Welcoming 2013

While I may not be getting dressed in sequins, and ringing in the New Year amongst a large crowd...

You can find us bundled up and sitting in Kerry Park overlooking Seattle. The countdown will include fireworks and sips from my new flask. Thanks, Mel. :-)

This year has brought me so much and I am looking forward (and so very ready) for 2013. There will be graduations, relocations and new experiences. This is both exciting and absolutely terrifying....

However you are celebrating the countdown, I hope it's safe and full of sparkly fun! Cheers!


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Painting, Santa & Corey Smith

When a coworker asks "How was your weekend?" and you reply with "It was amazing!" .... The details and photos are worth sharing.

The fun started Thursday night when a friend and I went out for painting and wine. Conversations are always fun over wine and some creativity.

Our lovely artwork we entitled: "Desert Foliage

Friday night I attended a special banquet where Noah dressed up as... Santa! Watching him light up all those little eyes was amazing. While some of the kiddos were more shy, others were nearly running around senseless with excitement. Any guy who can put on the red suit to keep the holiday spirit alive... is pretty incredible.

Now, a backstory... 4 or so years ago... Noah wooed me with a particular song. I wrote about it HERE. Well, we found out Saturday night that Corey Smith would be playing IN SEATTLE the next night! We had to go!! So we did.

And... we got to meet him!

We had a great time, and it was cool to hear our song played live. *Insert "awww" moment here*

Heartache

The news coverage is extensive, and I can’t find any words to add to the discussion. My heart aches for the families, loved ones, and those sweet babies.

There are so many good things in this world, and when something so terrible happens it’s hard for me to comprehend. At a time when I am feeling helpless, all I can do is fill my heart and give love, love, love.

In The News: First day of same-sex marriage in Washington

On December 6, Washington officially became the seventh state to allow same-sex marriages. As of midnight last night, any couple that received their marriage certificate on the 6th could legally be married! Seeing all the happy newly weds gives me happy tears!

All Photos courtesy of( The Seattle Times)

Mary Davidson, 27, left, and Monica Rozgay, 29, smile after saying ‘I do’ at their midnight wedding at The Seattle Yacht Club early Sunday December 9, 2012. Rozgay and Davidson, of Seattle, were one of the first couples to wed following the passage of Referendum 74, which approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state of Washington. 

 

 

 

 

 

We are excited to convert our domestic partnership and get legally married in an intimate ceremony on Dec. 9th in Spokane. Christopher Rogers (22) and Matthew Dill (24). Together 2 years, domestic partners for 1 year.

 

 

 To see more stories, view right here.

Congratulations to everyone! It's been a long time coming, and my high hope is that other states, and the country overall, will follow in our footsteps. 

A Letter From Santa

Do or Dye

Decided to change up my locks a bit. The ladies at the salon called it, "Mermaid Hair". I dig it.

Keep Calm & Don't Worry

Buddhist monks and Zen practitioners have a saying on why there is no use in worrying.

The Buddhist proverb on worrying:

“If you have a problem that can be fixed, then there is no use in worrying. If you have a problem that cannot be fixed, then there is no use in worrying.” – Buddhist proverb

People worry about what might — or might not — happen in the future.    Worry is all in our heads — it is anticipation.  Worry goes hand in hand with fear and anxiety… as if the three of them are merrily skipping along in a field of poison poppies; Worry serves absolutely no purpose… in fact, worry will make you physically sick if you worry long enough.

Worry is a cognitive process in the brain, which means it comes from the thinking part — the part that visualizes and thinks; the part that is responsible for our mental processes of perception, remembering, thinking, memory, awareness, judgment, and reasoning.

Lately, I have been worrying about:

1)     Getting this last paper finished

2)    Receiving my new debit card in the mail

3)    Christmas shopping

When I worry, I do three things. First, I calculate its importance. Is it going to happen soon? Do I really need to be thinking about this right now? Next, I ask if I have any control over it. Is worrying going to change the outcome? Finally, if I have decided I have at least some control, I decide what I can actually DO to ease my worry. What action can I take?

Let’s look at my list again, now evaluated:

1)      Getting this last paper finished – This is high priority (Due Friday), and I have control over getting it done.

2)     Receiving my new debit card in the mail – This is important, but I have ZERO control over when it arrives. So why worry?

3)     Christmas shopping – This is important, but I can control how I organize my shopping to be less stressful.  I love making lists.

Worry can be stopped — the mental process can be tinkered with. After going through my steps, I feel better. I feel like I have more control, even if I really don’t.  Remember, it’s a cognitive process so you have control over it!  Worry is really all about the imagery in your mind. Create a more positive image, and focus your thoughts on it.  There is no point in dedicating energy to something that may — or may not — happen.  If it does happen you’ll deal with it when the time comes.  If it doesn’t happen, you’ve just wasted your energy.  Worrying does nothing at all to benefit any situation.  In fact, it just drains you mentally and physically.

As my mother says, “Just Breathe.”

Haves Glorious Monday

The Tree is Up!

December 1st marks the official it's-okay-to-put-the-tree-up day. So I put the holiday tunes on and brought out the tub of lights, bells and holiday cheer!
❅ ❄ ✼ ❅ ❄ ✼ ❅ ❄ ✼ ❅ ❄ ✼

Ask Me Any Question...

…..….  so she asked me: 

How many times have you been in love?

My answer...

Recently On my iPhone....

The holiday was amazing. There was sweat, laughter, lots of eating, and much to be thankful for.

If you're interested, here are some of the weekend in photos:

Our Holiday Cards are ordered!

All Our Love Holiday Card

To view our most popular holiday card designs, click here.

View the entire collection of cards.

I love Shutterfly. We've created and ordered our Holiday cards, as well as making a calendar for the new year. It's super easy, fun and make great gifts!

On this Thanksgiving... I am thankful for...

1)      First and foremost, my health. Over this past year I have grown so much from the physical activities of roller derby and crossfit. I am thankful that my body is strong enough to do the things I love to do.

2)      My Family. I am so thankful that I have a family (that continues to grow) whom I can rely on no matter what. My mother has always been my best friend, and my biggest supporter. I can’t imagine who I would be without her unconditional love and encouragement. I am blessed with two dads who offer their (solicited and unsolicited) ‘fatherly’ advice; they think the world of me.

Pumpkin No-Bake Cookies

I can only do pumpkin for one more week before the flavors of peppermint and gingerbread take over.

So, my last pumpkin treat will be....

Pumpkin No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients:
1 c. pumpkin puree
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. clove
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
4 TB. butter
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. sea salt + more for topping
3 c. oats

Directions:
Combine pumpkin puree and spices in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slow boil then reduce to low. Let cook and reduce on stovetop until mixture is about 1/2 cup. Add sugars, butter and milk and cook until mixture comes to a boil, bring to low heat. Stir until smooth, making sure sugar is fully dissolved. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined. Stir in oats, one cup at a time until completely coated in pumpkin mixture.

Place tablespoon-sized balls onto parchment paper and sprinkle with sea salt. This is where the magic is. Let come to room temperature for about an hour before serving or place in refrigerator or freezer until cool.

Enjoy!!

NW Rain

"The language of rain is primarily private but the practice of hearing it is universal." - ML

The Northwest rain has arrived.

Crossfit, Football, Food & Plenty of Thanks

As I have written about before (see here, here and here) Noah and I have gotten really into Crossfit. So into it, Noah participated in his first competition this past Saturday. Insert gross little moment here: I am so proud of him.

Okay, so moving on….

For Thanksgiving, both our fathers are coming to stay with us. This means that I will be cooking for three grown men. Yikes. But before we stuff our faces with deliciousness… the four of us are headed to the gym Thanksgiving morning to do what they call the ‘Cornucopia WOD’. This team workout is supposed to burn so many calories you can eat your Thanksgiving feast guilt free. I usually just put on stretchy pants and don’t give it a second thought…. But THIS year, we thought the family team would be fun! Let’s hope we can survive!

For our holiday meal, we are planning on having:

My Mom’s Famous* stuffing
My Mom’s Famous* scalloped potatoes
Cream Braised Brussels Sprouts
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Cranberry Sauce – still deciding if I want to try to make my own. A part of me really likes my sauce shaped like a tin can
Pumpkin & Apple Pie
And of course, for the men…. Turkey. The bird is Noah’s gig.  :)

*My mother’s recipes aren’t globally known…but they make me nostalgic for my childhood. Lucky me, she sent me up to Washington with a book of her delicious handwritten recipes.

With the morning workout, football, the delicious food and so much to be thankful for…I am so very excited for Thursday!

A Vegetarian's Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday is just a few days away. Can you believe it? Noah and are hosting this year (more on that later) and I've been asked the question, "Will you be having a turkey?". The answer is yes. Just because I don't eat meat, doesn't mean meat isn't allowed.

NPR did a story on how vegetarians feel about the holiday, and I couldn't agree more:

"They don't feel like they're missing out. I spoke to Laura Anderson — she's the food and drinks editor at Slate, she's a vegetarian. She told me that, 'The essence of Thanksgiving is not in the turkey itself, it's in having ... a ton of dishes all together, way more food than you can eat, the promise of leftovers, a plate on which you have probably six or seven dishes all sharing room on the same plate.'"

Personally, I love gorging myself with a plate of stuffing, scalloped potatoes, veggies and cranberry sauce. Last year I made meat-free ribs.... but I felt it was a little unnecessary. Does there have to be a main dish?  I don't think so, but the NPR story introduced a vegetarian main dish: The Veggieducken. Looks a bit intimidating to me, but maybe I'll challenge myself with it next year.

If you are hosting this year and you know a vegetarian will be attending, I suggest following these simple rules of etiquette:

1) Don't assume your veggie friend will feel uncomfortable around the turkey centerpiece. We can handle it.
2) While it's always appreciated when meat eating friends want to make a "special" meatless dish, often it makes me uncomfortable.
3) And the most simple advice....Just ask them what they would prefer.

To read the full story, you can view it here.

Have You Heard?

Time to stock up on Twinkies, Hostess is going out of business. I've never been a fan of Ding Dongs, Donettes, Sno Balls and Devil Dog, but I did like me some Wonder Bread.

Honestly, with the nation's obesity epidemic... I think we will survive just fine. 

In case you do stock up, here are some ideas of what to do with your loot. 

 Also, I am reminded of this awesome scene from Zombieland:

Top 6: Driving Pet Peeves

I will not boast that I am the best driver. Although some (ahem… my boyfriend) do. Sometimes I California Stop… I don’t always yield to pedestrians… and I am a chronic speeder… BUT… here are my TOP 6 Driving Pet Peeves:

          1) If you make a turn, must you turn in the opposite direction first?

The occurrence of this seems to be declining, but why do people have to swing out to the left before they make a right hand turn????

2) Tailgating

No excuse. No reason. Period. Get off my ass. You're making me want to slow down. I feel safe in assuming that’s the opposite of what you’re wanting. You can cause an accident that will involve you, me and probably too many innocent bystanders.

3) Working lights and knowing how to use them

3a: Headlights. There’s a rule about this, I know. There’s something about dusk and dawn? Don’t know, but use common sense. While driving a few days ago I saw a SUV without their lights on – it’s 6:30 PM in November… it’s dark as hell.
3b: Hi-beams. They are really effective when used correctly. THEY ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ACTUAL WORKING HEADLIGHTS. I'm talking about those vehicles that you just know their headlights don't work, so the brights have to be used instead. Just fix the headlights!
4c: Brake lights. What, are you nuts? Do you really want to go out in traffic and get yourself killed???
5d: Turn signals. Oh, geez… where do I start...
5d1: Turn them on.
This is the easiest and safest thing you can do behind the wheel, right after putting your damn seatbelt on. Are you kidding me? When someone doesn’t use their lights, it makes me want to go up to their car, reach in the window, yank off the entire turn signal stalk from the steering column and yell, "It's obvious you don't need this since you don't use it!!" If I see someone who wants in my lane, at least I know what they’re doing and I'll let them in. Oh, and here's a courtesy thing: If you're in a crowded parking lot, cruising the aisles looking for a parking space, and you stop and block the aisle because you see someone getting in a car to leave, use your turn signal to let the people know behind you what you're up to. Otherwise, you're just in the middle of the aisle and no one can get around you. People may get less excited if they knew you actually found a potential spot and you're waiting for it.
5d2: Turn them off.
Yes, we all know about the Senior Citizens that seem to go for miles with their turn signals on. I've got news for you - they're not the only ones. There's nothing worse than being on a highway with a guy with a turn signal on. Can you pass him? How do you know that he's intending to make a lane change? YOU DON'T KNOW. Approach with caution because whether he knows it or not, he's causing problems. At least he used his signal at least once, so you can't fault him for that.
5e: Hazards. When you are going 35 mph on a highway the least you can do is turn on your hazard lights to let us know that you know you're doing 35 instead of being oblivious to those around you doing the speed limit or, heaven forbid, those people doing well over it.

        4) Coming to a complete STOP before turning

Seriously? Why do people do this? It’s very easy to make a smooth transition when making a turn. Unless it’s icy, there’s no need to come to a complete stop.

        5) The jerk mergers

You know who you are. The people that see the MERGE sign and wait until the last minute to try and squeeze their way in. I don’t think so, Mr.  Yes, I am that person who won’t let you in. I learned that rule in kindergarten: NO CUTS!

         6) Best for last…. Texting and cell phone use in general

This is not only a safety issue, but a legal issue**. There are ways to safely use your device, but some choose otherwise. BLARG! I get so irritated when the light turns green and I can tell that the person in front of me is too busy texting to notice!! Facebook, Twitter... your mom... can wait. Just don’t do it!

**A few months ago I was pulled over because the officer thought I was talking on my phone. I told him that his accusations were impossible. He didn’t believe me until I showed him my phone…securely stored in the trunk of my car. No joke.  

Please, let's all practice safe and considerate driving.

On Repeat: The Heist

So there's this guy...His name is Macklemore.... You may or may not have heard of him. He's a pretty big deal in my book. Not only does he openly support marriage equality, but he's from Seattle. His new album, The Heist, is laced with Emerald City references, which is pretty cool to listen to.

My favorite song right now is Thrift Shop. I don't want to brag or anything, but I can rap (yes, rap) the entire song word-for-word. The boy thinks it's pretty hilarious.

Check it out...

These guys are awesome.

Random Act of Kindness

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.”
                                                                                                                             
                                                                             -Diana Spencer

This morning, while stopped at a red light, a man crossed the road and a gust of wind blew all his papers in the street. With the crossing sign flashing his countdown, I could see the man's anxiety rising. Immediately, a girl stops, kneels down, and gives the man a smile. She then quickly snatches a paper from flying into traffic. Much to my surprise, another person stops to help.

When all the papers were gathered, the strangers gave a few nods and they were on their way.

I have been shown this sort of kindness before, and then felt that fluttery feeling of wanting to spread the love. But today... I was an observer...I was a witness. I was inspired.

I was so inspired, I had to capture the moment. 

Sweet Potato Biscuits

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup baked, mashed sweet potato (about 1 medium potato)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), Refrigerated
Heavy cream for brushing the tops



INSTRUCTIONS
1)Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and toss with dry ingredients until butter is coated. Set aside.
2)In a separate large bowl, mix together milk and mashed sweet potato until evenly combined.
2) Cut butter into small pieces and toss with dry ingredients until butter is coated.
3) Stir milk mixture into dry mixture bowl until dough becomes fluffy. If too moist add more flour.
4) Scoop 1/2 cup batter and place on a baking sheet, brush tops with heavy cream, and bake until the bottoms are golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

In The News: Love Wins!

Washington has officially made history by standing up for equal rights. This is a personal issue for me, and many people that I love. My heart is overflowing with love, joy and gratitude for all that voted.

An Event: Approve R 74

Washington has the opportunity to make history tomorrow. My hope is that the majority will view this Referendum for what it is: An equal rights issue.

Two Days

Just Love

Halloween Festivities

I am currently in a candy coma. Candy Corn, Fun Size Snickers, and Skittles were my diet yesterday. Oh dear...

For work I dressed in my High School cheer leading uniform (hooray for still being able to fit into it) and decorated myself with walking-death-bloody-zombie-makeup. So.Much.Fun.

After work, I quickly changed into a Superhero and went to decorate little faces with paint. Tiny witches, Batmen, and Lady Bugs were just too cute to handle. Not to mention how adorable we were as a Superhero family!

Take a look:

Don't be alarmed... Theo LOVED his costume.

Happy Halloween!

Bits of My Weekend

Pumpkins, Puzzles, Seeds and Cuddle time ... Oh my! Bits from my weekend...

Our pumpkins

Puzzle date night. Complete with wine and a movie.

The yummy guts of said pumpkin.

Adorable cuddle bug of a pup.

Yes!!!!

Call Me Martha

Regardless of how exhausted I'm feeling these days, today I somehow managed to:

1)Work 10 hours
2)Go to the gym (incline bench pressed 97 lbs, hooray!)
3)Make homemade White Bean & Kale Soup with cornbread
4) Make homemade apple pie (I admit, it's store bought crust)
5) Make PB & Chocolate chip cookies for a coworker

Martha Stewart has nothin' on me.

The pie. 

As Noah put it, "It's so good, it's too good."

Product Love: Fleece Lined Tights

Yes, indeed. The leaves are falling, the air is crisp and if you're in Seattle... the rain is here. 

Once the temperature drops below 50 degrees (it's currently 46), the fireplace turns on and I live in my Under Armor tights. They keep me warm, and they are so comfortable. The only issue is, they aren't really meant to wear to work. 

My solution....

FLEECE LINED TIGHTS!!

Oh my goodness, these are the most comfortable things in the world... 

If you plan on following the adorable fashions (seen all over Pintrest) but don't want to freeze your bum off... invest in a pair!

The pair I enjoy see here.

Super Suck Sunday

I haven't done one of these for awhile...

SUPER

1. Pumpkin Bread. I baked a loaf last weekend and was able to much on it all week. Deliciousness. 
2. Seeing people you know in the most random places. Now, this could be super or sucky depending upon the person of course... But in this case it was pretty super. 
3. Realizing that you actually enjoy your job. After spending a week at my internship, I have a new appreciation for my little window-corner-cubical. 
4. Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze fun! We got muddy, we picked pumpkins, we ate corn on the cobb and cider donuts! Couldn't have asked for a better day off. 

SUCKS

1. Torn contact lenses. Ouch!! 
2. A doggy that won't go outside if it's raining. Sure, it's cute when he doesn't want to get wet... But then he decides to poopoo all over your beautiful rug. 
3. Ignorance that promotes hate and inequality. With the currently election, I am seeing lots of it.
4. Mysterious bruises that appear randomly on your body. I have no idea where they came from, but they are ugly and painful! 

Besties since 5th grade!