BBQ with the girls

A couple Sundays ago, I had a few of the girls over for a potluck BBQ. With the fence almost finished (just staining left to do at that point), I wanted to get some use out of my new backyard. The weather was perfect, and it worked out that we were all free and able to make it.

Maureen and Maeve came and brought yummy cheese pastry puffs, Kylee with her delicious guacamole, Erica and sweet baby Luke with a fruit salad, Jingle with the BLT chop salad (that I requested), Becca with chocolate and cream dipped strawberries for dessert, and Rachel with an amazing homemade rhubarb upside down cake (so worth the gluten!). I was in charge of the main course. I marinated some teriyaki chicken thighs for the grill...but neglected to notice my propane tank was low and then ran out. Not a big issue, just had to transfer it to the oven. So not quite a BBQ.

the girls minus Rachel and Maeve - off playing somewhere

We sat outside (and flocked to the shade, so hot!), gorged ourselves on delicious food, and caught up on everyones exciting news. Love these girls, thanks for coming!

Vashon with the Skulleruds

While Clint's brother and his family were here, they were staying at the Skullerud family cabin on Vashon Island (otherwise known as "Work Island" since the boys were put to work so often there growing up). Last Saturday, Clint and I took the ferry over to spend the day with them.

We met up with them while they were in the midst of their yard sale circuit. They had gone through the paper to find all the yard sales and were making their way around the island to hit them all up. I was pretty excited about this, I love finding treasures!

At the first one, I found an old RC Cola crate that was filled with junk. I asked if it was for sale, and the owner said I had a good eye and that he'd give it to me for $10 - and that I knew it was worth every penny. So I unloaded all the junk, found a couple other items to throw in, and we had a deal.

I also scored some old tea cups that inspired me to start a collection. You know, for all the tea parties I have. Clint found an espresso maker, the girls found some American Dolls for a steal, and Rebecca and Blake found a few items for the cabin. We finished our rounds with a stop at Granny's Attic, the island's version of a Goodwill.

Skulleruds makin deals

the girls making friends with some puppies

all the "bookmarks" Granny's Attic
finds in their donated books

During our yard sale tour of the island, we came across the abandoned stationary bikes and decided to get a workout in real quick.

faster!

no handlebars

We then split up while Clint and I headed into town to grab some lunch. We tried Zombiez, and their burgers were amazing! Definitely will be heading back and maybe try their ginormous chicken strips next time.

  

rootbeer float in a grass hut

eating in the jungle

After lunch, we headed to the cabin. It had been a while since our last visit, but Blake and Rebecca had really made some progress on getting the place cleaned up. They had put the girls to work (cause that's what you do on Work Island) and had built a rock wall and a campfire area.

And of course, the cabin is where the Skullerud van is parked. Clint and Blake rode this thing around the country and camped out of it while they were in college...so gross. They're not sure who wrote on the back window, but it sure fits.

free candy and puppys (spelled wrong) inside

We then went down to explore the beach. The Skullerud's neighbors (the Teds - both of their names are Ted, how cute) have a great staircase they just built for beach access that they let them use. The Teds place is amazing. It's been featured in magazines, and they even have their own blog. They've named the cabin "Westward" since it faces, well, westward. Check out the amazing pictures of this place.

Down on the beach, we explored with the girls. We found "squishies" that spit water when you touched them, the hugest barnacles ever, and some crabs that had "passed away." We also found some drift wood to go in my garden, yay!

Clint and Brynn with the huge barnacles

Back from the beach, Rebecca and I drove into town to get dinner. We were tempted to head to Seattle for a night out, but decided it was probably best to get back and feed everyone. We grilled some hotdogs, and then roasted smore's for dessert, a perfect campfire meal.

After dinner, Clint played with his nieces...showing them his yo-yo skills and teaching them how to climb trees. Uncle Clint is the best!

tree monkeys

We still had some energy to burn and daylight to take advantage of, so headed out for a walk. We got to check out a few other cabins in the area right on the water. We made our way back as it was starting to get dark and sat around the campfire. 

walking backwards up a hill

Clint and I had to head out and say goodbye so that we could catch the last ferry to Seattle. We had such a fun day and were happy to get a chance to spend more time with everyone!

Jammin

I decided I wanted to try making raspberry jam this year, and asked my mom how difficult it would be. Turns out it's not that hard, especially when you have an amazing mother like I do who brings over literally everything you need. Well, okay, we did use one of my pots...but she provided everything else from the berries, jars, gelatin, sugar, lids, to the canning supplies.

We followed the recipe (sort of) from the gelatin packaging and were done pretty quick. We mashed up the berries, mixed in the sugar and sure jell, and cooked it all on the stove. After funneling it into all the jars, we screwed the lids on and dropped them in boiling water to create a seal. Easy! Now we have delicious jam to last us quite a while. Thanks, Mom!

America's Birthday

This year for the Fourth of July, Clint and I stayed in town. Seattle's summer usually starts on the 5th, but this year it miraculously came early and the weather had been awesome. Plus Clint's brother Blake, his wife Rebecca, and two little girls Brooke and Brynn had just gotten into town for a 3 week stay. So, it made sense for us to stick around, enjoy the weather, and have some fun with his family.

We started off the morning by attending the Avalon Glass Works sale which my mom discovered last year. There is a tiny blown-glass shop just down the hill from me, and she decided to check it out last year on the 4th. They just so happen to have a huge annual sale where tons of their glass is marked way down. A lot of it is their "screw up" pieces, but everything is still very cool.

My mom came by my place and picked Clint and me up so we could get to the sale as they were just opening. We got there about 20 minutes after they put out their sale items, and you wouldn't believe how much of it was already swooped up with a line already forming out the door. Both Mom and I still managed to find some treasures we couldn't live without.

glass treasures

After shopping, we joined Clint next door at the Luna Park Cafe. He had gone in while we were browsing to reserve a table for us to get some brunch. Smart idea cause it is always crowded there. The three of us sat at the counter and enjoyed a yummy breakfast.

Mom headed home, while Clint and I decided what to do with the rest of our day. His brother had taken the fam sight seeing around the Seattle Center, so we decided we would meet up with them back at Clint's condo later that afternoon. Clint then suggested going to get him new clothes for his upcoming work trip to Houston. Clint never wants to shop, so I've learned never to turn down this opportunity. I took him to the Nordstrom Rack (because apparently I love it there), and we got Clint a ton of new stuff...suit jackets, belts, socks, flip flops, dress shoes, luggage. I showed amazing restraint and did not buy a single item for myself.

shopping heaven

We finished our shopping spree and headed back to Clint's place to meet up with everyone. The girls told us all about their fun day (and all the walking they did), and Clint modeled his new clothes for us.

new jacket and shoes goes amazingly
well with his white trash 'Merica shirt

The guys then took Brooke and Brynn down to the pool for a swim, and Rebecca and I headed up the hill to get dinner. We decided to go with teriyaki since it represents America so well would be easy. Apparently we weren't the only ones with that idea as it was the most crowded I've ever seen! We had to wait behind 4 groups of people before getting our food to go.

water babies

We brought dinner back, and the countdown for the fireworks started. The girls were troopers waiting for 10:15pm to roll around when they are used to a 7:30pm bedtime. It finally started to get dark, and Gas Works Park hill was filled with people holding glow sticks. Lake Union put on a great show as always, and we had quite the view from Clint's balcony.

The girls were finally able to go to bed, and I called it a night and headed home as well. Turned out to great 4th. Happy Birthday America!

Colleen's "21" run

Colleen turned 30 this year (my friends are so old), and wanted to have just a simple and low-key celebration. Sarah and I came over to her place in Kirkland that afternoon, and we headed down the hill to get pedicures at Waynita Nails. The place was amazing, they massaged your feet and legs really well, and even dipped your foot into paraffin wax. I was sure we were going to get charged for the deluxe pedi, but it was actually just the standard for $25, such a great deal!

With our toes freshly painted and all wearing maxi dresses, we drove over to Woodinville to check out some wineries. Our first stop was Novelty Hill. We bellied up to the bar for some tastings and got to choose 6 different wines from their list.

loved these light fixtures

With wine in hand, we headed out to the cute little courtyard area (with bocce ball!) and found a table. It was pretty hot out, and with Colleen allergic to the sun we quickly headed back inside. We also ordered ourselves a little pizza to split (apparently my gluten free diet doesn't apply while wine tasting). 

me and the birthday girl

Sarah and Colleen

We finished up at Novelty Hill, and went down the street to the Columbia Winery. There we decided to  buy a bottle of wine to share along with a cheese plate and try outdoor seating again. It was a little cooler this time, so we sat and enjoyed the weather along with some background music playing Disney classics from Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid. We then realized it was for a wedding that was about to start on the other side of the shrubs. We envisioned Cinderella getting married with all her other Disney Princess friends as the bridesmaids. But, we weren't invited, so we didn't get a good look and left the winery to go find some dinner.

Columbia Winery

We drove back into Kirkland and had dinner at the Milagro Cantina (so good). The place was packed on such a nice night, but we were able to get a table out on their patio. The three of us split one entree (I'm sure our waiter loved us) and had a couple more drinks. It was at this point we all decided we didn't want to end the fun time we were having, so we made sure the car was parked in a safe spot to leave it over night, and made plans for Will to pick us all up later that night. What a good husband!

3 girls, 3 margaritas, 3 salsas, 3(0th) birthday

After dinner, we walked along the Kirkland waterfront and out to the docks. The sun was setting, so we hung out for a bit to watch it. Since Colleen's birthday was actually the next day, this was the last sunset she would watch in her 20s.

trying to get a cute photo of us both, rarely happens

sun setting on Colleen's 20s

Now that we're older, we thought it'd be fitting if we celebrated with a crowd closer to our age at the Eagle's Club (yes...Colleen is actually a member). So we marched ourselves right by Time Out (only suitable for people in their 20s) and headed next door to the Eagle's establishment.

they wanted us!

Colleen signed us in and the three of us took a seat at the bar. We were amongst some interesting company. Two couples in their 70s, an actual Seafair Pirate, a couple other randoms, and an awesome bartender with a heavy pour. She even made sure that we had had plenty to eat before allowing us to order drinks. We chatted it up with the regulars, played some pull tabs, and drank 7 and 7's in honor of Colleen's 7/7 birthday.  

free drinks from the old(er than us) people

Once the bartender informed us that we had drank all of her Seagrams (like, literally), we decided it was probably time to call it a night. Will had come to take us all home where we ended the night with a slumber party. It turned out to be a great day, and we had such a fun time celebrating the arrival of Colleen's 30s.

Kissy French's Last Dance: Part 2

Day 2 started off a little rough. My hair was a giant teased, hairsprayed, crimped, rat's nest of a mess. I pulled myself together though and went downstairs with Weiner, Colleen, and Trisha to meet the rest of the girls for breakfast. After some eggs and greasy breakfast potatoes, we were ready to take on Portland.

The other girls opted for pedicures (probably a good idea after all the dancing the night before) while we went shopping in some Portland exclusive boutiques...H&M, Forever 21, and the Rack. Love the no sales tax!

waiting for Trisha to go get froyo

Trisha found a romper she can sleep in

We headed back to the hotel in the afternoon to get ready for dinner. Once we glammed up, we met in Kylee's room again for games and drinks.

We had each purchased undergarments for Kylee and hung them all on a clothesline. She then had to guess who each one was from. Out of 16 girls, she got a couple correct. After some more wrong guesses, we finally gave in and told her who they were all from.

We then cabbed it to Pok Pok, a well-known thai restaurant in Portland (in honor of Kylee's honeymoon destination, Thailand). Our large group got our own private room and split up into three tables. Everything we ordered was delicious, I would definitely go back when I'm in Portland again.

The plan for the night was to see Darcelle's Drag Show, so we headed to Old Town. With some time before the show started, we found a karaoke bar to pass the time.

bff's at the Boiler Room

blondies

This guy got on the mic and sang Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's Can't Hold Us. He did an amazing job, and we quickly became his biggest fans. 

We totally saw Macklemore in Portland!

loving it

groupies

Next up, Jennifer and Daniella did a stellar performance of Salt and Pepa's Push It. Definitely one of my favorite memories of the trip, I smile every time I think about it...these girls know how to perform.

push it

pick up on this!

aggressively singing to the bride to be

We closed out our tabs and walked around the corner to Darcelle's. Jennifer had arranged for VIP seating for our entire group for the highly anticipated show.

Kissy French

Daniella and her drag twin

ready for some drag

me and my Boo

The show was great. We saw performances by Britney Spears, Liza Minnelli, Beyonce, Madonna (all the greats), with comedy throughout. At the end, they had all the bachelorettes come on stage to introduce themselves. There were a ton of parties there for the show, but of course our bride was the best!

After the queens left the stage, the Centerfold show began. No pictures to post from that portion, only memories.

what's going on?

Again, here's my attempt at capturing the night:

Kylee dancing with Beyonce

After the show, we made our way back to the Westin...but still weren't quite ready to call it a night. Pizza was calling my name (but really...when isn't it?). We had Trisha lead us to Sizzle Pie for some of the most delicious pizza I've ever tasted. Or maybe it was the fact that I hadn't had it in over a month due to my gluten-free diet. Either way, it was amazing.

my kind of food pyramid

The next morning we were ready to head home. A few of us were taking the bus back (a more affordable alternative to the train), and I was surprised how nice it was. We spent the ride home looking at pictures and talking about all the fun times and inside jokes. It truly was an awesome weekend, and so happy to be able to celebrate our little miss Kissy French.

Kylee and Jennifer

Becca and Rachel

Erica and a stranger

Oh, Portland.