Barcelona...ARCHITECTURE OVERLOAD

Barcelona is amazing! All the texture, color, art - everything is just rich with design. Are you guys ready for some architecture overload?

I love the juxtaposition of all the old and modern buildings smashed into the same blocks...

This building facade = ART

Ornate and sh**

Ironwork, pattern, sculpture, oh my!

Bull dude. I approve of this sculpture.

LOOK UP - a theme of our bus tour

Well that there's our "B Hotel"

It was super MODERN n' stuff with a rad entrance door

Can we all agree that everything looks better in SUNLIGHT? (forgive me, it's January in Seattle aka THE DARK TIME)

Old a** building, just chillin there.

Complimentary colors

Danget, bus railing getting in the way of this picture of an AWESOME PLANT BUILDING!

These weird random logos were on top of a lot of the major buildings...like a "classy" version of billboards or something...super strange.

Oh damn, palm trees. That's how you know you're somewhere that is pleasantly sunny at all times.

Ok. These textured buildings were OFF THA HOOK. Like wallpaper for the outside!

See those poles with hooks up there? Those used to be for getting your furniture moved in. Just haul it up there with a rope! No IKEA back then.

Pretty. I'd live there.

More outside wallpaper

EVEN THE STREET LAMPS ARE AMAZING

Wow

More finials

Finals...

Just your average run-of-the-mill Barcelona lamp post.

Rainbow roofs

New | Old

Texture...and those poles again!

Is there anyone who looks more handsome on a bus tour than my fiance? No way!

GARGOYLES

Yet another gorgeous graffiti'd door.

Love these balcony gardens

And another one of many amazing graffiti doors.

More to come! We're not done yet!

AOTD: Rune Guneriussen

Um, overdue for an Art of the Day post much, MansionMogul? Yeah. Check out this incredible work by Norwegian artist, Rune Guneriussen! *Swoon* {via MyModernMet}

Still Catching Up!

You GUYS. Still catching up around here! All these pics seem ancient now but I still wanted to share them with you...

Guess what, we went to The Nutcracker! Ohemgee I freakin' LOVE THA DANCE (picture me handwaving wildly)! This sounds super cheesy but it really takes me to another "happy place" where everything is perfect and beautiful and dramatic and romantic. PNB does it right.

Well, except for their intermission wine. I'd say they've almost got it perfect - you can pre-order your wine so it's ready, but dayum! They give you this giant glass of wine that no one could finish in 5 minutes. I'd rather have a $5 pour than an $11 one. Just sayin'.

We went with these awesome people! The Logans! Please excuse my FLASHY McFLASHERSON camera. It pales in comparison to the Nikon. But the Nikon doesn't fit in a cute purse.

Ok. This is random but we went back to Volterra a while back and I have to tell you guys about their "Savory Bread Pudding" - I DIE FOR IT. It's a savory bread with bechamel sauce and ham (or bacon) and asparagus and eggs any way you want them on top (over easy, hell yeah).

If I actually had a lot of readers I would not be blogging about this, because Volterra's brunch is as of now not all crazy buzzed about so you can still get in without a wait most weekends. Seattle has so many great brunch spots but it seems like any time one of them gets a write-up then it's all over and you can't go there anymore because it's too busy!

I have so many Barcelona pics left, y'all. They're really good too. It might take me into 2012 ;)

30th Birthday Re-Cap

...Oy...where to begin? I think I'm going to stay away from the ugliness that was my intolerance for alcohol on account of becoming an old lady, and just go with the highlights!

A snapshot of the night and illustration of how I wanted to be over the top with my bday costume:

Cupcakes from my favorite, Trophy, that may not make another appearance in my life until 2012. But don't they look pretty? (Snowball, Red Velvet and Samoa flavors)

There were some cute pics!

And then began the rounds of me making people take pictures with me acting like a ridiculous ham. They get much worse and unflattering than this, but it's my blog so I get to post what I want!

Lots of lessons learned by 30. Firstly: apparently I'm not old enough to resist peer pressure (jager, really, People??), but too old to handle a hangover anymore. "I'm too old for this stuff!" It was fabulous to have all my good friends there with me though and I hope they had a great time too. I'm seriously relieved to be in my 30s finally and can't wait to see what the next decade brings! :)

Leftover Re-Caps from 2010...

I'm slow. We were super busy last month so I'm still catching up on posts!

I already posted pics of the happy morning of our engagement, and I just now offloaded a few others from my camera that day:

Us at The Inn at the Market - so fabulous! I'd always wanted to stay there and he'd remembered that and planned it all out so that we could. Such an awesome surprise!

It was a typical gloomy day in Seattle but it was super peaceful and I'd missed this city so much that I loved every minute of the view.

You can't tell from this pic but the Market was all decked out for the holidays :)

Oh, remember Christmas? This puppy is sitting out at the curb right now waiting to be made into wood chips. But didn't it look pretty back then?

Our. Neighbors. Are. The. Cutest. EVAR!

This is our "Oword" for "Awsomist Nabers in the World" - did you read that? In the WHOLE WORLD! This was made by our little neighbor, Sydney. It is the most creative thing we've ever been given! We LOVED it. They are so sweet. It's always been my dream to know all my neighbors and I'm just tickled we live next door to these ones.

They made us banana bread, with chocolate chips. You Guys: did you know that when there's chocolate chips in banana bread that it is like, 1,000x more tasty!?

Resolutions, Part II

Ok You Guys so I'm trying something new this year - a little experiment to add on to my usual resolutions: I'm going to go without something, each month. I get to decide what each month, and it's only for that month. Usually I'm pretty awful at denying myself anything. So I thought this would be a good way for me to test out how I do with "saying no", to just one thing at a time, for just a manageable month-long. I am hoping this experiment will help me learn something new about what I can or can't live without, and how different choices impact my well-being. I think I can do it!

First up, January: *Sober Month*
That's right. I said it. Since my 30th bday of being a total lush, alcohol and I have not been friends. I've been wanting to try living without it for some time now, and I am really feeling like I just don't want any part of it at the moment. So January - no alcohol for you! I'm hoping I'll realize that I can say no to myself easily, feel healthier, and still have fun. Wish me luck!

The Party's OVAH!

That's right - New Years, the holidays, 2010...the party's over...and I couldn't be more happy about that...and now it's time to revisit old resolutions and make new ones, one of my very favorite traditions! I love the idea of a new year, and a clean slate. ANYTHING is possible!

My 2011 Resolutions:
* Lose 20 (*more, again!*) lbs.
* Practice being grateful and appreciative of everything I have.
* Strive for productivity more than perfection.
* Get a job that is at least somewhat enjoyable or fullfilling.

How I did with the 2010 Resolutions:
* Lose 20 (more!) lbs. - I did it!!!
* Work on being happy and at peace with where I am in the moment. Work on having a more positive attitude. - um yeah, I did it a bit, but I still need a lot of improvement here.
* Give more compliments. - I think I did well with this. Gonna keep it up!
* Take more photos with MY NEW NIKON! - Totally rocked this :)

How'd you guys do in 2010 and what are your new goals for '11?

*2010 HIGHLIGHTS*

It was an extraordinary, magical, full year. It started in DC, detoured through the parents houses, and Europe, and ended right where we left off 2 years ago: Seattle. Looking back through these I can't even believe all this happened in one year. Remember the Bahamas? That was in 2010! And oh my gawd, we ate, SO GOOD.

1. SnOMG, 2. Bahamas, 3. I want to go back to there, 4. Return to Georgia Brown's in our Easter Best, 5. Friends visit DC, 6. Doughnuts at Tabard Inn, 7. So Squinty @Tabard, 8. Wheat beer & rose on our deck, 9. "Home of the famous chili dog", 10. Brunch at Perry's, 11. me n' Drew, 12. Loved this apartment, 13. Gradumakated!, 14. My family came to DC, 15. Return to NYC, 16. Empire State of Mind, 17. Washington Square Park, 18. Grown-up Date to PNB, 19. A goofy night with my girlfriends, 20. crazy eyes for Cher, 21. @Paris hotel, 22. Viva Las Vegas, 23. The best spag I've ever had, in Venice, 24. Fenice Opera House, 25. Burano Day, 26. MansionMogulling in Cap Ferrat, 27. Kickin' it on the French Riviera, 28. Pont du Gard Day, 29. Keene's #1 Fave Europe dish, 30. EAT PRAY LOVE in Barcelona, 31. Park Güell was amazing, 32. Sagrada Família, 33. We got Engaged!!!, 34. Went on a double date to the Nutcracker, 35. We moved and our new neighbors gave us an "oword" , 36. My sis and I on my 30th bday :)