Work in the Big Apple

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People who don't travel for work think that work travel is so glamorous. I don't travel all that much for work, but I have done my fair share of work travel, and let me tell you...it's not as glamorous as all those non-travelers think. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some perks no doubt. But, it's not a free trip to just galavant around some awesome city like a it's a leisurely trip. It's usually short, intense, on a different time zone, working late at the hotel, and being "on" for the client. Okay, alright, I'll stop being a Debbie Downer and tell you about my trip to New York this past week - the good stuff.

Monday

My flight out was bright and early on Monday morning (meaning wake up at 4:30am for a 7am departure time). Basically, Monday was a travel day since you lose three hours going to the East Coast. We landed at JFK, and ended up taking a bus to downtown NYC because the taxi line was crazy long (estimated by the lady to be 1 hour at least. Apparently it can be about 3 hours in the summer. Excuse me?). The bus dropped us off at Grand Central Station. Between the bus and the taxi, I managed a few quick glimpses at the building. Sadly, no time to take a peek inside.

Grand Central Station

It was evening by the time we arrived to our hotel, the Hampton Inn, in Soho. The team - comprising of a Strategist, Creative Director, Associate Art Direction, and myself (Account Manager) - decided to grab a bit to eat. One of the team members (not naming names here), desperately wanted to try Parm. Unfortunately, it turned out not to be the Italian New York meal we wanted. On the bright side, I think my dish was the best of the bunch.

Tuesday

Tuesday was the first day of meetings. It was more low key since it was just agencies meeting up (no client) so we ended up getting the afternoon to go tour the city a bit. We decided to check out the High Line. The High Line is a park that was built on the elevated rails above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. 

High Line Park

The park is pretty neat with flowers and plants all sprouting up between the rails. Then you look out and see all the cool, brick buildings. Not too shabby for a Tuesday afternoon walk at the park in some great sunshine weather.

The rest of the afternoon we did a lot of walking. And a lot of indecision about restaurants. Walking and indecision. In between, I got glimpses of New York City like the iconic Flatiron Building. 

Flatiron Building

We also ran into the NYC graduation party. I didn't get a photo, but just imagine a ton of purple, and a ton of people. Most of all, I loved seeing all the architecture. I find the fire escapes on the sides of the buildings interesting - although, I'd have to have to go on one...yikes! 

NYC Buildings

We finally got dinner at La Lanterna di Vittorio - recommended to us by some NYU students. It was really tasty pizza. I got the Pizza con Cipolla e Caprino (pizza with goat cheese, caramelized onions, and walnuts). But it was not quite the New York meal I had in mind. 

Wednesday

This was the big meeting day with the client. I won't bore you with the details of the meetings, so let's skip straight to the evening. We grabbed some cocktails at the top of the St James (dang, nice hotel! Why didn't I get to stay here?). It's a rooftop bar with great views of the city. You could see the Brooklyn Bridge, One Trade Center, and beyond. 

Here's a photo with some folks from the meetings, and an awesome selfie.

Happy Hour @ Rooftop of St James Hotel

There was also some good views of the One Trade Center building nearby. 

One Trade Center

We had the most delicious meal with the client at Beauty and Essex that night. To get to the restaurant, you have to walk through a pawn shop - hilarious. Then you walked into a chic restaurant with lush seats and a skylight. Not what you'd expect on the other side of a pawn shop. The meal was family style - most memorable was the chicken and steak, which just melted in your mouth. I also enjoyed delicious cocktails. Now, this was the New York meal I had in mind. Nom nom nom.

Thursday

Thursday was the end of the trip. I flew back that morning, after a 2-1/2 hour delay. I'd like to say I took the subway to the airport because I like this photo I took, but I really just took a taxi. But here's the photo anyway.

And now here's a picture of the taxi...or should I say taxis (plural)?

Oh, and in case you're interested, I found two awesome coffee shops while I was there - Everyman Espresso and Ground Support. I'm pretty sure I could eat and drink my way through New York.

Okay, so work travel has it's perks, but it's tiring. I'm glad I got to go, but I'm glad to be home. Next time I hope to visit New York for fun!

See all my photos on the 2014 Summer gallery.

 

Under the Sea

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"Life under the sea is better than anything they've got up there..." 

You sing it Sebastian!  

Okay, now I've got you in the spirit for my post about the Seattle Aquarium. Unfortunately, there is not a hot crustacean band to play for you, sorry.

Josh and I went a few weekends ago to check out our local aquarium. We were lucky enough to score a Groupon, so we got in at a discount...booya! 

I went into the aquarium with a certain mindset. The truth is that I grew up pretty much only going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. That or to Sea World (hello, I'm from San Diego). I felt that anything less would just be boring. Plus, lots of friends say Seattle's aquarium its more for kids than adults. So I decided it would just be an "eh" aquarium. All this is probably why it took us 3-1/2 years to finally make our way to the Seattle Aquarium. 

But...I was wrong. The Seattle Aquarium is great! Sure, I went in with my snooty Monterey and San Diego mindset, and sure there were kids, but it was a fun afternoon activity.

Inside there is a pool where you can reach in and touch the sea urchin, anemones, and star fish. Of course, I rolled up my sleeves next to the kiddos and reached in. The water was freezing, but it was neat to touch the different creatives. I learned if you wiggle your finger between the spikes of the urchin, it'll give your finger a little "hug." 

When you first walk in, there is huge exhibit with all sorts of fish. We caught the feeding time, so we saw the scuba driver swimming around. Then there are all sorts of other other exhibits full of different sea creatures. The jelly fish were psychedelic, the octopus was crazy with all it's arms and serious face, and the fish colorful. 

Some of the colors astound me. All these great colors under the water. Who would have thought?

Then we reached the outdoors part of the aquarium. There was some crazy bird that was flapping all around. I caught just a bit of it on video.

Next we reached my favorite is the otters, sea lions, and seals. How can they not be your favorite? They are just too cute. I seriously think otters have the most fun. They're always playing together and joking (okay, maybe not joking, or are they?). 

And the sea lion was getting some grub. And the seals just swim, swim, swim. I am pretty sure the one stopped to say "hello" to us. 

So don't be like me and judge a place before going. You might just find it's a great time. (But seriously, you should still check out Monterey Bay Aquarium...it's freakin' awesome). 

P.S. More photos on my Spring 2014 page.

Strolling through Gardens

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A few weekends ago, Josh and I checked out Seattle's Japanese Gardens. Luckily, it was one of Seattle's more sunny spring days. We'd worked hard during the work week, and we needed to seek out some tranquility. And we found it. 

We'd been to Portland's Japanese Gardens years ago and we were impressed. These were not quite as large, but still very beautiful. It was so peaceful walking around enjoying the gardens. One of my favorite moments was resting on bench and just soaking in the sun for a few minutes. So pleasant.

When you walk into the gardens, a few feet in and you come up to a large pond. The path takes you all the way around the pond. 

When you cross over the bridge, you can see all the koi fish - these were big guys. They'd bop up to the surface and look at you. I feel like they are frowning at you. Like they are saying, "stop looking at me, and get off my pond you silly human." 

Frowing Koi Fish

Whereas the turtle was more stoic and looking out upon his pond. He was definitely staking his claim as king of the pond. I wonder how the koi feel about that. 

Mr Turtle, King of the Pond

As usual, I enjoyed the flowers. These little red ones caught my eye. It's neat how the moss is on the branches. I feel like it was the spring flowers breaking through the mossy winter. 

Or this bright white flower. This one reminded me of Hawaii. I think I have a very similar photo of this flower there...must mean something about me. 

And what's a Japanese garden without some stone lanterns. Guess what, there are pennies in the lantern. Is that like throwing a penny into a fountain?

I took a few photos of the lantern and bridge. I could decide which photo and angle I liked better. The one that shows more of the bridge, or the one that shows more of the lantern. What do you think? 

All in all, it's a great afternoon stroll. If you find the sun shining, go for a walk. Trust me, you'll enjoy it.

Random Acts of the Month: April

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How did it happen? How did May come up so quickly? Let's say a quick goodbye to April. Here's some randomness from my April.

I tried out my green thumb and put together my first terrarium. It's May now, and it's still alive. Success!

I meet this beautiful cat while at Sound Spirits picking up a gift for a friend.

I found graham cracker frozen yogurt at last at Zoe Yogurt! This was one of my favorite flavors back at Yumi Yogurt in the bay area. 

I'm going around to pizza places and trying to decide my favorite. I'll write to you about it once I've made a a few more stops. Can you guess where this one is from?

We enjoyed some great, sunny days. We grabbed Molly Moon's and then walked down to Kerry Park for a view of our beautiful city.

The cherry blossoms started to bloom. I love these flowers!

We went to the Japanese Gardens for peace and tranquility. I'll tell you about this afternoon soon, I promise. 

After buying Marge's delicious granola at the farmer's market, I decided I could totally make my own granola. And I did! Totally good, too. Go on, try it! I'm now on a bit of a granola "kick."

My sweet hubby brought home Trophy cupcakes one weekday...just because. Awww.

We celebrated Easter! And decorated eggs.

I tried out Stitch Fix and loved it!

I found some love while walking in Capitol Hill.

Saw some fish, otters, and all sorts of sea creatures at the Seattle Aquarium. A post about this adventures soon. 

A pretty fun-filled month if I don't say so myself. ;) April...it was good.

#tbt - Thursday 5/1

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Lately I've noticed people posting old photos with the tag #tbt. Funny, I noticed it happened about once a week. And it was always with past photos and reminiscing - travels, being a kid, etc. Then I put two and two together and realized it meant Throwback Thursday. I'm slow to the catch sometimes, but I usually catch on at some point. 

If you curious, Urban Dictionary defines it as: 

“Throwback Thursday. Used on Instagram when you post an old picture of yourself on Thursday. Old pic should be from a different era of your life, not last week. Bonus points if you theme it to the time of year you are posting e.g old Halloween pic at Halloween.Throwback Thursday. Used on Instagram when you post an old picture of yourself on Thursday. Old pic should be from a different era of your life, not last week. Bonus points if you theme it to the time of year you are posting e.g old Halloween pic at Halloween. ”

I didn't realize it was only for Instagram. That's new one for me as of today (thanks Urban Dictionary).

Anyway, I don't think I can do this very often because I seem to get sucked into looking at past photos only to realize I've just spent about an hour at the computer. But for this week, I'm sharing the trip Josh and I took to Boulder. The photo was taken 4/30/2005. Crazy! (Do I get bonus points since it was April about 8 years ago?). 

Trial & Success: Stitch Fix

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I caved in and tried it. I've seen Stitch Fix on a lot of the blogs I read - Joy the Baker, Shutterbean, Eat Live Run - the list goes on. It sounded pretty awesome, and yet I was so hesitant to try it. They could never get my style. They could never get my size. It's probably way overpriced. But the lure was too much to handle, so I decided this month to just do it.

Not sure how, but maybe you haven't heard of this fascinating company yet? Well, it's an online stylist. You fill out the profile, a personal stylist picks out five items, and they ship it to you. Then you try them one and keep what you want. They give you a pre-paid package to send whatever you don't want back to them. 

In order to get to know your style, you sign up and fill out a sizable profile. They ask about your size, age, what you like, what you don't like, etc. Then they show you collages of clothes and you can say how much to like that group of clothes. You even can tell them a price range for items, and if you want them for work, home, or wherever. Here's a glimpse of the profile survey I filled out:

You also can share your Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. This way the stylist can see what your like and your lifestyle. After your satisfied with your profile, you schedule your first "fix" to be delivered. I hadn't made up my mind yet after the profile, so I waited a few days. But then the curiosity overcame me and I order my "fix." 

Once I committed to the order, I was giddy with excitement. What would they send me? Would I like it? Ahhh, I can't wait. And it came pretty fast. 

Props to Stitch Fix ... their style even translated to their packaging and presentation. I opened the box and inside was a letter from my stylist. I was impressed with the personal touch they added -- a note from the stylist just to me. She even called out my worry about sensitive feet and blisters. Plus, they give you a style card on how to wear each item they send to you. Nifty! 

The delivery was great. They had a lot of nice touches. Like the insert about how to wear the items, and the how-to guides. Made the experience fun and easy.

My box had everything I had hoped for and more. They clothes were cute, totally "me" fit great, and at decent prices. You get five items in a box, and here's what I got:

Love. Love. Love. It was hard to decide what not to keep. After trying them all on, decided to just send back the blue cardigan. It was actually similar to something I had pinned, but although I like it on the hook, on me it was a wee bit frumpy. The rest was stellar. Here's some of the pieces in real life:

I ended up getting 4 of the 5 items. However, in looking back at the pricing. If you go that far you should seriously consider just getting the whole box. I realized afterwards you get a 25% discount if you get the whole box! Also, one thing to know, is there is a $20 fee for getting a "fix" but they'll apply that amount if you get an item. And believe me, I'm pretty sure you'll like something.

What a great idea for a business. I loved it! And I can't wait until I can get my next "fix" (Word of caution: you could get addicted to this). And if you want to get me a gift, you know what now - wink wink).

P.S. My Personal Referral Link: http://stitchfix.com/sign_up?referrer_id=3533685

One Fine Easter

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Happy Easter Friends! (belated)

Josh and I had one of those "one fine day" type days on Easter. Spring was in the air, it was Easter, the sun was shining, and we were happy. Nothing super thrilling, but just mighty fine.

We started off by sleeping in (ahh, heavenly). I think God would be happy to see us relax. It's been long work weeks for us lately. And Josh has a cough, so we thought we'd get some extra rest would do us good. We lounged in the morning, and I whipped up a delicious brunch - a ham and asparagus strata. I love lazy mornings!

We continued to lounge and watch some TV. Since it was Easter, and we had been putting it off for a while (months actually), we finally watched the last episode of the History Channel's series, The Bible. It really set the mood for the day. 

Then we decided to venture outdoor, so we headed to Warren G Magnuson Park. What a great park?! It runs along Lake Washington and has nice paths, and there is also a dog park. Yes, we went to the dog park and watched other people's dogs play. They would run into the water and chase each other - cute. Oh man, I'm dog crazy.

We got some good photo opps at the park as well. Look at these beautiful people...

Heather and Josh at Warren G Magnuson Park

We enjoyed the sun, scrolling around, and getting our feet in the grass.

Then we did something we never do on a Sunday afternoon...we went to happy hour. Usually we're old farts and do groceries and laundry on Sunday afternoons. No time for fun. But we broke all the rules and had a drink and appetizers at Westward. A darling restaurant along Lake Union. 

We wrapped up the day with some lemon greek chicken on the BBQ at home, tasty carrot cake whoopie pies made by yours truly, and decorating some hard boiled eggs (see photo in collage above). 

And that was one fine Easter.

See all the photos in my Spring 2014 album.

Green Thumb and Terrariums

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Oh, hello there. Happy spring! I know it's been a while since I posted on my blog. Please accept my sincerest apologies. Work has been busy, and the last thing I want to do is sit at my computer more and type. But I've missed my unknown blog friends, and I have some some fun things to share. For starters, I want to share the newest addition to our home: my terrarium. 

Yes, I fell for the new terrarium trend. It really is a trend; they're all over the place - on Pinterest, at the farmer's markets, in magazines, on blogs...everywhere. I couldn't resist the cute, little succulents. Plus, I figured it would be a nice touch to our apartment by bringing the outdoors in. Not to mention we don't have room for a garden outside, so this way I can try out my green thumb in smaller ways. (By the way, I really don't have a green thumb. It's more of the black thumb of death when it comes to plants. But I hear succulents are resilient, so I thought I could at least try. I'm forever hopefully. )

I thought I would do all the research and read before starting it, that would be the wise thing to do. Instead, I decided to just do it. So, I started at the nearby florist, Midnight Blossom, to see what I could create. The place was super cute, but somewhat pricey. Instead, I opted to try out the garden center up the road instead, Swanson's Nursery. 

The lady there was nice to give me some quick tips, and steered me to the "Terrarium Basics" sheet they have available. It's actually not too hard; here's what I ended up doing...

Supplies

Assembly

The image says it all, but here's the steps:

  1. Container - I had a hard time choosing: circle, square, rounded on top, open, white, glass - ahh! I landed with an open, square glass container: Reasons: Glass is brighter and allows you to see the layers which is a nice touch. Open on top because it's easier for beginners. And square just because. Note - In retrospect, I'd probably say start with something smaller than mine.
  2. Pebbles - Layer on the pebbles first. This provides drainage.
  3. Charcoal - Layer again. This is to make it less stinky (not that it is a smelly plant). Also it keeps the soil fresh.
  4. Soil - Yet another layer. This is for the plants to grow roots (I think). One tip here is to be sure to buy the right kind of soil. I was steered towards the catcus/succulent soil mix. 
  5. Admire the layers.
  6. Get a variety of plants - different textures, colors, heights. 
  7. Plant - I made little divots in the soil, placed the succulent, and then pushed the soil around it gently. I probably would have put in less soil in #4 since adding the plants does take more room than I thought. But I managed.
  8. Sand - The sand wasn't totally necessary, but I thought it'd look nice. I was close to the top of my container by this time. 
  9. Decorations - I didn't plan on this, but I decided to add on some shells. They shells are from our Hawaii trip in 2006 (oh memories!). 

Location

When all is done, find the perfect place in your home. Mine is situated on the kitchen table as a center piece. 

Ta Da!

And there you have it. Join the trend and make one. It's not as hard as you think. 

Good luck on your succulent adventures. Now, if only I can keep mine alive.

Georgia on my Mind

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Georgia, oh Georgia...sing it for me Ray...

Now, that I've got you singing about Georgia, let me tell you about it. I can because I as just there. Yup, I did a last minute trip to Georgia for work last week. It was for a meeting with my client out in Alpharetta (in the 'burbs of Atlanta). Then I managed to tack on a extra two days in order to see some family. 

I few out on Wednesday, which took all freakin' day. We left at 10am and arrived at 6pm. Such a shame to spend your whole day on the plane (luckily I made up that lost time on the way home. Anyway, my first taste of Georgia was dinner. My co-worker that joined me had been to Alpharetta before, so he suggested the restaurant. We landed at a charming restaurant called Table & Main in Roswell. This place knocked my socks off it was so good. No offense, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It was delicious "farm to table" Southern food. Dang! 

Thursday I spent the day with my client, and our meeting went well (whew!). Then I joined a few of my clients for dinner at another great restaurant called Miltons. Combined these two restaurants challenged all my preconceived notions of Southern food. Well done, Georgia.

With my client visit behind me, I drove out to Burford to visit my Aunt Pat and Uncle Ron. They have a lovely home and I got a true taste of Southern hospitality. They treated me like a queen (or should I say Southern Belle?). 

Aunt Pat & Uncle Ron's Home

I lucked out and got to meet their cat, Mr. Ford. He was a rescue cat and I think I made a breakthrough since Mr. Ford came out from behind the boxes and looked at me, which apparently he never does. I guess I am the new cat whisper. Okay, maybe not, but let's pretend. Sorry, no photos since Mr. Ford is camera shy.

Not to bring up food again (heck we do eat at least three times a day, so why not!), but of course we ate at the Cracker Barrel. What good is a trip to the South without it? Cracker Barrel is more than food, it's an experience. As a kid, I loved the jumbo checker board, the wooden peg game (oh man, if only I had this video as a kid), and the candy sticks from the stop after the meal. If you've been there, you know what I'm talking about. Oh, and you can't forget those rocking chairs out front...classic. 

I actually have a cute story about Cracker Barrel. When I was a kid, and we visited the East Coast, and I found out I loved Cracker Barrel. I loved them so much I wrote a letter to headquarters and told them to open shop in San Diego. Well, no such luck for little Heather, but it was worth a try.

Cracker Barrel experience

Saturday we enjoyed some R&R at home, but by noon we headed out to the town. I was introduced to Von Maur, a department store from Iowa, which hasn't made it's way to the West Coast (yet). I also got a tour of Dillards, a Southern department store. My favorite thing in the mall was the fact that Starbucks had sweet tea. 

Perimeter Mall

The day ended at my cousin Debbie's house. Another lovely Georgia home. So big! And I met their sweet pooch, Sammy. Sammy was a cutie and cuddled on my lap. It was great to catch up with my cousin and her husband, Dave. No joke, it has been twelve years since I last saw Debbie. Craziness. 

Family & Sammy, the dog

Sunday I flew back home. I did make up that lost time on Wednesday after all. 

And that was my quick, but sweet trip to Georgia. That's it, y'all.

Spring Flowers and Watercolors

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Happy Spring! 

Yes, today was the first day of spring. And by golly, the sun was out here in Seattle. Can it be? Is it true? It's spring? Well, yes, but I don't think that will totally stop the rain. I mean it did hail last night, so there's that...not to mention April showers brings may flowers. So I fully expect more rain & showers, but it's nice to think that flowers will start blooming and the sun will peek out and say hi more often.

One of my favorite parts of the spring is all the flowers, especially the cherry blossoms. They are all around here in Seattle, and I love driving down roads where the cherry blossoms line the street. It's glorious.

Anyway, I recently found a neat app that features flowers beautifully. It actually turns them into watercolors. Of course, you can use any photos, but I find flowers are my favorite. The app is called Waterlouge. I have it for my iPhone, but you can also get it on your iPad. Here's some before and afters with the app.

One of my favorites with the app so far is from our walk through Pike Place last weekend. I love all the flower vendors. I pretty much take a photo of them every time I go.

And there is another app I wanted to tell you about as well called Studio - good news, it's free. It allows you to add text, texture, frames, graphics in any old way you want. Some folks have made some neat creations. I'm still playing with it, but it's fun. My Happy Spring above was made with it and Waterlouge - crazy. But "Stay Golden" is another one I created recently from a picture I took in Joshua Tree.

Don't be like someone else I know that tends to spend way too much time on her phone playing with photo apps, eh hem. But I hope you enjoy them. It's my gift to you for spring. Now go take some beautiful flower photos!

Busting out my Green

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Apparently for me, St. Patrick's Day is all about food/dessert, wearing the color green, busting out all my celtic jewelry, gloating about my maiden name O'Neill, and talking about my Irish heritage (the whooping 25% of it). Just look back at my what I said in previous years: 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010... (it goes on, you get it).

But I must admit, I secretly love the fact that I'm part Irish. But I wonder if my Swedish and German side get jealous. I mean, I (or actually, we as a country) don't really celebrate the Swedes or Germans in any way, do we? But they oughtn't be jealous because it's really just a day to drink Baileys and Guinness. Speaking of Baileys, check out these lovelies...

Not the best photo (it was already dark out so poor lighting, deal with it), but those are some darn good Irish whoopies - Bailey's Irish Cream filled Chocolate Whoopie Pies, to be exact. Just trying to make friends at the office through their tummies. Why not, it worked with Josh.

And that's not all, yesterday I went to a St. Patrick's Day Sprinkles Party at Cupcake Royale with my friend Tricia and her little girl, Kaia. Kaia took all of three minutes to frost and destroy her cupcake. It was cute, she had "happy messy face" going on. 

For dinner, I said screw corn beef and cabbage, and made Shepard's pie. It seemed pretty Irish to me with the potatoes. Sorry, no photo, we devoured it instead. 

Of course, I busted out my green and celtic jewelry like a good Irish lass. All in all, a good St. Patrick's Day. And I can say I did all my St Patrick's Day things - green, jewelry, food, O'Neill. Done, done, and done.

I hope you had the luck o' the Irish today!

My 2 Year Work-iversary

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Well, time certainly flies. Two years ago today I started working at Responsys. Crazy, huh? My first day was actually in Chicago for training. Remember?

And here I was 1 year ago on My 1 year Work-iversary.

I know this is so cliche but the best thing about my job is the people. My co-workers are great, and it makes going into work each day so much better. We like each other so much that we even hang out to do artsy-fartsy stuff over the weekend sometimes, like Wayzgoose.

Responsys has been a fun company to work at - always working to be the best. They host an annual conference call Interact that I attended last year. There was Captain "Sully" there to inspire us, and Michael Franti to make us dance. 

Anyway, here I am at my 2 year Worki-versary with Responsys. We are now becoming Oracle, so this is my last year at Responsys in a way. Bittersweet. 

Well, I'm gonna keep this short since I'm tried after a long day at work. HA!

On an ending note, here's me working away at my desk today. With a thanks to my co-worker, Yeji, who didn't judge when I asked her to take a picture. I told her I had friends that wanted to see me at work (that would be you).

P.S. Did you notice the sun in the window? Awesome! Good stuff for March. 

Parents in Town

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I told you, right? I didn't? Are you sure? Shame on me for forgetting to tell you. My parents were in town the other weekend - the last weekend of February. Sadly, I didn't take many photos. I don't know why. I regret it. So, you get more words than photos time time (as to opposed to last time).

While it rained almost the whole time (hello, this is Seattle in February), but we still had a great time. We were originally going to head out to Port Townsend, but changed our minds Saturday morning because of the rain. Instead we opted for adventure closer to home. 

Saturday started with breakfast at Macrina, my parent's favorite bakery. My dad says his three favorite things about Seattle are: (1) his daughter & son-in-law, (2) the bakeries, and (3) the restaurants. I think 2 and 3 are probably the same. Coming from my dad, that's a huge compliment. We'll take it. Anyways, you get the idea: bakeries are important when they visit.

Then we ventured out to West Seattle. You can just hop over the bridge and get there from downtown in a few minutes. There are some cute shops on California Avenue. My dad's favorite was the wine shop - big surprise. Both parents liked Click! Josh and I enjoyed Fleurt. And we all enjoyed the antique and other shops. We replenished ourselves with lunch at Circa. 

After lunch, we wandered back across the bridge to SODO for the afternoon for a distillery tour and tasting. We stopped at Letterpress Distilling for a taste of delicious Limoncello. It was so good that it brought me back memories of sunny, warm days in Italy. ((Sigh...))

Skip, the owner and master distriller, was there and showed us around. He pointed out the huge vat of lemon zest with vodka marinating, and the hand-held zest machine he uses. It's a small shop, but dang good stuff, so we bought a bottle. Yum!

Next we headed over to Westland for a tour and single malt whiskey tasting. The Westland plant (store? facility? whatever you call it) is gorgeous. I loved their logo and "Thoughtfully Made" slogan (geeky, I know). Josh and I got some cool t-shirts.

The tour was fun, free, and informative. A great rainy day activity. The day we were there they just released their peated malt whiskey. I tasted it, and it was pretty smokey and peaty. I think we all liked their single malt whiskey the best. 

That was pretty much our Saturday (let's skip over the food poisoning that happened to me that night -yuck).

Sunday was a short day because my parents had to drive down to Portland for a conference my dad's work. My mom and I got mani pedis, we spend some time in Ballard for lunch, and then a pit shop at the Book Larder, a book store for cookbooks, for my mom to get the Macrina cookbook. 

And that's about it. A good weekend with my parents. Maybe next time they'll come in the summer for some good Seattle weather. Can't beat our summers here. 

Jolly Good British TV

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Hey mate! Let's have a spot of tea, shall we? 

So what, maybe I have been watching too much British TV. Deal with it. It's jolly good. What British shows, you might ask. Well, let me tell you..

Downton Abbey

I know I've already told you about Downton Abbey, but I need to remind you about it. I must admit, I was first incredibly sad mid-way through last season, and then terribly angry by the end. How could they do that? ANGRY. I was wary heading into Season 4. I thought maybe it jumped the shark at that point. Season 4 proved me wrong. It's back on track, thank goodness. This season I loved Mrs Hughes and Dowager Countess of Grantham. The Countess really makes me chuckle - especially when she's speaking to poor Isobel Crawley. And Mrs Hughes was the peacemaker and everyones confident. Not to mention the lovely Lady Mary. Now come on Season 5, impress me!

Sherlock

What I hate about this show is that it's only three episodes. Luckily they are longer episodes to make up for it. They are almost movie length. We watched the last episode of Season 3 last night. It had a nice twist that surprised me. I just love Sherlock and Dr. Watson together. They are great actors and the mysteries always captive. The mustache at the beginning was pretty funny. Here's a Season 3 teaser. If you have an Apple TV, there is a PBS station and you can watch it for free (Same with Downton, by the way). You're welcome.

Foyles War

I just love Detective Foyle. I think he laughs on the inside; you can see it at the end of the episode when they end the episode on a light note. Or when Sam says something was she's driving him away from a crime scene. Sam just makes you laugh that way. Gosh, I sound like I am friends with these characters. Is that sad? Well, who cares, it's fun to watch. The mysteries are fun and it takes place during WWII, so you get to learn as you're entertained. Can't beat that. And it's on Netflix streaming. You're welcome, again.

Call the Midwife

So, Josh doesn't like this one. I do think this is more of a chick show. They often have babies being born and they show the mom screaming or sweating in labor. So there's that. I get a bit squeamish myself sometimes, but it doesn't stop me from watching. Hello, it's a midwife show...babies are bound to be born. The setting is East London during the 1950-60s. Th midwifes and nuns helping the community (riding their bikes). The main character, Jenny is so practical and down to earth. Love her & I am just hoping she falls in love. And Trixie, Cynthia, Chummy, and the sisters...everyone brings to the story. And again, it's on Netflix streaming. 

They are all PBS, and mostly Masterpiece. Well done good sir, well done. If you want more Brits? My friend the Pioneer Woman talks about British actors and how they're invading there as well.

Simply Coffee: Slate Coffee Roasters

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Remember when Josh & I first moved to Seattle, I started my coffee tour? I dropped the ball on keeping that series going. I partially stopped because there are just so many places in Seattle and I couldn't keep up. There is definitely no shortage of coffee houses in Seattle. That's for sure. And all Seattleites have our favorite places, including Josh and I. But we had a recent discovery I wanted to share.

This recent discovery was Slate Coffee Roasters. It's a hidden little gem in Ballard. We stumbled upon it driving around, and decided to stop for a caffeine fix. And ever since it's been Sunday morning routine for breakfast before church. Our spot is right in the window.

Sunday Morning's at Slate

Mind you, this isn't like Starbucks or Tullys where there are flavored syrups and whatnot. Slate's main focus is the coffee - simply coffee. Not many fancy-dancy creations. Their menu is mainly coffee and milk in varying different ways with chocolate if you'd like. And the milk they use is local and organic, so it's fresh. 

Slate is more of a coffee experience than it is grabbing a quick caffeine fix for the go. They take their coffee rather seriously. They are sure to take time on each coffee so it's perfect. My usual is espresso + milk with a Splenda. I have an extreme sweet tooth, but honestly I could probably get away without the Splenda. But heck, I just like that extra bit of sweetness.

Then we enjoy a pastry. On Sundays, they get Tall Grass Bakery goodies. I tend to go for the cinnamon roll or the apple cornmeal muffin. But Josh likes the cream cheese danish. But on other days, they get Fuji delivered, which is also quite delicious.

The other weekend, we missed our Sunday morning visit (due to snow!) so we stopped in the afternoon. I got my usual, but Josh tried the deconstructed coffee. This is espresso, milk, and then espresso + milk. It's was fun to taste each on it's own and then together. We felt like true coffee snobs (snobs in a good way).

Slate's Deconstructed Coffee

And the folks that work at Slate are incredibly knowledgable and super friendly. Chelsea greets us when we come in (I don't know when she's not working, by the way) and knows our order. 

Chelsea, our favorite Barista

So if you find yourself in Seattle and wanting a true coffee experience, please visit Slate. And if my recommendation isn't enough, you'll be happy to hear Slate's been named one of the 20 hottest coffee shops across the US by Eater (props to Slate!). 

Note: This is part of my Local Spotlight Series.

Sweet & Simple Valentines

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Valentine's Day. The day were people talk about how they are single/married, eat chocolate, have way overpriced pre-fix dinners, try cooking fancy-dancy meals at home, or say how they are boycotting it all and watching TV alone. Yada yada yada. But I do think it's nice to have a day to really stop and be thankful for all the loved ones in your life. 

Josh and I made a pact not to give each other anything for Valentines Day. Of course, we broke it. I snuck a card in his laptop so when he opened the top a card was waiting. He had flowers delivered to my office.

I secretly love getting flowers delivered to my office. It really make for a lovely surprise and everyone oohh and ahhs over them. And you get this pleasant floral smell as you work. (Until said flowers have been at your desk unattended for too many days and begin to rot at the stem. Then it takes you a day to figure out what the horrendous smell is at your desk. Not that this has happened to me or anything, cough cough).

Flowers delivered to my Office

For dinner, we kept it simple and went to Thai food. Then went to a Hazelwood for a cocktail together and finished it all up with some gelato. Nice and simple, and better yet, didn't break the bank.

Cocktails at Hazelwood

We finished it all up with an episode of Sherlock (love this series!). 

So, how was your Valentine's Day?

Olympics in the Movies

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When I was a kid, I felt like there was a lot more hoopla about the Olympics. Oh sure, people still talk about it and the Today Show is giving me updates, but I really felt more Olympic spirit as a kid. Have things changed? Or have I changed? 

In the mornings, while I eat my bowl of cereal, I watch the Today Show. This has been my main "news" feed on the Olympics. So when I came home the other day, I turned on the TV, and low and behold there was the Olympics. It was like the Olympics was telling me to watch since the same channel I watch in the morning plays the Olympics at night. So I left them on, just to see. They were showing speed skating...and it was at moment that I remembered that little kid Olympic spirit. That was the night the Dutch took all the metals for men's speed skating, which is cool because I have a Dutch friend. But even cooler was that it was twin brothers that won.  

From that night one, I've been watching it a little bit each night. I saw some figure skating, halfpipe, and ski jumping. I was bummed about Shaun White. But anyways...to get to what I really wanted to talk about: Olympics in the movies. There are some great movies about the Olympics. I say go Olympic crazy. Watch the Olympics and then watch a movie about the Olympics. Totally crazy.

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The Cutting Edge

Have you seen this movie? Please say yes. I grew up watching this movie. My sister and I love to quote it. You gotta love Doug and Kate. Here's some favorite quotes:

  • Toe Pick!
  • If it was forty below and that button meant the difference between a long satisfying life and a cold horrible death from hypothermia, I still wouldn't give you the satisfaction!
  • What difference does it make? The difference is...I'm in the mood to kick a little ass.
  • I- I b- I been doin' a little- I been doin' a little figure skating....(chime in old man) Finger painting?

I think I need to watch this again now. Oh, and I also own the soundtrack. 

Cool Runnings 

Now, I know you've seen this one. I mean, who hasn't? I say, "Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its bobsled time! COOL RUNNINGS!" Yes, a Jamaican bobsled team. This is a good old family favorite - it's got everything...laughs, soul, encouragement. Not to mention John Candy. 

Miracle

This is more recent movie compared to the ones above. I've actually only seen this once or twice, but it's a genuine, feel-good, Olympic movie. Oh and totally inspiring. Isn't that a given with an Olympic movie? And it's also a true story. Gotta love true stories. Now, if I only knew the rules of hockey. 

Chariots of Fire

I saw this a long-long-long time ago. I think my sister was watching it, so I just started watching it, too. I probably should watch it again. I remember a lots of running and the song (you know, THE song). But, most importantly, I do remember liking it. So there's that.

I think those are the best of the Olympic movies. Here's another, longer list of Olympic movies (and yes, I have seen National Velvet), but I can't vouch for them - especially not Blades of Glory. Hmm. Or, you can check out this list as well. But seriously, with the above, I've got you covered.

P.S. There are some sequels...don't do it.

The 12th Man Stands in Victory

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Seattle is on fire (figuratively)! If you were here, it would be hard to miss how excited we all are for the Seahawks. We've just freakin' won the Superbowl!

For the past weeks (or months, really), people have been decked out in their Seahawks gear everywhere. Not only are the people dressed up, but the buildings as well. The Space Needle has the 12th Man flag flying on top and with blue and green lights shining. And all the buildings are putting up signs and lights. The Ferris Wheel was light up. Heck, there is even music. There are some songs that have been twisted up - like What Does a Hawk Say? or Sweet Home Field Advantage.

Honestly, I'm not an avid football fan. Only recently did I really catch the spirit - it was impossible not to! Here are a few things I've learned about the team:

  • 12th Man - This is EVERYWHERE...signs, flags, jerseys, etc. So, the 12th man...who is that? Well, there are 11 players on the field, and the 12th player is the fan. And man, are we big fans. Seattle Seahawks fans are loud and we're proud of it.  
  • Legion of Boom (L.O.B.) - Seahawks are known for there awesome defense. The legion of boom is the Seahawks' defense style. I really don't know much more, but I how I think of it, is when the other team's player tries to break through Seahawk's defense...BOOM, they are stopped. You know what they say, the best offense is the best defense.
  • Richard Sherman - He's one of the Seahawks players. There has been a lot of press about him because he it quite the talker. After the play-off game against the 49'ers, Sherman had an interview that everyone is talking about. It's all the talk...I just think he was super pumped on adrenaline and excitement.
  • Skittles - Yes, the candy. This is a cute story about Marshawn Lynch. When he was young, every time he scored a touchdown, his mom gave him Skittles. The fans (I mean, 12th Man) caught on and now when he score Skittles are thrown onto the field in celebration. No joke, apparently Seattle is running low on Skittles.
  • Russell Wilson - Our beloved Quarterback. He just seems like such a great guy. In fact, our pastor actually interviewed him. So great!

It's been a lot of fun having a city with a winning team. I don't followed about football or the Super Bowl. But those dang 12th Man fans rub off on you. So, I bought myself a Seahawks t-shirt. With t-shirt on, I felt I could really join in. Like at work, for Blue Friday, I joined in...

(Yes, it may not seem like it, but I have a Seahawk t-shirt on - it's grey but it definitely says Seahawks on it).

Responsys Blue Friday

The Friday before the Super Bowl, we had a big Seahawk party. We had yummy cupcakes. Our office manager even made the Seahawk logo out of beads. Crazy!

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We went to our friends house, the Maben's, for a couple games. We made our blue & green cupcakes (the kids helped decorate a few). 

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For the Super Bowl, we also celebrated with the Mabens. We had tasty football nibbles - chili, pulled pork, guac + chips, cheesey bread, and blue & green M&M cookies! 

And the best part of it all: WE WON! We are the World Champions! (oh, I know you thought the Broncos would win, fooled yo!). 

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I'm so proud of my city! I feel like we should all break out in one big cheer...

We've got the spirit

Yes we do, we've got the spirt,

How about you!

Baker's Corner: Pie Perfection

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I have a confession. This may totally surprise you. I haven't always liked pie. You heard me. There was a time where I thought I didn't like pie. The horror! (Caveat: I did like Marie Callendar's Boston Cream pie, but we all know that's more cake than pie).

Luckily, I came to my senses. It happened when we were looking for desserts for our wedding. We liked the idea of pie because you could get many flavors, and it fit with our rustic chic theme. So we tried Shoofly Pie, and my life was forever changed. I like pie. It was an amazing revelation. I'm still somewhat particular, but I'm that way with everything. 

So you probably know, we did have pie at our wedding and it was fantastic. 

Since pie is somewhat new to my life, I hadn't spent much time baking it. I've been a bit intimidated by pie. That hasn't stopped me before, though. Take macarons, for instance. I made a few along the way, and they've been successful. But right before Thanksgiving I invited my friend, Sarah, over and we made the most magnificent pie together.

We certainly took on a challenge with the lattice top, but all the effort was well worth it. It tasted as good as it looks. I wish I had a piece right now! 

Are you looking to take on baking a pie? Let me walk you thought this one. 

#1 - Make the pie crust. The crust needs time in the refrigerator, so while it's chilling, you can make the inside. We used Joy the Baker's pie crust recipe. 

With this pie crust, she has you use a rolling pin to mix the flour and butter. I think this helps make it flaky. Then you separate the dough into two balls, wrap it up, and put it in the fridge. 

#2 - The Filling. We use The Baker Chick's Salted Apple Pie recipe. Basically, you peel and slice up the apples. Then put them in a skillet with other goodies, and cook. It gets all bubbly, gooey and delicious.  

#3 - Bring it all Together. Take out the pie dough and roll it out. You'll need roll out two crusts - one for the bottom crust and one for the pie top. Once you've rolled it out, you need to place this in the pie dish. There is a trick here that Sarah shared. You roll the pie crust onto the rolling pin, and then unwind it over the dish. Easy peasy.  Then dump the apples in.

#4 - Final touches. We took it a step further and made a lattice top. Since neither of us have done this before, we followed Simply Recipes instructions. I used a pizza cutter to make strips. It's a bit hard to explain from here, so just check out the link. Then we folded the edges back over and used a spoon to crimp.

#5 - Put into the oven. We forgot to do this, but sprinkle some sugar on top before putting it in the oven. We remember afterwards. Don't worry, it still tasted delicious.

#6 - Let it rest (if you can wait), and EAT! If you don't let it rest, then it'll ooze all out when you slice it. We didn't have much patience since the whole apartment was filled with baked pie smell. But when I ate it the next day, the slice was perfect. 

Dang, that pie was good. And I'm soooo glad I like pie now. Life is much fuller because of it.

And hats off to the bakers...

Funny Faces & Silly People

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Well, the holidays are over. The last holiday event was last weekend, which was Josh's company office party. It was pretty fun at the Pan Pacific hotel here in Seattle. 

It seems like every good party these days has a photobooth. Who doesn't like a good photobooth? They are so popular right now. It's not a party without some sort of photobooth. And Josh's company didn't disappoint. Here's our fun snaps:

(I think the two bottom ones are my favorite)

But wait! My office party also had a photobooth. I told you, photobooths are popular. For this one, my co-worker James and his wife Sarah joined us. Yes, that's mountains and bears in the background. It's cool. 

Oh, and there is more. How many times do I have to tell you photobooths are popular? For New Year's Eve our friends Mark & Sarah co-hosted a party. They turned an iPad into a photobooth. Now, that's clever. 

We took quite a few photobooth pictures at New Years. Here's some more...

Are you sick of these funny poses and faces yet? I have even more in my back pocket. We did a photobooth back in 2012 at our friend Manuel & Alley's wedding. So, yes, it has been popular for a few years now. 

I sorta love photobooths.