A perfect little evening...

After work, Brad and I went to the "beach" a.k.a. a grass hill next to the lake to nap/relax in the sun...

Since it was super hot out still, Brad walked over to the dock to go hop in the water and was surrounded by maybe 30 high schoolers! It was pretty funny, I loved how they were all looking at him like "Who's the oldie???" ;)

Taco Truck Guy: "Is this for here or to go?"

Michelle (confused & looking around): "Um...where's here?"

El Taco Loco

For lunch, I went to the taco truck with my little brother Kevin, his girlfriend Katie & a couple of their friends from WSU who were in town visiting from Seattle.

Cute downtown Walla Walla

This morning Kris, Courtney & I took a little stroll downtown for coffee...I just heart Walla Walla!

Reunion!

Welcome to the Elks Lodge! Kris was dancing with the Elk, no big deal! :)

Jello shots for $1? Um, yes please!!!

We were told that in addition to dinner, there would be a light snack & dessert served. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but apparently "dessert" mostly consisted of fun-sized Twix bars...

All of the WWHS girls together again! Everyone looked amazing, it was almost like no time had passed. And of course all the married girls w/babies were super teeny!

The Elks Lodge

Our reunion was held at none other than the classy "Elks Lodge". Many people know what this is...typically an older, non-updated, dark & dreary establishment with most members being senior citizens (this was the place my grandma always took us for lunch as kids). It was SO fun to see everyone, but I will say there was quite a lack of people in attendence. Maybe 100 tops at the height of it (from a class of 400+). In fact, this was the scene maybe 2 hours into it...

The Green Lantern

Courtney, Kristen, Michelle & Kris...the Seattle girls back in Walla Walla!




Kris and Lucas Walter (aka the social butterfly of the Green) are definitely Red Carpet Ready!



It's casual...just drinking out of the Class of '98 mug! FYI...very illegal to bring your own mug into a bar, grounds for being kicked out, I was informed by the bartender.

It's so warm, I love the air here...almost made it!

Walla Walla here I come!!!

I have never been more excited to go home. HOME. It's been since Christmas, and that is way too long.

This afternoon I am heading to Walla Walla for my 10 Year High School Reunion. I am SO excited to see many long lost friends, as well as ones that I currently live with & saw yesterday morning ;) Our high school friends were so much fun and we had a blast together, growing up in our cute little town & usually causing a bit of a ruckus. I am literally tapping my foot right now under my desk at an incredible rate because I am so jittery to get on the road & see everyone tonight at The Green Lantern! I think I will need to leave soon...here's to a FUN weekend ahead! Yay!!!!

*correction* I was reminded over the weekend that I did come home in March for Court's bachelorette party. But, I didn't actually go to my dad's house...so technically...

Packing...

Funny, I always think when I am packing to go to Walla Walla, I can use a small bag or just my carry-on from my luggage set. So I started to pack this evening and got in 3 pairs of shoes. Uh, almost full. Hmmm...suppose I will have to bring out the big guy...

Painting Party!

Tonight Kris, Courtney, Spry, Rothie, Coffey, Diggy and I all went over to Jamie's house to her help her paint her living room. The photo above shows Carrie's bedroom on SATC, which was the style inspiration behind this beautiful blue paint color that is now in Jamie's living room. With 8 of us, the job went quickly and the final result was fabulous! Jamie's "Rocky Mountain Sky" living room is going to be such a refreshing room to escape to on those gray & dreary Seattle days which will be back before we know it, unfortunately.

A day of reflecting...

As Kris and I walked through the streets of Seattle yesterday we saw this building. The way the clouds reflected off of it was so beautiful! I quickly snapped this before the light changed for us to walk across...

A Pizza Miracle

Today Jamie, Kris and I set out downtown for a little shopping. Kris and I were looking for something to wear to our HS Reunion this coming weekend. After making it downtown after waiting for the bus forEVER, we decided we were really hungry. I suggested pizza & we became DEAD SET on the idea. After wandering around for quite some time brainstorming, we found ourselves near the market, with no prospects & ready to call it quits. We then ended up in Post Alley, where Kris remembered a place she had eaten at before called the Pasta Bar, but wasn't sure if they had pizza. Fortunately for us, they did. JACKPOT!!!

We ended up finding the funniest guys ever, who greeted us by looking at Kris saying "Hey Hannah Montana!" and then complimenting us for the next half hour straight. They specially made us an incredible "cheese & pesto" pizza in 4 minutes, that was SO GOOD! Paulie, our new BFF, made us italian sodas, re-filled our Dr. Pepper's like it was his job (well, I guess it was?) and complimented my cheek bones & smile, Kris's body temperature (that sounds weird now) & referred to Jamie as "Jennifer Garner". Can't wait to go back for another slice of pizza & an ego boost.

Summer Solstice

Today was the Fremont Summer Solstice Festival. I LOVE going to this every year! There are always SO many people & lots of craziness. Naked bike riders & ridiculous outfits everywhere! For instance, two outfits that walked into the bar:

1) Woman with jeans & no shirt or bra. That's casual.

2) Woman with only a tank top and lace thong. Casual as well! (no pics unfortunately) :(

Kris and I at Red Door...

Brad and I decided after we had our fun max, it was time to go home. We ended up walking back to Eastlake, which was a nice 3-4 mile walk. We randomly encountered a strange jungle along the way. I made Brad go explore it...

Working from a lounge chair...

Today I worked from the office all morning and then went to Lauri's (my boss) to work from her condo the rest of the day. Just checking emails and checking my tan lines...

My view from her deck!

Pretty Mt. Rainier!

Yep, I'm a huge nerd, but it was sooo nice out!

Day 5

Today is a half day. Remember in school when you got a half day & how great that was? This is a "half-cleanse" day. I will eat appropriately until dinner time and then I am reverting back to myself & my eating habits for the weekend :)

Day 4

Days are getting somewhat easier, the usual smoothie in the a.m., dinner leftovers for lunch (which FYI, was even better than the original meat mountain from wed night) and then for dinner I made tacos...kind of. Although these products probably technically aren't supposed to be on the cleanse, they are still meat & dairy free...so I think that works! :) I made soy "beef" and used soy "cheese" and then whole wheat tortillas. Top w/ lettuce, tomato, etc. I would give them an "ehhh". If you were a vegan, these might do the trick for a taco craving, but to me, I could taste every difference and then it just made me wish I had the real thing :( Not terrible, not great...I prefer the meatless meatloaf by far.

Current mood: Happy because its sunny & beautiful today and that we are all going to start cheating soon (i.e. going to Fremont Solstice Festival tomorrow and having some beers & probably some non-cleansing food)

Cravings for non-vegan food: A little...definitely need a variety!

Um, seriously?

This is such an absurd story! You know what my pact with my girlfriends was when I was 15? Probably to try to all go to the same college & live by eachother afterwards, or something silly like that (oh, wait--we actually did that!?) Apparently some 15 yr olds are saying "Hey friends, lets all get pregnant together right now during high school...what a great idea!!!" Oh have times changed...

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1815845,00.html?cnn=yes

Day 3

So tonight, my fellow detox-cleansers (Kris & Courtney) and I made an incredible vegan meal! It felt like Thanksgiving almost, it was SUCH a trick that we were eating all natural foods & didn't even realize it! We used Kris's cookbook "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch" which I would highly recommend for cooking healthy, vegan meals. Even if you aren't vegan (which I am not) it is still a great way to learn how to incorporate/substitute healthier items into your cooking, it has some really great recipes!

We made a meat(veggie)loaf and mashed potatoes & gravy. We dubbed our meatlof "Meat Mountain" because without any egg involved, it was a little crumbly to shape. So we added some olive oil and formed it in a pie pan instead, which in turn, created a "Meat Mountain".

Okay, I don't really enjoy vegetables, but I LOVED this meal! The MM turned out fantasic, and totally tricked a girl like me that there were veggies inside. It honestly tasted like a meatloaf. Although a slightly long preparation/cooking process, definitely worth it!

Current mood: Full, first time I have been FULL all week :)

Cravings for non-vegan food: None, this completely did the trick. Can't wait for my leftovers!!!

I love my bed...

...and apparently so do other people! Way to go cute white bed, you made the msn.com homepage!

Day 2

Again, successful! I am honestly quite surprised at myself. The self-proclaimed "unhealthy eater" has made it two full days without eating any un-natural foods. I seriously think what helped me through yesterday was my discovery of blending my own fresh fruit smoothie here at work. WHAT-A-DREAM (said like Erin Coffey). Other than that, the usual: brown rice cakes, almonds, whole wheat pasta with some organic sauce of some sort. Totally wanted a treat last night, but literally got in bed at 7 pm and watched a movie to avoid being near the kitchen.

Current mood: Hungry again, but happy I only have a few days left.

Cravings for non-vegan food: A little bit, definitely more than yesterday.

Now that's just mean...

Someone just brought in a box of Top Pot doughnuts and left them about 15 feet from my office. Rude. Those are definitely not on the cleanse! I walked by and closed the lid.

Detox

In college, saying you were at Detox meant you drank too much at a party & almost died in an alcohol induced coma. Now at the ripe old age of 27, saying you are in detox, probably just means you care about keeping your body healthy and want to cleanse it. I, along with two detoxing friends, have started a cleanse this week. Last weekend entailed drinks & a large dinner on Friday night, BBQ'ed burgers & a keg on Saturday night...it was just time to take a deep breath and really focus on being healthy for a week (because I don't know how much longer I could be healthy) :) We are eating natural, organic foods. No meat, no dairy or any animal products. No caffeine, no alcohol. So pretty much the opposite of my normal diet... Yesterday I ate lots of fruit, nuts & brown rice cakes. YUM...

Day One is over, and I am proud to report--it was successful!

Current mood: Hungry, yet happy & optimistic.

Cravings for non-vegan food: Minimal

I will update daily...

Happy Father's Day!

Today was such a beautiful, sunny day in Seattle! I woke up, got coffee, went for a walk & then headed to Courtney's (along with Kris) so we could lay out all afternoon. Although I slathered myself with sunscreen, I apparently did a terrible job and have the strangest burn-streaks all over my chest & stomach!? At least my face is ok, that is the worst to have a sunburned face. It was such a fun day laying out and hanging w/ my girls!

After that I headed up to Brad's condo where he made an incredible gourmet meal for us for Father's Day! Oh, to clarify...the meal was for his dad, as Brad is not a father :) It was very good, he is such a good cook!

Happy Father's Day Dad! See you in a couple weeks to celebrate in Walla Walla! :)

Laura & Justin's Wedding Shower

Last night was Laura & Justin's Wedding Shower. SO FUN. We had such a great time! Here are all the girls!

Then Laura & Justin opened up all the presents from their "Entertainment" themed shower (perfect for them), which included games, hiking accessories, camping equipment, etc. After that, it was time for a game. Here Courtney & Nick and Kim & Mike are playing the "Newlywed Game" along with Justin & Laura, to see if they were truly ready to get married. I think they are! ;)

As if the BBQ & games weren't enough, we spent the majority of time downstairs in "The Media Room" a.k.a. a serious MOVIE THEATER! This room has a stage, theater lighting, 7 incredible reclining black leather chairs, a 128 inch screen, a popcorn machine, a vending machine with soda & beer, unbelieveable sound and...ROCKBAND! We all took turns showing our skills on the drums, bass, guitar & vocals. Below is Rothie playing bass, a true rock star. If only she would have been playing "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night"...

My Mom and I went to dinner at the Union Square Grill and then to the Paramount to see Avenue Q Friday night. The show was funny, but definitely very "adult" humor. Actually borderline uncomftable to watch at times! I forgot that her tickets were in the front row too, so it was pretty intense watching them so closely! I could actaully see them spitting when they were singing. We had a great evening though, here is cute mom blowing out her candle!

Something to focus on...

Today I attended my first Focus Group. The discussion centered around talking about different photo websites and ordering prints, photobooks, sharing photos, etc. Guess what I found out?

I LOVE FOCUS GROUPS!!!

So I get to sit in a group of less than 10 people, talk about photography (aka my current favorite hobby) and brainstorm ideas, trade information about photo sharing, editing and creating projects? Wait, and you're going to pay me for attending?! Sign me up!

I learned all sorts of great tips & ideas this afternoon! The point was to help provide a semi-up & coming company called "Smilebox" with helpful information for launching their new photobook program.

I typically don't like to speak up in a room full of strangers, but somehow I found myself to be the most vocal in the group. I was strangely comfortable talking about my likes and dislikes for each website/company. I even shared my own photobook, which I made for Brad last summer for our one year anniversary (of dating). It was funny, before I shared my book, the woman running the group was like "Would anyone give a photo book for an anniversary? And if so, which one?" and one woman said "Oh, maybe a 20 year anniversary" and another said "30 year anniversary". I then held up my book and said "Um, or maybe one year dating?" They all laughed and smiled at me, I was totally the "kid" of the group. Like when she asked "Do any of you have a blog?" Yep, that would be just me :) They were all married and my guess is that they do not work, seeing as though they were all available for 2 hours of a Friday afternoon, and wanted to stay after as I RACED out of there to get back to work. Not sure how I even managed to attend this!?

All in all, I really enjoy focus groups! I want to get on some sort of list to do another. Oh and Cabe, the woman next to me also started off with "Well I have never personally ordered a photo book..." so you should have made the cut after all! Lame.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Hope you have a wonderful day, can't wait for dinner & the show tonight! :)

Here comes the sun...

Even just for an afternoon, I'll take it! The sun was just starting to peak through as I was out and about working earlier today. This was me literally going "Yay!"

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Just when we thought the weather couldn't get worse around here, look at Pullman yesterday!

Another weekend, another yacht party...

Today I went down to the waterfront to hop aboard a yacht for a fundraiser thrown by my cousin Ashley. Ashley has started an organization called The Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania http://www.ieftz.org/ to help build schools in Tanzania, a place where she traveled to & lived for a semester during her junior year of college. She went to Africa with her twin sister Haley, where they fell in love with the people in the village of Lashaine. At this time there was no clean water source, no electricity & no school for the children. Now, after starting this foundation there is a one classroom school with 41 students, and they built a 20,000-liter water tank and 3km long pipeline, which runs directly to the school. She is doing some very amazing work! It was very fun to see her on her brief return back to the US where she & Grosper, another co-founder of the organization, are here to do some fundraisers before heading back to Africa at the end of the month.

Shopping & The Roanoke

Today Jamie & I went up to Alderwood to shop & avoid the rainy day. We hit up Forever 21 & the accessories store "For Love 21", two of the best stops at the mall. At one point we were standing in line amongst at least 15-20 teens & tweens, and I asked Jamie "When do you think we'll be too old to shop here?" She contemplated for a moment and responded "32?" and then we were both kind of still thinking for a second and she said "Nah, we'll probably still shop here after that!" and I said "Definitely!" I then said "Maybe when we have daughters who are old enough to shop here?" and we both nodded in agreement. That'll give us a few more years... ;)

After our mall trip, we headed back to Seattle and went over to AJ's place to meet up with some friends who were watching Big Brown & having some drinks. We joined them for a little bit and then we all headed to Ivars for dinner and then to the Roanoke Tavern on Capital Hill for a few more beers...

A perfect night IN

Tonight Jamie came over & I took some photos of her cards for her to put on her online shop. She is so very talented, the cards are adorable! She also came with a bottle of wine & a dish of her yummy mac & cheese ready to pop in the oven. She was my dream visitor! After dinner & being a photog, Courtney came over & joined us and we watched a movie, had some wine and chatted. A perfect gloomy, June night to stay inside.

Here is a sneak peak at one of Jamie's amazing cards:

Is it January 6th or June 6th?

Ummm...what is up with this weather??? It has seriously rained for about 4 days straight, why am I wearing a winter coat today?

Happy Birthday Richie!

Hope you have a fabulous b-day Dad!!!

One woman's trash is another woman's treasure

On Sunday Jamie hosted our 1st annual Girlie Swap, and it was quite fabulous!!! Everyone brought old clothing, shoes, housewares or anything else they wanted to swap, in hopes of coming home with something "new". Everyone left very happy, with all sorts of new stuff. I can't wait for next year! Below is a photo of the swap, as well as a photo of Courtney, who we thought like looked Avril Lavigne in her new sweatshirt (and tie). Unfortunately the tie was taken to GW, although we all wanted her to keep it ;)