All the hard work is behind us! Tonight, we get ready for our celebrations this weekend. And since I'm having a cocktail party, it meant gathering supplies for my bar. Here's how I set it up:
After gathering some inspiration from Apartment Therapy & The Kitchn, I decided to work almost exclusively with what I already had on hand.
This tea cart, though not the vintage brass and glass beauty of my dreams, serves its purpose well with drop leaves for more surface area and shelves for extra supplies. A vintage tray borrowed from my coffee table corrals the array of simple syrups from my kitchen. An ice bucket that normally holds tea bags serves its intended purpose. A gifted bottle of cranberry liqueur is at the ready for mixing. Paper straws and cheeky stirrers stashed in a vase and a jam jar add some fun. My mid-century bar glasses, found at a thrift shop a few weeks ago, await their shining moment.
With the clear liquor chilling in the freezer, the only thing I needed to buy was ice, seltzer, tonic, ginger ale, and citrus. The cocktail portion of my cocktail party only cost me $10 in supplies. Saving money is another thing worth celebrating!
Are you prepped for your party?
JANUARY CURE LINKS:
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I love bar carts. You could dedicate an entire blog to bar carts and their contents. Visually, they always make me smile. I recently moved my bar from the top of my buffet to an actual cart -- the brass one from Crate & Barrel to be exact. Love the look, love that it cleared my buffet for its original purpose, and love that all my cocktail goodies are always at the ready.
So to answer your question, yes, I am prepped for my party!
I laughed when I saw the image - I inherited that exact cart from my grandmother (although she called it a "tea cart". It's lovingly referred to as The Wagon Wheel (after the wagon wheel coffee table scene in When Harry Met Sally...). I wonder if it would be more beloved by my hubs if it contained liquor instead of a lamp and books in the library??
hope you have fun!! i don't know what it is about bar carts, but everyone loves them. i recently had a party and temporarily repurposed a kitchen cart into a bar cart (liquors, mixers, shaker, drink stirrers, and glasses on top, ice in a bowl on the sliding wire drawer in the middle, and empties on the bottom tier), and every person who attended mentioned how much they loved it. one friend told me three times--and he just bought an actual bar for his place. who knew?
i have the same tea cart! i found it at salval and fell in love. it's also used as a bar cart in my house, and i can say it was definitely worth the $25! we use a lazy susan to corral all the liquor for easy access, and the leaves hold our glasses.
i love 1950s wagon wheel furniture and fixtures.
I've been looking for straws like that, where did you get them?
We use a bright yellow one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-RETRO-CHROME-WOOD-EFFECT-FOLDING-TEA-HOSTESS-DRINKS-TROLLEY-/170973953485?pt=UK_Home_Garden_LivingRoomFurniture_EH&hash=item27ced77dcd
She is called Mrs Meers (think Thoroughly Modern Millie) because of her squeaky wheels!
@matt s, I just saw those straws at Sur La Table. See this search view for the different color options. Not sure where to get any plastic versions though.
http://www.surlatable.com/search/searchContainer.jsp?q=paper%20straws&s=true
@matt s, i recently saw paper straws at michaels, in the back section of the dollar aisle (not sure if all stores are set the same way), and i've also seen them at target in the past, though it was a seasonal item.
I recently acquired a 1930s tea trolley which is currently being restored (it was a little beaten up by a former owner) but was originally a retirement gift to a country minister from the Castlemaine Prohibitionists (so the little plaque told me).
I plan to load it with lovely drinkies and cross my fingers there are no fiery fates awaiting me.... : P