lemon // pineapple // lime. 



MORE AFTER THE CUT

I laughed at her for knowing my OCD too well, then we both laughed at me, then we both saw this picture and laughed at how incredibly posed we looked. So posed, that it needed to be included to continue laughing at ourselves.
mango passionfruit // lemon // raspberry pomegranate. 
This past sunday was the perfect mix of relaxing and fun. I called a few girls and invited them to a ladies cocktail day (read: last minute told them I was canceling last weeks plans —hello SIL going into early labor— asking, “HEY. HOW ABOUT NEXT SUNDAY? Please come.”). Not as many ladies could make it the following week, but with four of us (plus two kiddos) it turned out to be the perfect little summer event. I spent my morning peeling and chopping lemons, limes, and pineapples to throw in my juicer (you can buy juices easy enough, but I like to do these things). I bottled up the juice, grabbed a stack of blankets and towels, my beach tent, piled a bunch of mixers and Smirnoff in a cooler, threw a bathing suit on a sleeping Marlowe, and made the short and easy trek to the beach. I set up camp and sun screened the kiddo while we waited for the ladies. Joaquin (Marlowe’s little boyfriend) came and the two kids played happily in the sand while we sat around in the perfect weather. 
I was a bartender once— but at a pub where beer and whiskey seem to be the only options… and well, our at home cocktail hour? It’s usually run by Alex, where you can find me sitting around, picking out all the best popcorn kernels, instead of paying attention to the drinks being made— sooo needless to say, it was quite a fun adventure setting up a little bar and mixing all the drinks for the ladies. I wrote down a few recipes beforehand and taped them to the cooler which worked out perfectly for my incredibly forgetful mind. With the juices already made, the garnishes already cut, and the vodkas already infused with flavor—it was super easy to throw a fancy refreshing beach cocktail together. The ladies were split in favorites, Marissa and Erica were partial to the lemon mojito cocktail— it tasted just like lemonade with the freshness of lime, Gabi seemed pretty content with most of the stuff I threw together. And myself? I would be more than content (read: really freaking happy) with the mango passion tea or even just the mango passionfruit vodka with a splash of sparkling water, and lots of ice, to sip on all day long. 
The beach was the perfect spot for us here. It brought in a cool breeze on a warm Florida day, but really, I would have been just as happy hosting this in my backyard— and I probably will (A LOT) once the back yard is finished. I’ll throw a few blankets outside, my beach tent, Marlowe’s play tent, a kiddie pool for the little ones to keep busy, and either set up a bar outside, or just make cocktails inside and bring them out for everyone. I really can’t think of a better way to spend the afternoon with friends. 
Perfect Beach Party Tips:
(((I’m not a party expert. I still have glitter in corners of my house from my last hurrah. But these are tricks I learned from our beach day)))
-prep everything in advance— it makes your afternoon SO much easier.
-label everything that needs labeling, especially when following recipes. 
-play around— not all cocktails have to be exact and perfect, if you have the right ingredients, you really can’t go wrong (this is basics in cooking too).
-if you’re planning a beach or park day— please made sure to check your local beach and park laws—alcohol, glass bottles, or open containers may not be legal in your area. We called our beach ahead of time, and they were pretty unclear about it. There were no obvious signs or anything either. Also, walking up to our beach we saw many people had very obvious coolers filled with… whatever. With a small group of girls (two watching kids), we weren’t exactly going to be the rowdiest attention grabbing bunch— so we were good. 
-wear sunscreen— duh.
-allow a group of guy friends to join towards the end of the evening πŸ™‚ They can easily help carry things back to the car and will work for cheap— like pizza. I mean, you can also easily do it yourself, but it’s much more fun this way. We all went out for pizza (covered in sand) afterwards– it was perfect way to end our already fun day.
-bring trash bags! I’m so happy I remembered to do this. 1. you obviously don’t want to liter. 2. If need be, you can easily pack everything into a bag to sort out later. 
-chips. everyone loves chips. 
-(maybe) plan your location based on the bathroom situation— a few drinks ++ lots of water ++ no bathrooms = an interesting party for everyone— trust me on this.
-Enjoy yo-self! 

**We teamed up Smirnoff Sorbet Light to help make this blast of a day happen for everyone. They supplied the (delicious) drinks and we supplied the party πŸ™‚ Thanks Smirnoff!

28 Comments

  1. Dude. Skirt. Where did you get it? And while we're at it, where'd you get that bikini too?

    • Dude, American Apparel πŸ™‚ And the top—- I think its actually from American eagle.. but its pretty freaking old. I have bathing suits from when I was 15.

  2. I've been thinking about these drinks all day since I saw this post in the morning. Is that bad? They just sound soooo refreshing. I'm buying this stuff. I'm completely sold. You're so cool.

    • no, nice this day, all i want is more day drinking days with girls. I get it.

  3. OMG it looks so good and relaxing and boy do I need one of those day. I just neet to quit my teaching job. I am 35 weeks pregnant so I can't wait till I can drink again.

  4. What a great idea! I could so go for one of those drinks right now. Your skirt with bathing suit top is so cute! I wish I could pin it, but it's not letting me for some reason.

    – Sarah
    A Girl In Transit

    • I could too…. even on a cloudy rainy day.. tropical drinks feel right πŸ˜‰

      Not sure why you can't pin it, you should be able to. Pinterest is always weird for me! <3

  5. Lovely pictures! What a fun day! I wish I had a beach nearby I could go to, but you're right that this would be a great idea for a backyard get together, too. I really want to try those Smirnoff infused vodkas now. The drinks look and sound so yummy. I may give that mango flavored one a whirl soon:) Glad it was such a happy day!!

  6. I miss the smell of salt water, as weird as that might sound. My family is still in the St. Pete area of Florida and this time of year I start to get real jealous-like.

    And the point about checking the beach rules is very important; if alcohol is restricted police or patrols will be sure to enforce it. Getting into trouble can ruin anyone's fun day quick!

    http://beyondcookiecutter.blogspot.com/

  7. What a great day! I've actually never seen a 'half-tent' like that! Now if you'll excuse me I need to go squeeze some lemon into this 'suddenly dull looking water of mine πŸ˜‰

  8. That looks blissful. We do something similar at our local park in the summer – there is a children's paddling pool, but it's not quite the same as a beautiful Florida beach! You are lucky to live so close to the sea.

  9. this is my idea of thee most perfect day. you had me at fresh squeezed lemons and limes.

    πŸ™‚