fun – Page 2 – emerald city diaries

erin & colt got married.

last week we were in indiana {you can see highlights of our week here if you missed it} to see aaron’s family & also to attend erin & colt’s wedding!

colt & aaron {not to be confused with erin} went to high school together, & erin & I hit it off as soon as we met. they have both been really great friends for a lot of years & we were so, so honored to be invited to celebrate their big day.

along with being able to join in the wedding festivities, we also had a few other family ties to the big event. cari, aaron’s sister, sang all of the music at the wedding ceremony – processional, recessional – as well as the first dance song & a late night rendition of bobby mcgee which is her go-to karaoke song {um, she sounds exactly like janis!}. funnily enough erin heard cari sing crazy love during our wedding ceremony & asked cari to sing at her wedding during our reception; almost four years later she did! also, all of the antlers that were used in the wedding – to line the aisle & along the centers of each reception table – were courtesy of my big brother jason. they looked fantastic!

the wedding site was at colt’s parents’ house & it was perfect. the ceremony was out in front of the house & the reception took place in a huge tent out back. erin & colt thought of everything which you could see in all of the beautiful details. there was an old mantle & windows that stood in for a traditional altar, the reception tables were lined with antlers, fresh flowers, moss, & tall candlesticks. towards the end of the night we were entertained with a huge fireworks show!

without further adieu, the pics {since that is what you are really interested in, right?}.

{all dressed up! // the bride & me at the cocktail hour pre-ceremony // the ceremony set-up}

{the ceremony aisle // first kiss! // program stand}

{the ceremony site // our seats at the reception // the lounge area in the tent}

{pie bar in lieu of cake // the gorgeous reception set-up // first dance}

{the moms & bride watching the father of the bride’s toast // colt & his mom dancing // the tent all aglow}

{cari belting out bobby mcgee // the groom // erin singing baby got back with the band}

{the tables were even more gorgeous in candlelight // mo, cari, me & aaron // the bride & the bump}

{cari & mo // colt & erin having a good time // aaron getting’ down // group pic at the end of the party}

& if you didn’t get enough you can see all of aaron’s pictures of the wedding & reception here.

we had such. a. fun. time. it was one of those weddings where everyone had a great time & danced the night away. congratulations erin & colt!

xo M

my week{end} in pictures {indiana edition}.

{sorry for the delay in this post – we landed in seattle late yesterday night & hit the ground running!}

{we got off a red-eye flight from seattle to chicago last week & drove to indiana. in hindsight, this was a terrible idea. #wenappedinapaneraparkinglot}

{aaron being a great uncle!}

{our friend colt & aaron picked these beautiful peonies for me!}

{hanging out with our sweetest niece charlotte.}

{headed to colt & erin’s wedding on friday. more pics to come!}

{aaron spent a lot of time shooting clays at the post-wedding picnic.}

{aaron’s stepmom diane made sugar cookies & someone had to eat the last one. #takingonefortheteam}

{watched the french open finals – go rafa!}

{got to have dinner with aunt kathi, uncle stan, aunt sharon, & uncle mike. what a treat!}

{got to see kait & oliver while in alex. aaron & oliver shooting with a bow & arrow.}

{kait, me, & the bump.}

{our rental car – a kia soul. actually not a bad car, just an awful color!}

{aaron & frankie getting in some male bonding time.}

{we got a chance to see meg & her littles on our way out of town. aaron & si were bffs by the end of our trip!}

{after having lunch in chicago, we got to see wrigley field on our way to o’hare!}

{the route to terminal c at o’hare is always fun!}

{as we approached seattle, we opened the airplane window to discover the most beautiful view of mount rainer!}

we had a whirlwind trip to indiana to see aaron’s family & attend colt & erin’s nuptials this past week. it was so great to see so much family & get to spend some quality time with our niece & nephews {though it is so tough to not see them more often!}. the weather was beautiful & we both enjoyed a stretch of sunny weather with very little humidity {yay!} – looking forward to the summer weather that will hopefully descend upon the emerald city in the coming months. thanks to everyone who made time to hang out with us while we were in town – hope to do it again sometime very soon!

how was your weekend?

my {long} weekend in pictures.

{picked up a few pizzas from zaw for a dinner in with friends.}

{happy birthday aaron!}

{all packed up for a weekend staycation.}

{we stopped by the house on saturday to see the progress – I promise to share pics later in the week – & this is how you get into the front door.}

{it is sort of fun getting a week’s worth of mail on our weekly pick-up at the post office!}

{good weather in seattle means much more of this: waiting for boat traffic.}

{we got the sweetest package for baby lower from an old college friend.}

{celebrated a birthday dinner at steelhead diner at pike place market. the food was delish!}

{we stayed at the w hotel this weekend & it was so nice of them to remind us what time of day it was.}

{this sign at pike place market for the restrooms is hilarious – they are all over! I guess this is a sneak peak into what life will be like next year.}

{two of my favorite things: peonies & the bump!}

{I finally got started on a craft project for baby lower’s nursery at crafternoon with amanda.}

we had such an enjoyable long weekend vacationing in downtown seattle. we puttered around the shopping area downtown, took a few trips to the market, dined in bell town, caught up on grey’s anatomy, & enjoyed not having any plans whatsoever. sadie stayed with our good friends jes & cale – thanks you two! – so we knew we could relax without worrying about her. I can’t believe that we are already post-memorial day! that means aaron is one year older & summer {& baby lower} is right around the corner!

how was your weekend?

project baby {seattle baby shower}

as I had mentioned in this week’s bump post, amanda threw me a beautiful & lovely baby shower this past weekend. it was likely a bit of a challenge since it was gender neutral, but it was so, so perfect! every detail was thought of & executed to perfection. thank you amanda – such a fantastic way to celebrate baby lower with a fabulous group of women!

the spread was perfect – snacks & dessert {french macarons & cupcakes – my fav!} & I adored those hanging balloons. & the very sweetest thing was the guest book: everyone’s thumbprints on the cutest print from where the wild things are. this is the first art piece for the nursery!

{hanging balloons // the spread // the sweets}

{the guest book // shower prizes // oh baby banner in the bathroom // the most delicious drinks}

{quote on the guest book // shower game // favors // the spread}

{the drinks // my balloon chair // law school gals}

{playing shower games // admiring the youngest shower guest // the oldest of friends}

{mom, me, & the bump // the guest book // the lovely hostess & me // balloons!}

perfect, right?

my weekend in pictures.

{pre-dinner drinks on capital hill. cheers!}

{out to dinner with old & new friends on friday night.}

{I don’t know which is more amazing: the fact that spring bulbs are blooming or the fact that I planted these bulbs last fall.}

{I spent saturday morning on a rainy walk around greenlake with an old friend & her little one. I feel like this was a look into my very near future.}

{couldn’t resist the freshly picked pop-up shop at land of nod this weekend. picked up the cutest pair of moccasins for baby lower.}

{sunday lived up to its name today & brought some much-needed sun. needless to say sadie was here for most of the afternoon.}

{see those tiny little green plants at the base of our front tree? yep, those are tulips that I planted!}

{borrowing the divergent series from a friend. I need to get going before we go see the movie!}

{this week sadie got bored & unwound an entire spool of twine she found in my craft supplies. aaron & I spent 15 minutes trying to find an end so I could attempt to re-spin it. still a work in progress.}

we had a fun & productive weekend spending time with old & new friends, & finally taking a much-needed trip to the goodwill in an effort to get a kick-start on spring cleaning. after days & days of rain, we finally got a few dry days, or moments, starting on friday & finishing up with some actual sunshine today – it was glorious! while I am still reeling from the spring forward this morning, it was all-in-all a great weekend! how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{um, it’s girl scout cookie season! we made sure to stock up in case we miss the girls at the grocery store.}

{the elements of a great night in with aaron & sadie: chocolate coconut ice cream from TJ’s, redbox, girl scout cookies.}

{we were all grown-up this weekend & renewed our season tickets to the theater.}

{we started cleaning out our basement & I found my old law school books. have you ever seen that many tabs on one book?}

{aaron spent most of saturday taking down our old coal bin in the basement. #somanynails}

{just started the snapshop course by ashley ann to learn more about shooting in manual mode on the dlsr. thanks for the recommendation kendra!}

{we noshed at uneeda burger in fremont for a celebratory dinner with some friends. happy belated birthday cale & congrats on the new gig jes!}

{aaron & jazmyne are like this whenever they are together. #meltsmyheart}

{the winning set from cards against humanity this weekend.}

{I treated myself to some much-needed pampering of my eyebrows at julep this weekend after barre class.}

{thank goodness for the university village’s rain umbrellas. it was pouring rain today!}

{sadie, I don’t think you are comfortable. or spoiled.}

{after bashing my shin into the rowing machine – yep, big bruise! – our plans to continue with clean-up around the house took a back seat to an embarrassing amount of hours of oscar red carpet.}

{this is sadie’s version of heaven: a nearly empty jar of peanut butter.}

we had a really great weekend, except for the return of the rain. after an amazing week of spring-like weather, we were humbled & reminded just how far away spring is here in the PNW. boo. we got started working on cleaning out our basement. mostly it is just a bigger mess than it was as we have just shifted stuff around into huge piles: to pack, to trash, to donate. all-in-all a great weekend, though I am still in denial that it is already march… how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{we attended a fun celebration for both a birthday & an MBA completion for our friend sara – congratulations!}

{hit pike place market early saturday morning to pick up last minute party goodies – fresh flowers & french macarons! the tulips are so gorgeous & I have filled my house with them.}

{the dessert table set-up for my birthday bash.}

{kicking my feet up after a long & fun night of entertaining. loving this fantastic anthro skirt {no longer available}!}

{leftover cupcakes & donuts for breakfast? sure! don’t worry, we also had some blueberry muffins…}

{aaron showing our little friend jaz how to snap a straw.}

{car accident + rainy weather = major traffic issues.}

{meet fred, my grandmother’s new roommate!}

we had the most amazing weekend celebrating february birthdays with our friends & family. seriously, it was the best! sleeping in, eating macarons, & catching up with friends is the very best way to spend the weekend. now I am in disbelief that we are in the last week of march already – where did february go?

how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{thank you for all of the sweet comments here & on instagram about our big valentine’s day announcement! we are feeling very loved & were so excited to finally {officially} share the happy news. I promise this blog won’t become baby-central, but I will be sharing updates for those who are interested.}

{last year I made aaron’s valentine card & decided to make it a tradition by making him one this year too. I also made the envelope & liner using these awesome templates from paper source: envelope & envelope liner.}

{aaron spoiled me with breakfast in bed on saturday with heart-shaped pancakes & eggs.}

{we visited an old favorite place for lunch while we were in fremont running some errands. if you are ever in that part of town & want a really good sammie or gelato, be sure to hit up jai over at royal grinders}

{we spent some quality family time watching the sochi olympics this weekend. sadie was fascinated with the cross-country team event.}

{I may or may not have had a number of cupcakes this weekend.}

{we also got to celebrate our friend steve’s birthday this weekend. he was surprised by a party & a dinosaur cake. happy birthday steve!}

what a wonderful birthday weekend this shaped out to be. it was a little soggy, but hard to complain. we went on a fun date night to serafina on friday to celebrate my birthday & to eat alongside many of the other seattle couples celebrating valentine’s day. the rest of the weekend was spent sleeping in, opening presents, running some errands, & enjoying our little family of three. how was your weekend?

my weekend in pictures.

{sometimes when you just have a smoothie for lunch, you grab a bag of cheetos out of the vending machine at 3 pm.}

{on friday night I introduced aaron to the sandwiches at delicatus in seattle’s pioneer square neighborhood. he approved! thanks to amanda for sharing this spot with me last year.}

{after some delicious sammies, we joined ben & sarah at the comedy underground. hilarious!}

{on saturday morning, I breakfasted with an old friend & her new little one at the hangar café in georgetown. definitely check it out if you are ever in town. the crepes are amazing!}

{a girlfriend & I did some early birthday shopping in bellevue on saturday morning. the 12th man was everywhere, including at nordy’s.}

{nothing says date night like two glasses of ice water & a plastic table number. to be fair though, this was the second date night of the weekend, so I wasn’t complaining!}

{we picked up some beast mode skittles after dinner.}

{it is the beginning of february – seriously? – & my bulbs are already sprouting!}

{the laziness won over this weekend & our bringing a dish to share at the superbowl party turned into picking up a dozen donuts at top pot on the way over. no one seemed to mind.}

{the seahawks entering the field. that was before they went on to whoop the broncos! what a game! as much as I would have liked to see a better game – closer score – it was nice to not have to stress about whether the score was too close. from that first play of the game on it was all seahawks!}

this was a really great weekend. the sun was out, I got not one, but two date nights with my husband, we got to catch up with lots of friends, & the seahawks won the superbowl! doesn’t get much better than that! how was your weekend?

my {long} weekend in pictures.

{I joined some girlfriends for some lift, tone, burn at the pure barre in boise.}

{in an effort to pack light I didn’t bring my own hairdryer & planned on borrowing my mom’s. little did I know that hers recently bit the dust & she has been using this one from the 1970s…}

{on saturday I had the great joy of showering a soon-to-be-mama with my best & oldest girlfriends. it was so amazing to see these ladies & makes me wish we all lived in the same city again. {sigh} maybe someday! thanks jen for throwing a beautiful shower & congrats to beth!}

{watch out world, according to my fortune I am about to unleash some talents!}

{this morning my mom & I caught up on the men’s final match at the australian open & did our best not to read any news. I felt so, so bad for rafa but excited for wawrinka!}

{I dined with my mom & dad at an old favorite, da vinci’s, this evening. really good italian food if you ever find yourself in downtown eagle, idaho.}

{hopped on a plane tonight for the quick trip back to seattle!}

this long weekend was spent in idaho visiting family & friends, & was much-needed for me. we didn’t make it over for the holidays, so it felt good to be home at least for a few days this winter. it is always such a treat to catch up with family & old friends, & this weekend did not disappoint. we got to see my brother, sister, sister-in-law, & nephews for dinner one night, & I got to see all of my very best & oldest girlfriends all in one place at once – amazing! even though I am sad that the weekend is over, it is great to be home & to see sadie!

how was your weekend?