Chance of Sun, Clouds & Showers

How are we liking this lovely May weather, Y'all?! Ok it's about to be June and if we don't get some dryer, warmer weather I'm gonna go ape$#!t and buy a bunch of outdoor heaters and install an overhang to totally enclose our backyard. Because there is NO WAY I'm missing out on all the bbq to be had this Summer.

We literally dusted off our grill to use for the first time since over a year ago. SAD! But anyway, we went to fancy pants A&J Meats and got this Maui marinated flank steak and Garlic Shrimp and dayum, it was real good:

Alright. Time to stop by the pet store. I'm on the hunt for a medium-sized doggie raincoat for this fool:

No joke. She needs a raincoat.

Gorgeous Peonies

Peonies on our table that happen to be matching the sky right now. I adore this flower! It smells amazing and looks so beautifully different as it opens up. Also, I should really iron our tablecloth. Eh, I'll do it tomorrow!

Swordfish (oh how exotic!)

Well, it was on sale at Trader Joe's. I made this Swordfish in Saffron Sauce along with some sauteed spinach. Normally the inclusion of saffron in the ingredient list would be a dealbreaker, but I just happen to have some legit straight-out-of-Morocco-saffron (thanks, Annie!). Keene really liked this dinner but I was just so-so into it. I really liked the sauce but wasn't as in love with the swordfish. I think I prefer a more grilled fish. Still, a good recipe, if you have saffron, give it a try!

PS. TGIF, You Guys!

Materialistic Dreams do come true

Let's just say of this list I made in 2009 of "Things I Want", I never would have guessed that in 2011 I would have a sectional but not a wind chime.

I have been stalking this certain sectional for about a half year now and it finally went on sale enough that we made a move on it:

This one is less modern and a little more practical than the one featured on my wish list two years ago. I also think it goes with the style of our house better than something uber modern would.

And we also bought a new mattress. Why work on all this physical therapy if I'm still sleeping on a crappy mattress? Exactly.

So we're slowly rotating out the college furniture. I suggested we have a "red wine and fried chicken" farewell party for the ole purple couch. Spill some food on it for the last time. Grown-up high five!

Who's Blog Sucks Right Now?

Say it with me: "Brooke's Blog Sucks Right Now" - true story!

I need Blogosaurus.

Or maybe I shouldn't have started this blog in the first place.

Natalie Dee.com.

Woah: Hawk's Nest Cam

Live web cam of a Hawk's nest.

CND Shellac Manicure

So my friend Wendi and I have been curious about these "CND Shellac Manicures" ever since we read about Hillary's experience on her blog. When she posted her not-chipped day 13 mani photos I was convinced! So Wendi and I went and got ours done at a nice little place in Everett, Bliss Spa. For being right next to the Jiffy Lube, this spa was a total pleasant surprise! They were really great. Gave us a lot of information along with our manis. This technique is about $25 more expensive than your average manicure, but I would TOTALLY get it again. I'm particularly excited that I could get it done before, let's say, my wedding day (!) because then I won't be paranoid about chipping it that day. It would also be great for vacations. I swear, I should've ruined my manicure about 100x by now, but it's still perfect - this is Day 4:

It's a little hard to tell on mine because I got a very light polish, but there are NO CHIPS. It's also way shinier than your average manicure. AND - there is no dry time after your manicure, so you can literally reach right into your purse for your keys or credit cards right after. I can't tell you how many times I've just finished paying for a mani and ruined it seconds later. Totally recommend this - I'm so excited about it!

Poor Little Conehead

You Guys: she haaaaaaaaates this thing. HATES it. But lil' Pearl somehow got a tiny scratch on her eye that got infected and now she has to wear the cone for a few days while it heals. Poor thing! It's really hard to make her wear it when I know she's so miserable. She's gonna feel so happy when it finally comes off though!

AOTD: crochet & cool things

Omg if I lived in NYC I would SO go see this Crocheted Apartment by Olek. Apparently she's been sleeping there sometimes too! She also yarn bombed the Wall Street Bull. So rad.

Make Something Cool Every Day. This is quite the gallery of awesomely clever stuff by Brock Davis. I particularly enjoyed this "Scene from the fictitious horror film, 'Honey Bear, Sweet Honey Bear'".

{all via Gala}.

Indulgent: Pummelvision

Dudes, Pummelvision makes a music video of your photos! I'm sure this is easy enough to do without Pummelvision, but this thing makes a video for you in about 2 minutes. Totally satisfying. Like, the quickest easiest craft project ever :)

I made this one of our Europe Trip Photos:

Gawd, remember when we went to Europe?! That was SO EPIC. Sometimes it feels like it was yesterday and sometimes it already feels like it was ages ago :( I wish we could do the whole thing again! And eat everything all over again. Maybe next year ;)

Artists OTD: Marfonians

Ok. Now I want to run away to Marfa, Texas, live in an old airstream, hang out with all these inspirational weirdos and craft forever (in this fantastic scenario I am able to convince K to come with me, of course).

No Place Like Here: Marfa, Texas from Etsy via Poppytalk.

Before the Plague

I made this easy bbq chicken Friday before Keene got The Plague. Seriously, this was like level 10 Man Cold style. Poor guy, I think he had strep throat or something awful. Not quite the flu but pretty much. Anyway, before all that I made this dinner that was super simple. I think I was in a summer mood hence the corn and bbq chicken. All I did was bake chicken with bbq sauce all over it in the oven for about 40 mins at 400*. I baked the corn for about the same and the broccolini for 30 mins. Optimistic indoor bbq!

(Almost) to the fun part

Wedding. SHOES. Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Let's be real: I have not been thinking of my wedding dress for years. Nope, not even close. But I have been thinking of my wedding shoes since the moment I fell in love with shoes Keene.

Just scratching the surface here (this is just the start of my exhaustive search) - I present to you:

1. Badgley Mischka Lelah

2. Badgley Mischka Dusk

3. RSVP Alli

4. Nina Electra

Please throw in your vote for your favorite here. Also, any links to other fabulous wedding shoe possibilities would of course be appreciated!

Ask Mansion Mogul: Non-Vid Post Edition

Hey Y'all! I got a great question for MansionMogul the other day:

"What are some must have clothing and accessory pieces for this summer? Besides of course Beyoncé's hot number, which I will be picking up ASAP while working out at a school cafeteria. Thanks! -- Carrie"

Fantastic Question, Carrie! And let's just say for the sake of me giving a complete answer that the following are all items that I can wear. Because really this is a list of my dream Summer Wardrobe:

1. Maxi Dress.

These are so great! The perfect go-everywhere dress for Seattle Summer. Flowy and casual but not too casual to meet up for brunch. You can dress it up with fun bangles and bring along a cardigan for when the temp cools down while you're watching a movie at the Fremont Outdoor Cinema.

2. Great hat.

Hats are fabulous and we should all wear them more. Just rock it! It protects you from the sun and makes you feel like you belong at a cocktail party on a boat on Lake Union. Beach, brunch, Fred Meyer - you can go anywhere in a funky hat all Summer! Not to mention if you go on vacation you will really look the part.

3. Big bag.

This is essential. All Summer you'll be taking those day trips that require all kinds of crap go along with you in your purse - you can still pack the extra pair of flats and sunblock and camera in style!

4. Cute flat go-everywhere sandals

I cannot stress this enough: you need some non-flip-flop sandals. They will elevate anything you wear! Instead of looking like you're schlepping to the grocery store, you'll look like you're wearing an "outfit". Make sure they're comfortable enough for a long day at the zoo or Bumbershoot.

5. Peasant top.

A top like this will take you everywhere and go with everything this Summer. Rock it over your swimsuit or with a cute pair of shorts or with jeans, heels and chunky turquoise jewelry for an evening at the Zig Zag.

6. Nautical Stripes.

Perfect all-occasion stripes. Go with everything. Dress it up or dress it down. Simple but not boring. Not bad for the 4th either ;)

7. You're going to need a dress for weddings.

JC Penney has a boatload of these things. You don't need to spend big bucks on anything like this. I'd invest in good shoes that are cute but you can also dance in and some fun accessories. Wedges are great for outdoor weddings because they're comfy and they don't sink into grass. See also LoveMaegan's "what to wear to a wedding" post.

8. Bangles, sparkle, wacky sunglasses.

This is the fun part. Just because you're wearing shorts doesn't mean you can't accessorize! Might I suggest some supercool aviators so you can look like a celebrity at the Farmer's Market? Keep your eye out for fun accents.

9. Coral nailpolish.

Coral is the ultimate beachy Summer color!

10. Great lightweight jacket.
Last but not least: this is Seattle, you're going to need a lightweight jacket just about anywhere you go. We all know that after the sun sets on Golden Gardens it can get a bit chilly. Instead of the usual hoodie, why not swap it for a fun foreals jacket?

A great basic black, goes with everything.

Are you a little funky? How about a gold bomber jacket?

I like this classy soft pullover. Definitely a hoodie upgrade!

Don't get me wrong: I freakin' love hoodies. I try to break myself of them every once in a while and step it up a notch. I hope this helps! I try to keep a mental list of "staples" I need when I go shopping - then if something like that catches my eye I won't overlook it. Once you have the basics, you can make any outfit work!

Happy Summer. I mean, as soon as Summer starts 'round here.

Easy Jambalaya

Dudes, I love it when I discover a new, easy recipe. I've been pretty bored recently with our usual go-to easy weeknight recipes, so I tried this new one that originally started from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe. It was so easy! And so good! I think when something is simple to make it tastes better. That could be my laziness though. Anyway - I totally recommend this Jambalaya. It's nothing fancy, but you could easily dress it up by adding more meats, seafoods or veggies to the mix...

INGREDIENTS:
two chicken breasts, chopped
andouille sausage links, chopped
3 red, green, yellow or orange bell peppers, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 - 14 oz cans stewed tomatoes
3 chopped garlic cloves or garlic powder
cajun seasoning
oregano
rice

DIRECTIONS:
Coat chopped chicken in Cajun seasoning. Brown in the bottom of a cast iron stew pot. Add peppers & onions and saute until soft. Add stewed tomatoes, let simmer. Add Cajun seasoning oregano and garlic to taste. Serve over rice.

*Can add shrimp, pork, or other meats/veggies if desired.

{recipe also on RecipeMogul}

A Day for the Moms

Woo-hoo! Time to celebrate the Moms!

My sister, mom, Gram and I all went out for lunch to celebrate how awesome they are and all they've done for us.

It was yummy! We might've got to chatting and stayed a little long...whoops!

I'm all about celebrating my mom. She is responsible for anything good that I am today and she's a fantastic human being and one of my favorite people in the whole world.

Things My Mom is Awesome At (among many other things):
She's an artist, and very creative crafter!
a fantastic teacher
Funny
Sweet
A good cook
Classy
Smart
Musical
Cool
Insightful
Fun to be around
A great role model
Thoughtful
....and that's just to name a few!

My sister and I are very lucky to have a mom like ours!!! :)

Ask MansionMogul: The non-functioning fireplace

Hey Y'all! Time for another ASK MM video. Not the best video I've ever made, especially since my head is cut off for most of it, but my dog was cute at the beginning so I didn't want to start over. Sigh. Happy Friday and ask me more questions!

Let's Move

Crap. Now I want to start working out in this crazy outfit.

New Beyonce video as part of Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign to get kids movin'...

May: I guess it's "Slacker Month"?

Yeah so I fell off that posting wagon...fast, eh? I've got to confess: this week I've been feeling a little bit like...like I'm tired of "working on things"...I know that's lazy. I am committed to self-improvement but even I, lover of all things goals & self-help, can reach my saturation point sometimes. Basically I put all of these things in motion after The Great Depression aka Jan/Feb 2011 aka Jan/Feb every year, and now they're kindof a lot to keep up with!

Just a few things saturating my brain right now:
- We got a dog...she is a big responsibility. That we love, but still, she came with about 20 things right away that needed to be taken care of.

- We set a wedding date. Do you know what that means? That means we have to start planning things. The venue hunt has me discouraged and overwhelmed. But we set a date - yay :)

- I started web classes. They're going great, but have made me realize just how much I need to catch up quickly and know how to design web sites. I think I'm going to take two classes this Summer and that will be a lot with freelance on top of it.

- I started walk/jogging with the dog each morning as part of GET IT TOGETHER 2011. I also started physical therapy for my back. Woohoo! Apparently Step #1 we need to buy a new mattress ($$$).

- Went from taking care of 800sq ft 1 bedroom apartment to a 3 bedroom house. Here is when you are rolling your eyes, I know. But it takes a lot longer to clean and there's a yard to take care of too. I little one, but still. Wish I could talk to 2009 Brooke and tell her about this realization.

So these are good happy people things to have on my mind, and I am grateful for them. My head is swimming lately though! I think I need a Saturday :) Perhaps, a Saturday spent lounging around one of these delightful spots, listening to music and painting my nails and flipping through chick magazines: