SO ready for this weekend! This week has been one for the books. When in doubt, find the good in the bad, learn from the past and move on as quickly as you can.
Dream big – like really big – like $59 million home in Montana big.
One of my besties is in town from Utah and we have some serious wine drinking, laughing, and chit-chatting to do.
Plus R is off all weekend!
Be wonderful!
xx
-h
Over the weekend, our parents friend’s hosted a backyard concert featuring Jenn Grinels. Jenn’s an awesome songwriter, singer, and overall performer; she kept the crowd thoroughly entertained not only with her music but also with her witty story telling in … Continue reading
Photo: waveoverwave
It’s been quite the week. At work the GM’s wife lost her 6 year battle with cancer Sunday night.
Every day is an opportunity.
Have a wonderful weekend!
xx
-h
I headed back over to the east side of the state last weekend for a wedding in Spokane at the Bozarth Mansion. Bri’s parents bought the cabin next to ours at Priest Lake about 10 years ago, and they have been close family friends since. R had last Friday off, so we went out with friends in Tacoma and I planned on packing/leaving early Saturday morning. Late night Friday led to crazy rushing Saturday and I had about 10 minutes to get ready for the wedding once I got to Spokane. All of my anxiousness dissolved as soon as we arrived at the mansion. Bri and her mom, Kim, had done a wonderful job creating a charming, intimate, and elegant detail orientated ceremony and reception (with support from the menfolk too of course!).
There were hankies wrapped with a ribbon for everyone.
Bri’s bouquet was SO gorgeous – complete with a little bling.
The centerpieces were HUGE, tall hurricanes filled with roses, ranunculus, hydrangeas, and greenery. The reception was in the Bozarth garden area, which like I said before, had a very intimate feeling. There are big trees that provide shade, the walls and walkways are brick and there is a quaint fountain. It was like the Secret Garden. When the sun went down, candles and overhead Edison style string lights provided soft lighting.
It has been so fun this summer attending so many different styles of weddings, each day reflects such personality. I just love it!
Make it a wonderful week!
xx
-h
About 10 weeks ago my friend Anna texted me asking if I wanted to run the Seattle Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon. I agreed and convinced Sarah to do it also. Since then, I’ve been working hard getting in as many training runs as possible. The race was last Saturday, and I couldn’t be happier with the results!
Anna flew in Friday and we met in Seattle to get some last minute details in place for the bridal shower we were hosting Saturday afternoon for my future sis-in-law, Erica. We headed to the expo and picked up our packets and then went out for dinner. Saturday morning came quickly.
We all started together and kept a comfortable pace for the first several miles. Eventually Sarah and I fell in together. By mile 7, I was getting super hungry. I hadn’t experienced that sensation in my training and started to feel frustrated. I was glad that Sarah was with me because we supported each other and pushed through the miles one by one. Mile 8 passed and I tried to put down a gel. I was really struggling mentally. My legs were tired, my feet hurt, and I was hot. Eventually we made it through to 9, then 10 and 11 came quickly. The last part of the race is along Highway 99, there are sweeping views of the Puget Sound and cars were honking and waving as they drove by. Tons of racers were stopping to take photos. Sarah and I pushed through the uphill and FINALLY rounded the corner to the last stretch of the race. There were tons of people lining the course cheering for their family and friends. There is a short down and then a steep uphill. I could feel Sarah steps behind me and we both started to sprint. I was scanning the crowd the whole time looking for Rory and just as I passed him I heard him yelling. Crossing the finish line was emotional, but I felt so proud of myself, I couldn’t help but smile. Anna finished shortly after us and we all met to walk back to Sarah’s apartment to get ready for the bridal shower.
I finished in 2:32:14 via my watch and 2:38:07 via the timing chip, Sarah was 2:38:08, which was awesome considering she hadn’t been training much.
Overall it was a blast and we’re already scheming our next race!
xx
-h
Welp you guys, tomorrow is the half marathon! I’m nervous/excited. I feel prepared, but don’t know what to expect. My friend Anna is flying in from Utah today and I’m absolutely thrilled to see her for the first time in over a YEAR. Anna and I lived together in what I affectionally refer to as the “Wanna Tappa Kegga” house, us and 5 guys in SLC. It was like the Real World meets ski bum life. And, before that lived together in the dorms. Needless to say, we’ve been through a lot together, and I can’t wait to face this challenge with her.
I already mentioned that this will be Sarah’s 2nd time running the Rock n’ Roll Seattle Half, so she’s our veteran and will be showing Anna and me the ropes.
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about mantra style thinking and when I saw this on Pinterest via Elle Noel, I knew I wanted to share it.
If you’re participating this weekend in the Rock n’ Roll, Ragnar in Utah or any race – GOOD LUCK!
Have a great weekend!
xx
-h
We’ve been taking some awesome trips around the Pacific Northwest lately including camping near Cape Flattery, the most Northwest point in the lower 48, then a jet boat tour through Hells Canyon with my family, and most recently to Orcas Island with and to visit some friends we know from Park City.
Stopped for late lunch at the Next Door Gastropub in Port Angeles on the way to Cape Flattery and walked to the top of the town stairs for the view of Mount Baker.
Sunset on Hobuck beach.
Hobuck Beach is one of the premier surf spots in Washington, which we realized once we pulled into our camp spot.
In the morning, as I was crawling out of the tent, our camp neighbor whisper yelled that he had spotted a whale in the bay. We scurried out and saw it blow once before it disappeared. A couple hours later we leisurely hiked out to the actual Cape point and spotted it again!
A couple weeks later we drove to Clarkston, Washington for a Hells Canyon Jet Boat Tour.
Heading up the calm part of the Snake River.
An old cattle ranch with no road access, now operates as a small museum, campground, and lunch spot for tour operators.
The next weekend our friends Quincy and Aaron visited from Park City, and we went up to Orcas Island to stay with Sheetal and Mike, more PC buddies.
The view from Rosario Resort, where Sheetal and Mike work during the summer. Rosario is a historic place going through a bit of a remodel. The changes will be a welcome update and we can’t wait to go back.
A major highlight of the weekend was brunch at Doe Bay, featuring all local produce and ingredients, I was instantly smitten. We were all blown away by the house infused arugula vodka used in the bloody marys that were dressed with a pickled fiddle head along with the usual suspects. The menu changes often and when I looked today the lox was no longer listed. Is there anything better then salmon, bagel, cream cheese, and oozy egg yolk? Plus everything was garnished with edible flowers from their garden.
The Doe Bay soaking tub cabin is an island destination for locals and tourists. The views from the cabin are sweeping of the sound and massive forests.
We are so lucky to be able to explore this wonderful world.
Enjoy!
xx
-h
It all starts with an innocent gym membership. Lifetime fitness is the goal, via your parent’s habits. You use your old tennis shoes, shorts, and t-shirts.
You start working out at the college gym and acquire some yogis from Victoria’s Secret and a couple of bright v-necks because that’s what everyone is wearing to workout.
For Christmas you ask for personal training sessions.
One day, you innocently wander in to LuLuLemon and try a pair of compression capris on. You have no intention of spending $90 on black stretchy pants, so you bargain with your husband that if you meet some extremely attainable goal you have earned the lulu’s.
A couple months later you try trail running with a friend and realize she has some sweet kicks that are super grippy on the rough ground, you pick up a pair with a discount code of backcountry.com.
Your coworker does spin 3 times a week at 5am, you try it, and wonder about buying clip in shoes.
A few months after that, you ride bikes downtown with all your roomies and you can’t keep up on your cruiser so you decide to sell it for a real urban bike. You obviously need some padded shorts (skort) to go with the new bike because no one like a sore hoo hoo. You get a cute under seat bag to stash your phone and money for rides. Then you need a squeazy water bottle because you can’t take time to screw the top off your nalgene while you’re at a stop light.
You’re husband convinces you to try mountain biking. It’s terrible. You decide to never ride a bike again. At least you’ve dodged the bullet of having to buy a women’s double suspension bike plus a full face helmet, knee, elbow, and wrist pads.
A trip to the outlet mall includes a stop at Nike and all of a sudden you’re hooked a sports bra that’s is $60, at least it holds the girls down. You buy 2 more.
You try yoga for the first time and buy a yoga mat.
You move and rejoin the gym. You resort to wearing old t-shirts because you’re not impressing anyone at the neighborhood gym you grew up going to.
An old friend loses a bunch of weight and gets super fit doing Insanity, you buy it off Craigslist from someone in a very sketchy deal. Shaun T. tells you that a heart rate monitor is necessary, you find one and geek out on the technology.
Your sister convinces you to try hot yoga, you buy groupons and utilize first time memberships at 4 different studios before committing to 10 day passes at a couple of them. You buy a hot yoga towel.
For your birthday you get a Brooks reflective yellow jacket for walking/running at dusk.
You join a new gym and try zumba. You resort to not wearing anything zumba branded, that seems too far.
For Christmas you get personal training sessions again and the trainer convinces you to buy some protein powder.
You walk into TJMaxx and forget what you’re there for, you see a neon pink workout tank and thoughtlessly throw it into the basket. You see someone wearing a witty tank on instagram from Etsy and buy one for your friend’s birthday and one for yourself.
In a day drinking blur you agree to run a half marathon. You buy a SPI Belt to hold your phone in a “non dorky” belt bag sort of way. You get fitted for new running shoes and drop $160 at the running store, but earn $15 in credit for your next purchase. On the way home you think about how cute the running skort is and how it would only be $30 with your store credit.
Pulling into the garage you see the ski gear needs to put officially away for the summer and your husband’s new golf shoes. Guess there’s two people with a bit of a product addiction in this house.
Now….how can I get my hands on another pair of those lulus.
Be active, be well, be wonderful!
xx
-h
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!
xx
-h