Late Winter Recap

Happy First Day of Spring! I have to tell you, as cliche as it sounds, the start of this new season has me buzzing! I found myself nearly skipping on my sunny walk to work and somehow feel wayyyy more productive today than I have in months. I am sure it is a mental thing, but I'll take what I can get! 

On that note, I think I think this weather has given me the motivation to post a quick recap of my life lately in photo montage format!

Lots of family time

Valentine's Day celebrated with good friends, takeout, chick flicks, champagne, and flowers from my forever Valentine

Mamma Mia round two & the sweetest weekend with my favorite couple to 3rd wheel 

Local whiskey flights at Barrel Thief with Zach

A Soba class with my coworker where we made the BEST hot & cold soba along with some insanely tasty tempura

Oregon game with a lovely victory over UW! Sco Duckkksssss

A sunshiney afternoon strolling around Capitol Hill

Pi Day celebrated over Pizza Pie and cocktails on a lovely evening in Ballard

 Celebrating 60 years with our favorite fella at The Portland Roadster Show

And helping throw the wildest Mardi Gras themed baby shower for my equally wild cousin Christy

There are so many adventures not pictured & hangovers not captured, but you get the jist! 

I hope you're loving these springtime vibes as much as I am! 

Cheers to new seasons & new adventures.

Janu-Where the Hell did it Go?

Seriously, I feel like I blinked and the month was OVER. No clue how it happened, but I figured I would share a few highlights before January 2018 is lost forever.

VEGAS WEEKEND
Yep, really started the year with a bang. Bri had a conference in Sin City, so I figured I should probably take advantage of the free room & booze. I flew Spirit which was the least luxurious experience of my life, but for 100 bones I certainly got what I paid for. Bri was a few hours behind me so I liquored up at hotel bar and waited for her arrival. She no sooner rolled up and we were off to a dinner buffet and a water show. The rest of the trip was lots of meetings & conference things; some of which I attended and others I boozed while Bri schmoozed. It was a much more low key trip to Vegas that I was used to, but a blast either way. My favorite parts were our fancy ass room at the Paris, drinking way too many Flamingle Punches at Hexx, upgraded seats to Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man, the bougie party we went to on the 56th floor of the Aria where I got a FOOT MASSAGE and drank the fanciest champagne, and eating all the crepes all the time! It was a lovely way to kick off 2018.

BOOK OF MORMON WEEKEND
Guys, SO funny! I had gotten my sister tickets for Christmas which was a subtle way of forcing her to visit me for the weekend. We grabbed FOB Poke & a drink at The Crocodile before the show which was the perfect pregame. The show was so freaking good we couldn't beleive it. Obviously we couldn't go to bed afterwards, so we met up with Mark and Chris for a classic Ozzie's evening followed by $40 worth of McDonald's delivery.... Yeah, we know how to party. The next morning Chloe and I had the BEST brunch at Pesos and spent the early afternoon wandering and window shopping on the top of Queen Anne. I was super bummed when it was time for my sister to leave so I convinced Chris to make the four mile trek to Golden Gardens where we watched the sunset and split a bottle of wine. It was a really nice way to end the weekend.

COOKING CLASS
My friend Quentin joined me for his first cooking class at the pantry, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The class was geared towards Japanese Izakaya (Bar Food) which had our names written all over it. I love the way this class was structured because we were eating through the whole class rather than waiting until the end to feast on our accomplishments. We began the class by making incredible double fried chicken wings which had an awesome soy glaze. The wings had all 3 parts still intact which was something I had never experienced before and I loved the concept of frying them once on low to fully cook the chicken and a second time (which could be hours later) to crisp them up. Next we made Chicken Yakitori Skewers with Bacon, Scallions, and Shitake Mushrooms. They were INSANE and the soy caramel sauce we coated them in absolutely blew my mind. We also made Cabbage and Pork Gyoza, a Tofu Soup, and Pickled Plum Onigiri; alll of which were amazing! Q and I left the class completely stuffed, but somehow had a little room for a nightcap.

ANACORTES WEEKEND
Tayla headed north to spend some time with her family, which was the perfect excuse for a mini vacation. We kicked off the fun Thursday night by attending a comedy show at Batch 206 Distillery followed by drinks at Shelter and a deck party in the freezing cold. I miraculously made it through work the next day & squeezed in a quick happy hour with coworkers before Tay and I hit the road. Traffic was a real nightmare, but we were greeted by two VERY excited babies which made it all worth the trip. Saturday began with brunch at Adrift with Tay's dad, step mom, and sweet younger siblings followed by a brisk walk around town. We couldn't get over how adorable all the shops and bars were, even if we nearly froze to death. We spent the evening with her family and were on the road bright and early the next morning to make a bottomless mimosa brunch at Pesos. I think we can all imagine how bottomless mimosas ended.... 8 bottles split between 5 people meant everyone was totally lit by 3 pm and ready to party. The boys HAD to have jean jackets, so we made a quick haul at Forever 21 before heading to Rock Box to party the day away. Although everyone felt like trash Monday morning, it was more than worth it.

BACHELOR NATION
Bachelor Nights are back in the mix! I always look forward to the standing night each week to get together with friends, eat & drink way too much, and catch up over trashy television. We have been alternating hosts this year which has been a lot of fun.

I am sure I missed all kinds of fun activities, but the month has been such a blur I hardly remember!

Happy Hump Day! 

The Hostess with the Mostest

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone is kicking off the first weekend of the year with a bang. I have a few more hours of work then am off to Vegas! Before I jet off, I wanted to share a few easy appetizers I threw together Tuesday for the Bachelor Season Premiere. 

I was feeling super lazy after NYE and had decided to grab pizza for the evening, but things didn't exactly work out as planned... Imagine that! Papa Murphy's was closed so I popped into Metropolitan Market to see what I could toss together last minute. Luckily, I live for tapas and small plates, so I was excited to see what I could come up with. After stopping at the Poke & Olive bars, I grabbed a few meats, cheeses, starches, and a jar of fig jam then headed home to prep. 

I had a jar of Pepper Jelly in the cupboard, so I paired it with cream cheese and Wheat Thins and moved on. Typically I pour the Pepper Jelly over the top of the cream cheese, but I figured I would let people choose their own proportions this time so I left them separate. 

Next, I sliced up a couple of baguettes, dusted them with melted butter, and toasted them at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Then I spread a healthy portion of goat cheese and fig jam on the baguette slices and topped them with prosciutto. It was so easy and they basically flew off the plate! 

So, if you're ever looking to impress at a party with the least amount of effort, these dishes are sure to get the job done! 

Happy Weekending, Loves! 

New Year, Same Me

Happy Freaking New Year! 

It is absolutely blowing my mind that it could possibly be 2018. I guess time truly flies while you're having fun, and let me tell you, 2017 was a BLAST!

After all the excitement this past weekend, I was looking forward to a low key NYE in. I thought that was the plan until Chris announced that he was going to wear a suit for the evening, so cut to me spending an hour getting ready for our "low key night in." Cole joined us for a bottle of champagne at our place before we headed to Ballard for the night. We started at Kangaroo & Kiwi where we each had a few drinks and Chris came up with an alter ego to match his fresh duds... Sheppard. We laughed and played along, but didn't think much of it. Next thing we know we are headed to get Puffy Tacos and somehow end up front row of a drag show. The boys were pissed, but we all ended up having the best time. The highlight, of course, was Chris being called up on stage multiple times and using his Sheppard persona to woo the queens.

Although the night was a blast, it lead to a very unproductive New Years Day. I barely left the couch except to get the take out we had delivered, but I did finish my puzzle so there's that.

#crushedit

All and all 2017 was a huge success from start to finish. I loved the relationships I cultivated, the adventures I went on, and the work I did on myself. I feel much healthier and more active than I did at the beginning of 2017 & am looking forward to carry that into 2018. My resolution this year is simple, I want to focus on my health. For me, that means both physical and mental health... So while focusing on my health means eating better, exercising more, and getting plenty of sleep; it also means being social, trying new restaurants, making time for happy hour, and knowing that it is okay to occasionally stay up way too late making memories or having a long chat with a friend. 

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year!

Cheers to 2018 & all the excitement it will bring. 

Enjoying the Last of 2017

The past few days were the perfect representation of 2017: full of loved ones, new babies, booze, food, puzzles, travel & celebration! 

The weekend started with beers and a few good friends at Urban Family Brewing. They have the best sour beers and an awesome atmosphere. It was a great opportunity to catch up but it did make the train trip to Portland the next morning a little more painful. 

I arrived in the City of Roses around noon, which was the perfect timing for a quick lunch on 23rd with Emmy, a friend who had recently moved to Portland from Seattle. It was so wonderful to see her, and we couldn't stop gushing about the adorable restaurant we landed at. If you're ever in the area, Fireside is the cutest little gastro pub with great food and excellent service. After we said our goodbyes, I popped over to a kids boutique to pick up a few gifts, grabbed a dozen donuts at Blue Star, and headed to the hospital to visit one of my best friends and her new baby girl. 

You guys, look how perfect this sweet baby is! I couldn't stop snuggling and staring at her. Both Mommy & Baby are doing great, and I couldn't feel luckier to have little Lennon Jane in my life. It was such a special afternoon spent loving on this little girl and her parents, it was nearly impossible to tear myself away... Luckily I had some fun waiting for me!

Cut to one of the very best nights out celebrating my Big's 30th birthday by saying goodbye to the Roaring Twenties. The costumes were incredible and the food and drinks were free flowing but nothing compared to the amazing company. 

We get together so rarely that every night with these gals are my favorites, and this evening was certainly no exception. We all crammed into my Big's hotel room for drinks while we put on our faces and costumes. Some of best memories are always made in those "before the night starts" moments.



Once we were all primped and polished, we headed to dinner at Tasty n Sons. SO GOOD! 

 I would love to go back and share a few more dishes. Once we were all completely stuffed, we returned to the hotel for a rooftop picture, then to the bars we went.

We had the best time dancing the night away at Jackknife, threw down some killer karaoke at Chopsticks, then ended the night at Sizzle Pie.

The night was perfect in every way and totally worth the miserable 6 am train trip home the following morning. 

The weekend truly seemed to fly by, but I loved every crazy minute of it. 

Cheers to great friends and ending the year right! 

Yuletide-al Wave

As magical as the holidays always are, this year felt a little more like a tsunami than a festive swim.

The celebrating started the day before I left for New Orleans. I was looking forward to a productive Saturday of shopping, packing, and sleeping butttttt that plan didn't exactly work out. Instead I found myself Santa-Conning with friends which ended in a very late night on Capitol Hill and no sleep before the trip. 

 It was totally crazy, completely irresponsible, and 100% worth it. 

After our whirlwind trip to New Orleans, we got back just in time for Parksmas. 

It is truly such a special tradition that just keeps getting better each year. Some of us drink while others play kickball, but we all laugh and cheer and cherish the company.

Afterwards my sister and I headed home for a cozy Christmas Eve at my dad's. 

We sipped on Egg Nog while the snow fell and we watched Christmas classics by the fire. My step niece and I even made a little snowman.

Sadly, Snowman didn't make it.

Thanks for the obituary, Dad! 

After receiving the sad news about our dear snow pal, we headed to my mom's for Christmas brunch. We quickly discovered our sneaky little mother had already opened her gift, per the usual! 

At least she had the courtesy to "act" surprised.... Cue eye roll. 

We had a lovely Christmas morning at mom's before heading to Grandma's for Christmas Italiano and lots of family time! 

This year the cousins decided to #bringbackvelvet in honor of baby Eila's first Christmas. Long live velvet Christmas garb! 

Before I knew it, the time came to head back to Seattle.

Although I spent most of the holiday slightly drowning, I wouldn't change a second of it.

Cheers to Christmas Spirit & the people who make all the craziness worth it!