I'm baaaaaack!

Holy moly, it's been since July! Clearly, that's the longest I've gone since I started this little ol' blog back in 2009. I'd venture to say that 2013 has been one of the most eventful years, yet not well documented on Petes Speaks. (Speaking of, I'm technically no longer a Peterson, but I'll always be a Petes in the eyes of many. Or at least Maddie.) 

So for the next few months, I'll try to keep you posted on some things current and also catch you up with what's happened in the last three months. Like maybe the fact that I GOT MARRIED. Yeah, I'm pretty darn lucky.

Friday Date Night

Last Friday, Joe and I planned an heading up to our local Phinney Farmer's Market for a little dinner and to peruse the fresh eats (berries, veggies and fresh bread galore!). We had some delicious food from the Istanbul food truck - I got the chicken schwarma, which was fab. We also treated ourselves to some homemade popsicles from Six Strawberries. The strawberry rhubarb pie is to die for!

One thing led to another and we decided that after more than a year of living in our neighborhood, we'd go on a little pub crawl. So after the market, our next stop was the 74th Street Alehouse where we got two tasty local brews.

Then we headed to Prost for a couple of our fave German beers. They have one with "banana notes" that I always get.

Next, we headed to Bleubird Creamery because I heard they sold Rachel's Ginger Beer, but they were all out. (Wah wah) But luckily, they have their own little brewery, so we decided to share a beer float! Theo chocolate stout with theo chocolate ice cream. By far, the BEST decision of the night. (As evidenced by Joe's excitement below?) It was phenomenal. Seriously, I'll dream about this float for months.

We wrapped up our night at Carmelita, which is slated to close in September. We each picked out a refreshing cocktail. Mine had muddled cucumbers in it, which gave it quite a nice flavor.

All in all, a fantastic date night! Now I can finally tell our 80-year-old neighbor that we did a neighborhood pub crawl. Apparently, when she went on a crawl, she wound up trying her first jello shot?! It seems like our night was slightly more tame than hers :)

Dancing Queens

Apologies for being MIA lately. With summer activities, a new job (!!) and wedding planning, the ol' blog has been on the back burner. I'm not making in promises it'll get any better this summer, but I'll do my best :) 

But for today, I'll share some pics of my beautiful cousins from their LAST recital! They were phenomenal! It's been fun to go back and watch them grow into such incredible dancers - even though they are wrapping up their time at the dance academy, I have no doubt that dance will continue to be a be part of their lives.

Audrey is off to college and Jenna will be starting her senior year. Pretty crazy, huh? I know I'm young, but when people who I once babysat start going off the college, it really makes me feel a little more old. 

Jenna's solo.

Audrey's solo. 

Our New Paintings

My mom was nice enough to hand down a couple paintings by Maurice Utrillo that were my grandma's from back in the day. We're pretty sure they are prints or lithographs, but they certainly look original to me! The simple gal in me went with a very basic brown frame and off white mat and I think both choices make the paintings pop! We opted for a "museum style" hang, so it's hanging from our crown molding ledge. At first I wasn't so sure, but now I'm really digging it!

Thanks for sharing with us, Mom! They fit perfectly in our home. And it's nice to have a little more Nama in our home :)

A Day Trip Escape

For Memorial Day weekend, we got the itch for a day-trip adventure and an escape from the city. In Seattle terms, that translates to: Bainbridge Island. It feels like an escape, but is only a 30-minute - and gorgeous! - ferry ride away. When we got there, we promptly picked up some coffee, then leisurely walked the downtown and along the marina, and even did a little wine tasting. 

Then we thought we might drive north to catch the Kingston ferry for a little change of pace. Along the way, we found a hole-in-the-wall pizza joint (yum!) and a casino. Yes, we hit up the Clearwater Casino. We each allowed ourselves $10 for slots. Well, lady luck was visiting because after paying for a beer a piece, we still left $10 ahead! Score. 

When waiting for the ferry, we got the obligatory ice cream cone. A perfect way to end a day of gluttony :) All in all, it was another fantastic day spent with my sweets!

Pike Place and Friends

About a MONTH ago (gosh, it's taken so long to post!), Kimbie was in town for a hot second. So last minute, she asked a few of us to spend an afternoon down at Pike Place Market. Clearly, you don't say no to an invitation like that. So we had a relaxing lunch, toasted some bubbly and walked the market - oogling the gorgeous flowers of early Summer. Gosh, I love my girls. But I'll admit, I think it's much better when they all live in Seattle. (Hint hint.) Excited to see Miss Karen Clegg in a couple days too!

P.S. Thanks for the last two photos, Stephers! :)

Woodinville Winos

For the Memorial Day weekend, Joe, Steph, Erin and I headed to Woodinville for some afternoon wine tasting. We only made it to three - my favorite was Patterson Cellars - before we had to call it quits to get some food in our bellies. So we switched it up and headed to Redhook Brewery for lunch on their patio. It was one of the nicest days in a long time, so it was nice to soak up the sun for a bit. 

Considering how close Woodinville is, I really don't know why we don't do this more often. I mean, yes, it makes you want to take a nap by 4pm, but I think we all deserve that on occasion, don't ya think?

P.S. Remember that one time we ran from Ballard to Redhook? Yeah, that was rough. Driving for wine trumps running for Redhook, hands down.