to be, or not to be... talented

a couple weeks ago, brock and i went to a talent show.

i call it that, but that is being very generous. i mean, there were some talented kids and folks, but overall, it was.... talentless. and it made me realize something: we, as a society connected in every form of the word, have become talentless. 

i don't mean completely, but just think. when you were a kid, talents shows were full of variety, skill, and... well, talent. now they are just filled with parents wanting to show off their kids, a few musical happy numbers [which are fine! but not remotely amazing], and sometimes just downright heartbreaking lack of talent. 

it's sad really. and it made me question myself. what talent have I really worked on developing lately? i don't think being a master pinner is a talent. and super speedy texter isn't either. how about instagram-o-maniac? nah? didn't think so...

i would like to say i have a talent for writing. [we will leave it at that and have no further discussion] so i feel like i am using and developing that. but i haven't drawn a solid picture in quite sometime, i haven't written a song since high school, and let's face it, my sewing skills are getting pushed to the side with the rest. 

i don't know what i'm good at anymore. and so i've decided to change that. 

a couple days after this so called talent show, i enrolled in an online html class [to help my blogging experience, not to stay connected]. i'm totally loving it and learning something new and useful is so exiting. the website i'm taking this class on has tons of other classes from art to music to blogging to marketing. they are pretty reasonably priced, too. i would recommend checking them out. checkout Skillshare here.

i've also decided to start two new art projects. one is for kitchens: i want to make some place-mats and cloth napkins for my kitchen. inspiration here.

the second project i can only tell you what kind it is, because I am making this for two someones who might stop by. they are paint projects combined with stenciling. when they are finished and given, i promise to share. i'm making one for my house, too.

so there you have it. three things i'm going to work on developing: computer skills, painting skills, and sewing skills. I plan to be through with all three projects by the end of the year, that's three months!  what talent are you going to work on?  

a small moment of bliss

everything makes me miss blogging. i get on instagram or twitter or pinterest and see all the bloggy people i follow and their beautiful pictures, or exciting adventures. and I just miss it.

fortunately, i have had some blessings from above this final semester of school. the lord knows the only reason i am even going to school is because i am heeding the voice of the prophet and getting my education. i don't care about international migration [worst class of my life], and i've taken enough ethics classes to last a life time. at least my 8am class has a super entertaining and energetic teacher. she makes that class utterly enjoyable. also my first eight week class is coming to an end and i have enjoyed that, too. we'll see if the next eight week class is the same.

because i don't want to be there and i'm only doing it because he says so, i think god has given me some extra blessings. 

1] i haven't been stressed at all over time... or not having it rather. so not me. in fact i think i cried the last two semester at some point because of stress.  and right now i feel freer than an american on the 4th of july.

2] along with the lack of stress comes a lack of needing a's. i've always been a {mostly} a student, for which i am proud. but no one looks at your grades after you have a fancy embossed paper at the end of college. they just care that you did it. c's get degrees, baby.

    so weird that i can even say that because it is not in my nature! but i said it. it is my mantra.

that being said, my complete lack of academic effort leaves me plenty of time to focus on my church responsibilities [which are demanding] and... maybe perhaps blogging again. no promises. but here i am. blogging, because i don't have that much homework and the homework i do have can easily be skimmed over later [one too many ethics classes means you know your stuff!].

what a breath of fresh air.

it feels so good to be sitting on my couch letting my fingers click-clack away. and not on a paper.

but i have to tell you one more thing. yesterday morning as i was contemplating all this and deciding i could possibly maybe perhaps post something again, i got a new twitter follower. 

i usually check out websites when i get followers before i commit to a long-term relationship. i was stunned. she was witty and charming and blunt and just what i needed. no holds bar, not filter, just get up and do and go and fight and write and win.

and now i'm blogging. thank you, new friend. [i followed her back]

i'm not promising i will be back every week, definitely not every day. but this is a start and i am so so so so extremely happy to be back in my bubble.

   i feel like i have so much to tell you! i've been gone so long. it will have to come in pieces.

news, but is it really news?

have you guys noticed i've been a little m.i.a. lately??

let me just start by saying firstly, that i am sorry. summer has been one hectic bowl of crazy topped with a generous serving of new.

i started a new job. i got a new sister-in-law. brock and i have new goals. and most of all, i have new priorities.

i started out the summer with a few goals if you remember. i wish i didn't have to say this, but i'm all about honesty. guys, i failed. ok, not really, but i was only 33% successful. ok, i failed. that's a big fat f on the grade book of life. i launched my new website (haven't done much since) and i was productive. like really productive. just with so many other things that weren't blogging.

i'm breaking my own heart, here, folks.

school starts monday. i'm not excited, but after monday, only 16 weeks until complete freedom knocks at my door.

and so for those 16 weeks (maybe a couple more), i have decided to take an indefinite blogging break. not happy at all. but i have other priorities that need my attention right now. i have to quit kidding myself and overloading my life with everything i want to do because i want to do too many things.

i will still post pictures on instagram and probably still stick a tweet in now and then. i will be back. right here. later. not now. i will miss you, little blog of mine. and i will miss you friends.

the details: part 2

i hope you all took some time over the past 10 days to really think about the small things in your life. it's those little things that really get us. at least for me.

i promised a recap, so here are some of the things I shared via twitter this week: 

ice cold water. *glug glug glug aahhh* 

the sound of brock's heartbeat when i lay on his chest.

little sun kisses all over your skin. warm. comforting. relaxing.

that first salt and vinegar chip that makes your cheeks suck in and jaw tense up. 

to see others i tweeted about, check out my twitter! or you can see some things that i noticed with camera in hand on my instagram. 

i have to be honest, i really paid a lot more attention. i appreciated more, thought more, and smiled more. and i am a lot more grateful for those simple things in my life that we sometimes skip over and miss. don't miss those things! soak them up! talk about them.

cherish them.

what little things have you noticed lately? 

for the details on the details, check out part one.

watermelon salsa

if you have been following my instagram, you know what's coming!

that's right my friends, watermelon salsa. does anyone else crave fruit like crazy when the sun is blazing? i love it. watermelon. mango. strawberry. pineapple. you name it, i'll eat it!

fruit salsas are definitely one of my favorite ways to go. they are just so fresh and delicious. it's probably that zingy lime!

my daddy always made mango salsa for cinco de mayo and i loved it! i had never tried any other fruit salsa... until now! on the 4th of july, brock and i were enjoying a fabulous, good-home-cookin kind of breakfast with his parents and grandparents while rachael ray shared her watermelon palooza show with us! there were some genius things i had never thought of before... like watermelon ice cubes {duh! they don't melt and water down your drink, and you can eat them after}! or watermelon popcicles {another duh! put it on a stick and freeze it, baby!}. but the best was the salsa.

so i immediately went out and bought a watermelon!... two days later after all the fun and fireworks. and of course, like with any other recipe, i did a little tweeking. so here's the original from ray ray complete with a video. or you can just take my word for it and try it out yourself. you will swoon.

watermelon salsa

ingredients:
3 cups of watermelon in tiny little cubes
1/2 of a cucumber, peeled, seeded and also in tiny little cubes
2-3 jalapenos seeded and chopped teeny, teeny, tiny
1/4 of a red onion, chopped
a small handful each of fresh cilantro and mint, chopped*
zest and juice of 2 limes
salt

instructions:
combine all ingredients in a bowl.

definitely do what rachael ray says and salt right before serving! salt makes food extract liquid and will bring out a lot in those little watermelon pieces. so don't do it ahead of time.

serve with tortilla chips, or with some meeeat! {we had ours with steak and it. was. good.}
it's super delicious with totino's tortilla chips with a hint of lime!

*i say handful because it is hard to measure herbs, so just eyeball it, but try to keep them equal.


now go buy a watermelon!
brock and i seriously ate the whole bowl. good thing it's all fruit and healthy stuff, i didn't feel quite so guilty!

the details

life is crazy. everyone's life is crazy. we run from here to there all day long. we all have a million and one things to do, and we all try and squeeze in one more. that's the facts. 

don't feel special if you life is especially busy, because guess what? you're not any busier than anyone else.

oh, i had to blah blah blah, and i barely had time to cook dinner! 

you poor thing. me, too. 

we all work hard, we all run crazy, we all want to be better at something but lack the time, and we all wish for two extra hours in a day. it's nothing new. 

the solution is to simplify. anyone have any ideas on how to do that? because i'm at a loss. maybe someday i will have that figured out, but today is not that day.

in the meantime, i have something that might just help. 

there are things in our life that make the world go round, make us tick, make life life. the little details that surround us every day. things we miss amidst all our crazy busyness. things that make us human!

things like the soft, thick, warm touch of a beautiful day lily.

so here's the challenge: for the next ten days, let's blow up instagram and twitter with those simple things. think of your senses. what do you see? what do you feel? what do you hear? what do you taste? what do you smell? 

or maybe it's an abstract thing like pride for your country, or peace. 

hashtags are our friends, so let's use one to keep us all together! i will do a recap on monday, the 15th of some of the wonderful simple details you notice in your life!

#thedetails

you can find me on twitter and instagram and follow along, tag me, or just share your details! [at]tasminskye i can't wait to hear all of those wonderful things that take place in your life! 

 

chicken + strawberry salad

summer is for salads. 

all kinds of salads. they come in a lot of variety {which is good for us creative folks}. i am especially in love with the combination of chicken and fruit in salads. today, i'm going to share one of my favorite summer salads, but first, a story. 

my gramma is the best gramma ever {so everyone, be jealous}. she found this adorable little tea shop back home in the "a" state called chantillies. it's basically the most frilly, girly, lacy, pink place you could ever imagine. it's the kind of place that is only open for lunch. the kind of place that you dress up for. the kind of place with decor that only says flowers and tea cups. none of the place settings match, but they all go together. fresh lemonade is always on the menu, and everything is fresh and delightful. 

on one of my trips to chantillies with my gramma {i believe this was with my mama and little sissy}, we ordered the chef's daily special: chicken strawberry salad. now, this is my version that i am sharing with you. obviously, it won't be identical. that's why it was a special. but it's still delicious, and eating it makes me think of my gramma. win win.

chicken strawberry salad [gf, df]

makes 4 servings

ingredients:

8 leaves of romaine lettuce, rinsed

2 chicken  breasts, cooked and cooled

8-12 strawberries, depending on size

1 can of mandarin oranges, drained, juice set aside

1/2 cup of chopped nuts, walnut or pecan are best

1/2 cup of tiny cubed mild cheese, like edam, or fontina **optional**

2 tbsp yellow mustard

2 tbsp honey

pepper

other delicious ingredients not included in this picture or my latest serving:

green onions

craisins

pineapple

instructions:

layer the first 6 ingredients in order, dividing between four plates, or putting it all in one bowl.

take 2 tbsp of the reserved manderin orange juice and stir with the mustard, honey, and pepper. 

drizzle it on top and enjoy with a glass of fresh lemonade for the perfectly refreshing, cool summer lunch!