Merry Christmas (In July!)

Summer is finally in full swing here! We had months of cool temperatures and a lot of rain throughout the spring and early summer, but when July hit- so did the sunshine and the warmth!  So of course- my mind immediately went to Christmas! 

Christmas is my favorite holiday, but I love nothing more than sitting poolside with a cool beverage on a hot summer's day. So naturally, I had to make a holiday margarita/poolside mashup.  

Since I have been accused of being "extra", (whatever that means-I am going to consider it a compliment!), I had to "set the scene" for Christmas in July poolside. 

I made the Tiki Hut with my Cricut and a cut from Simply Crafty SVGs.  It is so cute and super simple to make! 

Of course, Santa had to be a part of it.  He is cut from an ancient Cricut cartridge I uploaded in to Design Space (Paper Doll Dress Up).  I have made this Santa into a Surfer, Old Saint Nick, a JMU fan (purple and gold outfit) and a Florida fan (orange and blue with a Gator logo on the front, of course!), but this time he is a bartender at a poolside Tiki Bar with his red and green tank top and some super cool shades.  

Perhaps it is his summer side hustle? He even highjacked the sign! 

Of course there is a palm tree shading the bar.  This is a file from SVG Cuts perfect for any tropical scene. 

The margarita is a seasonal favorite, Cranberry Margarita.  If you would like to join me in a toast to Christmas in July, here is the recipe:

CRANBERRY MARGARITA

4   ounces Cranberry Pomegranate Juice (I used "diet" and it was good!)
1/2 ounce lime juice (fresh squeezed is always better, but bottled is fine)
1/2 ounce triple sec
2 ounces of your favorite tequila 
Ice 
Salt for the rim (optional)

Frozen cranberries for garnish (also optional)

Salt the rim of your favorite margarita glass, if desired, and fill with ice (I used an acrylic highball "glass" since I was poolside).  Using a cocktail shaker mix the juices, triple sec and tequila and pour in the glass.  Garnish with frozen cranberries if desired. 

Note: Since I was outside, I used ice cubes in my glass, but I would use crushed ice inside where it would not melt as fast. I imagine that you could use a blender if you really wanted it frozen. 

Just for funsies, here is the drink in a proper margarita glass with crushed ice.  There is a green swizzle stick there to add Christmas color. 

I hope that your days are sunny and your margaritas are refreshing! 

Thanks for stopping by today! 

~Cynthia