new year's eve

image from 100layercake

two thousand twelve was quite the year. my best yet, in fact. i married the man who makes me whole and accepts me for all that i am. i seriously lucked out in the husband department even though he does things like this. i finished school (for the second time) and got a job teaching special education to the greatest, most diverse group of kids a gal could ever ask for. double score for me. 

i may be achy and sick on the couch today, but that doesn't get me down. two thousand thirteen is going to be equally awesome, if not better. i can feel it in my bones right next to the current fever aches. it looks like husband and i will be spending the night in, potentially making a cold curing soup. i might even gussy up my nails for the occasion. stay tuned.

what are you doing for new year's eve??

video found here and here

asparagus wraps

this appetizer is a crowd pleaser and a perfect addition to your new year celebration, or any celebration needing nibbles for that matter. i made this recipe for christmas and they were snatched up in a flash. i even had to smack husband's hand away from the platter to leave some for others. vegetarians and carnivores alike will reach for just. one. more. make some space in the oven and get cookin.

>> asparagus wraps <<

ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed 
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 1 bunch of asparagus, about 24-26 stalks- ends trimmed
• 5 oz. Garlic and Fine Herb Boursin cheese (other flavors work well too)
• 2.5 oz. shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 beaten egg
• pinch of black pepper
• cooking spray

instructions

preheat oven to 350 degrees. wrap cookie sheet in aluminum foil and spray generously with cooking spray. set cookie sheet aside. dust flour on work surface & rolling pin and roll out puff pastry sheet until thin. see first photo below. spread boursin cheese over entire puff pastry with a spatula or the back of a spoon and sprinkle liberally with shredded parmesan cheese. season with black pepper. save some parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the top of the wraps. use a pizza cutter and slice pastry sheet into 1 inch strips. take two stalks or three skinny stalks of asparagus and wrap them in one pastry strip, leaving the ends exposed. lay bundles on cookie sheet and use a pastry brush to spread beaten egg over the dough. sprinkle with parmesan cheese. place cookie tray in middle rack of oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown.

yields 12-14 asparagus wraps

tribal inspired

tobi sweater << similar 1, 2, 3 >>, thrifted fur stole << similar >>, thrifted ringer tee,
thrifted jeans, steve madden boots << similar 1, 2 >>

every time i wear this sweater, people stop me to inquire about it. because of this, i knew i would want to showcase this comfy, tribal inspired beauty in my first outfit post. it really is a dream. now that i have things all set up and the pictures taken, i can't find the sweater anywhere on the interwebs. big. time. bummer. i originally purchased the sweater here, but alas they no longer have it. i scoured the web with no luck, but have included some pieces that may be somewhat of a long lost cousin.

comment below and let me know if you happen upon it.

free glasses >> merry christmas to me

find these glasses here

an advertisement on the facebook piqued my curiosity a couple of weeks ago. this ad informed me that i could be the lucky owner of a new pair of glasses (prescription glasses at that) for free. nilch. nothing. i like free things, so i decided to bite. skeptically, i logged on to their website www.coastal.com and browsed the selection. surprisingly enough, they do have quite the selection for men, women and even kids. i opted for the lovelies you see above.  they have plenty of less nerdy options available as well, i promise. check it out.

i placed my order and used the code FIRSTPAIRFREE. this code discounted the entire price of my frames and standard prescription lenses. the only thing i had to pay for was shipping and taxes.  the grand total for a new pair of glasses-- $12.75. i'll take it. i know, i know...not really "free" but a pretty darn grand deal if you ask me. 

the verdict... totally impressed with coastal.  the glasses arrived a short week after i had placed my order... they arrived on christmas eve, in fact. included with my glasses-- a super duper heavy duty glasses case, a mini screwdriver, lens cleaner and a lens cloth. score one for me. the glasses fit well and the quality appears to be about average, although maybe a wee less durable than my warby parkers. not only are the glasses pretty tight, the company appears to have their heart in the right place too.  they give back and you can read about it here and here. my only gripe...the lenses smudge very easily and take some elbow grease to rub off.  good thing i am prepped with my lens cleaner and cloth.

happy shopping, my friends.

ps... this is not a sponsored post. i just had to share the good fortune my eyeballs have received.

latest music crush

photo found here

meet the kopecky family band. they aren't a real family, not in the whole genetic sense. they are however a kick butt band worth a mention. kopecky family six-piece band is straight out of nashville and are touring major cities in the  u.s. of a for the next few months. check out their npr music tiny desk concert series in the video below. 

i crush on them so hard. they are indeed quite pretty.

white bean & turkey chili in a flash

i know what you are thinking. not the most appetizing food photo you've ever seen, right? in fact, husband is sitting here being a back seat blogger telling me i probably shouldn't share this one with the masses. however, (and he would agree) that we truly enjoy the fruits from the very little labor that goes into this dish. we even made this twice this week. that makes it worth sharing in my book. this chili takes one pot, about 10 minutes of prep time, is beyond easy, costs very little and is a perfect addition to a chilly winter evening. bamm. my kind of recipe.

>> white bean turkey chili <<

ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
• 3 cans northern white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 qt. low sodium chicken stock
• 2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 
  
• possible toppings:
• sour cream
• cheddar cheese
• avocado
• jarred diced jalapeno
• chopped cilantro

instructions

heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. saute onion until translucent. add the ground turkey and spices and saute until the meat is cooked through, about 4 minutes. next add the chicken broth, beans, and diced chilies to the pot. bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. mash beans slightly to thicken soup. prior to serving, add cilantro (ours is missing in the picture due to husband's lack of retrieval during his trip to the grocery store) and salt and pepper if necessary. top chili with toppings of your choosing. we particularly enjoy the combo of sour cream, cilantro and an overabundance of jalapeno. happy eating.

serves 4-6

recipe adapted from the one found here- eatinonthecheap.com

comment below and let me know how the chili turns out for you!

happy holidays and a crafty husband

holidays are a time of family and tradition.  christmas for us is typically filled with oodles of booze, holiday cookies, good times with family and friends, and often too much christmas cheer. there are board games to be played, movies to be watched, and treadmills to be left untouched.

in the midst of all the usual holiday hubbub, husband and i started our christmas tradition when we started dating in 2009. we like to take one evening for ourselves where we soak it all in and exchange little meaningful gifts. one gift is always an ornament for our family tree. this year, husband outdid himself and pulled a crafty card out of nowhere. i think he would tell you he even surprised himself. that sneaky husband printed out pictures from our wedding and added some paper from our wedding invitations to create the masterpiece you see below. a little crafter in the making.  now all i have to do is introduce him to our friend modpodge.

score one for husband.

happy holidays to all.

our wedding day

our wedding was beyond a day to remember. it was simply magical and i couldn't imagine a better way to commit to forever to my one and only. i thoroughly enjoyed planning our wedding. husband would certainly tell you that it was maybe a little bit too much. ok, maybe a lotta bit too much. it's not my fault. quite frankly, the advent of sites like pinterest and weddinggawker have shifted wedding culture to create little martha stewarts in all corners of the universe. i may have joined the ranks. i am sure some of you out there can relate.

as we know, weddings can be a lot of work and cost buttloads of dough. ours was no exception, however our diligence and willingness to get down and dirty saved us tons of the green stuff in the end. i will be sharing details of our big day and oodles of money saving tricks and diy projects. 

stay tuned, my friends.

oversharing starts here

starting a blog is daunting and lets face it... down. right. scary. swarms of thoughts surround this post. am i even interesting? will people want to read about what i have to share? what makes my voice unique? millions have been right here.... at this exact spot. most have survived and i will too. (i think). blogging is a challenge that i am going to, like most things, take head on. this is a creative outlet that i have been thinking about for far too long and never acted on. that stops now. 

today is the day, my friends. 

my goal: to share my inspirations, my loves, and my creative endeavors with my family, friends, and all of you out there who i have yet to meet. maybe, just maybe my musings will eventually inspire others in some way, shape or form.  gulp. i have been a blog reader (lifestyle, food, fashion, etc. etc) for years now and today marks the point where i jump into the ring.  

thankfully, i have a husband who is down with me sharing snippets of our private life as newlyweds, bffs, chefs, fashionistas and co-pilots to the crazy thing we call life.  he rocks in so many ways.

here goes nothing.