friyay is usually my day off. but today, i subbed a class for an instructor who had a sudden obligation. i had a nice morning at home with wes, drinking coffee and researching cocktails and then i headed to the studio. all morning i had this nervous feeling i couldn't shake. i arrived at my class early, excited to teach to a group i don't usually have. five minutes before class, the teacher before me informed me that the speaker was malfunctioning. low tones of my music weren't coming through. making my music, well, lackluster. for a thirty minute spin class. sweet. 

and then i realized it is friday the thirteenth. sounds about right. so i took a deep breath, remembered it was friday and in a few short hours i would have a cocktail in my hand, and i got through it. 

luckily, i'm in for the evening and will be hunkering down to avoid further disaster. with this delicious cocktail in hand. 

i found this vintage cocktail in a really cool cocktail book that wes's mom andrea gave him for christmas. i flipped to the page purely because i thought the name was cute, but i fell for it after reading the ingredients. clean, bright and just a little hint of sweetness. i have some really beautiful fresh marjoram in my little garden at the moment and it was the perfect floral compliment to the gin and lime juice. if you can't find any marjoram in your local store, try subbing lavender or other floral herb you can find. 

in rickey + fresh marjoram
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 1 minute
total time: 2 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz gin. 1 tbs lime juice. 1 tsp simple syrup. 4 oz club soda. 5 sprigs marjoram. lime wedge for garnish. 1 cup ice + ice for serving. stainer. 

start by removing the leaves from three of the marjoram sprigs. grab the top of the sprig with one hand and run your index finger and thumb down the length of the stem, removing the leaves as you go. 

in a mixing glass or shaker, combine the leaves, ice, gin, simple syrup and lime juice.

shake or mix until well combined and the marjoram leaves have bruised to release their oils. 

strain the gin mixture over ice into your cocktail glass. 

top off with your desired amount of club soda.

garnish with the remaining sprigs of marjoram and lime wedge and enjoy. 

xo, a

gin rickey + fresh marjoram
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 1 minute
total time: 2 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz gin. 1 tbs lime juice. 1 tsp simple syrup. 4 oz club soda. 5 sprigs marjoram. lime wedge for garnish. 1 cup ice + ice for serving. stainer.
start by removing the leaves from three of the marjoram sprigs. grab the top of the sprig with one hand and run your index finger and thumb down the length of the stem, removing the leaves as you go.
in a mixing glass or shaker, combine the leaves, ice, gin, simple syrup and lime juice.
shake or mix until well combined and the marjoram leaves have bruised to release their oils.
strain the gin mixture over ice into your cocktail glass.
top off with your desired amount of club soda.
garnish with the remaining sprigs of marjoram and lime wedge and enjoy. 

oh what a difference a year makes. 

this time last year i was driving down to dana point for our wedding rehearsal the day before our wedding. i was an energetic mess. so nervous, excited and STRESSED. it just felt like everything was crazy and new. because it was. 

currently i'm laying on my bed, with my cat at my feet watching an episode of parenthood and chilling. 

but the crazy part is all the stuff that happened in between. this year has been the most exciting, scary, challenging and full year of my life. it was an emotional roller coaster. i literally started my whole life over. we got married, i started MANY new jobs, wes and i started our business, we went to RIO for the olympics?! just those three weeks were a ball of emotions all on their own. i became a yoga instructor, a spin instructor and started teaching swim lessons again. we even had a feature on 100 layer cake. 

so much happened and it was all awesome. some of it really hard. but all amazing. 

but now, i'm tired. and i'm spending the next few days relaxing, celebrating with my husband and drinking some delicious champagne cocktails out of some stunning champagne glasses we got from our friends over at cherished rentals. 

pomegranate & st. germain sparkler
serves: 2 cocktails
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 1 minute
ingredients: 8 oz sparkling wine (champagne, cava, prosecco, whatever you have on hand). 1 oz pomegranate juice. 15ish pomegranate seeds & 2 rosemary sprigs for garnish.

start by pouring half the pomegranate juice in each glass. 

then divide the st. germain between the two glasses. 

top the glass with your sparkling wine of choice. 

garnish with pomegranate seeds. 

top off each with a rosemary sprig and serve. 

happy 2017! 

xo, a

pomegranate & st. germain sparkler
serves: 2 cocktails
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 1 minute
ingredients: 8 oz sparkling wine (champagne, cava, prosecco, whatever you have on hand). 1 oz pomegranate juice. 15ish pomegranate seeds & 2 rosemary sprigs for garnish.
start by pouring half the pomegranate juice in each glass.
then divide the st. germain between the two glasses.
top the glass with your sparkling wine of choice.
garnish with pomegranate seeds.
top off each with a rosemary sprig and serve.