Sunday Morning

Happy Sunday Morning!

I know it has been too long since I've posted, but I have been crazy busy! It's a good kind of busy though! :) I am now back to working full-time, and it is awesome.
I apologize because this post is going to be a little scattered! ;p

I have been a lot better about cooking healthier meals at home.

 One of my new favorite places (I mentioned previously) is Zi Olive - their olive oils and balsamic vinegars are delicious! There are so many different flavorful ways to cook using their products, and the best part is that the oils and vinegars make it even more simple to cook!

One night for dinner this past week, I made fish and veggies:
I grabbed a couple frozen wild caught tuna steaks, defrosted them, and marinated them with Meyer lemon olive oil & the herb/spice blend I bought.
Like I mentioned, I'm trying to eat healthier, so it was fish and asparagus for dinner! It was actually amazing! I look forward to making that meal again soon!

Another meal was chicken marinated in balsamic vinegar from Zi Olive. The chicken was marinated all day, then grilled up after I got home. Asparagus was the veggie side dish. It was very tasty, and so easy to make!

Salads are also one of my favorite go-to for meals. I never feel guilty after eating a large salad (at least one I have prepared myself). I picked up a lettuce blend from the grocery store, grape tomatoes, sweet onion, cucumber, chickpeas, sunflower kernels, and olives. The oils and vinegars from Zi Olive go perfectly with salad too! 

Zi Olive Knox

Now that I am working full-time, I try to make sure I eat just as healthy at work as I do at home. I'm not a big fan of eating breakfast super early, so I take a Quest bar into work with me to eat a little later in the morning. I recently tried the banana nut muffin, and later had to run to the store to stock up on that flavor! It is SO good!!

Anyway, enough about food! LAST weekend was spent at one of my favorite places here in Tennessee - Fall Creek Falls!
Nathan and I went for a Star Party. Well, his reason was for the Star Party, and my reason was to go and hike/explore during the day ;p The hotel sits right on the water, so you have a gorgeous view no matter which room you are in. I absolutely love to wake up and watch the sunrise over the water. That is my perfect "zen."
We saw birds, butterflies, deer, snakes, fish, etc. Fall Creek Falls really is beautiful, fascinating, and a fun place to be.

I can't resist Cake Batter Ice-Cream!

Tennessee State Flower - Iris

Last Monday night, after work, a couple of the girls from work and I went over to Painting with a Twist! It had been a few months since I last went, so it was awesome to go back!

Again, I can't even tell you how much I enjoy going to Painting with a Twist! 

This past week, I also ordered more of my favorite coffee k-cups from Real Good Coffee Co.! I got the variety mix again, because all of the flavors are delicious!

Real Good Coffee Co.

I haven't read any books in a little while, so the book I chose to read next is "The Happiness of Pursuit" by Chris Guillebeau. 

Poor furbaby, Riley, was a little mad that I left him for a weekend - he was pouting when I got home:

THIS WEEKEND is actually Nathan's Birthday weekend! Since we both had to work, we are hoping to actually celebrate this afternoon together! Ah, the life of being an adult! ;p I do want to thank all of our friends and family for wishing him a Happy Birthday already! Y'all are the greatest!

QUESTION TIME:

* What book are you reading currently? Or what was the last book you read?

* Do you have a favorite "zen" place?

* What easy, healthy meals do you enjoy most?

* What is your favorite on-the-go breakfast?

Cosmic Reflections

I have really become obsessed with Painting with a Twist. It is so much fun! Last night, I took my good friend Becca to check it out. She had never been, so I had to show her how fun it is. Our class session was for the "Cosmic Reflections" painting. Phew, this was a difficult one for me! I think this painting should have been a 3 hour class rather than the 2 hour class. However, it was still a good learning experience!

Of course, we started out with a blank canvas and a plate full of color:

Halfway there:

Completed!

I try to keep in mind not to have any high expectations on how my painting will turn out, because I obviously am new to it. This painting was good practice, but I definitely would like to try to re-create it! I need to work on the blending techniques, and especially work on my tree! Haha! I'll blame my painting on the fact that I didn't have any wine with me this time! ;p

Overall, what I enjoy most is the experience of being at Painting with a Twist with friends/family. It's always a blast, so even if you hate how your painting turns out, you still have a great time! 

If you are curious how the painting really should have turned out, check out the website:

https://paintingwithatwist.com/events/viewevent.aspx?eventID=603466