30 Day Challenge - Day 2

Day 2 - What I wore today - Summer in Santa Fe is full of Bohemian skirts, sandals, silver and turquiose jewelry and margaritas!

Zozobra - Santa Fe's Own Burning Tradition

Today is the day Santa Fean's let go of the past year's gloom with the burning of Zozobra. Now in it's 86th year, it's our very own pagan Burning Man. The biggest secret of the year is always the color that Zozobra will be wearing. And no matter the weather - he will burn!

Click here for more history of Zozobra and event information.

Zozobra's official website.

The Joy of Cooking - How I Learned to Cook and a How-To

As many of you know - I always hated to cook. I refused to learn growing up and would always say I would have someone to cook for me. And I did, until 2 years ago. I was then forced to learn, by necessity. So I had to start slow. I began making dishes I remembered being made or simple recipes I could find. Keeping it simple really helped; recipes that only needed a few ingredients and didn't take long to make. And soon I was asking for a slow cooker and cooking utensils for Christmas!

In the last two years now, I have succeeded. Not to the point of gourmet chef, mind you. But no one has gotten sick or died from my cooking, so to me, it's a success!! I even attempted Thanksgiving Dinner last year. And, god help me, I am thinking about it again this year!

I have even began creating my own dishes that I have no recipes for. And here, I am going to share with you one of my latest concoctions. You make think I'm crazy and believe me you won't be the first, or last!! But anyway, introducing my Skillet Eggplant Parmesan. NOTE: The eggplants I am using a small, miniature eggplants that are 3 1/2-5 inches long, a good size for one to two people.

Skillet Eggplant Parmesan
Serves 2 as a side dish

4-6 Small Eggplants sliced
4 medium tomatoes diced
2 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt
Italian Seasoning

Heat skillet on medium heat. Add Olive Oil and heat. Add eggplant and cook til just starting to soften. Add tomatoes and let cook until skins have fallen off and tomatoes are mushy. Add salt and Italian Seasoning. Mix together. Add Parmesan cheese while continuously stirring. Turn heat off and serve immediately. YUMMY!

Tip: I found a glass of red wine to help while cooking. Cheers Julia! Bon Apetit!

Wednesday's Wonders - Happy Sunny Day

After a not-so-enjoyable evening last night, I woke up this morning in a surprisingly good mood. Maybe it was the late-nite carb binge or watching a good movie that helped. Maybe it was wishing to hear ONE particular song on the radio and as I flipped through the stations, I found it. Playing. Right. That. Second. Maybe it was waking up to these beautiful sunflowers that brightened my morning. Either way, how could these sun-loving flowers not put a smile on your face!!

Land of the Free

Happy 4th of July everyone! I hope your day is filled with barbecues, lemonade, watermelon, fireworks, family and friends.

Today, I am thinking of my brother's wedding one year ago today. Such a wonderful day filled with family and friends from far away coming together to share with them on their special day. I wish they had the opportunity for endless days of special times. click here. Much love to them both.

Summer Days Style

There are a lot of things that make a hot summer day just perfect! As I daydream about lemonade, picnic blankets, porch swings, fresh picked blueberries, and homemae ice cream, enjoy these Etsy picks! Have a great weekend! :)

1. Good morning sunshine - 5x7 Fine Art Photography Print of blueberries by ara133photography $15

2. Earrings for Eating Lemon Custard on the Porch Swing by lkfarnsworth $24

3. Vintage Sunbonnet Sue Cutter Quilt Lots of Pink and Pastel Feed Sack Fabric from thecherrychic $49.99

4. Vintage Husky Igloo Wooden Ice Cream Maker from leapinglemming $49.95

Have a Wonderful Weekend

I hope all of you have a wonderful, sun filled weekend! I know Santa Fe has tons of events planned for the Memorial Day weekend. Already this morning I caught this WWII Bomber plane doing fly-bys.

You can find all sorts of happens going on in Santa Fe here. Have a safe and relaxing weekend and don't forget to remember our fallen soldiers.