Life changes

A lot of things have been changing lately, and I feel like I'm going through a transitional period...

Firstly, dating.  It's weird.  I very much have a love / hate relationship with it.  I easily tire of the "game" but still feel obligated to play it.  I hate WAITING for things to happen, BECAUSE of the game.  I'm already a bit sick of it, and it's only been a few months.  It's a strange adjustment, honestly!

I do go back & forth though, 'cause it is kind of fun (the excitement of it all).  But it can also be exhausting.  I also have those moments where I begin to feel a bit melancholy and a teensy bit lonely - which I absolutely hate.  It makes me feel helpless and kind of out of control.  Maybe it comes with the territory, but it's strange nonetheless!

Secondly, school.
To go back to school, to not to go back to school?  That is the question!!
I've thought about it many times, and this is the first time I'm seriously considering it.  I just want to keep learning, and to learn something in a field where I'm excited about the end product that I'm working towards.  It makes me happy just thinking about it.

But what to major in?  Nutrition?  Sociology?  What do I do with those degrees?  What will make me truly happy no matter what I do?  What will keep me excited and interested?

Unfortunately I'm having difficulty answering those questions.  But I'm working on it... doing some soul searching, and hopefully finding some kind of career counselor to point me in the right direction.

Thirdly, Spring.
This doesn't really have anything to do with anything, I'm just excited for the changing season!  Maybe it's a good symbol for the transition I'm going through right now.

Hopefully I'll have some answers soon, but if not, I guess that's OK.  I need to do some serious soul-searching, and figure some stuff out.  I just hope that I can get some kind of sign, and that I know it when I see it (or feel it).

All images found via Pinterest. 

Mid-Day Beer Tasting Adventure

Since I already posted about some wine tasting I did recently - how about some beer tasting too!?  

Colorado is an amazing hub for small breweries, and a couple of weeks ago my friend Korey called me out of the blue, around 3pm on a Tuesday. 

Korey: "Hey, you're home from work right now, aren't you?"
Me: "Uhm... how did you know that?"
Korey: "I'm kind of stalking you. We're going to taste some beers.  Wanna come?"
Me:  "Shit yes I do!"

And so we went! 

I guess there was a big Beer Special article in 5280 Magazine recently, talking about all the small micro-breweries in Denver which is what inspired our little beer drinking adventure.  Our first stop was Black Shirt Brewing (BSB), which is ridiculously close to my old house, and I'm so bummed I didn't know about it before! 

They only brew red beers, which they do VERY well.  I LOVE red beers personally, and it was very refreshing to not have it all about IPA's.  Ha!  Although the ironic part is that was my favorite red - their Red IPA Chinook!  Never thought that would happen... 

The atmosphere in there is super cool too - low lights (it almost feels like you're walking into a place you're not supposed to be), and all of the tables are made from old train car floors!  So awesome. 

Our next stop was Our Mutual Friend, just down the street.  They were also very good, and had a great selection of different types of brews.  I loved the atmosphere in there too - although it was pretty busy and bustling by the time we got there (with the happy hour crowd & all), it was still a lot of fun. 

You can kind of see the list of brews on the wall in the back there too... 

My beer-tasting buddies for the day!! 

Mmmmmmm.... beer. 

I'll definitely be heading back to these places again!  I knew there were a lot of great breweries in Denver, but I didn't realize some were so close to home.  It's definitely worth going & exploring these little places - they're pretty amazing, and you might even make a new friend.  

Moral of the story?  If someone calls you mid-day and wants to take you beer tasting - you say YES! :) 

A trip to Balistreri Vineyards!

Who knew?  There's a vineyard just a few miles outside of downtown Denver!  Holy moly!

We made a little trek there last weekend, and it was OH so much fun.  It was the Balistreri Vineyards - they do free wine tastings if you have under 10 people in your group!  They also serve up one delicious lunch which you can enjoy with a bottle of their fine wines.

Just pour those samples right into our mouths, good Sir!  :)

Would you like some cheese with that wine?  Why yes, yes we would! 

Quite a menu... man we tried a lot of wines that day!  I can't believe I actually finished the list!

Our pretty little tasting glasses.

Mmmmm..... vino! 

The lunch was just delicious too!  Look at that lovely salad!

Our little group of girls, gettin' ready to taste more vino...

Learnin' stuff (and Anna trying to cover up her black eye).  Haha!

This is the bottle that I ended up buying - holy crap was it delicious!!  I can't believe I spent $28 on a bottle of wine (I've never done that ever - I'm a $15 max kinda girl), but I just couldn't resist.  And a good bottle of wine is worth it sometimes.

You should definitely plan a visit there!  It's a great way to spend an afternoon.  I'd definitely recommend getting there early (we got there at 12:30 which was perfect timing), as later in the afternoon (1:30-2ish) it starts getting really crowded and it's hard to find a spot at the bar.  The people there are friendly and knowledgeable, and it was a blast!

Just be sure you schedule a nap at home afterward though... and bring a designated driver. ;)

Currently...

Excited about...

My 32nd birthday!!  It's coming up in just a week, and boy, do I love birthdays.  I hope I never reach an age where I begin to dread them.  It's so much fun to have a day that's just for you.  And to have awesome friends that like to celebrate it with you!

Feeling...

Comforted.  And happy that I know that I made the right decision with John.  I am so glad that we could be mature about the whole thing, and I feel comforted every day knowing in my heart that we both were honest to ourselves and each other.  That's pretty awesome. 

Listening to...

"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.  It's for our next book club meeting, and I'm really enjoying it!  I'm not terribly far, but I just learned how to use the eBook download section of the Denver Public Library website, and I'm so thrilled.  I'm going to be listening to a lot more books now! 

Grateful for...

Two days off... IN A ROW.  It's amazing how much I appreciate these little things now.  I don't always get it with my new job, and it's amazing how much happier I feel when I can have two days in a row to relax.  I'm enjoying some time off right now in fact!  YAY! 

Reading...

"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand.  I know what you're thinking - two books at once!?!  You CRAZY!!  Haha!  Well, they're both for book club, and I'm really loving them!  This one is so awesome, guys.  I love historical books, especially ones that don't seem like historical books.  This one reads like a novel, and it's SO GOOD.  I can't put it down.  It breaks your heart, lifts you up, and opens your mind to things you never even thought about before.  It's a wonderful story, and I would highly recommend it!  I'm about halfway through right now, and I can't wait to see how it ends.  

Loving...

This spot right here.  It's a wonderfully snuggly place to be.  And even when the morning light starts peeking under my drapes, I still roll over and snuggle in for a little while longer.  I just love it. 

Hating...

People that don't respect the people that handle their food.  We had a few of these people into the shop recently, and it just makes me mad to no end.  Wouldn't you think people would respect you MORE?  Sheesh.  I don't know why some people think they can shit on the people that are making their coffee for them, or making their food for them.  I didn't really like the moving "Waiting" that much, but there's a great line from it.  Mister Gorgeous (Ryan Reynolds) says:  "Never fuck with the people that serve you your food."  Now I'm not going to DO anything to your food (like they did), however I think people should definitely keep that in mind.  We work very hard, usually for not much money.  It's a lot of multitasking, and a lot of smiling when you don't want to.  So take it easy on us, 'kay?  Give us a break!  (Stepping off soapbox now...)

(And btw... how effing cute is this photo!?!?  LOVE IT!!) 

Really wanting...

A VACATION!!  Megan and I are working on this right now, and I hope we can make it happen within the next few months.  Yes, that means I'm putting my spending fast on hold for a little while, but momma needs to get away for a little while.  I know it'll be worth it!! 

Enjoying...

Morning breakfasts.  I've been having a couple of late-start-workdays, and it's been so nice to get up without an alarm, and cook a traditional vegetarian breakfast... you know, eggs, Morningstar bacon, coffeee... ;)  And the morning light through my kitchen window just perks me right up! 

Watching...

Some of my old favorite movies.  I've been renting them from the library and watching 'em, and just loving it.  Last night I watched on of my favorites, Moonstruck.  If you haven't seen it, it's just wonderful.  I love Cher - she rocks my socks off!  

I love this scene where her mom says "Do you love him, Loretta?", to which she replies, "Yeah, ma, I love him awful." She sighs and says, "That's too bad."

Noticing...

That I'm kinda ready for spring now!  Ironically, Denver is still in for the coldest / snowiest month of the year (March).  Ugh.  We were teased with a few 60 degree days, and now I'm spoiled.  I'm ready to break out my flip-flops, and my long flowing dresses!  

All images found either on Pinterest, Google Image Search, or they are my own! 

Well hey there, stranger!

Man, things have been crazy!  I have not been posting lately, and that just bums me out.  I finally have internet at my apartment though - so YAY!!  I should be coming back more often with my fun little posts, recipes, photos, etc. :)  I hope you come back & see me! 

Work has been crazy, life has been crazy, and I'm finally getting settled in to my new place.  It's just been an adjustment, and life has interrupted my online life.  Haha!  I guess I'd rather it be that way then the other way around.  

Hope you all have been well, and don't worry, I'll be back soon!  I have some good stuff coming soon, so stay tuned... 

Big hugs & lots of love!
XOXO
Beth

Hair Inspiration!

Now that my hair is finally (finally!) beginning to grow out a bit, I'm trying to figure out what the heck to do with it next.  I'm thinking of cutting the sides a little shorter again and letting the top keep growing longer... but I'm not sure where to go from there!  I've been pinning things on Pinterest for some inspiration...

I just found this one (above) today - I LOVE IT.  Super freakin' cute - I love the super short sides with the long hair combed forward.  So awesome.

I just love Ginnifer Goodwin's short lil' haircut - super friggin' cute.  I don't know if I could pull off how short she keeps the sides though...

And this one I'm SO INTO.  Big time - I think it's my favorite.  My bangs aren't nearly this long yet, but they're getting there.  Maybe if I could just get it shaped this way it could grow out looking rad!  I just love the choppy brushed-forward look - it's messy and kind of rock & roll, and kind of fantastic.

Any thoughts / suggestions?  :)

All images found via pinterest. 

Breakfast Tacos!

The other morning we had brunch at my parent's place for my Dad's birthday.  I wanted to come up with something fun & different to have for the meal, so I came up with Breakfast Tacos!  They were so delicious, I had to make them again at home.  

Beth's Breakfast Tacos
Serves 2
Gluten-free optional
Vegan optional

Ingredients
4 corn tortillas (either fully corn for gluten-free, or the kind that's mixed with flour - they're a little easier to pick-up without having them break on ya)
1 cup cheddar cheese (I used rice cheese, you can use Daiya to make this vegan)
3 eggs
Splash of soymilk
Black beans (I used canned)
Soyrizo (vegetarian chorizo)
1/2 a tomato (diced)
1/4 cup frozen corn
1/4 yellow onion (diced)
1 avocado (diced)
1/2 a cup of green chili or salsa
fresh chopped parsley (optional - for garnish)
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Hot sauce (optional)

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large non-stick pan, saute the onion in a little bit of oil over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes until soft.  Add some crumbled Soyrizo (about 1/2 a cup), and squish into smaller pieces with a spatula (warm for about another minute).

Mix the eggs with the splash of soymilk, and season with salt & pepper.  Turn the pan down to medium, then dump in the eggs.  Keep the eggs moving to cook evenly, and turn off the heat before they are fully cooked.

Meanwhile begin to assemble tacos.  Place 4 corn tortillas on a cookie sheet, and top with cheese, beans, corn, and green chili (or salsa).  Pop in the pre-heated oven while you finish the rest of your cooking / chopping / preparation (about 10 minutes total).

Remove tacos from oven, and top with the remaining ingredients (including the egg / chorizo awesomeness).  Garnish with a little fresh parsley and a splash of hot sauce.

SO easy, and crazy delish.  I think these would be great for a brunch with friends type of meal too - you could just set everything up "serve yourself" style!  
Enjoy! 

Teacup / Coffee Cup

Not much to post today - I'm at a coffee shop gettin' caught up on the internets. :)  

It snowed in Denver last night, and everything is covered in a beautiful white blanket.  I was worried that my new apartment would be terribly cold since it's such an old house, but it's cozy and warm and wonderful!  

Now I'm enjoying a cup of joe & bloggin'.  One of my favorite boards to post to on Pinterest is Coffee Tea Cups & Mugs.  It's kind of silly, but I just love pictures of these things!  I seriously have a mug-purchasing problem too.  I don't know why mugs are such a comforting thing to me, but they just are! 

Today I have a day off from work (yay!), so my mom and I are going to hang out & spend some time together.  I'm lookin' forward to it!
Hope you all have a super duper Tuesday! 

All images via Pinterest.