summer – emerald city diaries

our trip to seaside.

labor day weekend we headed for seaside, Oregon to meet my mama (grammie) for the week. we had a little house on the necanicum river & it was SO beautiful! there was a great yard right on the waterfront where we could watch the birds & fishermen, & we were walking distance to the beach & to downtown seaside. we were anxious to get thru the long, holiday weekend since it meant a lot of the crowds cleared (as school started that week), but it really wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be. we also had the BEST weather! it was sunny & in the 70s – apparently it was great weather according to the locals. this was also eloise’s first trip to the beach so it was pretty exciting to share the sun, sand, & ocean with her!

{warning: picture overload!}

have you ventured to the oregon coast?

my {long holiday} weekend in pictures.

{me & the bump celebrating the 4th of july.}

{the land of nod store is under construction & has a pretty fun entryway right now.}

{sadie’s new dog door at the house. pics to come later in the week of the rest of the house!}

{we attended a very patriotic party to celebrate america’s birthday.}

{the annual 4th of july parade in our neighborhood. such a treat!}

{we stopped by to see andy & hailey, & sadie loved sleeping in the grass lake-side.}

{sadie insisted on sitting right in between us during a small fireworks show. she didn’t last long before she wanted to be inside away from the noise. poor kid.}

{we went to ikea to pick up a few things for the house. #nesting}

{& amazingly it all fit in our car! sadie & I shared a seat in the back, but it worked. thank goodness we have a hatchback!}

{I finally found some time to finish up a sewing project for baby lower that I started some time ago. hope to share pics soon.}

{due to the many residual fireworks over the weekend, sadie got to sleep in bed with us. she hated it, obviously.}

what an awesome weekend. can every weekend be a three-day weekend, seriously? we got to sleep in, see lots of friends & family, & check some things off the ole’ to-do list – doesn’t get much better than that. we were a bit disappointed in the weather this weekend {rain when it wasn’t actually forecasted} but it is definitely feeling like summer here in the emerald city. I am still in shock that we are already so far into july – slow down summer!

how was your weekend?

my {long} weekend in pictures.

{on saturday afternoon we celebrated & remembered the life of my grandmother.}

{mmm, s’mores!}

{a fierce family board game commenced. aaron & I were victorious!}

{the bump & I got all dressed up for a baby shower on sunday! pics to come later in the week.}

{I love being at my parents’ house & catching up on all of my mom’s magazines!}

{dinner out at smoky mountain pizza – a local fav!}

{my parents’ dog bentley. love this guy. & he loves you when you have food!}

{so. many. donuts & cookies. we were sent home by the shower hostesses with lots of sprinkled & sugared goodies. an apparent test of self-control at 8 months pregnant.}

{sad to leave boise after such a quick trip!}

we spent the long weekend in boise to celebrate the life of my grandmother. it was an emotional time, but so, so good to see so many family & friends. we had a small family “service” at my parents’ cabin to remember & celebrate my grandmother. it was perfectly small & succinct – just how she would have wanted it to be.

I also had the pleasure of being “sprinkled” {baby sprinkled that is} by two of my best friends in celebration of baby lower. it was really great to see family & friends, & meet a few new babies that were in tow. I plan on sharing pics of the shower later in the week, so hold tight!

it was hard to spend so little time in boise before having to make the trip back to the real world, but it is nice that we have a short work week to look forward to. how was your weekend?

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 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 {long} weekend in pictures.

{aaron teaching sadie a few new tricks.}

{my mom & i took some out-of-town friends to the chihuly exhibit at seattle center on friday afternoon.}

{a picturesque space needle with chihuly glass.}

{mom & me with a chihuly chandelier.}

{our ride to the uw v. bsu game, courtesy of the steiners! what a gorgeous day to be on lake washington.}

{tailgating husky style. otherwise known as boatgating. & no, i did not captain the boat, i just borrowed his hat!}

{a view of lake washington from the newly-renovated husky stadium.}

{no visit from my mom is complete without a trip – okay trips – to panera.}

{sadie meets friends everywhere we go!}

{me & my uncle bill who was visiting this weekend.}

{sometimes a latte is just the pick-me-up you need to get you through a long weekend.}

{family dinner tonight – mom, jerry, aaron & me.}

we had family & friends in town visiting mostly for the season opener game at the renovated husky stadium. while i was sad that the broncos had a tough loss, i am pleased that the huskies did so well. if boise state has to lose, at least it is to my other favorite team! #gohuskies

it was a lovely weekend in seattle with picture-perfect weather! we did get some down-time in – which is unusual since it is called labor day, right? – which was much needed & thoroughly enjoyed. it is hard to believe that it is already september & that it is back to the grind… #wheredidsummergo

how was your weekend?

wedding weekend in hood river {multnomah falls}

before we headed home on sunday – mom, dad, & my sister to idaho, & aaron, sadie, & me to seattle – we headed west to multomah falls. it was lovely. just a short few steps from the parking lot with the option to hike up a slight incline to the stone bridge, & even further of a hike up the mountain {presumably to the top of the falls}. we made it just a bit further than the stone bridge, but didn’t have the time or the proper footwear to keep climbing. {yep, come to find out saltwater sandals aren’t the best in hiking footwear.} we definitely will be back to visit though & hope to hike a little further on our next trip. also, if you decide to visit, go early in the morning. we were lucky to have beaten the crowds, but on our way out of town there was a long back-up on the freeway to visit the falls & also big spaces reserved for buses – no thank you!

have you been to the columbia river gorge?

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 {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?