When life hands you lemons, buy yourself a bottle of blueberry vodka and make this lemonade.

I celebrated a birthday last week with a few of my closest friends. We had planned a Potluck Picnic in White, one week before my actual 25th birthday. I think a 25th birthday is a pretty big deal and I was looking forward to having a huge party. But then I ended up making work-related plans on my real birthday (don’t worry, they are really cool plans, even though I’ll be working) and the big bash was out. Summer birthday bummer.

So I opted for an intimate gathering in a local park, with guests dressed in white so we could find each other, family style shared dishes and refreshing libations, punctuated by cool music and fun backyard games. I drew inspiration from Paris’s Diner en Blanc and invited my closest Richmond friends. And then this happened.

And then it climbed. . . and climbed. . . and climbed.

On Friday night, with a Saturday evening forecast of 100 degrees F and a heat index of 116, I reconsidered the picnic idea. The weather channel warned of excessive heat and scattered thunderstorms, and I decided to move the picnic indoors. Lucky me, my guests showed up just as excited as ever.

We made lemonade. In personalized cups, with a few fresh blueberries splashed right in.

Some friends brought salads, and others brought desserts.

Instead of croquet, we played jenga. Like croquet, it gets increasingly difficult after a few blueberry vodka lemonades.

I served fresh white cupcakes. . . with decorations!

As usual, my co-host was a constant source of entertainment.

For the record, he had no more than a sip of this lemonade.

Blueberry Vodka Lemonade

Ingredients – one serving:

• 2 ounces blueberry flavored vodka
• 6 ounces fresh lemonade (not from concentrate!)
• 4-5 fresh blueberries, washed and stems removed
• 1/2 cup crushed ice

Ingredients – one pitcher (8 servings):

• 2 cups blueberry flavored vodka
• 6 cups fresh lemonade
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, washed and stems removed
• 4 cups crushed ice

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients (in a glass or pitcher).
2. Add more lemonade and/or vodka to taste.
3. Stir and enjoy!

Thank you to all my friends who made this birthday event extra special!