Engagement Present Ideas

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Hannah Hanley

If you are anything like us right now, it seems like 2013 is the year of the wedding! We have lots of friends getting engaged, married, and we’re at the beginning stage of those starting to have babies. Thought I would share my favorite engagement gift ideas.

State Love Shadow Box by InvincibleInc – $45

I actually got Rory something similar to this for our first anniversary (paper). Super cute if they are from two different states. There are options on Etsy that can be customized with one state and the town name, the couple’s names, or the date they met.

A Smart Bride is an Organized Bride Planning Notebook – $150

Great for a couple of friends to go in on together for the bride.

Wedding Ring Holder by The Papery Nook – $13

This is a super easy DIY also, you can customize the frame, and background according to the bride’s tastes.

Customized Ring Dish by Promise Pottery – $20

This ring dish is my favorite go-to engagement prezzie. It takes a couple weeks for delivery, but it’s simple and sweet. Plus, it’s a great price point. I personally don’t take my ring off for fear of losing it, but this dish is great for other trinkets bedside like chapstick, earrings, or hairbands.

Guess my friends will know what they’re getting after saying YES!

-h

P.S. When we moved into our house our fave housewarming presents were this slate cheeseboard and a new return address stamp that we LOVE.

Tuesday Shoesday: Reef Flats

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Hannah Hanley

Last week my friend sent me a link to these Reef flats. She said she tried a pair on at REI and they were super comfortable, complete with arch support. I was instantly smitten by all the patterns and options including ikat, espadrille, and shoe/sandals like the ones I had back in the day. We couldn’t decide which ones we liked best.

Reef Tropic – $54

Reef Southern Solstice – $74

S and I were just talking about how I wanted a pair of nude flats for summer and there are def options for a casual pair from Reef.

-h

Color Run Weekend dilly dally

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Hannah Hanley

Yesterday, S and I ran The Color Run in Seattle. It’s a super fun run that is not timed (check out the video from last year’s race here). When you check in you get a swag bag with t-shirt, sweatband, fake tattoo and a packet full of colored powder. At the end, there is a DJ and every 10 minutes or so there is a big countdown to a color throw. Even though it isn’t timed, I tracked us on my phone and we completed the 5k in 29 minutes!

Have you guys seen the app #imaunicorn? If not, download it right now. Basically you can add stickers to any photo. Stickers including unicorn horns. When we were in Vegas for C’s bachelorette party a couple months ago we were unicorning every photo. So when S and I saw the Runicorn we were like PICS!

By the end of the race and the post-race party you are totally COVERED in a rainbow.

Post-run, we showered and hit the Ballard Farmer’s Market to grab flowers for our mom and headed down for dinner with the fam.

Have a wonderful week!

-h

Craigslist Finds: Mid-Century Steals

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Hannah Hanley

Chicka chicka CL deals in the house! Mid-century modern = timeless. Here are a couple recent CL finds.

Ward Bennett Chair ($100) probably could negotiate to $75. The perfect side chair because you can easily switch out cushions/pillows to change up the look. It looks like it’s in great condition with no missing parts in the netting. Was posted 3 days ago and hasn’t been swooped yet.

Mersman End Table Set ($65 for 2!). LOVE those Greek key style pulls. Would make great sofa tables or night stands. These babies will probably get picked up pretty quickly at that price.

Drexel “Campaign” Style Desk ($75). Original campaign style had brass accents and pulls so this might be a re-production. I would check that it’s solid and probably offer $60. The worst they can say is no. This would be great to paint a bright color and take the pulls back to brass. Like this one in mint.

Happy CL-ing and happy Friday!

Be wonderful.

-h

Running – there will be days

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Hannah Hanley

Since I started training for the RnR Seattle half marathon, I’ve been spending a lot more time pounding the pavement around my neighborhood. It’s funny how once you have a route you start to get used to it, we’ve living in our house for just over a year, and we always walk pretty much the same route with Judge or when we’re taking a stroll together. Last night I had an “easy” 3 on my training schedule and I didn’t feel like doing any hills. This is pretty much impossible because we basically live on top of the neighborhood hill, all streets lead to the waterfront areas. I did 6 miles on Saturday and was still feeling it, and mostly, I was being lazy since it was like 80 degrees out.

I headed out from my house and my legs felt like bricks, I got down the street from the house and suddenly I felt a presence behind me, turning around, I realized Judge, had hurdled the fence apparently and wanted to join me. I turned around and locked him back inside the fence, and then headed out again.

Half mile from the house, I started doubting myself, thoughts entering my head in millisecond rounds:
– What was I thinking, agreeing to this?
– I hate running.
– My calves are cramping.
– I can barely run 3 miles, what makes me think I can run 13?!
– I wonder if this will ever be easy.
– What is easy running?
– What should I eat for dinner?
– Have I earned my dinner yet?
– What should I bake this weekend?

I headed further from the house in a different direction then normal, at 12 mins in, I thought, oh jeez, I’ve probably only gone like a mile.

Closer to the end of my loop, I got toward the house, I realized I wasn’t even near the 3 miles mark so went the other direction. I passed my favorite froyo place and genuinely considered stopping (not complaining, but it was quite unseasonably warm yesterday). I thought about how I could just tell them I’d be back to pay later and leave my house key, but then I thought, how would I get into the house. By that point, I was past the froyo place and rounding the corner back into our neighborhood. I looked at my watch and calculated that I had probably finally hit 2.5 miles and tried to turn the speed up. My legs felt like they were bodies tied to cinder blocks being tossed into a river. I started to wonder what runners high felt like, definitely the opposite of what I was feeling. I finally finished and I had done 3 in 30 minutes – 10:08 miles, which is slower then I did my 6 on Saturday, but still good. R and I talked about how there will be days like that, where even though my legs feel heavy, I’ll surprise myself.

I had planned on going to yoga this morning but stayed up too late recipe testing grapefruit muffins. But rest is just as important as exercise…right?

Make today wonderful!

-h

Sunday Dinner: Stuffed Peppers

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Hannah Hanley

I usually like to make something for dinner on Sunday night that will have enough leftovers to be my lunch for the week. Whatever I make sets the tone for the week and it’s nice to not have to think about throwing something together or resorting to unhealthy choices during the day. This weekend was relaxing but active, so I wanted comfort food. Stuffed peppers have always been one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes, but through the years I’ve added a few twists of my own.

Stuffed Peppers

-Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients
– 3 bell peppers
– 1 package ground turkey
– 1 package frozen Trader Joe’s brown rice – they sell this in boxes in the frozen section and they come in individually microwavable packages. It cuts the brown rice prep time down to 3 mins instead of an hour. You can also use regular brown rice of course, cook according to directions.
– 1 small can corn
– 1/2 onion chopped
– 1 can tomato soup mixed with 1/2 can milk or about a 1.5 cups of pre-made tomato soup (I like the Pacific kind in the box).
– grated cheddar cheese

-Wash and de-seed 3 bell peppers (red is my favorite, but if you prefer green, yellow, or orange go for it) and cut them in half hot-dog ways – see above photo.
– Brown the turkey and drain off excessive fat.
– Meanwhile microwave the frozen rice, or if you’re using normal brown rice, cook that.
– In the same pan you used for the turkey saute the onion until it’s translucent and has softened.
– Add the drained corn to the onion and sauté. Sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons of cumin and 1 teaspoon chili powder.
– In a big bowl mix the turkey with the onion and corn and add the rice. Taste it at this point and if it needs more flavor add more cumin and chili powder.
– Arrange the pepper halves in a baking dish and fill them with the turkey, rice, onion, and corn mixture.
– Gently pour the tomato soup over the top of the peppers letting it fill in the crevices, it’s okay if it spills over a little.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until peppers are soft. In the last 5 minutes of baking sprinkle with grated cheese and cook until melted.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

I love these because they are very easy to change according to what you have in your fridge or cupboard. I’ve added chopped black olives, mushrooms, green chilies, chopped spinach, or chopped tomato to the insides mixture before, all with great results.

There will probably be quite a bit of filling leftover, I usually freeze part of it or just put in the fridge and use for tacos, add it to chili, or just eat it straight.

Looking forward to a low-key week on my end with lots of running, gym and yoga time.

-h

Half Marathon, I guess I’m doing that.

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Hannah Hanley

Last year S decided to run the Seattle Rock n’ Roll half marathon.

She almost convinced me to do it with her, but at that time I wasn’t in a very good place mentally (or physically) – weird how those two go hand in hand. I’ve been working out harder lately and trying to eat better plus running a bit, so 2 weeks ago when my friend Anna, who lives in SLC, texted me asking if I wanted to run the Seattle RnR on June 22, I agreed grudgingly and messaged S to see if she would also be interested. She said she would but with many stipulations – like the fact that she isn’t required to run the whole way, hoping she at least runs with me for the beginning! I’m two weeks into the training and it’s going pretty well. I had my first ever 3 miles of straight running that actually felt fun and relatively easy. I know there will be days that don’t feel like that though, like my first “long” run last Saturday, where my breathing was awful, and then I turned the corner to come up the “big” hill and the wind was blowing right into my face and I actually had the thought pass through my mind, “Am I even moving right now?” I know that if S could do it last year, then I can do it this year because we’ll be supporting each other.

I’ve also been reading a lot more about eating clean (along with everyone else in the world in seems like). The hardest habit for me to kick is and always will be the sweets. This girl loves to bake, loves candy, and loves fat kidding up things that are good for you…like skim milk (mmhmm add that nesquik) or fruit (also add nesquik). But, I’ve been setting some weekly goals, simple ones that are seemingly attainable. “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants” – Michael Pollan

I like Pollan’s 7 simple rules because they are just that – simple. A good reminder to slow down, enjoy your food and eat products that are quality.

Wish me luck and healthiness in the next 8 weeks, I’m planning on training to 12 miles, so I’m going to need to learn patience and endurance – quickly.

Be well, be wonderful!

-h

Tuesday Shoesday: Bensimon Sneakers

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Hannah Hanley

Not much more iconic in terms of french footwear then the Bensimon Sneaker. Perfect for spring and summer time and a little more practical for the PNW then Toms. Don’t get me wrong, I love Toms, they are my go to when the streets are dry and I know I can avoid puddles, but I need something with a rubber bottom when there is a chance of rain.

Find them here or here. ($55)

-h

The Great Nanaimo Bar Search

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Hannah Hanley

Most foods are associated with a memory. For me, my first memory of eating a nanaimo bar was when I was in high school. I had been invited on a ski trip to Whistler with my friend Meaghan’s family. We were lucky that a group of our friends could be up there at the same time with their parents or friend’s parents as well. I think this trip, there were about 15 kids all from our same group of buddies skiing together. Each day, we would meet Meaghan’s parents for lunch on the mountain. Following lunch, her dad would leave and come back to the table with coffee for both Meaghan’s mom and himself and a treat to share. He would alternate between a cookie, a nanaimo bar (my personal favorite) and a brownie.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to join Meaghan’s family many more times to Whistler during both the summer and the winter. And each time, during lunch at least one of the days, I would track down a nanaimo to share. Over this past Christmas, I was with Meaghan’s family once again, and after I finished my lunch, I stopped at the bakery to pick up the treat, we had decided on a later lunch time and they were out. Okay, it wasn’t a big deal. I was up there again last weekend with some friends, I knew I needed my nanaimo fix. I headed toward the lodge bakery again, when I asked the girl working if they had any nainamo bars she looked at me like I was a lunatic, she had no idea what I was talking about. At this point, I’d been telling everyone how excited I was for nanaimos and it was starting to get a little embarrassing.

Later the next day, my friend Lindsey suggested I check the case at the grocery store. FA LA LA!!! I had found the nanaimos! I immediately gathered a family pack into my arms and then realized in my Caesar induced haze, I didn’t have my wallet.

I was just running into the building to grab my sunglasses from upstairs, and then meet up with the rest of the group. Luckily, when we returned to the area later for supplies, the nanaimos were still there (I had been a little afraid that someone else was on the same hunt that I was).

They were everything I hoped for and more. The melty chocolatey top, the custard center, and brownie style bottom are the perfect bite of richness.

3 hours later and a few sake-ritas from Sushi Village and the nanaimo family package was just a memory.

This past Sunday, nearly a week after returning from Whistler, I had to fulfill my need for more nanaimo. My mom’s friend Jane sent me her recipe, which turned out fantastic.

Nanaimo Bars from the collection of Jane Bertramson

1st Layer:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown or white sugar (I used brown)
3 Tbsp baking cocoa
1 beaten egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used pecans)

Mix butter, sugar, cocoa, egg and vanilla over low heat until custard like consistency. (*Watch closely and stir constantly – it overcooks easily.) Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well and press into 9″ square greased pan. Chill 1/2 hour.

2nd Layer:

2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Combine and beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread on 1st layer and chill 1/2 hour.

3rd Layer:

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup butter

Melt together and spread over 2nd layer. Chill at least 1/2 hour or overnight before serving. *If chilled several hours or overnight, remove from refrigerator 1/2 hour before cutting. Cut into 1″ squares.

Enjoy!

-h

1000 Wonderful Things

Author Archives: Hannah Hanley