Last night, my Splurge Sorority sisters got together for our final gathering of the fourth round of splurging and it was a blast! We started off with a tour and tasting at Big Rig Craft Distillery, the only craft distillery in the greater Edmonton area, providing the only spirits – including vodka, rum, whisky, gin, moonshine, and coffee cream liqueur – that are locally sourced, produced and distributed. You had me at spirits! 😉
Me and my ladies heading in for some booze, I mean education.Mike has found his calling at Big Rig Craft Distillery! He was a wealth of information about every aspect of distilling! Here he is telling us all about what goes in their DELICIOUS gin! Which is actually vodka! #learning #educationalopportunity #pdJelly Bean makes the gin, which only adds to its appeal if you ask me.And here I am testing the gin – so so good. *Some people* in our group – cough cough Megan – had never had gin before which, besides astounding, makes me a bad friend. We need to rectify that immediately. Did I mention Big Rig is a 4-minute drive from where Megan and I work?!!And Mighty Morley makes the vodka…This place feels like home… (I sampled the 95% proof vodka too and let me just say – warm, butterscotchy happiness.)These are “secondhand” tanks and are just one example of how Big Rig has sourced local and reused farm equipment and the like to bring these spirits to life! A business after my own heart!And then we headed into the tasting room – WOOT WOOT!Belly up to the bar, ladies! Here we are listening to Mike tell us about his dream job and watching Joanna pour expert cocktails! The tastings were a religious experience… served in communion cups… Getting holy! #ilovejesusforrealzYou’re looking at the best sorority around (minus Kim – we missed you!!) with honourary member and photo-bomber Mike!
Thank you so much Mike and Joanna for a great tour! I would highly recommend a tour and tasting at Big Rig Craft Distillery and while you’re at it, pick up some of their delicious wares! I had already picked up some Saskatoon Vodka…
For research purposes!
And nabbed some Sour Cherry Vodka as well since my handy husband made some sour cherry syrup from our very own cherry tree that is just begging to go in a cocktail!
Big Rig, if you ever need a cocktail sampler/Occupational Therapist/thrifting expert on staff, I’m your gal!
After we left Big Rig, we headed back for some Saskatoon Vodka cocktails, snacks and the grand splurge unveiling!
I’m pretty sure all the local-ness of this cocktail make it a health elixir plus it matched my dress. #winning #healthnut
Our gathering was actually a triple splurge celebration but I was the only one who had time to shop! Here’s how I spent my $600 splurge money…
The first thing I bought, right after my bunion surgery, were these Miz Mooz ankle boots – on a great sale for $85! I can’t actually get my foot in them quite yet but I will!! I fell in love with moccasins after thrifting a pair for my Tiger Lily costume! I got myself a brand new pair for $85 and have used them every day since!I have had my eye on Salt Water Sandals for years, ever since I started reading fashion blogs and heard all the bloggers raving about them. Since it was my splurge and practicality not the priority, I got myself some bright yellow ones for $80! Now I just have to wait till my swelling settles down and then I can wear them for more than 5 minutes in the morning!The other piece I’ve been waiting to buy with my splurge $ is Icebreaker leggings! I have a couple Icebreaker pieces and love them! They are ethically made and perfect for travel and camping – and sports, so I hear. I found these half price for $50 while on vacation in Kelowna!I heart my Icebreaker leggings!I only need a small reason to buy more She Does Create gem stone bracelets! $100 of pure LOVE.And these. FRYE TEAL flats, new, found on Kijiji for THIRTY DOLLARS! I wore these to Big Rig and was fine for the first hour and then had to hobble out – because of my foot not the shoes! But they are worth every penny because one day when all the swelling and bunions are behind me, they will remain wonderful and I will wear them out.
And then since I was over-budget for thrifting and found irresistible pieces, I used some of my Splurge money on thrifts I couldn’t resist!
Blondo boots in new condition, $15 from Goodwill.Okay, I can’t wear these either quite yet but how could I leave these $15 Vivienne Westwood Melissas behind?!!Lands End desert boots in new condition for $16 that I CAN wear right now!! Had to happen.I almost didn’t buy this Liz Claiborne coat then I imagined sitting in the hockey rink looking Anthro-esque-hockey-mom and I bought it for $12. I heart coats. It’s hereditary.
Now, if you’re keeping track, you know that I,
bought a lot of shoes for a girl who is still recovering from bunion surgey. I don’t know what came over me. Over-compensation??
It all has to do with my master plan. I used to have a programmable coffee maker and would set it so I could wake up to coffee brewing then have my morning quiet time. That old crappy coffee maker broke and since then I have been using a French press which makes delicious coffee but is rather time-consuming when one has 30 minutes max of quiet. So, instead of replacing my crappy coffee maker with an equally crappy coffee maker, I “splurged” on a slightly more expensive one ($90) with decent reviews. I don’t know if it is in fact decent, because it hasn’t arrived yet. I will let you know! Come over next week at 6am and we can test it out!
That left me with $22 to spend, exactly what I needed to get a lovely statement tank that corresponds to a Bible study I’m doing this fall…
“Live Loved” looks fantastic and is all about Lysa TerKeurst’s new book, Uninvited. I cannot wait to read it and style up this top – which also hasn’t arrived yet. I would never have bought the top if not for Splurge! #imaybenerdybutiamloved
Here’s the funny thing. The night before Splurge, I had a vivid dream that the coffee maker and the top were delivered – by UPS specifically, go figure – in time for me to show my Splurge sisters! Didn’t happen so there goes my made-for-TV-movie-miracle-ending, but I guess you can tell I have a wild side and wild dreams. ;P
So there you have it – how I spent my $600 Splurge funds on shoes I can’t wear and things that haven’t been delivered but had a wonderful evening with friends nonetheless! How would YOU spend $600 to splurge on something just for you?!!
The teal Frye shoes are beautiful! Also, I didn’t know about this distillery…how great is that.
DaniellaMajeau
I would buy some Swarovski as I haven’t in years! Buying nicer clothes isn’t an ideal as I am working on becoming a power lifter. So probably a day at the spa!
isabelcueto
Hmmmn…good question! I was thinking the other day, if I stopped thrifting at $50/month, I could have $600 to splurge! But after thrifting for so long, I don’t know if I could bring myself to pay retail. But if I did, I would buy some cashmere and a perfectly fitting peacoat, and some real leather boots.
4 Comments
The teal Frye shoes are beautiful! Also, I didn’t know about this distillery…how great is that.
I would buy some Swarovski as I haven’t in years! Buying nicer clothes isn’t an ideal as I am working on becoming a power lifter. So probably a day at the spa!
Hmmmn…good question! I was thinking the other day, if I stopped thrifting at $50/month, I could have $600 to splurge! But after thrifting for so long, I don’t know if I could bring myself to pay retail. But if I did, I would buy some cashmere and a perfectly fitting peacoat, and some real leather boots.
Awesome coffee maker! Lysa TerKeurst is the best!