Holiday Festivities

Just some highlights from the past week:

An absolutely gorgeous day on Lake Union. 

Usually when we head that way, it pours rain. 

But the sky looked nice so we decided to risk it. I'm glad we did. 

Walking around and enjoying all of Seattle's lights and holiday decorations. Including a 

Charlie Brown-esque tree. 

Some fun pictures from Chihuly Garden and Glass. Really a spectacular thing to see. 

Maybe we will try to visit all of his exhibits around the world.

Bucket list, anyone?

I'll leave you with this picture of the Space Needle.

Thanksgiving 2012

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving filled with family, friends and fun. We were lucky enough to have my mother-in-law in town for the holiday. It was really nice to have some family around for our first real holiday so far away from "home." I also got to enjoy some cooking lessons and learning about some old family traditions. For only 3 people, we took on a fairly expansive, but simple menu. We started off nibbling on cheese and crackers with wine while we were preparing dinner. We began with Butternut Squash and Apple soup for an appetizer. Our main course featured turkey breast, cranberry sauce, mashed cauliflower, candied sweet potatoes, broccoli, corn, stuffing and gravy, of course.  A few hours later (because there was absolutely no way we were going to be able to eat anymore after that feast) we indulged in homemade chocolate chip cookies and gelato for dessert.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Our First Thanksgiving!

Manic Monday

It's a very rainy and grey Monday here in Seattle. Not that it's stopping me from my normal activities, but it does put a bit of a damper on things. And by very rainy, I mean more than the usual mist that floats through the sky and hangs in the air. There are actual raindrops on my balcony. I might have to break out my umbrella. And risk being deemed a tourist? No way.

Over the past few weekends we've finally gotten around to doing a bit of decorating and picture hanging in our apartment. I'm kind of a little bit in love with the chalkboard sticker that is on our fridge now. And the colorful wall decal that my mom and I hung in a quilt-like pattern. I'm also really excited about the little treasures we found when we visited the Japanese market with Michelle: a magnetic meal planning guide & recipe notecards!

We also found a collage frame that we had fun deciding what pictures and memories to highlight. Clockwise: (1) Jon and I at Mt Rainier National Park (2) Leyla, Michelle, Chardon and I in Downtown Annapolis before dinner (3) Michelle and I when she visited Seattle at Purple Cafe and Wine Bar (4) Katie and I last Christmas in my college apartment (5) Gina and I at my graduation (6) Jon and I at my cousins rehearsal dinner (7) Gina and I with Taylor Swift at Madame Toussads Wax Museum in NYC (8) Kristin and I ice skating junior year (9) Beatrix and I at Chevys for $3 margarita night (10) Jon and I before Wicked and (11) Gina and I in front of the True Blood billboard in NYC.

My mom and I also decorated some magazine holders I found at Ikea with fun vintage and summer themed prints to brighten up my bookshelf:

I hope everyone has a good (hopefully 3 day) week! And enjoys Thanksgiving with friends/family. We're lucky enough to have my mother-in-law for the holiday, which is truly a blessing because we haven't been able to spend time with her in a while and, between us, I have no idea how to actually cook a turkey. 

Rainy Friday

Brilliant things about today:

• I FINALLY found the seasonal cliff bars! I'm so happy, I've been looking for them for so long. I literally stopped in my tracks when I saw them. Definitely going to have to go back and stock up.
  
• Jon took the day off of work and we went to a walk around downtown and then went to see Wreck-It Ralph. Such a cute film, definitely a must see for a rainy day.
  
• Skyping with my best friend Katie! (Who will probably hate me for this picture, BUT I love her!) :D

Life Lately

Recently, my Mom and friend Michelle came for a visit. Here are a few snapshots from their trips.

1. My Mom & I at the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit.

2. Ocean room.

3. Persian glass ceiling.

4. View of downtown Seattle from the Space Needle.

5. View of Northern Seattle/Space Needle from the Columbia Tower.

6. My friend Michelle & I down by the pier near Pike Place Market. 

7. A polaroid of us at Purple Cafe and Wine Bar.

8. My wine flight from Purple called “Winter Warmers.”

9. The giant wine rack.

10. Pretty candle chandelier and ambiance at Purple.

First Official Blog Post

Hi there! I've been toying with the idea of having an official blog for a while now. And I think I'm finally ready to do it and be serious about it. Not to mention it is a pretty stellar way to keep long-distance family and friends updated on my day to day life. I have a wide variety of interests, so instead of limiting myself to one topic, I am simply going to write about all of them. What you'll find here includes (but is definitely not limited to): food, music, arts & crafts, books, travel, Seattle adventures, films, television shows, fashion, gift ideas, and things that happen in my everyday life. I'm going to be very adamant about practicing honest blogging. So expect the bad with the good, sit back and enjoy the ride.