Hump Day Happy Hour with Ampersand Design Studio

Well hello Second Street East-ers!! I'm Morgan, one half of Ampersand Design Studio, and I am thrilled to be here hosting a little happy hour just for you! I'm dreaming of an über-colorful, super-bright, summery backyard party with this raspberry beer cocktail as the main event!! Won't you all come on over and join me?!

Come on out to the back porch and make yourselves at home in this Hans Wegner chair! To shade my face,  I'll be wearing these sunnies but you might need to bring a pair as well, because I'll be sporting this blinding, glam cocktail ring! I'll be happily serving up these Raspberry Beer Cocktails,stirred with some fresh lemon and raspberries on this fab aqua tray! It's 5:00 o'clock somewhere, right? Let's get this party started!

Ok, ok....just in case you can't join me today,  here's the recipe to make them for yourselves (courtesty of A Cup of Mai):

Raspberry Beer Cocktail
Ingredients
1 cup of fresh raspberries or frozen
4 bottles of corona (12oz) beer, chilled 
1 container frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate, thawed or pink lemonade
1/2 cup good quality vodka
Garnish: lemon slices, or raspberries.
adapted from Southern Living

Method
In a large container stir together the  first 4 ingredients. Serve over ice.
Garnish with raspberries.
To make ahead, stir together lemonade concentrate and vodka in a large container.    Stir in raspberries and beer just before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Isn't Morgan the cutest?! She is seriously one of those people that I feel like I have known for years! Definitely going to have to have a raspberry beer cocktail with her in person since she is only a few miles away!! Cheers!

Hump Day Happy Hour with White Table Style

Hi, I'm Ellen and one of the partners of White Table Style. If you haven't heard, I am 5 1/2 months pregnant (with a baby boy!) but still like to go out with my friends for my own mocktail happy hour.

I love Michelle's blog and am always inspired by her beautiful Etsy shop. When I started my hump day board, I knew I had to share my favorite pillow - the vintage kantha quilt pillow. Then, I based my dream happy hour around it! Who doesn't need a Rio maxi? I could definitely belt it to make my bump stand out. My other summer essentials have to be the Bronzing Mousse and Surf Spray. You must have beach waves in the summer and especially at a happy hour. My favorite fashion tip is to buy men's sunglasses such as Marc Jacobs aviators. It will literally change your life. Plus, every girl needs a new pair of shoes.

Finish everything off with a Cherry Mint Spritzer - yes, please!

Cherry Mint Spritzer (recipe from Delish)

1 cup of pitted fresh or frozen cherries (if using frozen, you will need to thaw)

1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves plus garnish

8 teaspoons of sugar

1/4 cup of lime juice

3 cups of cherry-flavored seltzer (or add in your cherry flavored vodka for the drinker)

Directions:

Divide cherries, mint and sugar into four glasses. Mash everything together and then stir in lime juice. Add ice and fill with the seltzer or vodka. Garnish with mint.

I hope you enjoyed my mocktail happy hour. Happy hump day to you! And, thanks to Michelle for having me.

Enjoy,

Ellen 

Hump Day Happy Hour with DahliaLynn Lane

Hi there sweet Second Street East Readers!

Jessica here from DahliaLynn hosting Hump Day Happy Hour.  Hopefully some of you know me from Second & Dahlia's Style Steals.  If not...it's so good to meet you!  Today I am wishing I was sipping on this yummy Berry Sangria, in this ensemble, in that Moroccan cabana with this vintage DahliaLynn necklace on.  I do realize that I might blend right in with the pillows, but who cares with pillows that pretty?  I hope everyone has a Happy Hump Day!
J    

Hump Day Happy Hour with A Dash of Details

Happy Hump Day! Ali from A Dash of Details here and I am so excited to be serving up this week's hump day happy hour for the lovely Michelle. If I am lucky enough, maybe we will be sipping cocktails by the pool this weekend in KC. As summer approaches everyone is in need of a cool, refreshing drink by pool, so how about try a Hop, Skip, and Go Naked.  The name may be a little inappropriate, but they sure are delicious.  

Serve these drinks poolside under a bright umbrella, wearing these cute J Crew swim suits (1, 2) (or mix and match like Michelle did here), while listening to some of your favorite jams (1, 2).  My summertime go-tos are Passion Pit and M83. The Hop, Skip and Go Naked's will be the hit of any pool party, but be careful because these tasty drinks will catch up with you! 

This simple recipe includes:

- 360 Vodka (a hometown original and eco friendly bottles) 

- Any kind of Sweet Tea (I love Joe's Tea from Whole Foods) 

- A splash of Bud Light 

- Squeeze some lemons to top it off! 

xox- Ali 

Hump Day Happy Hour with Three Pink Dots

Good afternoon everyone! Lauren from Three Pink Dots here, and it's time to celebrate! But, what shall we celebrate today? I'm really good at justifying, how about fabulous Wednesday? Sure. 

Recipe: 

1/4 cup pink grapefruit

1.5 oz vodka

1 tsp pomegranate liqueur

1 tsp simple syrup

juice of 1/4 lime

1 wedge of grapefruit for garnish

Swirl a slice of grapefruit over the rim of each glass, dip in sugar, fill with ice & set aside.

Combine ingredients in a cocktail pitcher, stir & pour, garnish with grapefruit wedge.

Grapefruit Cocktail Recipe (adapted from) / Outdoor Bar Cart / Cocktail Glasses / Outfit / Cabana 

This happens to be one of my favorite cocktails to sip on in the summer. The tangy ruby red grapefruit with the sugar rim is just perfect! It's definitely time to have one of these. Michelle, meet you in the cabana, in 10? Thanks for having me over! 

Hump Day Happy Hour with Because It's Awesome

Hooray for Wednesday! Today I have another stellar guest over to host happy hour for us! She was my very first blogging buddy that I met in real life, which I would say is pretty special :) She has a killer eye for design and I hear she makes some pretty mean salsa! So without further adieu...

hey, all! tobe here from because it's awesome, ready to serve up this week's hump day happy hour with michelle (which we are lucky enough to really be able to do in KC!). this week, we're going classic with good old fashioned margies. because you didn't indulge in too many of those this past weekend, right?  :)

serve em up in these very fine gold dipped tumblers with a classic white pitcher. an assortment of delicious apps are dying to be presented on these watercolor beauties with what else but gold flatware (similar) and patterned cloth napkins. finish off the look with this gorgeous summertime-inspired rattan bar cart and your guests will never leave. actually, they might be able to if they have one too many of these dangerous margaritas! a very simple recipe of each 12 oz beer, sprite, tequila and limeade (use the limeade container for easy measure) and you've got yourself a delicious treat. be forewarned, though...these babies are potent! 

* i always like to have a few idea books around with drink and appetizer inspiration. fresh and easy and porch parties definitely fit the bill!

* the originator of this recipe was mike. just in case that wasn't clear :)

enjoy!

Hump Day Happy Hour with Main Street Chic

Happy Hump Day! So glad it is time for a drink :) Today I have my college buddy Emily from Main Street Chic here to share with us her perfect Happy Hour! If you aren't reading her blog already, you should be! She is pretty much adorable!!

Today is a very special day in our household- it's the Hubs' birthday! So in celebration of this very special occasion, tonight at Happy Hour we will be having what I call the "Cody Special." Which is essentially MY favorite drink, not his - but he is reaaally good at making them :)

By the way, we are very scientific at our house - note the measurements!

"The Cody Special"

Vodka - A little less than half the glass

Tonic - Almost to the top (but leave some room!)

Splash of Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry Juice - to make it the perfect pinky-red

Squeeze of lime - to taste

Hopefully tonight we can find a lovely rooftop to enjoy our happy hour a la Zooey and Joey. And these cocktail glasses would make our drink taste even better. And while we are at it, I'll take a fab vintage bar cart to mix the drinks on. And these cocktail napkins. And these Kate Spade heels to wear. OK, I'm done :)

Happy HAPPY Hour, everyone!

Thank you, Emily! Can't wait to try your special drink!!

Hump Day Happy Hour with Design Darling

We have made it halfway through the week - I think that means we all deserve a cocktail! Mackenzie from Design Darling is serving up a strawberry champagne cocktail that looks delicious!! 


Happy Hump Day! That's as good a cause for celebration as any in my book so I'm here to whip up a yummy cocktail and style a little soirée!

How about a strawberry champagne cocktail served on a monogrammed tray? One day I'll own this bar cart and add these playful striped straws just for fun. The tray is from my boutique Design Darling and I love that it's versatile enough to live on my vanity one day and serve cocktails the next! 

Thanks, Michelle, for having me! xx

Hump Day Happy Hour with Maggie Rose Interiors

Happy Hour time! These are becoming my favorite posts of the week! I have been trying all of the drinks on the weekend and they have all been amazing - I don't think today's will be any exception!

Hi Second Street East readers! It's Maggie from Maggie Rose Interiors sharing a little cocktail recipe and some inspiration for your home bar (isn't decorating half the fun of entertaining?). This drink recipe caught my eye because I'm already dreaming of summer... and what's more summery than tropical fruit juices and rum? Nothing - except maybe a bar setup that could live by the pool OR in your living room!

Bar Cart / Glasses / Bottle Opener / Coasters / Napkins

The Painkiller (from the New American Bartender's Handbook)

2 oz white rum 

4 oz pineapple juice 

1 oz fresh orange juice 

1 oz coconut cream 

 Shake the ingredients, then strain into an ice-filled highball glass and serve (preferably from this beautiful bar cart and preppy Palm Beach style accessories!).

Thank you so much Maggie! Can't wait to try the Painkiller! Sounds like a seriously good drink :)

Hump Day Happy Hour with House of Earnest

It's happy hour time! Today I have one of my favorite bloggers, Erin, here from House of Earnest! She is the first person I met at Alt Summit this year and we were fast friends. She is one of those people you feel like you have known forever! She does some seriously amazing DIY's and is super stylish. You should definitely add her to your "must read" list if you haven't already! Now on to the drink...

Hi Second Street East readers! I'm Erin from House of Earnest and I am so excited to share one of my summer happy hour staples with you today. 

I am a huge margarita drinker, and although I'm usually a purist when it comes to the south-of the border staple (classic on the rocks with salt), I can't resist the pretty rosy hue and tart sweetness of this pink grapefruit margarita. I can't think of any better way to spend happy hour on a warm day.

Fruit and drink photos courtesy of House of Earnest


Pink Grapefruit Margarita

(for 2 servings)

-Juice of 2 limes - using a lime juicer extracts so much more than you would think! Try this one from Sur la Table!

-Juice of 1 ruby red grapefruit

-2 oz tequila

-1 oz Grand Marnier

-Splash of OJ

Combine the above ingredients in a pitcher like this one from Crate and Barrel, then pour into a glass with ice and a salted rim. Garnish with a wedge of grapefruit and serve with cute and fun cocktail napkins, mine are from Anthropologie! For easy outdoor serving, use a portable bar stand like this sleek and colorful version from CB2.

I hope you'll try this pretty pink take on the traditional margarita - add chips and salsa and you have one of my favorite dinners...I mean snacks :).

Thank you, Erin! It looks so delicious! Can't wait to try it! Now everybody go have a drink!!

Hump Day Happy Hour with The Peak of Tres Chic

I have a fun new series for y'all that involves all things happy hour! I often find myself asking if it is time for happy hour yet, so I thought it would be fun to see what some of my favorite bloggers envision for their perfect happy hour!

First up is Sam from The Peak of Tres Chic! She is one of the sweetest bloggers I know and her blog serves up some serious inspiration for me every day! You defeinitely need to add her to your "must read" list!


Hello there, Second Street East readers!  Sam here, from The Peak of Tres Chic.  When Michelle asked if I would like to participate in her new "Hump Day Happy Hour" series, how could I resist?  I love a good cocktail as much as the next girl, and I prefer to drink mine in style!

If you haven't yet experienced St. Germain elderflower, you are truly missing out. This liquor literally smells of fresh fruit. It's perfect with champagne! Here's my simple recipe for a refreshing elderflower elixir: 

Ingredients: 

St. Germain elderflower liqueur 

Champagne of your choosing 

Fresh raspberries 

 Recipe: 

Pour 1 part St. Germain liqueur in to a champagne flute 

Pour 3 parts Champagne in to champagne flute 

Garnish with a fresh raspberry 

Enjoy! 

 My recipe is simple and classic, and it never disappoints. Even the pickiest of drinkers will love this cocktail! And what to serve it on? A Society Social Tripple Trolley bar cart, of course! 

 Host a happy hour soiree with a group of your closest girlfriends at your apartment. Serve up elderflower elixirs, gossip about the latest Hollywood celeb news and play cards. It's the perfect way to unwind after work! Oh, and don't forget to invite me! :) 

 Thank you for having me, Michelle! I hope you will all stop by The Peak of Tres Chic and say "Hi!"