Day 31 is walkin on sunshine

we're having some kind of freak sunny-days streak in seattle right now. After daylight savings, this is one of the most confusing things about living on the mainland (as we call the continental US in Hawaii) for me. When I see sunshine, I think warm/beach/margaritas (in that order). Seven years later and seeing sunshine in 45º weather is still really, really confusing. Looks like summer, feels like winter. Ouch, my brain. I'll get the hang of this someday. In the meantime, I'm loving the sun no matter the temperature... and I'm hoping it stays like this for a few more days when some fancy friends of mine from Chicago come to visit!

ps. 1 month of blogging done. peace out, January!

Day 31 is cloudy

Happy Monday, friends! I'm taking the time to enjoy these cute little clouds before their big mean friends come around tomorrow. We're expecting yet another winter storm here on the East Coast and frankly, I'm sick of it. But, I'm staying positive this week! Nobody's gonna rain on my parade! Except tomorrow.

feast your eyes on Day 30

One of the first things the sis and I did after first getting to Seattle was try to find a place that would become "our sushi spot". With a little help from yelp (rhymes!), we found our sushi place and it is seriously all kinds of amazing. We eat there alllllll the time, and it is always incredible. We had lunch there today and as always, it was perfect and delicious. And yes, I'm totally that person that takes pictures of food. Don't be jealous of my coolness!

ps. if anyone in Seattle is interested, this is the sushi place. highly recommend!

Day 30 doesn't want you to park here

This parking lot in Philly means business. Their "No Parking" sign is inside the enclosed lot. Seriously, don't park here.

Day 29 is a kid again

uh oh, cute baby picture alert! My dad charged me with the task of scanning baby pictures so we can have a digital archive of these precious little memories. I have hundreds of pics in my possession, from just born to awkward middle school years... so much goodness and embarrassment in one place! Anyway, here's a little peek. :)

Day 29 wants some cookies

It's that time of year, friends! "Hello! Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?" Hearing that phrase brings me right back to my days as a Brownie, hawking sugary treats to the masses. I have to admit I was quite the little salesman. After scouring local hot spots I found a cookie sale at the grocery store today. While Thin Mints are delicious, I always go for the Caramel deLites (in my day they were called Samoas - I'm showing my age...). Support your local troop and pick up a box! (I've still got it!)

I've got the keys to Day 28

I super hate fumbling with keys. First of all, it looks like you've never seen your keychain before ("which key is it? is it different from the key i used yesterday?!?"). Secondly it kinda makes it seem like you've never opened a door before ("i could have sworn this was the key! work key, WORK.").

Not sure why I care so much about looking cool as I open a door, but I do. PLUS i saw these at urban outfitters and I was like, get in my shopping cart right now. they are so perfect. no more looking like a crazy person standing in front of closed doors yelling at my keys!

Day 28 is not white trash, I swear!

We currently have a dismantled bathroom on our front lawn. The snow has interrupted our remodeling plans a bit and now our bathroom is almost done! But until we haul this away tomorrow morning our house is going to look like it belongs to Jerry Springer guests. I promise this will be the most white trash thing you'll see from me. That is until I finally get that sweet mullet I've been wanting.

Day 27 has something to say

I find street art to be a magical, mysterious and fascinating thing. In new york I would see the strangest and most wonderful things written or posted all over the city - sometimes hidden, sometimes taking over the entire side of a store/building/street... things like this, or this and this, or even this... so many! I got my first experience of this in Seattle, at last! This was found in the Westlake lightrail station and I was kind of mesmerized by it. I hope I find more of little street art treasures in this town.

Day 27 stays indoors

Remember that snow I talked about yesterday? Well here it is! This is my backyard as seen from our sunroom, because (let's be honest folks) there's no way I'm going outside today.

Day 26 is lost no more

I got a bit lost on my way into the city this evening. Google maps was all "go this way" and I was all "okay, fine", but you know what - google maps lied. rude! Unless they really wanted me to walk directly across a 6 lane highway, which I didn't really feel like doing. And this is where I have to give some love to nyc for taking my busted up navigation skills and making them top freaking notch. I was lost for about 35 seconds, then I saw a few street names, oriented myself, observed the gridded street situation and was on my way (in the right direction). It was a proud moment. Only took 5 months for me to figure out how to get around Seattle!

Day 26's forecast is wrong

The forecast for this morning was rain in the morning, followed by a lull, then snow in the afternoon/evening. What a surprise I got at 6am when it began snowing heavily. And kept snowing until about 1pm, when it started to rain. Then turned into hail. Quit playing games with my heart, weather! I'm one of the East Coasters jealous of Aislinn's last post. I'm so ready for sunshine and warmth!

Day 25 can see the sun (literally)

All my east coast friends are about to hate me.... sorry friends!

It was 54º and sunny (SUNNY!) in Seattle today. My mind was being blown every time I looked out the window. And this one time I looked out the window, I found myself staring directly into the sun. (Note: don't do this.) After I recovered from the burning in my eyes, I decided to take a picture. (Note: don't ever point your camera directly into the sun... unless your camera is your iphone and you have apple care.) The weather is gonna be like this all week. I feel so spoiled!! Bring it, Seattle.

Day 25 is for the birds

The Delaware River frequently freezes during cold snowy winters, much like this one. While driving over the Calhoun St. Bridge this afternoon (No fear, I was a passenger!) I saw a ton of birds chilling, literally. Brrr, I get cold just looking at this! Hopefully they're at least finding some good grub on the water.

Day 24 finds the magic

In a startling turn of events, today I left my apartment.

i'll pause to let you recover from the shock.

One of my dearest Hawaii loves was in Seattle for a blink and had the morning free. So now you're looking at this picture and saying "oh yes, I know what they did. They went to the iconic and beautiful space needle." And to that I say, false. We brushed right on by that giant needle in the sky and made our way to a beautiful, magical, holy place. Also known as the Harry Potter exhibit. People. If we're gonna be friends for the rest of the year you should know that my love for all things HP knows no bounds and this will not be the last time it comes up. Moving on. The exhibit was magical, but did not allow pictures. This made it slightly less magical. Slightly. So I'll leave you with this picture instead. :)

Day 24 is one twisty piece

I'm not a talented fruit peeler. This marks probably the second time in my life in which I've perfectly peeled a clementine. Then I ate the fruit of my labor.

Day 23 goes Bowling!

My trip to New York was a blast (except for leaving my phone behind, thus changing my sleeping arrangements. Thanks again Mer!)! We went bowling at The Gutter in Brooklyn. After a 3+ hour wait and a few brews we were ready to hit the lanes. Good laughs, good friends, good times! And no one got hurt - well at least not anyone in our group...

Day 23 loves football sunday

I created my own football haven today to watch the games. My sis was watching a show in the living room on the big TV all day so I had to get creative if I wanted to watch any football (which I did). Turns out the other thing a giant computer is good at is turning into pretty decent tv streaming machine. HOLLA! I pulled up some chairs, pillows, snacks and then put my feet up and spent my Sunday watching two awesome football games. And how was your Sunday?

lime fresh on Day 22

Okay, this picture started out as me teasing my sister for using limes in her water instead of lemons (this girl is insane), but then I accidentally took it using the HDR setting on my iphone (read: most badass setting ever) and then when I saw how the picture came out, I started obsessing over the colors and the sharpness and the awesomeness I had stumbled onto. I mean really, don't you just want to take a bite out of these things??! Well, they're limes so probably not - unless you've got some tequila on you - in which case we've got a party on our hands, kids!

Day 22's bags are packed, sorta.

I hate packing. I'm going to New York today to visit some of my best college friends (some of you might be reading right now- hi friends!). This is a short one night visit and I have no clue what to bring. The worrier in me wants to bring five changes of clothes, a couple books and a first aid kit. Logically I know I just need the basics. If I forget something I can always buy it, this is America afterall!

Day 21 is bored

This picture is a tad bit boring because my day has been quiet boring! For starters I overslept. Rough problem to have, I know. But I really hate waking up late and feeling like I've wasted an entire morning. (note to self: get a better alarm). Anyway, this is shelf 1 of the movie collection we've got going on out here. To keep myself from becoming a zombie woman who lives in front of the computer, I'm going to start watching at least one of these a day. Maybe this sounds silly but hopefully it will help keep my day from getting stale and boring again. Variety is the spice of life, so they say.

Day 21 looks good enough to eat!

The temperature is somewhere in the twenties. It's windy and there's snow on the ground. In other words it's the perfect night for homemade soup! My mom found a recipe for this amazing vegetable soup. We changed up the ingredients a bit and it was so delicious. The perfect dinner on a cold winter night!

Day 20 will have order!

I love this picture because it so clearly explains how my sister and I are different. I thoughtlessly threw these alphabet magnets on our fridge, intentionally making sure they were out of order and random. I enjoy organized chaos. I woke up to find that she had painstakingly arranged them in order in a row. My organized chaos was no more. And this is exactly how we are. I like to throw things out and watch how the randomness turns into awesomeness, she likes order and lack of chaos wherever possible. What can I say, totally sisters.
(ps. if you picked up on the harry potter reference in this title then i love you from now until forever.)

Day 20 is a Dilapidated Water Tower

This water tower located a few miles from my house used to be fully functioning. Several weeks ago I noticed construction workers bouncing around up there, not literally of course. I haven't driven by in a while so I was quite surprised to see it in shambles today! It does look pretty cool though. Maybe I'll host a party up there.

(PS- Yes, this water tower is located right behind the bar, "Da Bar." A hot spot that has caused many a confused phone call, "We're at Da Bar ... No, DA BAR!")

Day 19 catches the sunrise

uh oh, another 'driving' pic! Are these becoming repetitive yet? Actually, I think this is perhaps only my second... one more and you guys can start calling me out on it. I had to drive my sis to work this morning and as upset as I was to be quite abruptly woken up so early, I did get to catch a spectacular seattle sunrise on the drive. One that I would have missed if I was still in bed.

Day 19 is Refreshing

It's a fact that Coca-Cola tastes best from a glass bottle. I can't even remember the last time I had a bottle of Coke. Talk about a midday pick me up! I'd rather not think about the amount of sugar I consumed (although I drank just over half). The only that would've made this beverage better? Drinking it on a beach somewhere with tropical breezes blowing. A girl can dream!

not ready to go home on day 18

I can now confirm that 4 days at home is simply not enough time. I did my typical routine of trying to hold back tears from check-in through boarding... I failed, of course. It was not a pretty sight. And as I was staring out the airport window trying to take in all I could of the Hawaii sky before I had to board I spotted this little guy. And boy did I feel his pain. He planted himself on this window and clearly had no intention of budging for anyone or anything. You know, sometimes you're just not ready to leave. I totally get that, little moth man. Now we're safely back in Seattle (after one of the worst flights of my life) and (not-quite) ready to get back to the real world. Till the next vacation, I suppose...

Day 18 Wears Masks

Tonight we hung up these masks in my mom's office. She's had them for years and they were packed away while she changed offices. I love how pieces like these can completely redefine a space. I just wouldn't want them over my bed...

day 17 is rested

I woke up extra early this morning so I could sneak in some early morning sun. Everyone else was still sleeping and the world was quiet. Just me and the bugs and the trees and the sun. It was perfect and there was the added bonus of finally getting some sun after 4 months without it. I'm sad to be going back to seattle tomorrow and leaving my perfect little slice of happiness here at home.... but at least i'll have a tan when I'm back!

Day 17 Looks Ominous

It's another impending snow shot y'all! Tonight we're expecting 1-3 inches of snow followed by some delightful freezing rain early tomorrow morning. Ugh. I should've snuck into Aislinn's suitcase when I had the chance...

Day 16 is soakin up the sun!

It was another day gorgeous day here in Hawaii! All that was on the agenda for the day was soaking up some sun, a mani/pedi adventure with my sisters and a family movie night. All is well in paradise.

Day 16 is Made from Scratch

Day 16 marks my successful foray into pancake making! Thanks in part to a recipe from Martha Stewart I made pancakes from scratch this morning. And they were amazing. The recipe is so easy I can't believe I haven't tried it sooner. No more box mix for this girl! Following Martha's suggestion I jazzed some of them up using fruit (namely blueberries, strawberries, and craisins) and white chocolate chips. Slice of delicious!

boozin with day 15

Today was a day known as "festivus" in our family. If you've watched seinfield ever in your life then you know the origins of the word. (ps. what? you've never watched seinfield?? who are you?!)

Festivus for us just means a general day of partying. No occasion necessary. Just needs to be a day in the world. Seriously - only criteria. Today we had the added goodness of football games (woo Steelers!!), beer, ribs, wings, and general feasting. Oh - and margaritas. My family has a new obsession with some kind of margarita mixer 3000 or something. I shouldn't make fun because it is possibly the most brilliant invention of all time and we drank many a margarita courtesy of it's magic ways.

ps. i've got a birthday coming up. and i like margaritas. need i say more??

Day 15, the key word is "alleged"

We're two weeks old! I remember in mid-December when this little blog seemed so far away. And now it's halfway through January already! Tonight I'm sharing my Anne Taintor calendar with you all. It makes every day a little sassier, something we all could use in life.

Day 14 goes on vacation

Question: What am I doing right now?
Answer: Absolutely nothing.

It's 5pm Hawaii time and the sun is still out. There's a barely there breeze coming in through the windows, the sound of the washing machine and a few notes of my dad snoring in the other room in the background. In other words: everything is perfect. There's a little pup sleeping at my feet. Man how I've missed this crazy dog. And I'm indulging in some Liliha Bakery cream puffs (yes, they are as delicious as they sound) while everyone naps. Man it feels good to be home.

Day 14 is Cold

Minus ten degrees celsius! No, this is not the name of a 90's boy band. It was the temperature on my way home from dinner tonight. I'm very jealous of the Hawaii-bound Aislinn. Send some Hawaii sunshine through the interwebs, lady!

a dark and stormy Day 13

This is becoming my favorite cityscape shot of Seattle. I took a similar picture once before on a less dark and creepy evening and it still rocked my socks. It's like 1/32 the size of New York and I absolutely love it that way.

That being said, I'm happy to not have to see it for a few days while enjoying my nice long weekend in Hawaii. Goodbye dark and stormy, hello 80º and sunny! Let's do this!

Day 13 Loves the Diner

I love a good diner. Even a crappy diner is better than some soggy cheeseburger or the McRib. This is the Ewing Diner, where I went to lunch today with my mom. They give you an insane amount of food. Like to the point where I'd love to sneak in a scale someday to prove their beef stir fry does indeed weigh 28 lbs. There is something magical about a ten page menu serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner at all hours of the day. Where else can you get an omelette, lobster tails, or moussaka 24 hrs. a day, besides your dreams?

the rain keeps falling on Day 12

Oh seattle weather, what winter trickery is this??  You were all "look you guys! I'm gonna make it snow! Oh wait, jk! JK! Now it's rain!! psych your mind!!"

It snowed a fantastic two inches here last night. Buses went on snow routes, schools had delayed openings, people were hoarding dry goods and batteries, others gave up driving altogether and began just leaving their cars on the side of the roads. Shit was getting real. But then everyone stopped to look up from their hysteria and realized the snow had now turned into rain. So I guess that winter joke was on us... well played, Seattle. Well played.

Day 12, No Snowday for You!

We only got a few inches of snow overnight, so it was business as usual! The upside to going to work early? Lots of photo ops! Very few people are out and about before 6am, especially when snow is involved. My neighborhood was so peaceful and beautifully snowy! Some brave soul was out before my street was plowed and left these tracks. As lovely as the snow is, right now I couldn't be happier that I'm home and already in my pjs. Stay warm, friends!

Day 11 is a workaholic

This here is my laptop which I've been chained to all day. Mostly working... with a bit of tweeting/facebooking/viral video watching thrown in for good measure. Gotta maintain balance, you know. I work on this guy (as opposed to my 'desktop' iMac) when I want to perform the super-human task of watching tv and working in the living room at the same time. Sometimes I throw in the very dangerous and controversial third and fourth tasks of cooking and eating as well. That's right - I'm cooking, watching TV, working and eating.... at the same time. Living the dream.

Day 11 is Snowing!

The fridge is stocked with milk, the neighbors put their cars on the lawn creating their own cul-de-sac and schools already have delays. That can only mean one thing - the snowpocalypse is upon us!!

day 10 is an artist

It's back to a life of freelance/unemployment for me this week now that my contract is up at my last job. I'm neither complaining nor worried. Today I got to stay in my pajamas, cook a serious breakfast, have an impromptu dance session in the living room, do yoga and power through my to-do list. Did I mention all this happened while rocking my pretty sexy polka dot fleece pajamas? Oh yes. I even rocked those pajamas to the post-office to pick up some gifts from my mom (by gifts, I mean things we could buy here but she insists on mailing to us... towels, rice, toothpaste...). I snapped this in the post office parking lot. Feels very artsy. Kinda like me. If artsy means living in polka dot pajamas, that is. :)

Day 10 Prepares for Snow

Tomorrow evening Pennsylvania, at least my neck of the woods, is scheduled for more snow. I’ve heard anywhere from two inches to three feet, as weather forecasts usually go. Like most crazy people preparing for a snowpocalypse I did some light grocery shopping this afternoon. This was the sight I saw when leaving the grocery store. Now, I’m no meteorologist but those look like some snow clouds to me! Fingers crossed for a Wednesday snowday!

a very lazy day 9 sunday

After the excitement of yesterday, my sister and I opted for a lazy sunday of grocery shopping, laundry and movies and it was absolutely divine. There's a farmer's market literally 2 minutes away from our apt and we're there at least once a week. The prices are so cheap we buy a week's worth of fruits/veggies there for under $10. Every time we leave with our full bags having only paid a few bucks I always feel like we should hurry to go the car and leave before they realize they've somehow made a mistake in charging us. They haven't, of course, just still haven't washed that "everything is over-priced" new york mentality off of me yet!


ps. Happy Happy Birthday, Katie!!! 

Day 9 is 25

Today is my 25th birthday! And we all know what that means – I can legally rent a car and I’m more than half way to 40. Woof. Hey, at least there’s cake!

Day 8 likes an underdog

You. guys. Where do I even begin?? Today was my first NFL game and I am hooked. Hooked. My ears are still ringing, my voice is gone, I can still taste the ridiculously delicious (and overpriced) sausage sandwich we had at the stadium that we happily washed down with a few cold beers. And I can still see the game happening in front of me when I close my eyes. It was incredible. Not to mention, Seahawks WON!!! They came into the playoffs a losing team (7-9) and were expected to lose this wildcard game to the Saints tremendously. But lose they did not. It was a spectacular game and with each score the tiny glimmer of hope every fan had allowed themselves at the beginning of the game, that tiny itty bitty "what if?" exploded into pure joy and the possibility of a win. A WIN! Against last years superbowl champs!! Amazing!! Even if you know nothing about football - the experience of live sports is one of a kind and not to be missed. This is certainly not my last football game... I'm looking forward to many more beers, hotdogs and screaming fans in the future! Go Seahawks!!

Day 8 Braves the Elements

This morning we went to the amazing Artifacts Gallery in Trenton, NJ to pick up a piece of my mom's artwork she had framed. It is an amazing little gem located a stones throw from the New Jersey State Prison. Besides framing, they sell all sorts of cute collectibles from lamps and birdcages to pins and vintage postcards. It was definitely worth freezing my toes off to take a trip to Trenton (first and last time I say that phrase).

lunch box lovin' on Day 7

Benefits of working at a kitchen company: food everywhere.  For serious. Especially the last few days as the team was preparing to launch the massive site redesign, food of all kinds was allllll up in there. Today's special treat: lunch boxes! But so much classier than the ones I remember as a kid. And of course I was ooohing and aahhing over the packaging for a few minutes before diving into the food. Sandwich, cookie, apple, chips... felt just like being a kid again!

Day 7 Left Footprints

This morning we got between a dusting and an inch of snow! When I got home from work I found these cute bird footprints. I can report, no dead birds in Pennsylvania! Not yet at least. Good start to the weekend!