Being Bold

Fist Style post!

*Note: I realized I haven't done a fashion post yet! *gasp* I know, bad blogger! So here is a peek of my personal style...I'm kind of all over the place, you will see this happen...a lot.

Top: (old) modcloth/ Jacket:(old) vans/ Pants: American Eagle/ Shoes: Aldo

Daily insperation:

 

This new year is around the corner and I bet some of you want to go to that really cool party or want this to the be the year you get your first midnight kiss in the very first seconds of the new year. Well, I'm here to say go right now and make those plans be bold! Thats what moments like these are made for go kiss that someone special in you life or someone you have met for the first time and let the sparks fly as the ball drops. Go make it happen, I know I'm planing on it. Until tomorrow...Natalie

A Salute To a New Resolute

The new year is but a few days away and a man asked me the other day what were my resolutions? I didn’t even know this man. He openly shared his one resolution with me, but when it came time to voice my own, I had no idea. There was the obvious like get better grades or sleep in less and be more proactive, but I felt like what I have gone through the past two years I needed more than to be more organized. Last year I didn’t really celebrate I had lost one of my best friends to a car accident, and it broke my heart. Between the bad break up, being laid off and losing someone I cared about I didn’t feel up to making resolutions and plans. I think it is time, so I ask one thing of all of you out there reflect upon your past year, this 2012 “the supposed end of the world” as some would say, think back thought the memories you have made, new friends, things you have done. "If you think back, and replay your year, if it doesn't bring you tears, either joy or sadness, consider the year wasted."(John, Ally McBeal)

So, here it is my goals for 2013:

So some resolutions I’d like to make it live the new year excited to wake up each morning, to keep promises, write that book I’ve been putting off, write more hand written letters to my family and friends, contact my family in Germany, to not be embarrassed of being a hopeless romantic, and the hope that maybe one day I can be the reason some else is inspired to do something great.

 

and a song I believe is my new tune for the new year:

 

Until tomorrow...Natalie

 

Until next year...santa

This Christmas was crazy with all the traveling and work...Whew! It was special and amazing but I'm glad we can start to prepare for the New Year, but before I break out any new year’s post I wanted to share some very special presents I am grateful to have received from my loving family. I am happy to say we now officially own a kitchen aid!! I know I can't believe it, since my mother purposefully told me she couldn't find one in the color I liked. Cats out of the bag mom, you are sneakier than I gave you credit for.

TADA!! in Esspresso Brown :D

 

 

Plus some kitchen aid appliances! (I seriously went bananas. Yes, I said bananas)

I asked for one specific thing this year, drum roll please, a whisk! Not that exciting you say? well my dear reader you are well mistaken. I in fact did receive a whisk but not just a whisk a Kitchen Aid one! I was so so happy it was so nice and I didn't expect to receive such a lovely one at that. My momma thought it was lonely so she also picked up a matching cheese server as well, my mommy knows me all too well.

 

Some of my smaller presents (but not any less awesome) were:

One of my all time favorite girl movies (don't ask why but I love it, it maybe because I sympathize with GiGi) but I have faith that one day the right man will come in to my life. I can't help but be a romantic, I'm a writer.

 

Last, my Lucky Brand hair bands! Lucky Brand is one of my all time favorite stores to visit considering my lack of money I get to window shop, so reciving these was great! My parents are wonderful xoxo Until tomorrow...Natalie

Let Your Heart Be Light

christmas lyrics glitter banner by katies pencil box

 



I recently held a Christmas party with some of my close friends and had a wonderful time. A fire some, old Christmas records, and good friends was a night of good times and to me feels like Christmas. It’s times like these where everyone, for a night at least, is within arm’s reach before they head back to their families, homes, schools all states away. Nights like that don’t come around as often as they should and when they do I can’t help but take a look around the room and memorize the moments to the smallest details. All my friends by my side laughing at old memories or a new one, the sweet smell of cider  pouring through the kitchen doors, a fire crackling in time with the music, the way the Christmas tree is illuminating in the evening to a gentle glow, and how I wish it could go on forever.
*sadly I had all the intention of taking pictures of everyone that night but failed to do so while rushing around with dinner it was quite a spectiacle let me tell you...we got a bit loud haha.

For dinner I had made a few things I had seen on other blogs. I will link the recipes and I recomend giving them a try! For dinner I made a spiral ham from trader joes not any special recipe, considering it was the first one I ever made I followed the instructions and asked my mother (I know kind of cheating) but I wanted it to be perfect. Then I made these accordion potatoes with rosemary and garlic:

 



They are amazingly tasty
*note: This is not the picture of mine since I failed to take photos but! they looked exactly the same and the recipe from a beautiful mess is amazing, I do recomend though if you are attempting them do smaller amounts for a decent longer time, since mine were a bit undercooked.

I also made stuffed shells:

 

*note: Also not my picture (i really need to get on myself about taking more of them!) anyway, I got the recipe from 101 cookbooks it's this cute blog about food and it had lovely photograghy of its yummy stuff they make. Definitely for foodies!

For snacks I made my special recipie for lemon bars which upon a later date I may with to share ;)

Another was a walnut and raisin pumpkin bread, gluten free vanilla bean cake, and gluten free choclate chip cookies. I guess you could say I was qutie busy, well to wrap this up I want to wish you all a merry Christmas, Holiday, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any day you celebrate, so go be merry, be with loved ones and make this time a special one. Until tomorrow...Natalie



 
 

It's Mrs. White with the thread in the sewing room

Sewing machine addition:

I received my White sewing machine from a man down my street. His mother had passed away and she had it stored but he wanted to clear out some old stuff since it had been a while and he was just going to throw it away! Can you believe that?! I just happened to be driving by when he put it out on the street and when I asked if I could buy it he said I could have it for free I was having the best day ever. Right after I picked it up it started to rain I took it as a sign I was meant to have it. I came attached to this desk and it has a side leg lever and is in amazing condition all working parts even the little light works! I was so excited to see it in action too I started making a dress with it. The desk it came with the draws were taped shut and when I opened all of them they were full of things to care for this machine. I have to say I may not have known this woman who owned this before me but I can say she loved this sewing machine, and I am lucky to have been given such a wonderful gift that was loved and cared for so much. I love to call the sewing machine Mrs. White like from Clue, but that’s also the name I gave the woman when I refer to her. It actually makes me more curious about her; as if there is a mystery there to be solved. What do you think? Should I brave the unknown for the answers, or just let there be a little bit of mystery left? I’m always looking for the next adventure. I kind of believe no matter how much I learn about, or discover there are always more mysteries.

Sew Foxy

Hello everyone! I had meant to post this the other day but a little preview into a project I’ve working on I saw a post of this fox tutorial on Matsutake blog. I had made one for my little cousin for Christmas last year with a little light inside so she could use it as a night light. This time I just wanted to make a stuffed animal version because it’s just so gosh darn cute! Here is the link to the printable fox pattern.

You need about 1/3 yard of fabric of your choice I went with a white for the belly/chin and inside of the ears and a apumpkin poke-a-dot pattern for the rest. I will be posting the finished product in a few days. I'm trying to sew it in between work here and there its actually pretty easy I like to hand stitch my smaller projects.
 

 

My daily insperation:

 

 



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Art is a big insperation in my life, I see different pictures or moments and I like to re-draw what I see and combined some of them to make it something I like to see. These are all rough sketches but I love to add color to the black and white, but sometimes the back and white is just as it should be. I really work on some fox peices. :)

until tomorrow...Natalie

Churn Thy Butter

Hello! So today I'm going to share about this awesome online Magazine called Churn Thy Butter. Started by my friend Louisa Parzyk, you can find her on her blog Lem Writing.

 Churn Thy Butter is a fun twist to a poetry/fiction mag they are currently accepting submissions of the strange, creative, and definitely odd poems and short stories. Louisa is an very creative and talented writer I have come to know. Her and I got some of our work selected to be in The Prairie Light Review, and one of her submissions was absolutely fantastic. I also got to hear her read it aloud at the publication party. I was up next to read my work I was so nervous my legs were like jelly, in other words I'm not the best public speaker or the bravest. They are currently accepting submissions right now for new talent for the launch of the new mag. So go send some creative quirky story you have been dying to share!

My daily insperation:

I'm always needing a pick me up, just a little something to pump me up for my next project. This is one of my favorite quotes about being passionate. So go into tomorrow and your next activity; be it your job, school, or family activity and find some passion in life. When I'm at work I don't always care for the meanial tasks at hand but when I help a woman and her daughter find that perfect outfit for that interview and get her all excited and really boost her confidence is really what I look forward too. What do you look forward too? 

As Henry David Thoreau once wrote, " “I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, To put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die Discover that I had not lived.”



until tomorrow, Natalie

The Core

Today I'm touching on a personal subject my space. Sounds weird I know, but this is where I really can invent myself and be creative. Here, I am free to express myself and not feel judged for being silly and weird. I am also lucky to have good friends who have seen this side of me and are just as silly and strange :) My room the core of my craziness:

Side of my writing desk



My fathers old phone he let me use

This is different parts of my room I love. Color and style is something I'm passionate about.

Heres to tomorrow I'm giving a sneek peek of my DIY Fox...Natalie

 





Friendly Finley and Insperations

Today has been a bit slow, I've been working on blog ideas and my newest kitty Finley has been keeping me up for a few nights. I come home from work sleepy and she just wants to play the liitle sweet heart.

She is 6 months even though she looks older here, a friend rescued her a while back. I'm weak a furry friend in need.



I already have another cat Salem and my dog Dr.Watson. Yes, a full household lol. Anyway, how are all of you doing? Ever have those slow and un-inspiring days? Well my tactic to getting on top of it is by not waiting around to be inspired I have to do it myself, by picking up a book or listening to some of my favorite music anything to get me out of a funk.
I look for quotes like the one to the right for sparks of insperation that and copious amounts of coffee.

Book I'm reading right now: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. I love books and stories that take place in europe, if you have any good read suggestings please comment some! I am a writer mostly poetry but every now and then I will post a little of what I'm working on, For example,

Now, when I pick up a book new to me; I try to find one that has been loved before I love it. The spine cracked from re-reading and long coffee breaks, the pages yellowed, torn and bent from its travel. A truly good book even when you put it down never really leaves your side. I go in the world with a library on my mind.

I'll leave you on that note have a great rest of your day!! Natalie
P.S. The picture quote is from my Pinterest words page, feel free to check it out :)

First Post!

Hi there! Welcome to The Beatnik Fox blog, My name is Natalie and I'm excited to start this blog because I have tons of cute styles and things to post about.

 

This moi on the right in the yellow beret, and my dear friend Suzy. Who You will being hear a bit about every now and then.



Now, for a bit more about this blog. I'm going to be writing a lot about fashion, DYI, fun new recipes, The weekly word(poetry, books, writing events techniques, ect.) and different little fun posts every week just for the hell of it. (this mean my two kitties and furry friends, bike posts, and films of the week kind of stuff)

More about myself: I am a student currently majoring in Literature, hoping to one day publish poetry books and teach college poetry and fiction classes. Second, My family and friends are very important in my life and will pop up in my posts every now and again :)

Little random facts: I love to travel (I'm planning a trip to France/London in the spring), I adore pie, cuse my own words for things sometimes (instead of crumbs I say crumblies lol not quite sure why), I am a Chicago girl not matter where I might go.