the market at christmas

^^^ the most wonderful time of the year ^^^

^^^ we brought home gorgeous dried flowers, 

perfect for the holidays ^^^

the market was packed today and fully decorated for the upcoming holidays.

while sipping my coffee, i enjoyed walking around, 

sampling various treats, 

and lusting after handmade and crafted jewelry, handbags, 

jellies, noodles, and everything else the market has to offer.

the market sure is gorgeous during this time of year. 

and now, only a few days until christmas! 

xoxo.

food trucks galore

^^^ portland style ^^^

portland, i really wish i lived closer. 

i would visit your food trucks constantly.

^^^ it sure doesn't look fancy, but boy, is pyro pizza tasty! ^^^

and there is willie, patiently waiting for the most delicious pizza we ever did eat.

"would you like a side of fries and berry soda with your pizza?

why yes, yes i would."

those tasty fries were from the potato champion. 

they truly were the champions of the french fry!

portland, i think we are ready for another adventure.

i know my belly certainly is!

xoxo,

seattle foodie.

a quick trip

chambray: cotton on, jeans: urban outfitters, belt and bag: thrifted, 

moccasins: minnetonka, t-shirt: madewell

this past weekend, i took a quick trip to portland. 

i wore the above outfit for an afternoon of walking and site seeing,

testing various treats by different food trucks, 

and some vintage shopping, of course. 

i could not believe how warm the weather was - 

73 degrees in the middle of october? oregon, i'll take it.

it was nice to get out of town

and explore a new environment.

i think i am still full from all of the delicious food i devoured.

portland, i will definitely be back soon.

xoxo.

a road trip

^^^ portland, oregon adventures! ^^^

a few weeks back, 

i had the pleasure of attending my best friend's wedding in portland.

she and her husband are high school sweethearts, 

and i have to say, their wedding was perfect.

i can only hope to someday have a wedding half as lovely!

a trip to portland would not be complete, however, without

a stop at voodoo donuts, the glorious food trucks, 

and an afternoon spent scavenging powell's. 

i came home with a new copy of "baby beluga" 

for my toddlers (their absolute favorite),

along with some chocolate, a few books for me,

and a very happy heart.

you see, i was able to bring a date to the aforementioned wedding.

it was a great date. my heart is very happy right now.

xoxo.

cabin time

 

^^^ i never grow tired of this view ^^^

^^^ we're here! ^^^

^^^ look who was waiting at the bottom of the driveway? ^^^

this past weekend, 

i went with my family and some close friends to our cabin up north.

we had a blast celebrating my mom's birthday,

feasting on delicious treats and home cooked meals,

(i snuggled a certain pup),

and being out on the boat.

i attempted water skiing again for the first time in several years.

although i was able to get up and out of the water,

i felt as though i had been hit by a car the next day.

perhaps a sign that i am getting old? eek.

my parents have been up at the cabin this entire week,

while i have been working away at preschool.

i am quite jealous but hoping to go back again soon!

summer, i hope you stick around because i am 

not ready to say goodbye.

xoxo.

this little piggy went to the market...

...and this little piggy found so many things she wanted to buy & eat

t-shirt: nordstrom, sweater: f21, jeans: nordstrom rack, moccasins: dsw, bracelets: random

don't you love our seattle sunshine?

it was a relatively quiet day at the pike place market, 

but the vendors had gorgeous and delicious treats as per usual. 

i settled on some fresh strawberries and a giant chocolate cookie 

(i think they balance each other out, right?).

xoxo.

delicious barbecue

upon arriving in eastern washington this past weekend,

our first stop was country boy's bbq.

this restaurant belongs to one of tom's closest friends from high school; it is amazing!

i had a pulled pork sandwich, coleslaw, freshly squeezed lemonade, 

and a few bites of tom's cornbread.

the sandwich was incredible - melt-in-your-mouth delicious,

as was the cornbread. 

sitting outside in the 85 degree weather was also a treat. 

tom, i think you need to convince country boy's to open a location in seattle.

that way we can enjoy this barbecue every weekend :) 

if you live in or near cashmere, washington, i highly recommend stopping by.

you can visit their website here for more information.

xoxo.

*this is not a sponsored post. all pictures and opinions are my own.

beauuuutiful

 a few more pictures from my trip to eastern washington this past weekend.

wine tasting, driving around the countryside, and eating a bit too much ice cream 

was a great way to spend the past few days.

in fact, we had so much fun in the sunshine, 

we are talking about going back this weekend :) 

what's not to love about the gorgeous views above?! 

xoxo.

*quote found here

a special weekend

...this is what i plan to do this weekend.

i will be camping with teen girls who have gone through life experiences more trying than anything i could fathom.

it will be a very sad, but hopeful and inspiring weekend.

i cannot wait to see what happens.

see you when i get back! 

xoxo. 

i'm back!

after what felt like 281830 million hours on the plane(s) last night, we made it home! 

it was an immensely enjoyable and relaxing trip.

i am so grateful for the time i spent with my family and our dear friends.

can i go back?

when tom asked what we did,

i told him "well, we went to the beach...

...i read four books

...took several naps

...laid in the sun
...went to a farmers market

...swam in the pool

...and went to the beach."

nothing too exhilarating, but the perfect amount of relaxation! 

{ just a few more pictures, i promise }

fortunately, i can continue to enjoy the sunshine in seattle :)
now back to work for this girl.
xoxo. 

our zipline tour

on thursday we went on a zipline canopy tour with big island eco adventures.

despite our near encounter with death on the drive up to the ziplines

(the bus nearly tipped over multiple times),

the copious mosquitoes, 

on again - off again rain,

and epic heights, 

it was an incredible day! 

we had the opportunity to "zip" eight times,

with each zip getting progressively longer and faster.

at one point, we actually jumped off a platform and into the air!

it was hard not to feel at peace amongst the gorgeous surroundings :)

only a few more hours in paradise before heading home.

...not quite ready for that...

xoxo. 

*image found here

a glimpse of paradise so far

we finally arrived - after what felt like 921038029130 hours of travel.

thank goodness for movies on airplanes...

my brother and i watched the hunger games.

it made the flight(s) go by much more quickly! 

after going to bed at 8pm last night,

i am ready for a day of sunshine and relaxation.

it is gorgeous out, and i could not be more thankful to be here with my family :)

see you soon! 

xoxo.

*quote found on google

little vacation

aloha! 

i am off to hawaii for a few days with my family. 

i packed swimsuits, flip flops, and books.

thus, i have several guest posts planned for you from some of my favorite bloggers :)

stay tuned, and have a great weekend.

xoxo. 

*image found on google

a weekend adventure

why hello there my dearly missed little blog.

i apologize for my absence.

here are a few snapshots from my weekend adventure to wenatchee, washington :) 

you would be so proud - 

we braved the rain and snow (and 80 degree weather)

ate our way through winthrop, 

i learned how to hold a rifle,

trekked through the wilderness,

saw a snake,

and made it home safely. 

all in all, it was an amazing weekend.

the company was quite wonderful, too :) 

xoxo.