thehopefulhustle.wordpress.com
I will be updating this blog, as it does hold a soft spot in my life, it will just focus more on lifestyle and how mine has changed.
(Personal finance tips and the story of how I took a social media hiatus for a year and created a fake Facebook so I could Tinder, anyone?)
See y’all around. 🤗❤
I’ve had quite a few strangers ask to take pictures of a couple of my tattoos lately, and I know it’s completely off topic from most of my blog butttt…..
In this photo, you can see my dealthy hallows on my wrist, and my hip tattoo.
My hip tat is a personalized rendition of the comedy/tragedy masks with a quote from a 60’s era actress “I am a servant of the people“, the quote is way longer but obviously I didn’t want a novel. I’m a performer, for those of you who do not know me in the real world.
This was my VERY first tattoo! I strongly believe in my astrological sign. I have since added the “horseshoe” symbol attached to it because people kept seriously asking me “Who’s Leo?”.
My weeeee little back tattoo. It says “FIN.” in script commonly used in film scripts. Make what you will of it, I’m an actress.
My newest and most beautiful accessory: my thigh mermaid 🙂
I made a vegetarian version, and a version that includes chicken (the chicken photo will be posted).
So this meal took a LONG time, but mostly just oven roasting so I was able to go on one of my deep cleaning binges while it cooked :).
(If you aren’t aware, acorn squash take about 2-3 hours to cook, rice takes an hour, and chicken takes around an hour or a little more to bake).
The secret? Butter & brown sugar in the quash while it roasts (then I scooped it, and smashed it like potatoes).
Chicken I roasted normal with basil, onions, and baby portobellos.
WAH-LA.
A fall must have!
PS- I’m OBVIOUSLY not a food photographer. HA. Don’t hate.
I made a vegetarian version, and a version that includes chicken (the chicken photo will be posted).
So this meal took a LONG time, but mostly just oven roasting so I was able to go on one of my deep cleaning binges while it cooked :).
(If you aren’t aware, acorn squash take about 2-3 hours to cook, rice takes an hour, and chicken takes around an hour or a little more to bake).
The secret? Butter & brown sugar in the quash while it roasts (then I scooped it, and smashed it like potatoes).
Chicken I roasted normal with basil, onions, and baby portobellos.
WAH-LA.
A fall must have!
PS- I’m OBVIOUSLY not a food photographer. HA. Don’t hate.
My favorite time of year has come and gone again. SAD DAY.
The weather was nice and toasty, the music was spot on, and of course my favorite two breweries were there so that’s all that really matters. HA.
I made so many connections and learned such a plethora of pertinent-to-my-future-career knowledge. (Did I mention I want to be a Brewery Ambassador?)
I love the festival because it’s so down to earth and everyone is friends there. (The picture on the couch-random strangers I met that day, so EPIC).
Over 60 craft breweries, over 10 bluegrass bands, and hundreds of beer loving, good time having folks.
Here are some of my favorite photos.
Sorry it’s been so long, just getting back into my normal groove now that I have a regular people job.
This past weekend was Southern Brewers Festival, you might remember my post from last year (don’t worry, that’s my next update), and every year at the fest breweries debut their fall beers.
YUM.
Well that got me feeling some type of way, and I was craving fall comfort food last night.
I was feeling indecisive and decided to create my own fall inspired vegetable soup.
To start, I emptied two store bought (organic & low sodium of course) chicken broths into a large pot. I thought it was a bit weak however and also added two chicken bouillon cubes.
I then WELL rinsed three cans of black eyed peas, one can of carrots, and one can of corn and added them to the broth to cook.
While that was working, I cut up half an onion, threw it into broth.
I then diced a package of baby portobello mushrooms, and sauteed them in a pan with butter, basil, and a blend of salt, garlic, onion, and parsley.
After after adding the bellos to the pot, I proceeded to dice and saute zucchini and yellow squash using the same method.
I let everything simmer together for about 20 minutes and DAMN it was good. A must have for everyone.
It’s how you feel. Your self-esteem, mind, and spirit need to be treated with the same care as your physical body.
I know I wake up with days where I hate myself, and think I’m gross. I’ve compiled a short playlist that helps me get prepared for my day and out of that funk (not the music funk, the bad funk).
^I’m so hilarious I can’t stand it.
*** Note: this playlist may contain foul language, but what else do you expect from me. I do not live my life for you! Stay off my case!
1. Feelin’ Myself– Will.I.Am
2. Bootylicious– Destiny’s Child
3. I Love It– Icona Pop
4. Independent Women Pt. 1– Destiny’s Child
5. Rich Bitch– Die Antwoord
6. Sexy and I Know It– LMFAO
7. So What-P!nk
8. What The Hell– Avril Lavigne
9. Yummy– Gwen Stefani
10. This one doesn’t really make me feel sexy, or good about myself, but it DOES get frustrations out:
You Oughta Know– Alanis Morissette.
GO FORTH AND BE THE SEXY CONFIDENT BEAST YOU ARE!
I would say that I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but come on, you saw this one from a mile away.
Frappuccino Happy Hour just ended and the entire life of that event makes me cringe. I hate selling those god-awful sugar&cancer concoctions to people.
Okay.. maybe “cancer” was going a little too far. I’m passionate! Sheesh.
When you order your frappuccino (not “frappe” by the way, although since those come from McDonald’s I’m sure they’re equally as bad) please do not say to your barista “I really need my caffeine today”.
There is virtually no caffeine in those things. It has a powdered coffee mix that we put into water and then put two pumps of into that beverage. It’s a sugar high.
SUGAR HIGH.
Save yourself the extra $4.00 and just buy a candybar if all you need is a sugar high.
Awesome alternatives:
1. Iced coffee: it has the most caffeine of anything we serve, and is also one of the least expensive things on the menu. You can add any milk, and any flavor free of cost. It’s also got 0 calories (until you add in the flavors and milk, but generally it still stays in the 60ish range). Note: even the “light” frappuccinos have hundreds of calories.
2. Green tea: (Hot/Iced) Green tea is an excellent alternative to coffee. It has better health benefits, and still has caffeine. Unsweetened is obviously the healthiest way to consume, but adding honey or peppermint is awesome too. Again, this alternative is way cheaper and billions of calories less.
3. Plain Ol’ Joe: You can never go wrong with a cup of coffee! There are tons of ways to personalize your coffee to your liking. Cheap, and low on calories. If you like your drinks creamier, try a misto.
Veronica’s Rice Pudding Misto:
Grande, 2 pump cinnamon dolce, 1 pump vanilla, soy, cinnamon dolce sprinkles misto.
Preferably with extra foam and bold coffee.
….Well that could be taken the wrong way, awkward.
So here’s the deal, I suck. For whatever reason, my brain associates warm weather with grills. Steak and burgers, deliciously and perfectly prepared on a grill; how can you resist that?!!
You can’t.
I did try some neat things though, like “eggplant burgers”.
I’m trying! Don’t shoot me!
Send me your favorite meatless summer recipes!
I’ve been out of town, trying to pretend that I know how to celebrate summer time.. That being said, I think I got it all out of my system (for now) so I’ll be back on more. Wo0t.
Going to Bed Late 