day forty: august 31, 2009.

because the weather is going to start changing soon, i wanted to post this picture of summertime in the park. i just love the way the sun coats everything in a magical late afternoon glow, especially this giant tree.

it will be nice to remember this when it's grey and cold (which i honestly really adore, but i'm sure there will be days when i'll miss the sunshine). xo.

day thirty nine: august 30, 2009.

today i found TWO PAIRS of awesome doc martens, baaaarely used, for less than $20 total. actually, with tax i think it came out to $17.00. sweeeeet!!

i have been looking for used docs for awhile, but all i could find in my size were "eh" or still too pricey. i love new ones but (a) they are $$ and (b) it takes forever to break them in perfectly. so HA! now i have two pairs, for super cheap, that are magically broken in. color me goldilocks. :)

i found them at the ballard goodwill, where i also found a TON of awesomely cheap and fancy used furniture that will come in handy when we move into an apartment. seattle has the best thrift magic evaaar!! xo.

day thirty eight: august 29, 2009.

today i went swimming in lake washington for the very first time! it was a little chilly, but crystal clear and really nice once you adjusted. and no salt water in my eyes! fancy.

this is the beach club that my family belongs to. there's a little beach, a lovely lawn sunbathing area, picnic tables, giant outdoor grills, volleyball and ping pong tables, an outdoor fireplace, an upstairs sun deck and more! it's pretty swell. you can take kayaks out and sailboats, too. or you can just jump into cool lake washington from one of the diving platforms or floating docks.

i bet it's even better when it's really hot outside... xo.

day thirty seven: august 28, 2009.

today's post is simple. I LOVE THIS WEATHER!!!

this is they sky at about 4:30/5:00pm pst. the grey skies here are pretty fantastic. clouds without humidity... so lovely. xo.

day thirty six: august 27, 2009.

this is "homegrown." it is a farm fresh, local, sustainable and mostly organic restaurant in fremont. and it rules! the menu is on a giant chalkboard, with boxes next to all of the offerings telling you what's local, sustainable and organic. if something is local, it also tells you the farm/source. so fancy!

i really adore their farmer's market veggie sandwich: essential baking company whole grain bread (local and ahhhmazing), organic roasted red beets, pickled red onions, mixed organic micro greens, and fresh garlic aioli.

so delish... xo!

day thirty five: august 26, 2009.

this is the sound garden. yes, like the awesome 90s band. ;) actually, this is where that awesome 90s band gleaned its name!

sorry for the poor quality/distance of the pic, but i took it through a chain link fence with my iphone. (watch a video HERE.) the sound garden is actually properly called "a sound garden"and is another piece of seattle public art. it's located on the very well secured, private grounds of noaa (pronounced "noah" and longform: national oceanic and atmospheric administration) right next to magnuson park (my favorite dog park in town).

the area wasn't always so well secured; this happened after 9/11. it's ok, 'cause you can still see and hear the sound garden pretty well... you just can't walk right up to it.

which is just fine, because the noise that it makes is pretty creepy. kind of like a bunch of leaky windows in a very old haunted house howling in the wind. eerily and constantly. i always wonder if it bothers the dogs...

hmmm.. xo.

day thirty four: august 25, 2009.

this is "deluxe junk" a.k.a. one of the best thrift/junk/curiosity/vintage shops i've ever been in. it is so fancy!! it is definitely like something out of "ghost world" - it's kinda dark and movie-set-esque inside, and totally done up all magical-like. there is an entire lighted, glass-enclosed display wall devoted to fez hats from the mid-twentieth century. in addition to the wall o' fez, there are impeccable vintage dresses and fur/faux fur coats, vintage greeting cards, household items, jewelry and - my FAVORITE - vintage cowboy boots. meowwww!

the best part? everything is SUPER cheap! even the boots (they start around $15 for the basic ones, around $20 for the sassy pairs). i am in love.

the store is in fremont a.k.a. the center of the universe. and there is a life-size french fry man sculpture out front, as well as an attached coney island carnival-themed hot dog stand. another reason to love this neighborhood! xo.

day thirty three: august 24, 2009.

i really, realllly love dusk in the pacific northwest. it reminds me of what dusk must be like in iceland or somewhere icy and scandinavian. the sky gets frosty blue and then ever so slowly fades to black. but when i say ever so slowly, i mean it. it starts around 8pm and isn't fully dark until well past 9. still.

it looks like a lightbox.

wonder what fall/winter will be like.... xo.

day thirty two: august 23, 2009.

lavender grows like a weed here. i am convinced that is why the people of seattle are so chilled out; with the pleasant aroma of lavender drifting on the breeze, how can you feel stressed out?

i'm half joking. but i seriously love walking past a giant bunch and breathing in heavily, letting the herb-y scent fill my lungs. it's so lovely.

i sometimes grab a few stalks and sniff at them periodically the whole way home. xo.

day thirty one: august 22, 2009.

this is the troll. he lives on troll avenue in fremont, under the aurora bridge. and yes, that is an actual vw beetle he is clutching in his left hand.

he may also be our new neighbor soon. :)

although he looks like he was made in the late 60s/early 70s, the troll was actually created in 1990, and inspired by the scandinavian folk tale, "three billy goats gruff." people come from all over the world to see the troll, and he gets a lot of community support. today was actually a public cleanup of the grassy area around the troll, which is done fairly often on a volunteer basis.

you can visit his wikipedia page to learn more! xo.

day thirty: august 21, 2009.

say hello to my vegetarian artisan truffles! the one on the left is dark chocolate with pistachio and marzipan. the one in the middle is dark chocolate with espresso. and the one on the right is called a geisha: dark chocolate with a plum wine and ginger filling.

so maaaagical! they are handmade in renton and i got them this evening at the phinney ridge farmer's market. mmmmmm. xo.

day twenty nine: august 20, 2009.

this is an oolong mimosa (oolong, orange juice, honey and basil). it's from the miro teahouse in ballard. not as yummy as the green tea mojito (green tea, agave, mint), but very nice just the same. they have a bunch of fancy iced tea drinks, imported herbal teas, whole leaf teas, baked goods and you can pretty much sample whatever you want. the interior is super japanese modern, too, and there are lots of lovely candles and art everywhere.

i am in love with their magical tea concoctions and i can't wait until this fall/winter when i will want to try their hot infusions. meowww. xo.

day twenty eight: august 19, 2009.

today is our one month anniversary here in seattle! hooray! (i started the blog after adjusting to the time difference and after the road lag wore off and we had been here a few days.)

not really to celebrate, but definitely because i love asian magic, we went to the international district with michael for dinner at samurai noodle. yum yum! samurai noodle is this tiiiiny, hole-in-the-wall, authentic japanese ramen house that borders uwajimaya (the japanese grocery chain - that's a future entry!) and it is so so good. i had vegetarian ramen with tofu, trevor had spicy chicken broth ramen with pork and michael had soy/pork ramen also with pork. i was enjoying my food so much that i neglected to snap a photo of the fanciness. next time....

anyway, the international district is basically the seattle version of chinatown and, in addition to the giant arch and tons of asian bakeries, bubble tea joints, restaurants, karaoke houses and totoro-merchandising toy stores, they have magical asian dragons spiraling random lamp posts. i love it! xo.

day twenty seven: august 18, 2009.

today i had a "doh!" moment. i realized you all have not seen our little cottage yet! so... here it is. :)

isn't it fancy? it's only the bottom floor (the upstairs is a giant attic, where some of our stuff is stashed) but it is super cute and nestled way in the back of my aunt and uncle's magical backyard gardens, behind a little fence. you take a few steps up to our area, where there is a waterfall/pond, a quiet seating area with benches and a table/chairs, a garden shed and lots of flowers, plants and bamboo. the coolest part about the backyard is that it is all shaded by a giant japanese maple. yay!

i especially like to have dinner out on the table and chairs at sundown and listen to the breeze in the bamboo.

look! there's maul in the window.... xo.

day twenty six: august 17, 2009.

yes, you are reading that correctly. although it is not the "northwestern" or the "cornelia marie" this is one of the boats on one of my favorite tv shows, "the deadliest catch" on the discovery channel. i am not sure if i have seen the "sea star" on the show before, but due to the move i have missed a lot of this season so it's a possibility you all know it better than i do (if you watch the show).

anyway, the fangirl in me got all excited when i saw this, which was after dinner at "chinook's" at fisherman's terminal in ballard. fisherman's terminal is where all of the alaskan crab boats dock in the offseason(s) and "chinook's" is some of the best seafood in seattle, with some of the best views of harbor magic and hills in town. before or after dinner you can walk down among the boats and explore, as well as check out the beautiful sunsets in a giant open patch of pacific northwest sky.

so nautically delicious! xo.

day twenty five: august 16, 2009.

"I'M ON A BOAT!!!" well, i *was* on a boat. this morning actually. we went out on this beautiful sailboat with my aunt, my cousin rachel and her boyfriend brian. it sailed all around lake union (the other large lake in seattle, second to lake washington) for two hours while we had snacks and coffee and relaxed! the views were incredible; sea planes taking off and landing, magical floating houses, gas works park, aurora bridge, the space needle and more. and again with another beautiful seattle day, weather-wise. we even saw little wood-burning-stove-powered boats that reminded me of popeye.

such a fancy sunday morning! especially after the marathon white (wine) wedding adventure last night.. zzzzzzz. hehehe. xo.

day twenty four: august 15, 2009.

tonight i went with michael to his co-worker's wedding at lake tapps, south of seattle. it was gorgeous - the house where it was at was something out of lifestyles of the rich and famous - and they had fancy cupcakes instead of a wedding cake (which you know made me happy)!!

but darn if i didn't drink too much white wine. ;) 

such a magical evening for a wedding! xo.

day twenty three: august 14, 2009.

salmon. enough said. it's wild and delicious and everywhere out here. adore!

this is right before i drizzled it with extra virgin olive oil and coated it with a satisfyingly dense layer of freshly diced garlic and ginger and then baked it for dinner. mmmmm. xo.

day twenty two: august 13, 2009.

looove the farmers markets here! not just because of all the awesome organic produce (at awesomely low prices, that i've awesomely been using to make all kinds of whole food magic), but also because of the magical bunches of flowers vendors sell for a mere $5!!

yes, $5! that's it. for gorgeous blooms with pretty petals! i love it! i picked up a pink/purple/cranberry bunch of assorted stems today that is now sitting on the dresser in front of the window in our cottage. it looks so vibrant against the grey clouds. so fancy! xo.

day twenty one: august 12, 2009.

this evening my aunt and i went to one of the nationwide obama-sponsored healthcare reform town hall meetings outside of seattle in everett, wa. (in case you're curious, i am pro healthcare reform.) i have never seen adults behave so childishly and appallingly as i did tonight. and with such ignorance, too (from multiple sides of the debate). it was insane! and disappointing. it appeared that anyone with a dissenting opinion did not come to listen or engage in any thoughtful discussion, but simply to boo loudly, complain under his/her breath, and shout obscenities. or hold giant banners with pictures of aborted babies and obama with a hitler mustache up to block audience views. awesome.

i was glad to hear a few intelligent people (both in favor of and skeptical of the plan) speak up before we left; i was beginning to worry everyone there was an idiot. unfortunately, most of the question askers were middle aged or seniors; it would have been nice for more individuals in their 20s and 30s to have spoken (either for or against) just to hear the discrepancies/differences in their platforms.

all-in-all an interesting (albeit somewhat disheartening) evening spent in everett. xo.

day twenty: august 11, 2009.

this is our local laurelhurst pcc (or "puget consumer cooperative" or my favorite food market chain in seattle). it's basically like a farmers market but with a/c and a freezer section and everything a regular grocery store would have except that everything inside comes from local growers and small businesses and manufacturers, and the cooperative is tied firmly to the community, giving back and getting involved in various neighborhood projects.

put simply, it's sustainability in action and it rules! you can read about pcc HERE - and local peeps, you can find out about becoming a member OVER HERE. magic! xo.

day nineteen: august 10, 2009.

these are the production trucks for the tobey maguire film that is shooting in the neighborhood next to mine. it's an independent film about killer raccoons i believe. (how awesome is that?!) supposedly he is taking low or no pay for the flick, which i think is pretty fancy.

anyway, we took a walk and stumbled upon these and then shortly after drove by one of the locations they were shooting. looked like fun, and makes me miss movie work just a liiiiiitle bit. vancouver? eh? hmmmmm....

in other news, today was rainy rainy rainy and i loved it. xo.

day eighteen: august 9, 2009.

today i had brunch with michael at linda's in capitol hill. it's crazy! it's a country western themed dive bar and restaurant that is full of punk rock kids and hipsters, and their sunday brunch has such beverage offerings as a cranberry emergen-c and vodka cocktail and a mountain dew and vodka cocktail in addition to the usual mimosas and bloody marys and more.

you can get pitchers of their fancy drinkies, and then play pool or look at the dead animal heads or gaze upon the wagon wheel chandelier when you're finished with your tofu scramble, breakfast taco or other yummy treat. all while listening to the my bloody valentine or green day or blondie they were playing this afternoon. loves it. xo.

day seventeen: august 8, 2009.

today was local (awesome) radio station KEXP's "summer barbecue" (which is part of their summer concert series) at the mural amphitheater in the seattle center. that's dinosaur, jr. on the stage. and, yep, that's the space needle in the background! everything was free, and it was totally a blast! overcast, cool and great views all around - such a fun time. and the food stands were AMAZING! (whole foods, roasted corn on the cob, small local businesses...)

check out KEXP! they have such eclectic programming - two of my faves are the "wo' pop" and "expansions" shows. magic!! xo.

day sixteen: august 7, 2009.

let me introduce you to the best cupcake i have ever tasted, the lavender cupcake from "cupcake royale" (which is quite possibly the most magical cupcake bakery on earth - eff magnolia and billy's. yeah, i said it! eff 'em!) in ballard.

their cupcakes have the moistest, tastiest cake and fanciest frosting flavors! lavender you ask? oh, yes.... so subtle and tasty and DELICIOUS. and i love cupcakes so you know i am telling the truth. now! go visit their website. :)

clickies! xo. mmmmmmm.........

day fifteen: august 6, 2009.

mmmm... a ginger cosmo! called a serpent's tongue and made with ginger-infused vodka. sooooo magical and delicious. i had one tonight at shiku, this amazing sushi restaurant in ballard. loved the cocktail, loved the sushi! will definitely be back.

now to find me some of that ginger vodka........ xo.

day fourteen: august 5, 2009.

today was probably the first day it has been consistently cloudy (and cool to match) since we got here. it was a nice change, as i got to break out my warm boots and fancy scarf!

anyways, this is documentation of mickey's very first expedition into lake washington!! yay!! hehe. i have been taking him to this amazing dog park that (like many parks, trails, etc. out here) ends at the shores of the lake, but he had yet to venture into the clear, cool waters. until today! he didn't stay in long, just enough to trot around a bit before emerging and moving on to sniff blackberry bushes and pee on things. but hooray! maybe next time he'll go further in and play with the other waterbabies. xo.

day thirteen: august 4, 2009.

that's lake washington. it's where the little trail i walked down yesterday maaaaaybe a block from our house dead ends. so fancy!

and much warmer than puget sound, too. xo.

p.s. the start of the trail is at this massive all girls catholic school that has an apple orchard and fig trees and all sorts of magical things you can pick and/or explore, and that's open to the public. so, fancy. squared!

day twelve: august 3, 2009.

mmmm... blackberries! it's just about time for them to show up everywhere here. i snapped this pic on a walk i took this morning with my uncle, the pony, mia (their black lab and mickey's new girlfriend) and benny (a neighbor's dog) on a winding, woodsy trail just a block from our house that ends at the shores of lake washington. blackberries were everywhere!

i can't wait for them to be ripe so i can pluck them off their bushes and gobble them up. free, organic, delicious! xo.

day eleven: august 2, 2009.

this evening we had a lovely picnic at the seattle arboretum with michael and his friend. i forgot to snap a photo until we were getting ready to leave, hence the dwindling daylight and lack of fancy subject matter.

the trees were so enormous and gorgeous there. it's a massive park - we only touched on one tiny edge. i can't wait to go back and see the rest, and spend some time in the japanese gardens (where you can have a proper tea ceremony and view carp/koi in little ponds). so magical!

i bet it's especially beautiful in winter when the trees and black and bare and the sky is grey. mhm.

another great night, weather and company wise. xo.

day ten: august 1, 2009.

i really wanted to see some tide pools today, so the plan was to go out to alki (al-kie, like "pie") beach but when we looked up the local tide info we found that the next (good) low tide would be tomorrow morning so we needed a new plan.

we ended up going to discovery park in the nearby magnolia neighborhood to explore the beaches of puget sound, which turns out are reached via a multi-mile hike up a wooded bluff and then all the way down winding trails to the water (and fancy lighthouse) on very uneven, rocky terrain. and i was in my bathing suit and flip flops. haha. a few blisters later, i got to cool my tootsies in icy puget sound (the temp is usually around 50 degrees) and sit on some driftwood with trevor and watch the surf and a watercolor-esque vision of mt. rainier in the distance before hiking all the way back up and over again to our car. i took many more photos than this, which i need to post somewhere soon; the setting is so amazing - you go from dense woods to open fields of wildflowers and tall grasses to rocky cliffs - it's hard to believe you are in the middle of a big city.

the scenery was just magical with the sun and the salty sea breeze and the pebbled beach, and i hope to go again soon, sans flip flops. anyways, i now need a new pair! xo.