the perfect pre-valentine's day event!

seattle bloggers and friends,

join me at this fabulous, ladies-only, night out, hosted

by robbins brothers!

try on jewelry, sip champagne, and enjoy delicious treats -

it's the perfect event to kick off valentine's day.

you can celebrate love, friendship, or simply enjoy a fun night out.

those gorgeous rings?! one of each, please! 

hope to see you all there on tuesday, february 2nd! 

xoxo 

thankful, very thankful

^^^ i love this one! ^^^

photos by victoria west photography

i know thanksgiving was last week, but in the spirit of the holidays, 

i wanted to take a break from the outfits, the gift guides,

and my usual posting, to thank this guy! 

he tolerates my complaining, messy habits, shopping trips, 

perpetual need for blog photos, and occasional (okay, frequent) toddler-like behavior.

i know we hear this all the time, but i truly cannot

imagine my life without him!

willie // will // babe // louis,

i love you. i cannot wait to spend another holiday season

together - get ready for some christmas-inspired dates!

xoxo.

p.s. will's jacket is from banana republic, mine is stitchfix

and booties are off broadway shoes (similar here)

celebrations

quote source

one of my dearest girlfriends got married this past weekend. 

the wedding was magnificent - 

which is quite the understatement.

the decor, venue, company and delicious food were amazing.

she was a stunning bride, 

and i am incredibly grateful to have watched 

her and her (now) husband celebrate their love;

i was so happy to have been included on their special day.

above are just a few of the photos i took.

i cannot wait to see more from their special day!

xoxo. 

a letter to mom

"'being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs...

since the payment is pure love' said mildred vermont.

i previously wrote a letter to my dad, detailing childhood memories

and silly stories, providing a brief glance into our relationship. 

with the approaching holidays (when the importance of family is paramount),

i wanted to do the same for you, mom.

though our relationship is far from perfect, i am grateful to have you as my mother.

not only are you my mom, but also my friend, role model, and mentor. 

i remember us baking cookies when i was little;

you always let me lick the spoon.

i remember you driving me to school, curling my hair,

and helping me with homework each day [...]"

you can read more of my letter to my mom here.

xoxo.

*image found on google

giving thanks

giving thanks for this little pup today.

seriously, i love her.

thank you to my friends and family, too;

i am so grateful to have you in my life. 

now it is time to bathe and prepare for the epic food coma that will ensue shortly :)

happy thanksgiving everyone!

xoxo.

thankful

today i am thankful for my family...

thankful for the food mom left me while she is out of town.

thankful for a warm bed with clean sheets to sleep in.

thankful they call to check up on me. 

thankful for their ever-present love and support.

thankful for the time i will spend with them as the holiday's approach.

thankful they still take pity on me (on occasion) and buy me paper towels and toilet paper.

thankful for their encouragement.

thankful for their on-demand (i may have rented a movie... or three).

and especially thankful for the little pup that lives here. boy do i love her :)

xoxo.

*image found on google

guest post // being so much in love

*image from google

hello readers! i have a special guest post for you from my friend, catherine.

 please check it out :) 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"being so much in love and not faking it"

These two in love are truly amazing and they look so happy. Indeed, why would they be unhappy if they have just got married? Right now, they enjoy their true happiness of being husband and wife and nothing can compare to that feeling for them.

That’s extreme joy, fun, delight and devotion to each other, desire to spend every minute together and have fun of it. How can they not have fun of their Florida Beach Wedding and of just being together? That would be impossible, just take a look at their shining faces, full of love and adornment. And despite their a bit not official wedding fineries look, still they are real newlyweds, maybe even more real than any other wedding couple. 

They don’t need to pretend being in love, they really are and feel great about it. When you are really happy, you don’t have to lie that you are ok, right? These two know that for sure, it’s enough just to take a look at them. Their emotions say they don’t fake anything. 

five days and counting

i apologize for my absence on this here blog, but

you know, it just isn't fair - 

you meet someone new, open your heart, believe in love, fall for someone,

and then something bad happens. 

why must it be this way? 

i have been so incredibly lucky and happy these past few months with tom, 

and now it is time to say goodbye (well technically, in five days). 

he received an incredible job opportunity in florida, 

one that he cannot pass up.

so he is packing up and leaving next week.

i know i should be excited for him and supportive of his move (and i am),

but right now, all i can think about is him leaving me behind.

this is a selfish way of thinking - i realize. 

did you know florida and seattle are ridiculously far away? yuck. 

we are going to stay together and have faith in our long distance relationship.

saying my prayers that i have the strength to make things work.

any recommendations on long distance love? how did you make it work?

i have tried it before and not had the best of luck. 

i am definitely open to trying it again with him, however! 

xoxo.

*image found here

love & life update

shirt: splendid, pants & flats: the loft

a casual monday today.

also, i have a love life update for you. 

"Love is like an earthquake - unpredictable, a little scary, but when the hard part is over you realize how lucky you truly are" (Unknown). If only it were that simple.My post-college dating life has been problematic - to put it nicely.

 I wish I was one of those girls - you know the type - fall in love while in college; get engaged after graduating; plan your wedding and new life together.

you can read more here.

i might be a very sad girl soon :(

xoxo. 

better late than never

tom painted a picture for me! much better than anything i could hope to paint on a computer.

is it silly if i want to frame it?

the above (right) picture was taken while in eastern washington a few weekends ago.

we were all dressed up to attend a concert at this local winery.

the concert was held at the above venue. 

it could not have been more gorgeous...

nothing like sitting outside in the summer air, sipping on wine, watching the sun set, and enjoying music with someone you care about. the only catch?

the huge lightening storm that surrounded us halfway through the event.

i. was. terrified. 

tom, the brave, assured me we were safe and did in fact get us home safely.

phew! 

lightening, if you could please hold off next time, that would be great!

xoxo.

one of my favorites

le reve in queen anne is one of my favorite bakeries. 

their coffee and treats are incredible, 

and the environment inside the shop is both comfortable and inviting.

i may have a slight obsession with their twice baked chocolate croissant (pictured above).

i am curious as to how they bake the outside to be perfectly crispy,

while the inside is gooey, warm, and chocolate-filled.

mmm i am getting hungry just thinking about it.

i think you know where i will be eating breakfast tomorrow morning :)

xoxo.

food, food and more food

dress: thrifted, bracelets & leggings: f21

i should probably purchase an iron.

i mean - could this dress be any more wrinkled?

this was after i attempted to douse it in downy wrinkle release. 

oh well.

tom had to leave extra early for a meeting, so i could not harass him about an outfit picture.

however, he did make me this before he left :)

i inhaled it. 

this was breakfast a few days ago...

a twice baked chocolate croissant from le reve bakery.

do you live in seattle? if so, you must must must try le reve on queen anne ave.

and a few pictures from my phone detailing life lately...

i apologize for all the food pictures.

clearly i have spent a lot of time eating. a lot. 

1. tom (looking so so so cute) before his meeting, 2. delicious fro-yo from my new favorite place, blissberry, 3. my girlfriend k and i on our friendaversary (at camp), 4. a feast tom cooked, & 5. my guilty pleasure... the golden arches.

perhaps i should go for a walk now? my stomach hurts looking at all these.

happy tuesday!

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. 

the dreaded shot

top: thrifted, jeans: ae, sandals: elle via kohl's

{ shop for these sandals and similar styles here;

for a coupon to shop, please visit here }

i love the song - "as she's walking away" by the zac brown band.

for some reason the sequence of these pictures made me think of it.

i am not walking away from (or planning to walk away from) tom (who took these pictures).

but i hope he is falling in love :) 

i had to get a shot today...

the dreaded annual tb skin test in order for me to volunteer at camp in a few weeks.

i despise, despise, despise shots! 

i fear them more than anything, possibly more than birds.

i hyperventilate and then proceed to get very dizzy and nauseous 

before and after the shot is administered.

i typically bring my mom with me,

...just in case i faint.

doctors and nurses alike scoff at me for being 24 years old, 

and bringing my mom with me to a doctor's appointment. 

i know, i know, i am pathetic. 

but i promise i feel horrible both before and after.

thus, i begged tom to meet me for my appointment this morning.

and you know what?

he met me there right at 8am :)

he tried to chat with me/distract me from the dreaded needle,

but kept raising his eyebrow as the needle was brought closer and closer to my arm.

eek!

he held my hand, and took me to get coffee and a treat after.

i am pretty lucky if i do say so myself.

and now i am all set to play with the kiddos at camp!

are you afraid of shots?

if so, what is your trick? i need help!

xoxo.

best friends

tank: uo, vest: borrowed from k (org. from f21), shorts: target, shoes: havaianas

a pool date with my favorite girlfriend.

i could not be happier (or more proud) that she is home from school.

all that was missing was the sunshine :) 

not sure what i would do without her! 

seattle, what happened to our sunshine?

i am a tiny bit afraid of this thunder and lightening - though it is beautiful.

happy friday everyone!

i hope you have an amazing weekend.

xoxo.

*image found on google

rather eclectic

"wouldn't life be perfect if sweatpants were sexy,

monday's were fun,

junk food was good for you,

homework didn't exist,

girls weren't drama queens,

guys weren't losers,

and saying goodbye only meant until tomorrow?"

*quote found here

life has been a bit random as of late, 

so i have decided to share the randomness with you...

--there is someone new in my life :)

--sunshine in seattle means taking the babies for walks and to the park 

--love these target apache shorts

--happy hour is a great way to end a monday

--there is a ghost in my apartment...

(my broken toilet will mysteriously flush at random...)

--love this pup

other:

--my parent's house is up for sale

(the upside? new furniture for this girl)

--i am still on the hunt for a roommate

--i just started reading 50 shades of grey 

(i must admit, it is rather addicting)

--i am ready for the weekend//the potential for sleeping in

--i cannot get enough of canned pears... weird, i know

what's new with you?

happy wednesday!

xoxo. 

neon and a belated father's day gift

t-shirt: nordstrom, chambray: target, jeans: lc for kohl's, shoes: dsw

i am in love with these neon jeans! 

are you a fan of neon?

also, a very happy belated father's day to my faj!

so glad i was able to spend the afternoon with you.

thank you for cooking my veggie burger to perfection :) 

you can see my father's day gift for you here from my column.

here's to a good week, everyone! 

xoxo.

true life: my dating experience

i think i have alluded to my (primarily non-existent) dating life...

i went through quite the breakup a few months ago,

but feel ready to move on and share my story. 

maybe it is too honest and too much information (to be written about here),

but i think sharing bits and pieces of my life,

and writing down my thoughts and emotions helps me cope.

if interested, you can read my story here.

also, if you are a fan of la family magazine,

and would like to write an article detailing your post-college experiences,

feel free to comment here or email me. 

i will happily pass along your information to the editor.

he is always looking for new writers,

and i would love to read your story!

xoxo.