Lovely Little Things

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#4 - Po Dog

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

image 1/seattleweekly

image 2/seattleeater

image 3/snacking.in.the.kitchen

image 4 /livingwell

image 5/thestranger

image 6/capitolhill.seattle

Seattle Gets Even Greener

2011-12-20T09:28:00.003-08:00

Big news here in Seattle! The Seattle City Council voted to ban plastic bags in grocery stores and charge a 5-cent fee on paper bags. Looks like reusable bags for everyone is the way of the future!

I've already accrued my own stash of reusable tote bags, but I guess I shall be investing in some more! I already have my eye on this one...

image/inhabitat

Holiday Plans

2011-12-20T05:46:00.001-08:00

Guess what?

We leave for Michigan to celebrate Christmas with the in-laws in 2 days.

And then, 4 days later...

We'll be on our honeymoon!

We are so excited to spend 7 blissful nights relaxing, stress-free days in the sun. I am beyond excited. Sounds wonderful, right?

Caribbean - here we come!

iamblessed

Cake Pop Wedding Cake

2011-12-19T05:08:00.000-08:00

I'm constantly amazed at what creative minds dream up to outfit a wedding. First there was the cupcake wedding "cake," then the Rice Krispies wedding cake, and now, fitting with the new cake pop fad, behold...a cake pop wedding cake!

image via pinterest

sweetlaurencakes

Shopping Day

2011-12-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas shopping today!

Braving the crowds and overpacked parking lots to finish up my shopping.

Wish me luck!

via pinterest

Holiday Entertainment

2011-12-16T05:19:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is playing board games. I LOVE board games, and playing together has become a holiday tradition in our family.

Our reliable favorites include: Scrabble, Cranium, Catchphrase, and my ultimate #1 favorite - Scattergories! LOVE that game! My sisters and I play this often and always try and outdo each other with double-letter answers, a la "French Fries," and "Farrah Fawcett."

My husband comes from a family that didn't grow up playing board games on holidays religiously, and I'm determined to somehow insert my traditions into our his family's Christmas in Michigan this year. Any suggestions how I do this? I'm a tad afraid I'm going to come off as the overly-competitive-board-game-playing-daughter-in-law... Thoughts?

image/fiftypercenthipster

Savory or Sweet

2011-12-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

When it comes to pies, do you prefer savory or sweet? I've always been a "sweet" girl, myself. This week, while catching up on my magazine reading, I was captivated by the savory pie article in an old issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Sweet pies I've done, savory...never attempted. But I realized after perusing the article, my stomach was growling. never attempted to bake a savory pie. We were much more of a meatloaf family growing up than a chicken pot pie family, but I'm willing to take the challenge and make one myself.

Here's a few recipes I'm considering; lighter chicken pot pie, double-crust chicken and mushroom pot pie, shepherd's pie, and tamale pie.

Do you have a favorite savory pie recipe?

image/bloom

Christmas Presents

2011-12-14T19:46:00.000-08:00

I feel like every family has at least one member who is tough to buy for. Usually I have an idea or two for my sisters, a handful for my husband, but my parents are super hard to buy for!

When we were little, indulging in the arts and crafts tradition, my mom used to tell us, "just make me something," but I feel like I've crafted and decoupaged enough gifts that at 28-years old that rule has long since expired.

Who is tough to buy for in your family? And what did you end up purchasing for that person this year?

image/bloom

Restaurant #17 - Phoenecia

2011-12-12T05:47:00.000-08:00

My husband and I headed to Phoenecia in late summer, per my friend's recommendation. Set in the cozy, walkable neighborhood of West Seattle, we decided to make the most of a beautiful day and make an evening of it.

Phoenecia is a family run restaurant (which made me like it immediately) and specializes in "artisanal pizza" and tapas, despite its Greek name. Though my gluten-free friend had raved about the tapas - it was really the pizza that won us over. The chewy but crispy crust was phenomenal, and the crimini mushroom-truffle oil toppings weren't half bad either!

We ordered some wine, enjoyed the sunset, and had ourselves a time!

Restaurant Challenge 2011

#17 - Phoenecia

#16 - Skillet Diner

#15 - Revel

#14 - The Yard

#13 - Carmelita

#12 - Ravish

#11 - Luc

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#4 - Po Dog

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

image/guidepal

Holiday Beverages

2011-12-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

I've just come upon the most amazing recipes for mulled apple cider and rich and creamy hot chocolate, I can't wait to make these recipes and transform my kitchen into a Christmas cafe!

Nothing says *Christmas* to me more than a holiday beverage. Once the red cups pop up at Starbucks and the gingerbread dots the bakery windows, you know Santa is near.

I've never been much of an eggnog fan, and while I can entertain the idea of a hot toddy, it's not my fave. My favorite holiday beverage has to be a soy peppermint latte, with a side of gingerbread cookies.

Mmm... I might just rush out as I type to score myself a piping hot one.

What's your favorite holiday beverage?

image/bloom

Is It Friday Yet?

2011-12-09T05:11:00.000-08:00

Is it the weekend yet? Man, this week has felt LONG! I think it's the holiday magic in the air that has my students wired this week. This weekend, I'm looking forward to a few gatherings; tonight is my staff party, followed by a friend's going-away party on Saturday, and brunch with a dear friend on Sunday. Can't wait to finish report cards and not look back!

Here's a few more stocking stuffer ideas from around the web..

+ tres chic bubble necklace

+ festive Christmas tea

+ chevron locket

+ flirty, floral dress

+ wooden iphone blocks

+ gorgeous green clutch

image/bippityboppityboo

Sneak Peak: Wedding Photos!

2011-12-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

"The best romance is inside the marriage; the finest love stories come after the wedding, not before."

- Irving Stone

Save the Date Videos

2011-12-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen a save the date video? A modern alternative to the traditional mailer card. Kind of a fun concept, right? I just stumbled across this lovely save-the-date video for an acquaintance of mine who is getting married today!

Would you do a save the date video?

image/youtube

Favorite Christmas Movies

2011-12-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about the holidays is the nostalgia it inspires. Christmas time always encourages me to seek out things of comfort. I mean take hot cocoa or mulled cider, do you honestly drink these things nearly as often as you do during the Christmas season?

One of my favorite Christmas indulgences is re-watching all of my favorite Christmas movies. This year, I added Little Women to my personal DVD collection. I had forgotten how much I loved this movie until I netflixed it a few months ago.

Some other Christmas favorites include...

* Love Actually

* The Family Man

*Elf

*It's A Wonderful Life

*Serendipity

* The Santa Clause

* Home Alone

What are your favorite Christmas movies?

image via prasantsblogworld

10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling!

2011-12-02T05:08:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine posted this on facebook - 10 WORDS YOU NEED TO STOP MISSPELLING - and I wholeheartedly agree! As a teacher, one of my biggest pet peeves is when adults misspell words in critical correspondence - emails, resumes, etc.

The biggest culprit: their, they're, and there, as well as your and you're. This drives me crazy when someone mixes these up! Ahh!! Come on people! As a result, I explicitly teach and practice this with my second graders. This works out well, since learning homophones are one of our literacy objectives.

When teaching this concept, I usually give an example of an instance I saw an adult mix these up - much to the student's amusement (adults make spelling mistakes too??) and I explain I am determined to ensure that they don't become THAT person!). Usually my storytelling and insistance is following by smiles, whimsical kid comments, and amusement...but I know they'll secretly thank me someday for hammering this idea into them.

I think the #1 reason misspelling common words irks me is because it's something that I always notice, but can't correct. I've never been one to point out another's mistake - that's a big no-no in teaching, and correcting one's spelling often feels rude or inappropriate.

Do you have pet peeves about spelling? Am I the lone weirdo out there?

...

image/bloom

Christmas Traditions

2011-12-01T05:38:00.000-08:00

This year is a Christmas of firsts. My first Christmas being married, and my first Christmas away from my family. My husband's entire family lives in Michigan, and since we celebrated locally last year, we're headed to the Midwest for the holidays this year. In my 28 years, this will be my first Christmas ever away from home.

Not going to lie, I'm a little sad to not be a part of my usual Christmas morning celebrations with my family. I thrive on tradition; the way we open our stockings, the bacon-egg casserole we eat every Christmas morning, the way we rotate who opens presents in front of the cracking fire. While I'm excited to share in my husband's tradition, I can't help but feel a bit nostalgic for my own. My wish is that one day, when we have our own kids and our Christmases move to our home, we'll form our own slough or traditions that become "ours," instead of "his" and "hers."

So I ask: Do you share your Christmases with your partner/spouse's family? How do you find a balance to share and continue holiday traditions?

image/lilbee

Stocking Stuffer Ideas

2011-11-30T05:46:00.000-08:00

I'm always on the prowl for a creative gift - here are a few unique stocking stuffer ideas I've stumbled across lately...

+ Scrabble tile coasters - amazing!

+ Wine cork candles

+ Air quote mittens - for the friend who likes to quote everything

+ The ultimate mug - cookies + coffee in one!

+ Dolmas? Chili Rellanos? Check out this stuffed pepper serving pan

+ Touch screen sensor gloves, I so need these!

+ Giant beer glass (holds 5 beers!)

+ Creative ipad case affectionately known as "Speck"

+ The Nuddle (the snuggie x 10, complete with a kangaroo pouch AND foot pocket)

+ Awesome tasting plate (for all your fave dips)

+ Apple cider caramels - yum!

+ Sweet sparkly clutch

+ Cozy holiday cookbook

image/maryruffle

Weekend Baking

2011-11-28T05:54:00.000-08:00

This weekend in honor of my alma mater's annual rivalry game I made apple pie cookies via smitten kitchen. When it comes to cookies, I'm usually a unanimous fan of cookies containing some form of chocolate, so I wasn't quite sure if I was going to like these. While they were a bit time consuming, the final product was worthwhile. They're like teeny tiny apple pies, filled cinnamon-sugary, apply goodness (plus a pinch of nutmeg and cloves - which I recommend).

Yum!

Quote of the Week

2011-11-28T05:21:00.000-08:00

"When I see it, suddenly, in the air,

all little and white and moving;

then I am in love again and very young

and I believe everything."

~Anne Sexton, in a letter to W.D. Snodgrass (11.28.1958)

image/weheartit

Restaurant #16 - Skillet Diner

2011-11-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

I've realized that as we're about to enter December, I'm a bit behind on my restaurant posting. Fear not, I have been trying out many new restaurants, just slacking in the posting department. One new fave restaurant I enjoyed with two girlfriends was Skillet Diner - the stable, immobile spinoff of one of Seattle's favorite food trucks (Skillet).

This food is not for the faint of heart, it's rich, packed with creams, cheese, and rich sauces of all kinds. In a word - glorious! I enjoyed the burger complete with bacon jam, creamy bleu cheese, and arugula...heaven! Although I was quite tempted by pretty much everyone on the menu, especially the mac 'n cheese, southern fried chicken, and "ultimate" grilled cheese. See what I mean about rich cheesy goodness? My personal belief is life's too short, and you can never go wrong with comfort food.

If you're in the market for some down home (delicious) cooking - hit up Skillet diner or chase down the food truck. Believe me, you won't be sorry!!

25 New Restaurants in 2011

#16 - Skillet Diner

#15 - Revel

#14 - The Yard

#13 - Carmelita

#12 - Ravish

#11 - Luc

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#4 - Po Dog

+ Octopus inspired to-do list.

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

Black Friday Link Love

2011-11-25T05:49:00.000-08:00

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Here are some shopping links for Black Friday...

+ Beautiful lace necklace.

+ A new Thanksgiving tradition - gratitude rolls

+ Delectable desserts 101.

+ Loving easy DIY yarn pumpkins!

+ A modern home-sweet-home print.

+ Tres chic eye mask.

+ Chunky necklaces, here, here, and here.

+ At home DIY cheese making kit!

+ Custom address stamper

image/ohmydarling

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T10:40:00.000-08:00

Our first Thanksgiving as newlyweds.

So much to be thankful for.

Hope you and your loved ones enjoy feasting and merriment together!

image/greedygirl

Dinner Last Night

2011-11-23T05:31:00.000-08:00

I guess you could say I was inspired by the cold, wet weather outside to make a meal that was warm, cozy, and comforting. Martha - you came through for me again! Penne with creamy pumpkin sauce was just the ticket! I didn't have half and half on hand so I used soy milk instead, which worked out just fine, and the red pepper flakes add a subtle heat that balances out the flavors of pumpkin and cream.

image/marthastewart

Friends Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T05:40:00.000-08:00

For the past 5+ years, my close group of friends has thrown a "Friends Thanksgiving" party every year. Our group of friends is a hodgepodge of native Seattleites and transplants from other parts of the U.S., Canada, and England. Together we are kind of like our own little family. We celebrate birthdays, graduations, celebrations of all kinds together.

But Friends Thanksgiving is one event we plan and especially look forward to every year. This year we had a new location - our friends Vanessa & Nick bought a vacation cabin just outside of the Bavarian-inspired town Leavenworth - a 2-hour drive from Seattle, and generously offered it up to host Friends Thanksgiving, making it a weekend event. The 12 of us caravaned through the snowy pass to enjoy a cozy cabin weekend and feast together.

Our feast was monumental; everything from traditional turkey to jalapeno-corn casserole to my husband's famous "bacon explosion," and every Thanksgiving food you can think of in-between. Besides feasting, our weekend was peppered with snowy walks, cozying up in front of the fire, and plenty of games.

It was a blast! I love celebrating traditions with friends.

Do you have any traditions or events you celebrate with your friends every year?

image/bbb

The New Girl

2011-11-16T16:55:00.000-08:00

My new favorite show this season is...The New Girl.

Have you seen it? It is totally random, and Zooey Deschanel is laugh out loud funny - (really, truly - I've caught myself laughing out loud upon many occasions). Her roommates also have very eccentric personalities that perfectly complement her quirkiness. Basically, if you have any any weird habits, enjoy talking in accents, or obsess about anything (as I - and the main character Jess does) - you'll love it!

image/fox

Faces of the Hunger Games

2011-11-15T05:54:00.000-08:00

Have you seen these posters for the Hunger Games movie? I'm sure by now you've heard the hype, but if you happen to be one of the few who has not read this book yet - go now! Seriously, leave your computer this moment. Yes you, I'm serious! Get up, get your butt to a bookstore ASAP! And be sure to carve out a sizable chunk of time and proceed to devour this trilogy. You think I'm kidding...I'm not. You will not be disappointed, TRUST ME!!

I'm getting so excited for the movie, I'm even toying with the idea of rereading book 1 so it's especially fresh in my mind - I just can't believe we have to wait until March! Well, at least there's less than 1 week until my other book-turned-movie series, Twilight: Breaking Dawn.

posters via o captain

Weekend Baking

2011-11-14T05:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend I channeled my inner Julia Child and baked up a storm. The dreary weather provided the perfect opportunity to muss up my kitchen, since it was blustery, rainy, and gray outside. Thus, it definitely merited an afternoon toiling around indoors. Plus, with the *husband* away on business, I had ample time to myself.

Here's what I whipped up -

* perfect pumpkin bread with cinnamon filling (via the soho)

* chocolate coconut almond scones (via joy the baker)

Needless to say it was a weekend of happy eating. Both recipes were easy to follow and divine to devour. I baked so much this weekend, I actually ran out of flour! How often does that happen?? Well...hmm...don't answer that, just know, that was a first for me!

image/lavenderandlilies

Squash Vases

2011-11-14T05:26:00.000-08:00

A smattering of squash vases - how perfectly fall. Must try this!

image/littlepaperhead

image/shopruche

image/blissiqueblog

Fall Weekend

2011-11-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was a 4-day weekend for me thanks to our brave veterans and a parent-teacher conference day. I didn't make any plans sans lunch with a friend in town, and it was blissful! I've been feeling behind since I returned to work after my wedding, and this was the perfect opportunity to recharge, catch up, and feel rested and refreshed. Feeling especially fall - I made roasted butternut squash lasasgna a la Martha Stewart and burned my pumpkin spice candle down to the nub. I'd say it was a successful weekend.

Link love:

Love this candy button scarf.

Best pumpkin desserts in Seattle - spotted here!

Sweet herb illustration.

Red velvet hot cocoa, doesn't this sound delicious?

How to make the perfect cheese plate.

Soft pretzel tots, a-mazing! (I just noticed most of my links are food...)

Loving the kitsch of this apple pie pan.

image/bloom

Scarf-Wearing Tutorial

2011-11-11T09:43:00.001-08:00

Have you seen this? 25 ways to wear a scarf - fascinating!

I learned about 10 new ways to wear my scarves - sweeeet!

via labellevie

Fortune Cookie

2011-11-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

Love this fortune cookie necklace - especially since the fortune (near the clasp) can be customized to your heart's desire.

What would your fortune say? I tried to dig up a few clever fortune sayings, (with the help of google...of course). Here's a few I might put on a fortune cookie necklace.

- Love always and deeply

- Your heart is a place to draw true happiness

- You find beauty in ordinary things, do not lose this ability

- Something wonderful will happen today

What would yours say?

images/etsy

via closetkitchencamera

Dinner Last Night

2011-11-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

I apologize for being a major blog slacker lately. It's parent-teacher conference season, so my schedule has been totally wonky, early mornings and late, late evenings. But despite the busyness, I did have time to whip up this one night when I was tired of take out, pasta carbonara with leeks and bacon. In a word...delicious! I haven't done much cooking with leeks in the past, but they're pretty easy to incorporate. Definitely will be making this again.

image/seriouseats

Wedding Dress Preservation

2011-11-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

I have a question for all y'all married ladies. Just curious, how much did you pay to clean and preserve your wedding dress? I'm trying to do my research and find out what's a typical or "average" price so I don't overspend.

I had such a fun time wearing my wedding dress, that I want to make sure it's preserved in great condition. It's hard to believe after one full day of wearing it (and a handful of fittings and trials), I'm packing my beautiful dress away in a box!

However, I plan on taking it out every year on my anniversary and waltzing around the living room...just for fun! Do you have any wedding dress traditions?

image/bloom

Holiday Tea

2011-11-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

My new favorite before-bedtime beverage - Candy Cane Green Tea a la Trader Joe's. I just picked this up for the first time this week and I can't get enough! It's the perfect hint of mint and a welcome warm up to our recent blast of chilly weather.

Something about this time of year; the dark skies, crackling leaves, and whipping wind - all it makes me want to do is curl up on a cozy couch, toasty under a thick fleecy blanket, sip some holiday tea, and watch my favorite movies. Sounds way better than work, right?

image/thesmartkitchenblog

Cake for Breakfast

2011-11-01T05:22:00.000-07:00

Love this bag.

A motto to live by.

image/pinterest

via sterlingstyle

Restaurant #15 - Revel

2011-11-01T05:09:00.000-07:00

Revel is one of Seattle's most talked about new restaurants, a casual "street food" inspired Korean restaurant. A few of my girlfriends had been before and raved about the experience and the affordable price tag for the superb meal they received. Revel has always been the recipient of rave reviews from pretty much everywhere, but most importantly by NY Times food critic, Frank Bruni. So given the press and rave reviews - we had to go!!

Revel did deliver and was quite the meal. My 7 friends and I ordered a smattering of plates, pancakes with pork belly, a sizable meat platter, pork belly noodles, rice bowls with spicy sauced up veggies, pretty much half the menu one could say, and devour it we did! The food was delectable, and a lovely mix of flavors, this is definitely not your typical Seattle Asian restaurant. I was especially impressed by the low price tag for the wow-factor food we consumed.

Definitely a must-try (and a repeated eatery) in Seattle!

25 New Restaurants in 2011

#14 - The Yard

#13 - Carmelita

#12 - Ravish

#11 - Luc

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#4 - Po Dog