birmingham bloggers workshop brunch

over a month ago, rachel approached beth and i with the idea to host a workshop brunch for birmingham bloggers. of course, we jumped on the thought. bloggers love brunch. everyone loves brunch. win win. this past saturday, december 6th, was the day we'd been waiting for - brunch time!

naturally, we chose the nest in avondale for our event space. kristen is incredible and so easy to work with! the nest is bright, open, airy, just the right vibe for an upbeat brunch on a saturday morning.

since founding birmingham bloggers in april, i've gradually begun to experiment with event planning, and the scale is only getting larger. i'm an ad girl at heart, so pr is a new venture for me, but it's so, so much fun. beth, rachel and i worked so hard developing the menu and decor, meticulously obsessing over details, practicing scones at 5am (that's beth's story to tell) and trying to figure out which flowers were "too much" or "just enough".

thanks to rachel's culinary genius, we were able to provide a delicious menu (um lemon zest homefries, hello) right after the workshop portion of the event, which detailed instagram tips & tricks as well as general photography knowledge. i did get to enjoy a mimosa, but the rest of the brunch was spent on my feet cooking & plating, hence my lack of food photos.

here are some shots from birmingham bloggers members that i'm currently obsessing over. gorgeous!

Third course at the #bhambloggers Instagram Workshop Brunch -- baked eggs with crispy prosciutto and lemon zest homefries.

A photo posted by Javacia Harris Bowser (@writeousbabe) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:48am PST

Best Super Green Salad ever courtesy of @thenestbham for our Instagram workshop brunch thrown by #bhambloggers

A photo posted by Rachel Tindall (@tohellinahandbag) on Dec 12, 2014 at 11:10am PST

#BhamBloggers brunch 😋 #ladieswhobrunch

A photo posted by Chandler MacWilliam (@shotgunsandseashells) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:16am PST

#bhambloggers

A photo posted by @southernscripted on Dec 12, 2014 at 8:16am PST

A wonderful brunch with #bhambloggers #brunch #thenestbham

A photo posted by Anna Watkins (@annawithaplan) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:26am PST

i'm so proud of this event. i still have a lot to learn, but this brunch gave me a solid place to start. 2015 will bring more events for birmingham bloggers, and i can only hope to continue to provide everyone with fun, informative and uplifting ways to get involved in the local blogging community here in birmingham.

thank you so much to kristen of the nest (soon to be baking bandits shop... so excited!), rachel, beth, nancy of magic city macarons for some beautiful & scrumptous party favors, & all the fabulous & talented members of the birmingham blogging community.

special thanks to

the nest birmingham

magic city macarons

bloggers in attendance

javacia of writeous babe & see jane write

chandler of shotguns & seashells

parker of fast foodie us

anna of ann with a plan

brittany of brittany ray

rachel of to hell in a handbag

katrina of gump style

alexandria of my guide to bham

layken of southern scripted

lizzy of lizzy is dizzy

libby of pink flamingos

brooke of in a world of bees, there's me

chanda of chanda temple writes

quick & easy holiday cocktail with ruby red

disclaimer: ok y'all, i am not sponsored by deep eddy vodka, it's just that good. really. so hey deep eddy, send me some bottles & i'll make more cocktails, ok?

my parents took a trip to austin, texas a few months ago, and brought back a few bottles of this stuff - deep eddy's ruby red grapefruit vodka. and then they got excited. and ordered, like, six more bottles. the stuff is made in austin, and they just opened up a brand spankin' new distillery. deep eddy pool is the oldest spring fed pool in austin, hence the namesake.

so when i went to austin a few weeks ago, i was on the look out. all the bars in austin carry it. my cousin and i were in c-boy's (picture the 80's in bar form) and a much older gentleman ordered my cousin and i "ruby red & water".

"ruby red? huh? like, deep eddy's? grapefruit vodka?"
"oh, we just call it ruby red."

this vodka is so, so smooth and delicious. it's quite refreshing, and can be enjoyed year round! super yummy in summer, but also very festive for a pretty holiday drink. i'd even throw a splash or two in champagne (and i probably will at my christmas dinner party in a few weeks!).

for a simple cocktail that'll really let ruby red shine through, whip this up:

• 2 parts deep eddy grapefruit vodka
• 1 part (or a little splash more, depending on your tastes) club soda
• juice of 1/4th a lime (or, again, a little more if you're like me)

could it be easier? toss in your lime, get a cute class + a cute red straw & you've got a gorgeous drink ready for holiday parties. this vodka compliments so many flavors, so if you pick a bottle up, be sure to experiement! deep eddy also does a sweet tea and cranberry vodka that are on my list to try.

enjoy!!

christmas list 2014

01. steve madden troopas in cognac

02. louis vuitton key pouch in damier ebene

03. david yurman link bracelet

04. riedal vivant pinot noir glasses

05. sugar paper gold stripe coasters

06. kate spade rose gold ipad mini case

here are some of the goodies i've got my eye on this year... and i've been really, really good, i promise. i guess it says something about where i'm at in life when coasters are on my christmas list. what are these adult priorities? i also need some new wine glasses desperately!

i tried on a pair of my cousin's troopas when i visited her in austin, and fell in love. how in the world had i not picked up these boots already? they're comfy, versatile and perfect for a winter outfit with plaid & a chunky knit sweater.

what's on your christmas list?!

review: jack black lip balm

i've tried a lot of lip balms. and i've written about a few, too.

do you ever feel like seriously betrayed by this crap? honestly, i just want a miracle on my lips, ok? i just want it to stay for hours and not dry my lips out worse than before (i'm looking at you, burt's bees). i just want something truly moisturizing that doesn't feel like tar or smell like hot garbage.

ok, ok, so clearly, this is serious for me. i mean come on. i've stepped my moisturizing game up in a big way in recent months, and i need lip balms to follow suit. so i heard about jack black, a men's skincare brand, and the only product i found people screaming about was the lip balm. of course i had to try it.

at $7.50 a tube, the jack black intense therapy lip balm is similar to lip balm's of christmas past for me, in that it isn't a "run-to-walgreens" type purchase. but, as you've seen from my desperate whining about lip products, i'm willing to dish if the goods are good. the lip balm comes in a few scents: black tea + blackberry, mint, shea, grapefruit + ginger & lemon + chamomile. i chose the classic mint, but the other scents smelled delicious.

honestly? so far i'm impressed. i apply this during the day, and at night before i go to bed. i wake up, & it's still on my lips. it's actually not drying like other lip balms. i much prefer the petroleum based consistency to waxy alternatives. while i can't see any visual difference in my lips, this lip balm lasts forever and feels great, which is more than i can say about so many others.

what's your favorite lip balm?

holiday instagram giveaway!

hey y'all, happy monday! i'm hosting a giveaway over on my instagram account - @meredithnd! it's my way of thanking all my followers & to give someone a little special package for the holiday season. it's super easy to enter, so click here to check out my post & enter!

i'm planning a blog giveaway for january 2015, so keep your eyes out for other goodies after the new year. hope y'all have a fabulous week, & good luck!