How do you entertain 3 ladies on a Saturday night?

The iPad Incredibooth app. Let's just say there are more where these came from. Happy Halloween, friends! Costumes pictures to come, but I will tell you this: my costume is the most comfortable costume in history.

High Five

High five.

Gold star.

A+

Bravo.

I'm so incredibly proud of you!

Those are just some of the things I told Joe on Wednesday. Why, you may ask? Oh, no biggie... except for that fact that HE GOT A NEW JOB! That's right people, this man landed a new gig. He's been so diligent in the process, but never quite found the right fit. And now I'm over the moon excited for him - all his hard work has certainly paid off.

We celebrated with an evening out on me. First, we tried out Delancey's for superb pizza and local craft beer. (The spicy salami pizza was divine.) Then we tracked across town for our favorite fro-yo, Menchies. Throughout the night, we would cheers or I'd give him a high five. It was the perfect evening of celebrating. I admit, I think he's still getting used to my celebration style. What can I say? I like to make celebrations a big deal. Learned that from my mom :)

Congrats, my sweets!

Handmade Goods

I wish I was more crafty sometimes. Isn't this hand painted silk top gorgeous?

Unadoptable is unacceptable

Golly, I love the issues I work on. (Yes, I just said golly.) This video makes me want to adopt enough kids to make a soccer team. But then again, I'm not sure how they'd fit in my one bedroom apartment. Warning: you might need a tissue.

Bath Style

I'm totally smitten with these simple, striped, traditional Turkish towels from the etsy shop, Bath Style. Apparently they are thin, but highly absorbent. Sounds like a bonus for someone who has minimal space for linens! The colors range from soft neutrals to vibrant colors.

If you were to pick one out, which one would you get? I think I'd opt for a neutral shade of some sort that can easily adapt to any bathroom decor. Maybe this one or this one? Or the one up top. Man, I'm bad with decisions.

Smashing Pumpkins

Erin says "pose" and this is what happened. Not sure why I thought a leg grab was the best option. But it only gets better from here...

This is the "ok, ladies, how should we really pose?" pose.

The "smashing (confused?) pumpkins" pose.

The "pumpkins make me laugh sooo much and me-want-to crush-pumpkin" pose.

The "I wanna jump with my pumpkin, but my feet are stuck in cement" pose.

The "final attempt at jumping before we ask ourselves, why are we jumping with pumpkins?" pose.

Note: There were no pumpkins harmed in this photo shoot. Just a group of twenty-somethings trying to figure out how best to pose for the camera in a pumpkin patch, and for the most part, failing miserably (or succeeding - beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yeah?). Very reminiscent of last year. We'll grow up eventually, I promise.

A Sacred Tradition

The pumpkin patch is a sacred tradition. One that I hope lasts for years to come. First, we adventure to Stocker Farms in Snohomish to find the perfect pumpkin (or gourds!) and then head to Erin's home for some homemade treats - this year was potato leek soup and pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes! Fall at its best, I tell you.

(The butt crack pumpkin! As Maddie said, yes, we sometimes act like 12 year-old boys.)

(And sometimes we act like 5 year-old girls? My 5 year-old self really wants this playhouse.)

Flashback

I'm fully aware that Stephanie just posted these photos from Aaron's wedding reception, but they made me smile from ear to ear, so I had to repost. It looks like the three of us were having high school flashbacks, quite notably in the Charlie's Angels pose. We weren't alone in the Charlie's Angels pose, right? Any others rock the pose in every pre-Homecoming dance photo shoot? Oh, how Josh, the Jakes, Aaron, Robby and others suffered through our endless photos shoots, time and time again. I take that back - Josh enjoyed it.

Mom, thanks for capturing so many good ones! Especially the one below of Suze :)

(P.S. Did you notice I got my skirt, but for half off! Score.)

Miss Representation

Miss Representation discusses how women are misrepresented today. It's a long trailer, but totally worth it. Anyone wanna watch it with me?

Miss Representation 8 min. Trailer 8/23/11 from Miss Representation on Vimeo.

Sliderlicious

Sliders are like cupcakes: a fun, somehow better tasting, miniature version of the original. I've wanted to make them for ages and last week, creativity struck. So we set out to make the best darn sliders in history and by golly, they were sliderlicious! We read through a few recipes and decided to take our favorite parts from several slider variants - arugula, white cheddar, chipotle peppers. I pray to the slider gods each night that I will be able to recreate this perfect blend of flavor and spice and everything nice. (Luckily, I have a picture below so you can kinda see the proportions.)

Ingredients

Burger patties
1 lb. of ground turkey
1 egg
About a half of a diced jalapeno (leftover from egg bake, needed to use!)
Some diced red pepper (leftover)
Some diced green onion (also leftover)
Breadcrumbs
Some lime juice
Some garlic
Ground pepper
And the kicker? Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (say 3 peppers, scooping in extra sauce?)

Toppings & Buns
Arugula - another key ingredient
Red Onion
Sharp White Cheddar
Whatever slider buns you can find (our store only had 1 option)

Since I trust you know how to cook burgers, I'll spare you actual directions. Now what are your waiting for? Go home and make some sliders!

In with the fish

What a lovely weekend, filled with poker, marriage celebrations, long walks on the beach, and pumpkin patching. Details to come, but I'll first share Joe's attempt to throw me in with the fish, which was caught on camera. Sneaky boyfriend.

TGIF

I realize that everyone and their sister has posted a "keep calm" saying at one point or another, but I felt this one was very fitting for two reasons:

1. At the end of any busy week, I find myself muttering this under my breath.
2. This is my poker face. For every hand. Calm with a giant smile. And guess what? Tonight is poker night! It's been far too long, so I'm pretty jazzed about it. Wish I would have had the chance to make these babies to bring!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend! TGIF.

Cooking Club

We've been talking about starting a new tradition (to add to the dozens we have already: Puyallup Fair, Sunriver, Chelanigans, Pumpkin Patch) and we finally made it happen: Cooking Club. Dinner Party? Grub Club? We still haven't settled on a name quite yet, but we would welcome ideas!

Basically, we rotate hosts, who then picks a food theme and we all bring a dish that corresponds. Maddie so graciously offered to host last weekend and picked "brunch for dinner" as her theme. Cha-CHING! I love brunch food. On the mouth-watering menu? Well, prepare yourself to get hungry:

• Pomegranate mimosas, with prosecco, pomegranate seeds and juice - Liz
• Balsamic-marinated strawberries - Liz
• Monkey Bread - Stephanie
• Eggs Benedict - Maddie
• Fruit Salad - Maddie
• Spinach, bacon and more good stuff quiche - Autumn
• Lemon and blueberry coffee cake, topped with ice cream - Erin
• Potato pancakes - Lizzie
• Egg bake with sausage, onions and peppers - Petes (can't find the recipe I adapted!)

I left 9 pounds heavier, but it was totally worth it. Any ideas for the next theme?

Tiny Dancers

As I mentioned before, Olita's little nephew, Aiden, is absolutely adorable. I had the privilege of watching the little man and his sidekick entertain the crowd for hours on end. Early in the evening, he was a smidgen shy, but then something must have gotten into him and I'd wager a bet that it was the delicious cake - sugar highs are powerful!

(P.S. It's a little dark, but still awesome!)

iPad Love

I thought I had met people who were uber tech-savvy. Then I met Joe. He single-handedly raised the bar for everyone else (for multiple reasons, really, but I'm focusing on tech today). Needless to say, my life got a whole lot more techie in the last two years. An AppleTV, mini wireless keyboard, bluetooth, portable hard drive, etc.

And now, an iPad. And I LOVE my iPad.

While he has brought technology into my life, I have brought simple and chic aesthetic and design into his. Enter: This simple, yet classy iPad case. Whaddya think? Should I go for it or is there a better one you've seen out there?

(I'm also digging this one, but not worth $100!)

Two Rooms

I like these rooms, don't you?

via/Pinterest

maddie's happy list

Out of the blue, Maddie sent me a happy list. And boy, happy lists have a way of just lifting my mood, even though it's not my own list! I think we can all identify with at least one, if not all of other people's lists. Heck, I have red fingernails right now and it's #1 on her list! And those Friday night plans she speaks of (#7) are with both me and my mom (#8!). TGIF.

1. Red fingernails
2. The deep green color leaves turn when it rains
3. Animals with pushed in faces
4. A snuggly warm bed on a cold morning
5. Joni Mitchell songs
6. The prints I just bought for my bedroom
7. Fun Friday night plans with great girlfriends
8. My mother
9. Using a free tall drink coupon, then receiving a free GRANDE drink in exchange
10. Trying successful new recipes

P.S. Maddie's last happy list.
P.P.S. I will not pretend that happy lists were my own brainchild. Rockstar Diaries was my inspiration.
P.P.P.S. I will definitely take new happy lists. If you want to send one, send away and I'll post! (for those without my other email: petesspeaks (at) gmail.com)

Yellow and Gray

They are the wedding colors of 2011: Yellow and Gray. (If you remember, Autumn also chose the same colors.) But honestly, I completely understand why - the color combo looks so chic and romantic, but still fun and fresh.

My pictures don't do Olita's wedding decorations justice, but needless to say, they were simply gorgeous. The darling cake arrangment, candlelit room, homemade limoncello favors, table placards and even the table assignments board - where you take down your name strung from a rope and replace it with a fun mini-polaroid, all on top of one of their engagement photos! Brilliant, right? Bring it all together and you have yourself a lovely wedding.

Virtual high five, Olita! (Because you're still on your honeymoon, but for the record, I'm having major withdrawls.)

30 Before Thirty

Friends, I'm officially 28 years old. (Zoom even told me so.) I know we all think it, but honestly, where does time go?! In honor of gaining another year of wisdom, I've decided to make a 30 Before Thirty list, so time doesn't pass me by. Thirty things I'd like to do before I turn the big 3-0. (Some overlap with this list, but they are still different.) If you know me well, I'm all about making goals and lists, so this suits me perfectly. Some are ambitious, some not so much, but all are things that I want to do in the next two years. Ok, ready. set. GO!

1. Learn to sew.
2. Take salsa dance lessons.
3. Go abroad again – Greece, Costa Rica, French Polynesia? I'm open to anything.
4. Grow and eat my own veggies and/or herbs.
5. Read more books and finish the half-read ones.
6. Run another marathon.
7. Marry this fella.
8. Reassess my 401K and retirement plan. Make sure I can retire at 35 :) (just kidding)
9. Learn (some) Swedish.
10. Learn to drive a stick shift better.
11. Go on more Mom and Dad dates.
12. Buy a nice SLR camera.
13. Learn how to use said nice camera.
14. Hike Mount Si.
15. Go zip lining somewhere.
16. Find a new hobby that I’m passionate about.
17. Host a big Holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas!
18. Brew beer (again).
19. Pay off my car. (Both the Toyota loan and the Dad loan from catastrophe 2k9)
20. Buy a house.
21. Renovate a room in that said house. (Because the house I buy will likely need some prettification)
22. Make homemade pasta, ravioli and gnocchi. (That’s a 3 for 1!)
23. Give blood. I’m not afraid of needles, but I’ve never given blood. Why? I have no excuse.
24. Go wine tasting in a new region – Walla Walla? Burgundy, France?
25. Master a 5 course gourmet meal.
26. Be better at sending snail mail.
27. Get a kitty! (Joe and I decided we’d name him Carl-Gustav after the King of Sweden :))
28. Complete a triathlon.
29. Explore the idea of opening my dream shop: Wine not? (Filled with wine, cheese, goodies and more entertaining supplies!)
30. Continue to grow my amazing relationships with family and friends because they are awesome.

What would be on your list?

DIY: Halloween Decorations

Just give me some cardboard, colored tissue paper and a beautiful home and I'll give you some awesome Halloween decorations! Isn't this just the coolest? This holiday decoration may even top this one. Maybe.

(P.S. Like how I snuck 'beautiful home' in there?)

pic/via