Kentucky Derby Celebration

Every year we look forward to watching

the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby is on my Bucket List

of places to visit.

To see the majestic, graceful and elegant Thoroughbreds

in person would be awe-inspiring.

Not only is the Kentucky Derby known for the

beautiful, majestic Thoroughbreds, it is also

known for it's world famous Mint Juleps.

You just can't celebrate the Kentucky Derby

without a good Mint Julep cocktail,

even if you are just watching it from home.

Start with fresh mint.

Then choose your favorite brand of Kentucky Bourbon.

Add some Simple Syrup and crushed ice

and you have a Classic Mint Julep.

Oh how I love a good cocktail made with Kentucky Bourbon.

Hubby's not a fan of hard liquor
and I'm not a beer drinker.

Give him a Sam Adam's Boston Lager and

he's one happy camper.

Me, I'll take the Kentucky Bourbon,

Thank you very much.

The running of the Kentucky Derby is May 6th.

I'll be ready and waiting with drink in hand.

May the best horse win!

CLASSIC MINT JULEP

10 Fresh Mint Leaves

1 oz. Simple Syrup (I make my own. Recipe at bottom of post)

2 + 1/2 ounces Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

Crushed Ice

Wash the mint leaves and place into the bottom of a short thick glass.

Crush the mint leaves with a muddle to release the mint flavor. If you don't have a muddle, use the bottom of a spoon and press the mint leaves against the sides of the glass to crush.

Add 1 ounce of Simple Syrup and stir to mix.

Fill the glass 3/4 full with crushed ice.

Add 2 + 1/2 ounces of Bourbon and stir.

Fill the glass with additional crushed ice.

Enjoy your Classic Mint Julep.

*SIMPLE SYRUP*

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup distilled water (can use filtered water)

Combine sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Lower heat to medium-low and continue cooking until sugar has completely dissolve and liquid is clear. Remove from heat and let cool completely before using.

That's it for this week.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

Coral and Bell Sleeves

I have to say that the color coral is

one of my favorite fashion colors.

Whenever I wear it I always get

tons of compliments. The color is

the perfect match for my skin and
hair tones and seems to bring a glow to my face.

The sheer scalloped bell sleeve top adds a touch of femininity.

Bell sleeves are so in right now. I've had this top for some

time now and can't even remember where I bought it.

It's a timeless classic that is still in style.

To put this look together, I started with the pretty

sheer, bell sleeve top. I pulled colors from the

 top and added a coral colored tank top

and tan Jeggings. The only accessories I wore were

the flower shaped necklace and my favorite brown watch.

For shoes I wore cream colored wedge sandals.

That's it for this weeks fashion.
Until Next Time,
Veronica

Concrete and Wood Design

There's something about concrete and wood

together that draws me in.

I wanted a cake stand made from concrete and wood,

except I didn't really want concrete because it would

be too heavy. I just wanted it to look like concrete.

I've looked high and low and couldn't even find a

cake stand that was made with concrete and wood.

So I started brainstorming to see if I could create

what I wanted.

Here is my new concrete and wood cake stand.

Did you happen to notice it in my post about

the Chocolate Mint No Churn ice cream?

Hubby came home and I showed him what I made.

He asked me where I got the concrete top from.

He thought it was real concrete!

Mission Accomplished!

I started with an unfinished wooden pedestal

and gave it a coat of stain.

For the top I used an unfinished round wooden disc

and painted 4 different layers of paint on it.

I used white, light gray and dark gray paint to

create a concrete look.

I pulled these colors from my paint stash.

I used a cheap paint brush because I wanted it to

have a textured look.

Sorry I forgot to take pictures of each layer as I went along.

Here is the top completed.

What do you think?

Does it look like concrete?

The hole was filled in with wood putty and painted over.

I let the top sit overnight to completely dry before I attached

it to the base using wood glue.

It turned out exactly how I envisioned it.

It is a natural beauty.

I like to display my cake plates when I don't

have them in use.

Here is a picture of it styled on top of our Pie Safe.

That's it for this week.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

Turquoise & Coral

Since the weather has been bringing us

warmer temps, it's time to bring out the

Spring colors. 

I love color.

It makes me feel HAPPY and ALIVE.

I'm all about adding

pops of colors to my outfits.

Sometimes I'll add lots of color,

like this turquoise & coral outfit.

I used to wear earring but since I've let my natural curls have their

way you could never see my earrings, so I accessorize in other ways.

Like adding a lightweight silk scarf  to my outfits.

The printed scarf also helps keep the outfit from being too boring.

I grabbed a pair of coral colored Jeggings to coordinate with
the turquoise colored cardigan.
Because I'm only 5'5" tall I like to wear heels.

I chose a pair of neutral color, opened toed sandals

as my footwear for the day. Even though these shoes

are heels they are super comfy.

A simple Spring outfit that was quick and easy to put together.

This outfit will also take me into the Summer season as well.

That's it for this week's fashion.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

No Churn Ice Cream

Chocolate Mint No Churn Ice Cream

Have you ever made No Churn Ice Cream?

Not sure what No Churn Ice Cream is?

It's ice cream that's made without an ice cream maker.

Oh it's so ADDITIVE!

All you need are a few simple ingredients and a hand mixer

to create this luscious and creamy ice cream.

Ever since I discovered this method of ice cream making

I haven't bought ice cream from the grocery store.

I've made quite a few different flavors of ice cream

over the years.

I made some chocolate waffle cones with my

new waffle cone maker, so this time I decided

to make a Chocolate & Mint flavored ice cream

to add to them.

Oh My Minty Goodness!

I promise it's SUPER EASY to make.
Hubby can hardly wait for it to set up
no matter what flavor I decide to make.
Hand him ice cream in a waffle cone and
he is in Seventh Heaven.
Don't have any waffle cones.
No worries.
Served up in a bowl this ice cream is still delicious.

CHOCOLATE & MINT NO CHURN ICE CREAM

2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 (10 oz.) bag Andes Candies or, 1 cup chocolate bits

1/2 teaspoon Peppermint Extract

Green Food Coloring

In a large mixing bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.

Add the sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the whipping cream, gently folding it in with a spatula until it's completely combined. DO NOT MIX WITH THE HAND MIXER.

Add 3 drops of food coloring and combine. Add additional drops, 1 at a time, until desired color is achieved.

Pour the mixture into a 6 cup container and cover. Place into the freezer for 3-4 hours, or until firm.

Let set out for 10 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

Friends and family will love you for making this super easy dessert.

That's it for this week.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

Denim and Lace

Fashion trends come and fashion trends go.

But a timeless classical casual look never goes out of style.

You can dress it up, or dress it down.

I consider my fashion style as timeless, classical and casual.

I love to have clothes that I can mix and match and

create a ton of different looks and never have to

worry about them going out of style.

 All of my clothes in my closet are able to do that.

 Getting dressed has never been easier. 

The only thing I have to decide

is which color combination I want to wear.

Gone are the days of  buying trend setting clothes

that are restrictive not only in what you can wear

them with but also comfort wise.

Once you figure out your style you will be able to

save a TON of money because you will know exactly

what to look for when you go shopping.

I realize that my style isn't for everyone and I'm o.k. with that. 

I don't claim to be a Fashionistas by any means.

I put together outfits that make me feel confident

and good about myself.

Life is so much easier when you feel good

about yourself, don't you agree?

As I mentioned in a previous post, there aren't

a lot of women over 50 who post fashion.

If you are interested in my fashion style,

or just need help with putting together an outfit,

from time to time, I will be posting some Fashion Over 50

 shots of the outfits that I put together and actually wear.

Keep in mind that all photography has been taken by myself.

You will get to see the real me.

First up is a denim and lace outfit.

What's more timeless and classic than denim and lace?

With this outfit I started with a knit printed lace top

and added a yellow denim jacket.

Here is a closer look at the shirt and jacket.

For pants I wore straight-leg denim Jeggings.

If you're not familiar with Jeggings, they are basically

leggings that are made to look like jeans. They even

have pockets that you can use. These are my go

to pants for just about every outfit I put together. I love them

because they fit me perfectly, unlike a pair of jeans, plus they

are so comfortable to wear and don't ever stretch out and sag,

and an added bonus, they come in a TON of colors.

The Jeggings are a dark wash denim color but are showing up as black.

To sass up the outfit, because anyone who knows me

knows that I'm sassy,  I added a pair of leopard print flats.

You would never know that it was 34 degrees

outside when I snapped these pictures a couple of weeks ago.

Here is the completed look.

It's good to see an actual photograph of my outfits put together.

I'm able to see better what works and what doesn't for me.

There really is no right way or wrong way about what you

put together. It all boils down to what makes you feel comfortable

and confident about yourself.

That's it for this week.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

An Easter Treat

Last week I posted the little

Easter basket I put together for

our Grandson.

Because we aren't going to be spending Easter

with our Son , DIL and Grandson this year, we delivered

the basket last week along with a couple of treats

that I made for our Son and DIL to enjoy.

I think our Grandson will love snuggling

with his little stuffed buddies.

I've wanted a Waffle Cone Maker for some

time now and finally broke down and bought one.

The timing couldn't have been at a better time.

I couldn't wait to try it out.

Our Son loves peanut M&Ms, and our DIL loves chocolate.

So I created these simple little Easter treats to give them.

Homemade waffle cones dipped in chocolate and sprinkles

and filled with peanut M&Ms.

My cone shaped cellophane bags weren't big enough

to hold the cones so I used a gallon size Ziploc baggie

and cut off the top. I closed the top with a twist tie and

added these free cute little bunny tags that I downloaded

from On Sutton's Place blog, and added a polka dot ribbon

to finish it off.

Our Son was out golfing when we delivered the goodies.

But as soon as he arrived home he called us and said

that he dug right into his!

Homemade waffle cones are the BOMB!

So, so fresh and so yummy.

I can't wait to add a couple scoops of ice cream in them.

You don't need a waffle cone maker to create these,

simply buy some waffle cones from your local grocery store

then decorate and fill with your favorite goodies.

That's it for this week.

Until Next Time.

Veronica

A Tisket, A Tasket

A Little Easter Basket.

I saw this little basket at Michael's

and knew I had to put a little Easter

basket together for our Grandson.

Because our Grandson is only 5 months old

I wanted something that was lightweight and

small enough that he would be able to hold onto.

What shall I make to put in our Grandson's

first Easter basket?

Can you guess what it will be?

No?

It's a little knitted Bunny!

(pattern is from Spud & Chloe.com)

He even has a cute little bunny tail.

He looked a little forlorn sitting in the basket

all by himself.

So I made him a couple of buddies.

Meet Lovey Dovey Lamb,

(pattern can be found on Abbey Glassenberg's blog, While She Naps)

and Baa, Baa Black Sheep.

(pattern from Abbey Glassenberg's blog, While She Naps)

Don't they look so cute sitting in the Easter basket?
They're ready to go and be loved by a little boy.

They are the perfect size for a little one.

If they become dirty just throw them in the washer and dryer on a gentle cycle.

We're off to deliver our Easter basket.

That's it for this week.
Veronica