TGIF

I hope your weekend is filled with friends, fun and beautiful sunsets!

(Sunset from dinner at Cliff House in Bellingham)

Spring Thinking

Even with the gray and gloom lurking outside, I am sticking to a Spring mindset. Flowers, short sleeves (ok, third-quarter sleeves), sunglasses, summery drinks and more. I'm content living in my own little "Spring World" for now, but pretty soon the weather will need to cooperate. In the meantime, allow me to share some Spring thinking with you:

My mom made me one of these to decorate the place for Easter! (Though the jelly bean level has gotten lower with time.) It's quite cheery... and apparently delicious.

Did I tell you I finally got a pair of these little guys? (Thanks to Cup of Jo's discount code!) I'm in love. It only took 1.5 years to finally cave! But I'm so glad I did. Now back to that Spring weather, it needs to come stat. I want to get some good use out of these!

Doesn't this dress scream Spring?

I love my DIY Picnic Basket, but sometimes it's a bit small - even for two. One day, I'll want one similar to the Jacquelyne or Nantucket picnic baskets. Which do you like best? (The former might not be 100% functional for actual picnics though?)

Hope you're finding some spring in your step this Spring!

An area for improvement

Years ago, I bought an area rug. Wait, let me clarify, a WHITE area rug. Big mistake. Big. HUGE! (Name that movie quote?) At any rate, I feel that I have kept it relatively white, but there's no getting around constant, day-after-day foot traffic. And since most of my place is hardwoods, I don't ask people to take their shoes off because it's just a little cold on the toesies.

So I'm on the market for a new area rug. Since decoration decisions are now up to two people, we both have our own thoughts and opinions. I like rugs that are simple, and more on the contemporary side. He nixed ostentatious patterns or anything that closely resembles solid white - with good reason.

We like a few West Elm finds. The last two appear lighter than in person, but also have camouflaging colors that would likely hide some of the little flecks of dirt we might track in. All three were on display and seemed to hold up to all of the store foot traffic quite well, so that's a plus. But we're leaning toward the navy one up top.

What do you think - which do you prefer? Or are there other rug ideas you wanna toss my way? I'm open to more suggestions!

P.S. My parents have been so gracious to give us their navy couch! They are going to get a new one and I have always loved the one they have. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

We Love Koby

Over the weekend, we celebrated my Mom's 60th birthday with a little relaxation, wine tasting in Fairhaven, a nice dinner and then drinks and dancing at The Old Edison. Simply put, it was a blast!

But my favorite part, BY FAR, was the reveal of We Love Koby - a secret blog we created to share birthday wishes, funny stories and heartfelt messages from all the people who love my Mom. I couldn't have imagined a better reaction! Tears, laughs and just a general sense of feeling loved. Can it get much better than that? I think not.

Mom, I hope you had an amazing birthday! I love you more.

P.S. Aren't my parents adorable?

(Excuse the dark, fuzzy pictures - it's the best I could get with the lighting in there!)

A Milestone Birthday

Happy 60th Birthday, Mom!

It's impossible to put into words how much you mean to me - you're not only my Mom, but my best friend and confidante, my inspiration, role model, and the sun in my sky on gray days. There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank my lucky stars that you are in my life. Your unceasing smiles can brighten anyone's day and your creativity puts us all to shame :) I cherish our hours-long late night chats, unstoppable laughter and fun adventures. Thank you for everything you have taught me over the years; I'm certainly a better person because of you.

Happy Birthday! Cheers to another 60 years! And yes, even if I have to change your diaper one day (hehe) - every day with you is a blessing :)

See you tonight!

LYMOA,
Erika

The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee

I discovered one of the best blogs ever: The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee. The brilliant brains behind the blog is the Pierce County Humane Society - they are basically making kittens looks so adorable that you have to adopt one. Or three?

These little cuties are up for adoption right now, Cecil, Sylvie and Wiley. They have certainly stolen my heart. As one post says, their life mission is to be loved by you. (Well, me in this case because I want to take them all home!)

Which little bugger would you want to take home?

An oldie, but goodie

I realize it's no where near Christmas, but I can't wait a whole 9 months to share this college gem that I recently came across. I have eluded to the infamous creepy caroler at least fives times before, but I'm sure you can't get enough. I know I can't. In fact, creepy caroler is in my storage unit right now. I'm already planning my next attack.

Things to note in this picture:

• Creepy caroler brings out the best (read: crazy) in us
• Sweatpants/Pajama pants - this was our typical attire for about 90% of our college career
• I still have that race shirt that Autumn is wearing - it's one of my faves
• It's not a sorority room without cheesy decorations like a paddle and stuffed owl

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.

Mason Jar Salads

I'm always looking for tasty, healthy lunch options. I'm not one of those people who allows enough time in the morning to make lunch each and every single day. (Because of this problem.) I usually rely on leftovers from dinner (my preferred option), pulling odds and ends from the fridge to make something that resembles a salad or a quick PB&J. But these little mason jar salads would be quite a treat. I could just make a batch on Sunday and they would stay good all week! Whaddya think? Would you give these a try?

pic/via

Wine Not?

With only a few short weeks before my Living Social coupon expired, Joe and I headed up to Woodinville for a wine tasting at Robert Ramsay Cellars. The deal included a full flight of tasting for two, chocolate and cheese pairings, and a bottle of wine - all for $18! Pretty sweet deal for a fun, kick-back date if you ask me.

We also strolled into Page Cellars for a quick tasting. If it hadn't been closing time for most of the tasting rooms, I think we would have tried a few more. I knew there were a lot of wineries in this neck of the woods, but I had no idea there were over 50! And that many of them operate within walking distance of one another. Anyone thinking what I'm thinking? FIELD TRIP! Who's in?

P.S. Wine Not? will still be the name of my future wine shop.
P.P.S. Do you think wine tasting in Woodinville counts as a new region for 30 before Thirty list?

Coming home

After seeing the East Coast "mountains" (arguably rolling hills), I realized that we have a pretty good thing going on with the Cascades. Not to mention the rainforest, the desert, many lakes, the ocean, the palouse and more. I love my home.

And I love Fridays. Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

P.S. Picture stolen from DC coworker who visited the Evergreen state recently. Thanks Melissa!

A slower pace

In the first few weeks of him moving in, I stranded him not once, but twice. A quick trip to Spokane for work one week, followed by late nights in the office, then off to DC the next week! The dust is now settling and I don't see work taking me further than Olympia in coming weeks - phew! Don't get me wrong, DC was AWESOME. But this little lady needs quality down time :)

I'm looking forward to things slowing down for a bit - filled with strolls around Green Lake, getting good amounts of sleep, catching up with friends, celebrating my Mom's 60th (say what?! Yeah, this little cutie is turning the big 6-0!) and more.

Are you a slow pace or fast pace of life kind-of-person?

Gettysburg

Even though it was Brette's 14th time to Gettysburg, she still happily took us up to the small town in Pennsylvania. (She can't get enough of it and I don't blame her!) It embodies such a historical moment in America's history, and a good reminder of how far we've come in 150 years, yet how far we still have to go. Reading history or watching films about it pales in comparison to actually being on the battlefield. The exact place where brothers, fathers and sons fought each other. I know it may sound dorky, but it was incredible. Thanks for taking us, Brette!

Sunset over the battlefield.

The ladies at sunset atop the Pennsylvania Monument.

Karen and Daniel.

Abe is the man. Seriously, he had to deal with probably the most challenging situation in America's history - saving the Union after a long, hard civil war. (Random fun fact: Abe refused to acknowledge that states had succeeded from the Union and kept each state star on the flag throughout the entire war!)

Cupcake Showdown

Cupcakes are a hot topic among those who spend a significant amount of time in Georgetown. There is a heated debate about which local cupcake shop does it best: Baked and Wired, Georgetown Cupcakes or Sprinkles? It almost become part of my go-to conversation with colleagues while in DC: "Ok, so this is your office, you work mostly on these accounts, but most importantly, what is your fave cupcake shop?" In my informal poll, Baked and Wired quickly rose to the top. So naturally, I had to hit up as many as I could get to, which was only two in the end. But here are my takeaways:

First up: Baked and Wired. Olita and I shared the Tessita (some concoction of chocolate, hazelnut and caramel) and the Strawberry cupcakes. You can tell they definitely focus on making their cake the main attraction. Plus, the sheer size of their cupcakes - we're talking about 1.5 times the size of a normal cupcake! They were definitely good, but to be honest, not my favorite.

Next up: Georgetown Cupcakes, the shop of the hit TLC show DC Cupcakes. Karen, Daniel and I picked up a half dozen to bring out to Virginia for our hosts, Brette and Wiley. They are a little more petite, which allows you to try more flavors. While we didn't get around to eating them until a day and a half later (and after 1am), I still think they were better. I prefer their simplicity and frosting-to-cake ratio best.

But I admit, my heart is still with Trophy Cupcakes, here in Seattle. I will never stop thinking about their s'more cupcake. It's divine.

Spring welcomed me home.

Hi Friends!
I'm back home from a FABULOUS trip to DC. Well, actually we covered a lot more ground than that - in total, DC, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania! My work training was fantastic and hanging out with old and new friends was even better. Details to come, but I will say this - our trip would make both history buffs and wine aficionados jealous.

While I was gone, my entire street bloomed! There are cherry blossoms everywhere and it makes me smile. Why hello Spring!

Did everyone else have a fun, Spring-filled weekend?

Hello from Georgetown!

I'm in DC for work this week, but I also have plans for a fun weekend with a couple amazing ladies. It'll be one of those go-go-go trips, but I'm up for the challenge.

But today, I realized as I was boarding my plane that all of my toiletries were packed up... on my counter at home. Oops. Thankfully, there was a 24-hour drugstore not too far from my hotel, so I went out on a quick evening stroll. (Don't worry, Mom, I was assured by the concierge I'd be safe walking there.)

Georgetown is such a charming neighborhood - the architecture, cafes and restaurants, clothing boutiques and even the plethora of cupcake shops! Please don't judge me if I try each and every one.

The spice of life

A few weeks ago, the ladies and I grabbed happy hour at the newest joint in downtown Ballard, The Sexton. They had this pepper-infused drink, or should I call it "The Drink," and I've been dreaming about it since. I never really gave spicy drinks a chance, but after one sip of Stephanie's, I was sold.

So when Stephanie suggested a little habanero pepper infusing of our own, I said, 'ay caramba!' You basically cut up three habanero peppers, drop them into a pitcher with a bottle of tequila and wait for three hours. The recipe suggests that you taste test it every hour to ensure it's not too spicy. Needless to say, this wasn't our favorite part of the process- as evidenced below ;) Sure, mixed with something yummy, it'll taste good, but straight up spicy tequila? Not so good. When all was said and done, we made these delicious spicy grapefruit margaritas. ¡Muy delicioso!

And what's a spicy tequila cocktail without chicken enchiladas? Also very delicious. The perfect way to end the weekend!

The Mug Cake Solution

You know that moment when you just finished an average dinner that either didn't quite hit the spot or fill the void? And you scour your cupboards, but there is nothing that would even remotely satisfy that sweet tooth? Yeah, I have those moments often.

Solution: The Mug Cake. Very basic ingredients that should be lingering in your cupboards and just the right size (if not too big!). Maddie and I made the Chocolate and Salted Caramel Mug Cake and it was scrumptious. We went for the extra 30 seconds (see directions), but I think that made them a smidgen too dry. The only thing that was missing was a dollop of vanilla ice cream!

P.S. Look at all of these mug cakes! Which one would you want to try?

Chocolate and Salted Caramel Mug Cake

Ingredients
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg – beaten
3 tablespoons skim milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 salted caramels (we used regular caramels and added 3!)

Directions
Into a small bowl add: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, egg, milk, and vegetable oil. Mix to combine.

Pour mixture into a regular sized coffee mug. Drop caramels into center of mixture one at a time.

Microwave on high for one minute and 30 seconds. Watch in wonder as you see the cake rise above the top of the mug. If needed (if cake batter is still gooey), microwave on high for up to an additional 30 seconds.

Seriously. Watching it rise so quickly is entertaining!

TGIF

Despite the snow flurries this week, I do believe that Spring is right around the corner. It has to be - it's already March! (Am I right?!) This year, I'm going to convince my new roomie to plant a little garden like I did a few years back. Remember my green thumb?

What's on your weekend agenda? I plan to hang out with friends, do some relaxing, maybe go for a little run and pack for a trip to DC next week!