#Mark&MaryTieTheKnot // Part ONE

Long before Mark met Mary or even dreamed of falling in love... I was living with Mary in San Jose and taking a 10 person class with Mark.

After I moved to Portland I saw pictures popping up of the two of them together. I called Mary immediately... What the heck was going on? I never would have imagined them as a couple but after celebrating their wedding in Davis, Ca on Saturday... I cannot picture them not together.

I love Mark. I love Mark for Mary. And I can confidently say this after interviewing everyone at the wedding. I was digging for dirt before giving my approval because, in my head, it was not too late. Repeatedly I heard about his love for Mary, how he chased her and chased her and chased her, and the best part, since being together Mary has only blossomed more and Mark as well.

Their wedding was spectacular.
Decadent.
Stunning.
No detail missed.

I had so much fun dancing all night and felt SO welcomed into both of their families.I left feeling loved.









I love spending time with couples that truly bring out their partner's best and using them as an example of what I am ultimately looking for.

Mark and Mary quickly showed me:

 I need someone that will dance with me all night long. Even if they hate it. Even if their feet hurt.

 I need someone that loves their family and has the utmost respect for their mom.

 I need someone that will fight for me.

Brooch the Subject

Brooches and Pins are back in a big way.

Prior to joining my current team, they started the ideation and strategy of relaunching brooches on Nordstrom. We would sell a couple on our site but never an entire category full. Last week we launched “Brooch the Subject”, a brooch style guide and video and I was beyond inspired.

During one of my weekend visits to Portland, I raided my mother’s jewelry box and stole her entire brooch collection. Or “borrowed” like she so kindly reminds me.

From these brooches and inspired by the style guide, I did 5 days of wearing at least one brooch and to an upwards of 18. I wanted to play around with unique ways to style the pins, similar to the video, but quickly learned that I needed to practice my bedazzling. 

However, wearing a brooch every day made each outfit unique and was a conversation piece no matter where I was. I talked with more strangers in this past week than I have in the last month.

Tips & Tricks:

• Pin the brooches on your clothes when they are off body. Easy enough concept that I didn't learn until Day 3.
• Pin the brooches to your clothing with felt or a coarser material behind it. Brooches are heavy, especially 18, and can weigh down the fabric.
• Don't take yourself too seriously. 

Evan

My birthday is in two weeks. 27.

When did I get so old?

7 years ago I received a birthday present from my friend, Evan. This present has moved with me all along the west coast, sat prominently on display on a shelf in every home, and still one of my favorite birthday presents ever.

You may have heard me talk about it before...

Evan gave me one of his own (oversized on me) sweatshirts and a notebook with a letter inside.

I wear the sweatshirt often.

I see the notebook daily.

From an outsider, this present may seem silly but it was/is so perfect to me.

I can count on one hand the people who truly know me. I have friends that I am very close with, best friends even, that aren't quite there. It isn't about knowing what I like, do, say but who I am.

Evan and I met in the dorms our first year of college. We had a few all night study sessions and I even convinced him to ditch class a couple times. We hung out a fair amount but never enough that would make him understand me as well as he does.

And yet, 7 years later... he still knows me. I don't know how but I love it from the bottom of my soul. It is rare to have someone outside of your family that knows you, truly, and still loves you. (Seriously!) I believe I have that in my friendship with Evan. And every day I am so grateful for it, especially when I get a facebook or instagram comment that makes me go "how does he know just what to say?"

Baffled and delighted.

Cheers to 8 years of stories, adventures, and friendships, Evan. Want to hold my pocket?

#401

I moved!

Only one month away from celebrating my One-Year Anniversary of living in Seattle, I packed my bags and relocated to an apartment that was next door to my original home.

I moved to Seattle from Portland (after crazy move from San Francisco a year earlier) in a whirlwind. About two weeks to be exact. Well, two weeks to work in my previous job and then Saturday through Monday to move and start my new job.

I found my former place online, had my brother and sister check it out, then I personally looked at it only a few days before I would officially move North.

My old apartment was such a wonderful place to live and Megan, my old roommate, welcomed me in and introduced me to some amazing people... including my new roommate!

The timing and choosing to move again... next door... could only be described as a "God thing." One girl was packing up her life to travel the globe, another girl was wanting to move out of her home into an apartment, and a few other girls were wanting to get an apartment of their own. The opportunity arose to move next door and the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

I am so excited by this move and even more excited about what year two in Seattle will bring.

(Especially since I finally have a place that will hold my farm table. Dinner parties? Come over, I can seat 12!)

Crab Boil

I am Groupon/Living Social/Amazon Local/next big group coupon site's favorite customer. I get sucked into every deal and then never remember to use it... or read the fine print.

My dear friend, Emily, played the Groupon gamble and used multiple groupons for Pike Place Fish just days before it expired. You can't get one past her.

This meant she had nearly $200 of seafood and needed friends to help her devour the crab. I reluctantly offered to assist. I am such a good friend. ;-)

Crab, chorizo, potato, corn on the cob, multiple bottles of wine, and mounds and mounds and mounds of butter later I had to be rolled home. Dinner was so delicious and so filling that I had to cancel after dinner plans with a manfriend at the time because the only way to conclude this night was sweatpants and groans of joy.

Sister's Day

In terms of a good brother in law, I scored the jackpot. My brother is amazing and such a perfect fit to my very close family. As wonderful as he is, once him and Ashley got married, I found myself missing my sister's time.

We would see each other often and have one on one time (most often during football season) but it wasn't the same as before they were married. They are now a pair.

I needed more time. I needed my big sister. As the baby of the family, I can get away with making these requests. Which is why we have started blocking out an entire day every few months to have one on one sister time.

On this occasion, our very first Sister's Day, we started with YOLO boarding (or WASUP boarding as Seattlites call it) followed by an afternoon nap... do you realize how hard YOLO boarding is?

Full.
Body.
Workout.

We reconnected in the evening for dinner at Delancy's followed by dessert at Hot Cakes.

This day was perfect. It was so great to have the time with Ashley and to have my big sister's undivided attention.

Baby of the family, remember?