Holy mother of god, I’ve fallen hard. Swept clear off my feet and flying high, wanderlusting. Iceland – you are one beautiful b*tch.

Photo by Kris Atomic. Blue Lagoon geothermal spa in Reykjavik.

Blue Lagoon on Anthology Mag

Since it no longer coincides with E’s work schedule, we’ve regrettably had to cancel our Thanksgiving trip to Paris. While we are both trying to be upbeat and find the positives – it’ll be nice to take a break from constant traveling, we can have a real Thanksgiving meal with our families this year or a quiet, cozy one alone in our new city – I’d be unconvincingly lying to you if I didn’t admit I’m a little bummed. I’ve been to Paris once before but E has never visited and for months I’ve been daydreaming through all the romantic clichéd moments that only Paris (…and Venice) can actually deliver without disappointment – jaunts through the gardens at Versailles, morning cappuccino at patisseries, late-night walks home along the Seine sporting wine-stained lips. But then…

ystenes via krisatomic

_rebekka via krisatomic

CRYSTAL ICE CAVE IN SKAFTAFELL, ICELAND

To cheer ourselves up, we began discussing our next adventure. I mentioned how I kept coming across these incredible photos from Iceland. E was surprised since he had never considered the country before but, coincidentally, had recently spoken with an old friend that vacationed there and had nothing but rave reviews. This prompted some quick research this weekend… and now there is no going back. Iceland is my lover.

j.caron via krisatomic

Peter Nijenhuis via krisatomic

It appears the best way to experience Iceland is to rent a car, have an affinity for hot tubs… and, do. not. forget. your. freaking. camera.

Iceland diary on bigBANG studio

“abandoned thermal pool deep in the mountains!” – Iceland diary on bigBANG studio

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, Iceland, by pas le matin

The diverse environments are incredible. Glaciers, geysers, waterfalls, caves, meadows (sheep! ponies!), mountains, volcanoes, lava fields, black beaches. Surreal. Haunting.

Wanderlust? More like, Wanderporn. Top of our destination picks for 2013.

Iceland diary by bigBANG studio

Iceland by Mait Jüriado

via Smitten Kitchen

Looking for a simple meal or perhaps a snack on a lazy Sunday (or, say a Monday night when your attention just can’t be divided between cooking and a certain football team)? Let me introduce to you – baked cheese! We improvised this one weekend afternoon when we were snacky but the only thing of substance in the kitchen was a block of feta and a stale baguette. I’ve warned you before that I’m a sucker for intense Greek flavors – lemon, vinegar, oil, salt, olives (my taste buds are apparently masochists). Only attempt if you really love feta!

The photo above is from Smitten Kitchen’s “Mediterranean Baked Feta” but we just kind of wing it every time.

Baked Feta Recipe

- A block of feta
- Olive oil
- Baguette slices or pita bread

Optional toppings
- Diced tomatoes
- Capers or chopped olives
- Ground pepper
- Dried oregano
- Chopped garlic
- Lemon juice
- Chopped red onion

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In a baking dish, place the block of feta and lightly drizzle with olive oil.  Top with any combination of the above toppings. Bake for 10-15 minutes until feta is soft (it will not become runny – only pliable). If desired, top with fresh diced tomatoes. Serve immediately with pita bread or baguette slices and knifes for spreading. Bon appétit!

A few weeks ago we flew to Germany for a wedding that hosted many international guests and over the course of the weekend one French man, 2 Dutch couples, and multiple Germans raved about a French film called The Intouchables. As luck would have it, it was available for viewing on the flight home and E and I both decided to watch it (how could we resist with such hype!). Over the next few hours we were laughing out loud and poking each other trying to communicate over our headsets. I definitely recommend this endearing film. It’s a feel-good movie based off a true story and reminds me a tad of The Blind Side. Let me know what you think!

The long boardwalk out to the North Sea in St. Peter-Ording

I’m pretty excited I just happened to open one of my Gilt emails today (I’m pretty bored with these deal sites since they’re so commonplace now that I consider them spam) and saw a 25% off coupon for Coach. I’ve been in the market for a new purse for over a year! My trusty, navy Clare Vivier messenger is in a sad, sad state after years of wear and tear – almost embarrassing. I’m ready for something more grown-up, structured… but somehow work and play appropriate.

Ever since I saw that Coach started rereleasing their Classics, I’ve been back and forth on which one to purchase. Now I have the motivation to pick one! Here are a few on my radar:

COACH CLASSIC LEATHER DUFFLE

COACH CLASSIC LEATHER MADISON SATCHEL

LEGACY LEATHER DUFFLE

photo via L.A. in Bloom

If you need a recipe to use up that abundance of summer zucchini – try this baked penne! We made it this week and it is delicious! I was worried it would be bland but the flavor from the cheeses and roasted summer veggies did wonders. I brought it to work for lunch the next day and was even more pleased when it didn’t dry out after reheating (which is key because this makes a week’s worth of food for two people). This is a great dinner party dish that is very easy & super tasty (and let’s just pretend that the boatloads of veggies involved cancels out all that cheese – deal?).

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
(Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis – found on L.A. In Bloom)

2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cremini mushrooms, halved – E doesn’t love mushrooms so we skipped these but I think they would have been an awesome addition
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound penne pasta – we used whole wheat and I liked the extra texture
3 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade) – I used Rao’s after reading Dinner: A Love Story’s taste test!
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper (I threw in some chopped garlic, too). Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

P.S. Heather Taylor of L.A. in Bloom made this dish for a girls weekend in Big Sur that looks like it was positively magical! I’m headed to Florida in a week to celebrate a good friend’s bachelorette party and can’t wait to see a bunch of my ladies from the Midwest that I miss terribly!

HELP! My hair is a hooooot mess these days but I’m just not ready to chop it off. I’m so bored with getting highlights (especially after 3 failed attempts at finding a decent stylist in Cambridge). I saw this post on Refinery 29 a few weeks ago and have been psyching myself up to do a single process all-over blonde. I’ve only done this once before… at home… out of a box… needless to say, it was a disaster of hooker-hair-proportions. But I just can’t shake the urge after repeatedly referencing these photos of Kate Bosworth, the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy (one of my all-time favorite style idols), and Poppy Delevigne (new girl crush after recently going down the Google rabbit-hole on her).

If it turns out terrible, it’s just hair, right? What do you think? Should I do it?!

I recently picked up this spiked Stella & Dot bracelet and haven’t taken it off in weeks! (The pink one is old from J.Crew.)

Good news – I finally found the elusive Fiddle Fig Leaf Tree that I’ve been lusting over at a local nursery! Bad news – it was $150 and severely damaged from the heat. Going to keep checking back this summer. They also had lemon trees, ferns, and exotic hanging plants. I cannot WAIT to get into a new apartment with better light. I can and will be crazy cat AND plant lady.

This giant ice-cube tray has made summer cocktail-concocting extremely fun (and your drink doesn’t dilute quickly)! We bought it at our favorite kitchen store in Portland, ME but you can get yours here.

Picked up a giant Heriz rug (11.5′ x 8.5′) for the living room at a Skinner auction for $350 (auction estimate was $700-900)! The colors are pretty distorted in this crappy photo but I like to force pics of my kitties on you.

Had two wonderful Chicago friends visit last weekend and we had a blast showing them New England outside of Boston. One of my favorite parts was taking them to Kennebunkport, ME and having a beer & lobster roll picnic on the beach at dusk! I love me some Maine. We just found out E’s sister and her husband are moving there in 2 weeks! Pretty excited!

Took a few glasses of wine to get the paintbrush working

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to “Make Things.“ Paint, craft, DIY, sew, build, CREATE  (cooking excluded – I wanted to reach further out of my comfort zone). I finally busted open the acrylics on July 19. Better late than never?

I’ve always loved the idea of painting but my forays into figure drawing and studio classes have been pretty laughable. I’m no artist. But then I read this piece on Apartment Therapy about boosting your creative confidence (from a TED talk by David Kelley) and I’ve referenced it at least 5 times already. I have new hope. I’m going to quit being such a defeatist and commit once again to create more. I might not be able to make anything worthy of wall space… but I’ll focus on the therapeutic value.

Excerpts from the article worth committing to memory:

But recent research, including that in Jonah Lehrer’s recent book, Imagine: How Creativity Works, debunks the theory that creative types are born. New evidence points to the contrary: While creativity comes easily for some, it is a skill that can be honed and developed — by all.

… many adults “opt out” of creativity — a natural part of childhood — because they have come to believe that they are not good at it, or that it will not be lucrative. “That opting out [of creativity] that happens in childhood, he says, “moves in and becomes more ingrained by the time you get to adult life.”

The truth is, we are all creative — and creativity is critically important to health, happiness, self-worth, and innovation.

:: via sterling style ::

I love jewelry (I have like 5 pinboards dedicated to just looking at it) and yet I own very little. It always feels like an extravagant purchase for myself (even costume pieces) and I make up an excuse to buy “necessities” instead (shoes and jeans – first world “necessities”). Lately I’ve been obsessing over bold, gold, quality, statement bracelets. So let’s play a game called “I woke up a rich lady.” First, I’d grab me that McQueen piece pictured above. Next, I’d pick up this beaut by Pamela Love:

:: image via Jak & Jil ::

Good things come in threes so it’s only sensible to round it out with a Cartier Love bracelet. Did you know you have to screw these things on your wrists with a teeny-tiny solid gold screwdriver and they are meant to mimic a chasity belt. Since we’re pretending, I’d go ahead and buy two. (Seriously, don’t even look at the price of these. Just don’t. They are beyond my pretend rich lady game. These ascend into the land of fairies and unicorns and trust-funds.)

After dropping my Droid in a bucket of water at the neighborhood florist last month, I finally succumbed to the iPhone. I held out for nearly a year after my contract expired because I didn’t want to give up my voice turn-by-turn Google map navigation (I don’t think I’d have survived my first year in Boston without it).

Now I have a bone to pick with all you Apple nerds. Why didn’t you express to me sooner exactly how awesome Instagram is?! It’s all I love about Facebook (photos) without all I hate about Facebook (politics, bad grammar, negativity, closed-mindedness, etc, etc, etc). You can follow me at hretzke.

Plus, I’ve been trying to trim down my Google Reader blog list because I’m never able to keep up and I’ve found a few photographers that are more interesting to follow on Instagram than their blogs. Score!