The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies.. Ever

 I think it's fair to say I'd always hoped to find a recipe this flawless. I had actually read about these on Kate's blog almost a year ago and I'd simply been waiting for the right time to make them. The truth is - they require some serious patience, something that I have very little of when it comes to cookie dough. The process itself isn't difficult or time consuming, but the key to the magic is all in the wait time once the dough has been prepared {36 hours, to be exact}. I baked up a batch for one of my best friend's birthday and sure enough, they really were that good. It sounds silly to say, but they were truly the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had.

Five Things

 The unofficial end of the season always makes me sad. I'm planning on celebrating Labor Day with friends at the cabin with a proper barbecue, and maybe even squeezing in a matinee to make it feel like summer's not actually over. For those celebrating, I hope you have a wonderful long weekend.{Labor Day essentials}

{Banana split cupcake }

{Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies always make the best gift}

{A glass of wine from "orange" section}

{New wrapping paper that's good for any time of year}

Potato Galette

  I was craving one so badly a few weeks back so following the Cook's Illustrated version I whipped one up.  Fair warning, bring some friends over if you make this, since it's really easy to eat the entire thing by yourself.

Links I Love

1. Mean Girls trailer set to Disney characters. {youtube.com}

2. Maps that will help you make sense of the world. }twistedsifter.com}

3.Table decorating tips from a pro. {refinery29.com}

4. Can't get enough of these now & then images of New York. {nyc-grid.com}

5. This succulent "painting" would be perfect for an outdoor dining area. {bhg.com}

6. I love the idea of a cake for two and a bottle of champagne. {hummingbirdhigh.com}

7. The cost of raising a baby today. {npr.com}

8. Obsessed with these beetle smoking slippers for fall. {shopbop.com}

9. A simple move for lean, lovely arms. {racked.com}

Plum Shrub Cocktail

 That’s right. It’s cocktail time.  You didn't think I was gonna leave you hanging, did you? In addition to adding a depth of flavor, a shrub brings balance to a cocktail in place of other more traditional ingredients like simple syrup and citrus. For this cocktail I wanted to use a fair amount of our hard-earned plum shrub. In turn, I countered the sharpness of the vinegar with a sweet bourbon, then layered in a bit of nuttiness with a dry sherry. The cool part is that the flavor or the shrub is constantly evolving. Two weeks from now, when the vinegar has mellowed and the shrub is a bit sweeter, you may think about switching the bourbon for a rye. Or, maybe even add a dash of bitters. You see how great shrubs are? Pretty magical stuff, indeed.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz bourbon
• 3/4 oz plum shrub
• 1/4 oz dry Amontillado sherry
• 1 large/over sized cube of ice
• slice of plum for garnish

Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass.

Fill your mixing glass with ice.

Stir for a full 30 seconds. Sometimes good things take time.

Insert the large ice cube into an old fashioned glass.

Strain your cocktail over ice and garnish with a slice of fresh plum.

I think we put our shrub to good use. Enjoy!

Rope Vase DIY

I find the best DIYs usually end up being the simplest. If it's going to require me to buy out an entire craft store or set aside a full day, I can't commit. This simple rope vase is a chic solution to spicing up an old glass vase. I love how the end result looks expensive and adds a nautical twist to your space without going too over-the-top Martha's Vineyard. Here are the steps I took:

 Items you need: rope, a glue gun, and a circular vase.

 Start by flipping your vase over so the opening is face down on the table. Using your glue gun, secure the rope end to one side of the base. Start wrapping the rope around the vase and glue as you go. I glued about 6 times each wrap {every inch or so}. After every time you glue a section of the rope down, make sure to put pressure on it for 10 seconds so that the entire thing is secure.

 When you get to the top of your vase, cut off the excess rope {I used gardening shears for this since it was thick} and glue down the final piece.

P.S. Sparkly Rustic Tray DIY, Perfect Bouquet DIY, and Burlap Covered Vases with Wildflowers.