West Seattle Farmer's Market

On Sunday, my mom came over and we drove up to California Ave in West Seattle to do some shopping, have lunch, and explore my new neighborhood. We first hit up Talarico's, a pizza place that I've been told I must try. The pizza there not only looks good but is ginormous! They serve either a whole pizza which is 28" (jeez!) or by the slice, which is still 14". We each got our own slice, but probably could have split one and still have some left to take home. It was delicious though, and Clint benefitted from the leftovers.

After lunch, we walked through the West Seattle Farmer's Market and checked out all the fresh produce and other goodies they had. I didn't buy anything this time, but I may need to head back next week when I'm better prepared.

I took a bunch of photos (with my phone...didn't happen to have my real camera on me), and came across quite a few things I've never seen before like cranberry green beans, yellow beans, and peppers that look like tomatoes.

Sunday farmer's market

holy moly!

heirloom tomatoes

taters

huge zucchini

humongous blackberries - maybe for my next pie

After the market, we strolled up and down California and shopped at all the cute boutiques and consignment stores they have. We were pretty disappointed in ourselves for not finding anything to buy, so we headed to the hardware store where Mom found something she needed. Pizza, produce, and hardware, overall a nice little Sunday.

Birchbox Redemption

So, I think Birchbox may have redeemed itself. I mentioned last month that I was debating if I should cancel on them, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I had also brought it up to one of my coworkers, and she just happened to be a Birchbox member as well! We decided to bring in all our loot to work, and ended up making some trades. She liked a few of my perfumes (which I never wear) and the bath salts while I ended up with a full size bronzer (which I love and use everyday now), green eyeliner, and some self tanning wipes (yikes, those were a bust). She had been on the fence about giving up on them as well, but we decided to stick it out since we had so much fun sharing what we got.

This month our contents were exactly the same. There were some good things in there though. A razor, facial cleanser, hair styling product for pillow soft curls, another perfume sample, and a small jar of body lotion.

Good job, Birchbox. See you next month!

Danielle & Earl's Summer BBQ

On Saturday, Earl and Danielle threw a Summer BBQ party, and luckily Clint and I were in town. We had camping plans that had fallen through when his buddy hurt his back pretty bad. Although that sucks, it was nice for us to spend a relaxing weekend at home.

The party was a blast. Earl had constructed a Husky themed beer pong table that of course Clint and I dominated. Okay, Earl's team was pretty good too, so maybe we both dominated. They also had delicious cocktails, a whole spread of yummy BBQ goodness (burgers and dogs), and the best part? s'mores on the fire pit for dessert once it got dark...so basically we got to camp after all.

We spent the night playing games (Apples to Apples), watching the dogs run amuck, and laughing...a lot. Earl and Danielle have the perfect house for having get togethers, and the are the best hosts ever! Thanks again for such a great time!

Husky beer pong, and Mercer

urban campfire

Stella & Dot trunk shows

I have been having so much fun as a Stella & Dot stylist, and so glad I made the decision to just go for it! Within my first month, I have held 2 trunk shows and am well on my way to earning back everything I invested to get started.

I've also developed a healthy addiction to jewelry. I browse the website daily and keep adding things to my wish list. Luckily, I've hit a few "jumpstarts" which are ways for stylists to earn money to go towards jewelry samples in their first two months. So far I've racked up $500 and have been ordering jewelry like crazy. It's fun to have such a large selection, and makes picking out an outfit in the morning actually fun!

My first trunk show I held was for myself. You're allowed to have two per calendar year, which means you not only get the commission from the sales, but also get to reap the rewards as a hostess. Double the benefits! I invited some of my coworkers over to my new place, and we tried on jewels while drinking wine. That trunk show is actually still active online, so I've been continuing to add any other orders I get towards that.

The second trunk show was for my sorority alumnae group. We meet once a month, so I thought it might be fun to bring my new jewelry collection to share. I was surprised with how much interest there was! Since I couldn't be the "hostess" for this one, I set it up so that whoever makes a purchase will have their name thrown into a drawing. Once the show closes online on Sept 14th, I'll draw a name and that girl will earn the rewards to shop for free jewelry and for half off. Any Chi O's out there that want to get in on the action can shop here and I'll be sure your name gets added to the mix for a chance to win.

I've also gotten the chance to spend more time with Danielle, and we've been having a great time. She's also been a such a big help, and fun to have someone to do this with.

the new jewelry stand Mom found for
me at Goodwill that I painted

Betty Crocker y'all

As I mentioned before in Brynn's wedding post, she had pies in addition to a wedding cake.  About a month before the big day, Brynn asked if I would like to bake a pie to bring, as she wanted the pies to be homemade from some of the guests. I thought this was such a cute idea, and was happy to contribute! Only thing...I've never baked a pie. Well that's not true. I baked one in the 6th grade for Home Ec class, but I've never done blackberry pie, which is one of my favorites. It happens to be one of Brynn's as well, and blackberries are now in season.

My plan was to bake a pie to practice to make sure I knew what I was doing, then bake a second one the day of the wedding to bring. That plan didn't exactly (pie) pan out. I procrastinated...of course...and ended up having to just go for it the day of.

It was actually a lot of fun, and the pie turned out to look pretty good! I did get to sneak a taste at the wedding, so I know it was edible, too. Now that I know I can do it, maybe I'll get around to baking pies more often.

ingredients

here goes nothin...err...well, everything actually

ta da! I'm a baker :)

Mrs. Brynn Sutherland

On Saturday, August 20th, Brynn and Ryan tied the knot! They had their wedding up in Snohomish at the Swan Trails Farm, so both Clint and I made the drive out there with Colleen and Will. After two extremely hot Summer days, Saturday was a nice change. It was a little cloudy, but the temperature had dropped to something more reasonable, which made it perfect for an outdoor ceremony.

We arrived and signed the cute "guest book." Brynn is a fan of puzzles, so they had a blank wooden puzzle made so that each guest could write a message to the couple on their own puzzle piece. The rest of the venue was decorated beautifully as well. We took a seat, and waited for the ceremony to begin.

puzzle guest book

beautiful Swan Trails venue

Colleen and Will

Clint and I

wedding ceremony programs

The ceremony was very sweet. Not only was it the pastor's own wedding anniversary, but he had also officiated 5(?) other Sutherland weddings! Brynn looked gorgeous, and Ryan was grinning from ear to ear.

Bridesmaids

Ryan and his groomsmen

the flower girl was a little behind

After the ceremony, we found our table with the cute little place cards, snacked on some appetizers, had some drinks, and mingled with the other guests. It was nice since that gave me the chance to catch up with Brynn's mom who I hadn't seen in forever! The guys also got to play a couple rounds of cornhole. Brynn and Ryan had constructed their own and personalized them with their initials.

guests finding their seats

Clint and Layne

beautiful table arrangements made
by Brooke's mom, Donna

cornhole!

They then served dinner which was a delicious BBQ buffet...potato salad, green salad, corn bread, beans, mashed potatoes, ribs, chicken, and pulled pork! Clint and I definitely hit it up for round two. While we ate, Joey, the best man, and Sarah, the maid of honor, gave their speeches. Wedding speeches can be a little tricky, but both turned out great. Good job guys!

Brynn and Ryan then had their first dance, homemade pie was served (a fun alternative to just a traditional cake), and we danced the night away.

cake and pies

first dance

Congrats to Brynn and Ryan, and thank you for including us on your special day! We had a blast celebrating with you.

A few of their wedding photos, can't wait to see more!

so pretty!

Double Date Night

A couple Fridays ago, Sarah and Taylor came over to check out the new place and have dinner with Clint and I. I gave them the tour as Sarah and I talked about all things home decor. Having just decorated their new place, she sure knows her stuff and recognizes where everything is from (guess it doesn't help that I went and copied the same duvet cover she and Taylor have from West Elm).

They also brought me a housewarming gift! They sure know the way to my heart...wine, pizza stones, pizza papers, and a cute little owl kitchen timer...how sweet. We had a few drinks at my place, then decided to head out to Alki.

It was one of the hottest days we've had this Summer, so being outside was a must. We put our name in at Cactus (yum), and headed next door for some beers while we waited. Once our table was ready, we sat outside and enjoyed the warm weather even after the sun went down.

Dinner was delicious, and both Clint and I had such a great time catching up with Sarah and Taylor. We even got to see pics of the new puppy they were going to pick up the following week. Can't wait to meet the little guy, he looks absolutely adorable!

Finn

Looking forward to our next double date, hope to have one soon!

Boating with myBalls

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year Seattle has seen so far, so what better way to spend it than on a boat? Luckily, Anne and I had made plans earlier in the week to go out on hers, so it couldn't have been better timing.

Anne's friend Shannon was planning to use this as a photo opp to get some pictures of people with her product as she's preparing the launch of her company, myBall. She and her partner have created a cover that zips on over those exercise yoga balls. I think it's a great idea. They have handles so you can carry them easily, plus they come in fun patterns to hide how much of an eye sore those balls can be.

So Anne, Alicia, Clint, Darrin, Shannon, and myself all headed out onto Lake Union to have some fun and get photos with the balls.

It was the perfect day to be out on the water...sailboats, paddle boards, seaplanes, and the Space Needle...can't get better than that. Summer really is Seattle at it's best. We had some more fun with Shannon's "balls" and just enjoyed a perfect evening out on the lake.

Clint diving for the ball, glad we got the shot!

inappropriate ball placement

the girls

Clint and I

Thanks Anne for having us out on your boat, always a fun to spend time with you. Can't wait to be a famous myBall model!