GossettGirl

Home Sweet Hawaii

2012-01-30T22:08:00.000-08:00

We're hanging in Hawaii this week. Cruising in our fire-engine red jeep around Maui. After all of that snow a couple of weeks ago it is nice to be in the sun.

We are excited for the week ahead and with no plans on the books, we're looking forward to our hardest decision of the day being: pool or beach?

It's good to be home. I've missed you Hawaii.

Birthday Brunch

2012-01-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

I was happy to host a casual brunch with the girls a couple of weeks ago to celebrate Wendy's birthday. Wendy is the type of friend that makes you feel special year round. She remembers all of your important occasions, including your dog's birthday. She gives the most thoughtful gifts, items that you didn't even know you wanted, but once received seem so perfect based on your interests. She listens intently, asks questions to learn more and is wonderful about checking in often. There are many days when I'm heads down at work having a stressful day and a 'hi there' email pops into my inbox from Wendy providing me the perfect excuse to take a break and chat with a friend.

So when it came time for her birthday, I really wanted to do something fun for her to celebrate. So a few of us girls gathered over a simple breakfast to enjoy some much needed girl time. Fizzy drinks, sugared doughnuts, fresh fruit, girl talk -- it was a wonderful morning shared with friends.

One of Wendy's new hobbies is sewing, so as a party favor, I sent everyone home with mini sewing kits I made inspired by Pinterest

From Blog to Book

2012-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

As much as I love having an online record of the highlights of our year via the blog, I still yearn for something tangible and printed to capture our favorite moments. In 2008, I did a Blurb book of all of the year's blog posts and while I'm happy with how it turned out it was A LOT of work. While Blurb does a nice job of automatically importing all of your blog text, it does not import your images at a high resolution so you need to go back and manually upload every.single.photo. It is a major pain in the butt and was so much work I got lazy and failed to do a book for 2009 or 2010.

Anxious to get back on track, this year I decided to use My Publisher and just fill the book with our favorite photos. This was so easy to do and with just 3-4 hours of work, I had books made for both 2010 and 2011. They arrived this past week in the mail and we love them! We had a nice time this morning flipping through each book reliving all of the great memories.

I can't wait to make this annual tradition and add to our collection of photo albums. I opted for the "classic hard cover" book which can get expensive if you have lots of pages, but keep an eye out for promotions or special discounts and Costco also offers a deal for members. If you are curious, you can virtually flip through our books here: 2010 and 2011.

Snowed In

2012-01-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

While the Seattle meteorologist are skilled at reading rain patterns, they seem to be a bit rusty on their snow models. We woke up this morning to even more snowfall despite everyone saying the storm had passed. Roads near our house weren't plowed so we found ourselves officially snowed in!

Thank goodness the store is a short walk away. Starbucks was open. And laptops and iPhones make working from home completely doable. We'll see what tomorrow brings...

It's Cold Outside!

2012-01-18T18:38:00.000-08:00

Snowpocalypse 2012 has hit Seattle.

We survived.

And even with a cold bum

Maggie shows off her discipline

Sitting so pretty to be let inside.

"Please mom! It's cold outside!"

(27 degrees to be exact)

GossettGirl 2.0

2012-01-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

With the new year comes a new GossettGirl site design. What do you think?

I planned to go the easy route this time and purchase a new ready-made design template. But, I'm cheap and they were $40+. So, it was on to plan B which was to roll up my sleeves and invest the time and energy to tackle the design and custom HTML coding myself. Google was my best friend and I was able to find tutorials for all of the things I wanted to do online. I got frustrated, I got annoyed, but I powered through it and when it was all done it felt like quite the accomplishment.

Aesthetically, I tried to keep things pretty clean using a white background to not distract from the photography posts. Here are a few of the v2.0 highlights:

Check out the top navigation with links to lots of new pages including details about my photography, our travels and also a way for you to ask me questions! I'll work on adding more content to these pages over time, so check back soon.
Lots of options for reviewing past posts including: popular posts, hot topics, archives and a search box.
New links to my social media items...I tend to be most active on Flickr, Twitter and Pintrest.
The comment link in my old design was hard to find, hopeful the new placement helps.

Take a look around and stay a while. And, as always, thanks for visiting.

Snow!

2012-01-15T18:09:00.000-08:00

We got our first (and likely only) snowfall of the winter here in Seattle this weekend. Our house seemed to be in a special weather zone delivering 6-8 inches of the fluffy white stuff in the past 24 hours.

You always hear Seattle-ites describe our annual snow event with phrases like: it's great, it's so pretty, it's wonderful! But, each of those phrases are typically said with a HUGE caveat: if you don't have anywhere to go.

Unfortunately, that was not the case for 5 friends who came over for brunch at 10 am, only watch the snow fall, and fall, and fall in the hours they were here. By noon, it was time for everyone to head home and we quickly realized with 8+ inches now on the ground, the trek home for most was not going to be easy. Here is a quick recap of the events the followed: tires spinning. cars stalling. women pushing. men pushing. neighbors helping. cars sliding. police car riding. husbands rescuing. Finally, four hours later, we hatched a master plan to get all the ladies back home. Whew. As I watched the last of my friends slowly drive away, I thought to myself: this is what you call friend bonding!

With everyone home safe and sound, we were finally able to relax and enjoy the snow with a few pics from outside our front door.

A bit of color

2012-01-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

I've lived in Seattle going on 12 years and you'd think by now I'd be used to the gray, dark days that come with the NW winter. Unfortunately, I'm not and probably will never be...I think I'll always crave the sun.

Since Hawaii is still a few weeks off, I thought I'd cheer myself up with some colorful photos from our time in Mexico. Boy, I could go for a bit of this color right about now!

Happy Monday!

A collection...

2012-01-05T21:10:00.000-08:00

I've always dreamed of starting a collection. Something that would grow organically through the years as discoveries are made and new places are explored. It took me a while to decide on what exactly was 'collection worthy.' I'm not a fan of clutter and many of the typically collectibles didn't excite me.

Then it hit me.

There is one place that makes this little Hawaiian girl happy: the beach. On cold and wet days like today I so miss the beach and the relaxation of vacation. The sound of the waves, the heat on my shoulders, the sand in my toes. Well, what better way to bring those beachy feelings back to me whenever I want than to bottle them up!

We've been collecting sand from our favorite beaches over the past year or so. Over the holiday break, I finally found the time to transport my collectibles from ziplock bags to pretty bottles. Punta De Mita (2011), Belize (2011), Cannon Beach (2010). It's hard to believe how different the sand is from place to place: dark, light, course, fine. Each of the bottles bring back so many lovely memories.

Our collection is small, but can't wait to grow it in the coming months, years and decades. We'll be excited to add to it with our trip to Hawaii in just a few short weeks.

One Line A Day

2012-01-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

I'm a sentimental girl. I love the acts of recalling, reminiscing, remembering. It's partly why I enjoy blogging so much, it combines my love for writing and my desire to capture the highlights and the happenings of our life. It's so fun have a digital record of the past five years.

But, what about the everyday moments that aren't worthy of a blog post? Or too personal to share? The flood of moments that typically pass by practically unnoticed and therefore, unnoted. I want to remember those too. So with the start of the new year, I've started a new nightly tradition.

One line a day.

This cute 5-year journal arrived just in time. There's a page for each day of the year, to record a line about that day for five consecutive years. Each entry has room for one line of text. Think of it as a "tweet", but in hard copy. All of the benefits of journaling, without any of the burden. My plan is to use this as a place to record the fleeting moments that make my life so sweet, but so easily vanish from my memory.

Last night's entry:"Slept in until 10 am after a fun NYE celebration with friends. Spent the day reading and relaxing. Nice way to start 2012."

So this journal is the one of the few new years resolutions I'll be working on in 2012. Do you keep a journal?

P.S. For all of my mom friends, there is a mom version too. See it here.

Cheers!

2012-01-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

A champagne toast. Fireworks. A kiss at midnight. What could be better? 2012, here we come.

The best of 2011

2011-12-28T13:37:00.001-08:00

Just a few more days until we kick off 2012. But, before we do, it's time to take a look back at the highlights of 2011.

It was a busy year for us filled with a good balance of work and play. Lots of time spent in the office for us both, but we certainly got our fill of lazy weekends, wonderful vacations and time spent with family and friends. Most importantly, as I think back on the year that has passed, I'm just so grateful to have one I love to share it with.

The theme for this year seemed to be warm, sunny vacations. We kicked off the year with a trip with my family in January to Hawaii, Belize in May, a birthday trip to Scottsdale in June, and a romantic getaway to Punta de Mita, Mexico in December. We also enjoyed weekend getaways to Vancouver and Chelan and celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas in Idaho.

True highlights throughout the year were visits with my nephew, Ethan. In the past 12 months, we've watched him grow from a baby into a toddler. Despite the 3,000 miles distance, I was lucky enough to see him three times this year in January, May and September earning me a word in his growing vocabulary: "nana."

We also welcomed the arrival little ones into our circle of friends with the birth of Jackson Moran and Allison Russell this year and are excited to meet baby boy Elliott in 2012.

Turn up the volume, sit back and enjoy all the wonderful memories and special events of 2011. You can check out the previous year recaps here: 2010, 2009, 2008.

Wishing you all the best for the new year! Here's to a wonderful 2012.

Reflection

2011-12-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

When I first got a glimpse of this photo captured by Chris, a blog post that reminisced about our time frolicking on the beach in Mexico came to mind. But, a second glance at this photo today, inspired a different thought:

Reflection.

I'm in the process of saying my good-byes to 2011. Reflecting on all that has happened over the past 360+ days, both the good and the bad.Thanking it for the lessons learned and the memories made. In a few days, we'll welcome 2012, bringing with it a fresh start, a clean slate.

In these last few days of 2011, I'm reflecting on my many blessings, momentarily pausing on our misfortunes, and then turning my full attention to the possibilities that lie ahead.

Christmas Day

2011-12-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

After opening the last of our presents on Christmas morning we decided to head out and get some fresh air as a family. A short drive to the northeast part of Coeur d' Alene lake, transported us to a wintry wonderland. We had the entire mountain to ourselves free to run, jump, and play. Four miles, a snowball fight and one miniature snowman later, we were ready to head home and warm up. Next stop - Starbucks (yes, they were open).

(can you spot our car?)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T08:33:00.000-08:00

It's taken me a bit of time to get into the holiday spirit this year. Perhaps it was the trip to tropical Mexico. Or the fact that I'm away from my family this season. Or just some Seattle-winter blahs. But, on the eve of Christmas eve, I'm happy to say, I'm finally feeling the holiday spirit. The presents are wrapped, I'm about to go shopping for Christmas dinner fixings, followed by a trip to the nail salon for some bright red polish. Christmas, I'm ready for you!

I hope this holiday season finds you surrounded by those you love, safe, warm and happy. While I'm missing my family this year, this Gossett Girl is thankful to spend the season with her Gossett Boy, Gossett Dog and the rest of the Gossett family.

Merry Christmas!

Love Letters...

2011-12-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

While in Mexico after a long day in the sun, I was allowing myself an hour of 'plug in' time keep up with work email and scan a few favorite blogs, when I heard about a touching letter writing effort via this sweet blogger.

It is so easy for me to caught up in my own life and lose sight of those around me who may be going through tough times. This cool organization provides a simple way to show someone in need you care, all for just the cost of stationary and a stamp.

I quickly signed up to participate and was emailed on Saturday, 12/17, with my assignment. During their 12 days of love letter writing they are gathering “love letters” for several people in need of encouragement this holiday season. My assignment came on Day 13 and it was to select any of the 12 individuals to write to.

I selected a little girl named Julia and here is her story:

Julia is 7-years-old and has been battling cancer for most of her life. Even with the trials before her, she is keeps a high spirit and is a bright star in the lives of so many that know her.

She adores Harry Potter, reading and nail polish. She loves fish tacos, pomegranates, playing dress up and the color pink.

Please make these letters bright & vibrant to match the spirits of a young fighter who inspires each of us daily to kiss the sky regardless of the forecast for the day.

Pink and girly is right up my alley so I found a piece of dress stationary left over from a friend's bridal shower and drafted a love letter to little miss Julia. I also included an origami bunny I made for her to enjoy. We were asked to document the letter writing process, so here are a few photos I sent in to their twitter page. They'll have additional campaigns year round and I'm excited to be a part of this effort moving forward. If you'd like to join me in spreading the love, feel free to sign up here.

Sayulita - the hippy surfing town

2011-12-20T18:37:00.000-08:00

We managed to break our lazy vacation routine on Wednesday for a day trip to a little town called, Sayulita. This quaint, hippy, surfing town was recommended by both the concerige and the lady sitting next to me on the plane. A short 30 minute cab ride transported us to a place totally different than the quiet, upscale area of Punta Mita. Crowds of surfers (and tourists), music blaring, stray puppies, street taco stands, merchants trying to sell us everything from pottery to pot - this was definiately a change of pace! We soaked it all in and had a fun day wandering the streets, looking at shops and enjoying our time people watching on the beach.

Our days in Mexico

2011-12-19T16:41:00.000-08:00

Sleep. Sun. Swim. Sip. Stroll. Savor. Sunset. Repeat x 6. That pretty much sums up our time in Mexico. In just a week's time, we settled into a nice little vacation routine.

With the window shades open, we'd let nature be our alarm clock. 10-11 hours of sleep per night, meant we woke up well rested with the sun streaming in begging us to come out and play. Our mornings would start off around 8 or 9 with a trip to the gym or an ocean-side stroll. We'd refuel with a light breakfast of fresh fruit enjoyed on the balcony.

Next up were the not-so-difficult preparations for the day. Books, check. Towels, check. Sunscreen, check. Drinks, check. We'd then set up camp on our outdoor lounge chairs, settling in for a day of sunbathing and swimming in our private pool.

The temperatures hovered right around 80 and there was a nice breeze throughout the day which kept us comfortable. But, when the sun got too warm, we'd sit on the edge of the pool with our feet in or hop all the way in and go for a swim.

Around 1-2 pm, we found our tummies growling for food. Chris would make his way up to the kitchen to restock our drinks and prepare our favorite Mexican snack, fresh guacamole and salsa.

Ready for a break from the sun, the 3 o'clock hour typically meant nap time. We'd find shade either on the outdoor couches or in the hammocks, letting the sound of the crashing waves lull us into dreamland.

Feeling refreshed from our siesta, we'd shower up and head to the beach for our evening walk. Banderas Bay is the seventh-largest natural bay in the world and offered us lots of real estate for exploring. Crowds were at a minimum, so it was easy to feel like we had the entire beach to ourselves.

Our toughest decision of the day typically came around 5 pm. Where should we go for dinner? Shall we stay close and eat at the beach club or head out to the small town of Punta de Mita? Decisions, decisions. We ended up doing a bit both and enjoyed lots of great meals and drinks ocean side. Seafood seemed to be the area's speciality -- the fish tacos, shrimp and lobster we tried were delicious.

Sunset. We were lucky enough to be treated to six breathtaking sunsets. We'd often time dinner or our evening walks to ensure we had the best view of the setting sun whether that be from our dinner table or from the beach.

After a long day in the sun, we'd retire back to our villa around 8 pm for the night. On a few occasions, Chris set up the towels on the lounge chairs again so we could enjoy some star gazing from the balcony. So relaxing (and romantic).

And there you have it, a summary of our days in Mexico. Now that we're back, I'm quite sure we'll be reluctantly settling into our Seattle routine: work, work, work. But, I still have lots more photos to share so more Mexico posts coming your way this week. Adios for now!

We're Back!

2011-12-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

our final sunset seen on Friday night

We're back to reality after 7 wonderful days of sun and relaxation in Punta de Mita, Mexico. Chores, email and final Christmas prep are waiting for me, so I'll need to run for now, but I promise to be back soon, with LOTS to share. Here's a quick recap of our week we jotted down in the Puerto Vallarta airport. Our time in Punta Mita by the numbers...

7 days, 6 nights
80 degree temperatures

6 sunsets enjoyed, 2 sunrises

13 cervazas, 7 margaritas, 2 mojitos

31 bottles of water

1031 photos

2 naps in the hammock

9 walks on the beach

2 nights of star gazing poolside

6 servings of guacamole, 6 fish tacos, 1 lobster

HMG Celebrates

2011-12-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

It was a fun week at the HMG world headquarters! A week full of secret santa activities where I was spoiled by my santa with thoughtful gifts each day. My final gift was a soft, plum-colored handmade scarf. Add in a top pot doughnut agency breakfast and a kick-ass agency holiday party and it might have been the best week in the office all year. I never imagined when we started the agency 5 years ago it was going to be this much fun. I'm a lucky girl.

top to bottom, left to right:
our newest hire, staci, me and erin | lisa + jenny + perseco | heather shows off her mad pool skills | lisa, booty pop, enough said | the poker pot | Jabe! | all agency photo - showing off our cash gift | supportive HMG wives, Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. Moran | Aya and Shannon | guys in action losing our cash gift | supportive (and silly) HMG husbands, Mr. Reeder and Mrs. Gossett.

This weekend

2011-12-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

saturday morning hot yoga

a bit of house cleaning

lunch @ our favorite, chipotle

errands, including home depot
the bookstore

and the vitamin shop

(did you know you can buy vitamins

to make your boobs grow?

despite chris's interest we didn't get them.)

christmas present wrapping

late night sushi happy hour

2 rolls and 2 entrees for $20.93

what a deal

sunday morning snuggles

trip to the gym

meeting with the contractor

a stop at the mall

then the grocery store

laundry for me, yard work for he

movie on the couch

homemade pasta dinner

oreo treats for the office

i always wonder when monday rolls around where did the weekend go. then i make a list like the one above and it all becomes clear. even with no official 'plans' on our calendars we manage to fill our weekend time with both the necessary and nice.

happy monday, folks.

Things loved in November

2011-11-30T21:27:00.000-08:00

Source: sayingimages.com via Natalie on Pinterest

I feel like a broken record every month when I realize how quickly another 30 days have flown by. But seriously, where did November go? No motivation for a pretty picture-filled post tonight, but I couldn't let the month end without highlighting a few of my current favorites.

MAD MEN
Anyone who has come within a few feet of me this month probably has heard me mention my latest obsession - Mad Men. I caught on to the series via Netflix and managed to breeze through 4 seasons and 52 episodes in 2 weeks. That's pretty much the definition of obsessed (and the reason I've been quiet on the blog). Despite being set in the 60s, I found the much of the show very relateable given that I'm in the advertising industry and the writing is excellent. Plus, I developed a MAJOR school girl crush on the show's star, Mr. Don Draper, creative director extraordinaire. Despite his drinking, smoking and philandering ways I find him to be smart, clever and well, HOT. Chris finds my crush quite amusing. Sweetest thing he's done for me lately? Surprised me by changing my ring tone to the Man Men theme one night when I was in the shower. Can't wait for season 5 to start up in 2012.

HOT YOGA
Remember earlier this month when I was a scardy cat about trying hot yoga? Well, now with 6 classes under my belt I'm officially hooked. I even got out of bed to attend the 6:30 am class on Thanksgiving day. Somehow the weirdness of putting on your skimpiest workout clothes, stretching in odd ways next to complete strangers and sweating buckets in 105 degree heat now seams seems totally natural to me, and dare I say fun. It's a great workout (500-800 calories burned in 60 minutes) and you always feel so refreshed when it is done. Try it, and let me know how you like it.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING (for me)
Its the season for shopping and I've had fun over the past week stocking up on Christmas gifts for family and friends. But as I wander through the mall making those tough decisions on what to get for the people in my life, I find myself gravitating to purchases for me. Whoops. Perhaps it is because everything is on sale and I love a good bargain. Or because shopping for myself relieves me of the stressful questions of 'what to get?' or 'will they like it?' Unfortunately, I don't even have the patience to put away these little self-purchased presents until Christmas. After all, I need new outfits to wear to my client holiday lunches and the agency Christmas party, right?

OUR CONTRACTOR
I may be taking this back in December once construction gets underway on our new bathrooms, but so far our contractor is on my friends list. We're still in the planning phase, but so far we've met with him twice on two different weekends and he's been on time and super helpful as we work to pick out tile, granite, etc. Plus, when I email him during the week he writes me back promptly. His phone typing is horrible which leads to lots of typos, but I'm happy he is so responsive. Construction starts on Monday...so exciting.

So, tomorrow we head into December...I'm sure with our trip to Punta de Mita and Christmas, it's sure to be a month full of fun. Looking forward to it.

Source: enjoyingjoy.tumblr.com via Sandra on Pinterest

Thanksgiving Road trip

2011-11-27T20:03:00.000-08:00

Our 4-day Thanksgiving weekend included a road trip east. Through eastern WA into northern ID to spend the holiday with Chris's family in his hometown of Coeur d'Alene. We had a nice and relaxing weekend catching up with his family, eating way too much food and tackling our Christmas list with some black Friday shopping.

Those of you who follow me on twitter have seen many of these, but here is a snap shot of our weekend according to my iPhone.

1. 600+ miles and 9 hours round trip.
2. Starbucks breakfast sandwhich on the go.
3. Of course we shared an egg nog latte to wash it down.
4. Snow on the pass, but clear roads and skies.
5. Entertainment included an audio book and some magazines.
6. Crossing the state line.
7. Black friday shopping...at the hunting store. I was bored.
8. Guns, Guns, Guns.
9. Lunch at Chris's favorite burger joint. Est. 1907.

Smile

2011-11-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

If this wish for thanksgiving makes you smile a little...

Source: adorablelife.tumblr.com via Julia on Pinterest

...that would make me smile a lot.

Enjoy your day!

thanks for the cute card big sis.

Gratitude

2011-11-22T19:23:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of thanksgiving and inspired by this blogger, i'll share some of my thankful thoughts this week with you.

things i am thankful for, around my home:

- our house. it may not be perfect or always clean, but in the past 7 years this house has become our home. it's filled with lots of love, wonderful memories and the it's place where we happily start and end each day together.

- maggie. rain or shine. early or late. monday or friday. no matter when i walk in the door, maggie is always there to happily greet me. i'm grateful for her unconditional love, her comedic ways, her cuddles and for the joyful presence she brings into our lives every single day. not sure 'bad day' or 'grumpy' is in this dog's vocabulary.

- hot showers. oh, i love hot showers. so much so that i take a minimum of two every single day. (morning and night). three or four if i add in a workout or evening plans. i know not everyone in the world is lucky enough to have this luxury, so i'm grateful for clean water and the means to pay our higher-than-average water bill.

- our bed. i sometimes get buyer's remorse about big purchase, but i have never once regretted the money spent on our bed. it is my favorite place in this entire house and it is there that i feel the most at home and relaxed. i'm grateful for all of its king-sized goodness.

- electronics. no doubt, we have way too much stuff. i won't even mention the number of computers, ipads, tvs, cameras, xboxs, etc. we have in this house. it is excessive, but since we have it all, i might as well be grateful for it.

- homemade blankets. scattered around every couch and room in this house are blankets and quilts sewn by my mom. they not only keep us warm on these rainy fall nights, but they make me think of my mom and my childhood. they make me feel loved.

ok, i could go on and on...i look around me and i have so much in this home to be grateful for, but i know the only thing that matters is that i have someone special to share it with. so i will sign off by saying, i'm grateful for my husband. he may not be home from work quite yet, but i am thankful that he'll be home soon.

Have a Great Fall Weekend

2011-11-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

Wow, another week gone by and can you believe next week is Thanksgiving?! Have any exciting weekend plans?...here's what's on tap in the Gossett household.

Friday night 6 pm spin class. With the crazy hippy instructor that does sign language in class. Followed by a date night. Destination TBD. We'll see what we're in the mood for.

Saturday morning hot yoga. Or maybe I'll sleep in and get in some hubby cuddle time. Haven't decided yet.

The much anticipated viewing of the latest Twilight movie @ the fancy theater. The theater where seats are reserved and they serve food and drinks. Lisa got us tickets about 3 months ago and her excitement is contagious. Edward, we're coming...soon.

A meeting at the cabinet shop with our contractor. We're making excellent progress on the bathroom remodel. Construction stars 12/6.

Family photos taken by Corey for our Christmas card. Maggie has been practicing her posing all week.

A shared egg nog latte. Its our weekend tradition. They even have BOGO special which means perhaps I'll get my own this time. Skim milk, here I come.

Warm socks, cozy blankets and some time with Mr. Don Draper. Been totally addicted to Mad Men and oh, boy do I have a crush! I just started Season 3.

A warm pot of soup on Sunday night to cap off the weekend. Maybe we'll try something new.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Fear Not

2011-11-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

Source: google.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Today I put on my big girl pants and faced a lingering fear: Hot yoga. I've heard wonderful things about it (weight loss, detox, strength, flexibility, etc.) and have always wanted to try it, but fear has kept me away. Fear of what you might ask? Oh boy, I had so many...

- 105 degree heat, 40% humidity. And you want me to exercise in it?
- What if I pass out?
- Worse yet, what if I puke?
- You can't leave the room? Bring on the entrapment and claustrophobia fears.
- Haven't done yoga in years...what if I can't keep up?

Thanks to the pep talks from Heather and Wendy, I decided today was the day for me to face my fears and give it a try. I mentioned my plan to Chris this morning at breakfast. His response: "105 degree heat? Seriously?" Followed up by, "wow, that sounds intense." Want to join me?" I asked. "No way!" he said.

I showed up at the local studio 30 minutes early (a requirement for new students), filled out the paperwork, noted my emergency contact and headed into the studio to get acclimated to the heat. Walking in the doors of the studio, the 105 degree heat hit me like a ton of bricks. Like walking out in the AZ sun at high noon. I sat down on my mat had 20 minutes before class started to question if I could do this. I thought about packing up and leaving, but instead closed my eyes and tried my best to relax.

By the time class started, the room no longer felt hot, just very warm. The teacher asked us to set our intentions for the class. I closed my eyes and thought: "Just get through it." And, that I did. It was hatha style power yoga so I followed the rhythmic flow, relaxed and embraced the massive amounts of sweat that escaped every pore of my body. It felt hard, it felt warm. But, it also felt really good. And before I knew it, 60 minutes were up and I had conquered my fear.

On the way out, the instructor stopped to tell me I did a 'great job,' especially for my first class. Ahhhh, music to a perfectionist's ears.

Hot yoga, I'll be back. And next time, it won't be about getting through it, it will be about getting better.

A Dessert Date

2011-11-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

It was a long and tough week. The type of week that makes it totally acceptable for you to throw out the "trying to eat better and avoid sweets attempts"and treat yourself to a Friday night dessert. So, we did just that. A trip to my favorite ice cream shop, B&R (of course), for a scoop of some Halloween candy concoction in a sugar cone.

You might wonder why I didn't get my all-time favorite: Rocky Road. Well, we were pretty full from dinner so we decided to share a cone. And Chris doesn't like chocolate ice cream so I had to do that thing that makes a marriage work...you know, compromise. Sigh.

We decided to enjoy our ice cream there and I was a bit buzzed from a dinner margarita. Did you know B&R has great people watching on a Friday night? Chris got a kick out of my observations and commentary. Such as:

- Woman comes in an orders chocolate ice cream. Why? You have 30 other FUN flavors to choose from. I could not understand why some one would pick plain old chocolate. Such a disgrace!

- Man orders ice cream in a bowl. Seriously? One of the best parts about B&R is the cone! Chris's reasoning was it is easier to eat in a bowl. Well, in my opinion, the tasty cone makes any hassle completely worth it.

- Woman comes in and asks if they sell 'chocolate soda.' What is that? Is it a foreign thing? Anyone?

Thankfully Rocky Road ice cream cake is a special order, because if I had seen it in the freezer, Oh lord. I may not have been able to contain myself and decided 11-11-11 was worthy of a ice cream cake celebration in the Gossett household.

This week

2011-11-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry for being MIA on the blog this week. I've been busy! With what you might ask? Well, here goes...

After almost 5 years in our house we're finally remodeling our bathrooms. Our house was built in 2001 so it's starting to look a bit dated. So we've hired a contractor. That was the easy part. Getting Chris and I to see eye to eye on the design aesthetic..that's proving to be a bit more challenging. Thankfully houzz has hundreds and hundreds of bathroom photos to inspire us.

I've managed to cook every night this week which is rare in our house thanks to our work schedules. Well, to be honest, we did have a Costco rotisserie chicken one night. BUT, I did cook brown rice and serve up some veggies, so I'm going to pretend that counts. Monday night's meal included soft tacos using this crock pot recipe picture above, minus the cilantro, of course, add cheese and black beans. It was delicious.

Got a ticket yesterday for parking in the lot of my client's building. Technically I did not register my car and display a visitor pass so I guess I deserved it. But, seriously, I didn't think they'd really check. Thankfully, I sweet talked the security guard and got out of it. $50 saved.

My car is in the shop (got rear ended) so I've been driving Chris's car this week. Somehow I managed to load my purse (including my keys and phone) and the groceries into the car and then shut the door only to find all the doors were locked. So I'm in sweaty workout clothes, no coat and it is in the 40s, in a dark parking lot at Costco with no cell phone and no way to get home. Nice. Thankfully a kind old lady let me use her phone. Unfortunately, Chris has a habit of not answering calls from #s he doesn't recognize. So on to plan B. I was about to run home (we live about 2-3 miles from Costco), but decided to stop at the dry cleaners to try again. Nice man knows me well. Gives me gifts like huge bottles of sake for the holidays. Used his phone and proceeded to attack dial Chris. Three tries later, he answered. Thank god! And, 20 minutes later my knight in shinning armor came to rescue his shivering wife who was almost in tears.

Tuesday night after dinner Chris and I found ourselves curled up on the couch talking. About all the deep stuff that you don't find time to talk about day-to-day. There were some tears (from me, of course) and at times laughter, and it was good for us. Those of you who know Chris well, also know he can come across as reserved, and lord knows I talk enough for the both of us. Believe me the guy has opinions, he is just more cautious and careful than I am about when and how he expresses them. I need to be better about listening and hearing him out. 3 hours of talking later it was time for bed. Best 3 hours spent all week.

Also on my list this week was finding and booking a warm vacation for December. Happy to say it was easy to check that item of my list and we'll be heading to this place in Punta de Mita, Mexico in a few short weeks for a bit of R&R. We can't wait!

So that was my week....I am so looking forward to the weekend which will hopefully include lots of sleep, a date night (or two) which means a break from cooking and, of course, no more tickets or lock outs.

Happy Weekend to you!

Bundle up and go

2011-11-06T20:26:00.000-08:00

We woke up well rested thanks to the annual gift of daylight savings. We also woke up to frost the the ground and temperatures in the 30s...seriously? I am not ready for the cold.

But the sun was shinning and the Maggie's puppy dog eyes were unrelenting so we bundled up (fleece, gloves, hat, down vest), and headed out for a long walk around the neighborhood. Despite the chill, it was a beautiful day to be out enjoying the colors of fall in the Northwest.

Our walk took us into the neighborhood of Bridle Trails which is well known for horses and equestrian trails. I thought it was so cute that all the horses were bundled up with their own versions of 'jackets.'

Happy Sunday! BTW, I made a crock pot meal tonight, checking off another item on my Fall list. :)

October Loves

2011-11-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, the month of October has flown by, it is hard to believe today is the first day of November. Eek! As we transition into the chilly, wet weather here in the NW my mood always sombers. I dislike the cold, dark days ahead. So perhaps this exercises of thinking about my October favorites is a good one for me, forcing me to focusing on the positives. Here goes with my list of things loved in October...

This month kicked off our fall/winter tradition of soup on Sundays. A tradition which finds me chopping and stirring up big pot of something delicious for dinner every Sunday evening. And, even better are the leftovers that we always enjoy on Monday night. There is something sweet about starting off the week without the need to rush home and figure out what's for dinner.

Halloween isn't traditionally my favorite holiday, but boy did I embrace it this year! Lots of sweet treats were made, puppy costumes were purchased, and crafts like these little gift boxes were made for the office. I guess Halloween isn't so bad after all...it gives me a perfect excuse do be crafty and share with others.

I feel a bit guilty loving an inanimate object this much, but boy do I love my iPad. It has single handily changed my life and daily routine in so many ways, I'm not quite sure how I survived before without it. I often look at Chris with love in my eyes and tell him how it is one of the best surprise gifts he's ever gotten me. Pathetic, but true. Steve Jobs would be happy.

As much as I love summer time exercising, I've been getting back into running shape this fall and feeling great. The chill in the air and the crunch of the leaves below often make for a great run and I'm happy to be recording some of my farthest distances and quickest times. It doesn't hurt that my four-legged running buddy is back in prime shape as well.

The TV media gods know just how to cheer a girl up with the release of new fall TV shows. The DVR is put to great use this time of year and it is always nice to unwind after a long day or a tiring week with some good old TV drama. Chris sometimes gives me a hard time about my TV watching choices, but I'm quick to remind him that I'm in the marketing/advertising business...it's part of my job to stay on top of pop culture and trends....right?!

So that's my list for October. Can't wait to see what November brings.

What were your favorites this month? Feel free to share in the comments or write up your own blog post!

Linking up with "What I'm Loving Wednesday".

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

We had a bit of fun around here on Saturday morning. Dressing up the puppy with a $2.99 witches hat I found at Safeway and a piece of black scrap fabric. We think she's the friendliest (and cutest) witch you'll ever meet. But then again, we may be a bit biased. We hope your Halloween is filled with whatever treats make you happy, whether that be candy or milk bones.

Pumpkin Carving 2011

2011-10-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

The Alstons hosted the 4th annual pumpkin carving party tonight and we all had a blast! Their large kitchen offers the perfect set-up to surround yourself by good friends, enjoy a glass of wine, roll up your sleeves and carve some serious pumpkins.

We went with a Gossett family pumpkin this year and admittedly Chris did 98% of the work. His patience and precision paid off and I think it turned out great. I'm now officially in the Halloween mood. Bring it on!

Thanks Alstons for hosting the 2011 party! See 2010, 2009 and 2008.

I volunteered to bring dessert and was overwhelmed with all of the cute things I saw on pintrest. Unable to decide on one, I went with a party platter approach and made Brownie/Pretzel skeletons, Oreo Truffles and Spider Web Sugar Cookies.

Finished.

2011-10-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

I finished knitting my second scarf of the season, happily knocking off another one of my five fall goals. Then I took a few iPhone self portraits of my new scarf for blog proof. Yup, I'm a dork.

Up next on my knitting list might just be a hat..wish me luck.

Cake Pops for Cheaters

2011-10-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

I'm not typically a cheat, but I couldn't resist taking a short cut in my 2nd attempt at cake pops. My first attempt was years ago when the craze first hit. It was a horrible experience and an entire batch of disformed, crumbled cake balls ended up in the trash never seeing the light of day.

I was inspired to give cake pops another go when my sister gave me a cute cake pop decorating book. But this time, I wised up, skipped the whole cake pop making step and started off with donut holes. Best. Decision. Ever.

Out & About

2011-10-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

A break in the fall rain, encouraged us to get up and out this morning to enjoy a hike, knocking off one of my 5 fall goals. A 30 minute drive east took us to Twin Falls. The cool temperatures kept us comfortable for the 3.5 mile hike with just enough hills to give us all a bit of a workout. It was a great Sunday morning spent as a family and we were happy to return home to refuel with a big brunch of homemade omelets, fried potatoes and fresh fruit. Happy Sunday!

P.S. No SOUPer Sunday recipe tonight. We made the lemon chicken orzo soup, again and it was just as tasty the 2nd time.

Guest Posting - Our Journey To Japan

2011-10-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

I did a quick guest post at the cute blog Traveling Triplets today all about our trip to Japan back in 2007. While the trip was years ago, the memories are still fresh and Chris and i often talk about wanting to return to Japan. This trip was literally weeks after I got my first SLR camera, so it is fun to look back at my photog skills then. Anyway, enjoy the trip down memory lane!

Five Fall Goals

2011-10-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by the sweet Noelani to do a posting about my five of my goals for this fall season. So here goes...

{via}
Is it bad to admit that I sort of hate carving pumpkins? I know it is festive and many consider it fun, but I honestly don't find it very fun at all. It's messy, it requires patience and I'm usually ready to hand over my work in progress to Chris to finish about 5 minutes into the project. But, on a positive note, I do love toasted pumpkin seeds! Salty, crunchy and good for you!

{via}
I know the crock pot is a working girl's best friend, but I continue to struggle with it. Many of the recipes I find for it seem a bit greasy, processed or not super appetizing. And with our schedules we're often away from home for 10-12 hours, causing the few things I've tried to be overcooked. But, I've found a few promising recipes via Pinterest lately and I'm determined this fall to give it another go. Any favorites to share, please do?!

Practice, Practice, Practice. My goal for fall is to take a lot more photos and practice as much as I can. I usually shoot in 'Aperature' mode, but I've been reading a few things lately that have inspired me to practice shooting 'Manual' again.

{via}
My sister got me a cool book for my birthday with tons of cute knitting projects and I've been inspired to give this hobby another go. I'm great at picking out cute (expensive) yarn and starting something, but so far I've been pretty horrible about actually finishing a project. So I hope a lot more knitting is in my future this fall.

We're hoping one weekend soon to find the time and motivation to head out to the mountains and soak in the fall foliage with a hike with Maggie. We have so many great trails in the area, the hardest part will be deciding where we should go!

*****
I just figured it out! Here's the plan for how I'll tackle these five fall goals. I'll wrap myself up in a hand-knitted scarf, set up the crock pot in the kitchen with a recipe for Slow Cooked Bolognese Sauce. Pack up a baggie of pumpkin seeds as a snack. Strap on my camera and head out to the mountains for a fall hike where I take lots of photos with manual camera settings.

*****
And now, I am suppose to pick 5 lovely blog friends and see if they have some Fall Goals that they'd like to share with the Blogosphere! So with that being said, my picks are :

1. Jenny @ Meet the Morans
2. Wendy @ WagMoreBarkLess
3. Leah @ The Bishop Family
4. Kirsten @ The Swelliots
5. Tracy @ The Pacarros

Happy Fall Everyone!

Souper Sunday - Ribollita

2011-10-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

With Chris home again, we were back on track with our SOUPer Sunday tradition last night. As much as we were craving the Lemon Chicken Orzo soup from two weeks ago again, we decided to change it up a bit and cook up one of our favorites: Ribollita. We were first introduced to this soup by friends, Corey & Jenny, and it has always been a favorite.

I think the best way to describe it is a cross between minestrone and vegetable. Hearty & flavorful, this soup is delicious. And with a chicken based broth, and lots of veggies, I'm pretty sure this soup is healthy too.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling on bread
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (15-ounce) can cannelloni beans, drained
1 tablespoon herbs de Provence
3 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 (3-inch) piece Parmesan rind
4 to 6 ciabatta rolls, halved lengthwise or 1 loaf, sliced
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions:
Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, pancetta, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Tips & Tricks:
- I skip the onion well, because, I dislike them. :)
- We use the cubed pancetta from Trader Joes and double it up with two containers.
- We almost think this soup is better on day 2, but always add a bit more chicken broth to thin it out a bit.

Enjoy!

Scenes from the weekend

2011-10-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

It was a quiet weekend around here. We skillfully walked that very fine line between relaxation and laziness. With no plans on the books, we simply let the weekend unfold. A bit of 'me' time, combined with lots of 'we' time. It was just what the doctor ordered.

It's the little things

2011-10-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

Maggie and I were all by our lonesome this week as Chris attended the Game Developer Conference Online (GDC) in Austin. We picked him up last night from the airport and boy is it good to have him home.

We kept in touch day to day with text messages and nightly phone calls. My favorite text of the week was one sent at 10:11 pm on Wednesday night. He was out and about with some co-workers enjoying the Austin music scene so we hadn't talked via phone that night. I was in bed just about to drift off to dreamland when this came in:

P.S. I love you.

It's the little things in a marriage isn't it? We even managed to continue our tradition of a shared morning latte despite the Seattle - Texas distance.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Cool Crafts: Paper Flower Bouquet

2011-10-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

I'm blessed to work with amazing co-workers and Erin, my Sr. Account Executive, is one of them. With her birthday this week, I knew I wanted to craft her up something special.

I saw a simple tutorial for paper flowers via Pintrest and decided to give it a try. The best thing about this project was that there was no measuring or folding required. Simply cut out irregular and haphazard circles and then roll. Plus, I had all of the supplies already on hand. Instead of a vase, I put the flowers in a reusable coffee mug since Erin has a love for warm beverages.

Take a few moments to make someone's day a bit brighter with some paper flowers. Simple to make & they'll last forever.

Find the step by step tutorial on Jones Design Company's blog here.

Guest Posting - Hawaii Travel Tips

2011-10-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

The clouds are here, the rain is falling, it sounds like the perfect time to think about a trip to somewhere warm and sunny, right? So, come visit me over at the Presutti's blog where I did a little guest posting on my top three travel tips for Hawaii.

Fall in Seattle

2011-10-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

Its become a little tradition of ours to visit the Washington Arboredum in both the Spring and the Fall. This 230 acre park is the perfect place to enjoy the changing of the seasons and enjoy a bit of Saturday sunshine.

Cool Crafts - Kindle Case

2011-10-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I dusted off my hand-me-down sewing machine for the first time in almost a year. There is something about the rainy, fall weather that motivates me to spend an entire day in pjs, hunched over a table channeling my creative juices. Just like riding a bike, the sewing steps all came back to me - wind the bobbin, thread the needle...off I go.

First up on my project list was a birthday gift for my friend Jenny. One of the many things Jenny and I have in common is a love for cheesy, lighthearted, romantic books. We always enjoy trading and discussing the latest chick lit ebook, so I decided to sew her a fun case for her Kindle.

I found this easy step-by-step tutorial and got to work. When it comes to sewing, I'm definitely a beginner, which is proof how simple this pattern was to follow. The morning started off with a bit of trial and error, and perhaps a few curse words. But by mid-afternoon, I was in the groove and anointed myself President of my very own Kindle case-making factory.

Happy Birthday, Jenny! Hope you enjoy your new case. I'm looking forward to lots more ebook trading with you.

Gratitude

2011-10-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

I had an appointment this afternoon with a hematologist/oncologist. Sitting in the waiting room of the Virgina Mason Cancer Institute was the most uneasy I've felt in a long time. The reason for my visit was for the hematology part of the practice - abnormal blood work that needs some attention. Thankfully, I do not have cancer and please don't worry, I'll be okay.

But I looked around the room and realized that the others surrounding me aren't so lucky. One woman dabs her eyes, discreetly wiping away tears. Another man, is skinny and gaunt, I can only guess what he is going through. My mind wanders to the news of Steve Jobs, how can life, and death, be so unfair?

This blog is typically my happy place. Where I recap and remember sweet treats, cool crafts, time spent with loved ones. But, the reality is my life isn't always happy. Blood work comes back abnormal. Hope is replaced with despair. Loss is experienced after love. Privately, it is easy for me to sometimes get caught up in the negative, but you know what? I have it pretty good.

So tonight, I am focusing on gratitude.

I'm feeling thankful for my husband who's cuddled up with me on the couch letting me watch whatever I want on TV (since I had a rough day). For this warm quilt on my lap sewed with love by my mom. For my dad who sends me cute text about trying my favorite drink of the moment - the Starbucks PSL. For my sister who's text and calls keep me sane and smiling day after day. For my devoted maggie, who still wags her tail and looks at me with love in her eyes even though I got home late and skipped her walk. For my friends who are always by my side to celebrate the good and help me get through the bad. For the yummy pizza we had for dinner. For the chocolate we had in the pantry. For the hot shower I savored. For this life I've been given and the generous amount of love I have around me.

Life may not be perfect, but it sure is good.

Source: creamylife.com via Amy on Pinterest

What's Next?

2011-10-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

It's reader participation day. Where your vote matters. Exciting, huh?

I'm linking up with Michelle's PINTERESTing Wednesday activity and sharing with you a few delicious dessert recipes I've found lately on Pinterest. Question is what do I make next? Decisions. Decisions. So help me decide by voting for what you think sounds the yummiest.

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via jodianne

source: annies-eats.net via pinmarklet

source: kevinandamanda.com via pinmarklet

source: sugarcooking.blogspot.com via Julia C
source: kevinandamanda.com via Chasity Terry

What Should I Bake Next?

Order Up

2011-10-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Together for 12 years, married for 7. There are many things Chris and I see eye to eye on, but how we like our burgers is definitely not one of them. On a recent trip to The Slip in Kirkland, we could help but laugh over our differences:

His order: meat patty + peanut butter + bacon + jalapenos + lettuce + tomato + pickles
Her response: Gross.

Her order: earth burger (roasted portobello & domestic mushrooms, cheese + quinoa, millet, short grain rice and oats) + cheddar cheese + lettuce
His response: Where's the beef?

P.S. If you're looking for a good veggie burger around Seattle, this one is the best I've found. Delicious.
P.P.S. I'm not a vegetarian, sometimes I just pretend to be.

Souper Sunday - Lemon Chicken Orzo

2011-10-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

The start of fall and the arrival of yucky weather, means its time to return to our annual cold-weather tradition of homemade soup on Sundays.

While I was working in NY, I was in search of a place that was work-friendly, served food and had free wi-fi. Panera fulfilled the mandatories, but it was their Lemon Chicken Orzo soup that had me sold. I became officially addicted and made Panera my daily afternoon work spot. I was happy to find this recipe that claimed to be just like Panera's and was anxious to try it out. Having never tried a restaurant knock-off recipe before, I must say I was impressed by this one. It was spot on and tasted exactly like Panera's.

This low calorie, light and healthy soup is definitely making its way into our souper sunday rotation.

Directions:
1.Place all of the ingredients except the lemon juice in a 4-quart pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the orzo is cooked al dente.
2. Add the lemon juice, stirring well to mix.
3. Ladle the hot soup into individual bowls and serve immediately & serve with fresh bread.

I added more carrots, celery and chicken to make it more hearty. I also omitted the onions, because I dislike them. To make the chicken I bought bone-in breasts, seasoned them with olive oil, salt and pepper and baked them for about 1 hr @350. Then I shredded it for the soup (thanks for the tip, sis).

Thanks to pintrest I found a few additional soup recipes I want to try. But, don't be afraid to share with me your favorites.

NOTE: Photos & recipes in this post were cited above and given credit to their rightful owners where possible.

September Loves

2011-09-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks the end of September and I'm amazed at how quickly the month flew by. Whew! Of course, with each month comes new discoveries and obsessions, so I thought I'd share my list of things loved in September.

I spent the first 33 years of my life as a non coffee drinker, but leave it to my sister to introduce me to something called a 'pumpkin spice latte' and now I'm hooked. Obsessed, really. Ironically, I don't typically like anything pumpkin, but there is something special about this sweet, spicy, warm beverage that is just the right combo of flavors to get me jazzed in the morning. My budget is not appreciating the $4.16-per-day new habit, but on the plus side I'm racking up points with the Starbucks loyalty program.

Despite the official coming of fall, we were blessed in the northwest with a few warm days of September. Sunny skies, temperatures in the high 70s and 80s--those rare days were definitely loved and appreciated in September.

A few weeks ago my dear friend Wendy introduced me to chia seeds and there is no going back for me now. A healthy food that actually doesn't taste horrible. Sign me up! I'm not a fish eater so my body appreciates the omegas, not to mention the fiber, protein, calcium, etc. These little seeds pack a crazy punch! My favorite is to mix them into smoothies and yogurt. They don't really have a taste and are similar in size and appearance to poppy seeds. Find them in the health food or vitamin section of your grocery store.

I was a day late on the Target Missoni crazy, but was still able to snag two pairs of limited-edition Missoni shoes for my wardrobe. A pair of suede heels and the flats shown in the photo above. Love them. I also loved all of the great end-of-season deals found at my favorite stores. Needless to say I did a fair amount of shopping in the month of September. Sorry honey.

I love a spa quality manicure and pedicure as much as the next girl, but I don't love the weekly bill. So I've been having fun doing my own weekly pedicures and manicures. It is Sunday night ritual for me in front of the TV and that little bit of 'me' time plus the punch of color on my fingers and toes makes me happy all week. Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri Top Coat has been a live saver. Just 30 seconds to set.

And finally, a true highlight of my month was the week-long visit with my sister and my adorable nephew. Time with this kid is rare for me and every moment is truly treasured. Don't you love that photo in the bottom left where he is typing? I worked from NY the week I visited so that was his impression of how his auntie "na-na" works on a computer. So freakin adorable!

So that's my list for September. Can't wait to see what October brings.

What were your favorites this month?

P.S. List of monthly loves, inspired by this blogger.

Fashion Inspiration

2011-09-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

I'm admittedly not the most fashionable girl on the block. I will usually select comfort over style and despite what my husband may argue, I'm very frugal when it comes to shopping. I love a good bargain and very rarely buy anything full price.

I'd call my style casual and my wardrobe is a mix of both brand name and cheap stuff. I love to shop stores like Banana Republic and Nordstrom for the basics, but also get trendier pieces from stores like Old Navy, Forever 21 and H&M. I enjoy the activity of shopping so I don't mind looking around for a good deal or finding the needle in a haystack item on a sale rack. I am getting way better about accessories these days, but still get lazy and on many days look and feel pretty uninspired.

Like many others, I've been hooked on pinterest lately and recently stumbled upon the site Polyvore which has been great fashion inspiration. I love how it displays complete outfits including shoes and accessories. And these aren't celebrity-night-on-the-town outfits, just every day ensembles I could easily wear to work, out with friends, or on a date night. Love it!

Here are a few of my recent outfit favorites. Check out Polyvore for your own inspiration.

What inspires you when it comes to fashion? Please do share!

Dim Sum Date Night

2011-09-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

Chris often works long hours and is sometimes not home for dinner during the week so when the weekend rolls around we usually head out for date nights. No groceries. No cooking. No clean up. We love it. Plus, it is always fun to sit across from the one you love to catch up on the week and hatch plans for the future.

We tend to get in a rut when it comes to dinner spots. It isn't that we are anti trying new things. We just really love our favorites and frequent them often. A co-worker kept raving about a trendy new dim sum place, Din Tai Fung, and on Friday night we finally decided to give it a try. The menu was very big with lots of options and the food was delicious. Our favorite dish of the night was the shrimp & pork wontons in spicy sauce. Hot dumplings on a chilly fall Seattle evening definitely hits the spot. Happy to add Din Tai Fung to our date night restaurant rotation.

P.S. I'm linking up with a {little} dash of ash weekly instagram party. Wahoo!

Falling...

2011-09-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

(fallen leaves from around the neighborhood)

Fall is definitely here in the Northwest: the clouds. the cold. the wind.
I usually dread this change of season. This hawaiian girl puts up a good fight as I hate saying good bye to the long, warms days of summer.

But like everything in life, I've come to realize it is all about attitude and perspective. So on our family walk out in the windy, fall weather, I looked around me for the things about the coming of fall that make me happy. Bundled up, vanilla latte in hand, Chris and Maggie by my side, I took notice of the changing colors around me...perhaps fall isn't so bad after all.

What's your favorite thing about fall?

This Weekend

2011-09-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

Chris and I rarely travel apart. Our jobs keep us mostly here in Seattle and we always vacation together. So being apart from each other for 7 days like last week is a bit unusual for us. While away we keep in touch with a few daily texts and a nightly phone conversation, but in general we're not a co-dependent or overly lovey-dovey couple.

Which is why I was surprised to return to home to a husband that can't stop talking about how much he missed me last week. It is pretty darn sweet. He'll stop in the middle of a totally normal activity like eating dinner or watching TV and turn to me and say "I missed you so much." or "It is so nice to have you home." And, when I asked him what he wanted to do this weekend his response was, "oh, the normal stuff we do together. like go grocery shopping, walk maggie, run errands... I just want to hang out with you."

Seriously? He wants to come grocery shopping with me? Perhaps I should go away more often.

So our weekend will be filled with the mundane stuff married couples do, but perhaps it will feel a bit more special since our absent hearts are fonder than ever.

I hope you have a great weekend doing what you love surrounded by who you love.

Sweet Treats

2011-09-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

I've been in the baking mood lately. Cookies, fudge brownies, apple crisps, cupcakes...over the past 7 days I've made them all!

I always love to bake. The problem is that I'm married to a guy that doesn't really have a sweet tooth. Couple that with a complete lack of self control, which means baking without a cause is a calorie disaster waiting to happen.

So, my hard and fast rule is that I only bake if I have people to share it with.

Video: Splish Splash

2011-09-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

I'm going through some serious nephew withdrawls this week as I settle back into life here in Seattle. But, I was immediately cheered up when I sat down after work to review some of the video footage I shot last week. This is 1 minute and 20 seconds of pure bath time cuteness that I absolutely had to share. You'll even get a taste of how he feels for me, his Auntie Nana. (This was my first attempt at shooting and editing high-definition video so pardon the imperfections.)

Turn up the volume and enjoy! I hope this little guy brightens your day like he does mine.

Allison Howe Russell

2011-09-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago our college friends Steve and Katie Russell welcomed into the world a precious little girl named Allison. Allison joins big brother, Peyton, and makes this cute little family quite complete with her presence. It was so great to see the new family of four doing so well and of course, I was thrilled to get in some newborn snuggles. Congrats again Katie & Steve!

Apple Picking

2011-09-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

It was a sunny, but crisp morning in Rochester. Temperatures in the low 70s and a feeling of fall in the air. The perfect day to head out to a local farm near Sandy's house to pick some apples with my nephew, Ethan. Pulling apples off the tree and placing (or throwing) them in the bucket, were right up his alley and he was quite the little helper.

We brought a couple pounds of apples, and whipped up an apple crisp from this recipe I found online. I figured that if 2000+ reviewers like it, it must be good. Warm apple crisp served up with Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream, it was delicious.

Good Morning Sunshine

2011-09-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

I can't remember the last time I saw a sunrise. Usually, the call of sleep and my warm bed is just too much to resist. But, this morning Ethan and I were up at the crack of dawn. Getting out of bed was a little less painful when looked out the window. It was simply spectacular.

Inside the bedroom window, the view was just as spectacular. A cute nephew welcoming whatever the new days brings with open arms and a toothy smile. Who cares that it is 6:50 am?! He was ready to go. I wish I could bottle up his enthusiasm in the morning and take it with me...

My time here in Rochester with my sister is coming to an end. Tonight I'll give E and Sandy a last hug and a kiss and hop a plane back to my Seattle reality and my patiently waiting husband. So many great memories from the week that I'll treasure forever. A few more blog posts from my time here coming your way...
Until then, signing off from Rochester. Have a good day!

My Date

2011-09-15T05:48:00.000-07:00

I had a 1:1 date last night with Ethan.

Totally on our own.
No mommy or nanny chaperons this time.
Just the two of us.
We sat on the front steps.
And watched the cars, school buses and birds go by.
We played with my iPhone.
Took silly photos together.
We did a bit of golfing in the yard.
He has a killer swing.
Truth be told, I let him win.
We wrote love messages in chalk on the driveway.
And drew flowers too.
We sat close on the couch and read together.
I let him pick the book.
We played a bit of hide and seek.
He loved the chase.
We even held hands and kissed a few times.
Lots of smiles and laughing too.
For dinner we had vegetable pasta and a side of fresh berries.
He had a mini donut for dessert.
And gave me a bite.
We went on a sunset walk around the neighborhood.
It was so nice out.
Once again we noticed things like the birds, cars, moon, airplanes...
Thankfully, I got him home in time for his 7:30 pm curfew.
Whew! Didn't want to make his mommy mad.
It was a dating success.
I really like this guy.
I hope I get to date him again soon.
I'm in love.

Candy Making Sisters

2011-09-14T04:28:00.000-07:00

A love for crafting is in our blood, thanks to our mom who is the ultimate crafting queen. So whenever us sisters get together we always figure out a project (or two or three) for us to do together. We go hardcore when the husbands aren't around (like this trip) to roll their eyes and tell us we're crazy. My dear friend, Wendy, got me a candy making class for my birthday, which I just took last week, so I was excited to practice my new skills with my sister.

As soon as we put Ethan down for the night, the Perry girls' crafting workshop would open for business. Marketer and Doctor by day, crafting ladies by night! Up first: candy covered oreo cookies. Two nights of work, 4 hours of time, a bit of trial and error, and lots of dirty dishes later, here are the results: 17 animal cookies. These cookies will be shared with cute kiddos of friends later this week. We hope they like them!

Being an Aunt

2011-09-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

A little munchin named Ethan entered the world 16 months ago and truly changed our family. My sister became a mother, parents became grandparents and I became an aunt. Despite living 3,000 miles away, I am thankful that in less than a year and a half, I've been able to visit with this little guy five times (visit 1, 2, 3, 4). With each of my visits I am always amazed how much he's changed. When I first met him, he was just one month old, so small and in many ways so easy to be around. Sleep, eat, poop, sleep. Life was pretty simple then.

Now, he is walking, talking and speaking his mind the best way he knows how. He has quite the personality these days and I can begin to see glimpses of the type of guy he'll be one day. He calls me "na-na." And when I walk into a room, his eyes light up, he points and he proclaims "Na-na!" It is pretty darn special being an aunt.

P.S. Sorry for the way messy hair. Being an aunt is also hard work, little time for vanity when you're helping with a 16-month old.

A Typical Day

2011-09-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

One of the blogs I read shared her typical schedule and I found it to be interesting to get a glimpse into someone else's day. So I thought I'd share my typical day and encourage you to do the same either in the comments or on your blog.

6:50 am - alarm goes off.
6:51 am - i roll over and groan.
6:55 am - i reach for my ipad on the night stand and check my work email. (i know this sounds pathetic)
7:05 am - out of bed, in the shower.
7:35 am - all ready. head downstairs to feed the dog, take my vitamins, pack my breakfast.
7:40 am - out the door, on the way to work.
8:15 am - arrive at the best little marketing agency in seattle.
9:00 am - morning agency meeting.
9:00 am - 11:59 am - do fancy director of client services things. lots and lots of email. several client calls.
12:00 pm - lunch! tons of good options downtown. usually a salad or a sandwich. i typically pick it up and eat at my desk.
12:15 - 5:30ish pm - more email. more calls. spreadsheets. internal meetings. schedules. creative reviews.
5:30 pm - head home. pray for little traffic on the bridge.
6:15 pm - arrive home, change, head out for a run or walk with maggie.
6:50 pm - 2nd shower of the day.
7:00 pm - begin cooking dinner.
7:30 pm - dinner is served. catch up with hubby on our day.
8:00 pm - settle into the couch for blogging, tv watching, reading, relaxing.
8:30 pm - eat a popcicle. or two.
11:00 pm - head to up to bed.
11:02 pm - in dreamland. i fall asleep the moment my head hits the pillow.

Thankfully, I am excited that this mundane work-day routine will be broken next week as I head to NY to visit with my sister and adorable nephew. I'm sure a 16 month-old can shake up my routine pretty good. Bring it on!

Indian Summer

2011-09-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

Finally! Finally! It appears summer has decided to arrive in Seattle. Temperatures in the 80s all week and another week of sun in sight. I love it. Dresses to work every day, dinner enjoyed on the patio, evening walks with mags...I'm savoring the sun while it lasts.

**sunset photo taken yesterday evening on our walk around the neighborhood, down the hill, over the freeway, toward the waterfront. photo taken and edited with the camera+ app**

Our latest addiction

2011-09-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

We have a confession to make. We're officially addicted to Popsicles. The 80-degree weather we've been experiencing lately has taken our addiction to a whole new level. We may have gone to the store yesterday specifically to restock our supply. My record is a total of 4 Popsicles consumed in one sitting. Chris cut me off after the 4th. How rude?! Thankfully, we're consuming the all natural pure fruit variety so I'm loading up on vitamin C and anti-oxidants in addition to the 40 calories per bar. We were smart yesterday and bought two boxes, so we're stocked up for the next few days. We don't want to run out again like Saturday night. That was a disaster and had us both in a bad mood.

The Dahlias

2011-09-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

Visiting a local dahlia farm has been on my wish list since last summer when I discovered I missed the short 4-week dahlia u-pick season. I'm not sure if it is the bright, vibrant colors or the dozens of varieties, but they are definitely one of my favorite flowers.
My mom and I did the pointing and the men did the clipping. It was a perfect u-pick process and we came home with a few dozen fresh dahlias. I definitely plan to make a trip to the Dahlia Barn an annual summer tradition. Aren't they beautiful?

Two-hour Tour

2011-09-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

We pulled up to the SeaTac terminal and said a tearful goodbye to my parents this afternoon after a really fun and special 3-day visit. The weather this weekend in Seattle was absolutely perfect, but even better was the company. We had such fun showing them a good time in our beautiful city.

I've got a few things to share from their visit, but I'll start with our time today boating on Lake Washington, thanks to the generosity of good friends, the Alstons, who took us out in their boat. Thank you guys!

While Brett did an excellent job as tour guide showing my parents all of the sights, Julia took over driving the boat. She was an pint-size pro.

We had fun viewing all of the massive lake-front homes. I hand selected a few options for mom and dad to consider moving into when they retire and move up from Hawaii. A girl can dream...

Up next...we head east to checkout fast water and fresh flowers...

Tour de Redmond

2011-08-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

Me and bikes have a long, painful history. I have numerous scars and three trips to the emergency room as proof of it. So, when Chris and I decided to go on a bike ride this weekend everyone, especially my family, was worried about my safety.

We borrowed a bike, purchased a clearance helmet at REI and headed out on Sunday morning. We decided to ride along the Sammamish River Trail which takes you from Redmond to Woodnville. Best part about the ~10 mile ride is the stop at the brewery for beer & lunch at the halfway point.

Thankfully, this time I managed to stay on the bike and out of the emergency room. But scroll down to read about my oh so embarrassing moment.

True story, I couldn't even dream this up for blog fodder...we come out of the brewery and the bike racks are full and the parking lot is buzzing. Redhook is a popular bike spot, especially on a sunny afternoon. Chris unhooks our bikes and hands me my helmet. I strap it on and we ride out of the parking lot and back on the trail. Something seemed a bit off about my helmet, the sun seemed to be a bit more in my eyes and it just didn't feel right. I rode up along Chris and said, 'honey, i think something is off about my helmet.' He immediately started laughing and we pulled over. Little did I know that I had been riding for 2+ miles with my helmet on backwards. Talk about embarrassing! I think back to that full parking lot of people and all of the riders we passed on the trail. I am sure I gave them a pretty good laugh. Definitely not my finest moment.

Days like this

2011-08-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

summer sunset - august 25, 2011

on days like this,
the summer sun calls us out to play
we ditch the tennis shoes and the after-work run for flip flops and a leisurely waterfront stroll
we bail on last night's leftovers and opt for take out from the local taco truck
we trade a meal at the dinner table for one at the park picnic table
we abandon the television and instead tune in to the night's sunset

on days like this
we can't help but think, life is good.

Doggy Diary -- Best.Day.Ever

2011-08-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

hello friends,

it's maggie! you know, gossett dog. it's been a while since i last wrote. i've been super busy. oh wait, i mean lazy. (i always get those two words mixed up). anyhow, i am back from the dead and feeling so much better. i know technically i wasn't dead, just recovering from knee surgery, but sometimes i like to be dramatic just like my mama.

this weekend was the best ever. it was sunny and hot in seattle and mom and dad decided to take me to the skykomish river for a swim. we had pretty much the entire beach to ourselves except for a few kids playing in the sand but they were super easy for me to ignore. i heard dad complain that the water was freezing, like ice cubes, but me and my fur coat weren't bothered at all. dad found lots of sticks and threw them in the river for me to fetch. it was so fun. mom sunbathed and read some trashy magazine called us weekly. sometimes she can be such a bore.

i swam and swam and mom and dad were worried that it was too much activity for my recovering knee and kept calling at me to come in and rest. but i used this little trick called selective hearing and just kept on swimming. eventually they gave up (those suckers).

it was so much fun and i was so happy to be outside in the sun and swimming again. dogs like me have a really short memory so pretty soon my head will be filled with memories of swimming and fetch and sun and all of those nasty surgery memories will be long gone. sayonara! (impressed? my mom taught me some japanese).

well, gotta run...sounds like something exciting is happening in the kitchen.

love & licks,
maggie (gossett dog)

want to hear more from me? leave me a note in the comments and perhaps my mom will let me guest post again soon.

doggy diary inspired by this blogger.

Up, Up and Away

2011-08-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

My final birthday celebration took place at 2,000 feet aboard the Northwest's largest hot air balloon. We lucked out with perfect weather and the pilot said it was one of the best night in the air he's had all summer. We took off from Snohomish around 7:00 pm and had a perfect view in all directions of Seattle right at sunset. The Cascades in the east, Mt. Rainer in the south and the Olympics in the west.

It was a ride of a lifetime and definitely a memorable way to celebrate my 33rd birthday.

The hot air balloon crew consisted of just two guys, a FAA certified pilot and a one-man chase crew who follows us and meets us at the landing spot. With the balloon fabric weighing over 500 lbs and the basket almost 1,000 lbs, the two-guy crew asked for volunteers to help with set up and take down. Chris stepped up both times and was able to burn a few extra calories while getting a private lesson in hot air balloon mechanics.

Look for Chris in the left corner of this photo..gives you a sense of the size of balloon about 1/2 full.

Right next to us in the field was another balloon setting up, they became our 'balloon buddies' as we flew a similar flight path and we got some nice photos of them in the air.

The inflation of the balloon took about 15-20 minutes. We then climbed on in and headed up, up and away. It took us a while to get used to the sound and heat of the propane, but once we were airborne the amazing views were a great distraction. With the low winds, our speed hoovered around 4-5 miles per hour and it felt like were were floating. I realized while airborne that this is one of the few (if not the only) flying activity you can do without a window in front of you, nothing between you and fresh air and the scenery all around.

Before we knew it, the hour was up and time in the air was coming to an end. The pilot let us know that our target landing spot was in sight (below). There was a field of cows on the left just outside the photos and it was funny to see them run as we drifted a bit to their direction on our approach. I never knew cows could run that fast! Thankfully our pilot did a great job with the landing and we didn't need to use any of his emergency landing techniques we heard about in our briefing.

It was such a memorable ride and one I am thankful to have shared with Chris by my side. Thank you sweetie for making my hot air balloon dreams come true and my 33rd birthday so special.

Penguins, Elephants, Giraffes and More

2011-08-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

Chris's sister, Kerri, and her family were in town this past weekend visiting from Idaho so we all headed to Woodland Park Zoo on Saturday morning. It had been years since we had last been and it was fun to see it all again from the perspective of our niece and nephew (ages 8 and 10).

All of the animals were behind glass or fences (for good reason I guess) which made picture taking a bit challenging. Why can't the animals all roam free, not bite, not stink, sit perfectly and strike a pose for the camera when I am around? Perhaps that is a bit too much to ask...

And my least favorite part of the zoo, the smell! Chris captured this winner of a photo when we were passing by the petting zoo, which was particularly fragrant. When I asked Chris if he thought I should share this flattering photo with my blog friends his response, "yes, absolutely." So here you go:

Girls B-day Celebration

2011-08-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

It's getting late and I should join the others in bed, but I can't seem to wipe this grin off my face thanks to wonderful birthday celebration I had tonight with Lisa, Wendy and Jenny. You girls spoiled me rotten and I am soooo very thankful. Thankful for tonight which was a total blast, but more importantly thankful for your friendships. I am so lucky to have you ladies in my life.

Since these girls know me so well, of course they planned the PERFECT activity for us to do on my birthday -- ceramics painting! It was right up my crafty alley. We all picked out our pieces and had a great time painting and chatting away. Artistic painting plans were made and some were aborted as we all realized that painting is a bit trickier than we initially thought. In the end, I think every one's work turned out great and I can't wait to pick up our goods next week and bring home my cupcake platter that will always remind me of my 33rd birthday and my time with you ladies.

Formal thank you notes will be in the mail soon, but for now, from the bottom of my 33-year-old heart - THANK YOU!

Birthday Love

2011-08-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

Oh the birthday love, wow do I feel it!
My birthday weekend kicked off early and with a bang thanks to Chris's surprise yesterday. A clean house! Dinner on the table! Fresh flowers! A clean dog! Presents! A blog post! Boy, does he know the way to my heart. I was truly surprised and so touched that he put in so much effort to show me the love on my birthday.
And that was just the beginning...

I felt the love all day with a flood of text messages, phone calls and facebook messages from family and friends. Add to that a lunch date with Gossett Boy who came by the office and took me out to one of my favorite spots, plus a birthday celebration with HMG who got me my favorite dessert (baskin & robbins rocky road ice cream cake!). Top it all off with a 2nd date with Gossett Boy for happy hour. Wow, it was a great day.

It is hard to believe the weekend is just starting and I have lots more celebrating coming my way....I'm a truly lucky girl.

thanks sis for the special order cupcakes. love you!

Birthday Surprise!

2011-08-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all... Gossett Boy here.

As most of you know Natalie's birthday is just around the corner. So, I decided to surprise Natalie by doing some of the much needed chores around the house.

Last night she was listing off all the tasks we needed to complete before Friday and as the list grew and grew she became increasingly worried we wouldn't be able to get everything done in time and that she would have to spend her birthday cleaning. Even as she left for work this morning she was still poking fun at me. "Hope you got a good night's rest because you'll need it to get all the house work done tonight," she said.

Well, what she didn't know is that I had already planned on taking the day off from work to tackle the growing list, prepare for her birthday and make one of her favorite dinners. So I put on my best fake-50's style-Mr. Mom-smile and snapped a few iPhone photos of my day at home. Hope you like them...

Oh and if you see Natalie wish her a happy birthday, but don't tell her about the surprise!

Stair Vacuuming, Natalie hates that, but I like it.

Making the bed like a good stay at home hubby.

Cleaning the bathrooms... what's not to smile about?

Making dinner is always fun!

Gossett Dog needed a bath too.

Alternative Perspectives

2011-08-10T18:38:00.001-07:00

The weather was fantastic on Sunday so after running our errands and completing our chores we were ready to get out and enjoy it. Chris suggested a picnic and immediately visions of a cute plaid blanket and a romantic lunch in the park came to my mind. Until he clarified saying his idea of a picnic was lunch outside on the outdoor furniture. Okay, not exactly my idea of a picnic, but we'll go with it...

During our 'picnic' lunch we chatted about what we'd do with the rest of the afternoon. My two criteria for our activity were: 1) outdoors and 2) somewhere I could get some photo practice. When Chris suggested a walk around the neighborhood, I immediately got whinny: "Nooooo, I've walked this neighborhood hundreds of times, there is nothing left to take photos of!" He was quick to remind me a good photographer can always find things to take photos of, to which I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue. Anxious to salvage his idea, he then suggested that he give me a photo assignment to help provide some inspiration. I was intrigued by the idea so I agreed. And after a few minutes of thinking he decided that my challenge for our walk was: 'alternative perspectives - no photos taken at eye level.'

So we walked the familiar routes around our neighborhood for the 785th time and just like he said, with his challenge in mind, I found new and different things to take photos of. Amazing what a slight change in perspective can reveal...

Maggie - Four on the Floor

2011-08-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Its been almost 10 weeks since Miss Maggie's knee surgery. Her recovery has been uneventful. Literally. Poor dog has been locked in our office/den pretty much 20 hours a day. She gets a short break from solitary confinement from the time we get home from work until we head upstairs to bed. It broke my heart every time I left for a walk/run to leave her behind. She'd stare out the window down the driveway with the saddest look on her face probably thinking, "what happened to my loving and fun parents and why did they leave me with these prison guards?!"

Thankfully the worst of her recovery is behind us. She had her 8-week x rays a couple of weeks ago and she is recovering well. We were given permission to start her on very short, leash walks to build up strength again in her legs. She was so excited to see us get the leash out and head out the door. The walk was short (two blocks each way) but it was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone involved. Just a few more weeks until we get our lovable, energetic, fully-capable 4 year old Labrador back. We can't wait.

Seafair 2011

2011-08-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

Despite living in Seattle for almost 15 years, including our time in college, we've never actually been to Seafair. We decided to change that today and made our way to Genesee Park to finally experience all that Seafair has to offer: the Boeing flight show, the Seafair clowns, the hydroplane races...we took it all in and had a great time. Of course, we took lots and lots photos to prove it.

One of the highlights of Seafair every year is the Boeing Air show. We've seen it a few times from both land and the lake, but it was fun to see it from the event site, which is center stage for all of the action. Plus, I love how the announcer at the event tells you what stunt is up next and which direction they are flying in from. While the Blue Angels are always the highlight of the show, it was also cool to check out the tricks from the Harrier, biplane and of course, Fat Albert. Chris was extra impressed with the Harrier and it's ability to hover. I had no idea what a Harrier was until today...

After the air show we decided to wander around the event grounds a bit and bumped into the Seafair clowns. They've been a part of Seafair for over 50 years. The clown I took a photo with got a bit handsy with me, but I decided to forgive him once I read about their legacy of community service and the good they do around town. I mean he can't be too much of a slim ball if he volunteers his time being a clown at nursing homes, right?

We splurged on the 'pit pass' so our next stop was a visit to the hydroplane pit for some behind the scenes action and a close up view of the hydroplanes.

Another first for us...the hydroplane races. We caught a couple of heats and cheered on our favorites. In case you were wondering, I picked my favorites based on their boat colors and design. The 'pretty' boats got my support.

BTW, here's how we spent our past Seafair weekends: 2010 and 2009.

Grilled Pizzas

2011-08-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to try pizza on the grill as a summertime dinner. It combines my love of pizza with the grill, which means Chris does the cooking. We cheated a bit and used Trader Joe's pizza dough and sauce, which made it an extra easy and quick weekend night dinner. All we did was place the pizza dough directly on the grill. Once one side was nice and toasty, we flipped it and added all of our toppings. We let it cook for another 15 minutes and it was done. So simple and quite delicious.

Since it was our first time making grilled pizzas, Maggie felt the need to supervise from the steps. With a perfect view of the grill she made sure we were doing it right and didn't burn the crust.

Blueberry Picking

2011-07-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

Ever since summer began I've wanted to go berry picking. Finally, the sun and our schedules aligned and on Saturday we headed out to Mercer Slough Blueberry Farm in Bellevue. We spent about a hour walking around the farm and collected just under a pound to take home, all for the bargain u-pick price of $1.22! I loved it and have been enjoying the fruit of our labor all weekend long. I've already told Chris I'll be ready to go back in a few weeks.

And 3,000 miles away, on the same Saturday my sister, Sandy, and her family also went blueberry picking. Boy, do I wish we lived in the same city and could have gone together!

Wine & Dine

2011-07-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

The Alston's beautiful new home provided the perfect location for a fun wine tasting party on Sunday evening. Kirsten, who works in marketing at the well-known local winery Chateau Ste Michelle, was our wine expert and set up quite the tasting menu. 6 paring stations with a variety of foods (e.g.shrimp cocktail, fried chicken, spicy thai, etc. ) and the perfectly selected wine to compliment each. We all had such a great time learning about new wines and the food, company and location couldn't be beat on a sunny Sunday evening. Big thanks to our co-hosts - Wendy/Brett and Kirsten!

Matt & Christy's Wedding

2011-07-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

When you work in a small office of 11 people, its easy and natural for your co-workers to feel like family. So, it was very special for me to see Matt Hunt, one of the co-founders of HMG, tie the knot with is beautiful bride, Christy, this past Saturday at the Seattle Tennis Club.

Despite a dismal summer thus far, he was blessed with a perfect Seattle summer day and the venue, overlooking Lake Washington, provided a picture perfect view of Mt. Rainier. It was a beautiful wedding and we had such a great time celebrating a wonderful couple and partying it up with the other HMG staffers.
{all photos taken by Mr. Corey Moran}

A few other HMGers - Corey (co-founder) and his wife Jenny

Heather (Sr. Art Director) and her husband, Brady

7th Anniversary

2011-07-24T09:02:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrate 7 wonderful years of marriage! Wow, time has flown by! We've shared so much in the past 7 years and I am filled with excitement to see what the years ahead will bring. I'm a lucky girl in love.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Chocolate Dipped

2011-07-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

I was in the mood for chocolate so for my dessert contribution to the Sunday dinner party, I decided to keep it super simple and do a sample platter of chocolate treats. Marshmallows, rice crispy treats, peanut butter cookies, and strawberries - all dipped in chocolate. So simple and so delicious, it was a hit!

Gals Get Together

2011-07-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

It had been way too long since our little group of girls from college had gotten together last. 6+ months to be exact! Distance and crazy schedules has kept us apart, so it was great to finally find a time on every one's calendar that worked for us to gather again. Wendy & Brett were wonderful hosts at their new house, and we all had a great time catching up.

Wendy even had a fun dinner activity planned for the kids - 'Sit-on-it Sandwiches.' The kids had a blast doing the sitting, and we all enjoyed the results of their hard work. There seems to something about the pressure of the sitting that makes the pesto, peppers, avocado, cheese and yummy bread all taste so delicious. Like a panini press without the heat. :)

Summer Strolling

2011-07-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

It was a mellow weekend around here. A perfect lull in our summer plans before our weekends heat up again with BBQs, weddings and other fun stuff ahead. With warm weather and time to myself, I enjoyed a few walks around the neighborhood. This time I decided to leave my headphones/iPod behind and pick up my camera instead...

I love summer, don't you?

4th of July Monday

2011-07-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

The weather in the Northwest was pretty hard to beat this weekend. We made the best of it and spent as much time as we could outdoors. Here's how we spent our July 4th Monday:

The yard got a bit of TLC. Maggie (reluctantly) got a much needed bath. I got caught up on my magazine pile. Our new outdoor speakers kept us entertained. Chris and his bike went for a spin. Maggie took a nap. Then I took a nap. A new chicken recipe was tried on the grill. Margaritas and raspberry lemonade were sipped. Friends joined us for dinner. My new corn on the cob plates were used. Cherries were shared by all. Fresh strawberry shortcake was devoured. Fireworks were enjoyed from the Kirkland waterfront.

Hope your 4th of July was just as perfect.

Happy Long Weekend!

2011-07-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

I hope you all have big and exciting plans for the 4th of July weekend.

We have so much I'm looking forward to:

friday night date - thai and a movie rental

meeting visiting family from CA and showing them around (sunny) seattle

a shopping date with ms. ashlie

baking a cake for two special birthday girls

backyard bbq at the reeders

fireworks viewing @ the waterfront

sleeping in...saturday, sunday, and monday

And the one thing that I'm not looking forward to...

the 5 loads of laundry piled up after our weekend away

i hate when i get out of my two-load sunday routine

Hope you have fun celebrating the 4th with your family and friends.

me, my sis and my nephew at the memorial day parade. i love ethan's patrotic outfit.

More AZ via Instagram

2011-06-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more photos from our weekend from my iPhone courtesy of instagram.

(1.) The surprise is revealed. We're bound for Arizona. (2.) The birthday boy himself. Looking handsome at 34. (3.) Lounging poolside. (4.) First margarita of the trip, enjoyed Friday afternoon @ saltys. (5.) Now here's a six pack i'm happy to say i helped polish off. (6.) hotel W (7.) lunch on Saturday. 2 tacos. 2 coronas. (8.) self portrait during chris's flight lesson. i'm not nervous at all. (9.) my yogurtland concoction. plain tart + strawberries + mango + almost + a few oreos. (10.) post yogurtland meal (11.) we didn't have cake on the 26th but he did celebrate with a bloody mary poolside (12.) wandering around old town scottsdale (13.) my favorite drink of the trip - huckleberry margarita (14.) the W pool at night turns into a swanky club (15.) heading to the airport with a bit of a tan.

5 Questions

2011-06-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

I had one more surprise planned for Chris while we were in Scottsdale, but no clear vision on how I was going to reveal it. When I mentioned the surprise to Chris on Friday morning he confidently said, "Give me 5 questions and I bet I can guess what it is." You'll NEVER guess what it is I thought and accepted his challenge.

I set the rules and decided he was allowed one question every hour. Unfortunately, I under estimated the strategic and logical mind of a programmer. He arrived successfully at the answer in four questions and had me beat.

Question 1: Indoors or Outdoors? Answer: Outdoors.
Question 2: Land, Sea or Air? Answer: Air.
Question 3: Powered Flight or Un-powered? Answer: Powered.
Question 4: Does it involve an instructor? Answer: Yes.

And with that, he had figured it out that his final surprise was a private flight lesson. Growing up around planes, getting his pilot's license is something he has recently talked about so I thought it would be fun to give him is first flight lesson. Unfortunately, the lesson was a bit less hands on than we expected, but we still had a great time and it was a cool way to see Scottsdale via air. I have a feeling this won't be the last time Chris heads up as co-pilot.

Celebrating 34 years in AZ

2011-06-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

So I'm happy to report that Chris's surprise birthday trip was a huge success! He enjoyed sleuthing the text message clues I sent on Thursday and by the time we headed to the airport bound for Scottsdale he was very excited. When I asked him where he thought we might be going it was fun to hear his responses. Destinations as north as Alaska, west as San Diego and east as Philadelphia crossed his mind. I guess I did a good job throwing him off in the weeks leading up to his b-day.

We arrived in AZ late on Thursday night and settled into the swanky W hotel Scottsdale. It was in an awesome location very convenient to everywhere we wanted to go. Plus, as a marketer, I'm a huge fan of their branding and decor.

In just a few short days away, we settled into a nice little vacation routine. Our mornings would start around 8:30 with the bright AZ sun streaming into our windows. We'd fore go the shower and head straight up to the pool to stake out our prime sun/pool/mister spot. By 11:30 the pool would be crowded and we'd be baked, so we'd head in for a shower.

Feeling refreshed, we'd venture out for a walk around town to find some lunch. The 100 degree temperatures kept most folks off the street, but we'd take it slow and enjoyed wandering around town. We'd often find ourselves at Chris's favorite dive Mexican bar, Dos Gringos, for some tacos and cold refreshments.

Our afternoon stroll after lunch would often take us through the massive Fashion Square Mall (air conditioning!) and then we'd make what I consider to be a mandatory stop at yogurtland (my favorite!) for a snack, before retreating back to the hotel for a a bit of downtime, which often lead to an afternoon nap. Then we'd awake feeling well rested and head back out for our evening stroll and dinner. We'd walk for miles, literally sweating off all of our day's calories and explore the streets, shops and parks in the area.

We returned home on Sunday evening feeling relaxed and happy, anxious for our next trip to Scottsdale. We calculated that we've spent 12 birthdays together and no doubt, 34 was one of the highlights for us both. We continue to find it more and more difficult to find the 'perfect' gift for each other on special occasions such as birthdays. But, the trip was a great reminder that 'time together' is sometimes the best gift you can give and receive.

More to come tomorrow on the final surprise I had up my sleeve...

Happy Birthday Chris!

2011-06-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's June 26th which means today is Chris's official birthday! We're still out of town celebrating, but I wanted to share a few well wishes for the birthday boy that were captured last weekend when we had a few friends over for dinner.
Click on the image to enlarge.

Clues

2011-06-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

So Chris has known for a few weeks that I was taking him away for a surprise trip for his birthday. However, the destination for our trip has been a complete surprise. I've done all the planning, packing, and preparing. All he knows is that we're going somewhere to celebrate his birthday this weekend and our trip will be from Thursday night - Sunday evening.

Now here's a big difference between (impatient, type A) Natalie and (very patient, laid back) Chris. If the tables were turned, I'd be prodding, snooping and sleuthing to try and figure out the surprise. Chris, on the other hand, has mentioned that he is excited a several times, but has been patiently waiting for the weekend to arrive.

Well the day is finally here and I wanted to slowly let him in on the surprise destination. So I started his morning off with an early text message as soon as I left for work: 'rise and shine! you excited for our trip? i'll be sending you a few clues to help you figure out where we're going. see you soon. xo'

Throughout the day, I sent him the following text photos that I had been compiling over the past few weeks in instagram. Details about each clue below.

CLUES from LEFT to RIGHT, TOP to BOTTOM. (1) I had tried to throw him off suggesting it was a driving destination, so this airport sign confirmed air travel. (2) One of our favorite treats during our April trip to AZ was Yogurtland. Yumm! (3) 1114 is the distance in miles between SEA and PHX. (4) The number 2, representing Dos Equis and one of his favorite restaurants last time we were there Dos Gringos. (5) Salt. Lots of margaritas are ahead. (6) This one is a bit misleading since we're not golfing, but Scottsdale is known for it. (7) Compass pointing to S...SW. (8) Cactus, of course. (9) pretty toes that will get lots of sun.

So we're off to Scottsdale, AZ for the weekend. We took a trip there last April and Chris loved it, so I was excited to plan our return. We'll be spending the weekend poolside, working on our tans with margaritas in hand. Plus, I have a another surprise up my sleeve for Friday night. I hope it is a birthday weekend, he'll never forget!

First Day of Summer

2011-06-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

Today was the official first day of summer and I spent all day anxious to get outside and celebrate. With nothing in the fridge for dinner and temps in the high 70s I sent Chris a late afternoon text: "Celebrate summer with a waterfront picnic tonight?" A few hours later we found ourselves lounging on our picnic blanket, enjoying sub sandwiches from Sarducci's, catching up on our day.
Given the chilly spring weather we've had in Seattle, I have a feeling this is going to be the kind of summer where you need to get out and savor every moment in the sun possible. I'm glad we kicked off the season doing just that.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wishing our two fathers, Fred & Mike, lots of love today. Our visits may be few and far between, but you're in our hearts every day of the year. We love you!

{Christmas 2008. My dad's first white Christmas.}

{Christmas 2009. Chris and his dad in front of his plane.}

Bungie mobile

2011-06-18T12:51:00.001-07:00

The mobile app Chris' team developed is currently ranked #15 of all free apps. Even better is the 5-star rating and 1,000+ raving reviews. I'm a proud wife.

**update: as of 6:20 they are #10! Woohoo!**

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A love letter.

2011-06-17T23:15:00.001-07:00

I spend the last hour searching the top apps list on the Apple store and downloading a few that looked fun. I stumbled across an app called tête-à-tête and was oddly intrigued. The app "helps" you compose love and apology letters, mad-libs style. Here's a heartfelt love note I composed and read aloud for my darling husband:

My Love,

You are the most lovable
sweet and delicious husband
in the city of Kirkland.
A pint of Ben & Jerry's cake batter ice cream,
isn't as sweet as you.
Our love is larger than
An over-stuffed chipotle burrito.
Our future will
always include each other.

Love, love, love, love,
Your short, sexy and quirky wife

P.S.: I expect a twice more lovely reply within 30 minutes or there will be no room for you in our king-size bed.

After all the effort put in to this lovely note, here was chris's romantic response: "you mean I have to download that app to respond?!"

I'm still waiting.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

On my mind

2011-06-15T21:04:00.001-07:00

If last week was Wordless Wednesday, this week I'll give you the opposite. Random thoughts swirling around my head:

I took the vacuum out tonight and was wondering why it wasn't doing a great job sucking. Then I googled how to take it apart and realized that LIP GLOSS and a SOCK were stuck in the tube. Hmmm. I guess that explains it...I didn't think I ever talked to myself, but I overheard Natalie lecturing Natalie OUT LOUD about making the wrong turn and getting stuck in unnecessary traffic today. "oh, Natalie..." I've been completely addicted to the HUNGER GAMES series. I've read 596 pages in the past 72 hours. Found myself wishing I could skip work and read all day (and night). It's that GOOD...Maggie is recovering well from her KNEE surgery. She even managed to get into some TROUBLE today while we were gone. I guess the TRANQUILIZERS have finally worn off...I dreamt about giving BLOOD the other night. This is random since I've never been able to donate. Looked it up and it says dreams about giving blood means you are physically drained due to stress. Interesting...Chris' BIRTHDAY is coming up. Got a few surprises up my sleeve including a weekend getaway he doesn't know about. I can't wait to see his reaction when we arrive at the airport on Thursday night bound for _______. Should be FUN. Plus were having some Mexican and magaritas with friends this weekend to CELEBRATE. Too bad I didn't buy this sombrero @ DFW. Ok, back to my book. Night!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Pick a color

2011-06-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

On Friday, which was Chris' last day in SF, he sent me a few text messages w/ photos asking me to 'pick a color.' I was busy and distracted at work so I'd quickly respond with 'pink' (my favorite) and went about my day.

Here are the text photos he sent:

When he returned home on Saturday morning while I was in the shower he quickly began to unpack his suitcase. Looking back this should have tipped me off, because knowing Chris, unpacking after a 5:30 am wake up call is the last thing he'd want to do after a week away from home. Once I was dressed he asked me, 'can you check my suitcase to make sure i unpacked everything.' Again, odd behavior, but I played along and opened his bag to find this:

I was so surprised! An iPad for me is something we've talked about before, but my practical and frugal side always seemed to win as I thought of all the reasons why I didn't NEED it. After all I have my iPhone which I love dearly and my work laptop and our home desktop + mac air. I need another electronic device like I need a hole in my head, but I guess life isn't always about needs. It can sometimes be about wants.

So this device I never thought I needed, has quickly become my newest obsession. We got it all set up on Saturday afternoon. Blogs are bookmarked, favorites are added to the desktop, books have been downloaded. Life will never be the same.

BTW, in case you were wondering the other 'pick a color' text messages and photos were to just throw me off from the first one which were the iPad covers. While VERY thankful for my iPad, my sweet tooth was a bit bummed to hear there wasn't any pink jelly bellys in his bag too.

Clusterfluff

2011-06-11T21:01:00.001-07:00

Reason #110 I'm glad Chris is home: I have someone to share a blanket and a pint of clusterfluff with. Life is good.

And in case u are curious what clusterfluff is: peanut butter ice cream with caramel cluster pieces, marshmallow & peanut buttery swirls

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone