Our house was built in 1896 as quadplex that was rented by workers of the Whittier Mill. You could get one room for fifty cents a week or two for a dollar, this means there was literally a door between every room. A fireplace warmed these rooms and was used for cooking in those days. There were no closets and no bathroom. Of course, as the house has been updated a bathroom and closets have been added, the fireplaces have been left but there are also some weird and wonderful spaces that were created in the process. 

Take for instance our bar. Our landlords call it the hallway. It connects our bedroom to the kitchen. It leads to the attic. It has shelves and about enough room for one person to stand comfortably. I was challenged with what to do with the space when we first moved in - Do I store linens here? Books? Nothing? We tried a few things, but it slowly morphed into a perfect space to store our drinking wares.  In the kitchen and parched? Head right over! reading in bed and need a nip? You don’t even need to leave the room. 

Of course, being very tiny makes for almost impossible decorating and even more impossible for photography. But here it is: A mirror, a rug and two shelves. 

Luckily, there is also door that closes it off from the kitchen for privacy. Though I’d still like to paint it has become one of my favorite spots in the house. Here’ why:

- our vintage shaker, stirrer and jigger set, a Christmas gift from a colleague 

- Built ice bucket that I got for a steal at a Home Goods

- Our depression era cocktail glasses - Brian’s housewarming present to me

- 12 bottle of booze and 3 of bitters [note: we need more gin]

Were you hoping for a cocktail recipe too?! Fair enough, I’m thirsty too. 

In honor of our amazing neighborhood park, which has a great bocce ball court (among many other charming features): 

Bocce Ball 

This lovely summer sip is a relative of the Screwdriver, making it appropriate for early afternoon’s at the Bocce court. 

1 ½ oz vodka

½ oz amaretto 

orange juice

soda water

Fill a collins glass with ice, add the vodka and amaretto and top with orange juice. Stir and add a splash of soda water. Garnish with an orange slice, if desired.