Postmodern Jukebox

I just discovered the band Postmodern Jukebox, and I just love them. They take popular songs, give them a makeover, with a jazzy edge, and the results are amazing. Above is a remake of Sam Smith's 'Stay With Me", that I thought I'd share. It's beautiful. Enjoy!

~Hannah ♥

Making Dreams Reality

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I just read an article on Elephantjournal.com (which is one of my favorite websites to visit) titled How to Say Screw It & Live Brilliantly, that inspired me to write a post.

I am a dreamer. A big dreamer. Always have been, always will be. I have plans and goals for my life that many people think will never happen; maybe in the movies, but not real life.

Yes, they haven't happened yet, but I have had no doubt that they will, someday, somehow.

I have come to the realization though that there is a problem with the way I have been thinking about these dreams of mine. This whole time I have been waiting for everything to come together; waiting for money to fall in my lap; waiting until my children are older; waiting until I'm not so busy.

I can't just keep waiting for my dreams to come true though. I have to MAKE them happen. I have to be more proactive about what I want. I am not going to learn that new language or instrument if I keep waiting until I have the time to devote to it. I am not going to take my dream trip to Italy (or anywhere else for that matter), unless I actually start saving money and planning a trip. I won't publish a book if I don't start writing. And I won't own a bakery or restaurant if I don't start writing a business plan and looking for funding.

I realize now that, although I am happy to call myself a dreamer, that is all I will ever be if I don't start really living and taking action. I am done waiting around, living a normal, boring life, while drooling over pictures of foreign cities and forgotten places. I always felt so out of place growing up, longing for adventure and wanting more than the simple lives I saw functioning around me. I wanted to learn, and travel, and have great adventures like the ones I read about in my books... Maybe that's why I have always loved Beauty and the Beast so much and could always relate to Belle... I am done longingly waiting for everything to come together, and continually putting my goals and dreams on the backburner, while dealing with "life". From now on my life will be the adventure I have always wanted, no longer settling for second best, and always pushing for the things I deserve, without being afraid of failure and the unknown.

I am doing this for myself, but also for my children. I want them to see me as an example of what life can be like if you pursue your dreams, and don't listen to the naysayers and "realists" who are always there to remind you that you could fail, and to question why you would try something that might not work out. Well, I would much rather try and fail at something extraordinary, that I love, than try and fail at something "safe", out of the fear of "what if".

So I am saying goodbye now to my old normal, everyday life, and hello to the new adventure I am beginning.

Wish me luck.

~Hannah ♥

Apple Picking

 

The twins and I went apple picking last week, and I thought that I would share some of the pictures.

 

 

~ Hannah ♥

French Style Hot Chocolate

 

 

It's that time of year again!!!

Ever since I was little, my favorite season has always been Fall. I look forward to it all year long, yearning for the brightly colored leaves during the gray depths of Winter, and the brisk chilly air, while enduring Summer heat waves. 

I love the colors, and the pumpkins, and the boots, and scarves, and I especially love cool October nights spent cuddling and reading, while sipping hot tea or cocoa.

So, in celebration of the season, I am posting a recipe for a wonderful French style cocoa I tried earlier this year.

 

Ingredients:

 4 oz semisweet chocolate

4 c milk

3/4 c half & half

1/2 c sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2  tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp vanilla

1 c. Heavy whipping cream

Extra sugar

 

Directions:

 1. Melt chocolate in 1 cup of milk, stirring constantly, over low heat.

 

2. Gradually add the rest of the milk, the half & half, and all ingredients, except for vanilla.

 

3. Stir constantly, cooking over medium heat, until thoroughly heated.

 

4. Stir in vanilla.

 

5. Whip heavy whipping cream with extra sugar (to taste).

 

6. Serve cocoa in mugs, topped with whipped cream and nutmeg.

 

7. Enjoy while cuddled in front of the fire, or reading a book. ♥

 

~ Hannah ♥

 

 I did find this recipe here, if you are interested in looking at it, as I did not add the almond extract and added sugar to the whipped cream topping.

Where There is Love

I have decided to start a separate blog for things like causes and documentaries, important issues (etc), and just focus on things like romantic living on this blog. So if you would like to visit my new blog Where There is Love, just follow the link. I will be continuing my "documentary of the week" posts on that blog if you are interested. :)

~ Hannah ♥

Documentary of the Week: Half the Sky

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I recently watched a two part documentary series titled Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. This documentary is based on a bestselling book of the same name, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. I have not yet read the book, although it is now on my list of books to read, but I thought that the movie was amazing. Half the Sky discusses the oppressive circumstances that a huge number of women face worldwide, and shows ways in which some of these women are overcoming them. A-list celebrities, including Meg Ryan and America Ferrera, travel with Nicholas Kristof to countries where some of these oppressive conditions, such as forced prostitution, gender-based violence, and sex trafficking, are most prevalent. Watching this documentary, for me, was both heartbreaking and inspirational, and it really opened my eyes to some of the issues that women and girls face throughout the world, that aren't always as publicized, and seem oftentimes to be hidden, or hushed up. I am truly inspired by how these strong women are able to overcome such terrible experiences and use them to grow stronger and to help others. If you are interested in watching Half the Sky (which I would highly recommend), you can stream it on Netflix, as well as buying it on iTunes. For more information on the Half the Sky Movement, you can follow the link here.

~Hannah ♥

Favorite Things: Flowers and Victoria Mag



I have decided that in order to motivate me to post regularly on this blog, since I am so terrible about updating it, I am going to start writing series of posts that I add to once a week, or whenever something comes up that fits into that specific category. So here is my first "Favorite Things" post. Sometimes it will be just a picture, and sometimes I'll have a small description to go along with it.

Enjoy!

~ Hannah ♥

Something to Consider

Friendship

 

There are certain people who you meet throughout your life, who you can't imagine never knowing. For me, these include a couple of my closest friends. They've been there for me through all the ups and downs, celebrations and heart breaks, and everything in between. They are my kind of crazy and completely accept the goofy, sometimes slightly stupid, things I do, oftentimes joining in.

 

My best friend and I can spend hours laughing together over the tiniest, most random topics, and have a never ending stream of inside jokes that never fail to crack us up. We have conversations made up entirely of movie quotes, endless laughing fits in the wee hours of the morning over something as simple as a funny face, and don't judge the amount of food each other gets on our late night food runs, pretending it's a perfectly normal amount for a 21 year old woman to eat. It's not uncommon for us to cuddle during movies, and probably make friends and family question our sexuality.

 

My closest friends are like family to me and I feel blessed to have them in my lives, and I don't think I would be the person I am today without their friendship.

 

~ Hannah ♥