fans in Mexico with your monogram, logo, whatever you like. I think I will order some.

Personalized Hand Fans

I have wanted a reclaimed lobster rope front doormat and I went down the rabbit hole starting in Maine and Massachusetts and ended up with someone who weaves them by hand in my backyard. She is making a custom one for me.

Lobster Rope Doormats

And finally today, I want to buy a cordless stick vacuum. Recommendations? I had wanted a robot vacuum, but I think with all my low furniture and table skirts and such it will be an issue. I love this Dyson in fuchsia just because of the color. LOL! I seriously want this vacuum.

Dyson V7 Motorhead in Fuschia

The Wine Fridge

Decorpad

In my current house there is a wet bar under the double staircase with a wine fridge. I really like having all the whites, pinks, and sparkling wines pre-chilled and not taking up space in the refrigerator. There is no wine fridge in my new home but there is a perfect spot for one in an existing cabinet just to the right of the refrigerator.

Have any of you installed an under counter wine fridge in your kitchen in a cabinet? It seems like an easy job for my handyman. Take off the doors and cut out to measure. There is an outlet on that wall he just needs to drop. I can use the upper cabinets for wine glasses. Any tips on installation, brands, etc. would be great. Here is a photo of the spot I am talking about.

Just to the right of the refrigerator

And that ceiling fan is going away. It looks bizarre in the kitchen. I was going to Lowe's today to pick up that Harbor Breeze palm ceiling fan for my lanai. I should have gotten it before my post. After I posted on it, the post got a ton of hits and the fan sold out at every Lowe's and online. Hopefully they will restock. Lesson learned. Buy first, post second. LOL

And thanks for the great cocktail suggestions yesterday. They were fantastic. I am making a Total Wine run today and will get the needed ingredients. This will be fun!!!! Here is one I can't wait to try - the Pink Flamingo with rum, fresh lime juice, and pink grapefruit soda. And it's pink and green.

The Pink Flamingo

Happy Fourth - And Clothes & Cocktails

Even though with this pandemic I am not eating out or entertaining, I do have to hope I will be doing those things again, in the not too distant future. So I decided to spruce up my wardrobe a bit, Florida style.

J. Crew is having an amazing sale, and lots of sale items are 70% off the sale price, so they are incredibly well priced. I do hope they come out the other end of bankruptcy and perhaps get Jenna Lyons back for the reboot. Their style has not been overwhelming since her departure, although this summer their selection has been a pleasant surprise.

Tell me these won't all be fabulous in my new digs. The first four are silk. And BTW, dry cleaning is crazy expensive here. I have no idea why.

And, I've decided I need a new cocktail. Except for a great Bloody Mary at brunch, I am a Manhattan drinker. If a bartender can make a great Manhattan, he is a keeper. But I'm beginning to feel that they are 1. Too alcoholic in this heat and 2. Too heavy in this heat. I am primarily a wine drinker, but have gotten into the habit of a cocktail in the lanai before dinner. It has made GG much more tolerable.

So, I need suggestions for the perfect cocktail for Florida. This past week I made strawberry daiquiris and mojitos. They were both yummy, but I'd like to experiment more.

The worst scenario is me sitting in my beautiful lanai in my new home in these great clothes sipping a tropical cocktail.

I am all cleared to close on Wednesday and on Thursday I have painters, plumbers, and roofers all teed up, the latter two are just little repair jobs.

I hope everyone enjoys the holiday weekend as much as possible.

The Chinoiserie Chic Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary Branches

The other day I mentioned making a Bloody Mary. To me, it is the perfect brunch drink and it's Sunday, so I'm sharing my perfect Bloody Mary.

First, the mix. My daughter turned me on to the most delicious Bloody Mary mixes and they are made in Virginia. Back Pocket Provisons. They ship free. Order all three - they are incredible. If forced to choose I would take the Asian one of course - The Bloody Bangkok, with lemongrass, red chilies, and even a touch of fish sauce. The official Chinoiserie Chic Bloody Mary.

Back Pocket Provisions

Next up is vodka. I buy mine at Costco because I am a lucky girl and in D.C. and now in Florida my Costcos have liquor stores. Their Kirkland Signature French Vodka is $20 for a 1.75L bottle and it is the same as French Goose - i.e. rumored to be made by French Goose. Neither Costco nor French Goose has ever confirmed. But trust me, French Goose at a fraction of the price.

Next up is the Fee Brothers celery bitters - not required but such a great addition. I visited them in person on a recent trip and bought a couple cases of bitters in about a dozen different varieties for every cocktail imaginable, but the celery is incredible.

Celery Bitters

Garnish as you like - check out the Bloody Mary branches - these are fun!

Bloody Mary Branches

Before brunch, the puppies and I are driving over to the new house just to drive by and then drive around the area for a while to get a better sense of where everything is. We'll put the top down on the convertible if the weather clears - there was a tornado warning in the middle of the night!

Then back here for a lovely omelet and Bloody Mary. I hope you have a lovely Sunday.

Greek Key Candle/Cocktail Glass

Check out this beautiful signature gold Greek key candle from Emily McCarthy. When the candle has burned its 45 hours, you convert it to a cocktail glass.

New Year's Eve Series - The Chinoiserie Champagne Cocktail

Are you entertaining at home for New Year's Eve? Here are two easy and sensational Chinoiserie Champagne cocktails to wow your guests. You need Champagne and a bottle of Domaine de Canton Ginger Liquer. Its pagoda bottle is stunning and deserves a spot on your bar for the bottle alone, even if it wasn't so delicious.

For a new classic, add one ounce of Domaine de Canton to a Champagne flute and fill with Champagne. Garnish with a twist of lemon or orange or a slice of fresh ginger. Did you know that ginger settles the stomach and combats nausea?

Or add an ounce of pomegranate juice and an ounce of Domaine de Canton to a Champagne flute and fill with Champagne. This would also be great for brunch tomorrow.

New Series Starts Wednesday

Alessandra Branca

On Wednesday, we will begin a series on a Chinoiserie New Year's Eve filled with tips on setting up a bar with Chinoiserie Chic style, my favorite Chinoiserie cocktails, my daughter's bar cart that was featured in Washington Post Express, setting the New Year's Eve table for those entertaining at home, and much more. We will also have an exclusive preview of a Chinoiserie feature in the upcoming issue of House Beautiful.

The Pagoda Cocktail - It's 5:00 Somewhere

I thought it would be fun to toast the conclusion of my pagoda series with a virtual pagoda cocktail. Domaine de Canton French Ginger Liquer is my favorite liquer by itself and it is sensational in cocktails. I think its pagoda bottle with black stripes is the most beautiful liquor bottle in the world. Here are many recipes for drinks made with this wonderful liquer. Being a Champagne girl, this is my favorite, the Canton Royale. Cheers or Gang bei!

THE CANTON ROYALE
1 part Domaine de Canton
3 parts Champagne
Squeeze the juice of a lemon wedge or add a dash of lemon bitters
Serve in a Champagne flute

Chinoiserie Christmas Cocktails

These are two fabulous Christmas gifts for the Chinoiserie lover in your life-Yazi Ginger Flavored Vodka and Domaine de Canton French Ginger Liquer. Please click here for my previous post on Yazi and here for my post on Domaine de Canton. Yazi's red and etched dragon bottle and Domaine de Canton's pagoda bottle with black stripes are the two most beautiful bottles on the market period and the taste is sensational. For about $30, either would make a welcome gift for the sophisticated Chinoiserie aficiando.

Chinoiserie Cocktails

Maybe it's just me, but all that drinking on Mad Men has me in the mood for cocktails, and since this blog is passionately devoted to Chinoiserie, what about some Chinoiserie cocktails? If you have never indulged in this Yazi ginger vodka, allow me to introduce you. Yazi is made from ancient aphrodisiacs using four different species of ginger, plus lemon, orange, cayenne, and red pepper. It is named after a Chinese Dragon, a symbol of strength and confidence. The dragon is etched on this show stoppingly beautiful bottle. Enjoy it on the rocks or in one of these recipes. And if you missed this post of mine on Domaine de Canton ginger liquer, please click here. You will want to display both these gorgeous Chinoiserie bottles on your Chinoiserie bar-here are some great looks to get you inspired. Cheers or "gan bei."

Set of 8 Z Martini Glasses

Chinoiserie Cocktails

Domaine de Canton has quickly become the "it" liqueur, and with good reason. It is made in France in the tradition of colonial indochine in which ginger infused elixirs were blended with fine Cognac. Fresh baby ginger is cut by hand, twice infused with Grande Champagne VSOP Cognac, and then blended with vanilla and orange blossoms from Provence. Its flavor is fresh, intense, satiny, and clean. It can be enjoyed straight up, on the rocks, or in a myriad of cocktails. It is wonderful in a margarita or a mojito. Try it over vanilla ice cream for dessert. It makes an amazing seviche. The bottle is strikingly beautiful, with its black stripes and pagoda styling. The picture above is in my living room where I always keep a bottle on display. The last picture is of a very swank Show House Gala in Beverly Hills named "Chinoiserie au Jardin" hosted by Mary McDonald and Nathan Turner where guests drank Domaine de Canton cocktails with lime, fresh mint, and a fresh gardenia garnish. The bottom line is that the taste is sublime, the bottle is stunning, and it costs about $30. Go treat yourself-cheers!