Friday, November 9, 2012

Let's talk dirty...

Martinis that is.

Because I have finished my bar area mini makeover and now I'm feeling very classy and sophisticated.  

I've always had this vision of hosting a 60s era cocktail party with 'shaken not stirred' martinis, fancy napkins and men in suits smoking cigars and women in dresses and furry hats holding long cigarettes.  
Like this:

Only in color.

But, truth be told, I don't really like Martinis that much and I'm a jeans and tees kind of girl most of the time.

And if you see me in a hat it's because it's a bad hair day.  

And if you see me in a furry hat it means something probably died on top of my head.

But I still want my bar area to be beautiful even if I'm only pouring a glass of wine.  

Because this...
makes me want to slap myself (and not in a good way.)
And then get room spinning drunk just so I don't have to look at it through clear vision!

First I removed all the stuff including the shelves and painted it black.

 The black paint is leftover chalkboard paint and even though I don't really intend to use it as a chalkboard, 
it might end up being kind of cool to write recipes or little doodles on there.  
Like this:

It took 2 coats of the black paint which I let dry overnight.
Then I put the shelves back in and started working on filling it with my treasures.

Styling this area was no easy task because accessorizing is not my strength.
And I don't like when my 'stuff' doesn't serve a purpose so I don't have an abundance of decorative items from which to choose.

All of the items I used were pieces I already had on hand, including the roses from my backyard.

Some of my favorite items are vintage pieces that I inherited from various family members such as...

this art deco martini shaker with a red lucite handle that belonged to my grandfather,
and the sterling shot glass (that desperately needs polishing) that belonged to my dad,

a cut glass decanter and cordial glass set my parents got as a wedding gift,

a large silver tray I had in my dining room hutch that was a gift to my mom,

and this etched tin tray that my mother-in-law gave my husband and me for our tenth anniversay.
(Did you know the traditional tenth anniversary gift is tin?)


The small hand carved wooden bowl was a gift my mom brought me from a trip to Hawaii and the crystal toothpick holder was also a gift from my mom that she picked up at an antiques store in Whitney, Texas.

I also framed a Dirty Martini recipe just in case someone wants to know what gasoline mixed with a little olive juice tastes like.


The mixed drink area:

and here are the shelves:



Cocktails anyone?

Dirty Martini recipe:
2 1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz dry Vermouth
Olive Juice
Olives

Pour Vodka and Vermouth into cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes.
Shake for 30 seconds.
Strain into chilled martini glass.
Add a little olive juice if desired (the olive juice is what makes it 'dirty.')
Garnish with an olive or 2 skewered on a toothpick.


À la vie et à l'amour
-Cortney




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