Spring has Sprung!

This Saturday was so pretty outside, I didn't want to stay indoors at all!  So Vlad and I spent the early afternoon grabbing a Greek gyro for lunch and then walking through the Greensboro Arboretum.  It's almost the peak of this spring season so all the buds are finally opening into full blossoms and adding a sweet fragrance to the air.  

The Arboretum is a unique collection of blooming trees, sculpture art, and wildlife.  It's "come sit and enjoy the scenery" atmosphere makes for the perfect afternoon of leisurely strolling.  Vlad and I were both intrigued by the way they labeled every different kind of flower, shrub or tree, letting you know exactly what you're looking at.  My favorite was the Japanese Cherry Blossoms that were in full bloom with the last few buds opening.  They were so delicate with their pastel colors and silky petals. The butterflies flitted through the branches landing from one blossom to the next.  It's days like these that lifts my spirits and makes me think anything is possible in such a beautiful world.  Thank goodness spring has finally sprung!

Fancy Drinks

This year I've been looking forward to starting something new here at Thirsty World, but with work, snow, and other events, it's taken me a few weeks to get it started!  But now I'm pleased to introduce Cocktails & Mocktails, which will be a monthly post presenting a fancy and festive, seasonal drink for you to try out!  

I also hope you can enjoy some of the other small changes I've made to Thirsty World, including a new pages sidebar and BRAND NEW buttons, which you can find on the Sponsors & Buttons page!  I have several more new things to add to my lovely corner of the web and am excited to share them with you soon!

I'm certainly not a bartender, but since I was younger, I've been mixing different drinks to see what they would taste like together.  This fascination may have all began with the Witch Doctor, a hometown favorite that consists of several different sodas, cherry flavoring and three round pickle slices.  Yes, I know, it sounds slightly disturbing, but I can promise you it's tastes amazing (given you like pickles)!  In eighth grade, my old friend Lyndsey and I, of course at a sleep over, stayed up past midnight (it was eighth grade, so that way past our bedtime) and made concoctions of cranberry juice, sparkling fruit juice and cherry seven up (when that first arrived on grocery store shelves).  We even put it into pretty glasses and took pictures of our homemade mocktail!  We were so proud!  Ever since then, I've been mixing drinks from soda machines, adding fruit to beverages and gladly making holiday punches! So now I've decided to share some of my favorite experiments with you!  And as always, I can't wait to hear what you think!

So without further ado, I give you 

The Byzantium Grape!

Mocktail:

1 part grape juice

1 part pomegranate juice

add a little club soda for some bubbles

and throw in a few blackberries for garnish  

Cocktail:

1 part grape juice

1 part pomegranate juice

1 part red wine (I prefer burgundy)

and still adding in a few blackberries for garnish  

I love this as a winter choice because it's a little heavier than other citrus options and a little wine will deepen the grape juice and warm the whole drink.  The sweet grape juice with a hint of bitterness from the pomegranate and blackberries adds just a little contrast to make this simple drink a little more festive!  So keep warm this January and enjoy The Byzantium Grape!

Purple Blooms

   Another gorgeous bouquet of flowers to share with you, these ones for my birthday this week!  They have been blooming for days, with the most vivid purple and are so amazing!  Spending the day with one of my closest friends, playing with bubbles and glitter (photos in the next post), then dinner at Mellow Mushroom with friends until cupcakes and cookie cake into the night.  My birthday while quiet on a Tuesday, was lovely all the same.