Strawberry Sangria, or how the Happy Hostess taught me to love sangria

Sangria and I met on rocky terms.

Extreme heat, dehydration, and nerves for an early date with the man who I later married were not the greatest settings for my first introduction to sangria. The slimy fruit, watered-down punch served at that fair was not forgiving.

Years later, my dear friend Cate was visiting from out of town. During our college years together, she had earned the nickname Happy Hostess for her great skill at feeding and encouraging frivolity among our writing club. While other college students went rushing out of the dorm for the weekend, we gathered around the couches with our poetry and short stories in hand, laughing until our stomachs hurt and carpe-ing that diem. 

In all those meals and hangouts, the Happy Hostess always delivered tasty goods, so when years later she pulled a pitcher out of the fridge, who was I to refuse?

Only the persistent charm of the Happy Hostess could show me how fantastic sangria could taste. The sweet strawberry flavor and deep merlot are rich and complex flavors overtop of the rum. 

DIY Custom Etched Glass Gift: The Baron Samedi Rum Bottle

Creating Unique & Personalized Wedding Gifts Thru Etched Glass: Part One

April showers bring May flowers and wedding season! If you're an average twenty-to-thirty-something woman and not a hermit hiding in a mountain cave, then chances are that you know someone getting married this year. The odds are in your favor.

Searching registries for the best gift becomes second nature, but after a while, all the matching towel sets and Pyrex blur together and I become bored with my own gift. Which is a sad predicament, indeed, because I want to give something that screams my enthusiasm for their important day, rather than yawning like a pair of Christmas gift underwear. 

So I'm often torn between my desire to give the bride and groom something practical that they need, but also to give them something memorable, so they can laugh at our inside jokes and know that we cared to add a special touch just for them.

Lately, my solution to this dilemma has been custom etched glass gifts. I was introduced to this craft on Make It & Love It. By adding a creative element to a practical gift, no piece of glass is safe! Any bottle, vase, or Pyrex can become classy or hilarious in less than half an hour.