Basil Mint Iced Tea

Lately I've been making hot tea with fresh herbs from my garden...it's so easy! No need to bother drying them; just snip off a stem or two and steep for a few minutes. Two combinations that I've enjoyed are thyme or rosemary with lemon and honey. I decided to try iced tea a few nights ago and it was sooo good! Perfectly light and refreshing for the upcoming summer months, so I thought I would share.

First, pour local honey and freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste) in a jar.

 Add one basil leaf and a sprig of mint(I used two basil leaves but I think I would just use one  next time).

Add hot water(make sure it is HOT. I waited until my tea kettle whistled).

After it steeps for several minutes, remove the herbs, let it cool somewhat, and pour over a glass of ice.

Garnish with another sprig of mint(I used trailing mint).

Cheers!

From Hideous to Haute Part 2

I've finally finished my chair makeover! If you missed part one of the makeover, you can read about it here. Here is the result of my labor: (drum roll please...)

Ta-da! Yay! It turned out exactly how I had envisioned it(which is not always the case!)
 My big question now is, was it worth the hassle? I bought the chair for $20 and spent about $40 on supplies so it ended up costing about $60. Not exactly dirt cheap. And it was a very frustrating project at times. But, I have a one of a kind chair and the satisfaction of achieving something. Would I do it again? Only if inspiration strikes(:

Lake Lure

As I shared in my last post, my husband and I went on our first anniversary trip last weekend. We started off the weekend by attending the Block House Steeplechase horse races. After that, we drove to Lake Lure to spend the night at the Lake Lure Inn and Spa, built in 1927. F. Scott Fitzgerald stayed at the inn once(and as he is one of my favorite authors, I found this very exciting!) as well as Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey while they were filming Dirty Dancing. Lake Lure is a lovely hidden gem and only about hour from Greenville, so if you live nearby I would highly recommend visiting!

Steeplechase

My husband and I went on a trip this weekend for our first anniversary. We began the weekend by attending the annual Block House Steeplechase horse races in Tryon, NC. Naturally I seized the opportunity to dress in a 1940's look, complete with  a vintage hat!  

My husband looked pretty dapper(:

The Steeplechase races are an all-day event: before the actual horse races there was a hat contest, parade of hounds, horse carriage display, and a release of 67 doves(for the 67th year of this race). Everybody packs a lunch and tailgates- some people REALLY get in to it, bringing fine china and crystal, tents, and their dogs! 

The horse races began in mid-afternoon and boy were they exciting! The crowds were so enthusiastic, cheering for their favorites. One of the horses fell twice(which I hated watching!!!) and struggled to get up. When it finally got up the crowds went crazy, cheering and clapping. I'm not sure if I will be attending any more races- I really don't like supporting a sport that can injure animals (any thoughts? please leave me a comment). Thankfully, none were injured this time, and it really was an amazing event to be a part of!

There was even a stick horse race for children and adult(which was quite amusing) and a pony race...

Spring Cleaning

 I was cleaning out my purses today and found a check from a wedding that I played in like 6 months ago(have any of you fellow musicians ever done that?) Anyways, my darling husband said to go buy myself something with it, so I happily obliged him. I found this lovely Italian handbag at TJMaxx(on clearance of course!). The only thing that could have made me happier today would have been if I could be sporting my new bag somewhere on the Amalfi Coast...

Poppies

I have been getting into gardening lately. And of course, since I love everything vintage and retro, I have been trying to find a way to put a retro spin on my plants. I decided that the best way to do that is to use retro color schemes. Here is a beautiful poppy that I purchased today! I am in love with the pops of color and have more pretty pastel pots waiting to be filled with more flowers...

First Anniversary

Today is my first wedding anniversary! Today is a beautiful day, almost as beautiful as our wedding day last April. Our reception was outdoors, and we couldn't have asked for  more perfect weather. I wish that we could go back and experience that day all over again. Even though we can't do that, we did save the top tier from our wedding cake, so my husband and I ate a slice of it this afternoon to remember the day. It was so exciting to pull it out of the box and look at the decorations. The only problem now is that I want to leave it sitting out forever. My entire living room smells like vanilla and I am so sentimental that I feel a little guilty eating my wedding memories!

Free Spirit

I drive by a beautiful rolling hill every week on my way to one of my student's homes. Usually there are two horses out feeding in the pasture, and I always kick myself for forgetting my camera. This week I finally remembered. I love watching horses! They are such a beautiful part of God's creation.