Last night, Sue Ellen and I went to Whole Foods for an event benefitting Back on My Feet.  Lucky for us, Charles Joly donated his time and skills. For those who don't know, he is a master mixologist and brought a few drinks from his Crafthouse line. There were so many options to choose from but the best drink in my opinion was the Sandhattan which had aged Rum, sweet vermouth, allspice, and chocolate bitters. I know it doesn't sound good but trust me, it was delish! 

There were some appetizers as well but unfortunately I can't remember exactly what was there. The chef was actually a winner from a Food Network challenge which was pretty awesome. What I do remember is that he served edible dirt (pretty darn good) with some mushrooms, caviar, and some kind of paste that tasted like a soaked almond. I don't think I am doing a good job explaining this but it was tasty.

We were able to chat with Charles for a few minutes about his involvement with the charity and asked more about his business. He did some amazing work at The Aviary here in Chicago and left his position in October to do his own thing. He has a small team of four people total working on the Crafthouse cocktails and traveling around the globe doing a variety of events. His line is unique; made with all natural, real ingredients. Charles talked about how he had a hard time finding a distributor to bottle the drinks as so many people wanted to add preservatives which he is against. He partnered up with CH Distillery for the Gin and Vodka to keep things local. 

I love hearing stories like this! It is awesome to see an idea you have come into fruition and actually being able to make a living from it. I left inspired, with a bottle of Crafthouse Moscow Mule in hand, and started to think about doing something on my own. I have always wanted to start my own business but still not sure what to do. All I know is that I need to start getting creative.  

I decided that 2015 is the year of mostly saying yes. One of the main reasons I am doing this is because I want to be more adventurous and not control everything in my sight. So far, it's been okay but I could do better. It's only February so I am not going to sweat it too much. 

This weekend I DEFINITELY went outside of my comfort zone. Y'all, I went ice fishing! One of my best friends, Melissa, and her husband, Marty, live right outside of Minneapolis. They are the sweetest couple and are so cute together. Marty's family has a cabin about 3 hours away and they invited us to crash at their awesome place. It was adorable and something that I want to have one day as a family getaway. 

I honestly did not not know what to expect and came with an open mind and open heart. The guys left the cabin to set up around noon on Friday and took awhile to get ready. Keep in mind that it was super cold, probably in the lower twenties but they did their thing. They picked us up around 3 in their 4-wheelers to go fishing!

The guys set up a couple of spots in the lake that had a rod which was attached to a flag. If the flag lifts up, then you had a fish on the hook. As luck would have it, a flag was raised as soon as we got there! Everyone was nice enough to let me drag that thing out of the water. I kept dragging that fish, waiting to get cut by the line because I didn't have gloves on but finally the fish jumped out! Unfortunately, it was too small and we had to throw it back in. And by we, I mean Marty. 

The weekend was full of making memories, laughter, cooking, Uptown Funk, 90s music, and playing chandelier. This was one of the coolest things I have ever done and can't wait to do it again. I am lucky to have great friends.

Until the next adventure, gators!

Welcome to Ms. Sarita! I am so excited that you stopped by. 

I know I am a little behind on the whole blog movement but I am finally jumping on board to talk about all the fun things that are going on in my life. I am not really sure what this blog is going to entail but I know it will include wine, food, and adventures. 

Stay tuned.