As Of Late

One of the prettiest views of Austin I've seen in a minute.

Homemade cocktails to accompany boyfran-made dinner. YUM.

Followed by birthday beignets at Épicerie.

A Night In

As I've wrapped up the last few weeks of one commitment or another I celebrated with a much deserved night in. Yes yes, my 28th birthday was just last week and while my body ages my behavior has seemed to age as well. I mean, I used to spend every spare night dancing or show-hopping. What an old lady I have become. 

I have found myself shrugging off my staying-in tendencies as if embarrassed with a joke about my age or (gasp!) "do I have walking pneumonia?!" No, I don't.  But lately, I've been learning a lot of what it really means to burn the candle at both ends. So all of that has me wondering . . . is there anything to be ashamed of?

The last two weeks saw a half marathon, my birthday, my little sister's wedding celebrations, a lot of hard work at the office, and my regular commitments. I've neglected things like the gym, my hobbies, writing on this here blog, and healthy eating. A few nights to reset and rest might really just be what the doctor ordered. And working restful evenings back into my weekly schedule feels like a must right about now.

Still... a small part of me cringes at the thought of getting old and boring so here again, I'm attempting to find a healthy balance.

Fernet Branca Manhattan

I've found myself buried in books and article on cocktails lately. I know very little about constructing the perfect beverage but I've enjoyed playing around with new things. Sometimes I don't completely ruin it and they turn out alright.

Lately, Manhattans seem to be my cocktail of choice when I am settling in with a beverage. After doing a little light Wikipedia reading imagine my delight when I realized I could use a long-time favorite digestif, Fernet Branca, instead of bitters in my Manhattan. Heaven. I've having a grand old time with these lately. Here is how I've been making them, though I still think this is open for tweaking!

Fernet Branca Manhattan
2 oz. rye whiskey
1 tsp. honey (optional)
1/2 - 1 oz. Fernet Branca
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
Brandied cherry for garnish

Combine whiskey, Fernet, and Vermouth in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a whiskey glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry and you're good too go!

I've recently been dissolving a little dollop of honey in the whiskey before making the drink. It gives it a little bit of sweetness that I really like. 

Social Media Age

How true is that these days?!

After reading this article not only do I feel I have had an excellent look into the entitlement generation, but I have been so utterly disappointed with ignorant thoughts regarding social media marketing. After spending years perfecting marketing through different social media channels it is a complete laugh that someone would contend it is as simple as an generation who "gets it". I've been wondering if introducing my career would be appropriate here and I guess there is nothing like giving it a try to find out. So, if you like, I have decided to share with you guys a little of what I know of social media marketing.

I am a social media marketing manager for an online media company. I've been in the industry for quite some time and have worked with many different companies. I believe I have gained a bit of wisdom over the years. I, like Cathryn, grew up in the social media age (though I'm a little older than her age cutoff) and it has taken years to learn what really really works. There are a lot of things I would like to say to the college senior who wrote the above article, but I will save those frustrated outbursts for a later date ;)

I will be posting some thoughts or advice every so often. There's a brand new Social Media tab on my main blog page that all these posts will be catagorized into. Feel free to visit and share with me your thoughts, questions, stories, or more! I would love to hear!

Enjoying things

Well, hello there. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind! My little sister was married (ahhh!!!), I had the most splendid birthday, the sis and I ran a half marathon (before the wedding obviously), and I really just loved every minute of it. Though not every minute of the half marathon. That would be ridiculous.

Things I've been enjoying as of late:
-There are flower arrangements all over my house. Compliments of leftovers from the sis's wedding. It smells like heaven 'round here.

-I've been trying to wake up a little earlier than normal to enjoy a cup of coffee, read a little, or just actually have time to fix my hair before work (I'm sure my bosses appreciate it). I have to say, my perspective on mornings is changing. Changing in that I don't hate them as much as I used to. But really, having a cup of coffee in the quiet morning hours before others are awake can be pretty magical. I think I'll keep it up for at least a bit.

-I've been listening through some musicians and albums I've neglected for a wee bit too long. Particularly this Patty Griffin song:
 
It's good, huh?

Thumbs up for being alive!

You guys! I know I've been M.I.A. And I truly hope I have not been forgotten about here in the blogosphere. The new year has been crazy what with a half-marathon this weekend, my sister's wedding next weekend, and birthday celebrations thrown in there somewhere.

I have a ton of great ideas to write about and many of them are started. So please stay tuned for these random thoughts of mine on all things inspiring/work/social media related.

I love you so much!