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This past week has been wild! I can't believe everything we did in the past week without taking a day off of work. Will and I were a serious power couple this week. Luckily our family and friends helped us on the day of the move so we didn't have rent a moving truck or company this time. Remember my last move... the one cross country was my absolute nightmare with the moving company. The lost boxes, ruined furniture pieces, and broken glasses. Never again..
So it's been a little over a week in our first real home and I don't know if I could ever go back to apartment living again after being in this home. I adore it so much. I also love this new location in Vegas (still only minutes from the strip - but on the opposite end from where we were before). Our home is on the west side now surrounded by so many restaurants/bars and Chinatown is only a few blocks away. And best news yet, we have a target one block away!
I'm calling this home, the moon house because of it's incredible view of the moon from the backyard. I love everything about this home. When we were searching for houses to rent for the last few months, realtors took us to so many awful homes. I almost gave up hope on a good one but just a little over a month ago we found this gem on zillow.com. As soon as I walked in the front door, I knew it was the one. The home is old, built in 1975, but the inside just has so much character and just recently been remodeled. The kitchen has just been updated, along with all the bathrooms and floors throughout the house.
The best part of the house is the back room - the largest room in the house that I'm going to make the workshop room for Nikdreamer. That's pretty much where I've been spending most of my time so far here - trying to get everything set up to fulfill orders during this whole transition. I have taken a few photos of the home in the past week and will share more as we get more settled. Here's a peek inside the moon house.
{our bar was one of the first things to get setup, of course}
{together, will and i have the most random collection of books and treasures}
{slight obsession with the glass bowl sinks}
{my workshop}
{beans the cat}
{the moon house}
I don't even know how to describe in words my last four days in quartzite. Part of me feels like it was all a dream. I swear Quartzsite is definitely a place in my dreams.. My first day there I was so overwhelmed within the first hour that I just had to stop looking and take a break in the beer garden. I could not believe all the treasures and gems I was seeing... EVERYWHERE in this city. I mean every corner there was a huge gem store or tent set up with the most amazing crystals and gemstones I've ever seen. Thankfully my mom appreciates gemstones just as much as I do, so I had someone by my side just as jaw dropped as I was.
This little getaway was so fun, especially being able to camp out in the RV park. We home cooked every meal and enjoyed the camp fire every night. Just really got to enjoy the simple things. Here's a little photo diary of our visit in Quartzsite
posts to follow of some of the treasures and gems I came home with.. and other inspirations during my stay.
The Made with Love Collection is now available on etsy.This Collection features rose quartz and garnet. Rose Quartz is the quintessential stone of love and Garnet is a stone for romantic love and passion. Both stones help the heart open to love, and make for the perfect gift for your valentine.
yesterday will and i spent the day in mt. charleston, which is about 35 miles north of las vegas. it's so crazy that we can drive 40 minutes from our apartment to a winter wonderland! i was so excited to finally see snow again. i hadn't seen snow since living in new york, two winters ago! when we first arrived, it kind of felt like we were in vermont. the little town in mt. charleston is so cute. even the street names were adorable, "kris kringle" and "seven dwarfs." we stopped at the mt. charleston lodge for a glass of whiskey to warm up. the weather there was definitely a lot cooler than we are used to. the stay in mt. charleston was short, but just enough to get a beautiful glimpse of the winters i've been missing.
This park is just breathtaking, to be honest I think I liked it more than the Grand Canyon. We went at the best time of year because the weather and foliage was just beautiful! If you've never been put it on your must-see places out west to visit. Here's a photo diary of our time in Zion National Park.
Exactly one year ago i opened my etsy shop. i opened my shop on 11/11/11 not even meaning to, but it just happened that way. i have always been a believer in signs and the synchronicity of things. my family and friends have been calling me a dreamer since i was a little girl, and to this day i have always stayed true to my heart and dreams. i've always had a connection and make wishes on the numbers 11:11. So ironically it all happened this way..
I feel that my line has come a long way since i opened up my shop last year and i couldn't be more thankful to have you all supporting me every step of the way. i want to say special thanks to my family and friends, my neighbors, and coworkers that have purchased from me, the pilates & yoga studio, the ganesha center, all three harley davidson dealerships in nevada, first friday las vegas, and to all my customers worldwide. you have all kept my dreams, inspirations, and passions alive. if you were to tell me a year ago that i'd have some of my bracelets in harley davidson stores, i would say, "in my dreams!" this just goes to show that if you dream it, work hard, and believe in it... it will come. don't ever stop chasing the dream.
to celebrate my etsy shop's birthdate, i've added a new collection to my shop, my first holiday/winter collection that has some of my favorite pieces and stones in it that i've made to date. this collection was inspired and made for all the fellow dreamers, lovers, believers, and rebels out there. i hope every piece shares a new story for dreams, love, faith, and joy for whosever hands they end up in. i have also taken off all shipping costs for the week to celebrate! FREE SHIPPING anywhere in the U.S. until Nov. 18th. Coupon Code: ElevenEleven
my shop's link:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/nikdreamer
thank you,
thank you!
i've been craving a bowl of french onion soup since going to Mon Ami Gabi a month ago (remember my bowl of french onion in my 7 simple things post here). instead of going out and getting some, i decided to try and make my own. i searched everywhere for Mon Ami Gabi's recipe on the internet but had no luck.. i did come across this french onion soup recipe from Balthazar's restaurant in NYC. after a quick trip to market, i started the prepping at 7pm and by 9:45pm the soup was ready to serve. the recipe is made to serve 6 bowls.. which was exactly what mine came to. I will say it fulfilled the craving! although i don't think you can go wrong with a soup topped with toasted bread and melted cheese:) i'd definitely use this recipe again.
all you need:
* 1/4 cup olive oil
*4 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved through the stem end, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
*1 tablespoon unsalted butter
*1 garlic clove, peeled, and thinly sliced
*4 sprigs of thyme (unfortunately i forget this ingredient at the store)
*1 tablespoon salt
*1/4 freshly ground white pepper
*3/4 cup dry white wine
*2 quarts of chicken stock
*6 slices of country bread, toasted
*2 cups of gruyere cheese, coarsely grated
click below for the full recipe:
