lavender simple syrup

several weeks ago, i had my first taste of a lavender iced latte... and my life has now been forever changed.  i knew the minute i took my first sip, that i would need to figure out a way to make these at home.  lucky for me, i still have pounds of culinary lavender in my pantry leftover from our wedding (in hindsight a birdseed toss may have been a better idea)!

this lavender simple syrup is super easy to make, and makes the most delicious lavender iced lattes (full recipe for that coming soon!!).  it's equally as delicious drizzled over desserts or pancakes, you can mix it in with a glass of lemonade, or you can add it into a cocktail for a yummy twist (lavender french 75, anyone)?  you can even bottle it up and give it to friends as a last-minute homemade christmas gift!

ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp culinary lavender

bring the 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat.  add the sugar.

add the lavender and reduce heat to a simmer.

simmer for five minutes and continue to stir.

allow the mixture to cool.  strain out the lavender.

pour into pretty bottle.

voilà!

be sure to comment below with your ideas for different recipes using lavender simple syrup!

diy: one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.

i recently put together this gift basket for a friend's housewarming party.  with a little inspiration from one kings lane as well as multiple observations of my friend's love for margaritas... putting this together was a breeze!  i recently learned how to make the most delicious margaritas on the rocks with only three simple ingredients (thanks, BG) and decided to go with that recipe rather than buying a bottle of the bright green, sugary pre-made mix.

 here's what you need:
one bottle of delicious tequila (i'm a patron gal)
 one bottle of orange liqueur (cointreau, patron citronge, etc)
limes
handheld citrus juicer
beverage napkins
a "dolled-up" copy of the recipe (rim a margarita glass with salt and fill with ice.  mix 1.5 oz tequila, 1 oz fresh lime juice, and 0.5 oz orange liqueur in said glass.  stir and enjoy!)

you could even add in some margarita salt, margarita glasses, some fancy straws, or even fresh guacamole and tortilla chips (if you're an overachiever)!

the original idea i found involved packaging everything in an oversized glass lantern, but that was a problem for two different reasons:
1.  i couldn't find an oversized glass lantern anywhere for under $40.
2.  that idea seemed really impractical, not to mention breakable.

 i came up with two alternative ways to present this gift...

1.  (carefully) place everything in a large fun colorful bowl, for the host/hostess to keep long after the margaritas have been enjoyed.

2.  pack everything into a decorative basket (they always come in handy around the house).

what are some of your favorite housewarming gift ideas?