POPTAILS AND POP MUSIC — THE STEINITZ

I’m excited for Labor Day weekend for many reasons. To name a few…

1) I get to spend a long weekend with Marc

2) We are heading to a friend’s wedding on Sunday

3) Sunday is also my birthday, so we are celebrating with a Monday Funday brunch party at Humpitz Manor

In an attempt to extend summer vibes into September, I’m heading into the long weekend armed with a 90s pop playlist (on the SOUNDTRACK page) and some delicious poptails for Monday’s party.

JALAPENO CUCUMBER VODKA LEMONADE POPTAILS

Jalapeño cucumber vodka lemonade is one of my favorite summer party cocktails. Recently, Marc and I started experimenting with poptails after we got popsicle molds as a wedding present, and it got me thinking that one of my favorite beverages could make an even better frozen treat.

I love it when I’m right :)

Combine the following ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth:

1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded

2 fresh jalapeno peppers, chopped

1 cup lemonade

Juice of 2 lemons

A shot glass of vodka

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze overnight. Makes 6 poptails.

All that’s left to do is throw on some tunes and enjoy the holiday weekend!

-JS

For additional poptail recipes, click here (personal favorites are the Bourbon Butterscotch Latte and the Cucumber Ginger Gin ice pops).

SPACES

March 25, 2018

A POP-CHIC TWIST ON A FAMILY ROOM

What do you do when you’ve got a large living room for a young family and only a few pieces of furniture? You layer. And you have fun with it.

TRAVEL

January 28, 2018

OAXACAN ON SUNSHINE

Let me start by saying this: The journey to Hotel Escondido in Oaxaca, Mexico is well worth it.

By the time your taxi turns onto the final dirt road leading to the hotel (a short 30 minutes from the airport), you’ve already seen a few glimpses of the beaches, stretches of jungle-like palm tree groves, and acres of local farmland harvesting, among other things, the avocados and citrus fruits that are certain to find their way into some of the best meals you’ve ever tasted.

January 7, 2018

BEFORE & AFTER: A MINIMAL, MODERN CONDO

For a young couple who share a love of travel and seeing the world, the idea of coming home to a more minimal space made perfect sense.

With this condo being a renovated storefront, we had plenty of unique features in the space worth highlighting: Large front windows. High ceilings. Exposed brick walls. A large, loft-like main room. I couldn’t wait to amplify these architectural elements with furniture, décor, and art.

MUSIC

December 17, 2017

COCKTAILS & COUNTDOWNS

Marc's birthday is New Year's Eve, so we always throw a party. It's tradition at this point. And whatever we end up calling it every year - Cocktails & Countdowns, Tipsy & Toasty, Drinks & Dancing, or Wining & Dining - I love the way it's always a fun excuse to get dressed up and raise a glass to my favorite person.

October 29, 2017

FINDING ENDLESS INSPIRATION IN MOROCCO

I like to consider myself a global nomad; I grew up moving around the world, and I’ve never kicked the travel bug since. In fact, as an adult, I still love to jetset as much as time permits, curating experiences to seek out inspiration at every turn. It seems like there’s so much to see and do in the world that my bucket list only gets longer each year—so many destinations, so little time.

And every now and then, you come back from a vacation feeling changed and invigorated with a fresh perspective. That’s how I felt at the end of our week in Morocco this summer.

September 10, 2017

OFF THE BEATEN PATH IN PORTUGAL

Some have rumored Portugal to be “the next France” or “the next Spain”. Perhaps that’s the case, but there’s an off-the-beaten path quality to Portugal that I’m hoping can endure for a little longer. So, what's my advice for planning an off-the-beaten-path escape to Portugal?

EAT + DRINK

September 1, 2017

THE PERFECT END-OF-SUMMER SALAD

While one of my favorite year-round pastimes is eating delicious food and pairing it with even better wine, salads are definitely the unofficial signature dish of summer. And since Marc and I love to riff on recipes we find in various cookbooks and on Pinterest, I thought I'd share a mashup of a few different recipes that we've been eating on repeat for the past month or so. We're calling it the Nectarine Caprese Salad.

July 1, 2017

THE DAY PARTY PLAYLIST

Summer weather always calls for a sunny soundtrack. That's what the DAY PARTY playlist is for. And you know how I love a good day party (day drinking is the new night drinking, am I right?).

April 30, 2017

A FRESH NEUTRAL TAKE ON A FAMILY HOME

When Holly and Brian and their daughter Avery moved to the suburbs, they wanted to make sure that their downtown sensibility translated to their new home. They also wanted to embrace larger spaces in a way that would give them ample opportunities for playtime, downtime, and making memories as a family. The solution? We filled their new house with a layered mix of cool neutrals balanced with warm, family-friendly touches.

TRAVEL, EVENTS + EXPERIENCES, MUSIC

April 27, 2017

COACHELLA 2017: JUST THE HITS

It's no secret that love the Palm Springs area, and I love listening to music, so going to Coachella every year is a no-brainer. So I put together a mini-playlist composed of some of my favorite artists from this year's lineup.

April 13, 2017

PALM SPRINGS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE PLACE ON EARTH

Palm Springs is my happy place.

The California desert destination holds a special spot in my heart, and for good reason: I got married in Palm Springs, so I automatically associate it with the best memories of my life.

Anyways, Palm Springs is on the short list of places I love to travel back to a few times every year. With a long bucket list that spans the globe, I tend to lean towards trying new spots over repeating ones I’ve been to before. Palm Springs is an exception to that rule. It’s such a great blend of weather, scenery, food, and activities that I kind of think it belongs in everyone’s travel rotation.

February 26, 2017

THE VIEW FROM SAINT LUCIA

One of my favorite times of the year to escape is mid-January. It’s just enough time after the holidays to need a little extra time off, and it’s also generally very cold weather in Ohio. So we like to pick a spot somewhere south. Over the years, we’ve done everything from adventurous expeditions in Patagonia (it’s the warmest time of year to visit the South Pole, after all) to beach-hopping in Vieques, Puerto Rico (I have a whole separate blog post planned on that one!). Even though the time of year stays relatively standard, we use it as an opportunity to check destinations off the bucket list.

So how did we end up in Saint Lucia?

January 28, 2017

MASTERING OUR MASTER BEDROOM

A little lighting goes a long way.

In the spirit of continuously evolving and updating our home, Marc and I decided it was time to modernize our bedroom a little bit. Nothing major; just a few simple upgrades. New lighting. New throw pillows. A plant for the corner.

January 8, 2017

EASY, HEALTHY BREAKFAST: GUACAMOLE DEVILED EGGS

I’m always game for an easy, healthy breakfast. Particularly one that can be prepped ahead of time and doesn’t require heating up. Even better? A breakfast dish that doubles as a great party app.

EVENTS + EXPERIENCES

January 1, 2017

THE ART OF THE DAY-AFTER PARTY

We’ve all been there. We’ve all gotten a major case of the blues the day after a big event or party.

It’s the amplified version of that feeling you get on Sunday afternoons when you know the weekend is rolling to a close.

But I’ve stumbled onto a solution: Day-after parties.

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