Category: Style

Cooking, Entertainment, Style

Barbie Pink Cocktail

Lora Knows...

Barbie is taking the world by storm. I absolutely loved my Barbie, and had all the wonderful clothes, shoes and accessories any Barbie could ever want or need. I can hardly wait to see the movie, but for now I have to settle for this festive Barbie Pink Cocktail.

At work we have celebrated Barbie the past two Friday afternoons, and then again today by our pool. All of our friends have loved the taste of the cocktail.

Here is the recipe so you too can celebrate Barbie too:

1 oz Malibu Rum

1 oz Orange Cointreau

1/2 oz Chambord Raspberry Liqueur

1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

Pellegrino Sparkling Water

Raspberries for garnish

Wilton Pink Sanding Sugar

Get a cute glass like a highball, martini or champagne flute. Wet the edge of the glass with lemon juice or water, your choice, and dip into the pink sanding sugar. It will already look amazing and fun!

Put ice into your cocktail shaker and combine the rum, orange and raspberry liqueurs and lemon juice. Shake, shake, shake until it is icy cold.

Pour into the glass and add a bit of Pellegrino and then garnish with a couple of fresh raspberries.

NOTE: If you don’t want to take the time to shake the cocktails individually, you can multiply the recipe and make a pitcher and put in the refrigerator. When it is cocktail time, put some ice in the glass and pour the cocktail over, then add some Pellegrino and garnish.

If you want your cocktails stronger, add more liquer.

Daily Happenings, Style

Lip Scrub – Do It!

Lora Knows...

Whether you are a lipstick, lip gloss or bare lip enthusiast most of us need to take a little extra care of our lips. Lips can become dry, dull and even cracked if not properly cared for. Since I began using a lip scrub, a couple years ago, my sticks and glosses go on more smoothly, and when I’m bare lipped my lips are smooth and soft.

The best lip scrubs will use exfoliants that don’t irritate. These could be natural ingredients like sugar, citrus or both. Finding the right one for you may take a bit of time, here are two I really love!

Real Estate, Style

Exterior Paint to Increase Value

Lora Knows...

Some homeowners are following the trend of painting the exterior of their homes bright shades from vibrant blues all the way to jewel tones, this is great if it reflects your style and you will be staying in your home for a while. However, these amazing colors won’t speak to the majority of buyers, and may not add value to your home when it is time to sell.

So, what colors draw potential buyers to a property? When thinking of selling your home ask yourself if your exterior color combination reflects the neighborhood palette. Most buyers don’t want to purchase an amethyst dreamhome in a neighborhood of light gray or sage green. Their first thought will be the expense of painting the home, shutters, doors, fascia and more.

In today’s market we are still low on inventory, but we are seeing homes stay on the market longer than this time last year. Don’t risk sitting on the market when Benjamin Moore paint can fix your issue.

What colors speak to the majority of buyers? Exterior home colors that invite buyers in are shades of white and gray. These include everything from crisp whites to warm creamy ivory all the way to light through dark gray and even across the scale to blue gray and green gray shades.

From earliest posts you may recall I love a vibrant front door, however if I were to put my home on the market I may tone it down a bit, but not let it be boring. It doesn’t mean you can’t have a gray home with a deep blue gray front door, it just means perhaps a bright sunshine yellow isn’t for everyone.

Neutralizing your homes colors not only adds curb appeal, but also allows the landscaping and nature’s colors to add that warm touch to say, “Hi, welcome to your new home”.