infertility awareness -2022

my story

my journey started in 2017. I had my first baby, my healthy son Beck in June 2021. It was four years of pain, loss, medicine, doctors, drugs, needles, waiting, and growth. my most rewarding years in the hardest way. I had never felt more isolated but also realized who was actually there for me. I had never grown as much as I have these past 4 years and now that I am on the other side I can say I would do it all again and I am so thankful for it all. Here is my brief story in hopes of you or someone you know seeking answers for their own TTC (”trying to conceive”) journey.

I have tried it all. This entire process started with a phone call after a regular routine OB visit saying I was pregnant. We were 27 and we were not trying. I was shocked. I was nervous but so excited as I knew I wanted to be a mother one day. I shortly started bleeding after that call and I confirmed my first miscarriage. Then after almost 9 months of trying naturally again I realized I needed to see someone. My cycles were irregular and long. My OB started me on 6 rounds of clomid.. I got pregnant again twice but neither were “a good pregnancy” and experienced my second and third miscarriage on clomid. I was truly what I thought at the time was my lowest …I gave it all a break.

I am skimming through my emotional position at the time because it is all too painful and personal so I am sticking to the facts because …grief sucks. I still have trauma around it all. It is THE WORST. & miscarriage is truly the hardest thing I have had to grieve because I felt like I could not talk about it. I felt I had to put a brave face on and carry through because no one really knew. I had started my business and was busier than ever before. I had client meetings the day I lost my second pregnancy. I went to them, I got the job done and then I would cry a long cry in the shower after. Anyways, moving on. You learn how strong you are when life gets hard.

So…I took a break. I needed a break. I was mentally and physically exhausted. We took some time to ourselves, worked HARD to build my business, planned some fun trips, lived our lives, etc. I was still heartbroken but little by little I picked up the pieces and grew. Little did I know what was left in store for me…

About a year later I had outgrown my OB …I moved on to Nashville Fertility. I did IUI once. It didn’t work and I truly hated the inefficiency. I wanted a fast track to success having been in this game for three years …so I did IVF. I was so terrified but also so hopeful this would be my answer. I had an unbelievable round of IVF that my doctors called “record breaking”. I was incredibly thankful for my 44 eggs retrieved but also this was the first time I questioned all of it. All of my doctors telling me I was infertile or challenged in the baby making/ keeping area. How could a girl who had 44 eggs retrieved (average retrieved is 15) made 15 embryos (average made is 7) be having this many issues getting and staying pregnant? …when that little voice enters your head - there is a reason. DIG.

I didn't dig. I had my first IVF embryo transferred in march of 2020. my genetically perfect male embryo didn’t survive to make it to the first trimester and I miscarried a fourth time on Easter weekend. I was gutted, confused and quite frankly ANGRY. ALL OF THIS should have worked. We were at the dead end I never thought I would get to. We started interviewing surrogates after this loss and also at the height of the pandemic so many of our meetings or interviews were via tele-health. Events and travel were all canceled so I no longer could work my way through / escape loss. I had to face it head on and holy shit these were my hardest days. I thought I would never have a child. I was so lonely and so sad. I did not recognize myself. But now looking back …man …did I grow up.

SO… I started digging. I reached out to an endocrine doctor who specialized the 2% “unexplained infertility” …He ordered an amazing amount of tests on me which I did. The last test result I received back was my answer / the only thing that could possibly explain my reason for not keeping a pregnancy. Urea Plasma. I did an article on Motherly this time last year here if you have questions about it in general. But to give you the fast track: it causes inflammation just like endometriosis (but not endometriosis). I am not a doctor but I do trust them. Once we got this test result back, I treated it and then transferred another one of my beautiful embryos I had a healthy baby boy nine months later with no complications.

The test was a simple, painless $50 cervical swab I could have asked my regular OB to perform on me. Then 10 days of taking the same antibiotic that treats strep throat…if 27 year old me knew this she would have asked her doctor to order this test on me years ago. If only I knew. If only. But I went through it, I survived, I grew & we have our miracle baby.

I hope this brings hope and possibly answers to some of you reading. I have since told multiple people in my inner circle, on social media, etc. and one success story is actually a friend of mine who experienced a loss after doing IVF…she insisted to be tested for the urea plasma and it came back positive. She treated it and the next time she tried another embryo she had a healthy pregnancy and has a baby girl now.

Infertility is a club I never signed up to be in BUT we owe it to others to unite through the circumstances and spread awareness where we can. We are stronger together. Warriors really.

XOXO,

Molly



TOP TIPS FOR TTC:

-advocate for yourself always. for example I was told I have pcos …okay maybe I do but also did you know it is only treated by giving you an ovulation medicine that triggers you to ovulate (protect those eggs and research this first!) I kept miscarrying because of urea plasma which I did not even know about until 4 years and 4 losses later. I wish I educated myself more…which is why I am writing all of this now.

-research everything

-take care of yourself first. This all can be extremely mentally exhausting. make sure you are being cared for.

-lean in on your people. HARD. and get rid of those who do you wrong.



WHAT NOT TO SAY TO SOMEONE TTC:

-”when will yall have kids?”…NO. NO. NO. STOP. SAYING. THIS. it’s cruel and invasive. we should be past this question. And this also applies for secondary infertility ….Just because they have 1 doesn’t mean it is easy for #2. Stay in your lane!

-”it’ll take you no time to get pregnant”…HOW DO YOU KNOW KAREN? you do not know. some may not even want to get pregnant. stay in your lane always.

-”I remember I would sneeze and get pregnant” or “we didn’t even try and im due in ___” — there is nothing harder than someone who wants a baby so badly to be interacting with someone so obvlivious to the hardships of getting pregnant. If you are blessed enough to not have struggled maybe keep it to yourself. empathy is a beautiful thing.

-”I don’t want to get pregnant this month because I don’t want to be due in ____” - once again, amazing plans Karen but girls in the trenches would take a baby any day, time, holiday of the week. So while it is amazing you have a grasp of a calendar maybe keep this to yourself because it isn’t so easy for others to be as predictable.

so thankful for my friend Kristin Sweeting to come over and shoot these maternity photos I would have never done if she didn’t say “you are doing them”.

I love you, fall.

Last year I joined a team of wonderful nashville pros to put together this dreamy fall day styled shoot. It was a time when we were aching to work again but still not able to. We were talking behind masks (still) but thinking (and preparing) of the day when we could work again. It was never shared in the shuffle of holidays last year but it must be shared now! I hope you enjoy — links below to for the team + to make it your own this Thanksgiving. Courtney Davidson captured it all so beautifully!

j. Jackson mixologist showcased all of his favorite cocktails to serve at weddings and events! They were delicious & beautiful if you are needing a good bartending service locally.

kelly, echos of eden florals did an amazing job with the gorgeous late fall color scheme. She created this unique arbor in the middle of beautiful Southhall meadows farm

so thankful for our gorgeous bride model, Shannen of Heels & Handshakes and her husband for making photo magic!

Shanni, Canvas + Coif did an amazing job at her glam if any brides are needing a great day of makeup artist!

gather to graze created these adorable & delicious mini charcuterie plates as a covid friendly appetizer vs. the standard large share plate! sadly since this she is taking a business hiatus but this is also easy to create at home if you are wanting to try something similar for an entertaining option!

I created the tabletop and was inspired by the peak foliage happening in nashville (happening now too!). I loved this simple and neutral plaid tablecloth for a fall farm environment + pops of brown with this Estelle glassware. Then I used actual fallen leaves on the table under my favorite wood name tags. I loved incorporating feathers as well which was an easy amazon purchase along with the pop of gold napkin ring — I loved the way they looked on top of these stone plates and woven placemats!

To see the full gallery click here

HAPPY FALL YALL

baby things

WOW. SO. MANY. OPTIONS. FOR A TINY LITTLE HUMAN!!

I did a lot of research and got great recs from my instagram fam that I wanted to share a little post collecting all of this for you moms to be or giving gifts to moms to be! Obviously I have not used them yet but I will soon and I will let you all know if there are things on here that I do not agree with after!

the basics

FRIDA PRODUCTS | shop all here — this was by far the most recommended item for baby and post labor!

DIAPERS | honest company and coterie

STROLLERS | we got the uppababy because it was highly recommend for walking which I do a lot of and the storage compartment people loved! I also looked into the Nuna and the Doona which was recently told me was a must but oops.

TRAVEL CRIB | we got the Nuna and the baby Bjorn for this. We won’t be using this for a little bit but I kept both for our parents homes one day….both have them in carrying bags which is nice but the Nuna is incredibly heavy …my sister swears by it so I am keeping it!

BASSINET | this was not an easy one. Bassinets are not easy to research. Everyone likes a certain one, they all swear by X because of X. I learned in this quest its about how you will live with your newborn. For me, I am going to have him by our bed for the first 1-3 months to breastfeed. Then transition him into his room. We will see if that plan works but I bought the bassinet with that in mind. I got the halo because of this. It has a pull down function that you literally don’t have to get out of bed for which I liked. I will have him near us and it is how I chose to live the first few months! I think a bassinet is also not a must ….if you have a crib you can easily just use the swaddle method + crib starting out. It is all personal preference! Think about what you want!

Side note: we also got the cutest Design Dua bassinet as a gift for around the house or traveling to friends / families houses in the first few months! I love the look and that it has handles.

HUMIDIFIER | this one was highly suggested, expensive but worth it since we have dogs!

AIR PURIFIER | we have actually had this for years and love it! Also got it for the baby room

MONITOR | Nanit

THE BABY’S ROOM breakdown

HIS BED | we went with this simple crate and barrel crib and this mattress // I have also found that I love Pehr sheets because they are organic and soft!

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BOOKSHELVES | went with these on Etsy! super simple against the wallpaper

WALLPAPER | loved this print after scouring the internet until my eyes bled. I kept going back to it! I also love that it leans more unisex in case we are blessed with a girl one day :)

ELEPHANT HEAD | fell in love with this one and we love what the elephant represents! there are many animal options on Etsy!

SOFA | bury me in boucle, we found it here. NO you don’t need a couch for your nursery but we had a big room and wanted it to feel cozy!

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GLIDER | I tried a lot, I always went back to this one!

RUG | custom from local, Myers flooring - great experience with them always and highly recommend if you are local to Nashville! Custom does not mean more than a normal rug cost!

LAMP | circa lighting here

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happy due date our little BOS - your room is waiting on you!



MORE ITEMS LINKED ON MY LIKE TO KNOW IT HERE & HERE or click the images below :)




Happy Memorial Day

Having a different Memorial Day than years past but I am so happy about it! Opting in for a low key gathering at home made for a perfect excuse to whip out my new candles from Colonial Candles and new melamine from Juliska, which transports me to the beach!

LOVE these varied hues of candlesticks from Colonial Candle & they are having a big Memorial Day sale right now!! Click here to shop directly for their 30% off sale!

ABOUT THE CANDLES //

CC Classic Taper Candles- Indigo Classic Shades of Blue

  • This selection of carefully curated candles is characterized by a

refined, rich blue hue - a classic color that adds elegance and

sophistication to the home, perfect for gifting.

  • These eight-inch candles have a beveled base to provide stability

and support needed for most taper holders, are virtually drip free,

and have a burn time of up to six hours each.

  • Carefully produced to give you the best experience with your

candle. Each package is proudly poured in the USA.

shop the post

Happy Memorial Day to all!

grow baby grow.

A day that I have dreamed of for years…me carrying my own baby! I am so blessed to get to this point and thankful to have been able to celebrate with all my favorite people at my baby shower this past weekend! This is my favorite blog post TO DATE! and YES, I “planned” my own shower. It is impossible for me not to in the world I work in. My lovely mothers / sisters threw it for me but I got to dream it all up …I am excited to share details that are meaningful, how to get them yourself & why I chose them!

ENJOY

mom & dad to be in one short month!

we had a full bar but three specialty cocktails which were inspired by my top 3 side effects during pregnancy:

  1. morning sickness | prosecco, mint, elderflower, sparking water

  2. acid reflux | a classic Aperol spritz

  3. back ache | a skinny spicy margarita

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napkins | signage | paper goods were designed by the lovely Carly Creative Co. + cute acrylic baby inspired drink stirrers by acrylic sticks

this is Andrews grandmothers crib that has been passed down from generation to generation, Andrew + all of his cousins were once in this crib if they “stayed at nana’s” - he was the first grandchild in his family and our baby, named after his great grandma, will be the first GREAT grandchild in his family so I wanted to incorporate this as it means so much to me! I loved the idea of flowers coming out of it because this is our sunshine baby growing strong! Flowers by FLWR SHOP

I am still thinking about the strawberry cake we had after lunch by BAKED ON 8TH

I instantly fell in love with the table linens I found at Neiman Marcus. They reminded me of a garden party which was perfectly in theme..then I found these adorable hummingbird name cards at Hester and Cook locally that complimented the table top perfectly. Local artist Val Cole did the beautiful calligraphy. Spring is my favorite season so this “theme” felt so timeless to something I will love for years to come!

I know I have mentioned this before but I hate maternity clothes, they are not cute. I have found that I just am sizing up and wearing items just fine! I found this gorgeous Zimmermann dress, linked here, I felt BEAUTIFUL in and loved the colors for the shower. Shop it here! Also, if you are wanting special occasion shoes my go to’s are these block heels …I was in them all day long and my feet were not sore! Worth the splurge in my opinion for comfort.

I did an event a few years back for Pottery Barn and I got to keep these blue and white stripe cushions & napkins from the party. I always thought they would be so adorable used for a baby shower…I didn’t know they would be used at my own :) Shop similar napkins here

We even used the stripe pattern as the invitation liner to tie it all together.

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I love how all the rentals (this shelf and chairs in particular) tied perfectly together in my mother in laws home! they were sourced by “please be seated” locally

the food was important to me as I have been to many showers and always left feeling hungry! Chefs Market did a delicious lunch for us — these hot chicken tacos with pickles were a success!

my favorite little detail from the day — these party favors for all my guests. I truly could not have gotten through some of the darkest days without most of these women in my life. I wanted them to know how much they meant to me and I cannot wait for them to be a huge part of Beck’s life!

to DIY | we purchased these ivy plants from Home Depot along with small brown stakes (used usually to designate herbs in a garden) then we taped the cute custom signage Carly Creative Co. to the stakes to put in the plants! Instead of using a classic terra cotta potter to display the plants we used white lunch size (no handles!) gift bags from Michaels then rolled them down for a more casual look (also a big price difference from a normal pot) This is something I had planned from the beginning of planning! I suggest ordering or hand drawing the signs way ahead of time because they really made the plant favors come to life!

mothers day.

I cannot believe it’s already May! I will be welcoming my little miracle in just one short month and I have been so busy getting all the things ready for that!

Below I have gathered all the things I think are great gifts for the mommas this year! Enjoy :)

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for the home / entertaining

gifts she will love

palm beach inspired.

back in march I made a little trip down south to palm beach & came back inspired for the season to come! I also thought it would be fun to do a centerpiece surrounded by fresh fruit- this would be a great idea for someone who wanted to mix it up or someone on tight floral budget …fruit gives the ultimate pop of color to the table without spending a fortune.

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always love creating a little bar station if I am having people over. It allows people to make their own drinks without them feeling like they can’t touch anything — I incorporated my coffee table books to keep in theme - shop the palm beach book here & the colored glassware here

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love this pre- mixed batched cocktail mix by Gris Gris cocktail magic (plus it even looks good displayed on your bar)

If doing a real cocktail I suggest these delicious cocktail recipes from Gris Gris …— you can even use for mocktails! just omit any recipe below of it’s liquor!

the YAYA

2 shots of vodka or tequila

1 shot of Gris Gris

1 shot of lemon juice

club soda

the TAMIAMI

1 shot vodka

1/2 shot lime juice

1 shot grapefruit juice

1/2 shot of Gris Gris

handful of basil leaves

the SASSY PINEAPPLE

2 shots of vodka

2 shots of pineapple juice

1/2 shot of Gris Gris

1 lime juice

club soda

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shop the post

I actually got my entire outfit in palm beach at a cute store called “skinny dip” (& they are still working with my 7month bump for you moms to be out there!)

here are the items + more that are very PB/ perfect for summer!

shop my outfit

click the photo to shop directly.

the big easter post!

So…I LOVE EASTER. Not just because of the meaning but because of the message - it is all about HOPE. Which has been a major theme in my life the past 4 years.

This easter is looking already a lot different than last easter. I put together two different tables for all of your hosting needs — one is more relaxed while the other is still nothing over the top. I am finding myself and the world a little more relaxed with having people over. Our Easter’s usually involve a nice brunch after church, games and family time! Whatever you are doing this year I hope the message of the holiday brings you warmth for this light at the end of our pandemic tunnel :)

John 3:16

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EASTER | part 2

MOLLYSOHR

these delicious cookies are from alma kitchen co + make a beautiful gift!

shop the table

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lucky.

Sharing this spring, soft St. Pattys day table I put together with my good friend Courtney! She also has a love for entertaining & we compiled our favorite things together for this little holiday next week.

Shop the entire post at the bottom!

mollysohr
mollysohr

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bridgerton

Dreaming of Spring. This was shot on a cloudy, dreary winter day but it didn’t stop us from dreaming of our new favorite series + spring time. Check out the post for more with Mrs. Southern Social

valentines.

this lovely valentines day shoot with Mary, Mrs. Southern Social, would also beautiful for a girls luncheon, a bridal shower or a baby shower! I loved the way it turned out & I hope you do too!

I loved the mixture of pattern in the tablecloth so I went with warm tones in the flowers that didn’t match OR distract to the pattern. Whites and greens would have also been a beautiful choice if you are wanting to recreate this look but personally I am a big fan of mixing colors!

The mauve pink tone used in the napkins / placemats from Mrs. Alice Shop were a beautiful pop of color …I loved using this tone instead of using the traditional pink variations of Valentines Day!

shop all tabletop used at the end of the post!

mollysohr

how delicious do these desserts look? they were just as good as they look. Mary is the best “delegator” and sourced the desserts to the pros:

-caroline’s cakes: these were champagne cake bites but there are more options listed on her website!

- southern squares: (a local brand I now love) makes these insanely delicious petit fours

ps. these desserts are a pregnant girls dream!

*TABLETOP TIP: display your desserts / food in height varying stands or platters. It adds interest to the table!

I will be continuing to drink water & mocktails for the next 4 months BUT Mary’s yummy punch would be a big hit at a party!

RECIPE: click here

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flowers at home.

my top 5 tips for a DIY floral arrangement at home

1. MAKE A PLAN: before you go to the flower shop or grocery store make a plan of what vases to use for the table or area you are flowering. Have an idea of how many flowers you need to fill the vessels!

2. VARIETY: when you go into the flower shop try to choose at least 3 variations of stems. I love to mix soft flowers like ranunculus or sweet peas with textural stems like greenery or look for this limonium used for these bud vases, i feel like it adds romance!

3. VASES: vases are important to the way your arrangement turns out. If you don't want to buy a ton of flowers look for a vase with a smaller opening so it takes less flowers to fill but still looks full!

4. CUT THEM PROPERLY: always cut the flowers at an angle, this allows for them to drink the water properly

5. HAVE FUN: to me, arranging flowers is a form of therapy. Turn on some music, invite some friends over and have fun with it! ENJOY the process!

xoxo,

Molly

shop my favorite vases

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shop what I wore

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see the flowers in use!

superbowl.

SUPER BOWL 2021

So now that we have teams to compete against each other we can start thinking about this fun filled Sunday night of football! It was great to get together with local party blogger, Mary Huddleston / “Mrs. Southern Social” to show you all of our finds for this year!

THE FOOD… this makes or breaks a Super Bowl party in my opinion, it is always about the food. Local chef Kristen Winston provided us with the most delicious spread which you can take a look at her menus here and pre-order yourself if you are local to the Nashville area! I highly suggest all of it but my top favorites were the mini beef sliders (with special sauce) & the edible cookie dough desserts…THIS WILL BE MAJOR PARTY SCORE!

mollysohr

THE DECORATIONS | momo party supplied us with these adorable “box” football collections giving you easy one stop shopping! Perfect for these smaller hang outs & not having to remember a million things.

SHOP IT HERE

& I always love using Hester & Cook’s black and white stripe paper runner. It keeps my coffee table clean while throwing in a little referee love. Shop here

mollysohr

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pink please

Valentines Day is approaching! I have gotten together all my favorite pink picks for the holiday ahead.

for the home

for the closet

a new year.

start the new year off right.

sharing my favorite top items to start out a great (better than 2020) new year!

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  1. CBD: be chill.

2. reusable water bottle: our planet is important.

3. new sunglasses: protect those eyes!

4. Daily Journal: use this stylish journal for work or for daily affirmations to maintain a positive head space.

5. a new skincare regimen: I learned at 24 skincare WAS IMPORTANT. I have tried a lot of items but these are my favorite + this is my routine

DAILY ROUTINE:

-morning: Karee Hays Kogi Pad + peptide gel + Elta SPF 40 tinted lotion

-night: clarins oil OR lamer lotion

ONCE EVERY 2 WEEKS:

-lamer moisture mask

-facial steamer followed up by the extracting tool to remove blackheads OR the suction extractor tool, quartz roller (entire face and my neck), UV face mask

6. new sheets / bedding

-you spend most of your life sleeping…why not make it great?

7. a great bathrobe: because self care is important

8. fitness routine at home

-peloton app is great even if you do not have the peloton equipment

-Melissa Wood health

-NuPower Yoga online membership - great classes you can do anywhere

christmas 2020

ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS 2020

the biggest combined post to date highlighting all my favorite things about Christmas: the tree, wrapping paper, entertaining ideas, gift ideas, holiday party outfits, cocktail recipes & more!

all about the tree

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mollysohr

gift wrapping

holiday dresses

casual entertaining

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mollysohr

shop what I used

casual part II

shop holiday accents

create your own bar at home

top 3 cocktail recipes

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mollysohr
mollysohr
mollysohr
mollysohr

the cutting board used for the dessert board would be a GREAT gift for someone! It ships so fast & currently offering 20% to you all using the code MOLLY20 at checkout :)

shop the items used


friendsgiving

thanksgiving is here and according to my recent polls you are all leaning into a more casual season. I hope you enjoy a little tabletop inspiration that is so easy to copy! Grab your plaid blanket, throw it on the table, use what you have & invite your friends or family over to gather & be thankful!

thank you, Lele fain photography

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

mollysohr

shop what I used

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what I wore

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november

theres no better time to distract everyone by thinking about the upcoming holidays! below is a little thanksgiving idea suited for smaller tables but still packed full of love. I also love this rust color for November & included more items of what I am loving right now!

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shop the items I used

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shop my outfit

(click the pics — under $75 total!!)



halloween

happy halloween week

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under $50 finds

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ABOUT THE BOO’S

  • dirty martini | Fill a shaker with ice. Add 1 ounce olive juice and 2 ounces each gin (or vodka) and dry vermouth. Shake well, then strain into a martini glass. Add a dash of bitters and garnish with an olive (or feta stuffed olives in this case!).

  • pumpkin apple cider recipe here

  • cinnamon orange margarita |Ingredients

    • For Cinnamon Oranges:

    • 4 navel oranges

    • 1 cup orange juice

    • 4 tablespoons lemon juice

    • 4 tablespoon sugar

    • 1 cinnamon stick

    • For Margarita:

    • Tequila

    • Ground Cinnamon

    • Salt

    Instructions

    1. For Cinnamon Oranges:

    2. With a sharp knife, remove rind and white pith from oranges. Cut each into 5 or 6 slices and place in bowl. Whisk together orange juice and lemon juice and sugar. Pour over oranges, add cinnamon stick, cover and place in fridge for up to 2 days.

    3. For Margarita:

    4. To a cocktail shaker filled with ice add one orange slice, 3 ounces cinnamon orange syrup, plus 3 ounces tequila. Add ice and shake vigorously until chilled, about 2 minutes. Strain into glass filled with ice and sprinkle with salt and ground cinnamon, garnish with cinnamon stick.