Girl Time

This week was a good one.

I got in some much needed girl time.  This week I shared a bottle of wine and a lot of pasta with a truly inspiring friend.  Her name is Blaze and we have been close friends since our first day of college.  She was the best randomly picked roommate I could ever have asked for.

Five plus years later she inspires me day after day.  The marriage advice she gave back in college when I had sworn off the idea of ever getting married still speaks to me.  She is a model friend to say the least.

This week we compared schedules.  She is a full-time mom and I am a full-time employee.  It was fascinating to hear what a day in her shoes looks like compared to mine.  Her mornings  are filled with spilled yogurt and cries for mama.  Mine are filled with coffee, emails, and a meeting or two.  The timing of her day depends on when her adorable two year-old wakes up.  Mine begins the minute my alarm goes off.

Blaze, a blossoming artist, is getting back to her work after two years of raising her son.  The balance between kids and work is tricky and I am thankful to see a beautiful balance all around me.  I am not having kids any time soon but I am already trying to think through how this balance works.  How do you stay fresh in your career to eventually go back to work?  When do you go back to work?  I would love to hear all of your stories.  Please share away!

In the end it was fascinating hearing how different our lives are but how we can still inspire and encourage one another.  I hope all of you have a Blaze in your life.

xo

{photo from Megaduluxe}

also...    g   o       h   a   w   k   s   !   !

Winter Beauty

The recent cooler weather has taken a toll on my hair and skin.  

After some trial and error I have finally found a couple of products 

that seem to do the trick!  Below are my winter beauty tricks. 

Enjoy!

1. Rosewater

My new favorite product is rosewater.  After a long run I feel sweaty and gross 

and commuting home is the last thing I want to do.  Before I leave the gym I spritz a 

little bit of rosewater on my face.  It helps me smell nice and 

moisturizes my skin.

{this is the brand I use and love}

2. Coconut Oil

I swear by this stuff.  My skin has been terribly dry this winter 

and this is one of the only solutions I have found.  

I put a thin layer on before an outside run in the brisk cold 

and then a thicker layer right before I rinse my face.  

It gets a little greasy but it keeps the moisture in my skin.  

I also use it on my legs after shaving and before bed.  

3. Flaxseed Oil

Ever since my eye doctor recommended flaxseed Oil I've taken it every day.  

It helps keep my super dry eyes feel moisturized and it has 

also helped with my overall complexion.

4. Lavender Oil

A drop or two on my pillow at night helps me sleep like a baby!  

Also, when I start feeling a little under the weather or stressed 

I put a couple of drops in a steamy shower and let my worries melt away.

5. Mayonnaise (gross... I know)

This is one trick I'm a little grossed out by.  

Blake Lively recently said the trick behind her shiny locks was mayonnaise.  

Her hair is pretty perfect so I had to give it a shot.  I spent 20 nauseating minutes 

in a mayo mask.  I followed this tip and added a little vanilla extract 

which helped the smell.  After shampooing three times (seriously) to get it all out 

my hair was noticeably shiny-er and healthier looking.   I probably won't do it 

very often but I will do it again.  Thanks Blake Lively! {directions here}

{ Free People   Lauren Conrad   Lauren Conrad   OIL   Eat Drink Paleo }

Stuffed Mini Peppers

Last weekend I attended a good friend's bridal shower.  
The hostess was incredible and made a ton of food and signature cocktails.  
My absolute favorite thing she served were her mini stuffed peppers. 

I definitely killed any New Year's diet goals for that evening :)

  

Here is a recipe I found that seems to be just as delicious as what I had.
  

This may be my new favorite party treat.  

Its delicious, budget friendly, and easy to make. 

What are you favorite treats to make when hosting guests?

{ photos and recipe from Food Fanatic }

Sweet Potato Muffins

J is about to start his new job next month (more coming soon!) 

and its going to be very physical for the next four months.  

I have been collecting recipes to help him retain energy and 

his weight while working out heavily.  So, this weekend I decided 

to put my research into practice!  First up: Sweet Potato Muffins.  

They are starchy and packed with sugar to help him power through an active day.

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

⅓ cup sour cream

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 cup mashed sweet potato

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla (I tend to use more)

1½ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

Streusel Topping:

3 tablespoons unsalted softened butter

¼ cup chopped pecans

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F 

Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners

In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs. 

Next, add the sweet potato mash, vegetable oil, and sour cream.

 Stir well.

Mix in the brown sugar and add vanilla. 

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.

Stir until combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl crumble together the softened butter, chopped pecans, flour, and sugar. 

Sprinkle the topping over all the muffins. 

Bake for 18 minutes

For a healthier version skip the Streusel topping 

and let them go bare.  They are still so delicious!

In the coming weeks I'm going to be practicing my 

domestic cooking skills, if you have any great recipes 

for a guy on the go let me know!  

My "To Feed My Husband" pinterest board is blowing up but 

with 4 months ahead I can never have too many ideas!

{photos and styling by me}

Blue & Green

Being from Seattle I love blue and green (see here).  

So, to celebrate this great weekend in Seattle 

I did a blue and green color board.  Enjoy!

Go Hawks!

{ photos:  1   2   3   4   }

Long Weekend

Long weekends are the best.

Mine was filled with the following:

*A brilliant Seahawk win

* Lots of Scrabble matches with J (I'm on a winning streak)

* Feeding my Breaking Bad addiction

* Baking - a post to prove coming soon

* Setting up my new computer! 

* A movie and Seattle date night with J and my mom and dad

* Dinner with our Portland family

* My dear friends wedding

I will be back to my normal schedule on Wednesday!

xo

{photo from Bookshelf}

The Nature of Isa

A little over a year ago I attended a wedding for one of Justin's cousins.  

It was a lovely winter Oregon wedding and the bride was a dream in her wedding dress,
but her veil was what caught my eye.  It was so beautiful and hard to forget.

Later that night at dinner I was making small talk with the girl next to me,

we talked about how nice the wedding was but when I mentioned 

how much I loved the bride's veil she informed me she was the designer.

So began a blossoming friendship with Allison Johansen 

the creator, owner, and designer behind The Nature of Isa.

A few months later Allison invited me to her shop 

to photograph a couple of pieces for Decor Amor.  It was dreamy.  

Her small urban studio is tucked away in a busy Portland neighborhood.  

Its soft lighting and hints of vintage flair make this space 

an ideal setting for a bride to find her gown.

 

Allison designs and creates each piece.  She does custom work or 

you can try on one of the many samples in her shop.  

She works with lace, tulle, silk, and beading.  

If you are interested in a custom dress I would
highly recommend contacting Allison.  

A custom dress can take as little as three months
from start to finish.  

 

Her dresses range from $1500 - $2500.  

She can do bridesmaid and Mother of the Bride dresses as well.

Allison carefully follows trends and said that right now 

brides are loving gold, hints of color, and tulle.
Sequins are also a big accent piece for 2015 and 2016 brides.

Allison also loves two-piece dresses.  In her shop she has gorgeous 

lace corset tops that can be paired with a skirt.  

Wouldn't that lace top with a silky skirt be perfect for a Mother of the Bride?

Thank you for hosting me Allison!  You make a delicious 

grapefruit Mimosa and you have a real talent and eye for design.

For any brides out there, click the photo below to plan a visit to Allison's shop.  

No matter what dress you end up with you will be a stunning bride but
with Allison's help you will have a dress or veil to remember.

{All Photos by Me}

Watercolor Cakes

Watercolor wedding cakes are one of my favorite trends right now.  

They can be soft and romantic or bold with pops of color. 

 Below are some of my favorite sugary masterpieces.

Also, watercolor macaroons...

adorable!

Do you have a favorite?

 xo

{ Martha _Weddings : 1 : 2 : 3 : 4 : Wedding Chicks }

A Tiny Home

I am a fan of tiny homes, especially this one.  

Our little apartment is definitely tiny.  It's not quite as small as this cabin 

but we literally sleep in the only closet in our apartment (at least it has a window).  

I'll post a home tour eventually but for now more of this lovely space:

{original source not found : Pinterest}

Seattle is home.

Two weeks ago Justin and I had to make a big decision 

on where to live and root ourselves and a future family.  

After many pro and con lists and a whole lot of prayer 

we ultimately decided that Seattle is home.

More later on why we had to make this decision 

but I wanted to share with you my top five favorite things

about the city that I am proud to call home...

1. Pretty City

I get to enjoy living in an urban setting but a day hike 

and moutains are a mere 30 minutes away by car.  

The city is incredibly green and the ocean borders our lovely city.  

I have not found a city that is prettier.

2. All Four Seasons

We have all four!  We start with a winter that includes the 

occasional snow fall followed by a blooming spring and warm summers.  

Fall is my favorite.  It's warm and foggy and the trees create 

the most incredible colors. 

3. Food

Seattle is a foodie city.  I could come up with  a new favorite 

restaraunt every week.  There are too many to choose from (see list below).

4. Beverages

My husband currently works as a brewer so we are

always in the know about the best and coolest new breweries in 

the Pacific Northwest.  I love wine and that's an easy local find as well.

5. Culture

Last year when the Seahawks went to the Supberbowl 

the city decorated itself more than it does for Christmas.  

I am not exaggerating!  Everyone bound together and 

created major comroderie. 

All in all we feel very lucky to live in such a wonderful city.  

Below are links to some of our favorite spots and places in case you ever visit.

xo

Restaruants:

Cornutos

London Plane

Hecho

Portage Bay

Mai Thaiku

Ristorante Picolinos 

Beverages & Bars:

Two Beers Brewing Co. & Seattle Cider Co.

The Sexton

Barolo

The Noble Fir

The Octopus 

Activities:

Chihuly Garden & Glass

Walking Greenlake

Rattlesnake Ridge

Wine Tasting in Woodinville

 {watercolor painting by Summit Ridge Studio}

Go Hawks!

Animals, Bubbly, and Cake

This past Friday my husband and I threw our friends 

our annual zoo lights party.  It was so much fun!  

I had been planning the decor, food, and cocktails for months ahead.  

My parents hosted a lot of parties growing up so hosting is in my blood.  

We offered two cocktails: a bubbly beverage and a whiskey cider.  

I used my favorite bubbly (here) and 

locally sourced hard cider (here).

Whiskey Cider

Bubbly Rock Candy 

*Side note: sugaring rims is SO much harder than I thought! 

I could not get it to look perfect like all of the photos on Pinterest.  

A should-have-watched tutorial here.

Considering I have a limited amount of champagne flutes and rock glasses 

I had each guest label their glass with a gold zoo animal.  

In all I had about 40 small gold painted animals.  

They decorated the cakes, drinks, and food display.

I wanted a wintery cake so I made a 

Peppermint Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Coconut Frosting.  

It was SO good.  I forced myself to toss the leftovers after the party

or I would have eaten all of it for breakfast the next morning.  No joke.

The finishing touch to our party was the gold tinsel photo backdrop 

paired with animal masks.  As seen below we had a lot of fun.  

Who doesn't want to wear an animal mask?

{photos and styling by me}

Pop Some Bubbly...

...it's time to get rowdy!

Tonight we are throwing a little party for our friends.  

I can't wait.

I have been planning for months.  

I have been busy spray painting animals and masks, 

ordering special cocktail napkins, and its finally here.  

I'll try to take some pics and put a post together soon.  

Happy weekend 

xo

{Ruffled & The Sweetest Occasion}