cleaning house + friday favorites

lately, i have been on some sort of wild cleaning, purging, and organizing binge.  this is not normal heather behavior.  usually it takes some sort of bribery from troy to get me motivated to get rid of stuff.  while i like a nice, clean organized home, i am so not-a-fan of the entire process.  it seems daunting and downright overwhelming.

after it is done, though, i feel so much better.  it is as if a huge weight has been lifted, i can breathe a little easier, and i'm downright giddy.

these days,  i'm addicted to both the process and to the lightness that comes after.

there has been a lot going on in my world lately and a barrage of different emotions have followed.  some are most likely caused by battling SAD and some i know to be caused by legitimate things that are going on in my life.  i've been overwhelmed.  there are decisions that i need to make and instead of jumping right in to figure it out, i've been paralyzed by them instead.  i've doubted myself and my abilities.   i've been over-analyzing every.damn.thing.

it is time to clean the house that is my mind.  it is time to purge negative thoughts and patterns of behavior.  it is time to get rid of stuff that isn't working for me:  impatience, anxiety, self-bashing.  it is time to realize that it is okay not to have all the answers and that if i need to sit with something for awhile, that's okay too.

i know that i will feel lighter and happier at the end.

so, advanced thanks to all my people for sticking with me and being patient with me.  spring cleaning has commenced and your shiny, sparkly heather is around the corner!

whew.  okay, enough deepness.  onto friday favorites!

*the arrival of march - thank goodness you are finally here!  i see the light at the end of the wintery tunnel and spring is a-comin'!  this month brings all sort of celebratory goodness, including the birthday of jordan, my godson, my birthday,  the birthdays of two great friends, amy and jenn, my nephew, hayden, my sister-in-law, jenn, and my parents anniversary.  time to locate my party shoes!

* opi's pedal faster suzi nail polish - last week, i chose this color for my manicure.  i loved it so much, i hunted it down on amazon and order a bottle for myself!  it is the perfect subtle pink for spring.

:

image via

* a clean and organized drawer  - come on, you knew this one was coming!

* stumbling upon this devotion via "the pink growl" - "do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward."  - hebrews 10:35 

"have you been praying and believing for something that has been taking longer than you thought?  many times, people can miss God's best simply because they give up before they see their answer come.  don't let that be you!  be encouraged today, your answer is closer than you think.  if it seems like things are getting more difficult, remember when intensity heats up, that means you are closer to victory.  it always seems darkest just before the dawn appears."  - joel and victoria osteen

* signs of spring  - while walking bogue, even though i was all bundled up, it made me smile to see fresh blades of grass and daffodils beginning to sprout.  reminds me that spring is around the corner, thank goodness.

image via

 i hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!  if you need me, i'll probably be cleaning out a closet and butchering lyrics on the "today's hits" channel of pandora.

xoxox -

soup recipe + SAD + moments

if you are friends with me on facebook, you already know that i've had a serious bone to pick with mother nature.  it has been so gray and rainy for days on end that i am about to snap.

this is typical of nc weather in february and about this time every year, i start to withdraw.  i don't want to talk.  i don't want to socialize.  i can't get motivated to do, well, much of anything.  seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a real thing folks.  i can testify to that.

it is frustrating, depressing, cyclical, and well, sad. 

apparently mother nature decided that i needed a ray of hope and she provided absolutely beautiful, sunny, 60-degree day yesterday.  hallelujah!

i made brunch for husband and then we headed out with bogue, the fearless brown dog, for a nice, *long* walk around downtown apex.

strange how a little bit of sunshine can completely change my mood.  it reminded me that this too, just like so many other things, shall pass.

rainy, wintery weather?  it is just a moment.  warm, sunny weather will return.  even though it too, is just a moment, but the good moments help when the bad moments pop up from time to time.

that beautiful day yesterday?  it too, was just a moment, as mother nature so rudely reminded me when i woke up to a gray sky and 30 degree temperatures and rain in the forecast tomorrow.

sigh.

oh well, at least i have this soup to keep me warm.

this is a bowl of pure deliciousness.  like most of my preferred weekday meals, it is super easy.  as my "real life" friends know, i am super skeptical of the 30-minute meal tag, because i don't know what clock these people use, but most of the "30-minute meals" i've tried take me an hour.

i had this from start to table in 30 minutes.  booyah.

garlicky tortellini, spinach, and tomato soup
slightly adapted from fine cooking

ingredients:

*  2 tablespoons butter

*  3 - 4 tablespoons bottled, minced garlic

*  1 9oz. package of frozen cheese tortellini

*  1 5oz. package of baby spinach

*  1 32oz. carton of low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

*  1 15oz. can of diced tomatoes, italian style

*  8 to 10 leaves of fresh basil or 2 - 3 teaspoons of dried basil (i used dried, because it is what i had on hand)

instructions:

1.  heat butter in a large dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat.  add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn it.

2.  add broth to pan and bring to a boil.

3.  once the broth is boiling, add the tortellini.  cook for approximately 5 minutes, or 1/2 of the cooking time as described on the package.

4.  add the tomatoes, including their liquid, and let the soup continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

5.  add spinach and basil, stirring just until the spinach is wilted.

6.  top with parmesean and/or mozzarella cheese.  we used both, naturally.

enjoy!

xoxox -

favorite

fa·vor·ite:  [fey-ver-it, feyv-rit]

~NOUN:  A PERSON OR THING REGARDED WITH SPECIAL FAVOR OR PREFERENCE~

i spent last week in beautiful jackson hole, wyoming for our annual ski trip.  i have had the good fortune of being able to travel to many ski destinations on the west coast and i have to say, unequivocally, that jackson hole blew me away.  the love affair began as the plane descended over the grand teton mountain range.  i was breathless.  the mountains are unlike anything i have ever seen.  simply put, they are stunning and will reinforce a belief in a higher power.

for me personally, when it is time for vacation to come to an end,  i'm usually more than ready to come home.  i miss my house, my friends, and my sweet brown dog.  this time was no exception.

however, it always seems that re-entry back into work is painful and again, this time was no exception.  it has been a l-o-n-g week.

so, friday, thank you for arriving (even if it did take you f-o-r-e-v-e-r)!

besides friday, here's what i'm loving this week!

*reusable straws - unless it is coffee or wine, i prefer to sip my trusty spa water through a straw.  what i don't love?  those plastic one-use wonders.  i've used them before (quite frequently), but the environment-loving girl in my heart felt guilty.  enter reusable straws.  my mama santa put some in my stocking this year and they are awesome! sipping my spa water and iced green tea guilt-free over here these days.  i'm thinking of maybe picking up some beachy colors for the spring and summer!

santa left me this festive holiday pack, but you can find similar ones here.

 *alone time - maybe this is an only-child thing, but i need my alone time.  if i don't have it, i am one cranky girl and will take it by force, if necessary.  i need my space to journal, read a book, meditate, practice yoga, run, whatever.  i actually had a nice alone day in jackson hole, where i got to read a book, take myself out to lunch, and get a manicure.  it was fantastically lovely.  speaking of books....

*the host by stephanie meyers - when my friend, stefanie, suggested this book i was a tad skeptical.  unlike 99% of the female population, i did not get into the whole twilight series.  i read the first one and it was good, but not good enough to prompt me to read the next three books, nor see any of the movies.  plus, i'm not a big sci-fi fan.  however, stef assured me that i would love it and since she had indulged me and read gone girl, i decided to go for it.  so, so glad i did.  this book was awesome.  it took me awhile to get into it, but about a third of the way in, i was hooked and completely invested in the characters.  i even yelled at her for not warning me it was 620 pages because i wanted to know what the freak happened already!  (see - i'm warning you. it is 620 pages, but it is an easy read and well worth it.)  it made me question so many things about humanity....how we treat each other...is our nature inheirent....heck, would we be a kinder and gentler race/planet if someone/thing else took over?  go check out the host.  it is especially perfect if you are jaunting off somewhere that necessiatates a lengthy plane ride.  (did i mention it is 620 pages long?)

*my new "orioles" necklace from swell caroline - my husband is from maryland and is a huge orioles fan.  h-u-g-e.  huge as in one day i came home from god-knows-where and he announces that he has switched us from our local cable provider to directtv, because directtv is the only provider that carries the masa channel.  for those of you uninitiated, masa is the only channel that carries the orioles baseball games all season long.  (i will spare you the whole diatribe that ensued about the owner and his wicked ways that cause this to be the case.  you're welcome.)  i am all about sporting my teams colors and considering that i am now an adopted orioles fan, i knew i needed to get some gear.  however, their colors are black and orange.  black, i have plenty of but orange, eh, no.  seeing as how i am a redhead, the closest to orange that this girl is going to get is an accessory.  enter swell caroline.  i absolutely love how it turned out and of course, i opted for a monogrammed charm.  this should not surprise anyone who knows me irl.  what was even better is that this little pretty arrived on valentine's day and since husband and i were apart (as he was travelling for business) this cheered me right on up! we will be heading down to sarsota in march to check out the orioles at their spring training camp and visit friends and some of my family. i can't wait to debut this at the game(s)!

go orioles! 

*today's semi spring-like temperature - this warm-weather gal is completely and totally over winter.  my heart skipped a beat when i saw it was going to be sunny and 64 degrees today!  i can't wait to take bogue for a walk this afternoon before it, apparently snows tomorrow??  ugh.  what the heck mother nature?!?!  oh well, i guess i'll take what i can get!  (really though, mother nature, if you want to go ahead and move on into spring, i'm completely okay with that.  just sayin'.)

happy friday, friends!  have a lovely (snowy?!?!?!? gah!!!!) weekend!

xoxox -

favorite

fa·vor·ite:  [fey-ver-it, feyv-rit]

~NOUN:  A PERSON OR THING REGARDED WITH SPECIAL FAVOR OR PREFERENCE~


it has been a hot minute since i've blogged.  i have had a health snafu going on (as it seems most folks have these days), but i am on the mend and feeling lots better!

just in time for another round of friday favorites!

*  my word of the year necklace - my next door neighbor and good friend, tracey, shared the link to this lovely necklace earlier in january.  she thought it would be perfect for me and it is!  my necklace just arrived a week or so ago and i l-o-v-e it!  not only is it dainty and lovely, it is such a good reminder of my word of the year.  i decided to go with the sanskrit word for contentment, santosha, to make it a bit more personalized for me.  while i chose the silver, it also comes in gold. 

loves, loves, loves it!

*  my electric blanket - unless it is in excess of 80 degrees, i am going to be cold.  over thanksgiving, my mom broke out these comfy, cozy electric blankets.  i was in heaven!  then, she told me that we could take them home!  they were supposed to be part of our christmas gifts, but she decided we could have them on the early side.  i question how i ever survived any winter without it.  i was so in love that i actually gave one to my mother-in-law for christmas and who has called me 3 times to talk about how wonderful it is.  i am curled up under right now, while it is 25 degrees and sleeting outside.  speaking of another favorite....

*  snow days  - unfortunately, i no longer get snow days because i, fortunately, am a mobile worker and work from home 99.9% of the time.  i still love a good snow day though.  i love watching those big, fluffy flakes (which are supposedly headed this way around 4 p.m. EST) float through the sky, creating a big white blanket.  i love how quiet and peaceful it gets, at least for a little while.  i love the frequent knock at the door as one of the neighborhood kids ask if they can use our driveway and hill for sledding. (yes, sweetie.  always yes.  just be careful.)  i love that it gives me an excuse to drink one more cup of coffee, a silly amount of hot chocolate, followed by an even sillier amount of hot cider for the sake of keeping warm.  i love putting a pot of homemade soup on the burner, all warm and bubbly, that is sure to take the chill off from snowman building.  i love the fire my husband gets going in the fire pit outside.  i love how bogue tries to figure out "what in the heck is this white stuff."  i love cuddling and getting cozy.  now if this freezing rain and ice we are currently experiencing would turn to snow, well, that would be swell.  (sigh, winter in nc.  lots of ice.  not-so-much snow.)

*  homemade spa water - for probably going on 3 years now, i do not drink soda except on a rare occasion.  we are talking maybe once a year, if even that.  so, i drink a lot of water.  water on its own is okay, but it can get, well, rather boring after a while.  one day i was at the spa with my bestie, melissa, and we were commenting on how yummy and refreshing the water was.  i remember looking at her and asking, "why don't we ever think to do this at home?  it isn't hard.  all they are doing is floating some cucumbers in a pitcher of water."  now, i do this on the regular.  i've branched out as well.  at any given time, you'll find cucumbers, lemons, clementines, oranges, strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries floating in my water.  it is delicious and so refreshing!  i'm rocking the cucumbers today:

just say no to processed "fruit-flavored" water and make your own.  it tastes better and is better for you.  promise.

* gone girl by gillian flynn - i finished this book awhile ago, but i have been slowly convincing my friends to read it.  it is so much fun hearing their reactions!  even though, like many of my friends, some parts of this novel just down right ticked me off (but what good piece of literature doesn't inspire intense emotion), i loved every.single.second of it.  so many mystery/crime novels follow a certain formula these days that by about half-way through i've already got it mostly figured out.  this one?  absolutely not.  do me a favor.  if you like mystery/crime novels, please, please read gone girl.  trust me.  you'll be shaking your head at the end wondering what-in-the-hell just happened.  perfect read on a snow day!

happy friday, friends!  stay warm and have a lovely weekend!

xoxox -

soup

soup:  [soop]

~ NOUN:  A LIQUID FOOD MADE BY BOILING OR SIMMERING MEAT, SEAFOOD, OR VEGETABLES WITH VARIOUS ADDED INGREDIENTS. ~

i have a confession to make.  once the weather turns cold, and oftentimes dreary, as it has a tendency to do in the winter, i crave soups and stews.  i just simply cannot.get.enough.  there is something about a bubbly pot of goodness on the stove that just makes my heart happy.

sure, my southern girl heart would rather be in the tropics, soaking up the sun, listening to reggae, with a mojito in hand, but alas, this is not (always) possible.

i don't "do cold" very well.

however, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

so, soups and stews it is to warm up my southern girl heart in the midst of a cold winter's night.

on sundays, where there seems to be a fabulously excessive amount of time to spend in the kitchen, i will whip up a concoction that requires hours of simmering, soaking up the anticipation of a hearty stew that will soon be served for dinner.

however, on a rainy, cold wednesday, i've got things to do and i need to get my soup fix with a quickness!

as a girl who has a self-processed love for tomatoes (thank goodness for my childhood neighbor's garden, as well as that of my brother-in-law, for amazing tomatoes in-season), one would think that tomato soup and i would have quite the love affair.  however, much to my dismay, i thought for the longest time that i simply just didn't like tomato soup.  i wanted to like it, but the stuff out of the can and even from my favorite sandwich shop, well, it just fell short.

until i found this recipe...and modified it....of course....because that is just what i do.

this, my sweet friends, is tomato soup perfection and is hands-down one of hubby's favorite soups (and mine too).

the best part?  it is done start-to-finish in 45 minutes.  it doesn't get any better than that for a quick night meal!

so, give it a shot.  even you tomato-soup haters.  i promise you will love it!! 

here's the scoop:

spicy tomato soup
slightly adapted from whole living magazine

ingredients:

* 1 28 oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes (i typically use muir glen, and/or organic if i can find it.  don't skimp here on quality, as this is the basis for the entire soup.  you'll be glad you spent the extra moolah for top notch tomatoes.)

* 2 tbsp of olive oil

* 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (i use 1/2 tsp, since my husband likes the spice...obviously, he's married to a redhead.  ;-) )

* 1 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic

* 1 half of a large white onion, diced

* 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth or low-sodium chicken broth  (i am partial to vegetable broth)

* salt and pepper

* freshly shredded cheese

instructions:

1.)  heat oil and red pepper flakes in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat 30 seconds or until fragrant.

2.)  add garlic and onion.  saute until soft, about 5 - 6 minutes.

3.)  add tomatoes, crushing slightly with your hands or a wooden spoon.  stir in vegetable or chicken broth.  season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.)  reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

5.)  transfer soup to a food processor or blender.  puree until desired consistency.  (we leave ours just shy of completely smooth, so you still get small bits of tomato.)

6.)  top with your favorite cheese.  we enjoy mozzarella, parmesean, and/or fontina.

we also serve it with a garlic ciabatta bread for dipping!  if fresh basil is in-season, go ahead and throw some on top.  the possibilities are endless!

give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments.  :)

enjoy and stay warm!! 

xoxox -