The Iconic Chanel Jacket: Behind the Scenes

A fashion essential that never goes out of style, the iconic CHANEL jacket.  Sixty years later and this jacket has revolutionized the fashion industry and is still as relevant as it was decades ago. 

Watch this film revealing the story behind the CHANEL jacket.  (*First 20 seconds in French*)

Enamel Diction: What your polish says about you

Ever wondered what your choice on nail polish says about you? The creative studio The Initiative takes a look at what your nail polish reveals about your personality in Enamel Diction.

Felt indecisive when choosing a color at your last nail appointment? Then you most likely gossip with baby pink. Know your color selection before you even walk in the door? Then you most likely declare with Scarlett.

With over 50 pages of eye popping color, Enamel Diction explores the different facades we present to the world and questions is our choice of shiny polish a true reflection of ourselves? 

And for pop culture buffs, it's also full of iconic quotes and references – and really any book that begins with a quote by Jason Stackhouse is one that’s going to make us laugh!

BUY NOW!  For $12.95. 

Beautiful Skin- Add it to your grocery list!

So yes, I'm a bit of a health nut.  Any article I can get my hands on regarding how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, I'll read it.  From feeling less tired and stressed, to fighting off the common cold & illnesses, to looking younger; what you put in your mouth to fuel your body really does make a difference. 

Here's a helpful food facts sheet when it comes to maintaining that gorgeous youthful glow in your skin.  Challenge yourself this week while grocery shopping, to add 4 items below to your cart (if you already don't regularly eat it).   All the items below make for such great fresh ingredients to a bowl of cereal in the morning, to a midday snack, to an ingredient you can add to a dinner course.   

Cheers to a healthy lifestyle & making smarter choices for our skin! 

Spicy Corn, Chile, & Chorizo Soup

This latin inspired soup is simply delicious.  A bit of kick with spice & so full of flavor. If you're looking for something a bit latin inspired, this soup will do the trick, and have you coming back for more!

Ingredients (Serves 6):
1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3 Onions, chopped
1 lb frozen corn kernels, thawed
3 cups Chicken Broth
1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth
scant 2 cups milk
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 oz thinly sliced chorizo sausage
juice of an entire lime
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt & pepper to taste
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 anaheim peppers, diced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika 
1/2 tsp cumin

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottom pan.  Add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in corn, garlic, and sausage, cover, and cook for additional 5 minutes.  

2. Add all the diced peppers; Jalapeno, Anaheim, & Red Bell Pepper. Saute for an additional 5 minutes.  Until peppers are softened & tender.

3. Add the chicken & vegetable stock, lime juice, milk and season with salt & pepper, & seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, then cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.  Stir occasionally. 

4.  Ladle into warmed bowls and serve at once. 

Option: Serve with fresh corned bread. 

Inspiring message.

Religion. Just the word seems to ignite a stirring feeling into each individual, whether that be curiosity, a strong feeling of devout faith, or simply indifference. To me, wherever you are in your spiritual life, this message I heard on Sunday is very simple, powerful, & uplifting.  Whether you call ''him'' Jehovah, Allah, Shiva, God, Brahma, Vishnu, or Zeus, this message can be applied to your daily life. 

The message is, that it's not about us, it's about what he wants to do through us.    

Bad things happen to everyone.  Yes, that's right, to everyone. Death of loved ones. Divorce. Illness. Loss of a job. A broken-family. Arguments. Financial turmoil. To name a few.  Everyone will experience a handful of hard times in their lifetime, which leads us always asking the question "why me?".  

If you remember this quote, you'll be grounded & humbled to realize, that it's not about you, it's about molding you into the person he wants you to be and there's an ultimate purpose that we may not understand or see, but it's there. 

Cutest Cutting Board Ever!

What an awesome housewarming or wedding gift for friends/family members!  This AHeirloom Etsy Shop creates custom made state cutting boards with your preference of city location; all USA states are available to order.  The city location will be cut out in either a Heart vs. Star vs. House, depending on your selection at the time of ordering.

Too stinkin' cute if you ask me! And what a way to 'wow' your guests when hosting and using it as a cheese cutting tray.

Wanderlust

I've always been one of those souls in the world that has an immense amount of wanderlust. Thankfully, the love-of-my-life (my husband), shares this quality with me. 

For those of you who don't know me, but are following my blog, I grew up in a very small town of less than 5,000 people in southern Ohio until mid-high school.  My parents then moved about 45 minutes away from our old house, to a city that roughly has a population of 25,000 people.  Needless to say, until I went to college at Ohio State, studied abroad in Italy, and then moved to Chicago post college to work at my first job in Human Resources, I was a small town gal.  Today, I would still say some small town qualities resonate within me, from loving the countryside, understanding the importance of local goods vs. imported, to appreciating a good pair of boots. But, I will admit, throughout my childhood I would watch the travel channel, read National Geographic in awe, & be excited to go to Geography class, all due to the immense amount of wanderlust that fuels inside of me. 

As an adult, I promised myself that I would engage in new experiences frequently, meet new people, and explore new locales. So, my husband & I started annually planning a 'yearly trip list' which includes our annual family vacation + smaller weekend get-a-ways, that are a nice refresher to the day-to-day work life.  

Moving to a new state & city is leaving us with quite the list of places we want to visit & check out!  I have to keep telling myself, we have plenty of time because there's no way we can squeeze it all into 2013. 

Our 'big' annual trip this year is going to be France, Czech Republic, & Belgium in mid-August.  I can't believe it's only 5 months away, I feel like time is creeping up on us and we need to start planning & soon!  When visiting a foreign country, let alone 3 of them, there's a lot of coordination and planning that needs to be researched. 

Are there any specific suggestions any of my blog reader's have of places to check out in France, Czech Republic or Belgium? Also, I would love to hear from you to see where you are planning on going this year for vacation!  Leave a comment below & I'll definitely get back with you xx

Cheers to Winter almost being over & for Vacations being right around the corner! 

Geo Drusy Jewelry

My ultimate new jewelry obsession this Spring are these geo drusy rings and earrings from Leif.  As I was doing some online shopping over the weekend I came across them and I'm absolutely in-love.  My favorite is the 'double drusy ring in dusk (blue & brown stacked gems).

Reasonable pricing too for statement jewelry pieces, ranging from $76 to $128.  See below for some of their selections they have via online.

I hope everyone's Monday is off to a great start!

Chautauqua Trail : Weekend Hike

This weekend was perfect early Spring weather, with sunshine and temps ranging from mid-50's to low 60's.  With the weather being so nice out, we decided to take a morning hike at Chautauqua trail.  Along our hike were striking views of the Flatirons and the city of Boulder; such great scenery for a nice weekend workout.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend as well!

xx,
Colleen

Eat Well. Travel Often.

A recent gift from my husband was this American Apparel athletic tee from Skreened, with the phrase "Eat Well. Travel Often."  Two of the core foundations in which we live our daily lives.  It was a perfect gift and it's been in the weekly wash ever since.  It's two best qualities is that it's super soft and beyond comfy.  

I paired it with white denim (winter white denim video) and black knee boots for a casual, yet chic look, for our Friday lunch date in downtown Boulder.  

Julia Child's French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup. Simply put, one of my ultimate favorite soups. I'm the gal that every time I'm at a restaurant that has it listed on the menu, from a fancy sit-down, to a quick lunch spot like Panera, you can bet that 75% of the time I'll be ordering French Onion Soup.  There's just something about this full-flavored, cheesy, dark soup that satisfies me every time.  

I'm very much so looking forward to our trip to France this year, to experience ordering authentic French Onion Soup, paired with some brie as my appetizer, & a nice glass of french wine. For now, I'll continue cooking Ms. Julia Child's French Onion Soup recipe, that comes straight from the culinary streets of Paris.  

In authenticity of true french cuisine, when it comes to French Onion Soup, this recipe is probably one of the best.  Below are the directions, exactly as it comes from Julia Child's cookbook, & then below I have a few ''Notes''.  

She starts with a short prefatory note: 

The onions for an onion soup need a long, slow cooking in butter and oil, then a long, slow simmering in stock for them to develop the deep, rich flavor which characterizes a perfect brew.  You should therefore count on 2 1/2 hours at least from start to finish.  Though the preliminary cooking in butter requires some watching, the actual simmering can proceed almost unattended.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lbs. or about 5 cups of thinly sliced yellow onions
3 T butter
1 T vegetable oil
A heavy-bottomed, 4 quart covered saucepan
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
3 T flour
2 quarts boiling brown stock, canned beef bouillon, or 1 quart of boiling water and 1 quart of stock or bouillon.
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
Salt and pepper to taste
3 T cognac
Rounds of hard-toasted French bread (see recipe following)
1 to 2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese

CROUTES — HARD-TOASTED FRENCH BREAD:
12 to 16 slices of French bread, cut 3/4 to 1 inch thick
Olive oil or beef drippings
A cut clove of garlic

PROCEDURE FOR THE SOUP:

Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in a covered saucepan for 15 minutes.

Uncover, raise heat to moderate and stir in the salt and sugar.  Cook for 30 to 40 minutes stirring frequently, until the onions have turned an even, deep golden brown.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.

Off heat, blend in the boiling liquid.  Add the wine and season to taste.  Simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes or more, skimming occasionally.  Correct seasoning.

Set aside uncovered until ready to serve.  Then reheat to the simmer.

Just before serving, stir in the cognac.  Pour into a soup tureen or soup cups over the rounds of bread and pass the cheese separately.

PROCEDURE TO MAKE THE CROUTES:

Place the bread in one layer in a roasting pan and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for about half an hour, until it is thoroughly dried out and lightly browned.

Halfway through the baking, each side may be basted with a teaspoon of olive oil or beef drippings; and after baking, each piece may be rubbed with cut garlic.

COLLEEN'S NOTES:

#1: I only use 3.5-4 cups of onions instead of the 5 cups.   When I use the smaller quantity the soup is still very "oniony" with a lot of consistency of onions & not much broth.  If you want more broth and less onions, I would even suggest just 3 cups of onions instead of the 5. Authentic French Onion Soup is very thick with onions in every bite, that's why Julia's recipe calls for 5 cups. The recipe & pictures below, I used 4 cups of diced onions.

#2: Unlike Julia, once the soup is complete, I add the croutons, top each oven-safe bowl with freshly grated parmesan cheese, then cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 375 F. This allows the cheese to thoroughly melt.  Julia's recipe, just has fresh cheese grated on the top and then eaten without the additional heating of the cheese in the oven.  I suppose it's personal preference, but I love the warm cheese topping once it's removed from the oven.

I suggest pairing some French Macaroons with dinner, as a dessert course.