Pre-Christmas Look Back

/

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Dang, Christmas came quickly! I barely got everything done. Somehow I managed to get most of the pre-Christmas activities and decorating done. I did miss a few things, but given the short time we accomplished a lot. Let me give you a peek at our Christmas preparations.

Let me share some of what you're seeing in the collage. (Note: My counting starts in top-left and goes across & then down)

  • Buying our Christmas tree (pics 1, 3, 5): We stopped at three lots this year, and we ended up at the same lot as last year. Figures. We got a Douglas fir at about 5 feet tall. We got it all decorated and it just glowed. We always use a little fresh babys breath (Brown family thing) and some good-looking, but fake poinsettias (O'Neill family thing). Then you add ornaments and lights. It's magical. And it's a great scent for the house.
  • Shopping (pic 2): Got to get those gifts! We did some shopping at local shops, Seattle's Urban Craft Uprising, and the Bellevue Square mall (shown). I love seeing the stores all decorated. 
  • Gingerbread Village (pic 3): Every year the Sheraton hosts a Gingerbread village. I heard about it before, but this was our first year going. I imaged it being a large gingerbread house, but it was actually about five gingerbread creations all following a theme. This year's theme was There's a Rhythm and a Reason this Holiday Season. All the gingerbread was in nursery rhymes like London Bridge is Falling Down. The one I have pictured is Hey Diddle Diddle. It was cute, and better yet free.
  • Swanson's Nursery (pic 6): Yep, I saw Dasher! The nursery up in Ballard gets all decked out for the holidays. They have reindeer and a camel. We needed a new tree stand, so we swung by. It was a fun little Christmas visit.
  • Responsys Holiday Party (pic 7): My office holiday party was on 12/19 this year. It was at a trendy place called Fred's Wildlife Refuge. No, it wasn't a zoo or have any animals roaming around - it is just an event space, They did up all cool with a video wall, which basically projected different scenes onto the walls like snow falling & doves. We all had a great time.
  • Snow! (pic 8): It snowed the day before Josh and I headed to SoCal. I totally didn't expect it, but it was there in the morning. It only stuck around until the afternoon, and then melted away. Fun but it totally messes up commutes.
  • Baking (pic 9): Ahh yes, my baking, I can't let Christmas pass without some cookies. I made some gingerbread macarons, chocolate peppermint cake balls, and peppakakor. All I can say is...YUM.

The first picture collage was more activities, and this one is more about decorations. I didn't nearly get as many decorations up as I'd like, but I still got some Christmas spirit in the house.

  • Christmas Card ribbon: I really wanted to hang the Christmas cards on the ribbon horizontally, but our tiny apartment didn't have enough space. So I took it vertical! Then overflow when over to our cabinet thing in our living room. I love getting Christmas cards in the mail and hearing from all our friends and family. 
  • A Christmas Story Lamp: FRAGILE (FRA-GEE_LAY) it must be Italian! // Do you know what this is? This is... A lamp! // This is a major award! // Yes, Josh and I have the “Soft Glow of Electric Sex” in our apartment. Please watch the movie, then you'll understand.
  • Table Centerpiece: I tried to get creative this year. I got some winterberry while at Swanson's Nursery and put it in a vase with babys breath. Then I added some pine cones, a candy cane swirl candy, and my little owl (I just love owls!).
  • Lights around the door: Not pictured! But yes, we got some lights up, too.

That was our pre-Christmas. Christmas is the best time of year! Love it! I hope you had a nice holiday season as well.

Christmas Cookie Challenge

/

I really didn't know how I was going to make it happen this year. There was just so little time for Christmas preparations this year. It all happened so fast after Thanksgiving. Usually I have one weekend dedicated to Christmas cookie baking, but this year I had to squeeze it into one day. Ahhh, so many cookies, so little time!!

Of course, crazy me picked two time intensive recipes to make this year - macarons and cake balls. Macarons because I have recently declared them my favorite cookie (why did I pick the most expensive cookie? I seem to always pick the most expensive things). And then cake balls since my co-workers had been begging for them. 

And although I had just one day, I conquered. Here's the baker in action:

Baker  Heather

Chocolate Peppermint Cake Balls

Look at these beauties:

These are not necessarily complicated, but they are time consuming. You might remember the class I took earlier this year. Well, we swore not to share the secrets. However, this recipe isn't too far off if you really want to try it out. The peppermint flavor came from peppermint extract, and then I added some Andres Peppermint pieces inside. Of course a chocolate cake base. Then some red sprinkles and candy cane crumbles. Voila! No joke, my co-worker said these were, "a Christmas miracle!"

Gingerbread Macarons

Now, look at these beauties:

These cookies...well, where to start. It has been a love hate relationship for me. I absolutely love macarons, but they are a pain in the patootie to bake.

Here's something about me: I'm a perfectionist. Surprise! (well, you might have known that already.) These cookies test my perfectionism. The first time I made them after the class I took, they turned out quite well. Then the next time, they all cracked. Although, they still tasted good. This time, yet again, they cracked. I tried a new recipes, a new method, and I was so careful!

It's so sad. I dedicated so much time to them. They were like my little babies, and I spoke to them (oh wait, that's creepy, scratch that). Anyway...moving on...I so desperately wanted them to look like a French bakery. I had it all pictured in my head, and after they were done, I'd wrap them up so cute with ribbons. Not to mention...I am a baker and have a reputation to uphold.

The first batch came out great - they were smooth and pretty. Then the rest where just cracked. I tried so many things. I wanted to throw up my hands and give up. Then I tasted knew they were worth it, even though they weren't perfect.

Oh my goodness, where they good. Here's the recipe inspiration (considering how time consuming they are in the first place, I was not about to make them gingerbread man shaped). Then I followed Annie's step-by-step instructions.

In the end, totally worth it. But it was an emotional roller coaster. At one point, I thought I would never make these cookies again. Then I thought to myself...challenge accepted. Should I try these for New Years?

Peppakakor

Oh yea, one more:

Peppakakor

I lied to you at the start of this post. I said I only had time for two types of cookies, but another Christmas miracle I was able to squeeze in peppakakor. I made it while I was at home with my parents on Christmas Eve. I am so glad I was able to include these cookies in this year's cookie array - they are a tradition! (2009, 2010, 2011). These are a Swedish cookie that taste similar to gingersnap - a thin, delicate ginger type cookie. The tradition is passed down from my Grandma Norma (my Swedish side!). The picture I show is a Swedish Dala horse.

Whew, so glad I got my cookie baking in this year! YUM!

Christmas Letter 2013

/

Thats...3.5 years living in Seattle, 2 years of blissful marriage, 10 years being in love, 1.8 years at Responsys, 1.3 years at Logic 20/20, 1 month with a mustache, 8 months with shorter hair

Pretty crazy stuff. 

Let’s just focus on this year shall we? Even though time seemed to go by so quickly, we still managed to have a very fulfilling year. We explored our hometown, ventured to getaway, and enjoyed visits from our parents and friends.  We also had some fun at parks, sporting events, and festivals. Here's a little bit about all these fun things...

SEATTLE, A CULTURED CITY: 

Even after three years, we are still exploring our hometown of Seattle and it’s surrounding areas. There never seems to be a lack of something to do. No doubt about it, we love Seattle and we’re staying put. Some of our top spots included the Chihuly Glass Exhibit, Museum of Glass (in Tacoma), the Conservatory, and Mohai. If you ever want to visit, we know where to take you!

VISITORS:

Speaking of visits, we were lucky to have both sets of parents visit this fall. With the O’Neills we took the ferry over to Bainbridge and enjoyed time in Seattle with some good food, too.

The Browns joined us for Thanksgiving. It was the first time I (Heather) had made Thanksgiving dinner for more than Josh and me. It was a total success -- especially the stuffing and pie. Beyond all the turkey we also took the Browns to the Olympic Peninsula and explored some of the cute towns there.

Another visitor this fall was Josh’s best friend, Kevin. They both attended our church’s Resurgence conference (another item to note for the year: Josh got baptized!). They had a blast spending some time together - it was like they were never apart. It’s great that a friendships can last so long and over the miles.

GETAWAYS:

We love Seattle, but we also love to get out of dodge once and a while. Our big trip this year was across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Any guesses on where that would be? If you guessed Victoria in British Columbia, you were right. There we met up with our good friend from Holland, Irene, and her boyfriend Jochem. We had a grand time seeing friends and checking out our BC neighbor. 

Beyond our international trip, we also took a weekend getaway to Port Ludlow. This serene port on the Olympic Peninsula served as our home base when we hit up some local cideries and also spent the afternoon in Port Townsend. What a way to relax from our busy schedules!

Other awesome day trips: Snohomish and Dungeness Spit Hike

HEATHER'S TRIPS:

I (Heather) took two trips without Josh this year. I learned from this that I just don’t like trips without Josh!  

The first trip was down to Encinitas to visit my parents to say goodbye to my childhood home. Yes, it’s true, my parents moved from the home that I lived in since I was about 8 years old. It was hard to sort through all my stuff (so many My Little Ponies!), and even harder to say goodbye to the house. On the same trip, I joined the family on the MS Walk in Legoland. 

The other trip was to Chicago for my cousin Jeremy’s wedding and to see family. It was great to see my Grandma Ruth. She’s a tough old cookie, and still manages to eat her Hackney’s burger and fries. We also went to the site of my parent’s first date, Ravenna. There we saw Chicago (the band) play in Chicago (the city). 

WORK:

We guess we have to work sometime. Heather has been a Program Manger with Responsys for just about two years now. Not to sound too cliche, the best part of the job is the people. They like each other so much that we’ll even do stuff on the weekends like Wayzgoose. Heather has also traveled down to San Fran for the big Interact Conference her company pulls off each year - quite impressive.

Josh has been a Senior Consultant with Logic a year now. He mainly works on Microsoft projects and ventures out to Redmond often. He has had a wide verity of projects there in a number of their groups and is getting to do what he does best: solve problems.

HAVING FUN:

We’re not all work and no play. There is definitely play. Definitely. Let’s list some of the awesomeness we have done this year:

PARTING NOTE:

It surly has been a great year. We are so blessed to have such loving family, and kind friends. We hope you had a wonderful year. Enjoy this season and have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Cheers! 

Heather & Josh

Cook's Corner: Thanksgiving Feast

/

I know, I know, it's already mid-December and I'm only just sharing my Thanksgiving with you now. Is there a 12 days of Thanksgiving? No? Bummer. Well, maybe you can pick up some of these recipes for Christmas. The two dinners are pretty similar (at least, in my family), so there's that at least.

So I bring you Cook's Corner as opposed to Baker's Corner. And this is a special Thanksgiving edition! 

Spiced Cranberry Sauce

I found this while looking on Sunset magazine's website for recipes. I saw the secret ingredient - Earl Grey tea - and knew it must be made. I love the brightness of cranberries, and the punch it gives to your meal. The best part, though, is putting git on a turkey sandwich. We were originally going to skip this one and buy cranberry sauce to save time, but Josh gave the saddest face, so we ended up making it. Glad we did!

Rustic Herb Skillet Stuffing 

[aka Dressing - my parents call stuffing dressing. I'm not sure how I ended up calling it stuffing. Weird] Now here's something about me. I don't like stuffing. But, this stuffing made me change my mind. No joke, it was that good. I picked it because it was mostly made on the stove top, and I knew I wouldn't have much time with the oven given the turkey and all. The other reason was the parmesan. I am a sucker for parm - Josh and I put it on practically everything. Oh, and we used a tasty potato bread from a local bakery, Marcina. So give this one a whirl, you won't be disappointed.  

Mashed Potatoes

This is more of a method than a recipe. I used the video to make these lovely mashed potatoes. They turned out perfect - smooth, creamy, and oh-so-good. I watched the video and then wrote the recipe out, printed it, and then deleted it (sorry). Watch the video though, it'll be great. You could be doing it all wrong!

Roasted Veggies

I wanted to make both sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. Alas there was not enough time. So I cooked both in one! So clever. This was a classic roasted veggie dish, and they were a great side to the meal. I added some brown sugar for the last few minutes of roasting to add some sweetness. 

And I didn't make my own rolls. I wanted to, but there wasn't enough time. Just pop them in the oven and they taste homemade. Guess there is always next year! 

Turkey Breast

The main event: the turkey! Although in my opinion, it should be dessert. Wink wink. For one, I totally need to take the time to brine the bird. Just do it. I use this brine from Allrecipes. Then I used this recipe for the bird itself. I only did a beast - we just don't need the whole bird. This was just enough for the four of us, and it even made leftovers (and we used the carcass for soup - eh carcass, that sounds gross, but the soup is good).

Pumpkin Pie

Now, this is what I'm talking about - dessert! This is the main event, no doubt. I made the pumpkin pie the way I like it - with a gingersnap crush. This pie was perfection. I think it helped that I made my own pumpkin puree. I found that this is actually pretty easy. You know what made this even better, the spiced whipped cream. And Nada & Don bought us a special whipped cream dispenser. I reminded me of my Starbucks days. I know there are fun creations with this ahead. 

The Table

The flowers were a gift from my father-in-law. Isn't he sweet. Without them, the table would have been lacking. This was the wonderful table upon which we ate all the food above. If you go to so much trouble to make the food, let's dress the table up too. The table wants to be part of the party.

The Cooks

Nada and I were the cooks of the feast. I was the chef, and Nada my sous chef. We were great together. 

Top 10: The In-Laws Visit

/

Goodness, it's almost Christmas, and I've hardly told you anything about Thanksgiving. I was totally focused on Thanksgiving that I didn't realize how soon Christmas was as well. When Thanksgiving ended Christmas came out of nowhere and smacked me in the face. Snapped to reality. I need to get moving. Now I'm cramming in Christmas - gift hunting, shopping, decorating, music, lights, baking...ahh! 

Deep breath. I feel better now. 

So Thanksgiving. It was really quite nice. My in-laws flew up to celebrate with us. It was the first time I had to organize, prep, and cook a Thanksgiving feast for more than just Josh and me (hence why I was focused on Thanksgiving). It went swimmingly. I'll tell you more about the food later. The more important stuff first: the in-laws visit. 

Here's the top 10 highlights from their visit: 

1. Don's 70th Birthday

We celebrated with dinner with Vince & Jonita (good friends).

Don's 70th Birthday

2. Cooking & Baking with Nada

I was the chef and Nada was my sous chef - we were quite the team.

Nada & Heather cooking the Thanksgiving feast

3. Thanksgiving Feast

More to come on the food. For now you just get to see the table with food. Yum!

The Thanksgiving Table

4. Helix Bridge

I've shared this bridge with you before, but I think it's just too cool. This team it gets bonus points for the fog.

Helix Bridge in the fog

5. Walk in the Fog

The fog while we walked at Myrtle Edwards Park was so cool. I will try to share a post with you soon with more photos. 

Walk at Myrtle Edwards Park in the fog

6. CB Nuts

We drove over to the Olympic Peninsula and came upon CB Nuts. Another awesome, local company. Washington rocks. 

7. Meandering Pike Place Market

Breakfast at Lowells. Coffee at Storyville. Gum wall. And a cool Pike Place Market truck.

Pike Place Market Truck

8. Port Townsend

We also stopped by Port Ludlow. Drove by Port Gamble. Lots of ports.

Adventures in Port Townsend

9. Boats

Don, my father in-law, loves boats. Shh, we trespassed to the boatyard - we're wild & crazy. He made me do it.

Boats at Lake Union

10. Being with family

Great to see the family. Nada seems to bring the sun with her, too. (Thanks for that)

Brown Family

Brown Family

'Stache Status - Final

/

November is over so that means Movember is over as well. Which also means Josh finally can shave the 'stache and grow back the beard. - hurrah! But...I bet you're wondering how the final 'stache is lookin'. Even though I'm not a huge fan of the 'stache, I have to say Josh did pretty good. 

I'm not sure what he co-workers were thinking about not voting him the best moustache. The Josh 'stache has style. But the best thing is that he raised some awareness. And so did my work team, 'Stache of the Titans - we raised $380 buckaroos! 

Goodbye Movember. Hello Beard again. 

(and no more blog 'stache updates. happy? sad? maybe again next November, maybe.)

Thankful on Thanksgiving

/

You know what I'm thankful for...Thanksgiving. It's frustrating how lots of retailers just skip right over Thanksgiving. But Thanksgiving should not be skipped over. It's a time to remember what's important in life - family and friends (and food, you need it for survival, duh). It's a day to step back and put things in perceptive and remember these important things in your life.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm going to share some of the things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving.

1. A Loving Husband & Happy Marriage

2. Family - Parents, Sister, & In-Laws - that are always there for you

3. Friends that make you Laugh

4. A Beautiful City

5. Good Job with Fun Co-workers

This list could go on and on, but I need to get back in the kitchen to continue the Thanksgiving feast. My in-laws are in town, and we're planning a awesome dinner. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo, Heather

Baker's Corner

/

It is about time I wrote to you about some baking. I kept it low key during the summer. Dudes, the kitchen in the summer is just ridiculous. Have I told you that we don't have air conditioning? Then add a 350-400 degree oven to the warm weather. I'm just not doing it; I melt. I did make some cold desserts though (more to come on that). Let's talk baking and treats!

Doesn't that all look so scrumptious? Want me to say something to make you jealous? Well, I got to eat every single thing you're seeing in that picture. Oh yea baby!

Top-Left corner working down to bottom-right:

  1. Strawberry Shortcake - I loved 'lil Strawberry Shortcake when I was a girl. One of my birthday's was Strawberry Shortcake themed. So I've moved from the cartoon to the actual food. I think the latter is the better choice. This recipe had some balsamic in the strawberries - a nice touch!
  2. Peaches - OMG, I had a whole series of peach photos to share. I was going to share how to peel peaches. This was an August treat. I'll do that sometime; maybe next August.
  3. Watermelon Floats - This was something I made as a refreshing alternative to baking. It sounds odd, but it was really tasty. I also made rhubarb floats. Delicious! 
  4. Blueberry Pie Sundae - I wish it were summer again so I could eat this again. Hey wait, I do eat frozen yogurt & ice cream in the freezing cold. Guess I should go make this and eat it while wearing gloves and snug in blanket. It was super easy, too. If you don't like cold treats in the winter, then be sure to bookmark this one (or pin it).
  5. Homemade Oreos - This was a Josh favorite. Did you know Josh loves Oreos? It's a very typical dessert in our house. It's best with milk. I gave these cookies a whirl, and they were great. I was doubtful of the cream center, but it was totally good. And the cookie was crispy! Now if I can get Josh to stop asking for them all the time. 
  6. Pumpkin Whoopies - If you don't know by now that I love pumpkin then I don't know if we can be friends. I've got my friends trained...they tell me when they discover something pumpkin delicious (or that their baby only likes pumpkin - kid after my own heart). So, I have to make these pumpkin favorites every year. Check out last year.
  7. Macrina Peach Galette - See #2 above. This is the result of the peaches. It's actually from my Macrina cookbook. The closest recipe I can find is here. Macrina is my parent's favorite bakery in Seattle. This thing turned out gigantic. Not probably with that, but it was crazy (and crazy good).
  8. Sky High Muffins - No joke, these muffins really rose. However, I thought they were too dry and bland. I think if you can take the rising trick and apply it to a different recipe, that would be good. This these muffins...these look delicious and scream fall! 
  9. Lemon Crinkles - Lemon in desserts is so refreshing. I love citrus desserts. These were not a disappointment. 

Now it's fall and winter and I'm back in the kitchen some more. Plus, I will be baking more for the holiday season, so I'll be sure to share. I wonder though, will anyone bake me something? Being in the kitchen is tough work. Then again, if you give a baker a cookie, she'll want to bake it herself...

'Stache Status - Week 2

/

I know you've all been waiting for another 'stache status! We're heading into week 3 now, so let's do a quick look at the 'stache.

Apparently Josh saw some of his competition in the office today. The same guy that won the office Movember competition last year is looking pretty 'stache-y. Josh might have to rub in some Rogaine next week. 

Unfortunately for me, I have to live with the 'stache four days longer than I'd like...the office Movember party isn't until 12/4. I just keep repeating to myself, "it for a good cause." Speaking of which, here's Josh's Mo Space (unabashedly promoting this thing all month long, folks, deal with it). 

'Stache Status - Week 1

/

As promised, I am providing a 'Stache Status. Josh is growing a moustache this November for Movember. Don't know what I'm talking about? Go to my last post.

Josh is making good progress after this first week. 

I think on the matrix he's around the Swedish Chef, or possibly Ron Burgundy. Although he's aiming to be Lawrence from Office Space (unfortunately not on the matrix).

How do you think he's doing? If you think he's doing good, how about a donation? If you think he needs encouragement, how about a donation? Here's his Mo Space.

But wait, there is a runner up. Me! I think my moustashe wins!! Okay, so it's a edited photo (THANK GOD). But I'm a Mo Sista, and have to support my Mo Bros. My motto is: "I'm not growing a mustache (thank goodness), but I am growing awareness." Here's my Mo Space. I joined the office competition, and my team is 'Stache of the Titans. Feel free to help my team win the office competition - wink wink.

Mo Bros

/

This year Josh is s going to be a Mo Bro, which I guess makes me a Mo Sista - we're a  Mo Fam! We don't Mo alone. 

Who is Mo? What the heck am I talking about? Movember! It's pretty simple Moustache + November = Movember. For the month of November, men grow mustaches to help change the face of men's health (get it - change the face). Here's the websites description of the mo-vement:

“Movember is the month formerly known as November, where men and women across the globe join together to raise awareness and funds for men’s health. Men grow and women support a Mo (moustache) for 30 days becoming walking, talking billboards. Movember supports world-class men’s health programs that combat prostate and testicular cancer.

Men who support Movember, called Mo Bros, start by registering at Movember.com. Mo Bros start Movember 1st clean-shaven, then grow and groom their Mo, for the rest of the month, raising money along the way. Women who support Movember, called MO SISTAS, also start by registering at Movember.com. MO SISTAS champion the Mo by registering and supporting the Mo Bros in their life, spreading the important message of men’s health, leading a team and organizing events.”

On November 1st, Josh shaved. When I saw him, I didn't quite recognize him. I've known him with a beard now for three something years. Then all of a sudden he gets a shave and cuts his hair. Funny how my opinion of the beard has changed. When we first met, I refused to let him grow a beard. But when he moved to the Northwest before me, and grew a beard, I suddenly think it's great. So I was sad to see the beard go. But I'll survive the month...I think. 

Prior to the shave, he let the bread grow. It was pretty...uhh, how shall I say this, it was luxurious. Here's a before and after:

Josh is the Captain of Team Logic 20/20, his office's team.  And I'm joining a team at my office, team name is TBD. If you're wanting to help the cause, donate to Josh's team here. I'll write some follow-up posts to keep you posted on his moushache progress. Maybe he'll grow something like Mr. Pringles. 

Top 10: Parents Visit

/

The weekend before last, Josh and I enjoyed a visit from my parents. We really lucked out and had some awesome Seattle fall weather. We ate at some great restaurants, and did some fun activities. So I'm happy to report we all had a pretty fantastic weekend. Here's the top 10 from the weekend ... in photos! (so you don't have to listen to be babble so much). 

 

 

 

1.  Ferry to Bainbridge (and back)

 

Ferry Ride to Bainbridge & Back

3. Beautiful fall colors (Nothing you'd see in San Diego)

Fall leaves

4. Standing around a BIG-ass pumpkin

 

Standing around a BIG-ass pumpkin

5. Celebrating Josh's Birthday! 

Celebrating Josh's Birthday

6. Round and Round in the Great Wheel

(with a scared mom)

Seattle's Great Wheel (aka Ferris Wheel)

7. Roaming the Ballard Farmer's Market

 

Ballard Farmer's Market

8. Touring the Chihuly Glass Museum

Chihuly Glass Museum

9. Drinking Coffee

(except for Dad, he drank tea) 

10. Wearing funky flip flops

(a gift from the nail salon) 

Jan & Heather's funky flip flops & pretty nails

For more photos - go here.

Across the Sound to Victoria

/

Life has been pretty hectic lately, especially with work. But fear not, I'm am dedicated to telling you about my exciting life. The latest edition in my exciting life is the trip Josh and I made at the end of September across the Sound to Victoria, BC. 

My good friend, Irene, from Holland, and her boyfriend, Jochem, were journeying through Canada and we decided to rendezvous in Victoria. Josh and I took Friday off to make it a nice, long weekend. To get us there, instead of driving and all that crazy hassle, we hopped on the Victoria Clipper. The Clipper zips you from Seattle to Victoria in just under 3 hours. Easy breezy.

Victoria Clipper

Boarding the Clipper

We arrived by 11am in Victoria, and we were ready to explore. Oh wait...make at 1pm because we got trapped in a random security check at the border control. Wah-wah-wah.  

We met up with Irene and Jochem at our "hotel" - an apartment we booked through Home Away. Then we began exploring the city together. We began with a stroll through Beacon Hill Park. We saw peacocks, dogs, dogs chasing peacocks (no joke), ducks, and pretty views. We also cross a "medieval bridge" (in photo below). Not quite sure how it was medieval, but whatever, we get it...very old.

Heather & Irene at Beacon Hill Park

The exploration continued on past Thunderbird Park (aka a bunch of totem poles), Parliament, Fairmont's Empress hotel, and then along the waterfront. 

Thunderbird Park, The Empress, and Parliament

Thunderbird Park, The Empress, and Parliament

After all that walking, we needed a tea break. We found ourselves enjoying a spot of tea at Silk Road Tea near Chinatown. (Fun fact, apparently Victoria's Chinatown is Canada's oldest Chinatown.) After our tea, we explored some more - you guessed it, in Chinatown. There was a cool, narrow alley called Fan Tan Alley. (Another fun fact, Fan Tan Alley is Canada's narrowest street. Boy, am I full of facts, or what?!)

Fan Tan Alley & Chinatown

Fan Tan Alley & Chinatown

That pretty much sums up our first day. Now on to the second day, Saturday. Saturday brought rain. Lots of rain. We heard it was the end of the cyclone that hit Hong Kong. But we were troopers, and we will have fun even in the rain. So take that rain!

Jochem and Irene had a rental car, so we drove out to Duncan for some fun outside of Victoria. Duncan has a very nice farmer's market, even in the rain. In fact, when I stopped to look at the Victoria Island Salt Co. stand, the guy said we would take whatever salt we wanted because it was wet and would never re-sell. Score! (got some fleur de Sel and flavored salt - our lucky day). So my favor in return is to tell you now...to buy salt from them -- debts are now returned.

Next, we found ourselves some lunch, cookies, and a view into the rainy bay at Cowichan Bay. After lunch, it was still raining, so we took a scenic route back towards Victoria. We stopped for a quick look at a scenic lake - and a 5 minute break in the rain!

Lunch in Cowichan Bay

Lunch in Cowichan Bay

Happy Heather & Josh at lake near Cowichan Bay

We made a pit stop at Mattick's Farm, which we thought we be more of a farm than a shopping center. Turned out to be the latter (dang it, I hate not having Internet Internationally for reasonable prices - raise fist up in anger). And we wrapped up the day with a cocktail at the famous Bengal Lounge in the Empress hotel.

Sunday was our last day. And it was still raining. We started our day with some munchies at Murchie's (sorry had to). Then we checked out the new Victoria Public Market. And by new, I mean, opened just a few weeks ago. And best part - it's inside! No wait, the best part was the cheese. Nom nom nom, cheese in my belly. We had to take some home. 

 

Bengal Lounge, Murchie's Tea, and Victoria Public Market

We left Victoria via the Clipper at 2pm Sunday. And so ended our exciting weekend with friends. We did have to take some dramamine on the boat back - as advised by Victoria Clipper team members - because of the choppy, stormy weather. But we got back to Seattle without a scratch (or anything of that sort).  

In conclusion, it was a fantastic trip.* And we give Irene's boyfriend, Jochem, our approval as a new friend.** And of course, it's important to get our approval since I mean...it's us. (I'll get off my high horse now).

Good trip, good friends, good times!

P.S. Didn't get enough pictures. Check out the album. 

*Wow, I sound like I'm writing an essay. It sort of feels like an essay with the amount of writing I did here. Hope that's okay. Do you like essays? Wait, let's call it a novel, that sounds better

**Sorry, I didn't mention, we hadn't met him yet. Holland is a bit far away.

2 Year Anniversary

/

Josh and I have been together two years now. No. Wait. That doesn't seem quite right. Make that 10 years. Yes, that feels more like it. Have I confused you, yet? No, I'm not saying the past two years feels like ten years. Rather, Josh and I have been together for 10 years this fall, and as of today, we've been married for two years. That's my long winded way of telling you we're celebrating our two year anniversary together.

It's been a great two, I mean ten, I mean two years. 

Holy cow, looks at us back then...here's a photo of us now and then.

Heather & Josh, Circa 2003

Heather & Josh, September 2013

And because it's our anniversary, I can't help post a wedding collage. All day today I was playing the game, "two years ago today, we were...." Awwww, such good memories. And no joke, our wedding day was the best day of my life (to this point).

Check out more... 

{Sorry, when I transferred to my new blog (software update), so of my past blog posts lost there "look" and got a bit wonky. But remember, it's all about the content.}

Summer Look Back

/

As a farewell to Summer (because let's just all admit it, summer is over), I decided to do a look back with pictures. Here's a trip down memory lane. 

Starting from top-left...

  1. Hiking St Edwards State Park
  2. Fourth of July Celebrations 
  3. Visiting Northwest Trek 
  4. Fun times at Ballard Seafood Fest
  5. Wine tasting at Kirkland Uncorked
  6. Touring Snohomish 
  7. Go Sounders! 
  8. Rat City Roller Derby 
  9. Go Mariners!

Starting at the top-left...

  1. Random Lunch in downtown
  2. Josh's dream...we found a Sonics 
  3. Take me out to the ball game
  4. Discovering Snohomish
  5. Lucha Libre 
  6. Visiting Chicago & Grandma Ruth
  7. Jeremy's Wedding 
  8. Happy Hours on Patios - cheers!
  9. Kayaking on Lake Union

Wow, when you look at this way, we did quite a lot this summer! And I didn't even post about everything -- missing stuff like the awesome day kayaking on Lake Union, the Mariners game, hiking, happy hours, and roller derby. Man, we're awesome! 

Not enough photos? Check out my Summer gallery on Flickr...or, since I'm slowly transitioning my photos to just be on my site! So you can find even more photos here!

Wayzgoose

/

When you first get to know someone, you ask them where they work, or what they do. When I say Responsys, I usually get a quizzical look. Or an "oh, okay." It's not like Google or Facebook. If you're in the industry, you probably know us...otherwise, I just end up babbling about how email is not spam. 

The next step is telling someone about what I do. I find this rather difficult, too. I am a Program Manager - not a programmer (lots of people seem to jump to that conclusion). Ohh am I far from being a programmer (trying to picture that - ha!). What I do, in a nutshell, is manage projects. Specifically, I manage creative projects. I mainly work with the creative team who designs and writes emails for our clients. 

That was a long winded way to lead into this post. The main purpose from all my babble above is that I work with creative people. And I think they are super creative. Sadly, lots of people don't know them as creatives because we are not at a company that's only creative. But my creative peeps shined the other week, and I was so thrilled to help (hey, I have a creative streak too!).

The event was Wayzgoose (I think I say it differently every time). And we rocked it at Wayzgoose. Now, more people learned about Repsonsys and it's awesome creative folks. Booya! Go us. 

Responsys Poster: Museum of Glass

Basically, a bunch of local design/creative/print companies get together to make large poster prints. It's an annual event, and the theme this year was museums. Each company got assigned a museum then designed a poster for that museum. We, Responsys, got The Museum of Glass (remember when I went there?).

Before the event, everyone made a linoleum "stamp" of their design. Then the printing happened at the event. 

Starting with the top, left photo, here's how the process goes:

  1. Make your stamp.
  2. Paint it - Here's where I helped. 
  3. Place it on the ground. 
  4. Lay down a large piece of paper over the stamp. 
  5. Put a piece of wood down to secure the paper. 
  6. Take a steamroller and roll over the print.
  7. Lift up the paper...(insert "ohhs" and "ahhs" here).
  8. Hang it up for everyone to see. 

You saw our finished poster (pictured above), but the competition was fierce. There were some other crazy awesome posters. The best poster, besides ours obviously, was the Pinball poster (which also got first place). Here's a few I liked: 

Other Posters at Wayzgoose

Everyone hung there poster from the building (the School of Visual Concepts puts on the event) . It was cool to see all the posters hanging.

Hanging Posters at Wayzgoose

Lots of talented folks where at the event, and it was pretty great to see. And the cherry on top was that we got honorable mention. Three of us got honorable mention actually (equally placed), and then the Pinball poster got first place. We were pretty stoked about our win. Like the dark horse riding in. Boom.  

Yay Team Responsys (photo credit to some of these to Henry Alva)

My co-workers are the bestest (one of the copywriters probably just cringed there). Fun times! 

P.S. My co-worker, Henry Alva, took some excellent photos - they're up on Flickr here. 

Vashon Sheepdog Trials

/

Have you seen Babe? It's a movie based off Babe, the Gallant Pig, which I read when I was in elementary school. It was through this book and movie (and our family dog, Maggie, who was a border collie) that I learned about sheepdogs. Yes, I learned about sheepdogs at a very young age. And I believe it was all preparation for this weekend when Josh and I when to the Vashon Sheepdog Trials this past weekend at Misty Isle Farms.

Although I knew about sheepdog herding and that they did competitions (like in Babe!), I didn't know much beyond that. This weekend, my berth of knowledge on sheepdog herding was vastly advanced.   Let me share some of this new found knowledge with you.

First, the sheepdog itself. Generally it's a herding dog, like a Border Collie or Australian Shepard (more here) who are naturally inclined towards herding. It's in their blood. With some training, you can get these dogs to herd animals (fear not, nobody gets hurt in the herding). 

The handler, who is the dog owner, trains the dog to herd the sheep. The handler actually plays a big part in the herding because they are watching the dog and the sheep. The handler will give commands to the dog using a whistle, or sometimes yelling out to the dog. For instance, we heard them instruct the dog to "lie down" a lot to help slow the sheep and dog down in order to make the next move on the course. 

For the competition, the dog must through the field, fetch the sheep, bring them through fences and gates, and then get in the pin, all directed by their handlers commands. 

To start, the dog would run down the field to the sheep that were on the opposite end. As you can see, it's a large field. Probably why a whistle is needed! 

The Course Field

Running down the field

Then the dog must round up the sheep and bring them back down the field and bring them through the gate. As you can see in the video, the dog & sheep were going pretty fast and missed the gate they were supposed to run through.

Once the group is near the handler, then they need to circle a tree, and then bring the sheep through two more gates - a gate on each side of the field. If only the dog's had the sheep's password - bah ram ewe!

Herding sheep through the fence

Herding sheep through the fence

"Bah Ram Ewe"

"Bah Ram Ewe"

After the two gates, they come back around to where the handler is standing. The handler picks two sheep, and the dog needs to sort them. Then they put the herd together again, and then round them into the pin. Here's another video where they dog and handler successfully get the sheep into the pin.

And they need to do it all in 11 minutes! These dogs are super smart, super speedy, and super cute! And I'm sure the handler says, "That'll do Pig" eh hem, I mean, "That'll do dog" at the end.

We had a great time watching the event!

(psst! More photos in my gallery - just scroll down)

The Spectators

The Spectators

Stop and Remember

/

As I was driving home from work Tuesday, my mom asked if I remembered 9/11. I said, of course! But then we realized, it's been twelve years - an entire decade! Someone that is a teenager today, about 16 or 17 years old, would only have been like 4 or 5 years old when the attacks happened. This just blows my mind! They probably won't remember where or when they were when they heard the news. They don't remember watching the television in shock & horror. They don't remember the lives that were lost and the tragedy. Do you remember?

So, for those of us that do remember, let's put so much brainpower into it that we make up for all those that are not able to remember. Stop and remember - just take a minute today. 

God Bless America!

 

P1060135.jpg

Weddings & Family in Chicago

/

Wedding + Grandma + Family = Trip to Chicago

That's the formula for a visit! And so between August 23rd and 26th, I was in the Mid-west. 

1. Wedding

One of the main reasons was to see my cousin Jeremy wed. The wedding took place in Milwaukee at the Pabst Brewing Company factory. I have to say, the venue was pretty cool. Pabst has been around since about 1884, and I think the factory building since 1880 (I figured it's 1880, since that's the year on the building. I'm so clever).

 

But this visit wasn't about the building or the factory, it was about my awesome cousin Jeremy marrying Nikki. The ceremony was short and sweet and was in a courtyard. The reception was on of the larger rooms in the building. In a nutshell, they were very happy and everyone had a lovely time. {More Photos in the album here}

2. Grandma Ruth

My Grandma Ruth is 92 years old and still chugging along. I am so glad to see her every year as she is very special to me. We visited her for lunch on two days during my visit. She was so happy to see us, and even mentioned how we'd traveled all the way from California (I'll give her the California thing, 3 of the 4 of were from Cali; Seattle would be hard to remember). 

We took her to Hackney's for burgers (Hackney's is a favorite of the family. It's one of the places we visit on every trip). She still has a hardy appetite, which always amazes me. (In the picture, she is waving to the camera!)

 

Grandma and Family at Hackney's for Lunch

3. Family

Did you know that the majority of my relatives are from Chicago? Both my parents were born and raised there. We were the runaways of the family that moved to California, but the rest remained in the general Chicago area. I have many good memories of summers in Chicago. So it's always great to visit and catch up with the family. 

Being that my parents were raised in Chicago, there are a lot of memories there. On Sunday night on our visit, we visited on such memories. We went to Ravinia, the site of my parent's first date. Ravinia is a concert venue where people can picnic and watch the band/artist from their picnic site on the grass. They saw Dionne Warwick (you'll recognize her songs), and when it started to rain she sang Rain Drops Keeping Falling on my Head. 

But we didn't see Dionne. Instead, we saw another favorite band of my parents, Chicago.  Yes, we saw Chicago in Chicago (you'll recognize their songs, too). We had a nice picnic and enjoyed the music.

John & Jan at Ravinia

Chicago

And that was my visit to Chicago. Good time with the family.  

For more pictures, go to my Summer Photos album on my blog! (I'm going to move away from Flickr albums, FYI).