Driving Range

Kelsey and I had been talking about going to the driving range all summer, and with nothing going on last night we decided to make it happen.  I was shocked by how busy Interbay was for a Tuesday evening, but we still managed to snag two spots next to each other at the end.  We grabbed a few beers, shared a bucket, and spent the next hour or so casually hitting balls while chatting and checking out all of the other golfers' swings.  Afterwards, we headed down the street for a quick bite and to watch the end of the M's game {wish we hadn't}.  While I know summer is coming to an end {how is tomorrow September??}, I'm not completely ready to say goodbye so I'm savoring these long, lazy evenings outside while the weather is just starting to get cool and the sun is going down a bit earlier each night.  I'm trying to make the most of it, and am so happy to have friends that are just as eager to get out and do something as I am.

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Addie Snuggles

Saturday afternoon I couldn't wait to get down to Kent and get my hands on sweet little Adelaide.  I hadn't seen her since the day she was born and two weeks old seemed like the perfect time to get some good snugglin' in.  When I arrived at Merith's house, Addie was a tiny bit fussy, but I picked her up, gave her lots of hugs and cuddles, and she instantly fell asleep in my arms for the next two hours.  Her warm little body was super cozy in my arms, and it felt so surreal that I was finally holding this sweet little angel.  Merith and I caught up and chatted about everything while Addie slept in the sweetest little poses {we of course had to take a few pics} and when she finally started waking up, we laid her in between us and watched her stretch and wiggle around for at least 10 minutes trying to wake herself up {just like her Auntie Stephie!}.  It was the perfect afternoon snuggled up with one of my besties and her little girl, and I cannot wait to spend so many fall afternoons in that exact same spot with those girls I love :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Patio Party

How was your weekend???  Friday night, with the temps being about 90 that day, I had Autumn, Erika, and Maddie over for a casual girls night on the patio.  Since it's been so hot I didn't feel like cooking so I ordered some pizza, chilled several bottles of rosé, and we sat around outside until well past dark eating, drinking, and catching up on all things summer.  I can't believe I haven't seen Autumn since May, and it was so fun to hear about her summer-long sailing trip while Zelda pug kept us entertained {and on our toes} as she sniffed every last leaf in my yard.  It was one of those perfect summer nights with my girls that I didn't want to end, but when the timer on the lights went out and we had to clean up our mess in the dark, we knew it was well past our bedtime :)  I'm hoping that summer isn't gone for good and that we have at least a few more chill nights like this outside - that space is one of my most favorite parts of this house, and hanging with those girls instantly brightens my day :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

North Cascades Highway

When we headed to Mazama last weekend I didn't realize how gorgeous the drive over the North Cascades Highway would be.  We made one stop each way {at Ross Lake on the way there and Diablo Lake on the way back} and I was blown away by the mesmerizing views and bright blue green of the water - it didn't even feel like Washington!  I'll leave you this Friday with these pictures that don't do these views justice - makes me want to take a drive and discover more beauty in this state!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Dinner with Ryley

Last week I had a date with Ryley and Stefanie.  We had been planning for months to go to Reuben's Brewery in Ballard to see some baby goats and drink some beer {yes, it's a thing} but apparently the rest of Seattle had the exact same idea.  We couldn't fathom standing in that line in the 85 degree heat, so instead decided to drive around until we could find a place to have dinner that Ryley found suitable.  We landed at the Barking Dog, a place in Phinney/Ballard that I love but always forget about.  We sat outside and Stef and I were able to chat and catch up about all things in our lives while simultaneously bribing Ryley with french fries and special treats {ice cream sundaes}.  Ryley is almost two and  he is so much fun - we're having semi-real conversations, and when he fought with Stef over "my Stephanie", I couldn't help but feel a little loved :)  His laugh is infectious and his questions interesting {and hilarious} and spending time with him is so entertaining and fun.  I love watching this little guy grow - I'll go out to dinner with him anytime :)

 car selfie

 ryley's special treat

 diaper butt

 those curls

Love these two!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Stateside

Last night, David took me out for a belated birthday dinner.  After going back and forth about several restaurants {as we do} we decided on Stateside, a beautiful Vietnamese restaurant on Capitol Hill that I had been itching to try for awhile.  After settling on some sparkling wine {imperative for a celebration like this} we could barely narrow it down to just a few plates to share - everything looked so good!  After some guidance from our waiter, we settled on several and they were all better than the one before.  I love some good Vietnamese food {see: Monsoon} and this certainly did not disappoint.  Paired with some delicious wine and beautiful decor {it made me seriously consider wallpaper in my house} I was ready to move right in.  This is definitely somewhere I can see myself going back to over and over again.

 heirloom tomato salad with herbs and duck egg

 crispy duck fresh rolls

 bun cha hanoi {pork vermicilli bowls}

Thanks for dinner David!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Wedding Scoutin'

Saturday afternoon, Mom, Dad, & I headed out east for a beautiful drive on the North Cascades Highway to meet up with Shaun, Sara, and the Parnell family to check out the venue they chose to get married at next spring.  We all gathered in Mazama, WA, about 15 miles outside of Winthrop and halfway between their two hometowns and stayed at the Mazama Country Inn, just across the way from the wedding venue.  We had happy hour outside, basking in the late summer heat, before cleaning up and heading about 5 minutes up the road to the Freestone Inn for a test run at the rehearsal dinner venue.  We sat outside staring at the gorgeous mountains and nearby lake where we enjoyed a leisurely dinner and chatted about what it would look like in May.  Sunday morning, after breakfast at the Inn, we all headed across the dirt road to the Mazama Ranch House to tour the wedding venue.  I was blown away by how gorgeous the setting was.  Without giving too much away, there are fields for miles with towering mountains in the background, rows of cabins where everyone can party all weekend together, and a beautifully rustic barn perfect for dancing the night away.  I'm so happy that Shaun and Sara wanted to share this place with us, and I can't wait to celebrate in May - it's gonna be one heck of a party!

 the hobbit bed i stayed in - it was barely long enough to fit me

 the view from the rehearsal dinner at dusk

 touring the wedding grounds

 perfect for dinner and dancing

 photobooth practice

 so excited for my little bro

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Patio Livin'

How was your weekend?  For some reason, I had an urge to just be out on my patio as much as possible.  Maybe it was the 90 degree weather, maybe it was that I had cleaned it up last week, or maybe it's just that summer seems to be coming to an end so quickly, but I want to savor it as much as possible.  I spent Friday evening in my favorite chair with a beer and a magazine, and I spent Saturday morning in that exact same spot with a good book and a big cup of coffee, enjoying waking up to the birds chirping, the kids across the street laughing, and the sun slowly making it's way to my back yard.  It really is one of my most favorite places - summer, promise me you'll stick around!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy {Summer} Friday

Happy Friday!  The sun is shining, everyone's outside, and it finally feels like summer in Seattle.  I'm off to the eastside for the weekend, but dreaming about these views at Alki from last weekend, when it seemed like everyone in the city headed out to the beach.  Who can blame them, right?  Hope you have a relaxing and beautiful summer weekend - let's enjoy it while it lasts!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Flying High

Kelsey and I had been talking about taking some sort of aerial class forever.  I've never done anything quite like it and it seemed like such a fun and silly thing to do to celebrate my birthday, so we convinced Stacey to head down to Emerald City Trapeze with us last week for their Intro to Aerial class, having no idea what we were getting ourselves into.  After way too long of conditioning work {think burpees and crunches} we finally got to play on the silks hanging from the ceiling.  The one thing I learned? This is waaaaayyyyy harder than it looks - just to flip myself upside down took about 20 minutes of practice!  While we watched Crossfit Kelsey climb her way up to the top of the silks like a little monkey, Stacey and I alternated between laughing at ourselves hysterically and her taking pictures of me looking absolutely ridiculous.  It was probably one of the hardest things I've done {I could barely lift my arms for a week after}, but I had such a great time laughing with these ladies that I would almost consider doing it again. Almost :)

 needing lots of help to get into position

 ta-da!!!

Thanks for a fun birthday celebration, girls!!

xoxo,
stephanie marie