Category: Measure

you must be over 21 for this box

10/11/2012

julibox.com

i just got my first julibox in the mail. sadly, it's collection #2. i missed out on collection #1. but i think i'm still one of the first kids on this drinking train.

why do i think that? a couple reasons. first? i had to wait months for my birchbox subscription/membership, but juli accepted me right away. second? i don't think they're 100% buttoned up yet. (they're still figuring out their store situation, and there was a slight problem with one of their mixipes.)

i have no fear that they'll get there. or that others won't follow my tipsy lead and get their own subscription/membership. and in the meantime, i can enjoy my hand-selected drinking adventures regardless.

see, juli curates monthly cocktail deliveries. you get all the spirits and mixers you need to make 4 drinks (2 of each mixipe included). plus, if you need anything else like fresh herbs or fruit, you get an email reminder to grab them before your box arrives. so you can enjoy as soon as the box hits your doorstep (or in my case, the ups at 325 houston where i have to pick mine up).

so, this new addition to one-off blogging reviews the contents of my box. (again, minds OUT of the gutter.)

first, i had the bramble 75.

now, as you know, i don't like gin. but i liked this fine. it reminds me of a cocktail i've had at single brothers. no, not the infamous and beloved "old girl." the champagne and st germain one that's called a french-something-or-other.

which is interesting, because the bramble 75 is based on the french 75.

it's also supposed to be pink in honor of breast cancer month. i'm all for honoring breast cancer. but does that >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
look pink to you? kinda purple, if you ask me. so, perfect for pancreatic cancer month.

this recipe is the one where juli kinda fucked up. i got an email to get lemons, blackberries and cinnamon sticks for this box. and this recipe called for the juice of half a lemon, but never told me what to do with it. so, as i do, i winged it.

you'll need:
3/4 oz* hendrick's gin (included)
3/4 oz* chambored black raspberry liqueur (included)
1/2 bottle** mionetto prosecco (included)
the juice of half a lemon
a lemon twist
blackberries (optional)
ice
shaker
wine or champagne glass (i chose to use a czech crystal tumbler because i never have reason to pull them out)

*3/4 oz is like half an airplane bottle.
**you have eyeballs. eyeball it.

so, juli said to pour all spirits into the shaker over ice and shake. strain it into a wine glass over fresh ice. top with prosecco. garnish with lemon twist and optional blackberries. juli also noted that you could serve it in a champagne glass sans ice.

what i actually did was shake the gin and chambored with the lemon juice and poured over ice. then i poured in half the bottle of prosecco. i was kinda hesitant to shake a bubbly — just saying, juli.

i liked it. both glasses of it. despite my gin-dislike. it even came with a cute toast: "may all your joys be pure joys, and all your pain champagne."

there's also supposed to be a video online of how to make each collection. collection #2 must be coming soon, as i've only seen collection #1. the video might clear up what to do with the lemon juice. hell, the lemon juice could have been a typo and i didn't need it at all.

next? the autumn sling.

i liked this one better. probably mainly for it's lack of gin. or because it was second and my cheeks were already a little pink. or because i really enjoyed playing with the cinnamon stick — ALSO probably because my cheeks were already a little pink. (i even googled how to harvest cinnamon. cinnamon is a tree. i don't think i ever really thought about that.)

this one: also not pink. but it was seasonally right on. added bonus: as a "sling" it could be served hot OR cold. juli seemed to suggest cold. but i bet it would be pretty good hot. and a hot bevvie would be so clutch in this fledgling cold weather.

the toast: "may your house always be too small to hold all of your friends." (not hard in my new yourk.)

you'll need:
3/4 oz basil hayden's 8 year old bourbon (included)
3/4 oz domain de canton ginger liqueur (included)
1 oz martinelli apple juice (included)
the juice of half a lemon (this time i was told what to do with it)
lemon peel
cinnamon stick (optional)
ice
shaker
rocks glass

so yeah, you dump the spirits and juices in a shaker over ice, shake, and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. garnish with lemon peel and optional cinnamon stick.

*as always, all shitty photos taken with my iphone. and drink your box with responsibility, people.

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moving in day

9/15/2012

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what did i do while guys shoved shit into my new apartment? i guarded the truck.

not from passerby or thieves, but from cops and meter maids.

not sure if you can see it, but there's a "no parking" sign there.

even a sign that proclaims that if you dare to idle over 3 minutes it's a $2000 fine.

one that says "no standing at any time" is being obscured by the truck.

without supervision, i was left with this:

furniture in the wrong rooms. boxes stacked so i couldn't even get to my fridge. my purse. my toilet.

they really wanted to leave because of the truck situation.

and i was overwhelmed. so i let them. crazy sauce.

several hot and sweaty hours later, i had this:

and it's all laid out according to my plan.

BUT. i won't have room for the island. upon lamenting about this, a friend suggested i turn the china cabinet along the wall with the heater and mount the tv to the wall on an arm.

i think i'm going to try that layout today.

the other thing i'm upset about is the chaise to the sofa.

i can't lay on that sofa. i'm a tall girl.

my mom suggested i get an ottoman to put at the end of it, kind of like an extension.

not a bad idea. i think i'll take a look at west elm to see if there's anything that might go well with my existing sofa.

i really wish i could find a way to make the chaise work. any ideas?

i'll cook the winner a chicken dinner. (5 points if you know the reference.)

things i have left to do are finish unpacking, get an island, figure out what to do with the boxes, buy bed lifts, and hire a handyman.

i need him to do a few things: hang my shelves above my sofa, mount my tv to the wall, hang blinds in two windows, and build me a storage ledge over the front door.

again, any suggestions?

i'm going to attempt curtain rods on my own. if that goes well, maybe i'll go for the blinds. but the other stuff involves being able to put weight on things. and i'm not sure i'm up to that ...

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spaced planning

9/13/2012

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when it comes to space planning in a crazy small space: measure twice, write it down once. because if you're like me, you get home and don't remember what all the measurements corresponded to. i did a lot of "feet or inches?" when i got home.

but, i'm getting ahead of myself. i'm downsizing. not by choice, but my location. i recently took a job in manhattan from north carolina.

and went from this ...

... to this.

how do i plan to have tomorrow's move-in go smoothly? well, i put some skills i failed at and then later retook for a passing grade to work. good work, i hope.

so, here it is: rachel's space planning 101 for small nyc apartments.

you'll need:
a tape measurer
graph paper
a pen or pencil
scissors
a ruler
a camera
patience/wine

frist thing you do is measure all your furniture in the 1200 sq ft lap of luxury that you're leaving. be sure to get the width, length, heighth and depth of every piece, including rugs. and if it has doors or drawers on it, measure with those open as well.

then you find a tiny small apartment to live in. when they hand you the keys, excitedly run over to measure every nook an cranny.

make sure you measure the wall space between windows and how much space a door takes up when open. why? the space between windows is positive space: you can use it — but there are a lot of pieces you can't put in front of a window. the space a door takes up is negative space: you can't use it — the door is using it. (although if it's an interior door, you can always remove it.)

measure the ceiling height, this is important to know when figuring out the btu output rating of the window ac unit you'll need. plus, most storage solutions build UP. since you can't build DOWN into the floor.

look around for odd spaces or spaces you'd normally not use. chances are you'll have to find a way to use them. measure them.

figure out how much space is between the window and the floor. and is there a strange, long 4 inch heating element that runs the length of your room? that affects furniture placement. measure it.

draw a rudimentary skecth of the room with your notes.

and take pictures while you're there for goodness sake. of everything. even if it seems elementary at the time.

then: draw your room to scale.

i did every square equals half a foot. if i did less, the room was too small for me to play with. more, and i'd need bigger sheets of graph paper.

you'll have to figure out your own scale conversion.

remember: you can always tape sheets together.

tip:
i found it helpful to number the feet around the edges for measuring reference.

i also used a ruler. it made me feel more professional.

then you cut yourself out your pieces of furniture to scale, based on your measurements and you're in business.

always remember door clearances and movement allowances. here's where I first landed:

living room

i was ecstatic. i'd found ways to bring a shit ton of my furniture.

then, i remembered i'd wanted to get an island or other counterspace for the kitchen.

remember the kitchen? yeah, tiny.

so, i needed to make sure i had space for this:

island from C&B

if i wanted that island, i'd be giving up the chaise attached to my sofa.

so be it.

i'd even fallen into the same trap in my bedroom. i just turned the wardrobe the other way.

bedroom

so, i threw that bad boy on there.

it looked nice, it looked like it fit.

so i went to bed.

then i woke up in a panic.

of course all that furniture wasn't going to fit. the apartment would be unlivable.

because I had't taken into consideration me.

i need at least two feet to walk, more comfortably three feet.

i'd be crawling over shit with that plan.

so here's where i netted out:

but each and every time i liked a design, i took a pic. i tried scenarios with more furniture than i ended up with and scenarios with less.

but i knew it when i saw it. and we'll see if my multiple games of tetris paid off as guys shove shit into my apartment all day tomorrow.

look for more small space solutions coming soon. 'cause i've been freaking out ;)

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you must be over 21 for this box

moving in day

spaced planning

Rachel

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