Blue skies + a black eye.

We had an interesting weekend. The weather was sunny again and even reached 90 yesterday (which was a bit much). The mountains were even out in full view.

Going into the weekend, our yard was looking good and we were ready to host a small cookout Saturday evening. The fence Shawn worked hard to build (with the assistance of a neighbor) is now complete and looks really nice. He did an amazing job on it.






Saturday morning, we decided to rollerblade and then head to the beach before our guests were due to arrive. Heading around Green Lake, I was feeling excited and even graceful on my skates. But, all the sudden, my feet were twisted and out of control. I looked up and noticed a median straight ahead. Knowing I would be eating concrete in a matter of minutes, I noticed a tree that I decided to grab in an attempt to stop my fall. My plan worked, but not having factored in the momentum, my head slammed right into the tree, as well.

Fortunately, I didn't black out. I have been blading for seven years and have zero falls under my belt. But, my head was trickling blood and I had heard a "crack!" (which we now think was my sunglasses), so we went to the ER. Not quite the afternoon at the beach I had imagined!

After conducting a series of neurological tests, the nurse practitioner decided I probably suffered a minor concussion. She suggested I take it easy for a few days, avoiding anything that might bring on a headache (since I'd probably be experiencing one anyhow). She also instructed Shawn to wake me up once an hour through the night. Things were particularly hazy and confusing the first day, but seem slightly clearer today. The right side of my face is also swollen and I have a pretty cool black eye.

We did go to the beach after leaving the ER. What a perfect place to relax after sustaining a head injury! We also went ahead and hosted a fun, but low key cookout. And, I didn't die in my sleep that night. =) So, we're all good.


Note: This is how it looked yesterday. The bruise under my eye is about as dark as the cut on my temple today. Awesome!

The Martha cupcake.

Tonight, we finally tried the Trophy Cupcake recently featured on Martha Stewart. We're usually bigger fans of Cupcake Royale, but this chocolate graham cracker cupcake was actually really tasty. The toasted marshmallow topping was perfect, certainly way better than the ones we tried to roast over our charcoal grill this weekend. =)

Keeping quiet as a busy summer approaches.

So it's getting busy around here now that summer seems to be in effect. Last Friday, we visited the zoo where S was able to milk a fake cow. =)



We also went to Fremont to see the Solstice Parade. It's famous for its naked cyclists and there were plenty of them this year. We planned on hanging out in the parking lot of our favorite pub, but my goodness! It was crowded to say the least.


The parade crowd at The George & Dragon.

This coming weekend, a slew of summer visitors start to arrive. We're fairly booked through August which should make for a lot of fun. We're looking forward to spending time with David & Lori (and their boys), Bill, my cousin Joan, and Susie. I'm sure a couple more will sneak onto our calendar, as well. ;)

Otherwise, I've been full force working on my invite site. It's been stagnant for awhile now. Although I have had an ongoing number of clients, it's time to take things to the next level. I'm adding new designs, new features, and other fun stuff. Needless to say, I'm motivated to get it done, so it's keeping me very tied up at the moment. More on that later...


Blue skies do exist in Seattle on occasion.

Lovin' the jewelry selection on Etsy.

Ever since we returned from Italy, I've been daydreaming about making my own glass beads and figuring out ways to make more and more jewelry. The trip was inspiring to say the least. Etsy offers such an amazing amount of handmade pieces at reasonable prices. There are some seriously talented designers out there offering their goods for (often) $30-$50. Here are some of my favorites:


Button Necklace (I must have thee!)


Poppy Corsage


Beaded Beads
I don't wear earrings, but all of her pendants are *amazing*.


Seafoam Pendant
This makes me think of A&E's beachside wedding! Lovely.


Mod Glass Pendant


Pod Necklace (I've been coveting this one for awhile now...)

Can this be for real?

Is the weather actually starting to turn in our favor here? Let's hope so! For once, Seattle looks to be within 10-degrees of catching up with the rest of the country. Needless to say, it's been a rough June.

I have a lot of new pics to share, but need to get them off of the camera. Stay tuned...

This far north.

Being this far north + the summer solstice = nearly 16 hours of daylight today.
Hell yeah!

Trip planning advice + a full recap of Italy.

Now that I have my tenth European adventure under my belt, I think it's time to post some trip planning advice for friends and family seeking help with this.

In addition to answering a few basic travel questions, I've also created two full pages with info (such as accommodations, dining, and sightseeing) about England and Italy. I will be adding to it from time to time (a link has been added to the right side of this page for easy access), but if you see anything missing that you want pointers on, just email me!

And, if you thought it was quiet here earlier in the month and/or missed our Italy recaps, check out the full trip report at these links:

• Day 01: Our overnight flight.
• Day 02: Venezia & Murano.
• Day 03: Reconnecting.
• Day 04: Going to Tuscany.
• Day 05: Volterra.
• Day 06: Rain in Chianti.
• Day 07: Climbing a tower.
• Day 08: Rain, Bellagio, and a festa in piazza.
• Day 09: Villa hopping.
• Day 10: Heading to the airport.

Bloedel.

What a wonderful weekend to be in Seattle! We finally got a break from our Siberian-like weather when the sun came out for 2 (!) days in a row. So, S and I got on a ferry and spent the day at Bainbridge Island's Bloedel Reserve. We've never heard a soul mention the place and it turned out to be a real treat. Reservations are required to visit to keep crowds at a minimum. We wandered through the grounds' many micro-environs with nobody else around for most of the day. The reserve is peaceful, very well maintained, and a real gem within such a short distance of Seattle.


The house and its manicured gardens.


The back patio and view over Puget Sound.


The Japanese garden.


Entrance to the Japanese garden.


A raised walkway over a marsh.


Diving into a giant skunk cabbage.


Two trumpeter swans on our path.


Me, along the well-maintained trails.


Wildflowers in the meadow.

Our dinner date.

Fast forward 10 years: this is us now...





The sun came out for a bit before we went to dinner last night. What a treat! We played around on the campus at Seattle University before heading inside. Our dinner was an adventure, but not quite up to par with, say, Quinn's (our favorite Seattle spot at the moment). Looking forward to getting out a bit this weekend, as well, since that tiny bit of sunshine was a nice taste of what is hopefully to come around here...

The difference 10 years makes.

Us in Bloomington around '98.

June 12th marks 10 years since our first date. Where the heck did time go? Here is a glance at the difference 10 years can make:

• Countless new hairstyles
• 10 pounds here and there
• 8 cameras
• 5 bands
• 5 different cars
• 5 trips to Europe
• 3 rentals
• 2 purchased houses
• 2 kitties
• 4 years of marriage

We have 1 lovely evening planned to celebrate!

Siberia.

By the way, Seattle is colder than Siberia.

And Alaska.
And Minnesota.

RIP Feenie's.

Because tomorrow is the tenth anniversary of our first date (!), we have been brainstorming ideas to celebrate. We were contemplating taking a road trip to Vancouver to visit one of our favorite eateries, Feenie's, when we discovered the horrible news that they closed just a few weeks ago. Coverage follows:

• Vancouver Sun
• Chowhound

The poutine, the parpardelle and slow braised short ribs, Feenie's gourmet weenie... all were meals I won't forget any time soon!

Dreaming.

Mom told me a little while ago that she's having dreams about Italy at night.
So am I, Mom, so am I...