my bar cart is going to make me an alcoholic.

i had been on the lookout for a bar cart for the last good year, so when sheena, a friend at work mentioned she had one in her scary basement that she was going to sell, i jumped on that shit lickity split. i knew it was brass, vintage, and if sheena liked it, it was probably perfect. oh, and she wanted $20 bucks for it, so it could have been covered in turds and i still would have been interested. i picked it up from her house that day, and checked it out in my rearview mirror the entire way home, like i had ryan gosling naked in my back seat reciting lines from 'the notebook' to me. truth is, i love this thing so much, i would take the cart over ryan. but seriously.

i got it home, squeaky clean and set up by the time paul was home from work, and cannot even begin to explain the joy this thing brings to me -- i realize how mental that sounds, but honestly, it's like a beautiful little miracle, that sits in the corner of my dining room, and puts a stupid smile on my face each and every time i (make a point) to walk past it. it's the perfect size, suits the style of our home like a dream, and is actually a functional item, as opposed to the plethora of shit i hoard collect and display purely based on aesthetics.

i have arranged and rearranged it about 346 times in the last week, and was finally satisfied enough to have a photo shoot and share it. i found a few blogs with handy tips/bar cart etiquette on properly stocking & styling your cart (i know, who knew there was such a thing), and found it really useful when choosing what is and isn't a necessity on the cart at all times. basically, you want:

-- a few of each style glass you use most: rocks, martini, wine, highball and shot glasses are classic.

-- bar tools, napkins & straws.

-- a few decorative pieces: i like the look of classic red carnations & a beautiful bar book.

-- accoutrements: simple syrups, mixes, lemons, limes & other fruit you use often.

-- and the best for last, booze: i chose staples like vodka, scotch, rum, wine, and liqueurs.

i'm confident i'm borderline alcoholic considering the amount of time i spend around this thing, and it's inspired me to bring home unique bottles of booze and try new cocktails. bottoms up.

ps-if you grew up spending your days with italian grandparents, you know how amazing brio/mio is. if you don't know
what i'm talking about, or haven't had it in a million years, get the fuck on that. shit's so good.