Birchbox

Last Christmas I decided I would give myself a subscription to Birchbox. For those of you that have never heard of it you are missing out! (My sister says I should be their spokesperson) Birchbox charges a monthly fee of $10 and in return you receive 5 makeup samples...and who doesn't love samples!  I used to love wandering around Sephora or Ulta and trying out the newest lipstick or the latest cream but life is a little different now and my leisurely shopping trips are few and far between.  With Birchbox, once a month I can feel a little indulgent without breaking the bank or leaving the house!

Here is an example of my July Birchbox.

Birchbox Bobby Pins 

100% Pure Nourishing Cream 

Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Color-Saver Paraben-Free Conditioner 

Pur Minerals CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 40 

Benefit Moisture Prep Toning Lotion 

Since signing up I have given the gift of Birchbox to my sister and mother and have a few friends that have signed up.  I love comparing our boxes each month and find out what their favorite items are.  If anyone is interested in learning more or signing up here is the link - http://birch.ly/17xH1n1

Coming soon......I will give a full review of the products I received in my August box.

Basil Martini

I love a good cocktail and a few years ago I remember going out to a nice dinner and ordering a delicious Strawberry Basil Martini.  I have an excess of basil growing in my garden so I decided to try a take on a basil martini.  I am officially hooked.....and so are all my friends!

Basil Lime Martini

2 ounces vodka

1 ounce Basil Simple Syrup*

4 or 5 Basil Leaves

Juice of 1 lime

Muddle together the basil leaves, simple syrup and lime juice.  Transfer to a cocktail shaker and add vodka and ice.  Shake, pour into your favorite martini glass and enjoy!

*In order to make the Basil simple syrup combine 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water and a handful of basil leaves into a saucepan over medium heat.  Let combination simmer until all sugar is dissolved.  Stir occasionally.  Once all the sugar is dissolved remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture cool completely.  After the syrup is cool run it through a sieve and pour into a mason jar in the fridge for up to week. 

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Kitchen sign

We have been living in our house for about 2 1/2 years and it is still a work in progress. We have a large wall in our kitchen and for the past few years we have been trying to find the right thing to put there. I came across a picture on Pinterest of shelves made from crown molding and that inspired us.

 I had the hubby make 4 shelves from crown molding to showcase a few of our "nicer" cookbooks and then we made a sign out of an old piece of wood.  For the print, I found a font I liked and printed out the letters in the size I wanted. From there I traced the letters onto the wood and used Martha Stewart Black Satin paint to paint in the letters.

I found an image of a whisk online that I decided to trace and paint onto the corner of the sign.

After painting everything black I went over the paint with a crackle paint to give the sign an older look.

Once the sign was complete, hubby added the hardware and hung it up.  I am pretty happy with the way it turned out!

And the completed look!

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