Have you noticed the shorter days yet? Can you sleep in just a tad later because itâs not bright and sunny at 4:30 a.m. with birds chirping? And the cats getting twitter pated?
Can you light a candle in the evening because itâs actually dark before you go to bed? Okay, is it only me who calls it a day when Iâm tired no matter the time? Ha. I used to make fun of my dad for going to bed at 10:00 p.m. sharp. Now I donât even know the last time I stayed up that late.
As much as I love summer, there is so much to love about the passage to autumn. Right now, in this moment, I’m celebrating late summer.
Of course, late summer is always marked by Labor Day and though we had a pretty low key Labor Day weekend, but here is what was going on:
Pool Parties
Our community hosted pool parties every day this weekend. Whoohoo!
And, sorry I didnât catch his name, but we had the most adorable DJ each day. He played tons of 80s songs, disco and R&B. Everyone was groovinâ in the pool. Extra bonus. Adorbs. Looked so much like my beloved nephew Drew. I wanted to hug and kiss him. I really want to hug and kiss Drew. And all my fam. And all my friends I havenât seen.Â
Shout out. I love you all.
Après Swim BBQ
Hub grilled up marinated âGreekâ chicken (spiced up with half a bottle of Frankâs) and dogs. DF Denisse brought corn on the cob and DF Evon brought a beautiful âwatermelonâ ice cream bombe. Disclosure â it wasnât watermelon flavor and it was delish.
Can you please tell me how much you love seeing a woman’s leg coming out of this ice cream? Come on! You love it too.
Everything about this day was so good. Friends, food and drink.
But guess what was super-duper special? The Aperix spritz.Â
More commonly known as an Aperol spritz. The fantastic guy in a bow tie at our local Total Wine told me Aperix is the better liqueur, so we tried it.Â
And, by the way, did you know there is a Liquor.com? Am I the last to know everything?
Hereâs the history of this drink in my life. Several months ago, ummm, maybe for my birthday? My DFs and I celebrated at a Scottsdale restaurant and we kept seeing gorgeous orange drinks passing by in large, oversize wine glasses.Â
Yep, you had me at large wine glasses. We asked and were told they were Aperol Spritzes. Please, bring us a round.
Whoops, hooked now. One sip. On the hunt for ingredients and the perfect occasion.
And what, you may ask, as I did, is Aperol? It is an Italian bitter orange aperitif. Not sweet, but dry. But so refreshing on a hot day.
Total Wine Bow-Tie Guy also recommended La Vostra prosecco. All in all, the best afternoon cocktail of the year.
If youâre interested in making the cocktail, and whether you use Aperol or Aperix, the recipe is on the back of every label, but it is 3:2:1. Three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol or Aperix, one part unflavored seltzer.
Garnished with an out-of-season orange, so beautiful.
Cave Creek
We took a little drive to Cave Creek and Ranch Manana. One neighborhood had cool sculptures on every corner. Wow, they might have a little more money that we do.
Beautiful day, but hot.
Skin Esteem
Jessyâs salon, Skin Esteem, is celebrating itâs third birthday. Whoohoo! I took advantage of her mini-facial special and squeezed in a visit. My face feels fantastic. She is running a special on her products and I picked up Old Whaling soaps in scrumptious scents.
Seriously, if you love any of her products, contact her and she will ship out quickly and for a super reasonable price.
Remember when I said I wanted to talk about books? I still do! Iâm on such a roll and I want to devote a post to it. Next time, I swear.
Until then, heaps oâ blessings and XO.