A little bit of this.... and a little bit of that

These past few months I've been trying to wrap my mind around where my life is going (career wise), and where my next step is. I didn't think my life would be where it is now, some for the good and some for the bad. Life really takes some crazy turns, and as cliche as that may sound it is true. What I have learned from these past few months is to take it a day at a time. Yesterday at work, I sat into one of the Teaching Artist's class from our Urban Imaginaries' exhibit. The kids had to draw their own installation, and there was this one particular girl that stood out to me. This little girl was so worried that she didn't have an eraser, and she wasn't going to be able to perfect her activity, or get it the way she wanted it. Her teacher said "don't worry child you'll figure it out along the way."  I couldn't help but think that the little girl was me. I'm constantly worried about making mistakes that I don't jump into a project. I set my self for failure before ever starting-with my quest in the right job, right decisions. Life is about jumping into things, and trusting your self that God has given you the right skills to make something beautiful happen.

Here's what I've been up to:

Ever since graduation my life has turned in crazy directions. Every day is a gift, and I take it as that. I'm starting my happiness project and I'm going to make small goals every month to complete my happiness project. So here's my start:

What are your october goal? Share them with me!

THURSDAY TREASURES: Some of my favorite things

Thursday means the weekend is fast approaching. I'm starting a new weekly post titled Thursday Treasures. Thursday is usually a day thats overlooked, we wait all week for Fridays, dread Mondays and praise Wednesdays because it means we made it half way through the week, but often ignore Thursdays. So i'm bringing something special to Thursdays. This segment will be a compilation of things I enjoy, learned, and encountered over the course of the week. To kick off this segment I have put together some treasures that got me through these past few weeks.

uno:

Long runs in Key Biscayne, and beautiful sunsets that keep me going

dos:

The miami skyline

tres:

Long walks in Wisconsin and the Chattanooga Walnut Bridge
cuatro:
My new favorite drink; you can find it at your local Wholefoods and Earthfare, and the TN backroads

cinco:
Night pier walks with family.

seis:
Water fountains on my long runs.

What are some of your Thursday Treasures (things that get you through the week, new places you enjoy) share them with me.

Love you all,

Jackie

Nicaragua

A lot has happened since I last updated my blog. I went on a trip to Nicaragua, Arizona, and Texas, got engaged, ran a half marathon, graduated college and my father passed away. This year has been the year of ups and downs. I have a lot to catch you up with!

This March I went to the northeastern part of my home country. Prior going on this trip, I prayed that God would make something out of me, or just reveal something to me. Anything.  If you know me I’m the type of person who loves to plan trips with my group of close friends, especially for spring break. Last year we went on cruise to Mexico, and the year before that we spent it in Orlando, but this year I wanted a change. I wanted to go on a trip where I didn’t know anyone, where I knew my comfort zone would be challenged. During the trip God definitely answered my prayer, my comfort zone was tested, and I was constantly challenged to step out of it. First, the Nurse Practitioner in charge assigned me to work in the mobile clinics to do triage (which means I would be taking vital signs). I’m a business major, I do not like the health care industry, I’ve always said: “I’m never working in health care, it’s just not for me.” It’s funny how things worked out because I learned so much; I did tasks like rotating the nurses so that they weren’t always doing the same thing, it gave me a chance to utilize some of the skills I learned in business school. I was also in charge of collecting the monetary contributions at the end of the patients consult. Working in the clinic I realized that most of these people are sick because of their lifestyle choices, (which is not really a choice, because there is not much cultural diversity.) Eating pork, not boiling water before drinking it, not washing their hands, lack of education. Through out this trip I observed how happy the locals were, and how earnestly they worshiped at the church without a care in the world. They didn’t care that they weren’t singing the right pitch, or not wearing the latest trends. They were there for God, no one else. My life changed after coming back from Nicaragua. I take joy in the simple things, its not about what we have, or who we are. In hindsight, ever since I prayed that prayer my life has certainly changed. I've been thrown out of my comfort zone over, and over. I challenge you to pray that God takes you out of your comfort zone so that you feel the power of His hand. 

Macaron Madness

One bite of a Lauderee Macaron was all it took for me to fall in love with these yummy French cookies. Watching Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl eat them as a non-traditional comfort food when she was having a rough day only added to my obsession. When I moved to Chattanooga, there wasn’t a single place where I could find a decent macaron, until a friend told me of a girl who made affordable organic homemade macarons. I had always wanted to learn to make them but from seeing friends try and fail, I quickly realized that maybe macaron making wasn’t for me. I still wanted to know how to make them, so I was determined to find her and ask her to show me the art of making a macaron.  Through mutual friends, we made a date where I could come in and watch her at work. This past Friday’s adventure was to observe how Mishal Camposano made her highly demanded macarons. Mishal is a dental hygiene major at Chattanooga State College. Mishal enjoys making macarons for friends and family, and has recently started to sell them to people in the Collegedale/Chattanooga area. She takes weekly orders by Facebook message and sells them for $1 a piece. She accepts cash or transfer using the Venmo app. Some of the more popular flavors are: lavender, salted caramel, raspberry, pistachio, and Nutella. Below is a link to her Facebook page. It was a great experience getting to observe Mishal, and I can’t wait to order more macarons from her next week! 

Macarons are the perfect sunday dessert

tea, weddings, and macarons are the perfect combination

let's have an outdoor tea party

Order the macarons here.
Thanks Mishal!

xoxo
Farinieth

Breakfast

My favorite meal of the day, breakfast is when I go through my mental to-do list. It's a time to forget yesterday’s mishaps. It is the most important meal of my day; if I don’t eat breakfast, my day feels out of order. On Friday, my friends and I decided to get breakfast at Bluegrass Grill in Chattanooga’s Southside.  The environment was just right; there were people chatting about life, and the right amount of southern charm. It’s one of Chattanooga’s hidden gems. This quaint restaurant displays the building’s original  bricks. The aroma of coffee in the room makes the ambiance complete.While waiting for our food we reminisced on old memories, funny stories, and enjoyed people watching. The morning was just right. I ordered a typical southern breakfast: eggs, potatoes, and grits…only $4.50!

Picture by George Nelson

Breakfast| picture by Samantha Olivas

Picture by Samantha Olivas

Picture by Samantha Olivas

 After we finished with our meal, we went to a cute stationery store in Chattanooga, Southern Niceties. They carry brands like Rifle Paper Co., Sugar Paper L.A., Le Pen, Kate Spade, Bando, and so much more. If you’re a stationery love like me you’d be in paper heaven. It was a great morning. Here’s to more adventures!  

Valentine's day ideas

Valentine's day is one of my favorite holidays. Just the thought of celebrating friendships and love makes me excited. It's such a positive holiday, with or without a beu. Since I'm in a long distance relationship, and Gilby just got a new job, we probably won't be spending Valentine's day together. However, it doesn't mean we can't celebrate it (we just have to get creative). 
I have a few ideas that won't break the bank (if it's for your special others, or just a sweet act of kindness for your friends). This past Monday I raided my favorite section in Target: the dollar spot. There were the cutest cards and trinkets. There were cellophane bags with hearts on them perfect for filling with goodies for your friends. A card always shows a loved one that you care. Below i took a picture of the valentine's card that I found. They're perfect for my group of girlfriends and loved ones. Make Valentine's day fun, not a dreadful holiday. 

{for the single gal}

{for the design-nerd--free printable}

{if you're on a budget}

Tell me about your Valentine's day plans and share your ideas with me. Good luck making this holiday memorable!

xoxo farinieth