Today!

I started off my day over a cup of coffee with my daddy-o. I love this man. His shenanigans & all.

With summer approaching & all these warm days we've been having here, I've been inspired to do something different with my hair! My sister Lily works wonders! If you're ever in need - go visit her at FoxyCut Salon (Pioneer Square - Seattle). 

You can't really tell in this picture - but here's a little look at my hair! Heavy lighting on one side.. and just a little bit on the other. I'll have to post some better pics later!

After that, I met up my mom & niece. Got some beach time in before I had to go to work. 

Look at her crazy hairs blowin' in the wind!

I love this little girl SO much - it's crazy. She's hilarious.. a spunky little 1 yr old! 

Oh. And great story. Today I parallel parked in front of a group of old bikers. As I was getting out of my car, I saw them all hold up all 10 fingers & yell out, "Perfect 10 girl!" They were talking about my parking job. Come to find out, as they have their afternoon coffee, they watch people park & they normally see a lot of macho men in nice cars fail miserably at parallel parking. One of the guys asked how I got so good at parallel parking. They told me I should sit out there with them and give lessons to people who aren't so good at parking. It was so sweet. And yeah.. I felt pretty awesome after this whole thing. Still do, actually. 

Like... this Alki biker gang respects me. Now hopefully I don't go messing up my parallel skills! Haha. 

Oh... and yes...... 

...i am beyond excited for the weather on the right! Goodbye dumb Seattle weather... Hello Sunny California! 

Tomorrow I'm skipping town and heading back to my second home (I feel like I have lots of second homes) - Victorville, CA. The High Desert. In the middle of LA & Vegas. I will be there tomorrow morning! 

So. Stoked. 

My lovely friend, Jalyssa, is getting hitched & she asked me to be in her wedding! She posted this wonderful video on FB to ask me to be apart of her big day - I wish I could show it to you but it won't let me share it. 

Anywho, I cannot wait for the wedding! I'm so excited for these guys:

Aren't they cute?! 

Well bloggers & readers - it's been real. 

I'll see you after my vacay.

I'm sure there will be LOTS to share - pictures, stories, etc. 

Wknd Recap!

This weekend was fanfreakintastic. 

Seriously blessed with really, really great friends! 

Saturday, a couple friends got together - hung out in Pioneed Square, went to an M's game & capped it off with a frisbee throwin' night at Alki. 

{elisa's pose idea}

{we didn't even plan this matchy matchy converse day} 

{there are no words for how amazing - and beautiful - my girls are!}

Sunday, my mom & I spent sometime at the Fremont Market, went to Pikes & shopped around. Love getting time with her! 

{we both really loved this picture frame!} 

{Fremont} 

And then last night, I had a spontaneous Moroccan experience with James, Jesse & Joel. 3 J's. Didn't even realize that.

Anywho... if you're ever in Seattle - Marrakesh in Belltown is the place to be! 

We got the full Moroccan experience:

Sat on the floor, ate with our fingers, had live entertainment - belly dancers, and just ate really, really good food. 

Today, I work. I've never worked on Mem. Day before. I much rather be with my family - bbq'ing, chillin... but duty calls. 

I hope your day has been good and you are filled with gratefulness for the men & women who have fought for this beautiful country! Thank you!!!!!

xoxo. 

Honor: Your Parents.

"do you want to do something radical? 

honor your father & mother."

-tweeted by @fortodaymattie 

I read that and stopped to evaluate my own relationship with my parents. 

Here they are:

aren't they cute? 

I love them.

A lot. And there are no words that can express how extremely grateful I am for them. 

But yes.. there are times when we disagree. 

There are times when they're mad at me.

And times when I'm not really happy with them.

It's not the most perfect relationship in the world - mine & theirs ... 

But it's not bad either. Ups & downs ... we all have them!

But in the midst of all that - I am learning what it means to honor them no matter the disagreement, no matter the circumstance, no matter whatever. 

They love me a lot. And I love them a lot too. 

They have done everything to get me where I am right now.. all the while raising 5 other kids, tending to the needs of extended family & friends and working on their own lives.  

That's amazing. 

No matter where you stand with your parents - it's clear:

Honor your parents that it may go well with you...

I am a strong believer that when you honor the people that brought you into this world - you will live a FULL, abundant & overwhelmingly joyful life. 

You HAVE to love that. 

Recap.

If you didn't know, sorry you missed out - yesterday was free Slurpee day at 7-11 ! I don't know about you, but Slurpees bring back SO many childhood memories. They were definitely a staple "fun drink" in my childhood. 

My favorite flavor is cherry & grape. 

What's your favorite?

*New pair of sunglasses. Thank you H&M for making cute, cheap things. 

Yesterday, we celebrated my brother in law's birthday at Jimmy's! I had never been before, so to walk in and see peanut shells all over the ground - it shocked me. You walk in and there are barrels of peanuts - you grab a bowl - fill 'er up - and start throwing those peanut shells on the ground. Craziness. 

The food was delicious! If you go - definitely get the Crawfish Chowder. Everyone in my family all can attest - it's the best chowder we've ever tasted yet! 

And their rolls - dangerously delicious. 

Funny conversation having to do with their signature rolls & peanuts.

Dad to waiter: "I love your buns."

Mom to waiter: "And I love your peanuts."

*Everyone dies laughing. 

Poor waiter... 

This morning I made brown rice blueberry muffins. 

So incredibly fluffy & yummy. And super easy to make. That's always a plus.

Recipe here at Hey That Tastes Good! 

And look at this! The family I babysit for on Thursdays (yes, another one of my million jobs) got me a little 'thank you' gift. Isn't that sweet? 

Their friends make it and its one of their signature wines. I can't wait to taste it! 

Today has been a great Thursday so far! 

Hoping your day is just as loverrrly. 

And since it's Throwback Thursday, here's a little treat. 

I wonder what they were thinking when they put me in that outfit. 

West Seattle 5k.

Today is a big deal for me.

I've never ran an actual race before.

Today, I ran with one the of mommas in my life - Mary and my sister Theresa.

And it was a blast!  

pre-race:

look at all those people!

paparazzi was out there! (one of my other best friends, elisa, was snappin' photos)

we did it! 

we earned our shirts :)

And now... I'm signing up for a 10k in August.

Also hoping to do a couple more 5ks in between now & then.

And doing the Warrior Dash in September.

Good Lord Almighty. 

Insta-Friday

I've found myself eating at Freshy's 3 days in a row this week. If you're ever in West Seattle, head over there {you may run into me face buried in a book, over to the left - chompin' down on a salad}. Its that good. 

I love living so close to the market. Going down there early enough to watch people set up their booths, fresh smell of pastries being baked and flowers being put out. Sounds whimsical, right? Well... it is. And it's the life that I get to live :)

And thank you Jesus for the AMAZING weather! Ice cream weather. Step out side with an ice cream that starts to melt right away kind of weather. I love it. 

But unfortunately for us Seattleites, it ends this weekend. Back to rain next week. 

It's

Friday, Friday! 

Happy, happy Friday! 

xoxo.

Mind Ya' Business.

‎"Our souls may lose their peace and even disturb other people's, if we are always criticizing trivial actions - which often are not real defects at all, but we construe them wrongly through our ignorance of their motives." - St Teresa

She couldn't have said it better.

If we don't know where someone is at in their life, why they do the things they do, what's really going on with them, their story - then we really shouldn't feel entitled to sharing what we think about them.

I've seen a lot of people shut down because of what people have thoughtlessly said to them. I've seen a lot of people isolate themselves because of what others have "confronted" them with. And all in of the name of God. 

Yeah. Sad, right? 

And we wonder why there are so many people that are cold, hopeless & feel unloved. 

Let's take a look at our own words - what we are saying to people.

Let's take a look at our thoughts - we what think we know about the person we're judging.

Let's take a look at our actions - just because we think we're doing the right thing, doesn't always mean it's right.

In a day and age where a lot of things are all over the internet - Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Instagram, etc. I do strongly believe that the virtue of "minding your own business" is STILL very important. 

Where we have no say.... we simply have no say. 

If you're reading this, I'd like you to think about the words you speak to people. They're powerful.

Powerful enough to make or break someone. 

"...to make it your ambition and definitely endeavor to live quietly and peacefully, to mind your own affairs..."

1 thess. 4:11

The Mommas.

Here are all the lovely mommas in my family. 

They're amazing.

Each one of them.

Amazing sisters. And my mom - she's the most amazing. {I'm sure all my sisters would agree}

I'm blessed to have these ladies in my life.

Happy Mommas Day. 

WDYWT: Babysitting Edition.

Thursdays are my babysitting days.

I get to hang out with this guy:

That's Baby J.

He's a hoot.

And to hang out with this guy... you need to be comfy.

So. Here's my comfy outfit.

AE Jeans. 

*I never really shop there, but went in the other day, these jeans were super cheap & they're probably my favorite jeans I've ever owned. 

Old Navy sweater.

North Face Vest. 

Pink Converse.

I hope you have a day during the week to get your comfy on! :)

I'm a Christian. Deal with it.

God has a lot to say about us... and I like reading about His perspective. 

It's so good!!!!

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how much of the world despises Christianity. I'm sure some of that has to do with the fact that some "Christians" aren't living like true Christians. {Haven't we all been there at some point... and yep... I still find myself falling short. Surprise, surprise. I'm/We're human.} 

But in the same way, I've been realizing that if you don't have a personal revelation {def: the making known of a secret or the unknown. revealing divine truth} from God that He is who He says He is - then of course, the Bible isn't going to make sense to you... and of course you're going to look at the things we Christians believe & think we're craaaazy. 

And as a Christian - I understand that. 

"You will be hated by men for my names sake." Luke 21:17 

I get that. 

It's like a person {a} who NEVER exercises compared to someone {b} who is in the gym 24/7. {a} will never understand why {b} goes to the gym all the time. {a} will make judgements on {b} like, "they're too concerned with their body" , "they need to rest" , "how can they work out so hard" , etc. And the whole time {b} will be at the gym enjoying themselves, working hard, seeing results and loving it. but {a} will never understand that until they go in the gym themselves. and {a} might start going to the gym and still have a hard time understanding why people like working out BUT if {a} sticks with it, she'll start to love it. And {a} will gain a personal desire to want to work out, to want to push themselves harder, etc. 

And that's just the same with Christianity & what I believe. You will never fully understand biblical standards until you put yourself in the position to want to. 

*Phew. 

Buttered Maple Beer Muffins

A couple people have asked me for this recipe, and so here it is!

3 CUPS of Flour 

3 TSP of Baking Powder {if you're using self-rising flour, you can omit this ingredient}

1 TSP of Salt {omit if using self-rising flour}

1/4 CUP of Sugar 

12 OUNCES of Beer 

*tip: the cheaper the better. a good ol' pbr would be just fine. i used dos equis today, and it tasted great as well.

1/2 CUP of melted butter 

A bottle of Maple Syrup 

*Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

*Mix all your ingredients together

*Pour into greased muffin pan

*Pour the melted butter over each muffin

*Pour as much maple syrup as you'd like over each muffin

Put into oven.

Let it bake for about 25-30 mins.

Check on your muffins around 20 minutes {good ol' fork-right-down-the-middle trick will do} - each oven is different.

When done - pop em out of the muffin tin & let cool. {or don't... i won't lie, i definitely burnt my tongue today just because i like things fresh out of the over}

If they feel a little hard on the ouside, don't you worry, all is well... that's the nice thing about this muffin. The outside is a nice & crispy buttery / maple goodness & on the inside, is this warm & fluffy bread. 

You can make this bread with any beverage. 

Juice, Beer, Whatever. 

This is a great recipe to experiment with! 

Enjoy!

{try to not eat them all at one time....} 

A Butt-load of Randomness.

Yesterday, as I was driving, I realized, 

"I was born to be a Nascar racer."

I can't stand to stay in one lane on the freeway.

I weave in and out of traffic.

I will get in front of you if you're slow, unapologetically. 

Yes. I am that person. 

(The make & model, as will as license plate, of my car will remain anonymous, just in case I cut you off)

Anyway, how awesome would that be? Me... as a Nascar driver. 

——

For the past couple days, I've been housesitting and I cannot tell you how many times the thought of having my own place crossed my mind.

Waking up to quiet.... lovely. 

When I have my first place, I'd probably go for a cute little apt or studio.

Here's what I'd look for:

——

I am completely hooked on the Food Network show Chopped.

And every time that I watch it, I want to throw my own Chopped party!

Who has a kitchen that can accommodate my grand idea? 

Comment now. 

:) 

——

random photo pick of the day:

That's my grandpa.. Have any idea which guy I may be talking about?

(hint: the only brown one in the whole picture) 

Happy day to you!

Insta-Friday on Saturday.

Good Morning! 

Wait.. no... its definitely afternoon right now.

Bah.

I'm out of it today!

So tired!

Anywho - this past week FLEW right by. 

Here are some Instas. 

Baby J just chillin.. checkin' out the other children at the park.

Everyone, meet Brother. I'm hanging out with him and his house for a couple days!

And this is my friend Elisa. She grew a beard. In, like, 5 seconds. Cray. 

She shaved. And here we are at Via Tribunali! 

Esther, over at Southern Nomad, put a GREAT event together last night. A Common Place is " inviting people to gather for an evening and connect with the rich community that exists around them. It is a unique way to get to know some of the inspiring local artisans and small businesses..." (her own words! check out her blog... seriously). 

Last night was too fun getting together with GREAT people!  

Elisa and I entered in the wrong door.

Of course we would.

We entered in the "private dining" section of the restaurant.

And walked... all.. the... way.. through.

Definitely all eyes were on us. Walk of shame. For real.

You see that yummy goodness? 

Mezza Luna Nutella.

English: A nutella calzone! 

Sooooo yummy. I got to share it with lovely, lovely Kate - click her name & check out how lovely she really is! 

Two of my dearest friends! LOVE them!

Have a lovely day!

Love,

Brother & I 

I had a little run in with The Selby today. 

And I'm glad I did.

Selby allows you front row seats into the lives of many people.

I love it.

Here are some of my favorite photos from TS today! 

his & hers reading glasses.

From the home of Otto & Monika

Rustic. I love Rustic.

From the home of Hitoshi Uchida.

You simply can't resist that cute face!

From the home of Abigail Ahern.

Rooftop deck DREAM.

From the home of Charlotte Rust.