my top five spring activities in seattle

happy friday, everyone!

if you haven't noticed, i am a bit 

behind over here. work + school + babysitting +

blogging + aspiring to have a social life is

kicking my butt. sadly, blogging has 

taken a backseat, but don't worry, this little

blog isn't going anywhere.

disclosure: a special thank you to justfab for providing me the

adorable bomber jacket featured in today's post. as per usual, all

opinions are my own. thank you again, justfab!

spring has finally (somewhat) arrived in seattle,

and i am determined to put away all my

cold-weather garb. give me all the floral prints

and open-toed shoes, please!

with the arrival of spring comes a bustling 

calendar, but i thought it would be fun to share my

five favorite things to do during spring in the greater

seattle area. for those of you not from seattle,

my apologies (and do you have any similar activities

or destinations near you?).

1. visit the cherry blossoms in the

quad at the university of washington. 

(you can follow 'bloom updates' here.)

the cherry blossoms were a gift from japan in

the 1930s and moved from the japanese garden

in the arboretum to uw's campus in the 60s.

they are a trademark on campus and worth

braving (crazy) campus parking and crowds to see

in person. my friends and i had a

wonderful time wandering through campus

to take these photos!

2. speaking of flowers, it is time for the annual

 skagit valley tulip festival. 

the girls and i visited last year (it was my

first visit in ages), and the colorful

tulips were stunning! we made sure to arrive

early and lucked out, as the day was chilly

and grey. despite our seemingly ever-present

rain, fellow seattleites weren't too keen on trekking 

through muddy tulip fields during a spring rainstorm.

this allowed us to capture some fun

(and very pretty) photos, with few tourists

in the background.

^^^ a quick lipstick refresh ^^^

3. take a stroll through pike place market.

bring your reusable shopping bag,

as you're sure to come home with fresh

flowers, delicious coffee grounds, pastries

galore, and other handmade/handcrafted goodies!

i recommend swinging by 

ghost alley espresso for an iced americano.

it is d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s.

4. attend a food festival (seattle hosts numerous

food-related festivals each spring). 

at the top of my list this year is the 

'meat and cheese festival' at mccaw hall.

tickets and additional information can be found

here. food trucks, bacon and beer, tacos, and

numerous other tasty festivals

are making their rounds this spring, too.

5. keep active by taking a walk on the

elliott bay trail. something about the warm

weather makes me want to get outside! i greatly

enjoy going on walks (neighborhood walks

are great, too), but scenic, waterfront

walks are my favorite. the elliott bay trail

is 10 miles roundtrip, flat, and takes you

through sculpture park. it is gorgeous!

photos by jenn from hello rigby

jacket: c/o justfab, blouse: lush clothing,

jeans: nordstrom, sneakers: style & co (via macy's),

purse: thrifted (via seattle goodwill),

rings: assorted (forever 21 and target)

what are some of your favorite spring

activities? my wish list of places i hope to

go this season is ever-growing, and i cannot 

wait to enjoy the sunshine!

xoxo.

cherry blossoms & the perfect floral dress

you know spring has arrived when the cherry blossom trees 

begin to bloom and your allergies (unfortunately), start to drive 

you crazy. i will tolerate sneezing and irritated eyes for 

sunshine and gorgeous flowers any day - spring, bring it on!

despite living in seattle for just over 18 years, 

i have never visited the infamous cherry blossoms at the

university of washington; situated in the quad,

their home for the past 80 years, the trees are 

in bloom just a few short weeks. i have seen photos and been 

told repeatedly that 'i must go!' - it truly is a sight 

worth seeing (be warned: the immense crowds make 

taking photos somewhat tricky!).

disclosure: stylewe graciously provided me with the dress

i'm wearing in these photos. as per usual, all opinions are my own!

the blossoms are breathtaking! the colors (beautiful shades

of pink) are vibrant, and with the weather approaching 60 degrees

for the first time since fall, the parks, neighborhoods and downtown

areas are bustling with people. naturally, i had to get out there

and take photos in front of the blossoms, too.

on my first trip to visit the iconic blossoms, i wanted to 

wear something festive. this floral embroidered dress, 

courtesy of stylewe, was seemingly perfect. 

the midi length and tulle skirt are just the right combination

of feminine and chic. i plan to wear this dress on easter sunday

in a few weeks. 

photos by bailey makaimoku photography

dress: c/o stylewe (exact here), flats: steve madden (similar here), 

purse: cartier (thrifted via an estate sale), earrings: nordstrom, bracelet: h&m

have you visited the blossoms this year?

the flowers have started to fall due to increased traffic

in the quad, but they should be around just a bit longer!

be sure to stop by before it's too late ;)

xoxo.