Something {Pink} to Drink!

By {Whitney}

8 Reasons Why you should be drinking the Pretty Pink Potation called Rosé ALL Summer long...

1.) It's striking hue can range in shade from Pale Salmon to Electric Watermelon to Deep Cherry.  These shades of pink are certain to make even the most depressed of individuals happy.  

2.) It contains moderate levels of alcohol.  And that makes you happy too.

3.)  It is easy on the pocketbook.  You should never have to pay more than $20 for a phenomenal rosé. Another reason to make you happy. 

4.) It is what they drink in the South of France and at P Diddy's parties in the Hamptons.  Therefore you will look cool drinking it.

5.) They range in sweetness levels.  Whether you have a sweet tooth or like your wines dry as a bone, you'll find one that suits you.  

6.)  They pair with just about every food under the sun.  Burgers, Seafood, Salads, Tacos, BBQ, Pizza, etc.  

7.)  It ain't no White Zin!  Contrary to popular belief, not all rosés are sticky sweet.  In fact, White Zin was created on accident as a result of a "stuck fermentation."  This is considered a wine flaw and should never have happened in the first place.  Unfortunately, many people who see pink wine immediately assume it is going to be sweet.

8.) No aging is required.  In rosé world, FRESHER is BETTER.  Try to drink the most recent vintage releases from the winery as they are not designed to age.  

Here are a few of my favorite bottles of the happy pink stuff...
2013 Arnot-Roberts, Touriga Nacional- Clear Lake, California $19
2012 Sauvion Rose d'Anjou- Loire Valley, France $13
2013 Domaine Valdition- Alpilles, France $18

   Cheers!!!

A Vegetable Tablescape {party decor}

By {Morgan}

You've seen the invitations and the menu, now it's time to share my favorite part of a party…the tablescape!

For my sister's 30th birthday dinner, I was inspired by the colorful produce section of the grocery store.

I know I'm not the only one who walks through a farmer's market or produce section and thinks, {wow, gorgeous}! Just check out #farmersmarket & #produce, people love to Instagram the colorful beauty of vegetables.

Before I went to the grocery store, I set my table so that I would know how much space I had to fill with vegetables. I wrote down my vase sizes that I used in the tablescape, and an idea of what could fill them.

At the store, I played around with color & size combos to be sure I had a variety.
When I got home, I washed the veggies and began filling vases!

Carrots | Rainbow Chard & Radishes

Cincinnati Market Radish & Purple Kale | Artichokes

Beets

Radishes

For place cards, I typed each guests name on a piece of brown kraft paper using my typewriter. I cut them and used a straight pin to attach them to artichokes.

 I stopped by Trader Joes to pick up hydrangeas, sunflowers, lemons & key limes.

This summer, get out to your local Farmer's Market, grab some veggies, cook them {and} decorate with them and have yourself a fresh & colorful dinner party!

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The Coconut Cooler {Cascade Cooler}

Chicago is starting to make me believe spring will never arrive.  So I have decided to will winter away by my outfits and cocktails.  I have given up on wearing sweaters completely and have packed away all my winter hats, hopefully I won't freeze.  I have also started making some Caribbean inspired cocktails, here is one that includes gelato!  

Start off with one heaping spoonful of Talenti Caribbean Coconut Gelato in a martini glass.  If you haven't tried these before, then you should!   Pour 1 part Brinley Shipwreck Spiced Rum and Two Parts Cascade Ice Coconut flavored sparkling water.  I have made all sorts of cocktails with Cascade Ice, they have so many flavors {Blueberry Watermelon, my other favorite flavor} to choose from and they are zero calories and sugar free.  I like that they add flavor without adding to much sweetness to the cocktail.  Finally Garnish with any fresh fruit, I used pear and pineapple.  Enjoy!!

Don't forget to vote for my Coconut Cooler here!

xoxo,
Amy

Post sponsored by our good friends at Cascade Ice! 

Host a Wine Tasting like a {Pro}

By {Whitney}

Wine.  It's a beautiful and complicated thing!

Regardless of how much we know {or don't know} one thing is for certain, we LOVE to drink it!  Keep that in mind when you're hosting a wine party/tasting.   It can be a little intimidating at first, but with these fool-proof tips you'll be more confident than David Beckham donning his skivvies during a Super Bowl commercial.

1.)  Pick a fun theme such as; Summer Sippers, Around the World, Hearty Winter Reds, Southern French Gems, or Blind Price Comparisons.

2.) Choose wines that are off-the-beaten-path!  There is so much information at our finger tips that with just 5 minutes of internet research, you will already know more than 90% of your friends.  There is no excuse to pick a boring Cab or Chard that you've had a million times because it's "safe."
One of my favorite go-to wine info sites is www.winefolly.com

•  Search for obscure grape varieties such as; Bonarda, Aglianico, Cinsault, Picpoul Blanc, Grenache Blanc

OR

•  Search for obscure wine regions such as; Loire Valley in France, Casablanca Valley in Chile, or Priorat in Spain.

3.)  A typical 750mL bottle is approx. 24 oz.  In a restaurant, a pour is usually 5oz.  If you're doing a "tasting" of a about six different wines, I would suggest 2 oz pours.  (That is 12 pours/bottle and a half a bottle per person)

4.)  Keep the glassware the same.  No need for fancy shapes and sizes.  Less complicated for the host…the better!

5.)  Say you're doing 3 whites and 3 reds.  It is only necessary to have 3 different glasses per person.  You can start with the whites and then pour the reds in the same glass.  Whatever you do, DON'T rinse them with water!   It waters your wine down significantly and can lower the alcohol content by almost 6%. No Thanks!

6.)  Always taste from dry - sweet.  If you drink sweet first, it will make a dry wine taste unpalatable!  Bitter and yucky.

7.) Quick Tasting Tips

• Why do you swirl?  To coat the glass with the wine and release the aroma.  
• What are legs?  Legs just indicate how viscous the wine is (alcohol and sugar levels.)  This does not indicate quality level at all. It merely gives you hints as to grape variety, and climate in which the wine was produced.  Imagine swirling cough syrup in a wine glass…that stuff would take FOREVER to come down the sides, right?  That's because of it's high sugar and alcohol content.
• When you smell the wine, think of being in the grocery store.  Which area of the store are you?  Are you in the produce section?  Citrus fruit, Red fruits?  Are you in the baking spices?  Vanilla, Clove?   Are you in the meat section?  Smoked Meats, Grilled Meats?   This practice will help jog your memory of aromas you are already very familiar with but may not be able to easily identify in a wine.
• What do you taste?  Is it acidic?  Is it tannic (i.e. does it leave an dry, astringent taste in your mouth.)  

8.) Whatever you do….have FUN and don't take it too seriously!

Cheers,
Whitney

Holiday Cocktail

If you are hosting a party you should always have a signature cocktail.  So when your guest walks in the door and you ask them what they want to drink, you don't get the long "ummmm".  Instead you have something to hand to them to sip on while they ponder their next concoction to imbibe.  When deciding on a cocktail make sure it is something that is very quick and easy to make.  I never want to spend the whole evening making cocktails for everyone.

I recently did this one at a small party and it went over really well.  I used EG Rosemary and Lavendar vodka, Welch's Lite White Grape Juice, and Prosecco.  The EG Rosemary and Lavendar vodka can be hard to find, so you can infuse your own or just use plain vodka.

In a glass over ice mix one park vodka and one part white grape juice.  Add one part Prosecco to the top of the cocktail and finish with a rosemary garnish.  Don't skimp on the garnishes it is what makes the drink look impressive.  Watch out this one will get you if you are not careful!

Cheers to Our Own!

By {All of Us}

We are beyond thrilled to announce the engagement of one of our very own and very funny TSP writers and editor, Casey!

It's safe to say this is going to be a wedding to top all others and we can't wait to help you and Curtis celebrate fully, and with lot's of champagne.

Congrats!

xoxo,

All of Us at TSP!

P.S. Don't be mad we stole this picture off your Facebook... 

Glamour Like Gatsby {Chloe + Isabel}

By {Whitney}

This is a series of 3 posts from TSPers Whitney, Monica, and Molly. You'll see our favorite pieces from the Holiday collection of Chloe + Isabel. Check out Kindal Baki's C + I Facebook page, and site for more goodies and 12 days of deals!

The Roaring 20s were such a devastatingly beautiful era in fashion.  Jewel tones, fringe, dropped waists and geometric prints galore!  Ever since the movie "Great Gatsby" made its way back on the big screen this summer, I've been chomping at the bit to find similar retro-treasures.  The fashion-forward jewelry of Chloe + Isabel have a variety of pieces that Miss Daisy Buchanan herself would adorn.

Check out a few of my favorites:

Deco Cascade Statement Collar Necklace

Crystal Fan Statement Stud Earrings

Jardins du Trocadero Pave Wrap Bracelet

Of course, no blog from me would be complete without a little post about libations as well!  Gatsby knew how to throw one hell of a party.  I may not know what is in Jay Gatsby's glass in the pic below but he sure looks tasty…and I'm sure whatever is in his glass is too!

Cheers!

Fizzy/Angry/Balls

By {Morgan}

I am no mixologist, but I do love throwing together a fun drink when I'm having people over. I'll usually make a big batch and put it in a beverage dispenser, but there were only 3 of us gathering to watch The Sound of Music live on NBC last week, so I used pint & 1/2 wide mouthed mason jars.

The drink to get us through 3 hours of missing Julie Andrews and cinematography ... 

Fizzy Angry Balls ... adapted from Angry Balls.
I love whiskey, I love cinnamon and I love hard cider, so Angry Balls is on my frequently ordered list.
To give it a few bubbles and perhaps make it a little more 'week night' friendly, I topped it off with 7 Up.

For 3 {pint & 1/2} drinks I used {an undetermined amount of} Fireball Whiskey, 3 bottles of {Apple Ginger} Angry Orchard hard cider, 1 can of {diet} 7 Up.

Add ice & Fireball

Add Angry Orchard

Top with 7 Up

Screw on lids, pretend you're a Coyote Ugly bartender ... and shake it

Adorn with {also shaken} mini Christmas ornaments and name tags

Chill in refrigerator, serve and enjoy!

***

To make the ornaments, I removed the top of a mini, clear glass ornament {purchased at Joann's}, dripped in a small amount of paint, covered the hole with a paper towel and my finger and shook. Insert the top back on and you're done!
For the name tags I used shipping tags, washi tape, the j. crew holiday stamp and tied it to the mason jar with baker's twine.

Peace, Love and Angry Balls,
Morgan

Holiday Hostess Gifts

By {Amy}

It is that time of year for Holidays and the Holiday parties!  This is the best time of year and so much fun to celebrate with your closest family and friends.  Everyone knows that you can never show up empty handed.  Since I am traveling to go to these events, normally on planes, bottles of wines and baked goods will not cut it.  So here are a few of my favorite things to give. Hope this helps!

These are some of my favorite spices.  You can pretty much put them on anything to make it taste delicious, but best of all you can just add them to olive oil and have an enhanced bread dipping sauce.  I normally use a baguette or go to Jimmy John's and buy the day old bread, it is only $.99 and wonderful for dipping.  Believe me, it's delicious and a nice easy appetizer for your host to have on hand.  If you want to add a little something extra, pair with a nice bottle of olive oil.  When buying olive oil never buy anything in a clear bottle and make sure it is Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I like this one.

This Butter London Glam Rock nail polish set is perfect for any female host.  Also, after any event, your host will most definitely need to relax with one of these head massagers.  They may look funny, but believe me, it is amazing!

If it's a BYOB event, then why not bring you and your host a copper mug to drink your Moscow Mule in?  The mug always makes these taste so much better!

Finally holiday decorations are always a good idea.  I personally love pulling out all my decorations every November and reminiscing about the story of the people and events behind them.  If you know the person, try to stick with their holiday color scheme.  Some people like red and green while others {like me} may stick to having everything in gold and silver and sparkles whenever possible!

My First Book Reading

I went to my very first book reading yesterday and had a wonderful time.  It made me feel like such an intellectual.  The closest thing I have come to a book reading is watching Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City stand up in front of her crowd.  The truth is, I was there for work pouring Greek wines that correlated with the story. But this made me start thinking that I should attend so many more of these readings!

Available Via

Even more exciting for me was the book was about Greek wines and the writer, Charles Blackstone, is the husband of Alpana Singh.  Alpana Singh is the youngest women ever to become a Master Sommelier and if you live Chicago, she is a celebrity.  She owns The Boarding House, an amazing restaurant downtown and also a TV Personality.

As I introduced myself to both of them, they were so normal.  Talking about things any married couple would and as Charles started to read the book I could hear where he got his inspiration.  I bought the book immediately afterwards and cannot wait to get into it.  Any story that involves wine and traveling, all the while telling a love story sounds like my kind of thing.  I know this Sunday will involve me opening up a bottle of one of my favorite Greek wine, Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko Blend and diving into this book.

Also, if you are looking for something interesting to do I will encourage you all to find a local independent book store and attend one of their readings.  I know that I will definitely go back to The Book Cellar for more.  I am lucky that my local book store also serves wine!

The Dom Experience

Being in the wine industry I am lucky to be able to try all different types of wines on a regular basis.  Most of them are new experiences in trying a brand that is unknown.  There are however those few wines that have been glamorized in songs, movies, or just by being out of my price range.  I feel Dom Périgon fits into that category for me, and I was ecstatic when I got to try the 2002 at a friends engagement party. Barely knowing the couple, I felt a little guilty about trying it, but definitely not guilty enough to pass it up.  I couldn't wait for the glasses to all be handed out and the toast to be over so I could finally try this gem.  When I tried it, I thought that it was good... a great Champagne.  The problem was that my overall experience was lacking.  You know when everyone raves about a movie and then you go to see it to be very underwhelmed? You know that is was a good movie, but you kind of wish that no one told you anything about it and then you could be totally wowed.  I am just hoping I am lucky enough to try it again sometime and be able to write about it with a different perspective.