I'm in the closet....

As some of you know I moved recently...

I moved from a 5000sq, where about 1000 sq feet of that footage was closet space. They were huge and plentiful!
I sacrificed many spaces for my new home, large closets, masterbathroom , did I mention large closets?

In return I have an amazing, character filled home in a fabulous neighbourhood...more than a fare trade...Did I mention it has a huge wine seller...? Now "The Booze & Shoez" room...

With much less closet space, I need to make every inch count...isn't that always the way...any whoooooooooo..............

I decided to tackle my bathroom closet first, this seems to be where we (me) as a family have the most crap...bottles, tupes, gels..Oh MY!

Here is my pitiful BEFORE...............

I did not want to go with conventional baskets and I no longer wanted to look at all the crap when I opened the door... For some reason, the shopping gods were smiling down on me...

ALL decorative boxes at Michael's were....60 % OFF !!!!

Oh Sweet Organizational Heaven...it's too good to be true!

They are sooooo PEERRRRTY..........and hide all the CRAP!!

Hair Crap, Face Crap...and...."Ladies Day" Crap.....................

I also made use of some left over wallpaper to give the shelves some Fabulous'ness...Just because it's a small space, doesn't mean it can't be a beautiful one...

I even had a fantastic assistant...as every good D.I.Y Deeva project should...or maybe I should call her... D.I.Y.Weeva...

Soooooooooo....the AFTER...turned out SO great...I am thrilled with the results and now want everyone to look in my closets...Well at least this one, the others are still on the "To Do" list!

AFTER.....

This D.I.Y Deeva project took me all of 45 minutes.....and cost.....

UNDER 50 DOLLARS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All done with a Fabulous cocktail in one hand of course...

Cheers to Pretty things and Organization...!!

D.I.Y.Deeva Martini...

2 ounces Absolut Orient Apple Vodka

2 ounces Lychee juice

4 ripe cherries

1/2 soda water

squeeze of fresh lemon

Muddle pitted cherries with 1/2 ounce of vodka and fresh lemon zest. Add to a shaker filled with ice and the rest of the ingredients except the soda. Shake well and strain into a martini glass and top with soda...Serve with a fresh cherry or gooseberry.

Be sure to serve these up for your next D.I.Y project!!!

I'm in the closet....

Summer Party Do's...and Dont's...

So summer fun and entertaining season is here...
Finally after a long cold winter, we can shave the thermal stockings off our legs and let them see the sun once more.
And of course it is time to through the annual Backyard Party!!! To ensure a great time had by all, I have put together a list of Summer Party Do's and Don'ts...
Keep in mind that these are all open to interpretation,...if your idea of a great backyard party involves deep frying a freshly shot turkey in a vat of Bud-Lite, then your list will be very different...To each his own!

Summer Party Do's and Dont's...

1) DON'T be vague on the invitation...If you don't want your Cousin Eddy to show up with his 5 villainous children and dog Pickles!!! Be specific that it is an
adult only event...

2) DO make your house party friendly...This would be a good time to shelve the precious baubles and snow globe collection your great Aunt Edna gave you. And if need be cover all furniture in plastic .This is a good idea if mud wrestling is involved...remember to each his own!!

3) DO have a wide variety of background music. Just because you think David Hasselhoff's music is widely unappreciated Does Not mean your guests will. Try and keep it light, upbeat and well known.

4) DO inform your neighbours your having a party. The last thing you want is for the police to show up..that is unless they were hired..wink wink...chicabowbow ....to each his own!

5) The most important one...DON'T let your friends drink and drive...have a cab number handy or an extra couch to crash on. Or my personal favorite, invite a pregnant friend who can then chauffer everyone home at the end of the night...Yes I am speaking from personal experience!

Check out this FAB Blue Summer Mocktail brought to you by www.deflatetheelephant.com, a sure fire hit at any summer party...

Enjoy every last second of sun, remember January? Need I say more...



Be sure to check out the Deflate the Elephant website for more amazing tips and recipes...Also see what they are up to on their FaceBook Page...adn take the pledge!!!

Cheers to a happy and safe summer.

Summer Party Do's...and Dont's...

F#$& You Very Very Much...

I read a post today that made me think a little...just a little, I don't want to sprain something.
It was a post about kids wearing Pink to school to bring awareness to Bullying... The post was by the fab Emma Waverman it is called "Is your Son wearing pink"...she also added a fab Flash Mob video done by some students...and who doesn't love a great flash mob...they always make me cry...

Her post didn't make me think about kids, I have 104 of my own, they are on my brain enough. It made me think about, well...me and other adults that I know or meet in my life.

Am I a bully? are they? Then it turned into a real deep think tank sort of thought, my brain is sore from all that pondering shit...so I had to rub wine on it...

How much of what we tell and teach our kids do we practice ourselves...???
I KNOW...it was like an AHAA moment... Or as I like to call it a Cabernet moment.

So I made a list...I love lists...All the things we tell our kids that are supposed to "make" them good people...Most of the kids I know do quite well on this list. Adults I have KNOWN or meet, not so much.

1- Do not lie- honestly, I don't even have to expand on this one.

2- Don't take things for granted- I am guilty of this, I really try not to be. But I catch myself complaining about the silliest things and then give my head a shake. I have taken things and people for granted...this is not a thing to be proud of, but something we all need to be honest about.

3- Be nice to people- Sounds easy enough...Be nice, be kind, treat people the way you want to be treated. So why is it sometimes so hard. I am going to pull out my bedazzled soap box on this one and have a rant...I see this happen all the time, on FaceBook , Twitter and I am going to "generalize" by saying so many times it's Women. Doing the very thing we preach to our kids not to do. Don't bully, don't hate, don't be mean and cruel to others. If you know me, you know that I am always preaching WOMEN LOVE...not Rosie O'Donnell women love. I am talking about standing up for and behind women. Those you know and those you have yet to meet. There is no greater feeling than the feeling of being supported by your peers. As is there no more biting feeling as being ripped apart in a nano second by a so called friend or stranger for just being you.
***pushing my soap box away***


4- Mind your manners- Again this pretty much explains itself. My 12 year old son would stand at the door of a mall for 2 hours if it meant not letting the door close on a perfect stranger. If someone holds the door for him, he show his appreciation with a solid Thank You...Count on one hand the last time an Adult did this for you...

5- Respect your elders- Well just the term respect seems to get lost. I am witness on a daily basis to people or events where someone has shown little or no respect for another human being.
This saddens me greatly.

So what's the deal...Are we now a society of "Do as I sayers...not as I Do'ers?" ...
Ah hell who knows...all I know is that's it's worth a try...A try to do better.

So to all of you I leave a fab Cocktail recipe of course...and to all the Haters I had the not so pleasure of witnessing a while back over Boob Fest...I leave you one of my favorite songs from the divine Lily Allen...please take the time & listen to the song...the lyrics can teach us all something...

Cheers





Do as I Do...Daiquiri...

1/4 medium Avacado
3/4 oz fresh Lime Juice
1 cup ice
1 oz Rum
1 oz Malibu Rum

Add ice to blender. Add rums, lime juice, and 1/4 medium avocado in blender. Blend until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Pour into glass and garnish with lime wedge and a healthy scoop of F#@$! You...F%$#@ You Very Very Much..............

Picture from www.epicurious.com

F#$& You Very Very Much...

Vodka Infused Apple Sauce...

There is nothing I like more than adding Vodka to food...well there a few things I like more, but this is way up there...

Everyone I know, except me, is a fan of putting fruit on their meat...I just don't get it...

So I figured if they insisted on putting apple sauce on their pork...it at least should be good apple sauce. Not the quasi baby formula crap you buy at the grocery store.

And...since I was making it from scratch...why not add a little Vodka to it...

Recipe- Serves 6

3 large apples

2 tbs brown sugar

6 tbs white sugar

Vodka

1/2 ounce vanilla liqueur

Peel, core and dice apples. Place in a jar and add enough vodka to just cover them. Let sit for a day. Pour marinated apples into a sauce pan and add 1 cup of water, cook until apples are tender, about 15 minutes. Strain apples and add to blender/food processor. Blend in sugars, lemon juice and vanilla liqueur. Once all is blended pour back into sauce pan and cook on low heat for another 5 minute...Let cool and serve.

Cheers and Enjoy...I will be waiting for you dinner invitations...

Vodka Infused Apple Sauce...

I Can't Drink That...

So we all have certain Libations that we can do longer drink for one reason or another...

I have many...Tequila - many Mexican Vacations... Southern Comfort - thinking I was Janice Joplin in university...Rye- cus it's rye...Lemon Gin- thanks to a roof top in Paris and a boy named Jean-Luc...oh I could go on...My list reads like a chapter from War and Peace...

I think we all have a favourite..."Oh I can't drink that because"...this one time at band camp...

Here's one of mine and I hope you share yours with me....

I can't drink Peach Schnapps because... I lost my Virginity to a boy named Jason with the help of the good Dr McGillicuddy....

Sex on the Guest room Floor...

1 ounce Vodka

1 ounce Peach Schnapps

2 ounces White Cranberry juice

2 ounces Orange Juice

Shake all ingredients well with ice and serve in a tall glass of ice...

Cheers

www.cocktaildeeva.com

I Can't Drink That...

August Newsletter- THE RECIPE EDITION...

Hope your all enjoying your summer...
Check out some great recipes in this months newsletter...
Don't forget to send me your fave cocktails...

www.cocktaildeeva.com

Cheers
Dee

August Newsletter- THE RECIPE EDITION...