Macrina Bakery

Since we had an early morning on Saturday to sign some papers in Queen Anne, we quickly ducked into Macrina Bakery to share a sweet roll. They have some of the tastiest treats in Seattle. Even though I've only been there a handful of times, every time I get something different and every time I find myself wanting more. Next time, I'd like to try one of their savory scones. But considering homemade breakfast is just as tasty, it might be awhile before I get back :)

P.S. For the record, my favorite bakery is Cafe Besalu in Ballard. Next time I go, I'll document! Their pain au chocolat just melts in your mouth.

Thinking Warm Thoughts

It's inevitable. Every year, I get to a point when I'm just ready for Summer (or an unseasonably warm Spring). I've hit that point way too early this year. To fight the rainy, gray weather blues, I reminisce of tropical vacations. Hands down, my favorite tropical vacation was Hawaii with Stephers back in 2009. Aww, the beaches. The cocktails. The warm sun. The snorkeling. The relaxation. The surfing. The naked baby. (Our daily beach visit was always at the same time as an adorable little family with the cutest little baby - and she mostly ran around in her diaper or just butt naked. Adorbs.) You guys, it was magical.

What is your favorite tropical vacation?

Bathing Beauties

As a follow-up to last week's post, seriously, can it get any cuter than this? My Nama and my Mom, soaking in the sun - absolutely adorable, right? My grandma must have been close to my age in this photo (Am I right, Mom?). I wish I could jump into a time machine to join this timeless moment. But I'd definitely have to bring sunscreen! Lord knows I can't survive without it.

We came, we dipped, they conquered.

Some like Super Bowl for the football. Some like it for the attractive players (ahem, Tom Brady). Many like Super Bowl for the commercials and the commercials alone. But to a few dozen people, Dip-A-Palooza is front and center on Super Bowl Sunday. The competitive dip-making contests brings in the best cheese dips, onion dips, jalepeno popper dips, cilantro dips, buffalo chicken dips, Snickers dips, curry dips - the list does on for miles.

This year, the competition was FIERCE. There had to be over 30 dips in total! We made Queso Blanco (thanks for the recipe, Steph!), which was very tasty, but by no means a winner. But even more impressive was the presentation of winners - Aaron impressed us all with his suit, top hat, booming music and scripted performance as he revealed the winners of Dip-A-Palooza VIII, one of the founding fathers himself (and wife!), Chris and Chrissy Barrows. It was well-deserved. Congrats, you two.

P.S. Past DAP posts.

DAPers. Many new faces this year, but still many old.

I was honored to be able to help tally the votes!

Aaron kept the crowd in suspense for a full minute before opening the envelope to reveal the winner.

Victory for the Barrows' - waving the flag and raising the DAP plaque!

The queso blanco. There is a whole lot of American White Cheese in this sucker. Healthy? No. Delicious? Yes.

Another Bainbridge Adventure

A few years back, those of us who had Veteran's Day off decided to go on an adventure to Bainbridge Island. It's the perfect, quick escape to get out of the city on a sunny day, so we decided to recreate it on a Saturday afternoon. We had no agenda, just quality girl time - in the form of wine tasting, aimlessly walking through town and lots and lots of cheesy Mexican food. Oh, and did I mention girl talk? Yeah, lots of it. In fact, I feel bad for the bartender at the restaurant who was in earshot of all of our girly conversations. I'd like to think it was the highlight of his day :)

Excited for our next adventure!

The ferry ride home was dark!

Whoa.

Seriously guys, this is cool. Follow the instructions and be amazed.

Instructions:
1. Stare at the red dot on the girl’s nose for 30 seconds.
2. Turn your eyes to a plain surface (your ceiling or blank wall, preferably white, preferably sort of close by, maybe in a decently lit room).
3. Blink repeatedly and quickly.
4. Whoa.

via/oneplusinfinity

I covet

These babies need little explaining. Who would have thought that light teal, patent loafers would make such an impression? But I have to keep my eye on the prize: save for a house.