DECEMBER!

So I know that December isn't over yet, but I haven't posted anything in freakin' forever. So here goes:

In December there were many birthdays to celebrate! The Twins- Clara and Quinn had their first birthday on December 2, 2006. It was a crazy fun day with lots of pink and red everywhere. I had made little "Babycakes" for them, but they only were interested in the frosting. I really wanted a full fledged face plant and major cake squishage. BUMMER. Maybe next year!

My friends Eryn and Nicole also celebrated their 30th birthdays this month! If it's true 30 is the new 20, we're all in trouble.

Emily celebrated her 3rd birthday this year and sadly, I was not in attendance. I was given the most fabulous opportunity to go to New York for a long weekend to attend a gallery opening for one of the artists that creates work for us at Corbis. How nuts is that? I flew out on Wednesday night with my co-worker/friend Sarah, who grew up in Brooklyn. We stayed with her friend Vanessa (and Vanessa's cute pug, Pickle!) We had the BEST time, shopping, eating, eating, shopping... you get the picture. I even got to visit the famous Magnolia Bakery! I did have to wait in line to even get in the place- which is CRAZY. NO cupcake is worth a wait in line, especially when you know you can make them yourself! It is the whole experience of the thing, so maybe being in NY, having fun and being with friends just makes it all the more memorable. Behold the cupcake carnage:

NY was so much fun, we just wandered around the city and walked EVERYWHERE. I really wanted to visit the WTC site and it just blew me away how large the space is. Even though now it looks like a construction area, it still gives me the goosebumps.

How Awful...

Tonight was hideous. More hideous than going down I-5 in the blizzard. At least we were moving...

I just picked up Jeremy from the Seahawks game and it took me almost 3 hours to get home. 3 HOURS. TO RENTON. FROM SEATTLE. That's only 17 miles. AGH.

Another tribute to Pepe, he beat all those rear wheelers up the hill no problem. I'm so happy to have him. Snow day tomorrow?

Oh and Jury Duty today was horrible. I was called to sit on two different jury selections and ALMOST got called for a third, but it was decided we could go home. Phew. What a relief. My head was starting to hurt. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the justice system. But I just don't think I'd make a good juror as I'm the type who makes up my mind pretty early. Sure sure call me judgemental- but I feel that I've worked with too many lawyers in my business to know that when there are "loopholes", people will take them. I've been tainted.

Pictures From Whistler

The Best $17 I ever spent- a sled for the kiddos.

Helmet Nerds

I'm just happy to be here!

I love Whistler!

And not his mother...

We just got back from our trip up North, and it was FABULOUS. I am already planning a return trip, perhaps with some friends in tow. So if you want to go, let me know. We had the best time, I was so excited to get back on the snowboard and just GO. It came back to me in a heartbeat, although on the second day I was having a real tough time getting going, but after about an hour I was warmed up and running over little kids in no time. I mean... being a cautious and safe boarder.

The snow was GREAT- on Friday night there was a good dusting of fresh powder so Jeremy and I went up to Blackcomb and trudged through some of it. I mostly fell on my face, but it was so soft and fluffy it didn't matter. I wasn't used to such long runs though and about halfway down a run, I'd have to pull over for a rest. Totally pathetic, but I guess I'll just have to go up every weekend til the end of the season to get in shape.

We had a great Thanksgiving 3.0- getting up to Whistler was a snap. Getting home was a complete NIGHTMARE. Once we were past the border, we ran headlong into a BLIZZARD and I am not kidding when I say I was scared. Very scared. It was whiteout conditions on I-5 and there were trucks and cars in the ditches everywhere. Pepe handled the road like a champ, gotta love the 4 wheel drive Jeep!! It did take us almost 8 hours to get home, and I am totally exhausted. But I look outside and see falling snow and all I can think about is going back up to Whistler. Sigh.

Totally hilarious

My good friend at work has a link to the "Ellensburg Police Blotter" on her blog and I love checking it every once and while. Good times.

Ellensburg Police Blotter

Woooeee! Countdown to Thursday!

*** Second update to Thanksgiving 2.0. Here is a picture of the Twins, Beth and Jeremy after a tournament of Baby Jousting. Not sure who really won, but fun was had by all.

***Update to Thanksgiving 2.0!!
Thanksgiving 2.0 was a raging success- save the droopy Weight Watchers Pumpkin Cheesecake bars I made! They still tasted good- just not as "cheesecakey" as I wanted. C'est La vie. The turkey was FABULOUS (made by Jeremy's Mom) and I swear I could have eaten all of the Green Bean Casserole. That's my favorite....


5 days to be exact! I am very excited to get up to Whistler and go snowboarding. I've been trying to make sure I don't kill myself on my first day by blowing out my knees or something- but I have a feeling that sore knees and arms are in my future.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving 2.0- I think by the time I've had my third Thanksgiving I'm gonna be super sick of turkey and stuffing. Oy. What am I saying?

Reunion.

CRAP. CRAP. CRAP. CRAP. DOUBLE CRAP.

I just got an email today from a former crew member asking me to be present for a "1997 UW Crew" reunion in March. Literally, I want to hide under the bed and eat a cheesecake.

March 23, 131 days to go.

Barefoot Contessa

On Thursday I ditched work early to get a place in line to see Ina Garten at Sur la Table. She is just as cute in person as she is on TV and despite my attempts (in my mind) to convince her to adopt me and take me back to East Hampton, I only managed to thank her for being an inspiration to doing what you love and having fun doing it. I hate being under that kind of pressure, trying to say something wonderful and memorable in about 2 seconds. Oh well.




I've been watching the snow reports online and even though the weather SUCKS here, it only means good things in the mountains. And good things to me, translates to SNOW. I can't wait to go to Whistler, only a week and a half away!!

Here I am, nerding out in my new pink/purple helmet. Can't wait to try it out!

Snow!!

It's been forever since my last post, I've not been in the mood to blog- I am not quite sure why. Things at work have been a pain, and I think it's been a big downer. I am quite excited however, that there is SNOW falling in the mountains. Jeremy and I have decided on joining my sister and Kyle to Whistler for Thanksgiving and I CANNOT wait to get Lulu out of the garage, don my new pink snowboard helmet and hit the slopes. WOOOEEE!

NEAT

Check out the story on the concert last night :
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/289099_stones18q.html?source=mypi
and look at the picture gallery. Picture #13 has a great view of the stage, and we were sitting just to the left of the HUGE SCREEN!

AWESOME TIMES TWO

Something I forgot to add last night.... Dave Matthews hopped up on stage for one song with the RS and when he was leaving backstage, I screamed: "I LOVE YOU DAVE!!!" and he looked up and saw me waving and WAVED BACK.

HOLY CRAP.

AWESOME

Yes there are few words to describe what I experienced this evening. It started off innocently enough, a few last minute tickets to the Rolling Stones concert (Dave Matthews Band opening BTW!!!) When we showed up to pick up our t-shirts that came with our tickets (special 4 pack of tickets through Qwest Field came with cool t-shirts!!) the gal that was handing out the t-shirts pushed a piece of paper towards us saying that we'd won VIP tickets and that we'd be sitting in the balcony above the stage. Um, WHAT?! I was desperately trying to figure out what the catch was- but then after much reassurance from the t-shirt lady there WAS no catch... we walked into the VIP area and stood there dumbstruck. It turns out that the stage that the Rolling Stones had designed had balcony seats above the stage and they needed some extra peeps to fill out the remaining balcony spots. We got to see Dave Matthews Band play and it was AMAZING! Amazing, amazing, amazing... I've still got a smile plastered on my face.

Then the Rolling Stones came on. I was so close that I could actually see that Mick Jagger wore black Nike Shox and that Keith Richards looked a tad bit like death warmed over. I could not believe we were above the stage, watching Mick prance around in pants I wouldn't even fit in! It was A CRAZY show, fireworks, a big huge inflatable mouth and FIRE! It was so cool!

I do feel like a lucky girl, I've got a streak going lately. Perhaps it's the good karma I've been trying to bank.

The view from our seats, although my phone takes crappy pictures and the real thing was much better. That's Mick Jagger in the purple coat!!

Thoughts

This week has been kind of a rough week- I am sure it doesn't help that things at work are extremely frustrating. I have found a new show to love "Ugly Betty" on ABC. I watched an episode today and it was pure hilarity. I love Betty's sister and how Vanessa Williams plays the evil do-er. I do wonder how long a show like that will be on the air for- but for the meantime... CHECK IT OUT. Super funny.

It's October Already??

I can't believe how fast time has gone by, clearly my Fairy Godmother has been speeding up the time/space continuum so that Winter arrives faster than usual. I've been checking the weather on the various mountains I plan on tackling this year, however it seems that my prayers for snow hasn't been answered quite yet. I guess I'll have to make a couple more sacrifices to the snow gods.

Scooby Snacks and Tots!

Kate and I

Wine Tasting with Eryn, Ariana and Paige

"Hilarious!"

Hey Ladieeezzz.... Get Funkay!

This weekend some friends and I took a road trip to Portland to stay at the FANTASTIC McMennamins Edgefield for a night of fun, girly fun. Kate, Ariana, Eryn and I met up with Paige for some lunch before heading into downtown Portland to do some serious shopping. I was after two things- a wallet and a pair of Danskos. The Danskos won out, just because I had a GC to Nordstrom that was burning a hole in my pocket. The whole time we were shopping, we kept chanting "TAX FREE!!" as it helped justify the purchases that were piling up. Tax free is great and everything, but in the end, I spent more money than I would if I was in Seattle. C'est la vie.

The Edgefield is GREAT because it has two restaurants and MANY places to get a drink onsite. We did a little wine tasting in their cellar, headed up to their distillery for some mixed drinks and a little drunk dialing, then off to the Pub for some Tater Tots and Scooby Snacks (mini corn dogs!!) We had lots of fun, talking, laughing and drinking. It's awesome to have some great friends in which you can totally let loose and be silly with. The ride home was a little more calm than the ride down, a little case of the hangovers will do that to you. But it was a lot of fun, so it was worth it.

CrapCake Royale

Yes, I admit it. I'm a cake snob. Cake should be light. Cake should be tender. Cake should be GOOD. There is no reason to eat bad cake. In fact, it breaks my heart to see people settle for bad cake.

Tonight I found myself wandering into Cupcake Royale in Ballard. Yes, the very same Cupcake Royale that I have deemed "CrapCake Royale". I was waiting to pick up Jeremy from a team dinner he was attending at the Kathy Casey Studio and as it was after 8:30, most shops and coffee places in Ballard were closed or closing up for the evening. The only place that was inviting was Cupcake Royale. A bit annoyed, but desperate to kill some time with some coffee and maybe a newspaper, I walked in. It was crowded with hipsters of all ages- a table full of "Stitch-n-Bitchers", girlfriends sharing a table and some gossip, techies typing away on their Macs. In fact, it was so crowded I had trouble finding a spot to sit down with the coffee I had ordered. What was it about this place that had people coming in droves? Was it the free Wi-Fi? Tons of tables that people to could chill and listen to the beat of dance music? Or simply the fact that Starbucks and Tully's were closed? Whatever it was, I am sure it wasn't for the cupcakes.

Here is my very favorite chocolate cake recipe that makes very good, very light cupcakes. Pair it with a white chocolate cream cheese frosting or a mocha buttercream and man oh man you are in BIZNESS.

** Note: It's important when making cake from scratch that you start with your butter and eggs at room temp. No one told me this until I went through many trials and errors with cake. The more you know.


CHOCOLATE BUTTER CAKE

1 cup hot coffee
1 cup cocoa powder (and don't use Hershey's! Spend the extra dough and get the GOOD stuff. I prefer Schokinag)

Mix together until there are no lumps. Add to that:

1 cup cold water

Set aside.

Sift together and set aside:
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

In a bowl of an electric mixer; beat at high speed until light and fluffy (and I am talking PALE. Perhaps 4 or 5 minutes on high):

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups sugar

Once the butter/sugar mix is nice and pale, add one at a time:

4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Add the dry ingredients alternately to the butter/egg mix with the cocoa/coffee mix; mixing until smooth. (BUT DO NOT OVERMIX) Make sure you scrape the sides and bottom so that all the butter/flour is incorporated.

If making cupcakes, fill lined cupcake pans 2/3 full with batter. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 17-18 minutes. If making a layer cake, line bottoms of 8 or 9 inch pan with a parchment paper round and bake for 25-27 minutes if using 9 inch round, 30-35 minutes if using 8 inch round. Do the ol' toothpick test to make sure.

If you want a frosting recipe, email me. I'm too hyped up on Crapcake Coffee to type any more.

I don't know if this recipe will help you take over the world, but together, we can rid the planet of bad cake.

Home

Back from Montana. It was a good trip- a trip that was hard, soulful, joyous, and bittersweet all at the same time. Is that really possible? We made it out there on Monday and stayed all the way until Sunday. We spent time with Jeremy's Grandpa, not knowing when we would see him again. Jeremy had some quality time with him, taking the old '41 Chrysler for a wash to get it ready for the winter, they talked about his time growing up and going off to World War 2 and just spent time watching a football game on the couch. It wasn't a vacation trip- we didn't make it into Whitefish or go up to the Park, but that was just fine with us. We came to Montana to see Grandpa Ed and that was all.

I spent a lot of the week with Max, Grandpa's great big golden retriever. He is such a sweet dog, with big brown eyes that seem to know exactly what you are thinking. He understands you, especially when you say "Walk" or "Want to eat?". My favorite part about walking him in the mornings was how his gait picked up when I mentioned "Eat". He had kibble on the brain, that's for sure. He is regarded as the "Neighborhood Hero" on Pt. Caroline- last winter he woke Grandpa Ed up in the middle of the night when a fire had broken out in the cabin. All the neighbors love him and say hello when we would walk by. It was a nice feeling, walking in the shadow of a celebrity.

The lake was too cold to go swimming- so I settled for dangling my toes in the water while sitting on the dock and watching the fish swim underneath the water. The water is so clear at Flathead that you can see all the way to the bottom. Due to a lot of forest fires all over Montana and Idaho, smoke had settled into the Flathead Valley. Unfortunately it had placed a thin veil over the mountains on the Eastern shore of the lake, but produced the most beautiful sunrises as well. Jeremy and I would set the alarm for 7:00 am so we could be sure to catch the 7:30 am sunrise.

I took quite a few pictures, most of them are of Max. Jeremy took some pictures too, but that is for him to share.

Birthday Baccanal

Happy Birthday to meeeeeeee.... Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeeee.....

Yes this weekend was a fantastic flurry of birthday fun (that's an awesome sentence) and I had a great time. I wish I had some pictures to post, however I didn't even break out the camera once this weekend. I know lots of people took pictures, so if you have some, please send them my way.

How does it feel to be 30? Not that much different than 29. Although instead of dreading the day that I turn 30, I am coming to terms with it. A zen-like attitude has washed over me (is it due to the over-indulgence of birthday cake?) and I am starting to realize that this is my LIFE and I am no longer wondering what to do with it- I am doing whatever the hell I want with my life. That's what it's for. Living. So, instead of questioning it, I'm taking it on and enjoying it. It's kinda like riding a rollercoaster. At the beginning you are unsure of the safety of the ride, almost afraid if you open your mouth you might just throw up, nervous laughter masks the feeling that this is NOT a safe ride to be on despite the fact that there are tons of sticky-fingered little kids waiting in line. Halfway through the ride you chill out, realize it is pretty damn fun and scream like a crazy person who just had too much sugar. In a nutshell, it's pretty neato.

My niece called me on Saturday to ask what kind of cake I was making for the BBQ and she said in utmost sincerity "Tita, I don't think we are going to have enough candles to put on your cake". I then asked her how many candles she thought we would need and she said "I think A LOT". Thanks kiddo, I guess once you pass the age where you have to get two boxes of candles for your birthday cake, it's best to just stop counting.

Birthday Fun!

My friends at work were kind enough to decorate my cube with funny pictures yesterday. Then Jeremy took me to Tokyo Japanese Restaurant where I consumed too much tempura and katsu. Translation? Too much fried food. HURG.

I Heart Champagne in a Can

Not only does it come in a pink can, it has the coolest little expandable straw. It's really quite yummy. Sofia Sparkling Wine. Get it. Drink it. Love it.

Tonight- I'm having champange for dinner...

Clinkies!

Let the countdown begin

In honor of my last days as a "Twenty-Something", I've decided to have a glass of fine champannyah every day until Thursday. WEEEE! Bring out the Moet!

BEWARE!!!!

If any of you are getting married in Cour D'Alene Idaho and thinking of using Quicksilver Photography http://www.quicksilverphotography.com/ DON'T DO IT!!! My friends are having a horrible time with them in getting their pictures from their wedding. THEY SUCK! Tell everyone you know!!!

Lately...

Yesterday Jeremy and I went "hiking" to Rattlesnake Lake out at North Bend. I say "hiking" with quotations because it really wasn't hiking. It was just walking up a steep trail. There were a ton of people out there- a lot of families with kiddos. One group we past on the way down was walking up with two strollers. I can't imagine they would have gotten very far- it's definitely not a stroller friendly path. I would have made those kids get out and walk. It was a good jaunt outside, I worked up a good sweat, it was great exercise and an amazing view at the top. I also had a raging headache around 5:30-6:00 so I went upstairs and slept until about midnight. Then I couldn't go back to sleep.

Here are some other pictures I've taken lately.

I can never get them to look at the same time.

Had to throw this one in there. Why do we insist on taking pictures of her like this?

Working from home... not so much fun...

So I've been working from home today, thinking that it would be a nice way to get some work done, while in my pajamas and drinking all the coffee I want. Well, the pajama and coffee thing is true, getting work done- not so much. I'm able to get into the network at work through VPN- which is fine and dandy. However it likes to kick me off a lot, and thus I have to reconfigure the security settings and log in again. Translates to: PAIN IN THE ASS. And to boot, the cat barfed on the carpet three times this morning, right in front of me.

The only good thing about today is that I've been able to enjoy the quietness of home, with just some music on. That and I've had about 10 cups of coffee this morning. Zing!

All before 8 AM...

Ah Monday. Today was a day that the odds were against me, screaming at me to STAY AT HOME and HIDE UNDER THE COVERS!! I was certain that the following events were a precursor to a more hideous fate, and that Fate was indeed warning me to stay away today.

6:30 AM: Alarm goes off after the third time I hit "Snooze". Decide it was time to get up. The Husband rolls over and sleepily notes that MKF is perched atop our laundy hamper- how cute that she is up there looking at us. I get up, my heart all fuzzy and warm that our beloved pet is guarding us over any intruders such as crowes or sparrows. I pet her head and wonder how she got up there without us hearing a thing. I notice that she probably used the footstool as a little step to get up to the top of three foot high hamper. I also notice on the footstool is the blanket that my Grandma made me when I was five. This is when I also notice that there is A BLACK STREAK on the blanket. WHAT. It took me all of five seconds to put two and two together. Nasty CAT LITTER STREAK ON MY BLANKET. OH. MY. GOD. I start yelling at the cat and she takes off down the stairs in order to escape my fury. I grab the blanket and head towards the washing machine.

6:35 AM: Washing machine still has laundry from previous day. I had attempted to remove a stain from my new favorite shirt that I had only worn twice. Darling lavender Three Dots shirt. Expensive Three Dots shirt. My favorite Three Dots shirt. Did I mention it was expensive? After removing the laundry from the washer, I notice that the stain is indeed gone from my shirt, however the F***ing stain remover BLEACHED my shirt. I am still veklempt as I type. I can't believe it was RUINED! RUINED!!! I just wanted to cry at this point.

6:37 AM: Pissed, upset, mad, tired- you name it. I throw the blanket in the wash and try to get the nasty cat stuff off my blanket. I hop in the shower. After a quick shower I hear the most hideous noise coming from the washing machine. It's not just a "Off Kilter" sort of noise, but a metal grinding metal noise. Horrified- I stop the machine. At this point, The Husband is up and trying to help me with the washing machine. He figures out how to drain the washer and I pull out the blanket, sopping wet. He tells me not to worry about the washer and that he'll look at it after work.

7:25 AM. Hair is dried and dressed for work. I go back into the bathroom to apply necessary makeup. As I turn to look into our little medicine cabinet mirror, my back freaks out on me. It's tweaked, pinched, twisted- whatever. It hurts like hell. I continue to try and get ready, groaning a bit as I putter about the house. The Husband advises Aleve and a helmet. The Aleve is for my back, and the helmet- well, for whatever else is going to come down on my head.

7:35 AM: No hope of catching the bus to work, sore back, broken washing machine, stupid cat and a ruined shirt.

I blame TV...

Have any of you seen those shows on TLC and Home and Garden Network- Flip That House or Property Ladder? Well they are everywhere, documenting go-getters in their quest to make a buck on the real estate game. Don't get me wrong, real estate is a smart investment and can be quite lucrative, but some how it seems lately it's getting a little out of hand.

Today I dropped off some cupcakes for a babyshower that my sis-in-law was throwing in S. Seattle and I decided that on the way home I would take some back roads and explore the neighborhood a little more. As I wound my way through the Lakeridge neighborhood, I started to find the "For Sale" signs. I pulled over to one particulary cute house and almost peed my pants when I saw the price. $519,000?! ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?! It boasted a "Lake Washington View" (which it kinda didn't) and "Total Remodel" on the flyer. Well sure, I have a Lake Washington view at the condo; only if I stick my head out the bedroom window and crane my head to the right. This would certainly prove to be quite dangerous and stupid, but it's a view- right?

I took the flyer home and started to do a little research online. Looking for houses is a fun game I play sometimes, messing with the payments and the interest rate just to see how much I CAN'T afford. I found on zillow.com that the house sold in March for a measley $300,000 and was back on the market in July. Holy smokes, that is a crazy flip- the house is indeed remodeled, but I can't even imagine that they would make a $200,000 profit on the house. Zillow.com had it estimated at $428,000. Well, as my dad says, property is only worth as much as someone will pay for it.

Forgive me, its been a forever since my last post...

Wow this past weekend was a doozy. We started off on Thursday night celebrating Jeremy's 33rd birthday at Tokyo Japanese restaurant in Factoria. Awesome food, awesome service AND you get a free entree on your birthday! Being the thrifty man he is, that was music to Jeremy's ears. He got the Deluxe Bento box and it's amazing we made it out of there alive. I felt like Audrey in the beginning of "European Vacation"- the food kept coming out and I kept stuffing my face. And to top things off, they brought out TEMPURA ICECREAM with a candle on top. HURG.

Friday was another day of overeating. We gathered the family at Lana Thai Restaurant in Everett for another birthday dinner. I even made the kids (and Jeremy) birthday hats with their names on them. I think the funniest part of the whole evening was when they brought out another deep fried ice cream dish for Jeremy. Emily, the little cake diva that she is, was PISSED that there was NO BIRTHDAY CAKE. My sister valiantly tried to convince Emily that mango ice cream or sticky rice pudding was just as good- but my niece replied "I want cake" and stuck out her lip. Poor child, she was brought to a birthday party for two things: birthday hats and cake. She only got one them.

Saturday we got up early, packed the car and headed out to Hood Canal to stay at Andy's property. I love going out there, it's just so nice to hang out, enjoy the water and eat s'mores. Unfortunately, my s'more experience was cut short when I WAS ROBBED of my graham crackers by some theiving little raccoons. Sadly, it was indeed my fault for leaving them out. I came down in the morning on Sunday to discover that my graham cracker box was shredded, every single cracker GONE. I spent most of Sunday eating "low carb" s'mores- just the marshmallow and chocolate. It was pretty pitiful. We also went crabbing, however I couldn't bring myself to eat the little sea spiders-it was just too horrifying to kill them.

Out at Dabob I rediscovered my love of the water, just being ON the water on a calm morning, brought back countless memories of crew practice and how much I loved that sport. I took out the little plastic kayak that Andy had and cruised around the bay, counting seals as I went. I counted ten in all. They were so curious, poking their heads up every now and then to see where I was, then diving back down to go a little further away. I loved the solitude and peacefulness of the kayak. Even though it was a bit different that being in an eight- in many ways it was still the same. In an eight, the only voice was mine, the commands that I gave were followed without question (most of the time) and the best part was being out on the water when it was like glass. I think I might have to get a kayak some day- even if it's a crappy little plastic one. It's still a lot of fun.

Blogger is being a pain about uploading pics, so I have to go through Shutterfly. Click here for pics...

Yar Mateys!

Saturday afternoon I joined my sister at the annual Starbucks company picnic at Vasa Park in Sammamish. It was pretty crazy with all the people there- keep in mind that every barista, corporate worker and roasting plant employee was there (well almost) and even my sister had a hard time finding people she knew there. It was a Pirate Themed Picnic- even the Seafair Pirates showed up. Alyssa and Emily wanted nothing to do with the pirates, except when they were handing out such goodies like stickers and rings. My nieces love their bling.

Sporting the pirate head gear

My little scurvy dogs

Pirates say "Yar!!"

Saturday night made way for the First Annual Pie-Off at Ariana and Andrews. Unfortunately, my strawberry rhubarb fell short of Mrs. Eryn Ilk's pie (I have to say that now since she is MARRIED!!) Rushing on my part probably cost me some points- drat!! Oh well, there is always next year. Sadly, eating all that pie made me kinda sick, and I really don't want any more pie for a while.

Chuck can't wait for pie...

In other news, our friends Joe and Lysa had their little boy Holden this morning, at 2:31 am. I can't wait to see him and take lots of pictures!

It's... just... so... hotttttt.....

Bleh.
I totally feel for MKF who is currently wearing a fur coat and dying of heat. She's been laying on the linoleum in the bathroom, trying to get cool. UGH.

I made my last wedding cake for the summer today and delivered it to Bainbridge Island. Behold a buttercream beauty. Simple and classic. Just the way I like them.

On the way home, the Husband and I had lunch at a great little Mexican restaurant "Isla Bonita" and after working in a hot kitchen for two days, a cold Corona and some delish chimichangas hit the spot. We had read about the Bainbridge Island Winery so we checked that out after all the grease and cheese had settled. They offer wine tasting and had a local artists showing off their wares so it was pretty neat to check out. The offered some interesting varietals of grapes I had never heard of, so it was a fun trip.

The ferry ride home was awesome, nothing like taking a short boat cruise across Puget Sound to make the day complete.

Can't you see how excited I am to be done with wedding cakes? Free as a bird! (The wind in my hair looks hilarious)

I just gotta finish this level...

For all you Trophy Wives out there who have game-addicted husbands:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1329362959167995041

Yeah. You know what I mean.

Wedding Cake for Eryn

I took Friday off to make a wedding cake for Eryn-it turned out quite lovely if I do say so myself!




I love this last picture of me and Ariana. Gotta love it when they have good beer at the party!

Happy Fourth!

Yay for hotdogs, watermelon and all the yummy things I ate on the Fourth of July. Really, I'm not obsessed with food. Well maybe just a little bit... Here are my favorite pictures from the Fourth!

Ahh the sounds of silence

Today Jeremy went to the Vintage Races with Matt at Pacific Speedway so I've been on my own today. Went and had a picnic with my sister and her kids at Waverly Beach Park in Kirkland and now I am just hanging out at home, without the tv or radio on. It's so nice sometimes just to relax in silence.

I am digging the black template for my blog- any thoughts? It's a nice change of pace from the pink.

There have been no sightings of Texas lately, he's the little brussels griffon puppy that lives in my condo complex. Next time I see him, I'll try and snap a picture. He's really very cute and such a little ham. I think male puppies know how to work it around chicks.

There is an open house for one of the condos that is for sale in my complex. I see that they've gone down in price and I'm very tempted to take a tour. Heh heh heh. It's not really spying on people since all their stuff is out of the condo. But I'll just think of it that way.

Last night we had dinner and drinks (many drinks) at our friends John and Heidi's house. It was SO LOVELY to sit out in their garden, guzzle wine and laugh for most of the evening. The house next door to them might go on the market soon, probably out of our price range. It would be so much fun to live close to them, they are a ton of fun. Ok off to spy on the neighbors.

It has raisins in it... You like raisins.

It's a wonder I get any work done with the people I work with. I am happy to be surrounded by people who have the same sense of humor as me. I am happy that I can say something so ridiculous like "I want my two dollars!!" and they will crack up laughing because they know exactly what I am talking about. Thinking about making a sweatshirt that says "I've skied the K12" so next time I go snowboarding, I can bust that out. Awesome.

Ahhh Summer...

Yes summer has officially arrived. And to celebrate? A little fake tanner and some fruit salad. Last night Jeremy had a Saimin itch that needed to be scratched (no it's not some nasty disease, quite the contrary) and so we decided to try Saimin Says down in Kent. Problem was, Saimin Says closes at 6:30 and was in some god-forsaken place down SR-99 past the airport. SR-99 was down to a one lane in either direction due to paving or some ridiculous reason like that. So after creeping along at about -10 miles an hour, we made a "U-y" and headed back to Renton. We found solace at L&L Hawaiian BBQ. MMMMM. Their Saimin was pretty tasty (I opted for the non-egg version) and we got some yummy Masubi and Fried Mahi Mahi. Oh Hawaii, how I miss you.

The Hawaiian Island Child tan I was sporting last week is also fading, replaced by a little bit of peeling. The good news is, that when I slathered my legs in self tanner this time, it didn't look like I had rubbed Cheetos all over me. Score.

Now that box of Maui Caramacs has been looking at me funny all week, I think it's time I put it and the box of Kona Coffee Macadamia Nut cookies out of it's misery once and for all. They are so out of their environment here in Seattle; they want to join their bretheren in the depths of my tummy.

Aloha!

Miss Kitty's New Vice

She can't stop talking about this new show: http://www.meowmixhouse.com/index.asp

It's getting slightly annoying that she hogs the TV all the time, especially when I want to watch Food Network!!

Quinn in the Monkey Chair

This weekend was a whirlwind of family, friends and all sorts of craziness. I did happen to snap a few pictures, but not many. Here is Quinn in her monkey chair, still can't sit on her own, but getting there.

Other pictures are from a bridal shower, birthday party and Father's Day. They are too incriminating to post.

Pictures from HAWAII!

They can be seen here!! :) Click on me.

I have stocked up on all sorts of coconut shampoo, lotion and soap. Hoping to keep the Hawaiian spirit alive...

Say WHUT?

I forgot to include this in my last post. Last night I couldn't sleep because A. I had coffee on the plane at about 9:30 PST 2. Mr. Calkins had some violent episodes of the leg twitchy thing and D. It was like 3 hours earlier Hawaiian time. So I got out of bed and headed downstairs to watch some TV. I kid you not, on ESPN, they had some sort of Championship ROCK PAPER SCISSORS Competition. Don't believe me?? Check it out: http://www.rpschamps.com/

Sigh. And here I was contemplating the book I had just read, the Da Vinci Code and this just took over.

Home From Hawaii!

I'm BACK- sad to leave, but happy to be home to my peeps and my kitcat.... I haven't yet processed all the pictures yet, but will post them ASAP. We had a great time in Kauai, I was already planning our return trip about three days in. It was so nice to just kick back, relax, get a tan and see some WILD stuff. I've definitely gained back the couple pounds I lost earlier this spring, but what the hell. I decided having ice cream every day was going to be a VACATION MUST and coconut ice cream was the weapon of choice. Delish. I also developed a serious addiction to PoPo's cookies that I found in a little grocery store in Kauai. They are sooo good. I had to get some more for the flight nome. Now they are almost gone. Sad.

HAWAII BOUND

I'm getting pretty excited about Hawaii, but for some reason I think that it will really sink in when we finally touch down in Kauai. I get a little nervous about flying sometimes, but I just try not to think about it too much and just think about how lovely everything will be.

I do have to say though- if we don't return from the islands either due a freak shark attack or something more scary- all I ask is that someone finds a good home for Miss Kitty. No dogs or other cats to stress her out. Oh and she likes her belly rubbed and digs on the Greenies for Cats. Make sure that the pompoms go with her where ever she goes, she loves those things.

Oops, that freak Giada is on TV, gotta change the channel...

Tofu for dessert? Preposterous!

So I finally was curious enough to buy some Tofutti Cuties yesterday at TJ's. My friend Melanie swears by them and my friend Sarah confirms their deliciousness. After arguing with myself over whether or not I should have dessert tonight (splurged on dinner and had TWO tamales with a bit of sour cream.... mmm yummy) I caved and made a beeline for the freezer. First impression, delicious icecream sandwich and didn't feel very guilty about shoving it in my cakehole. After further inspection of ingredients (which I should have done before I bought the damn things) I see that ingredients include High Fructose Corn Sweetner. Is this the same stuff as High Fructose Corn Syrup which is the devil and should be banned from all food? I don't know. But now I am a bit leery of my Tofutti Cuties and not sure I should eat them anymore.

There ARE 7 left though. Sad. Maybe tomorrow I will conduct a mass devouring of said Cuties to put them out of their misery and get them out of the house once and for all.

SWEEEET...

So after a pretty crazy day yesterday, I am chillin' on the couch watching Dog The Bounty Hunter. Looove it.

On Saturday I discovered a small, pea-sized lump in my arm. After freaking out for about a day and a half, my doctor told me it was just a cyst and will probably go away. So now that I know it's not really all that abnormal to have a cyst (so many people I know have told me their cyst stories as well) and that I probably am not going to die from it; I've stopped thinking about all the lovely things I would like in case I DO pass on (such as a boat named after me at the UW Shellhouse AND the Green Lake Shellhouse, perhaps an animal shelter named after me and most importantly a cookbook published of all my favorite recipes). I did name my cyst Leroy, so hopefully Leroy will be hittin' the road soon and leaving me and my lovely arm alone.

Whew! I'm pooped!

This weekend was a busy one, visting with my friend Tiffani and her new baby Jackson (sooooo cute and sooo little!) and then BBQ with the Calkins family to celebrate Kirstie's birthday. She turned 29 and everyone kept saying "It's the last year in your 20's!". That made me realize that the last year of MY 20's is rapidly sliping away and I haven't done a damn thing. Well, unless you count learning how to snowboard. I guess that is pretty good. I never thought you could teach an old dog new tricks, but maybe you can!

Today we went back up north to babysit Clara and Quinn while Kirstie and Seth took a much deserved day of rest and relaxation at the Banya 5 Spa in Seattle. Jeremy and I babysat the girls from 11 am to about 6 and they were so much fun. They were really good and surprisingly, the time went by fast. It was nice to have Jeremy there as an extra set of hands, it really came in handy when one baby would need a change or something. We went through a bunch of bibs and spit rags, and I even thought ahead to bring another shirt to wear in case I was "baptized" by the babies. Good thing because I needed it.

Clara and Quinn

Quinn

Uncle Jeremy and the Girls

Check me out, I'm Britney Spears!

First Babysitting Day!
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