friendship – Page 4 – emerald city diaries

ten year reunion.

last week we were in idaho for my ten year reunion – holy cow i feel old! there wasn’t a really great turnout & i saw only a fraction of the 500+ people i graduated with, but it was wonderful to catch up with some old friends! also, i remain close to many of my high school friends so every time i go home it’s like a high school reunion! there weren’t too many pics taken {lame, i know, i guess we were too busy having catching up!}, but here are a few to share.

{dress: madewell // top & shorts: kate spade saturday}

to everyone i got to catch up with, especially my cbc girls – em, jen, beth, julie (meg we missed you!) – it was SO great to see everyone!

{also, you will notice my hair is much shorter in the bottom picture. if you know me well you know i only get my hair cut in boise at Graeber & Co. this time i chopped off nearly 8 inches – eep! still long enough for a bun but i am still getting used to it…}

did you go to your ten year reunion?

my weekend in pictures.

{after a day-long roadtrip the sportwagen needed a little love. plus i LOVE the car wash!}

{aaron wasted no time getting into vacation mode.}

{i am loving flavored coconut water for hydrating after workouts.}

{pool essentials: sun protection & magazines!}

{this is the life! but i only lasted about 5 minutes before i hopped in the pool since it has been in the triple digits.}

{i got to spend the weekend with this fun lady, one of my best friends from high school emily! we had so much fun!}

{ah, this face!}

{sadie was enjoying the late afternoons in the shade by the pool}

{we tried out some of the kebob recipes in the latest real simple for family dinner tonight. #delish}

{summer = watermelon.}

{this is how my nephews clean up the dishes. #thedogsaretheprewashcycle}

{sadie surveying my parents’ property.}

{thanks catch phrase for giving aaron the word fahrfegnugen.}

{yep, that’s the moon above my parents’ house. it was so beautiful tonight!}

aaron, sadie, & i drove down mid-week for my ten year high school reunion. besides feeling a little old, we had a lot of fun! i was able to catch up with my close girlfriends, old classmates, & some family this weekend which was really great & much needed. it almost makes me wish i lived in boise again. but then i think of how much i love seattle & am thankful we are just a short ways away. it definitely feels like summer down here with triple digit heat & we have taken full advantage of the A/C & swimming pool at my parents’ house! what a fun weekend & thanks to everyone for making it so amazing!

how was your weekend?

my {long, holiday} weekend in pictures.

{we watched the annual 4th of july parade for our neighborhood. all of the kids sing “god bless america” & then ride their bikes/scooters/trikes down the street. it is adorable!}

{i baked my very first cake this weekend to take to a 4th of july party. it was ombre & had 9 layers & it was awesome. pics to come later in the week.}

{we spent some time at our friends’ parents’ house on bitter lake. such a beautiful place to catch up with old & new friends.}

{our 4th of july view at sunset.}

{happy birthday america!}

{we went out on a boat trip friday for our friend colin’s birthday.}

{the emerald city is gorgeous by boat.}

{#selfie}

{aaron whipped up some buckwheat, chocolate chip, & blueberry pancakes for breakfast on saturday.}

{i needed some new shoes for zumba & body pump. sadie was such a good girl at the store – i think she was enjoying the A/C!}

{my new mizuno shoes. i can’t wait to try them out!}

{family cuddle time on the couch.}

{our friends hosted a BBQ & outdoor movie night on saturday. sara makes the most delicious popcorn!}

{i am very much enjoying feedly as my blog reader. if you haven’t found a replacement for your google reader i would highly recommend it.}

{aaron has been enjoying some homemade hot sauce from our neighbor & friend phil. despite the name it is pretty good.}

{we dined at anthony’s in kirkland with my grandmother on sunday night. not a bad view.}

{this is the biggest blackberry i have ever seen. & apparently the biggest one aaron had seen too.}

it was so great to have the holiday in the middle of the week so that we had such a nice long weekend! we spent lots of time catching up on our sleep {much needed!} & spending time catching up with friends. we are enjoying the sunny weather but how in the world is it already july? #wheredoesthetimego

how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{friday morning breakfast at starbucks: oatmeal & a latte. the best! #breakfastisbetterwhenyoudon’thavetomakeit}

{my parents were & we took them to boom noodle, one of our favorites!}

{of course we had to hit up nordstrom for the half-yearly men’s sale!}

{my mom adores the veggie salad at nordstrom café so i took one for the team & joined in for a lunch date.}

{loving my new saltwater sandals. i had at least one pair as a kid & loved them! so nostalgic.}

{last weekend aaron & my dad took down all of our storm windows. this weekend aaron worked on prepping the window frames for some new paint.}

{i had fun making a birthday card with fun paper & washi tape.}

{the view of the city skyline from i-5. #iheartseattle}

{we got to catch up with old friends from law school & meet new friends at my friend sarah’s birthday party this weekend. happy birthday sarah!}

{i finally got back to my beloved sunday morning yoga class after taking off the last month to do a body pump challenge (which i finished, yay!). #namaste}

{got some new fabric delivered for a project i am hoping to get started on this summer. so excited!}

{not that i needed an excuse to visit west elm, but there was a sale & we may have bought something. okay, a few things. can’t wait to share!}

{we finally got to the grocery store on a sunday which makes monday evening so much better. loving the shopping bag we got from our friend jerry – all the way from london, so fancy!}

{we attended a small law school reunion dinner party at oddfellows to see & catch up with our friend sarah – different sarah – who was in town for a wedding. it was so great to see everyone though!}

{we can’t go to capitol hill without visiting molly moon’s especially since it was right around the corner. one of the summer season flavors is a vegan coconut chunk – amazing & the best part is no tummy-ache!}

we had a fun & productive weekend with half of it being gorgeous & the other half of it being grey. & by productive i mean aaron got a lot done. i, on the other hand, still have a to-do list a mile long. #itnevergetsshorter

how was your weekend?

aaron’s thirtieth birthday party.

as i mentioned here we celebrated aaron’s big 3-0 this weekend with family & friends. his birthday isn’t really until this friday, but since that kicks off memorial day weekend, we figured it would be a better turn-out if we threw the party the weekend before.

i have spent the last few months planning & making party decorations, so it was really awesome to see it all come to life on saturday. originally i was going to do a james bond theme as it seemed like a good use of aaron’s white dinner jacket from andy & hailey’s wedding. but then i decided that as much as it would be fun to have the guys dress up in suits & the gals dress up in formals, it would be better as a theme for a big sit-down dinner (which we don’t have the space for). so i decided a beer theme would be fun for aaron (since i knew there would be beer at his party anyways) & went with that. i was able to find paper goods in the theme of a beer tasting & recruited a good friend who brews home brew regularly as our beer master.

i borrowed a few ideas from pinterest {if you are curious, my pinterest board for this party is here} & will share those & my sources below. for now, enjoy the pictures! {there were a few more pictures taken at the party, but for the sake of our guest’s privacy, i decided not to put all of them up here.}

there were {and still are} thirty gold balloons hanging in our front window & each one {well, almost} has a happy birthday wish or favorite memory of aaron from our close family & friends. it means a lot to aaron & me to have received these beautiful notes & thank you to those of you who i harassed to get them to me in time for the party!

source & inspiration list:

paper goods – JacksMaster etsy shop
“30” in pictures – via pinterest
tissue paper tassels – via Linen, Love, & Lace blog
doughnuts – Top Pot Doughnuts
“happp birthday” candles & sparkler candles – Target
dress – Thakoon via Rent the Runway

thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us – we had such an amazing time! &, last but not least, happy {early} birthday to my wonderful husband!

my weekend in pictures.

{did this weekend seem long to anyone else? friday seemed like it was an eternity away, even on thursday! also discovered the #abeautifulmess app & am loving it!}

{headed down to pike place market saturday morning to pick up fresh flowers for the party.}

{i finally got some peonies!}

{the happy birthday candles that i got for aaron’s doughnut cake weren’t quite right – can you catch the mistake? #thereareonly2psinhappy}

{his & hers rubba slippahs (as they say in hawaii).}

{my own version of this now famous quote that i did for my grandmother’s 91st birthday.}

{aaron & i did a little spring cleaning at my grandmother’s house by sweeping up the leaves & needles around her house. #justcallushergardeners}

{sunday night wrapped up the weekend with taco time & the great gatsby to celebrate my grandmother’s birthday – this is what she requested!}

we had a fun birthday-filled weekend celebrating both aaron’s birthday (early) & my grandmother’s birthday (even though she says she didn’t want to celebrate being any older, so she is starting to count backwards!). there aren’t many weekend pics to share here, but i will make up for it mid-week when i get aaron’s birthday party post together. we had so much fun seeing lots of friends & family this weekend – we are very blessed! how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{what a wonderful forecast!}

{i made tea for my grandmother on friday afternoon. she insisted we use real tea cups & saucers.}

{saturday was opening day for boat season. lots & lots of boats out on lake washington.}

{we took a family walk to the ravenna ravine on sunday morning. sadie decided that she wanted a drink of water. & to take a swim.}

{i attended a bridal blessing on sunday afternoon. what a view!}

{the bride-to-be!}

{we spent the afternoon of cinco de mayo at our friend andy & hailey’s house. they have the most perfect lake house.}

{the view of lake washington & mount rainier from their dock.}

{the weather is finally warm enough for me to break out my summer-side of the closet. very exciting!}

{love to start the week with a fresh bouquet of flowers. #thebestpartofspring}

my weekend in pictures.

{sidenote: my weekend update is backwards this week due to my not-so-quick-to-learn the quirks of my new computer.}

{our rhodie is finally starting to bloom – very exciting! it is strange though that it is coming in bright pink because last year it was white… anyone know why?}

{sunday brunch with old & new friends at americana in capital hill.}

{caught up on some glossies this weekend. yep, that is vogue from march. i am a bit behind.}

{yep, painting again. finally finishing up the hallway that i started last weekend.}

{one of two trips this weekend to the lowe’s paint counter. has anyone else tried to match ceiling paint without a really good ceiling sample? fellow homeowners please do us all a favor & leave a sample paint can of the ceiling paint for the next owner.}

{paint samples to figure out what color to paint the hallway. we went with driftwood grey by martha stewart. grey, i know, surprising.}

{on friday night we celebrated my good friend sascha’s thirtieth birthday at bastille in ballard. happy birthday sascha!}

{you can’t come empty handed to a birthday party, right? cupcakes it is!}

this weekend flew by – did it for you too? i don’t understand how monday thru friday often drag on & on, & then saturday & sunday are gone in a blink! we were busy wrapping up a few on-going projects on the house & trying to tackle our ever-growing {out of control} yard. how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{aaron & i made the snapshot of the day at work with a pic taken from our machu picchu trip.}

{double dinner date at ciccehtti, the sister restaurant to my very favorite serafina.}

{this may have been the best play of the night in a fun round of cards against humanity.}

{we dined at portage bay – one of our favs! – for breakfast this weekend. twice. yep, saturday with aaron’s cousin nathan, his wife kendra, & ben & sarah, & then again sunday with our friend jerry.}

{you may recognize that art from a pillow we used to have. well, after sadie murdered the pillow, i salvaged the art & framed it.}

{saturday night at kenmore lanes with nathan & kendra. it was quite the happening place!}

{back to some painting on sunday afternoon. priming & painting our closet doors that finally made it back up after removing & soaking all of the paint off of the hardware.}

{we needed a pick-me-up to make it through our sunday evening grocery trip. thank you starbucks for being in our qfc store.}

{i love the spring as it means fresh bouquets of flowers in the house every week!}

{aaron surprised me with a subscription to real simple.}

we had a really fun weekend working around the house to finish up a few never-ending projects & also seeing lots of family & friends. aaron’s cousin nathan & his wife kendra were in town & we had such a blast with them on saturday. it is hard to be so far away from family sometimes, but awesome when we can all get together! the rain returned to the emerald city as it normally does this time of year. while we are bummed that the temperatures have dropped, we are hopeful that the continuing rain & showers will help our soon-to-be-planted grass seed fill in our lawn in a few rough places. how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{my building’s cafeteria closed but there is always a food truck around. i got to enjoy a yummy meal while enjoying the sunshine!}

{hung out in post alley at pike place market on friday to celebrate my friend miriam’s birthday.}

{we saw an improv comedy show the pretty wonderful club. it was based on the john hughes 80’s high school movies. so fun!}

{yes, that is a gum wall behind me. post alley is filled with gum. it is a disgusting tradition, but you pretty much have to participate if you are there.}

{sadie & i patiently waited outside for aaron to get us lattes on saturday morning.}

{when it is sunny outside, which it was ALL weekend!, everyone in seattle washes their car. including us.}

{we went “car shopping” this weekend just to look & ended up buying a new car. this is the final picture of us with jez, our old jetta. bye bye jez, it was a great 9 years!}

{bluetooth in cars is awesome!}

{got a new coffee table book by the one & only kate spade, my fav. can’t wait to flip thru it for some inspiration!}

{happy easter sadie! yes, that dog toy has bunny ears.}

{good morning new jetta sportswagen! i haven’t had it long enough to give it an official name – any suggestions? we are thinking something german perhaps. what, you don’t name your cars?}

{making sure the new bathroom hardware is level.}

{had to paint a few touchup spots on the bathroom walls where old hardware came down. i think our latest bathroom project is nearly finished & i am hoping to be able to share it later in the week!}

we had a wonderfully sunny weekend, busy but fun. our weather was spectacular, especially for seattle in the early spring, & we were even wearing shorts to work around the house & in the yard this afternoon. we often get a burst of very early spring weather that gets everyone a little hopeful (& nervous for a very hot summer) but inevitably we will be back to normal cool spring weather. also, we accidently bought a car this weekend. i say accidently because we were really just going to look at cars on saturday. it was our first day out looking & there were a few types & models that were in the running, but next thing you know, we were buying a new jetta. we opted for the sportswagen because, you know, we could use the space for the constant lowe’s & home depot runs/sadie/future babes/etc. but the real reason why we bought the sportswagen was because of the full sunroof which is amazing! we had a great easter weekend – how was your weekend?