A few of my favorite things this year included but were not limited to a beautiful and surprisingly rather upbeat love song by Emeli Sandé, traveling with my sister, reading Faulkner and Fitzgerald again, the short linen shorts I wore most of this Summer, Summer, gatherings with my friends, making new friends here on Tumblr (I’m looking at you Kim, Yvette, Carly, Fiona, Rebecca, Eleonora, Kelse, Monica and Astrid among other beautiful people), fireworks on the Seine, turning 25, writing prolifically again, le Musée d’Orsay, Megan Angelo’s columns on Glamour.com,  all of my Christmas gifts (this beautiful bracelet and pair of long woolen gloves my sister got me and the PJs and Samsung Galaxy Tab my folks got me), meeting Grace, watching the Olympics, a week a the beach and the pin-up black bathing suit I rocked there, New Girl still, the night of December 21, 2012, dancing again, the taste of strawberries this Summer, basically listening to the Avett Brothers on a loop since May, the taste of peaches this Summer, Paris when it rains, reading the whole Millenium series in nine days…

Okay, it’s more than a few, I had a mostly good year…

Don’t worry, I’ll give you my Pansexual Pride Birthday Cake recipe (I love calling it that!) next week, but today is hot! And on a hot Summer day, you’d rather have a cold drink, right?

So we have a Champagne and Curaçao Cocktail, Sweet Tea and a Pineapple Smoothie. Make your choice!

Champagne and Curaçao Cocktail

I had it for my birthday. It’s just a little less than 1/4 cup Curaçao, a bottle of Champagne and lemon slices. 

Sweet Tea like in Atlanta

To be honest, I’m not sure it’s like in Atlanta for the good reason I’ve never been to Atlanta. I’ve never even been to Georgia, but I will. Hopefully, it will be soon. I’ve a ton of reasons to go to Georgia: one of them is a live person who’s a really sweet girl (thus, the best of all reasons; and yes, I  mean you, Kim and I know you don’t live there for now but you’ll have to show me Atlanta!) and another is to taste Mary Mac’s Sweet Tea.

I made mine this way: bring 1 cup sugar and 2 cups water to boil. Let the syrup cool. Add 2 tea bags (I chose Earl Grey) in 2 cups water (room temperature) and steep for fifteen minutes. Remove tea bags, add syrup and garnish with mint,  lemon and a vanilla bean, cut in two. Chill. Serve over ice or not (depending on the heat!)

Pineapple Smoothie

Dice a small pineapple and blend it with a cup non-fat frozen yogurt, a teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 cup ice in a blender. Blend. Enjoy your refreshing drink. I sure did!