Red Wine Float (Halloween Cocktail)

 

There is a gelato store in my cute Florida downtown that serves wine floats and it is something I have been meaning to try.  I always like to come up with a fun adult cocktail for Halloween and drawing on one of the flavors they serve, I decided to give it a try at home.  The red wine makes it sufficiently spooky and the chocolate ice cream is a good substitute for Halloween candy.

Here is how I made it.

In a stemless wine glass, place 2 small scoops of chocolate ice cream.  Fill about 3/4 full with red wine.  I used a Cabernet Sauvignon, but a Pinot Noir would be delicious as well.  Top with club soda for a bit of fizz.  As the ice cream melts, like with any good ice cream float, the flavors compliment each other and become creamy and rich.  Treat yourself tomorrow to a grown up halloween treat with this deliciousness.

Happy Halloween!

What’s New (Coastal Decor)

 

I realized that it had been quite some time since I did a house update.  We passed our third anniversary in our new Florida home at the beginning of June and it has been a process of finding just the right pieces.  Also, we have made a few changes after living with things for a bit. Anyone who has built a home knows what a whirlwind process it can be when you are picking things out and it’s really hard to get everything exactly right. Of course the biggest change was putting in a pool, but this post is about that coastal decor with pops of color that I so love.

We hated the carpet in the bedrooms, even though we upgraded from builders grade, so recently we put tile in the master bedroom and the bedroom we use as a den/guest room.  The master has the same tile as the main areas of the house (large neutral squares and on the diagonal) and the guest bedroom/den has tile that looks like wood flooring.  We love both choices and added fun, colorful rugs as well.

The pendant lights we had in the kitchen were never a favorite, because they were too small for the space.  This was an easy change and I love the shape and the coastal look they bring.

Finally, we replaced a piece of furniture that was from our Michigan home and never looked quite right here in Florida.  Dark wood in the north fits, but not so much in a coastal home.  There is a furniture store we love in Sarasota that has custom painted pieces like sideboards and cabinets and we chose an eclectic painted cabinet for a nook area in our hallway.  I had a lot of fun filling the shelves with both purchased and found seashells.

Next up is redoing the other guest room and switching from twin beds to a queen.  

Happy Monday!

A Visit in Photos

 

What a lovey time we had the past few days.  My daughter Melissa who lives in Michigan and her boyfriend, came to visit for the first time in many months.  I think if anything good has come from Covid quarantines it is that we all appreciate our time together just a little bit more.  And take nothing for granted.

We went to the beach one day, golfed one day, went to some fun Florida type places for dinner and tropical drinks, but they wanted to relax and soak up the sun, so the best place to do that was poolside.  The best decision we made yet (besides moving to Florida in the first place) was putting in our pool, just for times like this.

And, it made our hearts happy to see them enjoying our home.  Pittsburgh daughter and son in law come in a few weeks and we look forward completing the reconnections and putting these separations behind us.

My Book Club Reading List

 

I have written many posts about both my old book club in Michigan and my new book club here in Florida.  The groups are very different and I still miss my close knit Michigan group where we met for dinner at each other’s homes.  It’s not quite the same with a neighborhood group that meets at a clubhouse, but also, a great way to get to know new friends on another level.  Either way, I get to indulge my book worm tendencies and not only read books that I may not normally read, but discuss them as well.

I missed the first discussion, but hope to make the rest as we work our way through covid restrictions (smaller size) and the late return of our seasonal residents who are waiting a bit longer to travel.

Below are the books we are reading and discussing over the next few months and if you would like to read along, I am always up for your opinions via comments or email.   

Happy Reading!

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes

The Giver of The Stars by JoJo Moyes

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Chrissy Lefter