music – 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.”

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.

{aaron & sadie cuddling at my grandmother’s house.}

{my grandmother is always “losing” her glasses. turns out she had five pairs in her purse!}

{we saw men in black III. my review: it was better than the second, but not as good as the first.}

{i did a LOT of painting this weekend & it is finally done! wahoo! we are letting the doors dry for a few days before they go back up mid-week. i will try to post pictures of our updated kitchen next week (meg garner-ballard: your wait is almost over!).}

{we were lucky enough to get a free half-time show courtesy of the roosevelt high school marching band that marched down our street. they were legit with full costumes & police escorts.}

{yep, another trip to lowe’s.}

{we tried out a restaurant just north of our house. aaron loved the beer & there was great artwork!}

{sadie often feels the need to hug my arm. it is adorable.}

{we enjoyed a yummy sunday night dinner date at the skillet diner. grilled pb&j, roasted beets, & chicken on a waffle. it was de-lish!}

{new shoe debut. i love these shoes, however, wearing almost four inch heels for the first time when going to a standing-room-only concert is not a really good idea.}

{we got to see dia frampton at chop suey for a late sunday night concert. happy belated birthday aaron!}

{we look a little creepy because the venue was lit in red.}

{dia & her band. she was very tardy, but put on a great show!}

it was a busy weekend, per usual, but fun & even a little bit sunny. how was your weekend?

baby it’s cold outside.

i don’t know about you, but all i have been listening to is christmas music. what would i do without pandora this time of year, especially since the free version doesn’t cut out after 40 hours per month (that was the worst during law school finals).

if i just want some nice background noise, i will play some instrumental christmas music (i am a sucker for the christmas version of canon & d – my fave and what i walked down the aisle to), but i really love singing along to old christmas favorites too! the bonus is when one of my favorite singers does the cover of a christmas classic!

{dia frampton cover of “baby, it’s cold outside.}

{sidenote: aaron and i were totally hooked on the show “the voice” in its first season (even though we didn’t start watching until about 3/4 of the way thru the show!), and completely fell in love with dia frampton. she is such an amazing singer/songwriter with a really unique voice. i know that aaron is smitten with her – she is just such a cutie, it is hard not to be! i can’t wait for her RED album to drop!}

are you listening to christmas music? what are your favorites to listen to?

"in your arms" aka "the jellybean video."

my husband shared this with me the other night and i LOVE it. you may have already seen it floating around the interwebs, but if you haven’t, be sure to watch.

so. many. jellybeans.

and if you are interested in how the video was made.

what do you think about all of those jelly bellys?
M

maroon 5 & train on tour

a few weeks ago (actually a month ago tomorrow) aaron (my husband) and i got to see maroon 5 and train in concert. even though the venue wasn’t really in seattle (it was a bit south of here in renton) and it took forever to get home fighting traffic, it was totally worth it! we have both been followers of maroon 5 since their first album “songs about jane” released in the early 2000s, and actually the band was one of the things we had in common when we first met (that’s another story for another day). as for train, well, they have been around for years (“drops of jupiter” anyone?), but “hey soul sister” happens to be one of my very favorite songs (yes, it’s my ringtone).

we knew when we bought tickets that we would be close, but it wasn’t until we got to the venue and found our section that we realized how close we really were: floor seats just a few rows back! it was perfect as we were close enough to actually see the bands on stage, but not too close to all of the groupies. matt nathanson was the opening show and i didn’t even realize who he was until he started singing his radio hit “come on get higher.” after matt’s set wrapped, the curtain went down in order for the change of bands. aaron and i just assumed that train would be next since it seems like maroon 5 is a bigger name, so we were both really surprised when the curtain rose and adam levine was on stage!

the maroon 5 set was awesome. they sang their new hit “moves like jagger” along with many of the oldies from their first record, including “sunday morning.” (side note: “sunday morning” was our first dance song at our wedding. our actual song was “everything” by michael buble, but aaron convinced me we couldn’t dance to that song since it was so fast – he surprised me at our wedding reception and actually sang “everything” to me – so we decided that the acoustic version of “sunday morning” was the perfect song because we, in fact, got married on a sunday morning.). the train set was equally awesome. they sang many of their old and very well known hits and also delighted the crowd, including yours truly, with “hey soul sister.” it was fantastic.