Beauty in Gloom

Beautiful, no?

While many may see only doom and gloom in sky weather, I see nothing but opportunity. There are a few of us out there in this wide world of blue sky lovers who need the comfort of the clouds. We need to be wrapped up snuggly like in somber quiet of dreary heavens. Call us weird, call us odd, even call us pessimistic or cynical, but there are a few of us who get it. 

No stress here

I like when I can smell it. You wake in the morning, and you get a whiff of thick cloud cover. A tingle of their weight. That's when you know the day will be full of teacups, and heavy sighs. It's beautiful.

So inspiring!

As some of you know, I live in Idaho. My little chunk of the world isn't known for it's rainfall. A fact I just can't seem to grasp, as I'm in constant hope for a downpour. However, when I see the clouds roll in, I can't help but smile at nature's little condolence gift. It's like she says: "I can't make it rain today, but I can make it feel like it..." We seem to have an understanding.

There's no doom in the gloom here.

So, there it is. Not only are gloomy days a beauty to behold, but there's a beauty in the feeling. Gray skies are a way of life. A lovely way of life.

What's Cooking Wednesday?

Today was a test. I just want to start with that. I've had a rough one. So, I needed a really phenomenal piece for my What's Cooking Wednesday segment. I think it's safe to say I found one. It was easy, it was fun, it was scrumptious.

Last week, whilst scrolling through my Tumblr, I found this little gem:

A beauty, no?

Awesome! And, the directions were right there! It was perfect. Bought myself a white cake mix, a box of food coloring, and a stack of plastic cups. Now, before I go any further, I need to tell you about the food coloring. I found NEON. Neon food coloring. So totally rad. I was very excited to try it out. It worked great! I will point out that it's a little more pastel rather than neon, but to have purple and pink was super duper fun. Back to the cake... I just made it according to the directions, and poured an even amount into the cups. Then I dropped the batter into my cake pan all Jackson Pollock like and... ta da!! Tye Dye cake! Bake it, frost it, and you've got yourself a beautiful and groovy dessert. I didn't add the mustache, however. I think they're fun, and I am tickled by the fact that they're a bit of a trend right now, they're just not quite my style. Unless you're Captain Hook, and that's a horse of a different color.

Mine wasn't quite as pretty, but I'm still very happy.

Good times! I had so much fun with this cake. Maybe looking forward to it for almost a week added to the excitement. All I know is it was yummy and I had a good time. What more could a girl ask for at the end of a trying day?

Beauty in Moving Furniture

A dramatic reenactment of my sister and I

For the last few weeks my household has been rearranging furniture. Over and over again. We just haven't been able to get it right. Our living room is not so much oddly shaped, just... small. And I guess a bit oddly shaped too. Needless to say, it's been a mess. Time and time again, we've redone it. Nope, not right. Nope, not right. Nope, not right.

But today...

Today, I think we finally have it. The room is open, we have maximized seating, and there's even room for the coffee table. It's so refreshing! I feel like we have a new house! We're comfortable, we're nice and cool, we're happy...

Throughout my entire life, I've been a "furniture rearranger". Every few months I change it all around. I suppose it's one of those things that makes me feel alive. It not only refreshes the entire space, it stimulates my senses to walk into a room I once knew and now know in a whole new way. I love it. It's like the air is clearer. I can take deeper breaths. Whatever space I've just "redone" is now more perfect, and more mine. I put my heart and soul into it all over again. Where I live is very important to me. It needs to reflect me, and put me at ease. I need to feel delighted and relaxed at the same time. Every time I rearrange, It's a little more me. And, I just love that.

Beauty in Girls with Mohawks

I am instantly jealous of any woman with a Mohawk. I wish I were brave enough to shave my hair like that, or even a fauxhawk. I just love them so much. You have to have confidence to commit to such a style. Such a sense of strength comes with the Mohawk. I wish I was courageous enough to pull off the look. I love the edgy-ness. I love the passion. I love fun. I love it all.

Jealous!

The Mohawk just says so much. It says "I'm powerful" and "I am who I am". I've never seen a girl with a Mohawk who looked ashamed of it. She's independent. She's in charge. No one pushes her around.

Like I said, no one pushes her around

I also feel the Mohawk is timeless. They've been around for awhile, and they'll be around forever. Agreed? Yes, it's true. No matter where you go, you'll always find that "weird kid" with a Mohawk. And, that "weird kid" is probably more self assured than you'll ever know. They're not afraid of people judging them. Which, I might add, is more than commendable. How many times do we act thinking "I hope so-and-so doesn't think this or that of me" or "What will people say about me if I do yada yada". You see where I'm going with this, yes? I think I've let my thoughts run away with me... Where was I? Oh, right. The timeless Mohawk. I wonder if there will be a day when the Mohawk is no longer edgy, or a questionable look. There are always "crazy" hairstyles in distant future set movies. Maybe that just may be what happens. Everyone will have Mohawks, and the few who don't will be called rebels. On the flip side, though, I think the Mohawk loses a great deal of it's appeal that way. If the Mohawk were deemed "acceptable" it wouldn't be as respected, in my opinion.

If Rihanna can have one... I want one!

In fact, just today I gave my dog a Mohawk. And, while it's not the best photo, she looks fantastic! She's like a canine super spy! I'm very proud.

Agent Evelyn

The Mohawk is beautiful. There's no question about it for me. I don't have to think twice, or look again. It's gorgeous. When I see a girl with a Mohawk, not only am I proud of her confidence, I'm a tiny bit braver myself. She gives me courage. Her Mohawk inspires me.

Beauty in a Mini-Vacation

A few days ago a dear friend of mine visited. We took a day and drove to Twin Falls Idaho (a few hours from where I live) to see the falls and do some exploring. A successful day was had, and many beautiful photos were taken. Did I mention my friend is a tremendous photographer? Because he is. Incredible.*

It was really nice to take a moment from life and enjoy nature, adventure, and good friendship. Shoshone Falls was breathtaking, as it always is, and we found a few other gems among the Snake river.

We didn't have cash with us, so driving to the viewing area was denied us. However, we decided to hike ourselves to the falls. Other than being a little warm, it wasn't half bad. I've always believed that walking to a place makes it more of a journey. When you finally arrive, you've had an entire experience before you even get to your destination. It's nice to have two stories to tell instead of one. Plus, you see so much more. That's how you find the good stuff...

After taking in all we could of Shoshone Falls, we decided to look around, and see what else we could find in the area. We stumbled upon this beautiful bridge:

Whilst trying to find the Evel Knievel jump site, this baby appeared as if from nowhere. We never did find the official jump site, but the sense of adventure, and the surprise of this engineering beauty, was just as good. I'm glad we decided to be curious. Honestly, I don't think I've ever truly regretted following my curiosity. It's how we learn, and discover. Being curious adds a little twinkle to our lives, and can makes you feel alive. It's nice to feel some of that fire.

It was a lovely day, and I'm so thankful my friend was able to visit and take a little "day-cation" with me. We had some much needed fun, and found more beauty than could ever be imagined.

*Please click-through for the photo credits. He has some amazing stuff, and is another starving artist, quite like myself. He'd really appreciate a looksee...

Beauty in Pretzel m&m's

One of my favorite things, really.

I would just like to take a moment and tell the internet how much I love Pretzel m&m's. They have saved me on more than one occasion. Not only are these m&m's variety my go to candy, they are my perfect feel good food. I love the marriage of salty sweet. Not too rich, and not too dry. Pure delight.

I have been in love with these pretty little candy pieces since they're product development. They day I learned of their release I dashed to the store for a bag. One of the best ideas I've ever had. I can not stress enough the deliciousness of these chocolatey, pretzely, candies. 100% yum.

Buy some Pretzel m&m's. Now. Right now. This very second. You won't regret it. These candies are filled with so much happy, I can't help but call them beautiful.

What's Cooking Wednesday?

Apple cinnamon tarts! Sort of. Don't get me wrong, they were tasty. They just weren't the best thing I've ever concocted. Although, they were very easy, and I would definitely recommend them as a breakfast food. Here's how I did it:

It all starts with a simple can...

I started by squishing the cinnamon rolls flat. Really smushing them. Then, I stretched them out as far as possible, making sure not to rip any holes. If I did stretch a hole, which happened more than once, I just pinched it closed. Now that my cinnamon rolls were pancake flat, actually... even flatter, I placed them on the cookie sheet. I lined the baking sheet with foil, just in case. I opened up a can of apple pie filling and plopped one apple chunk and plenty of goo (forgive me for not knowing the culinary term for "apple pie goo") on each roll. Then I just folded them over and pinched 'em closed. Done! Tossed those puppies in the oven for about ten minutes at 400 degrees.

Upon pulling them out of the oven I learned that cinnamon roll dough doesn't like to stay closed. Each and every one of them popped open. However, it was only a little. They really didn't look too horrible. Kind of like little apple cinnamon tacos. They were great too! I added the icing that came with the Pillsbury package, and my family and I pigged out on "apple cinnamon tarts" the whole evening. The roll was golden brown, the cinnamon was just right, the apple was sweet, and the goo was... gooey. All of which harmonized perfectly.