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. 

My new apartment!

I know this is kinda belated (well, I've only been living there for about 6 days now - so I guess it's not THAT belated - ha!), but here is my new apartment!

This is the view when you first walk in the "front door" (it's in an early 1900's house that was divided into apartments).  Eventually I'm going to get those drapes on the couch up soon!  One of these days...

Pivot to the right, and that's the little closet there, and my little make-up station!

Turn all the way around, and there's the kitchen / bathroom / desk area & all that fun stuff!  It's small and cozy, but I've tried to brighten it up in my own way with lots & lots of colors. :)  That's just how I roll!

My itty-bitty bathroom just off the kitchen.  It actually does contain a "bath", which would be the perfect size for me if I were about 3-feet tall.  Haha!  But that's OK - I don't need much!

And my abnormally large kitchen for a studio apartment!  I really do need a decent-sized kitchen.  It's hard having no kitchen space and loving to cook.  So this worked out great!

I absolutely LOVE all of the light I get in here too.  I have a big window in the kitchen, and two more big ones in the living / bedroom.  It's just gorgeous.  Makes me feel sunshiney and happy inside!

I did have to give away some things (knick-knacks, clothes, etc.) because there just wasn't enough room for everything.  But I was OK with that - it's just stuff.  And it was kind of cleansing in a way!  Starting clean, right?

Also, my lovely friend Nikki stopped into my work yesterday and dropped of this beautiful bouquet of flowers for me.  Aren't they just gorgeous?  They really are helping my new little place feel like home.

I think I can be very happy here!

Things are getting much better

Hey Friends,

Sorry for the vague / sad posts lately, and for the lack of posting at all!  The big news is, John and I have decided to end our 2 1/2 year relationship.  The last couple of weeks I've been in a bit of turmoil - finding a new apartment, figuring out how to pack & move with a full-time job, while also dealing with the emotional stuff.

But luckily, John and I will still be friends.  And I actually mean that this time.  I've never had much luck with staying friends with ex's in the past (emotionally it's just hard), but I know that John and I came into each other's lives for a reason, and I can't imagine my life without him in it.

Honestly, I know this was the right move for us.  He's going to take his path and find the right girl for him, and I'm going to take mine and find the right boy for me.  Perfectly imperfect pairs, as I see it. :)

So over the past couple of weeks I've been focusing on me - working hard, finding a new place, finding a way to pack with a full time job, and moving in and getting set up!  It's been quite a whirlwind!  I still don't have internet at home either, so posting will be hard for the next couple of weeks.  I'll do what I can though!

I can't wait to post pictures of the new place.  It's so freakin' cute, and perfect for me.
Thank you to everyone who was there for me during this difficult / crazy time.  You know who you are.  I knew I could count on you, and I love you with every inch of my heart.

Here's to a new chapter in my life!
Love,
Beth

Image via Pinterest

Head VS Heart

Sometimes, things are hard

Sometimes the right choice isn't the easiest choice.
Sometimes a bottle of wine is the only thing to make you feel better (for at least a short amount of time).
Sometimes you just need some time to yourself.
Time away.
Time to listen to your heart (no matter what it says).
Time to grow and understand.
Time to figure out what the fuck is going on.

Sigh.  Things are tough right now.

I know they will get better.  But right now it sucks.

Luckily I have good friends that can console me with some good company, and some good food.

And wine.  Lots of wine.

Image via Pinterest.