Looking back on last week, it’s easy to see that it was a week of special deliveries.

I got these beauties in the mail from Shoedazzle.com and am in love. Now, if only the PNW weather would cooperate so I could wear them.

As you know from Sunday’s post, I received a very special gift from my sis this week, a Whitney English Day Designer Planner. I am still filling out all of the worksheets, but am getting used to having such a comprehensive tool in my everyday routine. Learn more here.

Last but certainly not least, we were able to drop off a little care package to a very special person. Our friend’s daughter recently received a heart transplant a little over two weeks ago and is already at home resting and getting better everyday. We are absolutely amazed and inspired by Micaela and her family. If you want to hear her story and show some love on Facebook, you can find out more here.

Make it a great one.

xo

Weekends are what dreams are made of, or at least that’s how I felt about this weekend. I went out on Friday night with my husband and his work friends, and as DD, I was able to enjoy a colorful evening, felt fantastic the next morning and received countless thanks for driving. Good times.

First stop was Red Hook Brewery, so I had a Hale’s Cream Ale and a salmon burger…delish!

Since Friday was a late night, I enjoyed sleeping in, and I find sleeping in the most luxurious think in the whole wide world. I was able to get in some light cleaning and handled grocery shopping, and since I did not buy flowers on Friday, I picked up some gorgeous white hydrangeas on Saturday. I spent Saturday afternoon/evening on the couch, eating takeout and dark chocolate walnut brownies, drinking red wine and watching some of the best reality TV I’ve watched in a long time…via on demand…with my favorite girls. It was the perfect night in with girlfriends.

Some things are meant to be…like this brownie mix being in my cupboard on a girl’s night.

Sunday morning was dreamy. I made a yummy poached egg and finally tried making hash browns in the waffle iron (here’s the recipe), sprinkled some Mediterranean sea salt, pepper and green onion on top, and it was just perfect. I turned on Songza and found the best station, –Tina Turner aaaand The White Stripes?!– sipped my coffee, read my new book and just relaxed. Afterward, I felt so energized and inspired, ready to dive into a project, and so I did (more on that later this week).  After I got my craft on, I made a veggie lasagna, and the hubby and I snuggled up for some Game of Thrones.

Today I feel rested and ready for the week. Busy and action-packed weekends are great, but sometimes being home feels so good and I think you just need that every once in a while.

xo

Sorry for the blogging lull, but we have been busy little bees lately. Work has been overwhelming, I’m in crunch time for the party this weekend, January Challenge tasks have fallen to the wayside, and my kitchen is a little, well, out of sorts.

Work has been taking over my days and evenings lately, with long weekday hours and long weekend hours.

Don’t worry, we squeezed in a very fun hike/sledding day on Saturday. More on that later!

The concrete countertops are coming along beautifully, but until this slab is sealed and totally dry, we can’t use it, so the microwave, fruit bowl, blender, and other kitchen essentials are currently living in the dining room…on the table…totally taking over. Also, I really need to make a decision on the backsplash–ideas and suggestions are always welcome.

Projects that I’ve been dying to delve into but haven’t are really beginning to add up, but a wise friend told me that the January Challenge is “extra credit” and boy, did that make me feel better. It’s so true! The improvements we have made thanks to the January Challenge are crazy good (put “January Challenge” into the search to see all of the projects), so I will not fret another second.

Besides, it’s party time this weekend, and my January Challenge time isn’t up yet. I’m very excited to have our friends over, relax and enjoy these amazing people in our lives. If I complete another task, fantastic, and if not, it’s not going anywhere, so I’ll tackle it another day. Sometimes, you need to snap out of the craziness that can be our lives, and just enjoy what’s happening.

xo

I enjoy writing Life in Photos because it’s fun to look back on my week, remember the fun things I did, the yummy things I ate, and this week’s photos are all about enjoying the simple pleasures in life.

We hosted friends for football viewing on Saturday, and there is nothing better than a full, cozy house.

Sunday morning breakfast –potatoes, spinach and peppers, topped with a sunny side up egg.

Flowers for the January Challenge.

Afternoon reading, curled up on the couch with a fuzzy blanket…so luxurious.

Sunday date night involved a movie and a vodka tonic for me.

A project in the works…exciting stuff.

With Friday quickly approaching, I can’t wait to finish up this project, do some more reading, and enjoy some football.

xo

It was a beautiful weekend here in the PNW, and it made me so grateful to be in a region of the US not being pummeled by snow and crazy cold temps. My weekend went like this: relaxing, crafty Friday evening, followed by a busy Saturday, and topped off with a “friends and football” themed Sunday.

Also very exciting, NFL playoffs games this weekend…crazy, craaaazy games, but the highlight for my hubby was the 49ers win. I’m not a 49ers fan, but I do love seeing a happy hubby.

Have a great Tuesday!
xo

Happy 2014 everyone! I hope that you had a fun and safe NYE, and that you spent the first day of 2014 doing something that makes you happy. I opted for an at home spa day and couldn’t be happier with my choice. I started with a face scrub made of coffee grounds, yogurt and coconut oil, and I got the recipe from this pin. Then I made a mask of gelatin and milk, which is essentially a giant pore strip, and that came from this pin. I finished off my at home spa day with a detox bath. There are a ton of different detox baths out there, but I kept it simple –with this one— and used lavender Epsom salts and baking soda, and the result…glorious relaxation. The day also included breakfast with our next door neighbors and a Dutch Baby demonstration, serious lounging, the start of a new book and Chinese takeout.

How was your day 1 of 2014?

xo

2013, you threw us some curve balls, but all in all we cannot complain because with every difficulty presented, we landed on our feet, happier, stronger and a little wiser. For me, this was the year of “letting it go.” I have been working really hard on not having to be right all the time, on realizing that some things are simply out of your hands, and on learning from your mistakes but always moving forward. It takes so much energy to dwell on negativity and the bad things that have happened to you, but guess what…it changes nothing. Harboring bad energy isn’t good for your mental or physical health, and it can affect the well being of those closest to you. So, thank you 2013, for being my year to learn to let it go. I’m not a resolutions kind of person, but I am a big believer in goals. In 2014, I have lots of hopes and goals, but knowing that a theme like “letting it go” will emerge, makes me happier than you could possibly know.

Enjoy ringing in the new year tonight, whether you plan on being home in your jammies with a bottle of champagne, or if your going to be at a party with friends and family. Above all, be safe out there!

Goodbye 2013!

xo

We don’t get much snow here in the burbs of Seattle, but it does grace us with its beauty every once in a while. Last Friday was a magical day, being so close to Christmas and seeing the snow fall. Although I was headed into the office like any other day, I took some time to snap a few pictures of the pups enjoying the snow.

The snow day really set the stage for Christmas. As I drove through my neighborhood, I saw snowmen building and people going for walks, and I can only imagine that these activities were followed up with some hot cocoa. And the combination of snow and Christmas lights…gorgeous.

Have you had any snow in your hometown?

xo