Thankful

I have so, so many things to be thankful for in this life. I appreciate that I was given the insight to realize this at a young age and I thank the stars for every breath and every heartbeat. It's the little every day things that I am most thankful for. A refrigerator full of food and clean fresh water from the tap in my warm and cozy apartment in which I live with the person whom my heart beats for. Falling asleep every night next to him and getting a goodbye kiss every morning. Being able to call my mom and my dad and to simply just talk to them. And my sisters. And my grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. My little niece is one of the cutest reasons I have to be thankful for. New life is such a beautiful thing to witness. Not only yesterday I thanked the being who created all of this and all of us, but I make it a point to count my blessings every night before my eyes close on the day behind me. It's humbling and eye opening and I hope that everyone takes a moment in their day to appreciate all that you have. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

My Jewelry Corner

This is one of my favorite parts of our room. The dresser we got from my Great-Aunt. It was a wedding present given to her and her husband back in the sixties. My grandmother actually refinished the wood sometime in the past  decade so it has a nice seal on it. The little corner table is something I picked up from my elderly neighbor's house at a garage sale after he passed away. Also from the late fifties/early sixties era. The jewelry board above I made myself from an old bulletin board, a vintage table cloth, staples and furniture nails. 

For as long as I can remember I've been collecting jewlery, and ever since I was about 15 I took a great interest in vintage jewelry. Much of the jewelry I have is from my grandmothers, or other relatives. But I like to pick out little treasures from antique stores every now and then. This tray idea came to me out of desperation for the need of organization. It keeps things somewhat organized looking, although I have multiple containers that just hold piles of jewelry.

Vintage clip on and non-clip on earrings from my grandmother.

Brooches galore!

Some of my favorites, all from my Grandma.

This necklace was given to me by my husband last year for Christmas. He ordered it from Etsy and it arrived on Christmas Eve. Made in Japan with real pearls. I wish I still had the link to the shop but alas I didn't save it and I have no idea what it was called.

Some of my Great-Aunt's glasses from the sixties. 

I have a lot of pretty earrings but I really hardly ever wear them. I should make it a point to put them to good  use.

Vintage gloves and handkerchiefs.

I love to keep my wedding bouquet in sight. 

A favortie ring from another of my Great-Aunts. Aquamarine, my birthstone.

One of my favorite most recent purchases. A vintage ring estimated to be from the 1950's era. I found it at this darling little vintage shop in Uptown, Minneapolis Via's Vintage. It's a locally owned shop that has pink walls and perfect placement of items. I will definitely be making another visit there soon.

I figured I could finish with my favorite piece of jewelry, my wedding and engagement ring. Lately because of my job as a nurse I've just been wearing the wedding band, so when I put on my engagement ring with it, it's like wearing it again for the first time. I catch myself just staring at it with googly eyes and patting myself on the back for picking out the perfect ring for me. It's super sweet when husbands to be pick out rings, but my husband to be in particular would be like a man lost at sea when it comes to my picky jewelry preferences. Some people think it's weird to pick out your own ring, but the way I see it, this is what you will be wearing for the rest of your life, so it's nice to have a say in it!

We've reached just the tip of the iceberg of my jewelry with this post. I have tons more that would make for a ridiculously long post, but I hope to start incorporating more fashion into my blog posts! 

Cilantro Lemon Salmon with Peppers and Cherry Tomatoes

     I've been so inspired lately to make new meals that are delicious AND nutritious (overused phrase anyone?)! I've done fish with peppers for a long time as a quick go-to lunch. But today I had a few more fresh ingredients to use so I did some experimenting with it! Here's what I came up with.

Cilantro Lemon Salmon with Peppers and Cherry Tomatoes

For 2 servings:

2 salmon fillets (thawed)
2 bell peppers (sliced)
1/2 lemon (sliced into wedges)
handful of cherry tomatoes (quartered)
fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
cooked rice for serving (quinoa would be good too)
feta cheese for topping (optional)

Lightly coat a large frying pan with olive oil and heat on medium-high.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. After the pan is hot, add the salmon. If you want to sear it let the pan get really hot before putting the salmon in.

Throw the sliced peppers and cherry tomatoes on top of the salmon. Squeeze the lemon wedges over the whole thing and throw those in as well. Sprinkle a small amount of salt and pepper across everything and cover for a minute or so.

Turn the salmon and give the veggies a good stir. Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Serve over rice with fresh cilantro and feta cheese if desired.

This is a quick and extremely easy recipe. Perfect for lunches at home or if you need a fast dinner idea!

Apple-Cheddar-Squash Soup Recipe

     I've been looking for inspiration for new recipes lately, and I realized that I have a ton of cookbooks that haven't been cracked open for a long time. I marked recipes that looked good a long time ago and then the cookbook went on the shelf where it was forgotten for quite a few months. Well I opened again to find this delicious fall soup recipe from Food Network that I'd like to share with you all! The flavors blended together so well for a chilly autumn evening. It does take a bit of time to make but it is so worth it. Here's the recipe straight from the book:

Food Network Magazine's
Apple-Cheddar-Squash Soup recipe

Active time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium apples, thinly sliced
1 large white potato, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled butternut squash, fresh or frozen
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup apple cider
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
Chopped chives, for topping (optional)
Crusty bread, for serving (optional)

1. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-low heat and add the onion, apples, potato and squash. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sage and flour. Add the cider and cook over high heat, stirring until thickened. Add the broth and the milk, cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the potato is soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

3. Add the cheese to the soup and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Puree in a blender in batches until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Top with the prosciutto, more cheese and chives, if using. Serve with bread if desired.

Nutrition Information Per serving: Calories 532; Fat 34 g (Saturated 19 g); Cholesterol 117 mg; Sodium 807 mg; Carbohydrate 35 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 24 g


I made a few changes of course. I didn't have apple cider so I used a white wine instead (which gave the soup a great taste!) and we also didn't have prosciutto so I used bacon. It still turned out fantastic and I definitely recommend this soup! You can also make this vegetarian by skipping out on the prosciutto/bacon. The combination of squash and apples is perfect for that all that fall produce you're trying to eat up!

My Overdue Halloween Post

     Yes, yes I realize it's November 6th already, but I wanted to share my Halloween costume with everyone on here. The Saturday before Halloween we went to a Halloween party at some of our closest friend's apartment. I jokingly called it our "One Year of Friendship Anniversary Party" because it was at last year's Halloween party that we met every one in that whole group and over the last year we have proceeded to become the best of friends! Honestly though- last year was kind of a weird year for my husband and I as far as our friend-life went. We still hung out with a few people from high school but there was a big difference in our group from what it used to be. Things just weren't really the same. I think that's something that every 20-something has to go through, realizing that some of your older friends you were friends with because you happened to go to the same school, live in the same city.. etc. But then as an adult you find your niche in your "adult group" of friends. It's different. It's not people that you are friends with because you are all going through the high school experience together, you're friends because you choose to be and because you love these people. Now don't get me wrong, there are still a few high school friends that I do love a lot and that I still keep in contact with. But there are a lot of people who I considered friends who turned out to not really care for our friendship. And there are a lot of people who I simply have drifted apart from, which is completely natural and not necessarily unhealthy. That's just how relationships work in life sometimes. We all have our seasons.

     Anyways, I realize this post is about Halloween and not my life relationships so I'll get back to that. I went as Bride of Frankenstein and Tanner was Frankenstein's monster. I kind of let him get off the hook with his costume, just putting some make up and latex bolts on his neck. But I went all out for my part. I came home from work that afternoon and spent a solid two hours in the bathroom working on my hair and makeup. Go big or go home right? The party was fantastically fun as they always are. I should have taken a picture of my hair the next morning, it was scarier than the night of. I had to wash it three times to get out all of the ratting, hairspray and temporary hair dye. 

Frankenstein's monsters. Tanner decided he wanted to do his hair like that.

My corporate zombie Cati.

Two of my bestest friends. Cati and Kathleen.