Blog | Page 9 of 17 | Alexandra Adams

January 4, 2016 — 47 Comments

New Year, New Me!

Happy New Year, everyone! I didn’t intend for my Champagne Punch to be my last post of 2015, but the holiday season completely took over my schedule and then I spend the last week of the year in Florida with my sister, so I never got around to the last couple posts I had planned. Guess you’ll have to wait for next December to see those!

I am all about a fresh start. Whether that’s the start of a new year or just the start of a new week, I love wiping the slate clean and doubling down on hard work toward my goals. Something about the new year makes me feel like anything is possible, and I’m excited (and nervous) to share some of my goals for the year with you. This kind of vulnerability is hard for me, because what if I don’t successfully achieve these goals this year? It’s always been difficult for me to put my goals out into the world for fear of failure, but this year I’m trying to be braver, so here goes!

Get fit.

Classically at the top of every year’s resolutions list, getting in shape is something I’m really committing to this year. I made a lot of progress last year, but moving back home undid a lot of the work I had done so far, and I’m determined not to let that happen this year. Look for a fitness progress report at least once a month here on the blog to keep me accountable.

Get organized.

I am obsessed with organization on paper, but I need a better system for organizing my actual ‘things.’ I have a lot of piles to go through of stuff I probably don’t need, and I would really like to have that everything-in-its-place feeling. This goes for my closet as well–I did a pretty good cleanout in the fall, but there’s always more to be done.

Get a “real” job.

I kind of hate even writing this down, because it sounds like I haven’t been trying. I've actually been applying to a lot of opportunities; I just haven't received much response, which obviously is frustrating. I’d like to design for a firm or a studio, or in-house at a company I like. Fingers crossed that this resolution gets crossed off quickly!

Move out.

This goes hand in hand with the resolution above. I’ve missed out on a few opportunities because the company/studio wanted someone already local to NY or LA or wherever, which is hard because obviously, I’m ready to move wherever! I’ve just been hesitating on moving somewhere before I have a steady income just to look for a job, because, well...rent and stuff.

Move forward with future projects.

I have some great ideas for projects I’d like to see come to life this year. Exciting things for me and for X-Height-Ment, and hopefully for you guys too! I can’t say too much about these yet, because they’re still in the works, but hopefully you’ll know about them soon!

Improve my photography and coding knowledge.

My photography skills are something I reallllly want to improve upon this year. I often get frustrated because I know how to style an image or how I want the final product to look, but can’t actually get the shot. Hopefully by the end of the year I’ll have a firmer grasp on it. Same goes for coding–I can edit code fairly well, but I can’t write it from scratch by any means, so I’d like to develop a more in depth knowledge of that as well.

I have other goals for the year too, but these are the big ones I’m focusing on right now. I’m trying to think of a word to encompass my year, but I’ve been drawing a blank. No one word seems big enough to encompass all I want to accomplish this year (which is good, I suppose?). Definitely focusing on being more positive this year!

What are some of your resolutions for 2016?

Published by Alexandra Adams in Lifestyle

December 19, 2015 — No Comments

Three Ingredient Champagne Punch

If you're like me, you can probably just drink champagne straight out of the bottle and be pretty happy. But if you're serving it to a large group, it can get a little pricey—and dangerous—providing everyone with their own bottle (can you imagine??), so adding it to a punch is a great way to celebrate without having to buy a ton!

This champagne punch is the easiest thing in the entire world, I promise. Are you ready?

Ingredients:

2 liters of ginger ale
1 1.5L bottle of champagne
20 oz of frozen strawberries

To Make:

Add the champagne, ginger ale, and strawberries to a large punch bowl.
Done.

Seriously. Just dump everything in a bowl and serve!

You can never go wrong with adding more fruit or even juice concentrate either, so feel free to mix it up. This recipe is great as a base for more flavors or just on its own! And then you get to eat those amazing champagne-soaked strawberries...yum. I know what I'm toasting with on NYE!

PS. These disco ball drink stirrers would be a great addition to your flute of this punch!

Published by Alexandra Adams in Drinks, Happy Hour, New Years, Recipe

December 18, 2015 — 11 Comments

DIY Disco Ball Drink Stirrers

We're in the single digit countdown to Christmas, and you know what that means...time to start planning for New Years so you don't get caught completely off guard. Just kidding (kind of)! My birthday is the 29th, so it's actually between those two holidays, which basically just makes that whole week a constant party!

I have a suuuper simple one minute DIY for you today–you can make a ton of these drink stirrers for less than $5, and you'll always be ready to bust out the booze in style.

Supplies:

Sequined or glittered styrofoam balls–Look for vase and jar fillers. I got a huge bag of them at Michael's for just a couple bucks!
Cocktail Stirrers

To Make:

Poke the sharp end of the skewer or stirrer into the styrofoam, making sure not to poke all the way through to the other side.
Trim the stirrer if needed to fit your glass.
That's it! Seriously.

These are so perfect for New Year's–don't they look just like the ball about to drop? How will you be celebrating at midnight this year?

Published by Alexandra Adams in DIY, Drinks, Holiday, New Years

December 17, 2015 — 15 Comments

S’mores Shots in Real Chocolate Shot Glasses

I love s'mores, you guys. LOVE them. They generally get such a reputation for being a great summer treat, what with the whole bonfire/camping/outside thing. And while that's all well and good, they're really great all year round. I've even been known to roast a marshmallow or two on our stovetop every once in a while!

These shots are even better than regular s'mores cocktails because they're totally edible! The glasses are made of chocolate, which in my world makes them practically perfect.

Ingredients:

2 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c paraffin wax
Shot glass mold (I used this one)
1 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
1 oz marshmallow vodka
Marshmallow Fluff
Crushed Graham Crackers
Mini marshmallows (optional)

To Make:

Melt the chocolate chips and wax together in a double boiler. The wax helps thin the chocolate and make it easier to pour. Fill the cavities in the mold with the liquid. Put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes to let the chocolate set up and harden.
Pop the glasses out of the mold and dip the rims in marshmallow fluff and then in the crushed graham crackers.
Pour the Bailey's and marshmallow vodka into the chocolate shot glasses (optional: add a splash of chocolate liqueur if the chocolate shot glass isn't enough for you!)
I skewered mini marshmallows and roasted them over the stovetop just a bit for a garnish. If you have a crème brûlée torch, you can just drop them on top and roast them with that!

Enjoy!

The chocolate glass and the graham crackers rim makes almost like a bonus snack along with your drink! Are they not the cutest? I'm so excited for this shot glass mold, I can already see myself using it a ton in the future.

Published by Alexandra Adams in Drinks, Happy Hour, Recipe

December 16, 2015 — 15 Comments

Sugared Cranberries

I totally forgot to mention this in my boozy peppermint milkshake post back on Monday–but it's holiday drink week here on the blog! Because you know, it's always good to have options.

These sugared cranberries are so perfect this time of year. A ton of holiday recipes include cranberries, and these are great for adding a little sweetness to your drinks and desserts. Plus, they're so gorgeous! They look like they're covered in snow, which makes up for the lack of it we've been experiencing recently.

Ingredients:

Whole, fresh cranberries
Simple syrup (1 part water, 1 part sugar)
Granulated sugar

(Amounts vary based on how many cranberries you want to make.)

To Make:

Soak your cranberries in simple syrup for at least 4 hours, or even overnight. The longer they soak, the sweeter they'll be. Drain them in a colander or strainer.
Roll the cranberries in granulated sugar, either in a bowl or spread out on a baking sheet. It works best if you do this a handful at a time, making sure to give each cranberry a good coating.
Spread them out on a baking sheet or cooling rack to dry–this usually takes about half an hour. The sugar will dry on the outside and they'll be crispy to the touch.

That's it! The tartness of the cranberries will be offset perfectly with the sweetness from the sugar. And then they're like Pringles–you can't have just one!

The best thing about sugared cranberries is their versatility. Skewer a few as a garnish for your drinks, use them as decorations for tarts and desserts, or even just enjoy them as a snack all by themselves.

Will you be willing to make these for your Christmas celebrations this year?

Published by Alexandra Adams in Holiday, Recipe