NYC Date Night: Fire Escape Drinks

Alex and I are always lamenting the fact that we don't have a garden or balcony or any outdoor space. Once Toby goes to bed, we're pretty much stuck inside for the night. But then! We had a lightbulb moment...
We could hang out on our fire escape. So we've started a little ritual of climbing out there on random warm evenings, and last night, we decided to snap some photos. First, we dress up to make it feel more like a real date. (I usually wear jeans and a T-shirt at home...or, let's be honest...pajamas:)
Then we climb out our bedroom window. (Whoot, whoot! Nice legs!)
We sip and chat, three stories up. We can hear the street noise (cars honking), the trees (leaves rustling), and a restaurant garden nearby (people murmuring, glasses clinking)...
Do you ever drink rose? Sometimes it gets a bad rap, but it's the perfect refreshing drink for a warm evening. And I love the bright pink hue; it just feels like summer. (Side note: You can spot the restaurant garden below us, to the left of Alex.)
Our fire escape looks across a courtyard onto another apartment building, just like Rear Window.
We love our little outdoor drinks, and I'm glad, after six years of living here, that we finally thought of it!

Do you have a fire escape? Or a balcony? Or (gasp) an actual garden? Be still my heart.

(Update: I'm wearing this silk polka-dot skirt and these Swedish Hasbeen sandals.)

The Best Party Cocktail You'll Ever Have

My mom turned sixty last February (!), and we're throwing her a long-awaited family party this coming weekend. My brother, sister and I have been brainstorming surprises for her party, which I'll keep secret until next week--and I'm also in charge of drinks. Happily, my friend Anna suggested this incredible cocktail, which we're definitely whipping up this weekend...
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Cocktail style

A few years ago, for a dear friend's bachelorette party, I set up a "make your own mojito" table. Maybe the cocktails weren't so perfect, but playing bartender was half the fun. Ever since then, I've been fascinated with all the different tools and accessories out there for mixing drinks at home. These are on the top of my wishlist. -- By Rachel from Elephantine

1. Spicy Bloody Mary Mix, $13.
2. Dizzy Cocktail Glass, $2.50.
3. Bar Whisk, $5.
4. Wood Lemon Reamer, $9.
5. 101 Mojitos and Other Muddled Drinks, $11.38.
6. Formosa Tray Table, $49.95.
7. Elderflower Presse, $8.
8. Shake Rattle & Roll Cocktail Shaker, $38.
9. Canine Coasters Set, $18.

What's your "drink"? Do you make cocktails at home? Plus, more round-ups...

(Post by Rachel from Elephantine, a new Cup of Jo contributor, who will be posting every couple weeks. Thank you, Rachel!)

Fruit flavored waters

I recently went to a friend's house for lunch, and she served a pitcher of water with watermelon slices. Refreshing with a touch of sweetness. This summer, wouldn't it be nice to have flavored waters in the fridge to make drinking water more delicious? You could use slices of lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, strawberries, raspberries, mint, cucumber, whatever! What are your favorites? xo Update: Thanks to the readers who suggested pineapple and clementine--yum.

Summer Essential #1: Water bottle

I'm excited to announce a new series on Cup of Jo: Summer Essentials, where I'll be sharing some awesome things (beach towels, swimsuits, peach lipstick) that you might like this summer. Hope you enjoy it!

First up: Water bottles. BKR bottles, made in San Francisco, are bright and modern. The bottles are glass but have a silicone sleeve, so they won't break; and water tastes so good from a glass bottle, versus plastic or stainless-steel (which can cause that metallic flavor). At $28, it's not cheap, but will end up being less expensive--and better for the planet--than buying one-use bottles of water all summer. Plus, they're so beautiful to carrry around; I have the red one!

Thoughts? Do you have a water bottle?

P.S. Alex actually wrote this article back in 2007.

(Via Momfilter)

6 wine bottle stoppers

Our babysitter noticed how much I like wine (busted) and gave me three lady bottle stoppers for my last birthday. They make me smile every time I walk through our kitchen. Bottle stoppers make great gifts when going to a dinner party or wedding, and are also just sweet to have on your kitchen counter, chilling in a half-bottle of red.

Nine favorites, clockwise, above: Fish, anchor, piggie, lady, flower, bird. (And this thirsty bird is so cute, too!)
(Layout by Jennifer Hagler for Cup of Jo. Thanks to Emily Hsieh for scouting help. Comic by Christopher Weyant)

How drunk can you get at your office party?

Do you have an office holiday party? I've always heard crazy stories about them, but I haven't worked in an office for four years (I miss it!). Anyway, this chart made me laugh. Where do you fit in?
(Top photo by Leonard Freed/Magnum Photos, 1966)

What's your hangover cure?

Holiday parties are coming up, and with glasses of bubbly come hangovers. What's your hangover remedy? Mine used to be a giant Chipotle burrito (#classy), but I've now learned two genius cures that really seem to work...
* Toast. Before going to bed, make a piece of burnt toast, and wash it down with a big glass of water. The burnt part of the toast is carbon, which absorbs many of the toxins that give you that terrible hangover.
* Reflexology. When you wake up, rub the outer edge of your right foot, halfway between the middle of your foot and your pinky toe. This is the reflex point to the liver. You may notice some "crunchy" texture, which is a sign that some congestion is in the area. Kind of gross! But also kind of awesome!

P.S. Toby. :)

Tip #2: How to make Champagne extra bubbly

Here's a trick: If you have a leftover half bottle of Champagne (or Prosecco) that's getting flat, and you want to bring the bubbles back, drop a raisin into the bottle. Any carbon dioxide that's left in the wine will stick to the raisin's ridges and release as tiny bubbles. Cool, right?

(Tip via Real Simple)

Wildflower ice cubes

When you have friends over, what a beautiful idea to freeze flowers (or raspberries or mint) into ice cubes for their water glasses. Here's the how-to.

Toby drinks seltzer.

My mom took Toby to a Thai restaurant in Brooklyn, and he tried some seltzer. He didn't know what to make of the bubbles and kind of hated it, but couldn't stop drinking. Ahh, to be a toddler.

P.S. It reminds me of this, but with more hair!

Gift for guys

If you want to thank a guy or send a gift to a man, but you know he's not the flowers-and-chocolate type, you can now send meat and beer! Thanks Bro is a funny new online shop that will deliver a six pack (think: Dogfish Head, Lagunitas) and fancy beef jerky. What a brilliant idea.

NYC Guide: Three great bars

One of life's greatest pleasures is...a drink. A swanky evening cocktail, a glass of wine while watching the sunset, an ice-cold beer on a summer day. Here are our three favorite places to kick back...
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Coldy cold.

This summer has been recordbreakingly hot, but somehow I managed to come down with a terrible cold. I've been sick for a week, coughing, sneezing and waking up at night with a sore throat. I also lost my voice! The bright side? My friend sent me her recipe for a Hot Toddy, and Alex mixed one up last night. It was delicious. Have you ever had one?

Hot Toddy
½ shot Bourbon
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup hot water

What makes you feel better when you have a cold?

(Update: For readers who asked, my dress is Steven Alan, and my watch is a cheap Timex:)

Fun wine labels

Alex and I had a few people over for wine and cheese last night, and, just as a twist, we made personal wine labels from Pinhole Press. I used a photo of Paris and the words, "Have a magical evening."

P.S. I'd also love to make this next time, haha :)

Lighthouse carafe

Last night, I snuck out for a pedicure and read the newest Real Simple in my massage chair. In the issue, I stumbled upon this adorable lighthouse carafe! How cute would it be for summer entertaining?

Wine bottle labels

Pinhole Press just launched a new wedding section, and I'm crazy about these photo wine labels. Just think of all the funny possibilities for parties and gifts! As Alex would say, "The mind boggles."

Nice rack.

We bike over to friends' houses quite a lot, but if we take a bottle of wine, it rattles around in the bike basket. This is a perfect solution!

(Via Swissmiss)

Personalized wine bottles

How rad are these wine bottles? They would be great to bring to a dinner party or celebration.

(Via Simplesong)

Daydreaming

At the start of this beautiful weekend, I hurt my foot, and the doctor ordered me to sit inside with my leg up for both days. It was such a bummer! On the bright side, I finally had time to read the entire Domino book, and a couple friends came over on Saturday night to play games. (I had to wear a giant orthopedic sandal. Nothing cooler than a limping pregnant woman, let me tell you.) Anyway, hope you all had great weekends, and, to kick off a new week, here are a few images I thought you might like...
Lovely San Francisco.
Lavender lemonade.
Julia Rothman's amazing New York subway poster.
This gorgeous bedroom is actually in an English hotel. I adore the black-and-white photograph in a white frame. It makes me want to shop for a fine-art photo (or frame pages of a book).

P.S. Past inspiration photos.