Lemon Basil Mojitos

Lemon Basil Mojitos | The ELL Blog

After what seems like weeks and weeks of endless rain, the sun has returned to San Diego and it’s starting to feel like summer! Okay, I know it’s only the middle of March, but I’m already getting excited for longer days and warm afternoons by the pool. Since the weather is giving me all the summer feels, it seemed like the right time to mix up some mojitos, one of my favorite warm weather cocktails. And when my momma gave me a bag full of sweet Meyer lemons this week, I knew I had to find a way to use them! This recipe for lemon basil mojitos swaps out basil for mint, which gives the cocktail a fresh spin when mixed with the sweet lemons. Don’t worry if you don’t have any Meyer lemons around, regular lemons work too (you just might want to toss in another sugar cube to balance out the tartness). This lemon basil pairing can also be used to make a yummy day time water infusion, too. Hope you enjoy!

On a side note, I recently picked up these vintage glasses at Hostess Haven’s sale in San Diego, and I couldn’t be happier! I’ve always loved her tabletop collection, and it was so exciting to be able to bring a few treasures home. I’m really loving the gold and teal combination in these!

Lemon Basil Mojitos (makes 2)

3 oz. Lemon juice

3 oz. White rum

10 Basil leaves

2 Sugar cubes

Sparkling water

Ice cubes

Place a sugar cube and half of the basil in each glass. Muddle well until the basil leaves have broken down with the sugar. Add rum and lemon juice, stir to combine. Fill glass with ice and top with sparkling water.

Note: For a stronger basil flavor, place the basil/lemon/rum mixture in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.

Honeymoon Part II: London Travel Guide

London Travel Guide | The ELL Blog

Exploring London might be one of my favorite things to do, ever. There’s so much to see in the beautiful city, which means we always spend most of our time walking instead of riding the tube (who wants to be underground when there’s so much to see?!). Between the architecture, open park spaces, and the local food + pub scene, London always captures my heart. If you’re planning on traveling to London anytime soon, I’ve created a London Travel Guide below with a few of my favorite must-see spots.

London Travel Guide

• Seven Dials: In this adorable village within Covent Garden, seven historic streets come together to create a network of shops, cafes, and bars. By far my favorite spot in London, plus the surrounding Covent Garden area and nearby Theatre district are just as fun to explore.

• Sky Garden: As cool as it sounds, the Sky Garden is an urban oasis located within the top three floors of a skyscraper in London. The space is filled with live trees, plants and flowers, and provides 360 degree views of the city. Admission is free, and reservations can also be made for the swanky restaurants and bars up there, too.

• Fortnum and Mason: The place of my dreams, Fortnum and Mason is a high end department store selling picnic hampers, confections, tea, ice cream, and countless other British necessities. Plus they sell frozen champagne popsicles…

• La Bodega Negra: If you’re in the mood for Mexican food abroad (we were craving it by the end of the honeymoon), this spot in Soho is a must visit. The ambiance is great and the tacos + margs are pretty swell, too.

• Shoreditch: After some recommendations from our hotel, we spent a bit of time in this East End neighborhood. This part of the city is young, hip, and full of trendy bars and restaurants (basically London’s version of San Diego’s North Park times ten). Old Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane are an obvious must see while there, and we even managed to find a craft brew bar. There are countless other spots in this neighborhood worth mentioning, so I would just recommend making a trip over to the East Side and wandering around for yourself!

• Hyde Park: It’s hard to miss this huge green park sitting in the middle of the city, and it’s definitely worth a visit or two. A walk through the open space provides the perfect break from the bustle of the city. The swans and peonies growing in the park make it kind of feel like you’re in a fairytale, too.

• Sketch: To read everything you need to know about this pastel dream of a restaurant, visit my previous post here.

• Borough Market: One of London’s most infamous markets, Borough is always worth a visit on the South Bank to shop and try local eats . The small streets surrounding the market are wonderful as well and have quaint shops like Neal Yard’s Dairy.

• Portobello Star: If you’re a G&T fan, this bar and home of Portobello Road Gin should be on your list. The Notting Hill spot serves the classic London cocktail in a stemmed wine glass complete with fresh juniper berries and citrus. You can also make reservations and attend the Ginstitute on property, where you can learn to distill your own gin to take home.

• Portobello Market: If you’re visiting on the weekend, the outdoor antique market on Portobello Road is always a fun stop. My favorite part are the fruit stands within the market that serve fresh smoothies out of real pineapples, which you can sip while admiring all of the colorful Notting Hill homes.

• Bill’s in Soho: We ate brunch here on our last morning in London, and they had the best avocado toast ever. Enough said.

• The Churchill Arms: While London has an endless list of pubs, this one sets itself apart as the first one in London to serve Thai food. Built in 1790, the Notting Hill spot has the traditional vibe of a standard pub, but with the extra perk of ordering pad thai with your beer.

So there you have it! I could keep going on forever about the amazing pubs, gorgeous theatres, idyllic English breakfasts….. so I think the list needs to stop there. But there will be more to add soon because… surprise! We’re going back! That’s right, we’ve decided to make a trip to Paris for our one year wedding anniversary, which means we conveniently get to stop in London again (we definitely planned that). If you have any other recs for local spots to visit in either of the cities, I would love to hear!

The Laslett Notting Hill

The Laslett Notting Hill | The ELL Blog

The Laslett Notting Hill | The ELL Blog =

The Laslett Notting Hill | The ELL Blog

I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect spot to start our honeymoon in London! The Laslett Notting Hill, a self proclaimed “British alternative hotel,” sits on an idyllic tree lined street in Notting Hill. Comprised of five renovated Victorian town homes, the hotel is a perfect combination of contemporary glamour and British culture. The hotel was designed with the local area in mind, which was executed by creating a “neighborhood” feel in the hotel’s common spaces. The lobby area offers a cozy library room and bright patio, as well as The Henderson Bar and Coffee Shop which attracts both locals and travelers alike. This ended up being one of our favorite spots for a drink since the staff were so welcoming and had countless local recommendations. The rooms were equally as charming, with local art and trinkets adorning each space — the bathrooms even came complete with blue +white enamelware.

Not only was the hotel wonderful, but it’s location is ideal for anyone looking to stay away from the mass crowds in London. Although it’s near the popular Portobello Road, The Laslett Notting Hill sits on a charming neighborhood street, making you feel like a local. It’s only a block away from the tube station as well, which takes you into the heart of the city in minutes. Having stayed in several different parts of London, this was definitely my favorite and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a place to stay!

London Cocktails at sketch

sketch London | The ELL Blog

February gives me all the pink feels, so posting our trip to sketch London seemed appropriate today. After seeing this spot on several Instagram feeds over the past year, it was on the top of my list for our honeymoon trip in London. Located in Mayfair, sketch is a concept executed by a French chef and restauranteur pair that brings together food and cocktails in a unique space. I mean, an entire room of pink velvet booths with gold accents? Heaven.

What I didn’t know about the spot until we got there is that there are actually five differently designed rooms throughout the space that serve unique menus. The rooms vary from an enchanted forest-themed restaurant (The Glade) to a high end Michelin star dining room (The Lecture Room). My favorite, the Gallery, is open for afternoon tea and dinner, and is adorned with framed sketches throughout the entire space. Since we stopped in for cocktails, we opted for the East Bar, a modern lounge in behind the Gallery with walls covered in drawings. The infamously futuristic egg pod bathrooms didn’t disappoint either. And how cool is there vending machine-style cabinet where you can purchase their dishes from?

Sending all the pink vibes your way today. xx

Honeymoon in Santorini

Honeymoon in Santorini | The ELL Blog

This rainy winter weather has me longing for the warm Santorini sun, so it seemed like the right time to revist our honeymoon pictures. Is anyone else wishing for summer already or is it just me?

Anyways, about the honeymoon.. When we started planning the trip last year, we knew London was definitely on the itinerary, since it’s our favorite spot to visit. We also wanted to try out someplace new and sunny, so after a little research we settled on a honeymoon in Santorini, because, how could you not? We had the most incredible time during our six days on the island, and already wanted to return as soon as we had left the airport.

We stayed in a sweet little hotel in Imerovigli called Regina Mare with the most incredible view — as in, the hotel is literally on the edge of the caldera. The staff was so lovely, and gave us a room at the end with our own personal patio to overlooking the water. While most tourists like to stay in the more popular towns of Fira or Oia, we really loved staying in Imerovigli which is between the two. The town had a local vibe, and wasn’t overrun with cruise ship tourists.

Oia is the popular destination for the “world’s best sunset,” but I have to say that Imerovigli had just as perfect of a view each night, without the thousands of people cramming into the streets to get their pictures! We went to Oia one night to see if the view was better, and were shocked at how many people turned to leave as soon as the sun went down. The locals in Oia call the few minutes after the sunset “blue hour,” which everyone seemed to miss as they rushed back to their buses. It’s actually the most magical time, so I would highly recommend sticking around to watch the color change sky and paint the buildings in hues of blue.

I think one of the most surprising parts of the entire trip was discovering how incredible the food was in Santorini. I was obsessed with everything we ate, from simple yogurt breakfasts to fresh Greek salads + gyros for lunch. It was definitely some of the best food I’ve ever had, hands down (and we lived in Italy which is hard to beat!).

While on our honeymoon in Santorini, we wanted to soak up as much of the island as possible and decided to book a few fun excursions! We went on a gorgeous day cruise with Sunset Oia, which I highly recommend if you’re staying in Santorini. It came recommended from Studio DIY, and I’m so glad we did it! The catamaran was gorgeous and came complete with a home cooked Greek feast and all the Greek wine + sunshine you need for a honeymoon.

On one of our last days there, we decided to book a last minute wine tour, which ended up being one of our favorite parts of the entire honeymoon! The guide was so knowledgable and took us to some of the best wineries on the island. At the end of the day, we went to a restaurant and learned how to cook all the Santorni specialties, which was then followed by an incredible feast and of course, more wine.

Stay tuned for London pics coming soon, and some exciting news about our next travel plans!