the perfect summer cocktail: agave negro

with the hottest summer days approaching, everybody needs a quick, refreshing cocktail every now and then, right? right. mix up this margarita on a weekend for a party... or anytime, really! if you know how to make a simple syrup, you can make this drink. and man, is it delicious!

my family & i call this the "blackberry margarita". be sure to have some decent tequila on hand and the freshest blackberries you can find. if you don't have a perfectly shaped glass, no worries. i promise it would even taste fantastic in a plastic cup.

for one agave negro, you will need:

• 3 blackberries
• 1 lime wedge
• 1 1/2 ounces respasado tequlia
• 3/4 lime juice
• 3/4 ounce simple syrup
• 1/2 chambord
• 1 ounce cold club soda

muddle 2 blackberries in a cocktail shaker. add the ice, tequila, lime juice, simple syrup and chambord. shake! pour into a glass & garnish with a blackberry + lime wedge on a toothpick. simple & delicious!

recipe courtesy of food & wine.

moving to birmingham {part 2}

great progress since my last moving update!

my bedroom hasn't changed and likely won't for a while unless i add a rug, so this is update will mainly focus on the living room. after some help from my darling boyfriend corey in assembling my new ikea furniture, and having my couch delivered & adorned with target pillows, i'd say the room has come a long way! the couch is actually not as dark as it looks. it's grey!

ugh, i love target. these pillows brought some interest and color to the room so effortlessly, and were a great price. i'm searching for some things to go on top of my fireplace besides books and photos. i know i'm not exactly an interior decorator, but i enjoy having a space that is put together, inviting and suits my taste. pinterest has been a great inspiration tool. and i know i need something a little better than one of my countless polaroid cameras on the fireplace, i'm just not sure what yet.

my next room to tackle is the dining room. at this point, i just need some chairs and some cute place-mats, maybe a centerpiece of some sort. it'll all happen with time!

my favorite iOS photo apps

i spend a little too much time on instagram. it's actually my favorite iphone app, ever. and while i do enjoy clicking away on photoshop, being able to edit quickly and efficiently edit photos on my phone in seconds is incredible. i've gotten to the point where i rarely need to bring a photo to my computer for editing.

i've been using an iphone since the 3G, and along the way i've collected some photo/photo editing apps that work seamlessly and quickly, giving your photos a fresh spin and tailored feel. some of these are more popular and widely downloaded, and rightly so, but they are the honest apps i use almost daily - maybe you'll find one you haven't tried yet!

picfx (.99¢) : this app provides a wide range of photo editing tools, including a variety of filters, light effects (bokeh, leaks & burns), frames, space overlays and textures. it's easy to use and can add unique effects to photos. while there are similar apps that are free, picfx is worth the 99¢.

photoshop express (free) : how can i not include this app?! photoshop express does exactly what you'd expect it to do. you can crop, rotate, straighten and retouch up your photos with ease. exposure, brightness/contrast, hue/saturation, etc. features are included for you to play around with, in addition to some silly frames/effects. and while you can now do cropping and rotating from within the iOS photo library itself, i keep photoshop around for a few extended options.

timercam (free) : ever need a self timer on your iphone? the thought didn't occur to me until my roadtrip back in march. pretty self explanatory - and free! you can set your timer for 5, 10, 15 or 30 seconds. while i don't use it constantly, having it downloaded and ready has proved useful more than once.


lumie (.99¢) : if you're a lover of bokeh and light effects like me, this is the app to get. there are plenty of light themed overlays to choose from: stars, glitter, space, different shaped bokeh, etc. - so many options make it worth the .99¢!


photojus bokeh dx (free) : more bokeh! this is another great app for adding light/texture effects to your photos. and while you can pay for the pro version, the effects included in the free version are more than enough to create unique and interesting photos.

moving to birmingham {part 1}

yes, its true! i've moved from tuscaloosa to birmingham - a mere 45 minute drive, but two totally different worlds! while i loved my tuscaloosa apartment, my lease was ending, and i got a job opportunity in birmingham. making the 100 mile round trip daily was beginning to take a toll, so i decided to take the plunge and move. so far, i'm incredibly happy that i did! i've been so busy in the past few weeks, but now my schedule will hopefully even out now that i don't have a 2 hour drive to make daily.

over the course of the past few days, i've purchased furniture, done a lot of packing and unpacking and organizing. all of my things are moved, but i've still got furniture to set up, details to work out and an endless "to buy" list. i'd like to document the evolution of my place, so i'm going to post some photos of how it looks today versus in a week or two.

i don't have a couch yet, but i have the living room all planned out in my mind. the makeshift chairs really bring the room together, right? i scored this wonderful rug from target and the side table is from ikea (tv stand + coffee table are getting put together tonight!). my bedroom is pretty much complete, though i'm thinking of adding a rug. and of course, i had to pick up a few cute plants for the front porch: sweet mint, calladiums and begonias!

stay tuned for more!