The difference between driving shoes and moccasins or loafers are the rubber “nubbins” on the sole.  These give grip and traction – two things I actually need driving my little standard Volvo up and down the steep hills of San Francisco!

I pulled three options I love: a Must, a Should and a Lust.

Enjoy!

Lucky Brand | Coach | Tod’s

The Sidecar was probably invented around World War One, which makes this a great signature cocktail for a Great Gatsby themed party as well.

Super simple to make, only three ingredients: Brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice.  Combine them all in a shaker with ice, shake well and strain into a cocktail glass with a sugared rim.  Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Betty’s drink of choice is a Gimlet.  I think I remember her drinking vodka Gimlets – but I vote we stick to the original.  Using gin makes it slightly less cloying in my opinion.  Back in the day Gimlets were made with equal parts Gin and Rose’s Lime Juice.  Those are still the only two ingredients in a traditional Gimlet (no fresh fruit in this puppy!) but I prefer the drink with an uneven ratio.  And you can’t add soda water, because if you do the drink becomes a Gin Rickey (which is totally delicious as well).

Without further delay… The Gimlet:

How to make a Gimlet:

Combine 2 oz. Gin and 3/4 oz. Rose’s Lime Syrup in a tumbler with ice.  Stir well.

Enjoy over ice or strain into a cocktail glass.

Enjoy!

Diamond studs.  I love them.  I have shown you my go-to pair of “diamond” studs before.  I have owned one pair of real diamond studs in my life – but there were really more like diamond “speck” earrings; they were from a high school boyfriend and appropriately sized about 1/4 carat each.  But I lost one.  And that sort of made me not want to invest in another pair of “real” ones.  I wouldn’t turn them down of course if a pair happened to come my way (*ahem, hint hint), but I am too nervous to invest in a pair myself.

Not to fear!  There are a HUGE number of gorgeous “fake diamond” studs out there!  The best ones require a little investment (think the $50-$100 range).  Nina Garcia delves into the ins and outs of purchasing diamonds and what to look for in the book and the details are worth the read.  My three favorite cuts are cushion (unique and sparkly), emerald (classic and elegant) and a bezel-set round (a little more fun).

I rounded up a couple of classic options and a couple of fun ones that I love!

round cluster from BaubleBar | rose gold studs by Vince Camuto 

emerald cut by Givenchy | round bezel-set from Swarovski

Once a year I decide to throw caution to the wind, warn my husband to be extra sweet for a day and drink a tequila drink; no other liquor feels appropriate around Cinco de Mayo.  And I have found that if I really balance the amount tequila with other ingredients, I do pretty well and can even enjoy a second round!

Last year I did a Pineapple-Jalapeno Margarita – and it was tasty!  This year I wanted something a little less sweet and a bit more crisp and refreshing.  What what is cooler, crisper or more refreshing than a cucumber?  Not much!  So, as an option for your Cinco de Mayo festivities, consider a Cucumber Margarita:

A few “pro-tips”:

• the cucumbers makes a tasty, lime-y, slightly boozy snack so definitely eat them!
• Use silver tequila – it makes all the difference in the world and makes me regret drinking tequila a lot less in the morning.
• You can omit the splash of soda water if needed.
• Peel the cucumber.

After a chilly week, the beautiful weather is back in San Francisco and if the weatherman is to be trusted (which he, most certainly, is not), we can expect sunshine for the next week!

Just in case his predictions hold true, I decided to create a summertime Sangria.  That’s a lie actually.  I created it because we were invited to brunch at the home of a wonderful couple and although I know they like my normal sangria, it just seemed like “a lot” for a brunch.  I mean, you aren’t supposed to stagger out of a brunch, right?  This variety is very tasty, a bit lighter and totally refreshing!

I don’t think I have ever had white sangria before.  Strange because I love white wine and I love sangria, so why not combine?  Probably because my husband doesn’t particularly like white wine, be he really did like this!  He definitely drank the most of it at brunch and even snacked on the fruit.  Normally he and I don’t abide by fruit in our glasses of Sangria – it takes up room in the glass that the delicious wine should be inhabiting.  Let other people have the fruit  Also, we NEVER add sparkling water.  Sangria should (normally) put some hair on your chest.  But with this option, most of us (not my husband of course) topped our glasses with sparkling water, we devoured the fruit and it was so tasty!

Ok – so here is how this particular variety came to be: I just thought of all the “hints” and “essences” people taste in white wine.  Tropical fruits?  Check!  Stone fruits?  Done!  Pear?  Yes! Citrus?  I don’t mind if I do!  And I grabbed some of all of that and then a few things to pretty up the glasses (starfruits and blackberries), threw it all together and voila!  Well – there is a bit more to it.  So, in case you are in need of some warm weather refreshment, here is my White Sangria recipe:

White Sangria:

• Two bottles of Pinot Grigio
• 1/3 cup sugar
• One cup Triple Sec
• One starfruit (sliced)
• One can mandarin oranges (no sugar added), drained
• Three small plums, pitted and sliced
• One mango, pitted and diced
• Two pears (I used Anjou)
• One small container of blackberries, washed
• Juice of one large orange

Combine all the ingredients in a large pitcher and let marinate for several hours or overnight.  Serve chilled with fruit in glass and top with sparkling water if desired.

Enjoy!

Denim jackets.  I love the way they look – on other people.  I personally find them difficult to wear because I am long waisted.  They always hit me as a very awkward spot about 1.5 inches above the waistband of my pants.  Not cute.  The ONLY way I can wear them is over a dress. And I do love that look.  So while Ms. Garcia has lots of other suggestions as to how to style a denim jacket, here is mine:

Jacket: Robyn Denim Jacket by Adriano Goldschmied via Calypso St. Barth (buy here)

Dress: Cross-front Jersey Maxi from Old Navy (buy here)

Necklace: BaubleBar Ivory Jurassic Collar (buy here)

Bag: Gap leather stripe tote (buy here) {clearly I am obsessed with this thing}

Sandal: K. Jacques Uranus Braided Sandal (buy here)

Now, I know what you are thinking… “Why did you wait a year to do another NGTOH post?” (if you aren’t up-to-date on my personal, internal acronyms please reference the title of the post).  There IS a reason, which will be addressed in the next post (stay tuned until tomorrow), which is, incidentally, all ready to go because I thought this one was done.  Sigh.

So.  A cuff.  Gotta love ‘em.  Who can ignore a big, gorgeous bracelet floating around on your wrist?  Statement jewelry to say the least,  but in a more subtle way than, say, a bib necklace.  They are ideal with an otherwise simple outfit, adding color, texture and sparkle without being too “too” – if you know what I mean.

Nina Garcia has a particular love affair with “Verdura Cuffs” – but even she thinks they are a bit spendy since they start at $12,500.  As always, she has amazing brand and styling recommendations, so check her book out, but here are a few I love:

Top row: Stella & Dot | C.Wonder | Banana Republic

Middle row: BaubleBar ”Rose Gold Link” | Salvatore Ferragamo via Zappos | Tory Burch

Bottom row: Trina Turk via Piperlime | BaubleBar “Fluo” | Giles & Brother via Baublebar

Luckily I found two very similar options, though at vastly different prices.  Perfect with white jeans and a chambray top, if you can’t quite justify the Celine option, go for the one by Gap!

Celine option no longer available | Gap option found here (on sale through 4/24!)

Certainly a classic, the Mojito isn’t something I usually drink.  But we have been growing mint in our little herb garden, our lime tree is producing fruit and we had an ancient bottle of light rum in the bar cabinet.  So, why not?  And I feel foolish for not making these more often – they are delicious and easy!  Absolutely adding them to the deck-relaxation repertoire.

So kick back, sip this cocktail and imagine that Don Draper is taking you on a quick vacation to Havana.  Sunday evening perfection.

A Classic Mojito (muddled, not shaken):

6-8 mint leaves

1 tablespoon fine sugar

1 oz lime juice (or to taste, I use a full lime in mine)

Muddle the above ingredients together in the bottom of a highball glass until the sugar is dissolved.  Add 2oz Light Rum and fill the glass with ice.  Top glass all the way with soda water, give a quick stir and enjoy!

¡Salud!