Drinks & Dresses*

Happy Monday, everyone! No outfit post today, as I chose to watch the new BBC version of Sense & Sensibility last night with Greg instead of washing my hair, and nobody needs to see the greasy Snape 'do I've got going on at the moment. 

So I thought instead I'd bust out this post I've been planning instead! House of Fraser contacted me and wanted to know if I'd do a post about their dress collection, and after having a lookie loo at their collection I had to say yes. They have some super cute pieces there, and while not everything in the collection is really my style, I found a few that I really loved! As I've not been able to wear the dresses and give them proper reviews, I thought it would be fun to pair each dress with a fun cocktail! So in my fantasies, I'm wearing these dresses and drinking the following cocktails. With recipes, hurray!

I thought this geometric print dress by Vero Moda had to be a Moscow Mule. I had my first Moscow Mule at the The Bar (next to Bare Bones Cafe) on SE Belmont in Portland,  and it was love at first sip. This drink gives me a sort of 1940s/'50s America vibe, not surprisingly as it was invented on the East Coast in 1941, so I felt this dress jived quite well. Now I want a Moscow Mule, they're incredible! Here's how to make one:

Moscow Mule
- 1 half lime
- 2 oz vodka
- 4-6 oz ginger beer

Squeeze lime into Collins glass (or copper mug) and drop in half lime. Add 2 or 3 large ice cubes, then pour in the vodka and fill with cold ginger beer. Serve with a stirring rod. (via)

YOU GUYS, look at this pug print dress by Therapy! I want it so badlyyyy. But until I can chuck a bunch of British pounds across the Pond, I shall simply drink a hot toddy by the fire (aka the TV, which is in front of our fireplace because we have priorities), and dream of pugs and pug dresses. I mentioned hot toddies in one of my posts last week, and seriously we need to all make some and enjoy the season the way it's meant to be enjoyed -- with whiskey.

Hot Toddy
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 oz boiling water (can substitute for tea if you want!)
- 1.5 oz whiskey
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 slice lemon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg

Pour the honey, boiling water, and whiskey into a mug. Spice it with the cloves and cinnamon, and put in the slice of lemon. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes so the flavors can mingle, then sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg before serving. (via)

Last but far from least, this zig zag dress by Yumi. It's my favorite of the three, super fun and slightly ridiculous... and I want to wear it in space. Natural train of thought: the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster. If you've read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy you know exactly what I'm talking about, and you have probably even made one of these. If you've no idea what I'm on about, according to Douglas Adams, the Pan-Galactice Gargle Blaster is "like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon, wrapped 'round a large gold brick." Seems legit. But considering it's a fictional space cocktail, it's difficult for us Earth dwellers to create our own Gargle Blaster to the last detail. Still, we can do our best! There are countless recipes floating out there on the internet, but I thought this one from Knuckle Salad was the best and most insane:

Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster
- 1 tiny bottle of vodka
- .5 oz blue curaçao
- 1.5 oz gin, chilled
- lemon-lime soda
- .5 tsp mint extract
- 1 lemon-lime Airborne tablet
- edible gold glitter
- olive

Right, since this is a really fun recipe, and obviously the author put a lot of effort into the directions, I'm not gonna copy it all word for word, but will instead send you to the original post. (Check out the Sonic Screwdriver recipe in that post as well!) And really... drink very... slowly...

You can check out these dresses, sans cocktails, at the House of Fraser dress collection. x

*This post is sponsored by House of Fraser