Tag: life

Soup Inspo because it’s Fall

~ Brooke F. ~ 12 Comments

I know I may be a little late buuut…

Happy fall everyone!

Did you know it’s my favorite time of year? The weather is perfect- I love that midrange of temperatures. It’s the time of year when I get to pull out my forty gazillion jackets and give them enough wear to justify the amount of space they take up in my wardrobe. It’s also campfire season, yet another added bonus. I’m an avid loved of s’mores, marshmallows, and the oh-so-good smokey smell.

You want to know what else I love about the weather getting chilly? The appeal of soup increasing by 100%.

Don’t get me wrong, I adore soup normally however, my love only grows when it’s nippy outside and I’ve got a steaming bowl of yummy in front of me. I could have soup all week.

So, in the spirit of fall, I wanted to share some of my favorite soup recommendations with you guys! I know this it totally different from my regular types of post and is more reminiscent of what you’d find on a lifestyle and cooking blog but I can’t help myself. I simply must share the deliciousness of these soups with the world!

Or at least… the five of you who are out there reading this post!

Tomato Basil

I adore tomato soup.

Strangely enough, as a kid, I hated tomatoes but tomato soup? I could eat that stuff for three meals a day. I had a sort of ritual when I ate them too- I’d eat them with ten saltine crackers and would often crunch up the crackers into the soup itself to give it a little crunch. Now this wasn’t always the best idea as halfway through the cracker chunks would become super mushy but my 7-year-old self would not be deterred and persisted in doing this.

Now, while I’m saying it’s not the best way to eat it, Tomato Basil soup still is kind of the bomb, cracker chunks or no cracker chunks.

Zuppa Toscana

My friend. If you have not had this soup, then I implore you to look up a recipe and try it soon. I didn’t even know this soup existed till I worked at a tea shop here in the deep south and they introduced it as one of our soup specials.

And ya’ll.

It. Is. Immaculate.

It’s creamy, has kale but doesn’t taste like it has kale, has a nice zing of Italian sausage, and smells heavenly. This soup can also be enjoyed with saltines which is definitely an added bonus.  Please give it a shot if you haven’t tried it already.

Southwest Chicken Soup

For those of us who are Mexican food type people. I love this soup because it tastes amazing, especially when you add an ungodly amount of cheese and maybe even some fritos if you’re feeling spunky. This soup is a solid go-to for my family because it can also be an easy crock-pot recipe.

Loaded Potato Soup

Friends, I must admit, my favorite vegetable is actually not a vegetable but a root. But you must admit, potatoes are quite a blessing that frankly I don’t think humanity deserves, but by the grace of God we have ‘em anyways. And I can’t tell you how much I love my starches. And if you love them too, I guarantee you’re going to love this soup. Or if you just love bacon. This is one of the few soups that you can get away with adding obscene amount of bacon too and it’s still good to eat!

This soup is kind of reminiscent of a loaded potato (as the title may suggest) in addition to being super creamy. I’ve had it a couple times and once while I was sick, and it felt amazing on my scratchy throat. Though one thing I can promise you, if you’re a potato girl, you will enjoy this soup both in sickness and in health.

Beef Stew

Okay, yes, technically this is a stew, but they aren’t that different right? At least, according to google… and you’re not calling google a liar, are you?

Either way, this stuff hits the spot during cold weather, and I’d be ashamed to not include it on the list seeing as how growing up, it was my favorite liquid-based meal (I’m just trying to avoid saying “stew and “soup” now if you can’t tell).

Stick this stuff in a crock pot and let it summer over the course of the day and you will come home to the most glorious of smells.

I personally recommend making fresh bread to go with along with this meal, especially if you have a bread machine so you can avoid the hassle of having to time it to where both things are ready and warm at the same time.

Either way though, bread or no bread, I think Beef Stew is one of God’s great blessings and it’s no wonder humanity has been making stews for goodness knows how long.

And I think that’s it! Those are my favorites anyways. I hope I’ve made you thoroughly hungry, so you feel compelled to quench it with steaming bowl of soup. You’re welcome!

See you readers!

The Disappearance of a Blogger

~ Brooke F. ~ 1 Comment

Brooke: Sorry I’ve been gone for a month! I’ll post a life update soon!

Also Brooke: *Disappears for another month*

Ahem….so anyways! Thanks for sticking with me through this busy summer. I honestly did not expect it to be as eventful as it turned out (in a good way of course). But as a result, my once somewhat established blogging schedule is a little off-kilter. Which for the time being I’m somewhat alright with seeing as how I think I can get it back on track as I start back to college in the coming weeks (it’s much sooner than ever thought. Time flies!). But, regardless, I still miss posting regularly and at least wanted to do a quick life update for all 3 of my blog readers (perhaps I’m being a bit generous).

As many (3) of you are probably aware, the majority of my time has been devoted to my summer internship which has been going swimmingly as they say. I enjoy the work, albeit pretty exhausting work. I do a lot of field research and data gathering so I’m out in the sun for about 30+ hours a week and with the heat wave we’ve had this summer, I’ve found myself rather drained at the end of the day after sweating my brains out. But it’s definitely not all bad. In fact, I’ve quote enjoyed the experience and the variety in tasks that I get to do at work.

And, very honestly, a lot of my exhaustion may simply be in part that this is my first consistently full-time job. I’ve worked full time hours before at other places prior to this, but not on a regular basis. Really I think a lot of my tired can be contributed to everyone’s favorite words: change and adjustment.

Ugh. Sorry to give you cold-chills like that.

Anyway, as I alluded to in the earlier paragraphs of this post, I will be starting back to school however. I am actually looking forward to this semester as my schedule looks a little lighter class-wise so I’m hoping to squeeze in some nice hobby time somewhere in there. At this moment I have a masterlist of posts that I’ve wanted to write these past months that I simply haven’t gotten to so I am delighted at the thought of slowly making my way through said list. I’ve also got a butt-load of digital art that I want to share with you guys as well!

Basically, don’t worry friends! I am not, in fact, dead. Good things are coming!

And I think that will wrap this post up for now! How has your summer been? Despite being on busier side this summer, I rarely find myself lacking time to read comment!

Have a lovely day!

The Nine Lives Challenge

~ Brooke F. ~ 4 Comments

So I’ve been doing a bit more tags and challenges lately because I was randomly thinking about the old forum games/challenges I used to play back in middle school that would help me practice writing. A lot of these challenges can be found on Weheartit.com as well, so thankfully, if I don’t remember the parameters for a challenge, usually someone has a post dedicated to it over there.

This is one of those such challenges.

The “If I Had Nine Lives” Challenge was insanely fun for me and my old forum friends and I’m excited to see how my answers vary now that I’m older. This challenge is characterized by coming up with neat fictional lives that would have been fun to live so feel free to join in and complete this challenge as well as it can be a joyous day dream.

Leonardo da Vinci aesthetic collage by me | Aesthetic collage, Instagram theme feed, Hogwarts aesthetic

Life 1 ~ Sculpture

This life would have been characterized by long days spent molding clay and drawing up sketches of human anatomy. I’m kind of thinking this life would have occurred around the late 1400’s and early 1500’s (around the time of Leonardo Da Vinci’s work for reference). The Middle Ages were coming to a close as people were beginning to value books and education more and more and this life was probably right in the middle of it. They probably lived in a European city and enrolled in a artists/artisan’s school where they could train under artistic masters before coming one themselves.

river-bottom-aesthetics Tumblr blog with posts - Tumbral.com

Life 2 ~ Biologist

This gal lived during the Victorian Era on the English Countryside. She hand drew most of her theories and discoveries (fossils, plants/botany sketches, etc.). But due to the nature of this time period, she wasn’t recognized professionally as a biologist until later in life. The concept for this life is heavily inspired by the very real life of Beatrix Potter who was an amazing botanist and scientist who was never really recognized for her work due the fact that she was a woman. I am sure there were many similar stories to hers that occurred during this time.

HP Aesthetic — Slytherin Royalty Moodboard g | h | r | s

Life 3 ~ Scottish Lady/Governess

Have I mentioned that I loved Scotland?? I really don’t know what time period I’d place this gal. I researched what was the time frame for the Scottish Monarchs and got quite a range. But besides that, that information was most likely in reference to the official Monarchs of Scotland. Lords, Ladies and Governesses of Scotland still exist to this day I believe. You just gotta own some land (and maybe a castle? I probably need to research the official requirements. I’m curios now).

Anyhow, what I can assure you about this lady is she lives in castle and was widowed young. She has a son who is currently far too young to take control of the estate. So until her son can take over, she will continue to head the castle and protect the family’s honor.

fashion designer aesthetic | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs | Tumgir

Life 4 ~ Fashion Designer

I have always loved the thought of designing my own fashion line (I mean, what girl hasn’t?). In high school I took to drawing fashion sketches and even though I haven’t drawn one in quite awhile, this life appeals to me quite a bit. This girl probably lived in the mid to late 1900’s, just after world war 2.

The fashion industry was final able to flourish again and this girl wanted in on the action. She lives in Paris (because why not?) and spends her days sketching and comparing fabrics for the fashion company she has the pleasure of working for. She drinks lots of teas and keeps company with about 3 cat back at her apartment. She probably marries later in life as she was guilty of focusing on her career more than anything in her early years.

Studyblr Moodboard 11/manyRequested: computer science moodboard (photos not mine) | Computer science, Studyblr, Study inspiration

Life 5 ~ Web Developer

Another fun fact about me, in high school, all my electives fell under computer coding and web design. It was something I was considering going into after high school, but I soon realized that I didn’t think this was the path cut out for me after I graduated and became infatuated with the biological sciences.

Buuuuut in my spare time I do enjoy coding dinky little programs for no apparent reason so its no wonder that I would design a past life based on this potential career.

This Web Developer lives in New York during the mid to late 1900’s. The Internet is now picking up speed and is becoming acknowledged as more than just a trend and she takes full advantage of that. She coded as a hobby at first, but now holds down a job at a corporate company, designing and keeping track of their online presence.

Aesthetic Mood Board// books #books #reader #aesthetic #moodboard | Mood board inspiration, Book aesthetic, Mood board

Life 6 ~ Children’s Book Author

Okay, it’s at this point you’re probably realizing that this list isn’t in chronological order. I tried at first but now I’ve stopped. So, that being said, this girl lived during the mid to late 1800’s, just when children’s books were becoming a thing. She lived in England was was a house wife who spent her spare time writing and drawing, at first for only her children, but then moved on to have her work published for others as well.

Modern Day Varda moodboard Varda is an astronomer, physicist and stargazer | Dark lord, Stargazing, Modern

Life 7 ~ Astronomer

Ahhhh Astronomy. My forbidden career. This life is a cumulation of a life time of infatuation with the night sky. Why didn’t I pursue astronomy then, you might ask? Well the answer is plain and simple:

Math.

I’m only sort of kidding. When looking at the career path of a modern day astronomer, I saw many years of mathematics and physics ahead and I could not bring myself to commit to it in fear that it would destroy my current love for the stars.

But this girl isn’t a modern day astronomer. No, she got into the game early. Around the mid 1600’s to be exact, just after the marvelous observations of the famous astronomer Galileo. She went on to discover with her own homemade telescope, a few moons and stars, detailing their existence in her journals that she would lady reference when writing books on her work later in life.

~ A Renaissance Aesthetic That I Made ~ | aesthetics Amino

Life 8 ~ Renaissance Restoration Artist

This is probably one of my favorite “lives”. The thought of carefully painting and restoring the grand works from the Renaissance era seems infatuating (at least until one gets a hand cramp).

This life spends her days restoring paintings upon church’s and cathedral’s walls, in an attempt to show tourists the former glory of these masterpieces. She’s married to a Historian who works on the more historical side of these projects as oppose to the actual restoration.

Requested: math moodboard Studyblr Moodboard 5/many(photos not mine) | Studyblr, School study tips, Mood boards

Life 9 ~ Current Life (college student/writer/biologist)

And finally, my current life, which began in the early 2000’s. This one is a little less cohesive than the others, thus far not being characterized by only one main career but I like it anyway. This gal spends her days drinking over-priced iced coffees, doing homework, going a little small town adventures with her friends, playing DnD on boring Saturdays, petting cats, and drawing.

She isn’t entirely sure where she’s headed yet but she knows its going to be good life when its all said and done.

And concludes The Nine Lives challenge! Again, feel free to participate if you want! See you in my next post!

~Brooke F.

Thoughts on being (almost) halfway through college

~ Brooke F. ~ 1 Comment

I doubt any of the following thoughts will be unique but I still find it important that I type them out anyway. (Wow, that start sounded a lot more sardonic than I intended). What I mean is, I think most people are feeling what I’m feeling when I say that it’s all going by very quickly. Not in a bad way mind you. It just sort of surprises me.

I know I would depressed if I were standing still. If I weren’t making progress. But it’s only normal that I feel at least a little sad as I find myself already halfway through my time at college. Everything is so fast paced. I make friends in classes but before I know it, we’ve moved on to the next semester which brings on new classes and even more new friends.

Time drags but goes so fast at the same time. I think that midterms will never be over but once they are, I realize that there are only 6 weeks left in the semester. It’s very odd.

I think these thoughts occur mostly because there is a part of me that is pretty scared of what the world has in store for me beyond graduation. I feel like a “fake” adult right now. I don’t have a professional job and I’m mostly working on school. And school, though hard, is something I’m familiar with.

Growing up is so weird.

I want it to happen but when it does, I can’t help but think “I didn’t mean for it to all happen this fast.”

For me, growing up has been characterized not by being sad so much as being disoriented and confused. I don’t feel ready, but at the same time, everything I’ve been doing since grade school has been done to prepare me for this challenge of getting older. And I fully intend to meet it.

And it helps that I know, somewhere deeper than my feelings and bones that everything always ends up working out in the end.

So ready not, here life comes.

Things to Romanticize

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

A list I began for no reason and will probably continue. I just want to fall in love with the mundane again. It’s all in the little things I suppose.

Car Rides

The sleepy feeling of driving at night with someone you trust. Chill music playing in the background. Street lights whizzing by in the dark. The green glow of the radio controls.

Letters

Pen and ink. The wonderful scratching sound of writing on parchment. Being unnecessarily fancy. Writing in cursive. Talking about the weather and how much you miss them.

Elevator Rides

You feel busy and important but not so much so that you’re above smiling at those who get in the elevator with you. The little compliments you offer your temporary traveling companions. A shared moment of quiet in everyone’s day as the chime sounds after each floor.

Freshly baked bread

The smell filling the house. Soft butter. Soup. Cold, wet weather.

Lightning bugs

The smell of fresh July air. Mason jars. Contests between siblings to see who can catch the most,

Sun Rises

Being up and about before everyone else. Quiet time. Reading as you watch the world wake. A misty blanket which slowly lifts.

Lace curtains

Rays of sunshine streaming through. Patterned shadows being cast on the opposite wall. Quaint and homey.

Dabbling in many different hobbies

Who knows what you’re into this week. Fast paced. Knowing a little bit of everything. Endless possibilities. The joy of learning for the sake of learning.

Hand written notes (the handwriting doesn’t have to be perfect)

Personal. Gratitude for everyone in a small way. Smudged letters that reveal a message that has that person floating the rest of their day.

Moths

Flitting around light. Patterned wings. Night butterflies.

Night Time Adventures to be had

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Nighttime adventures to be had:

Stargazing (duh)

An all-nighter spent out on the town and then find a place for breakfast in the morning. 

A sleepover that takes place on the trampoline

Camp out complete with a campfire and ghost stories. 

Go kayaking at midnight. The water is so peaceful and in clear nights you can see the sky reflected in the water. 

Have a night reading session with friends. 

Pull an all-nighter writer if you and your friends write. 

Midnight picnic

Sparklers. 

Take a bluetooth speaker with you out at night and have a dance off with your friends. 

Make up stories and tell them to each other because original fairytales are pretty awesome. 

Geocaching but at night. 

Wake up before the sunrises and fix yourself some tea. Then wrap yourself up in a blanket and watch the sun rise. 

You know what? Just host a midnight tea party. 

Water Adventures to be Had

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Here are a few water related adventurous activities:

Canoeing 

Kayaking

Beach walking 

Swimming in a lake or ocean

Fishing 

Creek walking 

Swimming in a pool

Paint next to a body of water or even the scenery around said body of water. 

Or if you want to get real creative…

Picnicking in a boat. 

Reading in a boat 

Get a friend and send off a floating lantern in a boat, tangled style. You can buy floating lanterns online and they’re not that expensive. 

Have a water war

Throw a bottle with a note in it into the ocean. 

Paint or write in a boat. It’s incredibly relaxing. 

Learn a few sea shanties.

Impulse Control

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

I was thinking, what would my past week have looked like had I no impulse control. It’s a scary yet interesting question. 

I think I would have thrown a head of lettuce in my sister’s face. 

I would have told that girl her dolphin earrings were cute and that lady that her highlights were spot on. 

I would have said hello to that person I thought I recognized and asked that girl who was crying at the library if she was okay. 

I would have randomly turned left as I drove out of our driveway and would have skipped work. 

I would have gone to the coffee shop and just drawn with charcoal all day. 

I would have told the barista that I wanted the sweetest drink she could concoct and I would drink it in one gulp. 

I would have woken up at 3 am to take a walk outside at night.  

I would have punched a wall once and a fake friend twice. 

I would have bought myself a new dress and shoes and would have danced in front of the mirror just to watch the folds of fabric shimmer and wave. 

I would have dyed my hair how I always wanted and maybe even cut it short. 

Until now, I haven’t realized fear has stopped me from doing so many things. Some good and some bad. 

Snapshot: The Fourth Week of October

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Its Saturday Night. A huge storm blew through town and knocked out all the power. But that doesn’t stop the relentless youth. I’m at a Halloween party. There are no lights to be seen except for the stars above. After adorning ourselves with glow crowns and bracelets me and my friends lay on the pavement and stare at the sparkling splendor in the skies. I think a rag-tag group has started playing catch phrase by the light of their phones. Eventually it clouds over but that’s alright because someone has the bluetooth speaker out and soon we’re learning the footlose dance. Clumsily, but we’re learning. Not long afterwards, it begins to sprinkle so we head into the garage armed with nothing more than a glow stick to illuminate the darkness. And we tell stories. Creepy ones that makes us shiver in delight and for half a second we pretend we believe them. It’s the week of Halloween after all.

Life is good.

Snapshot: The Third Week of October

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

It’s the third week in October. My and my friends are in a park. The leaves on the trees are a fireworks-like display of red and orange hues, soon sent spiraling and tumbling through the air. The air has a distinct chill but it’s warm in Golden sunshine. Me and my friends walk the trails, sometimes talking, sometimes silent, listening to the crunch of leaves underfoot. 

Now we’re under the pavilion sitting at a picnic table covered in a red and white checkered table cloth that I brought. We pass a cinnamon flavored coke around as we talk about silly and stupid things. Life is good.