Hotel Heaven

I've stayed in hotels all over the world, who would have thought our best experience was in our own back yard. The Kimpton Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh was absolutely amazing! I was completely blown away by the décor and hospitality. Not only did they roll out the red carpet for us but also for our dog Perla Blue. 

After I was able to stop looking at the beautiful floral chandelier I could then focus on the other décor. I should have known by the incredible hallway that I was about to walk into something amazing. Never, ever, have I been so impressed with how a hotel looked. It was bold perfection to say the least. The beauty of this place is inspired by Pittsburgh which made my heart swell with pride to be part of such an eclectic city. So yes I'm biased with the room because I love green so this headboard was basically made for me. But this very gorgeous bed and uniquely complimentary birdcage light was the right amount of quirky chic. Perla approved. The details were all so amazing! Everything about this hotel was my style.

Have you ever stayed at a boutique hotel? You should. Even though the Kimpton is a chain, it truly feels like you are staying somewhere where everyone knows you and is happy to see you. It was so great to have Perla with us and believe me when I say everyone had a treat ready for her while we were out and about. AND there were treats with a sweet note for her waiting in our room upon arrival. Talk about going the extra mile. While we are talking about going the extra mile there was a wine hour! I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Free wine for an hour where Perla was invited. We chatted with so many people and met lots of pretty dogs. 

What's behind me you ask? That is where the wine lives...

We had plans of getting wine and pizza in the room and we were not disappointed! Heart shaped pizza, with wings and wine, it truly was the perfect date night!  

I have always felt to give credit where credit is due and The Kimpton deserves all of the credit! Trust me friends, if you are planning a stay in The City of Bridges, you need to stay here!  

Happy Thursday!

xoxo

Wrapped Up

Hello and Happy Friday!

I for one am very happy that we have reached the weekend! I'm coming off of a very busy week and I don't know about you but I'm just about ready for a drink. This is a very easy crowd pleasing drink that you can throw together for a twist on a classic.

The Holiday Cocktail

-1 1/2 oz Vodka

-As much Cranberry Juice as you want

-Top with Ginger Ale

-Garnish with mint, lime, or rosemary (my fav!)

As I've stated before this is the first Christmas in about three years that I'm able to actually enjoy it. So I am soaking in all things Christmas! I've wanted to do this post for YEARS but never had time. Today I am sharing how to make the perfect bow. I've always been completely obsessed with wrapping. It has always been a favorite things to do around this time of year. Having worked in retail one thing I picked up was bow perfection. There might be eight steps but once you get the hang of it, this will be your very fast go to bow!

Step One:

Wrap your gifts and tie your ribbon around the box in a knot.

Step 2:

Choose your colors and use as many as you want! It works with one or five.

Step 3:

Fold the ribbon in half. This is where you decide how big you want it to be (this is one side of your bow).

Step 4:

Do the same to the other side.

Step 5:

Go back and forth as many times as you'd like. Just remember the more you do the bigger your bow will get.

Step 6:

Directly in the middle make two small cuts on both sides. Make sure you don't cut all the way. The middle of the cuts will get tied.

Step 7:

Right where you made the cuts, take your ribbon that is already around your box and make a knot to secure your bow.

Step 8:

Simply fluff and pull apart the loops of the ribbon.

Tada! You're done!

Have a great weekend! I've got some wrapping to do that's for sure! Cheers!

xoxo

Drinks and Ice

Happy Friday! Welcome to my Martini Moment! 

Today I'm talking easy holiday DIY decor and the perfect Christmas martini!  

Let's get the drink recipe out of the way so we can have something to sip the rest of this post shall we? 

1 cup chocolate milk

1 oz chocolate liqueur  

1/2 oz peppermint liqueur

Add everything in a shaker with ice and simply pour.

For the rim: rim the glass with chocolate syrup and roll in crushed candy canes

Fast Tip: To make this drink hot, just swap the milk for hot cocoa!  

Now, not only is this DIY fast, easy, and chic it's also inexpensive. All you need is a glue gun, clear color fill, and either branches from outside or picked up at the craft store. And maybe some candles. Get as creative as you want! All you do is glue the branches and roll in the color fill. It makes for chic icy décor, also it's colorless so it can go in just about any room. If you're feeling froggy add some pine. I have an abundance in my back yard so I thought why not?

Cheers to you and cheers to the weekend!

xoxo