I’m having a MAJOR pom pom moment these days. It’s not like pom poms ever go out of style – especially when it comes to curtains and blankets – but I really just want to put pom poms on all. the. things. Baskets? Yes! Shoes? Yes! Here are a few current pom pom favorites!
4. Proud Mary pom pom throw (and pillow!)
5. ASOS sandals
Anyone else not ready to let go of summer just yet?? The past few months in DC have been a ridiculously hot and humid, so I’ll admit that I’m looking forward to the arrival of cooler weather, but I’ll miss the slower pace and relaxed vibe of summer! I’ve been working with mike’s hard lemonade to celebrate backyard entertaining, and the long Labor Day weekend felt like the perfect excuse to throw an end of summer picnic. And since this was our last big summer hurrah, I thought I’d bring along some of my favorite vintage watermelon glasses and watermelon accessories!
I love picnic parties because the set up is just so simple and easy! I made a bright pink picnic blanket from a tie dyed drop cloth using traditional Shibori dyeing techniques (more on that soon!) and added a few large honeycomb balls in shades of pink, peach, and mint green, some colorful napkins, and a couple lawn flamingos to create a fun and festive atmosphere. A watermelon cooler bag filled with ice kept drinks nice and cold through the afternoon and evening.
We wanted the food and drinks to match the laid back picnic vibe – no intricate cocktail recipes allowed! We also wanted to be able to prepare everything ahead of time and just pack it all into a couple baskets for everyone to enjoy at their own pace. We made these mini baguette sandwiches with salami, mozzarella, and basil for a picnic party last year and LOVED them – so we decided to make them again this year! No need to mess with a good thing. Just wrap the sandwiches in parchment or wax paper, tie everything up with a bit of twine, and you’ll be good to go!
Normally we would have a few pre-made cocktails in large swing bottles to offer enough variety for a get together, but this time there was no need! There are plenty of mike’s hard lemonade flavor options to go around – from the new Flavors of America variety pack, which features four refreshing flavors inspired by the iconic flavors from different regions of the country, to the classic bottles of the original hard lemonade.
I can’t believe how fast this summer flew by! As much as I’m looking forward to cooler weather, I know I’ll miss these summer nights with late sunsets, fireflies, and cool evening breezes. This past year with two young girls under age 3 has been a wee bit of a whirlwind, and I’m so grateful for late summer nights with good friends. But hopefully the end of summer doesn’t have to mean the end of backyard entertaining! Before I know it we’ll be gathering around the fire pit and drinking hot toddies!
Sources: Vintage Watermelon Glasses | Watermelon Cooler Bag | Watermelon Cutting Board | DIY Watermelon Coasters
This post was created in partnership with Mike’s Hard Lemonade. All content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!
Photos by Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper
We’ve just had our first cool weather of the season and I’m suddenly ready to start mixing up some brown spirits in my Smashes. Here’s one that matches some late summer fruit flavors with the fall-appropriate oakiness of bourbon, a Basil-Mint Peach Bourbon Smash. – Andrew
Basil-Mint Peach Bourbon Smash
2 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
2 slices Peach
10 Basil and Mint Leaves
Muddle the basil and mint leaves and simple syrup in the bottom of a shaker until the leaves are ground up into bits (don’t worry if some end up in the glass). Fill the shaker two-thirds with ice and add the bourbon, lemon juice, and peach slices. Shake well to pulverize the peach slices. Strain into a lowball glass filled with fresh ice and garnish with more peach slices and fresh mint or basil. Enjoy!
This is a nice sipper, sweet and just a bit tart and full of big fruit and herbal flavors, backed by a soft oaky richness from the bourbon.
Shaking a Smash can be a bit tricky. I use a Cobbler shaker, a three-piece shaker with a built-in strainer that was designed for shaking up Cobblers, a family of drinks not all that different from Smashes. But all those herbs and pieces of fruit can gum up the strainer. This is why I recommend shaking up whole pieces of peach instead of muddling them, which just pulps them up and makes this worse. It also helps to use the biggest, squarest ice cubes you can fit into your shaker – look for a silicone ice cube tray for making square cubes – which seems to help your drink flow more smoothly when pouring.
(Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, where we’ve been posting our experiments before they make their way onto this column!)
Glassware by Liquorary
Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper
Wait, what day is it?? My poor brain is so confused by this short week. We spent the long Labor Day weekend in upstate New York visiting family, which I think made the transition back to regular life even more difficult. And I’m not sure if it’s preschool or time with the cousins, but both of my girls are sick this week! Ugh. I’m ready for the weekend (Sophie turns 3 on Sunday!!) and to put this week behind me. But in the meantime…
Photo by Lucy Halcomb via Instagram
…a few links for your weekend!
This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:
That’s it for me this week! Check back later for this week’s cocktail recipe – I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you back here on Monday! xoxo
Today, I’m excited to share with you the work of Plume Calligraphy and Design‘s Aileen Fretz. She’s a Toronto-based calligrapher and trained graphic artist which means she’ll not only design a bespoke piece just for you, she provide the show stopping calligraphy as well! Once you peruse some of her work, you’ll see why she’s the perfect one-stop-shop for a stunning suite that’s perfectly you. – Julie
Follow Plume Calligraphy on Instagram for beautiful calligraphy delivered straight to your feed, and if you’re in the Ontario region, perhaps you’ll luck out and nab a spot at one of her workshops!
Photo credits: 1,  2 Sally Pinera; 3 and 6 left Aileen Fretz;  4 Milton Photography; 5 Amanda Berube Photography ; 6 right Caitlin Free Photography