Happy Hour: Blackberry Bramble

By the time you read this, I may have already had a blackberry bramble from State Street on my trip to Sarasota. I'll be in town for my grandma's 90th birthday and although she doesn't drink, I plan to make a stop at State Street to toast to her health and to more time with this crazy woman!

image from http://www.ticketsarasota.com

I think it was 2 years ago that I met Punit and some other friends at this new-to-me bar in Sarasota and had my first taste of the bramble. Now, Seattle is a cocktail city but Sarasota is definitely hot on our heels and I have had some very tasty drinks in the SRQ. I was really into the drink, not too sweet plus it is made with gin! It's a winner. I am obviously not the only one that is into the bramble, Wade Tatangelo from Ticket Sarasota describes the drink:

“Plump, fresh blackberries are muddled and mixed with a two ounce pour of Beefeater Gin. Homemade simple syrup, lemon and blackberry liqueur are also part of the concoction. The drink is served over crushed ice in a rocks glass.”

— http://www.ticketsarasota.com/2013/12/03/bar-tab-state-street-eating-house-sarasota/

His article has some other recommendations from State Street's food and drink menu you should check out.

I look forward to getting a few brambles during my visit & if you see me at State Street please say hi...or buy me a drink! ;)

Tiny Houses Are The New Black

A few weeks back I watched a movie called "Tiny." It's on Netflix, so you should check it out too. The movie talks about the movement of tiny homes and interviews a few different people that have built their own. It also follows a guy that is taking a summer to build his own tiny home. 

I love the idea of living in a small space, and if if we had fewer pets I think I could make that happen without much difficulty. Efficient design is the only way you can make a tiny house work and many people do a lot with very little space. 

I came across an article on Collective Evolution that talks about the financial freedom a tiny home can provide. (Read the whole article here). Although money is not necessarily the reason a lot of people choose to live in tiny homes, it is a nice perk! The article also shows some very cute spaces. I have picked out a few favorites below.

Cool Concept: Tin Can Lids

I like to reuse containers as much as possible. It often takes a bit of creativity and an open mind to accept some of my re-use projects. But with these lids a lot of the guesswork can be taken out, all you have to do is wash them and top it off!

Although these lids are just concepts at the moment, I would really love to see these manufactured so that I could buy at least 3 sets!

Jack Bresnahan is the designer, and as I said before the product is not in production. However, if you have seen anything similar please share it in the comments!