RAINBOW DRINKS

Over the weekend, while reading a blog that I follow, I discovered that Starbucks is offering five secret off-menu drinks in a rainbow of colors. It sounds like the pink drink has been dominating the internet for some time now, so I have to admit that I am fairly late to this party. The irony of this story, is that I was reading the blog about these secret Starbucks drinks, while sitting in a Starbucks.

Armed with this new found information I marched right up to the counter to learn more. The barista very politely told me about these drinks and said that they would be happy to make one for me, but they didn't have the recipes in house. They said if I could locate the recipe, they would be make it for me right away. After a quick, and determined, google search I found the recipes here.

I started out by ordering the infamous Pink Drink which was really delicious, so I know the Orange, Blue, Purple, and Green Drinks will soon follow. Now that you have the recipes, ask your local Starbucks barista make one for you today. The drinks are delicious, and I'm certain you won't be disappointed.

(Lead photo found here)


***Have you tried the Starbucks secret rainbow drinks.

PATRIOTIC ROPES

The Fourth of July holiday weekend is behind us, and I'm back to work now. It was a busy weekend filled with good food, good friends, and good fun. I love the July 4th holiday as it allows me to wear a number of different red, white, and blue themed outfits. While the outfits may have changed from day to day, one accessory that remained constant was my rope bracelet from Kiel James Patrick.

This bracelet is a favorite of mine, and comes from a collaboration KJP did a few years ago with Brooks Brothers. Braided along with the blue and white ropes is a piece of fabric in the Brooks Brothers "Number One" pattern. The combination of the predominantly red "Number One," and the white and blue ropes, make this bracelet the perfect accessory for the holiday weekend.


***Do you have any favorite July 4th accessories?

ENDING WITH A BANG

The Fourth of July is probably my favorite of the three big summer holidays. While all there - Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day - are opportunities to gather with friends and family for picnics, boating excursions, and other activities, the celebrations centered around Independence Day just have a different feel for me.

While the red, white, and blue, are present throughout the summer, they take on a more patriotic feel on July 4th, and there is is an increased sense of pride as we display it on our homes, and wear it in our outfits. These colors just seem to shine on this day.

With the Fourth of July falling on a Monday this year, it gave us a long weekend to celebrate, and celebrate I did.  I feel like my holiday weekend actually started on Thursday this year. Last Thursday I joined some friend for dinner at It's Greek To Me (one of my favorite restaurants) and then on to see the show at The Jungle Theater. The show, Le Switch, was directed by our friend Jeremy, and was really good (I highly recommend that you see it)! The next day, Friday, was my friend Patrick's birthday, and a group of us celebrated by attending a meditation class, followed by dinner at Sober Fish, a wonderful Thai and sushi restaurant. The evening was so much fun, and a great way to celebrate Patrick.

Saturday brought more food opportunities, beginning with lunch at The Egg And I with my friend Art (The Egg And I is a classic Mom-And-Pop breakfast spot in Uptown), and then Saturday evening I joined my friend Tyler for dinner at Betty Danger's Country Club, one of my new favorite restaurants in Minneapolis. Sunday was a more low key day that began in the afternoon with coffee with my friends Cynthia, Steve, and Todd. Coffee was followed by shopping, and I'm happy to say I showed great restraint and only bought a couples of items. 

I had to work on Monday the Fourth until mid-afternoon, so my holiday fun started a bit late. After work I went to a barbecue at my friends Steve, Todd, and Charlie's home. Let me just say right now, the burgers Todd made were AMAZING!!! We ended the day with a bang, as we watched the fireworks from the Hennipen Avenue bridge in downtown Minneapolis. The fireworks were the perfect ending to the weekend.

This year the long Fourth of July holiday weekend was so awesome for me.  It was a weekend filled with good friends, good food, good conversations, and the making of good memories to be shared for years to come.

***What are some of the memories from your holiday weekend?

JULY FOURTH STYLE PART 4

After working a full day, I went home and changed clothes before meeting friends for a barbecue, followed by fireworks. Having spent the day cooped up inside, it was nice to be wearing shorts and topsiders again.

What I'm Wearing:
               Light Red Shirt:  Polo Ralph Lauren
               Bow Tie:  The Bow Tie Shoppe
               Light Blue Shorts:  Izod
               Patriotic Topsiders:  Sperry
               Phone Case: Kate Spade

               Watch:  Timex

               Watch Strap:  Brooks Brothers

               Bracelet:  Kiel James Patric


***How did you celebrate your July 4th holiday?

JULY FOURTH STYLE PART 3

I have to work today, but I wanted to continue the patriotic look with my outfit. How did I do?

What I'm Wearing:
               White Shirt:  Vintage
               Bow Tie:  Brooks Brothers
               Red Sweater Vest:  Jos. A. Bank
               Royal Blue Pants:  Polo Ralph Lauren
               Red Suede Shoes:  Calvin Klein
               Socks:  J. Crew
               Phone Case: Kate Spade

               Watch:  Timex

               Watch Strap:  Brooks Brothers

               Bracelet:  Kiel James Patrick


***Did you have to work over the Fourth of July weekend?

JULY FOURTH STYLE PART 2

I love the red, white, and blue clothing options we have around Independence Day, they just seem to be the epitome of summer fashion. Today I met friends for coffee, followed by a little shopping, and kept the patriotic theme going with my outfit.

What I'm Wearing:
               Red Gingham Shirt:  Merona
               Bow Tie:  Brooks Brothers
               Stone Shorts:  Polo Ralph Lauren
               Patriotic Topsiders:  Sperry
               Phone Case: Kate Spade

               Watch:  Timex

               Watch Strap:  Brooks Brothers

               Bracelet:  Kiel James Patrick


***What are your favorite outfits for the Independence Day weekend?

JULY FOURTH STYLE PART 1

The long July Fourth weekend requires a number of patriotic outfits. I'm starting my holiday weekend with this one.

What I'm Wearing:
               Navy Blue Shirt:  Merona
               Bow Tie:  The Bow Tie Shoppe
               Red Shorts:  Izod
               Patriotic Topsiders:  Sperry
               Phone Case: Kate Spade

               Watch:  Timex

               Watch Strap:  Brooks Brothers

               Bracelet:  Kiel James Patrick


***What are you wearing to kick-off the holiday weekend?

SHOWING OUR PRIDE

The last two weeks have presented our country with several truly sad event's, the most heinous of which was the shooting at Pulse Bar in Orlando. That shooting took the lives of 49 people, and presented us with the largest number of deaths since 9/11. The harder fact is that it was a shooting targeted against a particular group - the LGBTQ community.

Loring Park is the perfect setting for the Pride celebration.

Photo opps at the Delta Airline booth.

One of the local grocers even made rainbow cupcakes to celebrate.

The weekend of the Orlando murders was made even sadder with the news that a man was stopped on his way to the PRIDE celebration in Los Angeles with a car full of weapons. Just one week after those two horrific events, people gathered to celebrate the annual Pride Festival in Minneapolis.

The rooftop at the Union Restaurant . . .

. . . Was the perfect place to watch the parade.

Neighboring rooftops.

The crowd filled the rooftop.

The rooftop tickets included breakfast.

Once again roughly 400,000 people attended the event held in Loring Park. The two day festival provided music on several stages in the park, along with hundreds of vendors, and a Pride Parade down Hennepin Avenue.

The crowd started lining the street early.

Bottomless virgin bloody marys for me.

The Pride flag leads the parade.

There was a moment of silence as the "Remember Orlando" folks passed by.

The beauty of the celebration this year is that it focused on peace, while remembering the victims of the Orlando shooting. The crowd fell silent as marchers carrying signs with the victim's photos walked by. It was a truly moving moment.  Participant in this year's festival, refused to hide, and become complacent victims. Instead, LGBTQ individuals and Allies alike, came out in droves to stand in solidarity with the greater community throughout the country. 

Some of my friends were recipients of one of the Pride awards.

One of the local car dealerships . . . 

. . . Painted their cars to match the Pride flags.

I love the rainbow balloon people.

More of my "award winning" friends in the parade.

The festival hosts over 400,000 people each year.

During this difficult time in history, when so many are once again finding it difficult to except a particular group of people, it's truly moving to see and experience the volume of support found here in Minneapolis. That support is greatly appreciated!


***Did you take part in Pride celebrations in your area this year?