Anne: Coffee and Cute Things

This has been my life recently and I mean it in the best way possible.

Coffee art courtesy of the Ballard Market cafe.

Anne: The end of an era

Bad phone picture to end all bad phone pictures. Anyway, in case you can't tell what this is...it's a crock pot, which my phone kept on wanting to autocorrect as crackpot. See the signature burnt-on stain from some spilled over chili 5 years ago? This crockpot was handed down to me from my mom and is a whopping 18 or so years old. Now we'll have to get a new one and put this one to rest. :'(

Anne: Carbonation

We have found a new addiction this summer, and it's name is bubbly water. Of course being us we couldn't leave it at just purchasing over-priced fizzy water from the store. And those "sodastreams" are practically as expensive. No we had to make our own. With a 5lb CO2 tank, we'll probably not need to fill it up for about a year. Ahhh, so refreshing.

If you're interested go here for the details on making your own. Everything can be purchased on Amazon!

Anne: It's that time again...

While everyone is posting pictures of the happy couple and beautiful decorations at the wedding, let's just all remember what's important. We may have come for the wedding, but we stayed for the bacon jam.

I'm sorry for those of you who haven't tasted this, it was one of the best foods I've ever had the privilege of eating. Luckily, the bride's mom was gracious enough to share the recipe.

Okay, fine here's one of the couple. The poor camera phone quality is eclipsed by how cute they looked dancing together.

Anne: Showers of Ice Cream

We had a lovely little shower for a dear friend getting married next week! Complete with an ice cream bar, prayer and our favorite romantic movie scenes. Aren't the flowers and banner wonderful?!

Note: This photo was not technically taken by me, All Rights Reserved Michelle Parker ;)

Anne: Ashy Feet

You know how everyone shares cute traveling pictures of their feet? Then there's this:

Spent another wonderful Friday evening with friends at Golden Gardens. Because of all the fires on the beach, the sand is speckled with black, charred wood. Stains the toes pretty well.

Anne: Two Faced

This was either side of the same mountain that we hiked up on Saturday. None of us were expecting this much snow, but that's the mountains out here.

Anne: Beach Bonfire

Spent Friday night on the beach at Golden Gardens with some lovely friends. Even got introduced to the Reese's S'more...amazing.

Anne: Fangorn Forest, WA

Doesn't it look like he's trying to lift something on his shoulders?

Anne: Pile of Cabbage

If you think I'm saying that like it's a bad thing, you clearly haven't lived any time in Pittsburgh with sauerkraut and haluski. Besides under all that cabbage are three delicious tacos from Marination.

Anne: Pseudo-Flashback Friday

Family converged in Minnesota this past week. My mom, brother, sister and I have not been all in the same place in 13 years when this was taken:

But we didn't take a picture all together. Instead there is more than a 20 year gap between the pictures below.

I'm the little one on the left (my niece is on the right)

Anne: Fremont Fair (Warning: Possible Nudity)

Fremont Fair -- hosted in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, the self declared center of the universe -- is pretty much Seattle at it's weirdest. The fair has all the normal fair stuff, funnel cake, artisan stands, beer garden, community art project (the long panel in which I added a poorly painted tree and blue bird) and, of course, naked bicycle parade. I think I got a shot where everything is tastefully covered, but I apologize if there's any nudity I missed. It was truly a sight to behold and now we can check it off the "Becoming a Seattlite" list. But I will say all I kept thinking was "Where is Katy Getsie?"

Bainbridge Island

Spent the day on Bainbridge Island visiting a friend. The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art had it's grand opening with flags, pins and little shortbread cookies. We spent the day walking around the quaint little shops and experiencing Mora Ice Cream for the first time (Pistachio and Coconut).

Tourista Part 5 -- Theo Chocolate

Ben's mom and brother came to visit this past week, which basically meant we were tourists all weekend. This is what happened.

The baby roaster

If you've never had Theo Chocolate, available nationwide no excuses, you should stop whatever lame thing you're doing and put that in your face right this second. Theo has some pretty tasty chocolate and they do great flavor combinations, but what I really love is their company. They're a bean to bar chocolate maker, that's fair trade, organic and awesome. This was my second factory tour, another thing I highly recommend if you are in the area they give you chocolate!, and one of the things I really appreciated was the passion of the young lady giving the tour. You could just tell she loved what she was a part of and the mission of Theo. 

Tempering the Chocolate in the confections room -- intense QA assessment taking place

Tourista Part 4 -- Picture Perfect

Ben's mom and brother came to visit this past week, which basically meant we were tourists all weekend. This is what happened.

Friends of ours told us about a lovely little park that overlooks Seattle and I'm very thankful they did. It didn't hurt that it was a beautiful day. The little dome of a cloud on the middle right side of the picture is  Mt. Rainier. It's hard to see and doesn't do the scene justice, but it gives you enough to use your imagination.

Tourista Part 3 -- The Motherload

Ben's mom and brother came to visit this past week, which basically meant we were tourists all weekend. This is what happened.

This post doesn't really need any description. You're in Seattle, especially for the first time, you have to go to the Space Needle. I am happy to report though we have still never gone up and don't feel any worse for it.

PS this should have been a chin picture :(

Tourista, Part 2 -- The Locks

Ben's mom and brother came to visit this past week, which basically meant we were tourists all weekend. This is what happened.

We visited the Ballard Locks where boats can move from one area of water to another area of water in Seattle. (No I still haven't really figured out which is which, I'm continue to work on my pronunciation of Puget.) There were actually two--yes TWO--salmon in the fish ladder and one tiny guy who was probably lost. And a seal hunting around the water. The Locks are so much more exciting right now because there are actual boats going through, including the largest barge and tugboat I've ever seen. But there aren't pictures of any of these things. This is a thingy they would use to tie off the boats I think. And apparently Pittsburgh had something to do with some part of the building or running of this place. Maybe I just got excited because it said Pittsburgh...don't judge me!

Tourista Part 1 -- The Crab Pot

Ben's mom and brother came to visit this past week, which basically meant we were tourists all weekend. This is what happened.

The Crab Pot has the whole We've-been-on-TV thing going for them, and I'm not going to lie they were packed. We'd been wanting to check out this place out for a while, at least to say we'd gone. Family gave us the perfect excuse. Besides I love crab and their Seafeast seemed worth a try if not a bit gluttonous. They have four types, each one with a little more added than the last--including expense. Then you order per person. For the four of us we settled on a three person Pacific Clambake. It was so much food. Definitely tasty though in a city like Seattle where there are SO many restaurants to try it's hard to say we'll be back. Though anywhere they give you a bib and a hammer has got to be classy.

Memory Lane

Though not my memories. I guess this could also be a Flashback Friday. Anyway, I was visiting my Grandparents and Mom last week and we got out some photos my Grandmother had found that I had never seen before. Like this gem below. Yup that's my mom circa 197-big hair. I'm not sure but either way enjoyable for all.

You had me...

While I was on my way back to Seattle last week, the flight attendant handed these out to everyone on the plane. A passenger wanted us to be a part of his story. I thought it was a sweet idea.