Category: sadie

highlights of 2011.

i love reading the yearly highlights on other blogs & thought it would be especially fun to catch up on the entire year since i didn’t start blogging until the fall.

{via google}
january: we had a mellow start to the new year that was highlighted by starting the last semester of my law school career.
february: we celebrated our 6 month anniversary on the first (cheesy, i know). we hosted a celebration party at our townhouse which included my turning 26 (yikes!), a very belated housewarming & of course, our 6 month anniversary. aaron took me away to whidbey island for a romantic weekend to celebrate my birthday and valentine’s day, and we went to serafina (my fav) for dinner!

march: my last official spring break (probably ever) which was spent studying (papers & oral argument) & working on my Bar application. i submitted my Bar application. we were surprised by the early arrival of baby cambridge: franklin pierre cambridge.

{via cari cambridge}
april: we attended the Barrister’s Ball (a.k.a. law school prom) which was held at the EMP. we drove to ritzville, WA to meet my dad & brought home the newest member of our little family, sadie. we had a date night at The Pink Door during Seattle Restaurant Week.

{taken at photobooth}
{the very first picture of sadie & aaron at the columbia river – taken with holga 135}
may: my last official final exams period: one final, two papers & a project. i painted our office a soothing blue in preparation for my bar exam studies. we attended Baccalaureate Mass at Seattle University & my Law School Graduation at Key Arena. we flew to indiana to see aaron’s family & to attend aaron’s ten year reunion at Culver Military Academy. we continued east-ward to Paris where we spent a week of celebration: graduation & aaron turning 28! we spent our first day in Paris with our good friend jerry who acted as our translator & tour guide.

june: i started my bar prep studies on the first; this marked the beginning of eight grueling weeks of 80 hours a week cramming. aaron interviewed & was offered a program manager position (still at microsoft). 
july: we saw Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II at the IMAX. i sat for the WA Bar Exam on July 26, 27 & 28; i wouldn’t have made it thru those three days without my friend miriam, three-evenings-in-a-row massages, jimmy john’s delivery service or the sheraton hotel in bellevue. we got celebratory pedis at my favorite spa Julep. 
august: on the first we celebrated our one year anniversary at Rover’s. we dropped off sadie with nanny lisa and headed east for a lower family vacation. we spent the bookend weekends in charlotte, NC with aaron’s brother david & his family, but spend most of the vacation in charleston, SC on the beach at the Isle of Palms. lots of sun, sand & air conditioning. sadie & i drove to boise for a quick trip home to visit my family & to get a haircut (yes, i go to idaho to get my haircut). we waited in anticipation for baby lower who was born shortly after we left NC: landon neal lower.

{via jodi lower}
september: we saw maroon 5 & train in concert at the white river amphitheater. we drove down to salem for a weekend to see old family friends & so aaron could skydive; we saw our friends but had to cancel the skydiving due to weather conditions & miscommunications. we attended a surprise dinner party for sami, one of my very old friends from idaho, who now lives in seattle with her husband, brandon. on the 26th we celebrated sadie’s 7th birthday.

october: i passed the bar exam! we celebrated our four year dating anniversary with dinner at the melting pot. we attended Ghouls Near Greenlake, ben & sarah’s annual halloween bash as aladdin & jasmine. we ate our way thru seattle & bellevue during Seattle Restaurant Week. aaron ran in the warrior dash. i started a little blog called emerald city diaries to keep family & friends updated on the lower family.

november: i was sworn in as an official King County Bar Association member. i was rear-ended. we celebrated the baptism of baby herschel, the son of one of my law school friends. we celebrated thanksgiving with my grandmother & friends in seattle. we bought doug the douglas fir, the second annual lower family christmas tree. aaron took me to the nutcracker for an early christmas date.

december: we celebrated the engagement of our good friends andy & hailey. we attended a champagne brunch fundraiser. we got an SLR camera. we drove to boise in a rental car. i got a haircut. we flew to vegas. we attended the nuptials of scott & kelly at the chapel in the clouds. we cheered on the boise state broncos to victory in the las vegas bowl. we attended a christmas reunion of the CBC (my dearest high school girlfriends). we celebrated christmas! we drove back to seattle. 

whew, what a year! every year i think “this has been the best year ever!” and i think this is totally true about my 2011.
how was your 2011 – was it a year to remember or are you itching to start 2012 already?
M

my weekend in pictures: christmas edition.

 {the christmas tree at my parent’s house}
 {bentley the beagle on his favorite spot on the stairs}
 {and the stockings were hung by the chimney with care}
 {white elephant gift exchange on christmas eve with family & friends}
{my sister-in-law decorates the mounts with christmas bulbs} 

 {skeeter lounging on the couch}
{some holiday baking} 

 {say “cheese!”}
 {the christmas dinner table}
 {my christmas place setting}
 {aaron got a blister from cutting butternut squash}
 {yum, that’s a good looking turkey}
 {it is amazing how attentive the dogs are when there’s turkey around}
 {sadie loved her christmas pheasant. thanks auntie kelly & uncle jason!}
 {skeeter in her new christmas scarf}
 {our little family curled up on the couch watching some football}
 {aaron & me with the christmas tree}
{the whole family (minus a few)}

how was your christmas weekend?
M

a pinterest christmas: stockings, the sadie edition.

i made a stocking for sadie this year. it just didn’t seem right that any member of the family wouldn’t have a stocking hanging from the mantle.

i followed pretty much the same tutorial as for the other two stockings, minus the ruffled ribbon on the cuff. i also cut the stocking pattern (the paper one) down about a half an inch so sadie’s is a little smaller and narrower.

the main fabric was pre-quilted and i originally bought it thinking it would be the cuffs for the other two stockings (but then i got the idea of ruffled cuffs. i digress.). it was a long narrow piece of fabric, so it worked out perfectly for the stocking pieces of this stocking. the cuff fabric has little scottie dogs on it – adorable! it is a happy coincidence that this fabric was used as part of sadie’s stocking. i originally bought the fabric to make christmas napkins (but it was a really small & narrow piece of fabric) & i originally thought i was going to use sweater material to make the cuff.

i am really, really happy with sadie’s little stocking. truth be told, i like it more than the others.

 {sidenote: don’t mind the cardboard over the fireplace that shows up in a few shots above. we have been trying to keep a certain furry family member – i won’t mention any names – from chomping on burnt firewood to ease her separation anxiety.}

do you have stockings for your pets, or are we the only ones?
M

my weekend in pictures.

{oysters on the halfshell at mccormick & schmick’s} 
{packing for vegas & id-de-ho} 
{making a cup of tea} 

(my husband makes a mean breakfast burrito} 

{santa in his helicopter} 

{loving all of the christmas cards on the mantle} 

{sadie got her christmas present early} 

{soup & sammie at specialty’s in the u village} 

{new issue of vogue} 

{i am a poultra-pesca-tarian meaning i am a vegetarian who eats chicken & fish. i also eat bacon & the ocassional rib.} 

{my grandmother with an enormous piece of carrrot cake} 

{on the road! idaho, here we come!} 

{i found a mustache on the ground at the rest stop} 

{aaron & sadie in yakima} 

{sadie & me stretching our legs} 

{that sign says “welcome to oregon”} 

{getting onto I-84 straight to idaho!} 

{we had teeny snow flurries in the blue mountains} 

{sadie was in the car & aaron had locked me out} 

{we nearly ran out of gas} 

{thank you durkee, OR for having a gas station!} 

{sadie enjoyed having her bed on the car trip} 

{a pretty sky}

{christmas lights at my parent’s house} 

{my parents got a puppy. meet skeeter!} 
how was your weekend? are you heading home for the holidays?
M

my weekend in pictures.

 {scratch & dent sale at miir!}

 {ratatouille crepe at la cote down the street}

{lunch at top pot!} 
{veggie burger with bacon at counter burger in ballard} 

{this is the result of major separation anxiety – any ideas?} 

{beautiful tulips from my mom!} 

 {our new philip mccracken piece. now, where to put it?}

 {a sunday morning stroll to madison park – i love being within walking distance!}
{sunday morning coffee run} 
 {Did you try a cupcake yet? – we have a new cupcake bakery down the block}

{bath time!} 

 {tis the season at target!}

{our “new” rugs. this used to be an 8×11 rug which we bought pre-dog, but post-dog it got trashed so we salvaged two pieces to keep our feet toasty when we wake up!}
 i had a million things on my to-do list since this was our last full weekend before we leave for the holidays.
how was your weekend?
M

my weekend in pictures.

{j.crew notebook. i think i need this.} 
{six inch heels from shoemint. they are actually pretty comfy.} 

{aaron made me pancakes.} 

{sadie and the ducks that live down the street.} 

{completed a sewing project for a pinterest christmas! can’t wait to share it.} 

{i lost control at nordy’s this weekend. i may have a problem, but i needed new winter accessories – mittens, hat. thanks kate!} 

{it is officially christmas in downtown seattle!} 

{i need to learn to make do, in that i don’t need to shop all the time. ironic that i saw this at anthro.} 

{decisions, decisions.} 

{our friends andy & hailey got engaged on saturday!}
http://www.youtube.com/get_player
{congratulations andy & hailey! andy threw her a surprise engagement party.} 

{champagne brunch fundraiser.} 

{we started a super-secret christmas project!} 

{the lower family christmas cards are all ready to mail!} 

{sadie lounging on the garage stairs.}

{there is a fire hydrant at magnuson dog park. what is it with dogs and hydrants?} 

{a talented barista poured a tulip into my latte!} 

{christmas lights in madison park.} 

{working late on a sunday evening. boo.}
how was your weekend?
M

my weekend in pictures.

{b.l.a.t. at oddfellows. it was time for a change-up from turkey.} 

{does anyone know how to darn a mitten?} 

{pouring down rain = wellies.} 

{apple cup. bow down to the huskies!} 

{thai take-out.} 

{you know it’s the holiday season when TJ’s carries candy cane green tea. my fave!} 

{thanksgiving leftovers.} 

{hot cocoa & a walk around the neighborhood. don’t know what we would do without a coffee shop right down the block!} 

 {baking the apple pie.}
{this is how sadie sleeps. all. the. time.} 

{after making turkey stock, we made turkey stew with wild rice, pancetta and crimini mushrooms.}

{date night at the nutcracker.}
we had the laziest weekend ever. but then today i got a million-and-a-half things done before noon. does that ever happen to you? how was your weekend?
M

my weekend in pictures.

{got my bar number, it’s official!} 
{s’more cupcake. finally tried the new cupcake store down the street. yum-o!} 

{we had to finish HP. again.} 

{late night chow at cafe flora.} 

{kimchi fried rice from marination station.} 

{we cleaned our office this weekend. it must get worse before it gets better.} 

{brushing sadie’s teeth. i don’t know who hates it more – sadie or husband.} 

{vogue.} 

{feeling a bit under the weather lately.} 

{roaring fire. thanks husband!} 

{saw j.edgar with my grandmother for friday night dinner.}
how was your weekend? the forecast was threatening snow, but we didn’t see any of the white stuff. boo.
M

dog mail.

dear mom & dad,

i thought you would be so proud of me when you got back from dinner the other night. 

i jumped up on the counter all by myself even though you moved the stools away. its like you don’t want me walking on the counter or something. then, i saw my toothbrush sitting there and decided to give my teefers a little brush. 

that chicken flavored toothpaste is awfully tasty, but who knew brushing teeth was so difficult? i think i’m gonna need a new one…

you weren’t very happy with me when you got home. was it because i was brushing on the living room rug?


love & kisses,
sadie