Decorations

For the Graduation Celebration (as well as Emily Grace Dokken’s day of blessed birth), I decided to get creative with a few tissue-paper-garlands.  I knew most of the day would be spent outside in the sunshine; still, I wanted to spruce up the inside a tiny bit since there isn’t much to be decorated outside.

I bought this variety pack of tissue at Wal*Mart for 1.97.

For the first strand, I took green, blue, and pink sheets of tissue paper, and cut strips into them, leaving the middle portion connected.  Think of tissue paper octopi, if you must.

I then stapled the tops into circles to make wind-flag-looking-things (again, think tissue paper octopi).  After I finished each color, I hole-punched the top and strung some baker’s twine through them.

Emily and Jimmy (who also graduated!!!!) standing below my decor during the party.

For the second garland, I did the same technique of cutting strips, however, this time, I fixed the baker’s twine to the wall on each side and then folded the tissue paper over the twine.  The middle part that stays one piece acts as a bridge and allows the tissue to dangle.

And the third garland was tiny and full of leftover tissue paper, and ended up in no pictures.  Poor third garland!

Tissue paper also doubles as wrapping paper.  Hence Connie’s graduation gift wrap, along with a junior-high-style note.

I am definitely going to make more of an effort to decorate for gatherings at my house because I’m a geek and had way too much fun doing it.  xo!

Birthday Girl

I am now 25 years old.  Bryan took this picture of me at breakfast.  I am working on a 30 before 30 to-do list to document on my blog, so stay tuned for that.

The week surrounding my birthday is always a whirlwind, and this year was no exception.  Emily and Liz came to town for Connie’s graduation, and Bryan and I hosted a graduation BBQ Saturday after the ceremony for friends to gather.  It was wonderful and I always feel so content by the time May 15 rolls around.  Students flood out of Moscow for the summer and the weather is bright.  I took my birthday off of work and thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Details

Sparkly shoes on a sunny day walk at work.

My new Rosemary’s Baby movie poster from Poland. I love it.

An old school phone booth in the music building where I work.

Coffee and an amazing omelet at Bloom in Moscow.

The Many Faces of Jackson

Although I’m secretly bitter that none of my friends have had a baby girl yet, I love all of the baby boys that have come into my life in the last two years. This post is for Jackson Canner, in particular. He’s sweet and smart and I love him to bits!

Last summer, at Emily’s graduation party, little Jackson gave us a show. I have never laughed so hard at a little baby’s face. He loved making us laugh, even though he was not feeling too good.

Lindsey and Jake are such good parents and I love their family oh so much.

So this is to them, the many faces of Jackson, his baby blues could stop traffic and those cheeks are the most kissable. He’s going to be such a heartbreaker.

Summer Flashbacks

I’m looking forward to the summer, as most of us are at this time of the year. Moscow doesn’t get seasons as much as the Valley does and I miss that.

In my excitement over summer, I decided to post some pictures from a yard party last summer at my girl Emily’s house. I am not sure what party this was, maybe her going away shindig. All I know is that it was warm, and we were outside, and loving on each other, and all was right in the world.

These pics are from some hippie girls’ impromptu fire-hula-hooping tricks.

Bunny Weekend

I had very few plans for Easter weekend besides hanging out with Ashley and seeing Titanic.

The sky was gorgeous as I left Moscow on Friday after work.

I texted Ashley at the beginning of the week telling her I wanted margaritas on Friday night.  I brought the tequila.  But Ashley?  She embraced the theme big time.

Hadley wrote the menu in Spanish.

Ashley and I were definitely living out our Practical Magic fantasies…late night dancing with tequila and margaritas.

There were tacos, peacock drink stirrers, paper lanterns, margaritas, and mini margarita pies.

We played apples to apples, and caught up with old friends.  And of course, the pets were there.

(Lola and Penny Lane)

(There are always drink spills when we’re hanging)

The next day we went to Titanic.  In 3D.  In the theater.  It was amazing.  Amazing.  Like, insanely amazing.  As amazing as the first time.  And the 300th time.

I tried to take a picture in the theater.  This was the best I could do.  Remember when they pull the bench off the ground to bust out of the steerage gate once the ship is sinking?  BOOM.

After Titanic, we met up with my mom, painted our nails (she did a BEAUTIFUL job on mine), and went and had dinner at Zany’s.  Ashley and I went to visit my dad and stepmom Kathy, and came home with lots of Easter treats.

The next day was my favorite, not because it was Easter but because I got to see Jack!  I haven’t spent quality time with him since he’s been able to walk, so we had fun watching him dance and do baby yoga.  But before those cute pictures, I have to say one of my favorite parts of staying at Ashley’s house?  Waking up to this little baby.

Now for King Jack.

Just the fact that he has his own chair is cute-ness overload (but in a good way).

(Jack with his brother Lance)

With my baby meter re-filled, I headed back to Moscow just in time for a nice little barbecue with Bryan.

*by the way, if you don’t already own those frosted, frozen mugs you keep in the freezer, go buy some.  They really do rock.

Walla Walla Washington Washington

My experiences with Walla Walla up until a few weeks ago have been nothing short of creepy.

My 95 year old grandfather (still alive!  and not a great-grandpa, we’re talking my dad’s dad) is a WWII Prisoner of War veteran.  For his benefits, he has to travel to the Veteran’s Administration in Walla Walla once every few years to have his eyes and ears checked.  Back in my college days, I would drive him over there.

Let me tell you, it’s a sad thing when the heros of your country have to go to that horrible place to get benefits. The Veteran’s Administration is a large compound with an expansive, well-groomed landscaped road leading into it.  We would arrive around 8:00 a.m.  At that point, you check in and wait 2 hours for your first appointment.  Then, they poke, they prod, and send you to the next building.

That second building was always the worst.  Every light seemed to have a bulb burned out, and fixtures would buzz.  The walls were yellowing and everything smells like mildew.  I would bring Harry Potter books to keep myself afloat while waited long hours for his various appointments around the compound.  Three appointments would take 9 hours of waiting.

You can imagine when Bryan told me about his Grandma Jean’s 80th birthday party in Walla Walla, I was not excited to go.

But damn, that town is actually a lot more than it’s Veteran’s Administration.

When we arrived Saturday, we went to a sandwich shop Bryan read about online called “Graze”.

Oh so cute! Farm to table food.  Simple, delicious.

Bryan had the Pastrami, since he loves him some good sauerkraut and salted meats.

And I had the roasted pear, bleu cheese and turkey sandwich.  I ALMOST forgot to take a pic before I devoured it.

And the outside of the shop?  Such a cute mural.

After lunch, we went to Bryan’s Grandma’s house where his WHOLE family was hanging out (mom’s side).  I held new baby Brogan and met a lot of the cousins and aunts and uncles that I haven’t met yet.  Then, after beers and snacks, we all headed to Phoumy’s for thai and the birthday celebration!

Phoumy’s is HANDS DOWN the BEST thai restaurant in the Northwest.  Okay, so I haven’t been to every thai restaurant in the Northwest, but damn it was good.  And afterwards, as we all gushed over the spicy peanut sauce and the heavily poured glasses of wine, our waiter pointed out that Phoumy, the woman in charge, wasn’t even cooking that night.  I have to go back when I know she’s there, because I can’t even begin to understand the epic-ness of when she cooks.

After dinner and after we got the birthday girl home, we all met at the hotel bar (aka beer and wine store) to hang out.  This lounge rocked because they don’t close until people aren’t buying drinks, and they also pour serious “Jill Glasses” of wine (that’s what my friends call it, to the brim!).  It was so much fun and now I can’t wait to go back to Walla Walla, which is something I NEVER thought I’d say, especially if I was still heading to the Veteran’s Administration.

Details

There is so much goodness in the details.

Like neon lighted floral designs on the ceiling of the Kenworthy Theater :::::

Or coconut m&ms eggs while planning meals for the week and even music note shaped paper clips :::::

Color coding schedules and playing with art supplies again after all these years :::::

My dude who loves to read and has awesomely old-manish reading glasses (Lasik can’t win ‘em all) :::::

New matchbooks from Jud that he ever so thoughtfully got for me in Vegas :::::

Elephants roaming on my chest :::::

The alluring black hole that is Forbidden Rice boiling away.  SUPERFOOD :::::

FOUR (count them, F O U R) new pairs of prescription glasses for under $60 total :::::

The wonders of a sweet tiny dog perched on your shoulder :::::

He asked for a small envelope at work.  The choices were endless.  Love for office supplies neverending. :::::

G & her babies.  I realized I don’t even like these scents, but I love Gwen Stefani and that’s all that matters.  The people that gifted these to me understand this.  :::::

My new weekender bag from H&M, patiently awaiting me to take her somewhere.  Oh, I have.  :::::

Seattle

Excuse me for a moment while I reflect.

My friend Kim moved to Seattle after graduating with me in May 2011.  She took very little money and just went, knowing that any job she wants would be in Seattle, not in her hometown.  I admire this.  I figure my late 20s will be for my career, just like Kim.  An interior design intern at GGLO in Seattle, Kim has it going on and I love her dearly.  Not just for her perseverance and low-stress attitude that gets the job done, but also because she’s happy, loves her friends, and is just as happy partying in a cluuubbbb or watching Harry Potter movies with me in bed.

Kim & I in Seattle during Spring Break 2 years ago -

 

This Spring Break, Ashley, Bri, Haley, and I drove to Seattle for a little four day jaunt to see our Kimbaby.

 

When we got there on Saturday afternoon, our first order of business was going to see Zack Andrews, another dear friend, one I’ve had since junior high.  He works for a super top secret, high profile engineering operation in Seattle, and he rides his bike to the ferry every day like a boss.  I’ve missed him.  His house is on the outskirts of Capitol Hill, so we walked in some serious pouring rain to his house.

Haley and her boytoy Sal playing on some school buses on our way.

Oh Zack.  He loves God, and Rick Santorum, and he doesn’t realize that liberal rights are really just human rights.  But I’m the one friend who doesn’t let him talk too much about ideology with me, because I like Zack but not when he’s proselytizing.  That’s the beauty of old friends.

He also skateboards and is nearly a genius, but he loves him a gun.

And he raps barefoot.

We dance partied it up and drank way too much jager.  My hair was greasy and wet from the drive and the pouring rain, but damn it felt good to be on vacation.

dance dancing.

i decided to leave a love note on his mirror.  (in case you can’t read it, it says “I love you like God loves Rick Santorum”)

The next day, we went shopping downtown, I bought a beautiful weekender at H&M.  Truly, the highlight of this day was Lil Woody’s Burgers on Capitol Hill.  The burgers were nothing short of amazing, but the true rock star was homemade Queso and Fries.  I stole the picture below from their website, cute right?

Monday morning, I found out my grandma passed away.  My dad called me early and left me a message, since he knew I was out of town.  Kim had to work that day and Haley and Sal were returning to Portland, so it was just Ashley, Bri and I all day.  I was a HOT MESS to the nth degree.  My anxiety was through the roof, not only because of my grandma but because of millions of other things completely out of my control.  Isn’t it funny how the things that are most out of our control are the things that plague our precious psyche?

We went to Value Village and I found some pretty cute stuff, like an Alaska sweater that smells like serious grandma and a chambray sleeveless button up.  Again, it was pouring rain all day, so between hiding under stoops to smoke and wearing my glasses that were constantly fogged up and dripping wet, it was a rough day.  Luckily my friends are fucking rockstars (the swearing was necessary to drive the point home).  They let me break down crying whenever I wanted and let me vent and bitch as much as I needed.

During one of my breakdowns, we stumbled upon a Pike Street Fish Fry on Capitol Hill.  A hole in the wall?  You betcha.

Ashley’s pictures of our grub (aka fish tacos and fish and chips with house cut fries).

(Don’t worry, I threw that whole bottle of vinegar away accidentally after lunch)

Check out those hotz chikz on the newspaper.  bahahahahaha.

After our day around town, we went back to Zack’s house, just us girls (including Kim) and Zack.  He bought us famous Ezell’s Chicken (he knew I was having a hard day and needed serious comfort food) (side note: Oprah totally had that fried chicken flown in for her interview with Michael Jackson) and we ate it at his house while watching Bad Girls Club.  Zack’s a buddy that way – he knows how to just let us girls do our thang.

On Tuesday, Kim gave us big hugs and kisses goodbye before she went to work and we headed off in the afternoon.  It was so amazing and refreshing to get away with my girls and have a vacation, even if it was short.

Here’s one last pic from the weekend in Kim’s apartment.  Loves.

What Happiness Looks Like

New glasses, and actually using my apron when I cook.

Well executed carmelized mushroom and onion biscuits (Recipe courtesy of Joy the Baker, here)

My first real and true steak house experience at the Wolf Lodge Inn in Coeur d’Alene Idaho.  Never been to a wizard steak joint before, but this man stands at this crazy smoke grill all night, basting and turning over pieces of applewood.  Unreal.  This was Bryan’s birthday choice, and the place was just his style.  (this grill is indoors!)

Bryan’s German Chocolate Cake I made for his birthday.  Not too shabby for a first attempt!

 

Happiness is in the small things, usually in this case, food-related.