Meet Benjen!

Oh hey there blogosphere! 

I didn't intend on taking such a long blogging break, but hey, it happens. I think I have a pretty good excuse though. I have been too busy looking at this cute face!

This is Benjen (name comes from Game of Thrones), my new Corgi/Australian Shepherd puppy, aka: the cutest thing in the entire world. He is currently 15 weeks, and is the sweetest little nugget of a dog. 

Iceland via Instagram

Hi all, I hope you're having an awesome Sunday so far. Mine has been full of coffee and catching up on some blogs. So far so good.

Tommy and I returned from Iceland on the 8th, and it was honestly the best trip ever. Returning to real life was tough because we both had so much fun. Iceland has always been a destination I wanted to visit, and I'm so glad we made it happen. The country is beautiful, the people are incredibly nice and the food was amazing.

I will make a larger update about Iceland soon (I have about 500 pictures to go through, ahh) but in the meantime, here is a peak at our trip via Instagram! You can find me on Instagram @Amandakerz

A Bit of Meal and Snack Prep

Since starting my new job, I have been trying to bring my lunch as much as possible. While it's fun to buy lunch, it gets really expensive and the portions are usually way more than I need. Because of this, I usually try to do a little meal/snack prep on Sunday to make things easy throughout the week. I know lots of others do this as well, and because I like seeing others meal prep, I thought I'd share mine!

Sometimes my meal prep means making one large dish  (like the Creamy Mushroom, White Bean and Rosemary Soup) and sometimes it means cooking up individual components that can be made into several types of easy lunches. This way I don't get bored eating soup everyday, but I'm still saving money and eating well! 

This weeks prep included fruit and veggie snack packs, hard boiled eggs, shredded chicken and lentils. For breakfast I usually make a piece of toast before I leave, and then snack on a hard boiled egg at work to hold me over until lunch.

I love buying a rotisserie chicken, shredding the meat and having it ready to go. I can make a wrap or sandwich easily, throw it in a salad, or mix it with the lentils for a hearty lunch. Lentils are so easy to make, and with a splash of balsamic, chicken, feta cheese and tomatoes, I can have a quick version of this Balsamic and Feta Lentil Salad for lunch.

The snack packs are a great way to get a serving of fruits and veggies. Having them cut up and ready to go make it so easy! I need to get into the habit of doing this more, because I hate fruits and vegetables not getting eaten and going bad.

So there you have it, some really easy, simple meal prep. I also like to have bananas and string cheese on hand because they are easy to grab and go. Do you prep food for the rest of the week? I'd love to hear your tips and tricks!

Thankful

Oh hey there! It's been a while. Life has been a little busy lately, and unfortunately this blog has taken a back seat. I'm sure none of you have been crazy busy with the holidays, right? ;) I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was full of pie, baked brie and of course turkey and family, so I would say it was a success. Oh, and having this view while enjoying all that deliciousness wasn't bad either!

The next few days are going to be a whirlwind because I'm starting a new job on Monday! I'm really excited to start a new chapter and dive into something completely new. Black Friday marked my last day in retail, and I'm thrilled. I worked at Macy's as a Clinique consultant for the past three years, and while the experience overall was great, I needed something new. So, on Monday I will be starting my new job as a social media assistant for a local soap making supply company, Bramble Berry. I'm excited and nervous, but oh-so ready. 

It's funny to think that while my college degree certainly helped, this blog gave me a lot of the skills needed for my new position. When I started blogging, I really had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know how to use my camera, I didn't really know what I wanted to blog about, and I had no idea how awesome the blogging community was. I have learned so much through blogging, and I'm so glad to have found a hobby that I can be really proud of and passionate about. 

I know I'm a few days late, but I wanted to say how thankful I am for blogging. Yeah, it sounds a little corny, but it has opened up doors that a few years ago were closed to me. It inspires and pushes me to try new things. It provides a platform to share with others and connect with people all over the world. I'm so glad I made the crazy/scary decision to share my thoughts, ideas, creations and my life online. It has been an amazing experience so far, and I can't wait to see where else it takes me. 

Overcoming Kitchen Intimidation

The kitchen can be a intimidating place, and trying new recipes can be a little scary. It's so easy to stay in our comfort zone when it comes to cooking. I certainly have dishes that feel safe, and I make them often. There isn't anything wrong with this, but I think trying new things in the kitchen is important and fun. Sometimes a new dish won't turn out perfectly (or even at all), but that's when we learn and become better!

My personal kitchen fearmonger? Macarons. Those dainty, cute, finicky little cookies were a recipe that I didn't think I could master. I had read how difficult they are to make, and saw pretty good bakers fail at making them. I made my first batch yesterday and I'm happy to report about 70% of them turned out great! Not a total victory, but I'm excited to keep practicing!

As you can see, some turned out, some not so much.

This little baking victory yesterday was a reminder that trying new recipes can be really rewarding. I love cooking because I love food, but what I love the most is creating things for others to enjoy. When that source of happiness can also be a personal victory, it's a win for everybody involved.

What recipe intimidates you? I bet if you gave it a try, you'd be pleasantly surprised! Here are a few things to consider when trying something new in the kitchen.

1. Do your research! Make sure to read the recipe from top to bottom. Any terms or ingredients that you're unfamiliar with? Learn more about them before starting.
2. Be realistic about your abilities. When trying new things, the goal is to push yourself but not set yourself up for failure. If grilled cheese is a struggle, making a souffle may not be the best idea.
3. Practice makes perfect. If you try something new and it fails, don't beat yourself up about it. It might take a few tries to get a recipe right.
4. Choose the right time to try a new recipe. Don't put extra pressure on yourself by trying something new for a party/event. That way if it doesn't work out, you don't have to panic.
5. Celebrate your kitchen victories! Make something awesome? Share it with others! A humble brag is okay every now and then :)

Have you tried something new recently? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Oh, and just incase you're wanting to try macarons yourself, I found this video to be really helpful!

PS: Looking for some new recipes? I'm sharing some pumpkin recipes on Amanda's awesome blog, Write in Tights. Check it out here!

Iceland, Here We Come!

On Tuesday, Tommy and I booked a trip to Iceland in March! Ahhh, I'm so excited! I have wanted to visit Iceland for a long time, so I can't wait to layer up and see the Northern Lights (fingers crossed), visit the Golden Circle and take a dip in the Blue Lagoon. We also have a food tour planned, definitely excited about that.

If you've been to Iceland before, any tips? I would love to hear how we can get the most out of our trip. Awesome places to eat, things to do and see?  I'd love to hear about your experience!

I Dream of Sweden

In 1930 my great grandmother, Astrid, traveled from Sweden to live with her aunt and uncle in Yakima, Washington. She was only 23 at the time and didn't know any of her family living in America, so it was a huge decision. With help from her family and women of the YWCA, Astrid made her way across the country to Washington state. A year later she married a well established farmer in the area, Emil Lovestrand, and they had eight children together including my grandmother.

source

I have always found her story to be pretty amazing. I can't imagine sailing to a new country to live with relatives I didn't know, and then having to travel across the states without being able to speak English. I'm so thankful for her bravery! 

Being the proud Swede that I am, I have always been inspired by Swedish culture. It's definitely a place I hope to explore one day. Food and design are two of my favorite things, and Sweden does them both very well! How could I not be proud? Here are a few things I love that come from Sweden :)

Dala horse pint glasses // Dala horse wood brooch // DIY Dala horse garland 

Pepparkakor cookies // Swedish meatballs

top right // top left // bottom

A few Swedish blogs/sites:

My Scandinavian Home

Emmas Design Blogg

Livet Hemma

Svenskt Tenn

From Scandinavia with Love

Yay Sweden! Oh, and I had to throw in this crazy picture of my with this huge dala horse in North Dakota. 

a little update: moving, bumbershoot & exhaustion

The past few days have been a whirlwind. On Sunday Tommy and I went to the Bumbershoot music festival in Seattle (about a 2 hour drive) came home the same night, woke up and moved all day, then this morning I woke up and cleaned our old house for 4 hours. I'm whooped. It was crazy...I'm not sure what we were thinking! Haha.

There are definitely aspects of moving that are fun, like decorating a new space. But moving forces you to take apart your entire life and then put it back together again. While I have moved quite a bit the past several years, I've never experienced a whirlwind move in one day. I wouldn't really recommend it.

Despite the craziness, we made it into our new place in one piece. I can't wait to really start unpacking and organizing our new home. It's my favorite part of the whole process, and once I recover from the past two days I'm gonna arrange the hell out of this apartment. Look out.

Bumbershoot was fun, but it might be my last visit.  Bumbershoot is such an awesome idea (music, art, comedy, lots of food and merchants), but the lines were so long, and the crowds really started to wear on me. It kinda made me feel old actually, hah. Here are a few shots including David Bazan and Death Cab.

bayside picnic

I've wanted to take a little bayside picnic all summer, and last night we finally made it happen (complete with wine!). I'm ready for fall, but not ready for the shorter days. Summer sunsets are the best.

In the next two weeks, Tommy and I are moving and I'm feeling both inspired by the idea of a new space, and sad to say good-bye to this one. This house is the first place we occupied alone together, and it's bittersweet to leave that behind. But hey, this is life and you gotta keep moving. Let's go, let's do this. 

Hoagie!

Oh hey, is this thing still on? 

Oops, I took a little blogging break. It was a combination of being super busy for the past four days, then feeling super lazy and tired afterwards. But I'm back, and I've got some super cute puppy pictures to make it up to you, haha. 

Last Saturday I drove down to Bremerton to visit friends. I was excited to see them of course, but also really excited to meet Hoagie, my friends new black lab puppy. He was full of puppy energy, and oh so adorable. He is pretty smart as well, Hoagie brought in the huge Sunday paper! 

Oh goodness...I need a puppy now.

Camping at Douglas Fir Campground

Growing up, camping was a huge part of summertime. We went quite often and I have so many great memories from it. There is just something about eating food cooked by a flame, sleeping on the ground, feeling like you can see every star in the sky at night, and doing a whole lot of nothing. As a kid I remember being bored a lot; it's amazing how doing nothing becomes so awesome when you're an adult! Haha.

Tommy and I decided to camp for a few nights at the Douglas Fir campsite, about one hour east of our house. It was a great little getaway, although it was hard to be without phone and internet for two nights! We spent a lot of time reading by the river, drinking beer, making awesome campfire food (hotdogs, steak, bacon and eggs, and smores!) and chatting by the fire.

4th of July

Hope you all had a fun and safe 4th of July! Mine was really relaxing, full of good food and sitting by the lake. Since yesterdays post was not very festive, I thought I would just share a few quick snaps from yesterday.

A Credenza Love Story

Several months ago while looking at furniture on Thrive, I learned what a credenza was and it was love at first sight. I began looking at them on Etsy, scouring craigslist and trying to hunt them down at antique stores. Of course I didn't want just any old credenza; my dream credenza needed to be real wood and of the mid-century variety, have enough storage for both movies and records, and brass legs were a huge bonus. Oh, and it needed to be cheap. Like, under $300 cheap.

One day, I was walking around a local antique store and this little beauty of a credenza caught my eye. You know when you're shopping and up ahead you see something amazing? It's almost exactly what you have been looking for, but instead of heading straight for it, you slowly meander, looking at other items on the way in order to subdue your excitement? Anybody? Okay, well that happened with me and this credenza. It was really exciting, and kind of magical.

The magic quickly ended when I turned over the price tag. I just couldn't justify the price, so I walked away (que Charlie Brown music) and continued on with my day. But I couldn't stop thinking about it! I mentioned it on this post, talked about it with Tommy and even coworkers. Whenever I visited the antique store I had to make sure it was still there. Once I even turned to Instagram to express my longing for this dang piece of furniture. "If only the number on the other side of that tag wasn't an issue," read my Instagram caption. Oh jeeze, the drama. Haha. 

So a couple months went by and I kinda forgot about the credenza. I still searched for them on Craigslist with the hope I would score one for cheap but had no luck. So when my birthday rolled around, I decided to walk around a few antique stores downtown and enjoy the sun. I walked by the credenza and noticed a guy moving a bunch of stuff around the space. I knew it had to be the seller, so I played it cool. Casually I walked over and started to look at the credenza. "I'm looking to get rid of stuff today, so if you're interested in something let me know and I'll make you an offer," he said to me. Jackpot. 

After a few minutes of negotiation, he made me an offer I couldn't refuse of about 70% off! And he delivered it. It was a birthday miracle! Within about 2 hours, my credenza was in my living room filled to the brim with movies and records. It took me about a week to get used to seeing it in my living room, I kinda couldn't believe my good fortune. Atticus approved of it immediately. 

So there it is folks, a little credenza love story. Part of me is tempted to stain it to match a chair in the living room...but would that be a huge mistake? I'm not sure what kind of wood it is, the seller thought maple. Anybody know how to find out what kind of wood a piece of furniture is?

lazy sunday

Yesterday was a day of drinking lots of coffee, eating curly fries for breakfast, staying in pajamas, watching Arrested Development, Kitchen Nightmares and playing Civ. It was a day of relaxation, making dinner in the slow cooker and enjoying our lack of motivation. Every now and then, you just need those lazy days.

Portland Japanese Gardens

One of the highlights of our mini vacation to Portland was visiting the Japanese Gardens. Situated just a few minutes outside downtown, the gardens feature five and a half acres of lovely plants, waterfalls and pathways. It was a really peaceful place to visit and was the perfect way to end a day of exploring downtown.