candy canes.

Have you ever wondered how candy canes are made? It never crossed my mind until I was taken to an old-fashioned candy shop, McCord’sCandies.  McCord’s Candies makes their candy canes by hand – every step of the process.  They have been making them since 1912, which clearly means they must be experts at making them to still be in business.   

Amazingly enough, I was able to witness how in fact they are made start to finish; I even got to hook my own candy cane!  Check out these pictures of the process: 

back to the roots.

With Christmas just around the corner there is no better way to get in the Christmas Spirit by cutting down your own Christmas tree!  Growing up I have always had a fake tree. Now that I’m on my own, it’s time to start my own traditions….real Christmas Tree time!

expressing gratitude.

Even a few days after Thanksgiving day and all the reunions of homecoming I am still stuffed to the brim.   There is no place like home for the holidays. I am blessed. I am thankful!

A challenge from our former President John F. Kennedy as we leave another Thanksgiving meal behind:

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

thanksgiving favorite: cranberry relish salad.

This past weekend I attended my first Thanksgiving meal of the season. During this time of the year, I am always thankful for great friends and inviting homes.

As a way to contribute to the meal, I prepared a quick, simple, festive dish - Cranberry Relish Salad.

If anyone needs something easy to bring this turkey day – here it is:

All you need are 3 cups of fresh cranberries, 1 orange, 2 granny smith apples, and 2 thin slices of ginger. Simply pit the orange and apples of any seeds, put all the ingredientes (your choice if you want to include the orange peel or not) into a food processor, mix, and wah-la! You have your dish made in 10 minutes, tops!

brown county.

Diagnosis: Travel Bug.  Remedy: Brown County - the beautiful boutique town of Nashville, Indiana and the Brown County State Park.

The beauty of autumn trees always brings joy deep down in my soul. Although they come around each year, I can never get over the pure beauty.

These pictures do not do the natural landscape justice but I hope it at least provides a glimpse.

While the season lasts… go out and jump in a pile of leaves!

i am a dreamer.

I want to travel the world, move to NYC for a fast-paced job but eventually raise a family in the suburbs with the quarterly vacations around the world.  In my twenties, I want to travel to Asia and shop the markets of India like in the movie, Eat Pray Love.  I want to sip wine and eat cheese with the natives in the south of France and visit the historical WWII sites of Germany and Anne Frank’s home in Amsterdam.  I want to visit Seattle, I’ve never been there – Grey’s Anatomy depicts the city well.  And while I truly do want all of these things, I am living in central Indiana devoting most of my time to my job, leaving at 7:50 in the morning and returning home just shy of twelve hours later. 

Is it wrong to dream of these other worlds?  Now, please don’t misunderstand, I’m content with my life here. I am learning so much as I transition to being a ‘real adult.’ I like my job, I like my friends and life here but I cannot resist the dreaming.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the balance between ambition and being content.   What does it look like to be content with where you are at, yet have goals and dreams that may take you to a different place - whether it is by graduate school, a job, or even a relationship.

I am a dreamer. 

comradery through emerging trends.

As I spend more and more time in the real world, my time in college grows more and more distant.  I find myself isolated to my own little circle consisting of work, family, and friends.  I am distant from the buzzing of new trends that hit you like rain on a college campus.

I want to be up-to-date with the emerging world around me and so I have found myself to become more engrossed and diligent about following particular blogs, subscribing to relevant newsletters, and creating twitter lists that will keep me updated.  To my surprise, these followings have not only stretched my basic knowledge and allowed understanding of current developing trends, but has motivated me to work harder and serve my ultimate best to develop a sense of comradery among other authors.

It’s more than just staying educated and up to date, it keeps me fresh, up on my skills, and reminds me that there is more than just this world I have created around me.  With today’s technology, the world is at our fingertips – from California to the New York Islands.