Foodie Friday: Citrus water

A couple years ago I was traveling for business and was lucky enough to stay at a Four Seasons Hotel property. If you've not stayed at a Four Seasons, let me tell you they are fancy dancy - mainly because of the little things they do to make their guests feel welcome.

This particular day was terribly hot - unseasonably so. And after a long day of running through airports, finding baggage, running down transportation TO the hotel and getting there, it was a welcome surprise to find a large pitcher of citrus water. It's so refreshing on a hot summer day!

I brought the idea home to share with you today.

You'll need a lemon, a lime and an orange, a pitcher or glass drink dispenser, water and lots of ice. I cut up my fruit so that I'm left with lots of round slices, taking the seeds out as I go. This is especially important if you're using a glass drink dispenser as those seeds can clog up your spout!

Layer your fruit slices in the bottom of your pitcher - I like to layer them in alternating colors to make a pretty display. Save the last several pieces to line the sides of your pitcher. Pour in a little ice and anchor them to the sides of the pitcher in that ice. Continue filling with ice to the top of the pitcher and then fill about 3/4 full with water. Allow that to sit several hours - it's actually better if you leave it overnight - so that the citrus flavor can infuse the water. When you're ready to serve, add more ice and pour into glasses! You can garnish with a sprig of mint for some extra panache.

This is a wonderfully easy party drink that your guests will love!

Vintage Wednesday: Celebrating Vintage Style

Last weekend we celebrated a very special event - my mother's 70th birthday. Because I tend to do flowers for events like this, the ladies who planned the event asked me to do the flowers. The problem with this is that I live 4 hours away and bringing 14 arrangements across the mountains presented a bit of a problem. So I came up with the idea of using potted perennial plants Mama could use in her garden later. But that didn't seem like quite enough for an event like this.

The ladies had also asked me to say a few words about my mother. Most of them have known her for 30 plus years, so to say something they hadn't heard or thought was a challenge. I came up with the idea of writing the story of her life in pieces. Each table was set with vintage and antique items that had something to do with the part of the story I was telling. For example, there was a table that told the story of her grandmother's influence on her life, another telling about her mother and yet another about her aunts. One table told the story of her brothers, and another told the story of how she met my father. Each was a little snapshot of what made her the woman she is today. And most everyone learned something they hadn't known about Mama before the party.

I am so thankful to the women who planned this party and honored to have contributed just a little piece to the celebration. Using vintage items to help tell the story was a lovely way to celebrate - vintage style.