Because They're Pretty : Macarons

Post #2 in my "Because They're Pretty" series!  Today we have macarons, a fusion of soft pillowy melt in your mouth wafers encasing a creamy cloud like filling.  If you don't know these sweet confections already, you need a meet and greet.  I am not a snobby macaron eater - I haven't traveled the globe and tasted them in France or anything. I haven't met any I didn't like, so sorry if they don't light your fire like they do mine!  This time I treated myself to lemon meringue and pistachio flavors...their bright colors a mere bonus.

~Sarah

Vibes: Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is a day of celebration, specifically one of Mexican heritage and pride. Everyone does it differently but one thing is for sure: margaritas. Kidding.  Sort of.  Going beyond the margarita - when I think about Mexican culture I always see rich colors, flavors and textures.  From vibrantly hued food like avocados, citrus and cocoa...to textiles such as serapes and otomis.  Mexico produces so many beautiful things, it's not hard to see why this "holiday" is often associated with flavorful, vibrant decor and foods.  So in honor of this festive day and a beautiful culture, a collection of inspired items.

~Sarah

1. orange chair  2.  multicolor otomi fabric  3.  sunburst plate  4. embroidered pouf / ottoman

5.  hand dipped pitcher  6.  yellow table  7.  agave syrup margarita mixers

1.  serape oxfords  2.  embroidered crop top  3.  enamel buckle belt  4.  pom embellished dress

5.  embroidered wallet  6.  spiked collar necklace  7.  red wedge  8.  beaded beauties

Sparkling Strawberry Basil Margarita

Say that five times fast!
Okay, so in all honesty I can usually count on one to two hand how many times I consume alcohol each year {never need to add the toes}.  It takes a lot, so I'm no expert.  This time a warm Friday evening and a long hard week prompted me to concoct something special to sip in the backyard.  I was in no mood to go to the grocery store, so I took a look in the fridge and aha! strawberries & limeade were like "hey pick us pick us" - no brainer! Fruity and sparkling, any gal should be on board for a sip or three of this...maybe even the men folk if you ramp up the tequila content.  The beauty of it is that it doesn't require measuring, and you can use more or less of each ingredient to suit your taste. I literally just guessed and it was lip smacking good.

Loose 'recipe' slash assembly instructions below.  Just try to mess this up.  I made enough for 2 glasses, but you can easily double triple etcetera to fit your needs.  Heck you'll probably want to plan a reason to invite a whole slew a' berry basil lovin' folks over to share so just go ahead and get two baskets of plump ripe strawberries. 

You need:

{for 2 servings}

>> Strawberries (ripe for sweetness, cut small for soaking in tequila) <<

*I cut up about 5 big berries for a double shot of tequila, which made 2 drinks

*Set a few aside for garnish

>> Tequila <<

*I used 1800 Silver

>> Basil Leaves (I had small leaves & used about 8-10)  <<

*I cut mine into 3rds, but the full leaf won't hurt!

>> Trader Joe's Sparkling Limeade<<

>> Lime <<

*for a squeeze of juice and/or garnish

Soak strawberries in tequila for about 1 hour

{don't worry about the loss of color - that is normal}

You can muddle (aka smash) before or after the soaking, I chose before

Add ice, basil, fresh strawberries and tequila/strawberry mixture to a glass, about 75% full.

Then top with the sparkling limeade.

Garnish with more berries & basil if you'd like, then badabing it is ready! 

Don't slurp...you're a lady aren't you?

Because They're Pretty : Lilacs

I'm excited to introduce a new series here at royal marigold! It shall be known as "Because They're Pretty".  These posts will be from the hip, occurring whenever I take a notion, but likely quite frequent.  They will simply be photographs {by me} of pretty little things that strike my fancy.  I'm really good at getting lost in something beautiful, and then ending up with far too many photos of it.  They sit in storage collecting virtual dust, and that just shouldn't happen to lovelies.  So here they will be shared, and I reserve it as a 'just because' kinda thing.  I hope you enjoy!

First up: Lilacs

  

 Why do I like them?  Oh let me count the ways. 

>> The soft purple color <<

  >> The explosion of tiny petals that create clumps on a mighty strong twig like branch <<

>> The contrasting bright green foliage <<

>> The attraction of bees & butterflies <<

 >> SCENT! << 

Fragrant sweetness floating through the air on a warm breeze or after the rain...nothing like it 

Lucky for me my mother in law to be has her very own lilac bush tree.  Guess who pops by to admire and collect...why that's me!

** All photos are taken by me unless otherwise noted.  Please feel free to share, but credit back to the original source. **

Mid Week Mix

 Feeling nostalgic

Last weekend I pulled this photo out of its frame when I saw that the weekend hashtag project on Instagram was 'dearphotograph'.  Though I didn't actually 'gram' it, I did shoot it in the likeness of how others shared theirs.  It is a favorite of my brothers and I with our dad, and will always be near and dear to my heart.

A light soaked living room spot

Vintage metals

Organizing my jewelry drawer

A long loved candlestick

A recent attempt: remembering to light more candles, more often

cherry blossom stamps

In my eyes, pretty stamps make snail mail even more beautiful to send and receive! 

My kale is flowering away

Who knew a vegetable could be such a show off?

Stoners

Now get your mind out of the gutter.  We climbed a big rock excuse me, stone.  Stone Mountain Park contains exactly what you would think, a mountain of stone.  While not all that spectacular, walking up this big old stone does make for a nice day date on a sunny weekday.  So when Sam and I had a free weekday {we don't like weekend crowds} together we headed to this park and did just that, likely the only time we will ever get stoned together.

~Sarah

 And since my camera died before we made it to the bottom...we have a little iPhone collage:

  

Herb's the word

There is this barrel.  It is rusty and old and sits in an often forgot and neglected place.  It's never tended to, certainly never pruned or watered.  Yet...this unknown herb of some sort is exploding out of it, and the foliage smells like heaven.  Scented like warm maple syrup.  These stems are begging to be clipped for a place in the home where they can can make it smell like breakfast all day long.  So today when I paid them a visit I took the clippers.  Several plush green grey stems are now on my coffee table and nightstand...and would you know it - I'm craving waffles.

~Sarah

Mid Week Mix

It's raining it's pouring, this old woman should be snoring.... But instead I am blogging and eating peanut butter cups!  The last week was so good the rain isn't getting me down.  It's coming down hard outside and this time I am glad because you know what they say: April showers bring May flowers.  I won't give a play by play of the entire past week but the highlights go here for journaling purposes :)  {I'm working a little extra right now so I'm making the most of my short weekends-hurry up mid May!} Saturday I got to see some of my good friends from college as we celebrated my friend Ashley and her upcoming wedding-bachelorette party woohoo!  The weather was perfect so we sat in the sun and had margaritas with a side of girl talk. After lunch we did some painting at Sips and Strokes where I rebelled a bit and just painted splotchy squares instead of the scheduled owl - girl gone wild. Sunday morning Sam and I enjoyed breakfast outside at a local restaurant before making our first flower buying trip of the year. We planted several, I can't wait to see them grow big and fat and tall.

~Sarah     

If you follow me on Instagram you may have already seen a version of this. But it makes me happy so here I am again, toting happy pink balloons for Ashley!

First succulent purchase of 2013!

Quality time in the yard with my sweetie

Snacks for a quick television break

 {That lasted about 15 minutes.  I swear I am going to force myself to sit down and watch an entire movie before I turn 30}