Sweet Snapshot Sunday

I always do fancy a hat. {via}

A Sip of Southern

I am a lover of all things ancient. Soaked in story and rich in history. Almost always, I choose the old over the new. It's no wonder then that New Orleans plays a siren song for me. There is no explanation, I have no ties to the city, however, when I am there I am present. I feel alive and filled with such a joie de vivre. I understand this happens to a lot of folks down there. One specific gift I have received from the Crescent City is my signature cocktail, the Pimm's Cup. Imbibed for the first time in the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone, the bartender wove such a fantastic tall tale about the cocktail, I was sold {it's also quite refreshing}.

True story: in 1840, Pimm's No. 1 Cup was created by James Pimm, a bartender in London's Financial District. Originally created as a digestive tonic, Mr. Pimm blended a concoction of gin, quinine and a mixture of herbs. He began selling Pimm's No. 1 commercially and according to the company, only six people know the original recipe for the liqueur. The Pimm's Cup is still the most popular cocktail of choice at Wimbledon.

If you are in New Orleans, a Pimm's Cup at the Carousel Bar or, the more popular choice, the Napoleon House is a must. Thankfully, the mixologists at H. Harper here in Atlanta make a lovely version as well. I'll clink to that!

Pimm's Cup Recipe

Fill a tall 12 ounce glass full of ice

Pour 1 1/4 ounce Pimm's No. 1

Add 3 ounces of Lemonade

Top off with 7-Up

Garnish with cucumber

Sweet Snapshot Sunday

source

Apologies for my long absence! I have finally dug myself out of the snow and am ready to take on the new year {about time!}. As you will notice from some of the last "Sweet Snapshots", the direction of my blog is ever-evolving and has started to deviate a bit from all things "wedding". With that said, I have some big announcements coming throughout the year and hope that you will bear with me. Until then, I am happy to say that I am officially under construction!

The Office

I haven't worked in an office in almost two years. I wake up, roll out of bed and go to "work" at my desk in a tiny nook in my home. Oh, how I long for a workspace! A bright, shiny space all my own where I can relax, be inspired and create. Naturally, I have come to the conclusion that I want to put an Airstream trailer in my backyard. Parker thinks I'm a crazy person. I have had this desire for quite some time, however, the picture above from Anthropologie has just added fuel to my fire {the fact that it's pulled by a Country Squire "Woody" makes it even more exciting}. It literally is bright and shiny! It would have wooden floors and a small, fluffy rug. A long cork wall for all of my visual inspiration. Bright white inside with small pops of color. It makes me breathe easier just visualizing it all. One day, the Airstream will be mine. In the meantime,  my backyard and I, we patiently wait.

Twenty-Eleven

It is the third day of 2011 and I haven't set any goals. While usually I would be panicking at this point for not having "a goal", this year I don't intend to. For me, 2011 is going to be, quite simply, the year of decisions.  I have spent the last part of 2010 digging and honing and cultivating myself. Answering tough questions about who I was, who I am now and best of all, who I am going to be. I am confident when I say that this year will be nothing short of phenomenal! A good friend suggested some action steps for decision making in the new year and what valuable advice it is: 1.Evaluate what didn't work in 2010, 2.Define what did work, 3.Get clear and write out your fears, 4.Evaluate the people you surround yourself with, create a vision and an inspiring environment, 5.Create a list of 2011 decisions and action steps to take. I can not stress the importance of breaking big dreams into tiny action steps. Anything is possible with action.

Above, you will find one of my very own action steps, my personal vision board for this year. Obviously, it doesn't encompass everything I have planned, so here are some of my decisions for 2011: This is the year that I get serious about my business and put my whole self out there. This is the year that I release my inner brilliance and stop living small. This is the year I become a mentor. This is the year of travel. This is the year I master floral design. This is the year I am social. This is the year I focus on my health. This is the year I remember to experience the little moments with my husband. This is the year we join a church. This is the year we unplug for an entire week and go away, just the two of us, for the first time since our honeymoon. This is the year of education. This is the year of authenticity. This is the year of faith. This is the year of love. This vision board will be tacked up on my inspiration wall by my desk as a daily reminder of all that I hope to accomplish in 2011. I will also be posting a monthly journal entry with a self-portrait {an idea I got from this awesome lady} so I can keep a running tab on my successes and failures and celebrate them all at the end of the year. A year from now you will wish you had started today-Karen Lamb. Make it count!