Over the long holiday weekend, my friend Justyn and I ventured down to Miami because I was dying to go back to Wynwood and walk around some more. It's definitely the kind of place to explore with someone - a lot of art, good food, and good beer. Basically, my kind of place.

dress :: c/o eshakti // belt :: modcloth // heels :: via dsw

bag :: valhalla brookyln // sunnies :: fetch eyewear

bracelet :: free people // necklace :: asos // ring :: kate spade

I'm always envying all the adorable things I see other bloggers doing in their homes. From amazing colors on to wall to anything hung on the walls - it's easy to get caught up in envy. Right?

I'm a renter - I've never stayed somewhere longer than 2 years since leaving my parents house in 2006. Since 2006 (this is counting dorms by the way but not my parents' home) , I've lived in 7 different apartments/homes/townhomes, 8 if you want to count Jason's place in Orlando. Painting is not really an option - we know we'll have to paint again soon enough on our own dime. Hanging things on the walls is a scary thing. Even those special 3M sticky things can really ruin walls!

Stickers 
You know, wall stickers! Ikea sells them, Target sells them, and you can get them pretty cheap online. Occasionally, you can transfer from one wall to another with smaller designs (like birds). They are a great way to decorate and come cleanly off the walls.

Bookshelves
Those standard, in everyone's place Ikea bookshelves are perfection for small places and for decor. I use mine as a 'table' behind my couch, as an extension of a desk for my printer, and now as a divider between 'rooms' in my townhome. They are the most useful things ever and take up a lot of space - which usually brings your eye to them and the cute things they have on them.



Accents
Using bright colors or bold textures as an accent is a fun way to make things more personal. For instance - my DIY colored sofa feet. Or a bright rug!

Prop Up Paintings
Get one of those bookshelves, and on the top, prop your paintings up against the wall. Or put photo frames in the bookshelf. It will give you the illusion of having something on the wall without actually having to put nails in the wall.

Banners, Bunting, and Garland
These are great - they can usually be put up with some shipping tape and do minimal to no (never damaged for me) to walls. Plus, they are easy to DIY. Here's my favorite one for garland via Maddie Richardson.

I'm sure there are many other ways to decorate your rental - please share them! This is just how I've gotten through the past few years.

After a lot of weeks of visitors as well as totally relaxing, I really, really needed to run some errands. Like finally getting a car wash after the harsh winter and 1,000 mile drive. I'm also preparing for Jason's final move down to Florida - which I am so excited about. I'm also excited that my hair is ALMOST long enough to do French braids again. I'm really trying to pull it off here - but the amount of bobby pins in my head is kind of crazy. I also am crazy excited that our Disney cruise is in  less than 2 weeks. Hence practicing the whole 'laying down on the beach' shot.

dress :: urban outfitters // belt :: agaci // sneakers :: kate spade x keds

tote :: sass & peril // bracelet :: c/o shop bevel // necklace :: double dutch boutique

This is a little trick I learned from World of Beer that is SO good either in blueberry beer (402's Blue, Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat, Fat Head's Bumbleberry, etc.) or a light ale.



Get yourself some fresh or frozen blueberries. I like frozen because they act like little ice cubes and dye the beer a bit pink. Plus, they thaw while you drink and are delicious treats at the end.



Put a handful in the bottom, carefully pour, and serve. So delicious!

I feel like it's no hidden fact that I love alcohol - I mean, my blog has cocktails in the name - but one thing I never really get into is the history. As I have gotten older, I've really been into learning the history of things, especially the things I eat. The random facts I know about things grow each time I get overly interested and dive into Wikipedia. For instance - did you know that the blue agave plant, which tequila (is supposed to) be distilled from, grows well in Mexico due to a particular type of soil in the region that's rare to find elsewhere. Jose Cuervo Tradicional®  was the first to harvest the plant from this red volcanic soil back in 1795. Here are some other random facts :

• King Carlos IV of Spain granted the Cuervo family the first license to commercially make tequila.
• The real person who founded Jose Cuervo had a much longer name - Don Jose Antonio de Cuervo. Not quite as catchy.
• Said guy invented the margarita.

So needless to say, Jose Cuervo Tradicional® is pretty old school and pretty awesome. The brand is hitting the history hard in a really innovative way. You can find most of the facts (and more - I had to leave something so you'd watch it ;) ) in the video. The story is told through tiny models of the acts but into actual bottles - hence  Jose Cuervo Tradicional® History in a Bottle. It's probably the coolest thing ever.

PS. Here's the link to this video :)

Getting the opportunity to try this delicious tequila was awesome! Good tequila makes a huge difference in drinks - I personally cannot drink the terrible margaritas with bottled sweet and sour and crap tequila. Not ok! A good, fresh margarita with fresh squeeze lime is delectable. I wanted to do a twist on the traditional Margarita.

So grab yourself a bottle (look for this label) and make my delicious, super refreshing, super limey drink - the Moji-rita. It's basically a margarita + basil :)

Staying at my in-laws place in Florida has always been a retreat for me. So when my friend Leah needed some serious girl time, I thought going to Celebration would be the perfect weekend. Since they got the place back in May 2012, every time we visit has been a really relaxing, wonderful experience. It's a little getaway to me - the restaurants are within walking distance, there is a lovely pool to visit, and a huge lake to walk the dogs around. It's just made for a girls weekend retreat. Leah and I ate yummy brunch each day - including a stop in at The Columbia which I've featured on here a few times before - and got in some sun bathing and good wine. We even watched Frozen since we were in the Disney spirit and all!

tee :: anthropologie // skirt :: target // flats :: target // purse :: valhalla brookyln

watches :: tokyobay // ring :: via the gray colt // headband :: enchanted boutique

I have lived in little towns built in the 1800s for most of my life. I'm familiar with brick houses and a lot of German influence growing up in Cincinnati - and my little cape cod style home even had that 'German' feel. My surroundings have changed drastically - everything here is more Spanish influenced, newer, and built in communities. I swear, everything is named and gated down here. For instance, my community is called 'Heron's Landing'. It has taken a bit of getting used to - but I love my little townhome. Sure, it looks like all the ones around it, and I definitely have mistakenly gone to the wrong house before, but I have done some things to make it my own. Plus, living in a peach house with green accents is totally a wonderful color scheme for our orange and green cars! Also - totally loving the whole palm trees surround my house deal.

scarf :: amazon // dress :: anthropologie // shoes :: marc jacobs // belt :: anthropologie

bag :: diy // rings :: sanrio & asos // necklace :: anthropologie // sunnies :: fetch eyewear