Tattooed Martha

Daily Life

We’re a week into 2019 and things are already off to a great start. We took off this past weekend to get out of town and spend some time at a cabin with family and friends. It was a nice way to blow off some steam after a hectic holiday season and there were plenty of good meals, good laughs, and good times shared. The real highlight of the weekend came right before we left town though, when I received an unexpected and yet very anticipated phone call from my realtor..

After months of waiting, we finally got a yes on an acreage I offered on. It’s not a signed and sealed deal just yet, but it’s moving along at least. I know way more about septic systems than I ever thought I would and I’m sure purchasing a fixer upper as my first home is going to school me on a whole lot of other things I never thought I would possess knowledge of. Like everything in my life, I like to jump in with both feet and couldn’t be more excited to take on this challenge. I see a lot YouTube DIY demos, paint, and wine in my future. Feel free to send me bottles of reinforcement!

Becoming a home owner was my one big goal (aside from Europe) that I wanted to tackle last year, but the right home/price/seller just didn’t allign and it hurt not being able to check that one off the list. I set myself timelines and deadlines for “THE” house to come to fruition and was met with disappointment over and over when things fell through. After reminding myself to look at everything I DID accomplish and also realizing I was standing in my own way, I let go of that timeline and expectation. One week and one day later exactly of releasing my grip on that goal and things are finally becoming a reality.

This is not to say you should just visualize or swing crystals around and your wildest dreams will come true. You absolutely need to prepare, work toward, and get your hands dirty when it comes to accomplishing your goal. Just remember to allow things to happen on their own timeline after you’ve done all that you can on your own.


Push yourself this year, work harder than you ever have, bring about healthy change, and remember to be gracious to yourself. You may feel like you’re running in quicksand most of the time, but I promise that you are moving in the right direction nonetheless.


Cheers to a promising New Year!

Winter Apple Sangria

Every holiday season (okay, really any season) I love making sangria for all of the get togethers with friends and family. This year I threw together a quick and simple one using Red Delicious apples, pomegranate seeds, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. It’s a great make-ahead cocktail that you can do several batches and variations with. I top mine off with champagne for added crispness which makes this perfect for a New Year’s Eve celebration!

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DIY Retro Atomic Starburst Ornaments

I love vintage Christmas trees and ornaments, but they can often be quite pricey and with curious cats around, it’s just asking for those precious relics to be shattered. Instead I created some DIY mid-century atomic starburst inspired ornaments using foam and toothpicks. They’re fairly simple to construct and you can customize them to fit your color theme. And if you’re a last minute Christmas shopper like me.. they come in handy to give as gifts!

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Krampus Rum Cocktail

If you haven’t yet heard the folklore of Krampus, you are totally missing out on one of the best Christmas tales of all time. Krampus is a creature bearing horns, fangs, a long tongue and carries with him chains and a bundle of birch sticks to swat naughty children with. He shows up at the beginning of December and then hauls the bad kids back to the underworld. I must say that as I child I would have been much more likely to behave with the thought that a hooved demon-like creature was going to snap me up in the middle of the night versus the empty threats of getting a lump of coal in my stocking!

To honor Krampus, I created a dark and delicious cocktail for you all to enjoy. Using a mix of black cherry juice, citrus, and spiced rum, this sweet and tart concoction strikes the perfect balance of naughty and nice! I also want to dedicate this cocktail to Layla, my best friend’s daughter, who STILL won’t let me say, “Krampus” in fear that I will somehow summon him like Voldemort or something. I’m telling you parents.. this story is effective! 😉 haha

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My Top 5 Favorite Christmas Posts

Working in retail makes it difficult for me to get into the holiday spirit (I’m more like the Grinch this time of year) so I’ve been revisiting some of my top 5 favorite Christmas posts to help revive the magic of this season. And if it doesn’t.. at least 3 out of the 5 involve alcohol! Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know which of these posts you’ve already tried or are looking forward to creating this Christmas!

Hot Chocolate Spoons

These were so much fun to make and easy to customize with an array of milk, dark, and white chocolates. And of course loads of sprinkles and marshmallows! Throw together a batch for some cute and easy DIY gifts. Get the full post here

 

Gingerbread Rum Balls

These perfect bite sized gingerbread treats come with a hefty kick of Sailor Jerry Rum. They are always a hit at parties so make sure you make a double batch! Get the full post here

 

Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal Wall Art

Hands down, one of my all time favorite Christmas movies: Home Alone. This wall art quote inspired by the classic is simple to create and makes for a fun and not-so-typical piece of Christmas decor. Get the full post here

 

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Another great DIY gift is a mason jar full of this decadent homemade hot cocoa mix. You’ll never use store bought again and for the adults you can add a dash of rum to the mix! Get the full post here

 

White Christmas Tea Hot Toddy

The old fashioned cold cure.. a Hot Toddy. You’ll be faking sick just as an excuse to drink one of these! A mix of spices, citrus, Maker’s Mark, and a Christmas Tea blend.. this is perfect for sipping on those extra chilly winter days! Get the full post here

 

Happy Holidays everyone!




Chicken Skillet Nachos with Pomegranate Salsa

When you think of nachos, you usually picture the version that’s served at a sporting event.. A pile of chips in a plastic container, loaded with liquidy cheese that you pump out of a dispenser, and topped with canned jalapeno rings. I mean, those are still pretty amazing when washed down with a big over priced beer, but if you’re looking for something a little healthier, a little more filling, and elevated enough that you could serve at your next party.. then this is the recipe for you.

Two layers of tortilla chips, pan seared chicken breast strips, roasted butternut squash, green onion, and Monterrey Jack cheese are baked together in a cast iron skillet until they’re perfect equal parts melty and crisp. Then they get a festive layer of sweet and spicy pomegranate salsa that’s just as delicious and addicting by itself as it is on the nachos. The best part is that you can still wash them down with a big glass of beer, because you know I did! 😉

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Exploring Paris

Like a lot of people I’ve always dreamed of going to Europe, but it seems to be (at least in American culture) that we talk a lot about the things we would like to do, see, and experience, but put it off to when it’s more “convenient” or until retirement age. I found myself making these same rationalizations, so I made a deal with myself at 27 that I would be spending my 30th birthday outside of the U.S. and started planning and saving for a 3 week long trip.

By the time my 30th birthday was about to hit I had everything booked and ready to go. We fit in 7 cities throughout France and Italy and I filled my phone and memory card with hundreds of photos. Over the next several weeks I’ll be sharing how we explored, wined, and dined in each city. My goal is not to make an online photo album of my vacation, but to inspire someone else to go after that goal they’ve been waiting to start on. This was a life changing experience and the feeling of accomplishment I had knowing I got myself there is unparalleled to anything else I’ve felt. Even if you have zero desire to explore the same cities that we did, I still invite you to read along and hopefully take away some travel tips, tricks, and inspiration.

So let’s start with Paris..

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Barbed Wire Pallet Picture Frame

This particular project was a birthday gift for my boyfriend and since it’s the gift giving season, I thought this would be the perfect time to share with you how I made it! Not only did I get to use one of our favorite photos from a trip to New Mexico, but the underlying message of, “Hey, I risked getting Tetanus from rusty barbed wire to make this for you.. that’s how much I love you.” really came through here. Which reminds me.. this is a PSA for you all to make sure you’re up to date on your Tetanus shot. I managed to make it through this creation without incident and loved that I was able to capture a bit of that rustic Old West feel that we experienced on our trip.

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Daily Life

Alright it’s the beginning of the end (of the year that is) and I’m ready to end it strong! I don’t know if it’s just the right culmination of stress, anger, energy, and determination, but I have this fire to make things happen right now. I’ve been creating more regular content, reviving my newsletter, and writing out some concrete plans on how to navigate from the life I’m currently living to the one I want to be.

I realized that when I share with people some of my stories and struggles, the message I try to leave them with is to not live a life of mediocrity. Do not settle for anything less than extraordinary. We are not here to live out the same broken story of our pasts, relive the history of our parents’ bad marriage, or to keep working that safe yet soul draining job because it’s “all we know.” We all deserve better and I suppose I have to remind myself of that now and then.

One of my anchors to mediocrity has been my search for the dream farmhouse. I keep telling myself that things will change when I find the right home, but finding it isn’t happening as smooth or as quickly as I would like it to. I know, I know… “Everything will come together as it should.” but trust me, it doesn’t make the pill any easier to swallow in the meantime when you’re living almost 40 minutes apart from your partner, working opposite schedules and lucky to squeeze in a date night every other week, majority of your belongings are boxed up in your parent’s basement still, and you have Pinterest ideas and magazine clippings just piling up for that dream kitchen you’ve been trying to design for 2 years.

Letting that go and realizing I have the ability to change other areas of my life while I’m waiting has felt liberating. It’s one of those things that is written right in front of you the whole time, but you’re so focused on this ONE goal that you lose sight of everything else. And if you’ve found that you’ve done this too or might currently be.. here’s a bit of honesty for you to feel better about it..

Just a few weeks ago I was screaming into the phone at my boyfriend (thank you for loving me even through moments like that) that I was either going to give up and get an apartment in town or move to another state (again) because things weren’t happening here. I’ve also threatened to buy a ridiculously pricey motorcycle with my down payment instead of saving it for a house since the house thing isn’t happening. Let me point out that I don’t even know how to ride a motorcycle, renting an apartment would make me miserable, and moving to another state would solve absolutely nothing. But hey, I’m only human and we all have a drama queen living deep down inside of us that comes up with these “plans” when things aren’t going our way. Thankfully I was able to come back to Planet Reality and develop a plan that doesn’t involve zip code changes and learning how to ride an expensive motorcycle.

Onto some blog updates! A newsletter is maybe a bit antiquated for some, but playing the algorithm games with Facebook and Instagram posts so that my readers can actually see my content is exhausting. I try to grow authentically and by word of mouth so I don’t pay to boost or sponsor my content. My email list is the only platform where I can reach everyone organically and I think the best way to engage with you all one on one. I read each and every comment, email, and direct message and truly value the connections I make with everyone. So if you find you’re missing out on some of my posts, just simply subscribe to my newsletter and you won’t miss out ever again. You’ll receive a roundup of new posts at the end of the month, get access to exclusive recipes that will only be shared in email, and be the first to know about new projects and updates (like if I buy a house and/or motorcycle?). And not to worry.. I still love writing Daily Life posts and connecting with you all here, so these will be a regular feature.

Comment below and share with me one of your favorite Drama Queen Freak Out Moments or helpful tips on how you overcame a big goal or challenge! And to keep up with future posts, subscribe below!



Smoky Bacon Pumpkin Soup

This is always my favorite season to come up with new soup and chili recipes to help warm the bones after a particularly shitty (whoops.. I meant chilly) winter day. If you checked out the last couple of posts then you know I have an abundance of pumpkins and squash leftover from this summer’s garden that I’m trying to put to good use and now I’m wishing I had more! This pumpkin soup has been one of my favorites I’ve made so far!

I used hickory smoked bacon, smoked paprika, and smoked Gouda to lend that natural smoky meat flavor that’s noticeable, but not overpowering to the other elements of the soup. I also caramelized the onions by cooking them with a splash of my favorite porter beer and it added another yet another tasty layer to this soup. And if you caught my post last week and made your own big batch of pumpkin puree you now have the perfect recipe to use it up on!

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