fashion – emerald city diaries

friday I’m in love.

this will be a new series where I will write about things we are loving each week, whether it be a product we’re using, a recipe we’re eating, or something we’re doing. some weeks will be more exciting than others but this is a chance for me to share a little more about the small things happening and a chance to write more freely about whatever topic I choose. I hope you enjoy it! I am excited to see how it evolves over time. I am also excited that Kendra will be sharing the same each week, so make sure you pop over to her blog too to see what she’s up to. we would also love for you to join us! leave a comment and we’ll come check out what you’re loving each week!

{one} the sjp collection at nordstrom.

have you heard about this? I have been anticipating it since it was first announced this past summer & can hardly contain my excitement! I am a HUGE sjp fan, both as carrie bradshaw and as herself. {its really great to see such a chic gal who isn’t as tall as a super model!} plus, nordstrom? I can’t think of a better collab. seattle might not be the trendiest of cities, but it does boast the flagship nordy’s. the collection is set to launch of february 28th & I bet you can guess what will be on my birthday wishlist this year!

{two} caramelized butternut squash, crispy kale, & fontina pizza.

aaron has been making pizza for years, even making his own dough & pesto for a while there! we both like pesto-based pizzas {rather than traditional red sauce} but are pretty open to a wide variety of toppings. I am always interested when I see a new pizza recipe, & this one is no exception. butternut squash, kale, & pomegranate seeds on a pizza? count us in. we are planning on making {& enjoying} it this weekend!

{three} sadie had surgery last week {mentioned here} to have a growth removed. it grew so fast that we {okay, just me!} were worried. aaron got a call from the vet today & the growth was benign. yay! feeling very lucky that our sweet dog has a clean bill of health!

{four} beats by dre x beats pill “happy.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH1FCBmcNGg&w=448&h=252&hd=1]

uh, yes. this is a commercial. the first time I heard this song, I was hooked! plus, I sorta love those speakers dancing around…

{five} target threshold tufted bench.

I saw this bench from target’s new threshold collection & I am so in love! it’s a great looking piece for a great price {$99!}. it would be great at the end of a bed, or in a small entryway. now, where could I find a place for it…

what are you loving this week?

my weekend in pictures.

{sadie made a christmas ornament at the groomer on friday. yep, that is a lock of her fur. #wearecrazydogpeople}

{a fortune after lunching at p.f. chang’s on saturday – a break from last-minute holiday shopping.}

{we got lots checked off the christmas wish list this year at nordstrom.}

{sadie is enjoying her fleece blanket in the backseat this time of year. & she is sporting her christmas bow from the groomer.}

{we visited the new anthro at bell square & I couldn’t resist trying on these fun party skirts. you wanna guess which one was an early christmas present?}

{my grandmother picked the christmas sugar cookie to go along with her dinner this evening at panera. it was the one with the most sugar, I am sure!}

it was a fun, but oh-so-quick weekend! my mom made a somewhat last minute trip into town and it was so good to see her & spend an early christmas this afternoon. we avoided the grey winter weather with lots of shopping cardio & catching up. just this one last work week to get thru before the christmas holiday & I am so excited (& so ready!). how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{kicked off the weekend with a mani!}

{triple date night at the one day’s wages charity gala on friday night with these ladies.}

{saw captain phillips on saturday night with my mom & grandmother. best movie I have seen in a very long time – definitely recommend!}

{I love this time of year – christmas catalogs!}

{I planted some spring bulbs in the front yard sunday morning while aaron did a little raking. we are pretending to be good homeowners.}

{pumpkin carving with friends on sunday afternoon!}

{aaron, sadie, & jaz playing. it was the sweetest!}

{we have broken out all of our winter gear as our house is already freezing. thank goodness for the genius who invented cashmere pants.}

my mom was in town this weekend & aaron was back east on a business trip so everything seemed a little crazy. crazy, but good! we had an awesome weekend spending time with friends & family which was much-needed. it makes me excited for the holidays coming up & to take some time with loved ones who we don’t get to see every day.

also, a huge shout-out & congratulations to our cousin kendra & her family on the new addition! love you guys!

how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{the end of #embracethecamera challenge. read more about it here & check instagram for the entire week of photos.}

{all dressed up with somewhere to go on saturday night.}

{the wizard of oz was the first play of the season at The Paramount.}

{swung by jamba juice post-pure barre on sunday morning for a smoothie. when did the menu get so big?}

{crisp fall weather this weekend meant we turned the heat on for the first time in months.}

{even with the heater on it was still puffy vest weather!}

{sunday afternoon amanda came by for a short crafternoon. i may or may not be starting on some things for chrismas…}

{aaron made eggplant parmesan tonight from the eggplant we grew this summer. it was delish!}

ah, where did the last two days go? i say this every week, but the weekend days go so fast. this weekend we didn’t have a lot of plans & i felt like i got a lot off of my to do list – always a good feeling going into a new week. we celebrated our six year dating anniversary on thursday, which seems insane that it was that long ago – talk about time flying! how was your weekend?

fashion friday {a fall cape}.

after being completely inspired by new york fashion week {along with my favorite fashion blogs – atlantic-pacific & 9to5 chic} & a little demand from blog readers, i am going to give fashion fridays another shot. aaron & i are still in the learning process {both behind & in front of the camera) so hang in there with us! i am not sure how i feel about this more formal fashion blogger shoot so you may see some more casual #ootd posts to come.

{cape: ann taylor // shirt: target boy’s (old) // jeans: paige denim skyline skinny (nordstrom) // shoes: ann taylor (old) // purse: j.crew (similar) // watch: dkny (nordstrom – old) // bracelets: stella & dot eden & renegade // earrings: stella & dot fiona}

thoughts on capes? how about fashion fridays?

my weekend in pictures.

{enjoyed a perrier andy warhol edition at dinner on friday night with aaron & my grandmother.}

{our goal for saturday was to clean up the front garden beds & fill up this yard waste bin. we were successful plus some & filled up another smaller bin as well!}

{sadie isn’t very good at yard work.}

{sadie & me waiting for aaron to get our CSA this week.}

{got my birch box for september!}

{picked up a few goodies for the fall from the u village.}

{sadie & i enjoyed catching up on some magazines saturday night while aaron was out seeing Tosh.}

{inspired by the feels-like-fall-weather this weekend & my love for anything pumpkin, i whipped up some pumpkin cream cheese using this recipe from pinterest.}

{watched manning vs. manning on sunday afternoon. #gobroncos #sorryeli}

{while running errands on sunday afternoon i swung by target to check out the phillip lim collaboration. picked up a few goodies & surprised by how much stock was in the store.}

{aaron joined me in my pumpkin obsession this weekend with some pumpkin hard cider.}

{aaron & sadie enjoying the seahawks vs. 49ers game. lots of cuddling helped the seahawks win despite the hour game delay for lightning.}

we had an awesome weekend with not much planned. we got a lot of much needed yardwork done in the front yard {though we haven’t touched the backyard – anyone free in the next few weekends?}. it definitely is starting to feel like fall here in seattle as we got rain and thunderstorms (unusual for the area) despite reaching the 80s earlier in the week. as much as i love summer, i love this time of year! how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{friday night was sushi date night before we headed out to capitol hill to meet up with some friends.}

{saturday morning i had breakfast with a friend at geraldine’s in columbia city. best pumpkin pancakes ever! my friend & her husband are expecting a baby in just four weeks, so the next time i see her, i hope to meet the new babe!}

{two of my friends from law school got married this weekend & we are so privileged to celebrate with them on saturday. congrats to the happy couple!}

{aaron & i got all dressed up for the wedding celebration. not too shabby i say.}

{i took a new friend down to explore pike place market this morning. i rode the great ferris wheel for the first time. the views are not too shabby, though i think it would be better at night or perhaps at sunset?}

{pike place market never gets old. aaron & i took some of our engagement photos here & it will always remind me of that fun photoshoot!}

{no trip down to the market is complete without a bouquet of fresh flowers. dahlias & sunflowers are ringing in the end of the summer season.}

{we had dinner with my grandmother this evening & enjoyed some sorbet with lots of toppings for dessert!}

we had a very enjoyable weekend & enjoyed the return of the sunny, summer weather! we were able to catch up with lots of friends this weekend which always makes for a good time. while i could use some down time to recover during the weekend days, it is so great that this summer has been full of reconnecting with old faces. this weekend also marked the last wedding of the season for us, so it is really starting to feel like the end of summer. i think this may have been the fastest summer on record – where did the last three months go? how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{on friday we did dinner & a movie with my grandmother. her choice was the butler which was very good. highly recommend it!}

{saturday morning i started a painting project. the details are a secret for now but i should be able to share soon!}

{amanda & i had a crafternoon date on saturday. she brought over these gorgeous antique keys. now i need to find a fun project for them. any ideas?}

{i peeled lots of potatoes this weekend since we have been getting so many with our CSA each week. i peeled, boiled, & mashed some up to freeze – you can freeze potatoes, right?}

{we found a dog groomer close by & took sadie in for a much-needed grooming. she even got a bandana to wear with her new look.}

{saturday night was a double date night with our neighbors, the friends. i kept it classy with black & white.}

{aaron & i continued date night on saturday after dinner with some molly moon’s. the summer is nearly over & this marks only the second time we have been. #makingupforlosttime}

{this morning i met a girlfriend for breakfast at the market. it was crazy busy, per usual on a sunday, but so fun.}

{i can never resist picking up a beautiful {& cheap} bouquet when i am down at pike place. this month the dahlias are in bloom!}

we had a great weekend full of catching up with friends we have been meaning to get together with all summer. does that happen to you where you plan on seeing someone {or a couple} & then it takes months to get together? i have been forcing myself to just get something on the calendar & make time every weekend to catch up! it has been lovely. the weekend went so quickly {doesn’t it always?} but we are looking forward to a short work week, though i am at a loss to believe that next weekend is labor day. seriously, where did the summer go? how was your weekend?

wedding weekend in hood river {the wedding}

this last weekend we were in hood river, oregon to celebrate my cousin jesse’s wedding to his bride elise. the venue was at Bella Vista Orchards, a few miles inland of the columbia river. the ceremony took place amongst the pear trees {with views of mount hood} & the reception in a tent on the property. it was a fun venue & a perfect setting for the bride & groom to celebrate their new union!

there were two suggestions made by the bride & groom via their invitation: one – no stilettos and two – head adornments were greatly encouraged. well, i decided to take my chances with heels {they were thick heels that are easy for me to walk in, plus with the length of my dress heels were a must!} & did pretty well, though the i understand the warning against heels given the uneven dirt paths & roads all around the venue. when it came to head adornments, aaron & i were totally in. aaron decided on his fez {that his brother brought back from egypt a few years back}. i originally thought i would make or buy a fascinator {a la duchess kate} but then came across this diy floral crown on my pinterest board & decided that would be perfect. i even talked my mom & sister into wearing them as well. my dad was a little more conventional in a classic polo baseball hat.

needless to say, we had a wonderful time celebrating!

congratulations jesse & elise!

my weekend in pictures.

{finally signed up for birch box – thanks for the idea kendra!}

{pre-saled the nordstrom anniversary sale!}

{aaron & i finally started watching game of thrones & now we are obsessed!}

{my sister gave us an eggplant plant last week. i am pretty sure those little purple flowers are eggplants-in-the-making.}

{this week’s csa haul – anyone want some produce?}

{nordstrom anniversary sale round two!}

{sadie decided she wanted to drive this weekend instead of being a passenger.}

{a fierce game of spite & malice with my mom & grandmother on saturday night.}

{i am obsessed with blackberries & so glad i can find ones that are locally grown.}

{we got new bulbs for our kitchen pendant lights & they look SO much better! um, but LED bulbs are so expensive. seriously. #theybetterreallylastfor13years}

{one of my very best friends meg was in town this weekend & we got to catch up this evening over dinner & some chatting. meg, we have come a long way in 16 years! #bffssinceweweretwelve love you!}

we had a fun weekend with my mom & meg in town. the weather has been perfect here – not too hot & not too cold – which is a reprieve from the hot, hot we had in boise last week. time is flying so fast & i can’t believe it is the end of july already, where did the time go? how was your weekend?