a colorful love

the demise of summer is no reason to be solemn
for the ravishing trees fall in love in autumn
blushing against the bashful gray skies
set ablaze with scarlet in a vibrant disguise
their fallen leaves dance with the wind
whispering delicately as they idly descend
the trees line the streets and adorn the mundane
fluttering sighs as they're tickled by rain
the crisp autumn air makes the warmth of love thrive
the demise of summer makes the trees come alive.

Pumpkin Chai Latte {Recipe}

Thank God for Octobers, right? I just love the way the fog lingers in the silent, gray-sky mornings, hugging the dim headlights with a certain stillness that only Autumn can bring. I think we can all agree that two of the best things about the fall season are pumpkins and warm drinks...so why not mix the two together? Below is a simple Pumpkin Chai Latte recipe for those overcast days when you just want to curl up in bed with your favorite magazine (probably every day for the next three months, let's be real). Get ready for pure delight in a mug because this, my friends, is what autumn tastes like.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole milk

2/3 cup Oregon Chai concentrate

1 tsp pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the milk in a small pot over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
2. Whisk the chai, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract into the milk.
3. Pour mixture into your favorite mug and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Enjoy!

And while you're whisking away at this delectable drink, feel free to check out my Autumn playlist and dance around your kitchen in your oversized sweaters and knee-high socks (highly recommended).

xx Kristin

you.

my mind can't tell
if it's you
or the caffeine
that's making my heart race
and my bones shake

but my heart knows
it's you.

Inspiration Palette {Burnt Orange}

Lately I have been especially in love with industrial-style interior design, which usually includes lots of dark wood, metal, leather, exposed brick, stone grey walls, unique lighting fixtures, neutral colors, and burnt orange. These things all come together to create a flawless blend of modern and vintage finds with just enough color to catch your eye. Burnt orange is such a subtle yet gorgeous hue that reminds me of redwood trees, cinnamon, and autumn leaves. Incredibly sophisticated and enticing without being overwhelming.

xx Kristin

Apple Berry Crumble {Recipe}

The weather is definitely warming up, and summer is just around the corner! With warm summer days comes an exciting array of delectable dishes and refreshing beverages. I recently bought a 10" round cast iron skillet, and surprisingly it has turned out to be one of my favorite purchases! I thought I'd share one of my new favorite recipes, which is perfect for any occasion. This mouthwatering recipe was adapted from Happyolks' Cardamom Oat Crumble. I simplified the ingredients a tiny bit to make this recipe more convenient for college students like myself, but feel free to add your own unique touches! This irresistibly delicious dessert is sure to impress at small gatherings and summer dinner parties. Food styling and photography by yours truly. Enjoy! And I'd love to see photos if you decide to try this recipe out for yourself! :)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup flour

1 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats

1/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

12 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

• ———

1 package Trader Joe's Very Cherry Berry Blend (frozen fruit)

1 apple, thinly sliced

1/2 orange, juiced

1/4 cup sugar

4 tbsp cornstarch

DIRECTIONS
1. Mix flour, oats, sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. Add melted butter and stir together. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 375°.
4. Butter 10” cast iron skillet.
5. Add frozen fruit and apple slices to just below the fill line.
6. Mix together with orange juice, sugar, and cornstarch.
7. Spread oat topping to cover the fruit completely.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the fruit is bubbling thick, and the oat topping is beginning to brown.
9. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving with vanilla bean ice cream.

For all of you cast iron skillet owners out there, what other recipes have you tried with your skillet? So far, I have successfully made Roasted Rosemary Potatoes (perfect for breakfast!) and this Apple Berry Crumble. Next on my list will probably be Baked Macaroni & Cheese. I'd love to experiment more, so feel free to share! Happy cooking! :)

xx Kristin

Inspiration of the Month {April 2014}

It's been eight months since my last post, and well...a lot can happen in eight months. But I'm back and stronger than ever, and my life has been overflowing with blessings. My word over this year is faith overcomes fear, and I have declared 2014 my year of fearlessness. Fear of being alone, fear of being unloved, fear of disappointment, fear of being forgotten, fear of worldly opinions, fear of rejection...I am free from all of that now. Being fearless doesn't mean you're completely unafraid; it means having fears, but not letting those fears get in the way of living your life to the fullest. It means having complete and utter faith because “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). It means taking risks even when you don't know how well—or how terribly—things will turn out. I think one of the most important things I've come to learn in life is that taking risks is essential. I wanted to share a poem by Tyler Knott Gregson (below) that I recently came across and immediately fell in love with. It flawlessly captures the indefinable satisfaction of launching yourself into the unknown, despite an overwhelming sense of fear and doubt. So go forth with faith and hope and courage. Take risks. You have no idea what you could be missing out on, just on the other side of your fears. I seriously get the chills when reading this poem, in the best way possible. I hope it tickles something in your heart when you read it. Also, check out http://tylerknott.com for more sensational poetry; this guy sure has a way with words.

In addition to taking risks, here are a few things that my heart has been inspired by lately...
First of all, How I Live Now is an incredibly captivating dystopian film about love, purpose, freedom, war, survival, and everything in between. Such a powerful story that leaves your heart racing with an uncanny mix of emotions, and Saoirse Ronan does a remarkable job portraying Daisy. On top of the beautifully executed cinematography, the English countryside where the movie takes place is absolutely breathtaking. One of my new favorite films. It's deep, it's insightful, and it's so worth watching.

Zaria Forman, a New York-based artist, created these unbelievably realistic 3D paintings of Greenland by using varying waves of thick paint to depict water and icebergs. “Chasing the Light” is a series of paintings from Forman's second expedition up the coast of Greenland, inspired by the dramatic geography and the documentation of climate change. In my opinion, water is by far the hardest thing to portray realistically, so I am beyond impressed by Forman's immaculate paintings. Seriously, just look at that detail.

Happy Spring! It's hard to believe it's already May! I am surrounded by new light, and I couldn't be more grateful. Here's a quick glimpse into what songs I've had on repeat lately...I highly recommend you give them all a listen, and you'll surely be glad you did. What songs made it onto your Spring playlist this year? Please share! :)

• “My Lighthouse” by Rend Collective
• “Riptide” by Vance Joy
• “Fireworks” by Yoya
• “On The Rise” by The Kin
• “Made Alive” by Citizens
• “Be Okay” by Oh Honey
• “Difference Maker” by NEEDTOBREATHE
• “Fall Afresh” by Samuel Lane (thanks, Danielle!!)

By the way, just out of curiosity...what does your name mean? I recently found out my name (Kristin) literally means “follower of christ” or “the anointed.” HOW COOL IS THAT. I know, I know. I'm pretty excited about it too. Why I've never really known that for the past (almost) 20 years is beyond me. Feel free to comment below if you want to share the meaning of your name! I'd love to hear.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted...” — Isaiah 61:1

xx Kristin

Inspiration of the Month {August}

Copper has definitely been on my radar lately. With an unmistakable color somewhere between rose gold and rust, copper has a way of brightening a room without stealing all the attention. I love how it gives off a rustic industrial look while still maintaining that classy modern vibe. Whether it's with kitchenware, lighting fixtures, jewelry, or home decor, copper looks good with just about anything. And not to mention the strikingly beautiful natural patina that forms on the surface of copper over time (think Statue of Liberty). Nature is just incredible, isn't it?

While we're on the topic of nature and its breathtaking phenomena, let's just take a minute to talk about the world's largest cave, the Son Doong Cave in Vietnam. I was literally left wide-eyed and speechless after reading an article about this wondrous gem, staring at my screen with the strongest desire to travel and see this jaw-dropping sensation. Discovered by a team of British cavers in 2009, the Son Doong Cave is over 5.5 miles long and is home to its very own river, jungle, waterfalls, stalagmite, and natural skylights. I am not ashamed to admit I spent several hours reading articles, browsing through photographs, and watching National Geographic videos about this magnificent cave. The only thing is...it's $3000 for a tour. Someday, Vietnam. Someday. Check out http://www.sondoongcave.org for more info! Trust me, you'll be in complete awe after you see these photos:

Hank Butitta recently finished his Masters in Architecture at the University of Minnesota. In architecture school, Hank was "tired of drawing buildings that would never exist, for clients that were imaginary." So for his Masters Final Project, Hank bought a $3000 school bus off Craigslist and decided to convert it into a living space. After 15 weeks of hard work and $6000 in improvements, the bus was successfully converted into a comfortable and functional living environment. This 225 square foot "ultimate road trip vehicle" is complete with skylights, insulation, electricity, dimmable LED lighting, a portable toilet, a kitchen with a foot-pump sink, and sleeping capacity for up to 6 adults. Once he'd given his final presentation, Hank embarked on a 5,000-mile road trip around the country with some friends to test out their new home on wheels. Check out his website, Hank Bought A Bus, to follow their journey and find out more about this incredible project. I can only hope to have the sort of passion, ambition, innovation, and creativity that Hank has embodied in this continuously growing project. A true inspiration. (Fun fact: The black lines on the floor of the bus are actually pieces of the 3-point line from a reclaimed gym floor!)

You should know I'm a sucker for good poetry. Something about the way 26 single letters can embrace one another to create such a delightful (and often deep) literary masterpiece. For as long as I can remember, my parents' bookshelves have been stocked with Shel Silverstein books. In addition to his indisputable talent for poetry, Shel Silverstein's accompanying illustrations still inspire me to this day. His one-of-a-kind illustrations complement each poem in the best way possible, evoking a specific feeling as you ingest the words on the page. While the words are the true beauty, the poems just don't quite have the same effect when the illustrations are missing, like cereal without milk. I recently rediscovered an old poem from Where the Sidewalk Ends, a collection of children's poetry by Shel Silverstein (1974). Feeding my mind with these poems for the first time since elementary school, I've fallen in love with them all over again and now understand things I never even slightly discerned at the tender age of 7. These poems are soaked in the most enlightening knowledge and deep meanings—meanings that are not fully comprehendible for young children. Poems that may seem completely straightforward and non-convoluted on the surface are often filled to the brim with invaluable life messages. Take at least a few minutes to read this "Hector the Collector" poem and think it over. One of my favorites. (P.S. I'm sure everyone has been exposed to Shel Silverstein's well-known "Masks" poem, but if it has somehow slipped by you, read it here.)

Hector the Collector

by Shel Silverstein

Hector the Collector

Collected bits of string,

Collected dolls with broken heads

And rusty bells that would not ring.

Pieces out of picture puzzles,

Bent-up nails and ice-cream sticks,

Twists of wires, worn-out tires,

Paper bags and broken bricks.

Old chipped vases, half shoelaces,

Gatlin' guns that wouldn't shoot,

Leaky boats that wouldn't float

And stopped-up horns that wouldn't toot.

Butter knives that had no handles,

Copper keys that fit no locks,

Rings that were too small for fingers,

Dried-up leaves and patched-up socks.

Worn-out belts that had no buckles,

'Lectric trains that had no tracks,

Airplane models, broken bottles,

Three-legged chairs and cups with cracks.

Hector the Collector

Loved these things with all his soul—

Loved them more than shining diamonds,

Loved them more than glistenin' gold.

Hector called to all the people,

"Come and share my treasure trunk!"

And all the silly sightless people

Came and looked...and called it junk.

August: summer adventures, long drives, and hot afternoons. The last full month of summer has come to an end, and the start of classes is just around the corner. Not quite dreading it, not quite looking forward to it. I'm just gonna let things happen and see where life takes me. Cheers.

xx Kristin