friday happy list

It's been awhile since I've shared a happy list, so I thought it'd be the perfect way to kick off the weekend. A weekend where I plan to rest and recover after a long week. Without further adieu, my friday happy list:

1. When friends have your back :)
2. Weekends when "sleeping in" is on your to-do list.
3. Erin's loud, scary laugh before taking photos, which makes everyone smile even bigger.
4. Oliver's Twist grilled cheese and tomato soup. (They froth the soup like a cappuccino!)
5. When your boyfriend decides to clean your house when you're running home late from work. (Thank you, Joe!)
6. The sense of joy you feel when hard work pays off.
7. The sudden change in recipes you cook in the fall - soups, pumpkin enchiladas and more!
8. Finding an open parking spot in a crowded lot.
9. The new salted caramel mocha at Starbucks.
10. Fridays at 6pm. TGIF. Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

pic/via Pinterest

BYOCB

This year's Puyallup Fair theme was: bring your own cowboy boots! All of the ladies donned our favorite pair of cowboy boots to take on the eatfest, obligatory ride and people watching that the fair brings us year after year. I wore a pair of Justin boots that I absolutely love; a special gift from Mom and Dad from their trip to Marfa, Texas.

As usual, the fair did not disappoint, even if it "rained on our parade." Can't wait for next year!

(The fair through the years!)

Boots!

Small Details

Aren't people masterful in their home details? From homemade coffee tables or gorgeous herringbone wood floors to built-in wine racks or a sliding antique door. Consider these ideas saved for my future home.

But if I could only pick one, it'd be the herringbone floors. I wouldn't let anyone actually walk on them, but that's beside the point. Which detail is your fave?


via/Pinterest

A Husky Legend

Tell Erika that we were cleaning out the freezer and found this old mug with a note in it that said 'Go Huskies'.

This message made me beam with pride.

Back story: YEARS ago, say 2005? I put "Go Huskies!" Post-It notes all over the Knutzen household. In the spice rack, freezer, pots and pans, you name it - I slapped a Post-It note there. This seemed only natural in a strict Cougar zone. Through the years, Greg and Kathi would let me know when a new note mysteriously emerged. Right when I thought they had all been discovered, I learned the "Go Huskies" Legend lives on. All is right in the world. All is right.

Baking Extraordinaires

After raving about cake pops for awhile now, I finally decided to try making them. As part of our "thank-goodness-training-is-over" celebratory dinner, Autumn, Maddie and I put our culinary skills to the test. Yes, we had a few lost soldier cake pops which drowned in chocolate, but overall it wasn't so bad and let me tell you, they were scrumptious!

If I could give three pieces of advice for this recipe, they would be (as seen below) 1) Drink wine during the process because why not? 2) Crumble the cake by rubbing two pieces of cake together, back-and-forth and 3) Get the fun cellophane wrappers and twisty ties so they have that nice, finished look.

Oh great, now I'm craving a cake pop. I might have to remedy this at Starbucks. Happy Friday, all!

(I didn't capture the full process on camera, but you can find a step-by-step recipe on Bake Fancy.)

Paragliding

Liz from Say Yes! to hoboken recently went paragliding in Switzerland. (You have to see all of her photos!) I've always been a bit of an adventurer - even skydiving with Autumn and Danielle at the young age of 19 - so when I saw her photos, I knew I had to put this on my bucket list. Naturally, I would go tandem so I could let the instructor worry about steering and I could focus on taking photos of my shoes and the Alps. Could you even imagine flying through the Swiss Alps? Would you ever do it yourself? And most importantly, who wants to join me?! (There's no way I could convince Joe to do this - baby steps, right? First I'll try to convince him to go on a scary ride at the Puyallup Fair!)

Mariners Date with Dad

I really like giving "experiences" as gifts. A nice dinner, a Broadway play, high tea or a sporting event - it's a nice way to spend quality time with the birthday boy or girl, especially when you're at a loss for what to get them! Enter: My dad. Yes, once in awhile, I have a perfect gift idea (like the ducks!), but I usually opt for an experience because I know he loves it and I'm always up for father/daughter bonding.

So this year for his birthday, I told him we'd go on a Mariner's date - complete with beers, hot dogs, prime seats right by Ichiro and post-game stop at Molly Moon's. Growing up, we'd go to a game nearly every season, so it's sort of one of our traditions. While they didn't win, it was still a perfect afternoon with my dad. He's fun and I love him a lot, so how could it not be perfect? Hope you had as great of a time as I did, Dad!

P.S. Our seats were right by Ichiro!

Oops.

I couldn't help but laugh at this, so I had to share. Despite the stress that wedding planning can cause, this bride didn't lose her sense of humor. I love that.

(Four more days 'til Olita gets hitched!)

via/Pinterest

Calm, Cool, Clear Lake

Before we jumped for joy last week, my parents visited their happy place: swimming and kayaking on Clear Lake with the dogs. (Yes, the dogs are wearing lifejackets. They go back and forth between kayaks, so it's a must.) If my parents could do this everyday, I think they might just do it - especially my mom who has been sneaking out to Clear Lake after work to take a dip or spin. If I could join them everyday, I might do it as well. It's a little oasis out there. A big thanks goes out to Kathi and Jim for opening their home to us!

TGIF

I'd be lying if I didn't say I lived for the weekends. Whether is one of those jam-packed weekends where you don't see room for breathing or one of those rare, I'm-staying-in-my-PJ's-and-doing-absolutely-nothing weekends, they are always front of mind, Monday through Friday. You with me on that?

This weekend, I'm having date night at Tin Table, visiting the Puyallup Fair and taking my Dad to an M's game. Who knows? I might even fit in a nap if I'm lucky.

So, to celebrate this lovely Friday, a few fun links from around the interwebs:

Quite possibly the best DIY ever.

Sort of in love with this quilt.

I really would like to make these, but I think I need the support from Baker Erin.

How to pack for a week. Very strategic.

I'm cat sitting this weekend, so I've got cats on the mind. One day, my friends.

TGIF!

Picture from last sailing trip.

I covet

Hasbeens were at the top of my list of things to bring home from Sweden. I was ready for the splurge - I mean, the trip was already a splurge, so what harm would a pair of authentic clogs be? Shoot, I had been getting some use of my grandma's hand-me-downs, so I knew these would have a place in my wardrobe. On our trip, we asked a few of my relatives where we might find them, but apparently they aren't as hot of an item over yonder than they are here. And maybe they aren't even that cool here, but I still love them.

So on our last day, Joe and I went on a Hasbeen hunt! (It was his idea too; I guess I'll keep him after all) We looked online at all of the places in Malmö that carried them and plotted our drive to a few shops. But it was Sunday and like most European shops, they were all closed. In defeat, I splurged on Swedish ceramics instead. Don't get me wrong, I love my ceramic teapot and bowl (which I'll eventually show you), but I'm still longing for Hasbeens.

Similar to my Hunter Boot longing, I'll probably cave in two years - I just know it. But I need your help. When I eventually cave, which pair should I get?! The wine red braided sky high or the cognac peep toe super high? This is an important questions, my friends. One that I only ask of my most trusted friends - which is everyone on the internet, apparently.

Boats, boats, boats

I like boats. So when I got a last minute email from Autumn to meet her down the street to take out Ryan's company boat a few weeks ago, I was all smiles. We slowly motored around, from South Lake Union to Ballard, enjoying the late Summer sun, wine, grapes, cheetos (keeping it classy... and healthy) and eventually docked up at Fisherman's Terminal for dinner. I'm a big fan of unexpected adventures, especially when they involve soaking up the verrrry last bit of summer, so this fun, little outing was a delight. Eventually I'll accept that we've reached Fall, but looking through these pictures again make me want to go back in time! Summer 2012, I'm expecting big things. Fall 2011, I'm ready, let's do this.

A Hand-in-Hand Tradition

This is how we finish all of our races. We're that cool. Even though it was tough, I can see the sense of accomplishment in those raised arms. Thanks to Stephanie for sharing!

Ok, this will be the last Skagit Flats race post, I promise.

Jumping for Joy

Ever since the running escapades began, we have always talked about ending a long run or a race by jumping into a lake. Well, my friends, I'm happy to report that the dream became a reality this weekend. I think the thought of jumping is what got us through the last two miles. And I must say, it didn't disappoint. Crisp (well, cold), buoyant and oh-so-relaxing.

The Future Mrs. Olita Terry

All the brides on stage, waiting to be embarrassed by "Mama"

A few weekends ago, I had the lucky opportunity to celebrate the future Mrs. Olita Terry for her bachelorette party. The night involved a scrumptious dinner at Tavolata, a drag show at Julia's on Broadway (yes, my second drag show of the year), dancing at R Place and then a slumber party at the Sheraton. In the morning, we all went to Macrina Bakery for coffee and baked goods, but most importantly to rehash the evening's festivities. Because isn't that often times the most entertaining part of the bachelorette party?

It was such a fun night and perhaps a preview of the fun to come in 11 short days! (Eek, Olita!) I can't wait to watch you marry the man you love. You're going to be such a stunning bride!

(P.S. I failed to take a lot of photos during the evening, but did capture a few!)

Half Effort for a Half Marathon

Yes, we're half crazy for doing this race. We have always told ourselves that we run races for the training, not for the actual race. The fact that half marathons and marathons take months of sweat and sacrifice to get into shape and our bodies love us for it - that's what inspires us. The Skagit Flats Half Marathon, well, that's another story. We started off on a good note, prioritizing runs over the summer fun that would happen around us. Then four weeks prior to the race (the most critical weeks of training), we fell off the wagon. I think I did maybe 6 runs in that last stretch, sprinkled with some nights at the gym. So it appears that now we were racing for the shiny medal at the end, not the training.

Was the race painful? Let's just say it wasn't pleasant.
Was my time really that much worse than normal? Umm, yeah. A good 30 minutes slower.
Do I regret choosing summer fun over running? Heck no!
Am I proud of this race? You betcha, I am. I still ran 13.1 frickin' miles!

So the morale of the story: Train for races. Don't do early fall races because they take away from summer fun. And most importantly, always ensure that you have race fans - they will literally be a jolt of energy to get you across that far, far-away finish line. Thanks to my Mom, Dad, Joe, Stephanie and Greg for cheering us on!

Campfire Peach Cobbler

How I forgot to tell you about the delectable dutch oven campfire peach cobbler, I don't know. But without further adieu, I present to you our dessert experiment of Chelanigans 2K11.

The ingredients are simple: 2 cans of peaches, a box of white cake and butter. The magic happens in the dutch oven.

First, butter up the dutch oven. Then pour in the peaches. Resist the urge to eat one now. You have to remember they will taste even better in a half hour.

Pour on the cake mix. No need to stir.

Double check your instructions because this seems too easy to be right. But it's right.

Put the extra butter on the top with whatever you can find. A plastic spoon or pocket knife will do. Make sure you have a friend smiling over your shoulder. This is important, people. Without a friend, the magic might not work.

Get really, really excited about the soon-to-be delicious dessert.

Place on scorching hot coals in the fire as everyone looks on, hoping you don't catch on fire.

Place more burning hot coals on top of the dutch oven. Wait for 30 minutes or so. In the meantime, make s'mores because there is nothing better than camping gluttony. Note: Do not forget when you put it on and just guess or else...

... Or else you get some burnt, steaming cobbler.

But have no fear, ladies and gentleman, we are troopers and no amount of burnt crust will get in the way of our cobbler-induced happiness. Eat and enjoy. (But be sure to blow on it before eating because it's like lava hot.)

Lessons learned: Time how long you have it on the fire. And it doesn't hurt to do a mid-point check. And leave room in your stomach for seconds.

Half marathon, you say?

These lovely ladies and I are running the Skagit Flats Half Marathon on Sunday. I'm not going to lie to you, our training efforts have been (much) less than perfect. We only missed one long training run, but the weekday runs have been fairly scarce. Yeah, sure, I went to the gym instead, but gliding on the elliptical still does not prepare you for 13.1 miles of pounding on the pavement.

But it's weird - when you have a few halfs and a full marathon under your belt, you begin to have this lackadaisical view on training. The warm summer evening picnics, happy hours with friends and even sailing adventures ALWAYS trump running.

So I'm ready for a little running hiatus, which will happen the moment I cross that finish line. Gym, yoga, hip hop? I'm excited for a change. Wish me luck!

(picture from SeaFair race in July)

Swedish Wedding

I may have found the most exquisite wedding I've ever seen. The location (Sweden!), the dress, the hair, even the ominous clouds make it look so dreamy. However, I would have to say that my favorite part is that her father rowed her "down the aisle." Picture perfect.

(Speaking of Swedish weddings, did you ever see this one? Also very gorgeous.)