Boundary Bay Brewery

Last weekend when I drove home and my car decided to start smoking and die in my parents' driveway, Mom & I knew it was time for a drink.  We had already planned on an evening in Bellingham, so we didn't let a little rain stop us from heading up north to Boundary Bay Brewery for some beer and dinner.  I had never been to this B-ham staple, though I've had their beers a lot, and it was fun to just relax in the bar, take our time, and figure out what I should do with my car :)  After the first round of drinks we decided to split the Caesar salad and decadent looking Mac & Cheese for dinner, and we definitely made an excellent choice.  Everything was perfect and as we sat there chatting, eating, and drinking, it made me realize that there are so many fun places I haven't yet gone to that are so close to home.  Cheers to new places!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Oscar Fashion

Did you watch the Oscars last night?  What a crazy ending, right??  Like David said, they got Dipapalooza-ed!!!  There were a few surprises and a few not so surprises, but the thing we all really love to talk about is the fashion, right?  My absolute favorite was Viola Davis, and here are a few of the others I wouldn't mind trying on as well :)

Viola Davis

 Emma Stone {especially the top half of this Givenchy}

 Taraji P. Henson

 Nicole Kidman

 Emma Roberts

Brie Larson

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Oscar Night

Once again, I spent more time than I probably should have at the movie theater and at Redbox, but I managed to see all 9 Best Picture nominees for this year's Oscars!  I apparently have a lot of time on my hands :)  There were some great ones that I can't wait to see again, and a few that I could barely sit through, but here's my take on all 9 - which was your favorite?

I watched Arrival this weekend with the parents, and while it was a little slow going and sci-fi, once we got to the ending and it all came together, I completely changed my view of it and loved it.  You have to watch til the end {and then maybe re-watch the beginning after that} but I love how everything was tied together in such an unexpected way.  And I love Amy Adams :)

 I went to see Fences a little hesitantly, but instantly fell in love with the characters and dialogue.  It was originally a play and knowing that going into it, I could totally see it meant for the stage, but Denzel & Viola are both magnificent and deserving of a few gold statues.  And when I saw that Denzel directed it as well?  Some people are way too talented.

 I rented Hacksaw Ridge earlier this week and man, it's intense.  I loved the beginning - the story of Desmond Dawes falling in love and enlisting in the military, but the second half, full of guns and bombs and body parts being blown every which way, was a little too much for me to handle {even if it is incredibly realistic}.  If you're into war movies, this one is for you.  And if you're not, try to ignore the gore and see the beautiful and heroic story beneath.

 For some unknown reason I love movies like Hell or High Water.  It reminded me of No Country for Old Men with a bit of shoot 'em up and running from the law.  I absolutely love Jeff Bridges, and while this wasn't my favorite of the bunch, I can see myself getting sucked in again whenever I see it's on tv.

 I loved going to see Hidden Figures with the girls - it's a feel good story with an exceptional cast and a great telling of history.  It made me hope that John Glenn really was that awesome, and realize that I was definitely born in the wrong decade for fashion :)  Definitely go see this one if you can.

 La La Land was the first I saw of the bunch, and I instantly fell in love with it.  Even the friend I went with said that even though he doesn't like musicals, he thought it was one of the best movies he's ever seen.  I love the artistry, the choreography, the cinematography - everything about this movie was just fun to watch.  There's really nothing else like it {even though the singing leaves much to be desired}, and I'll be shocked if it doesn't win Best Picture.  Go see it and just try not to dance on your way out of the theater :)

 My favorite movie of the bunch?  Lion.  It's a true story of a little boy who gets lost in Calcutta thousands of miles from home, is adopted by an Australian family, and then many years later tries to find where he came from.  I'm not exactly sure what it was {ok, maybe it's my weird obsession/fascination with anything Indian} but I was absolutely in love with this film from the moment it started.  If you're going to see just 1 from the bunch, I'd highly recommend Lion.  It's so, so good.

 Everyone said that Manchester by the Sea was sad, but I didn't realize how incredibly heartbreaking it actually is until I saw it.  It's an extremely intense and emotional story, with a few laughs thrown in to lighten the mood, and if you can handle some emotionally brutal scenes, this one is for you.  Also, I love Michelle Williams :)

I had such high hopes for Moonlight and was so excited to see it, but was disappointed when it wasn't my absolute favorite.  It's split up into 3 parts of a boys life, and part 1 was by far my favorite in this coming of age story.  Mahershala Ali should definitely be getting the Best Supporting Actor trophy for his turn as a drug dealer with a conscience, and for me he was the shining light in this intense and thought provoking film.

I can't wait to see who wins on Sunday!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Vivo 53

Saturday morning I headed to the eastside for brunch with my favorite little guy, Ryley.  Oh, and his parents :)  I drove up to their house to Ryley standing on the front porch, waving and yelling for "Auntie Snephanie".  We headed into Bellevue to Vivo 53 and I was blown away with the deliciousness of my brunch.  The Bloody Mary had the perfect amount of spice and my frittata with sausage and veggies was so delicious my plate was practically licked clean.  Catching up with these guys is always so fun, and watching this little man grow and his personality shine makes for the best kind of morning.  After brunch, we walked around Bellevue Square and every time Ryley would take my hand to show me to the next store, my heart melted just a little.  I love this kid, and I'll spend a morning with him anytime :)

 my brunch date

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{ugh - i can't}

 {my besties still on dad's office wall}

{wine + brownies = good to be at mom & dad's house}

 {squished}

 {my view}

{my new ride for the time being - my neighbors love it i'm sure}

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Ten

Yesterday marked my 10 year anniversary at my job. Whaaaaaaa?!?!?!?!??!  It's hard to believe that 10 years ago I moved to this city, not quite knowing what I was getting myself into or if my little temp job would even work out, and now here I am 10 years later.  A lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same.  I worked on Westlake {no one called it South Lake Union back then} and there were no restaurants, no fancy workout classes, not even a Starbucks in sight.  Now the streets are lined with brand new condos, fancy restaurants, and yes - Starbucks on every corner.  Seattle has changed a lot, but that area, my original Seattle stomping grounds, is completely unrecognizable.  And Seattle isn't the only thing that's changed - I've changed living arrangements, boyfriends, coffee preferences, bus routes, exercise routines, outfit choices, job titles - but the one constant has been the company that's kept me employed for ten years.  We've had our ups and downs, and I'm not sure it's my forever place, but it has given me a home, amazing lifelong friends, and the opportunity to say that I live and work in one of the most innovative, beautiful, and fastest growing cities in the world and I wouldn't give up any of that.  So many memories have been had, and I know many more are to come, but for now I'm going to pat myself on the back {no one my age stays at the same job for 10 years!} and reminisce over a martini {something I learned to love from some dear work friends} at one of my favorite places that I walk by everyday on my way to work. I think I deserve it :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy {long} Weekend

Don't you just love a long weekend?  I feel like I've been waiting for this one forever - not because I have huge plans, but because life just feels a bit exhausting lately and laying in bed in the morning with a cup of coffee and a stack of magazines sounds insanely delightful.  I'm excited to spend some time with people I love and also have a bit of me-time to regroup and relax - that's what these long weekends are for, right?  Oh, and catch those last few Oscar movies I've been meaning to watch.  Have a great one!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Cendrillon

Since David and I didn't go to PNB's Nutcracker this year we knew we had to take ourselves to a ballet at some point, so we were super excited to go see Cendrillon last week.  Cendrillon takes Disney's Cinderella and completely spins it around.  It's modern, edgy, funny, and a bit shocking, all with brilliant dancing and amazing costumes {I want my legs to shimmer gold like the fairy godmother}.  After the obligatory pre-show dinner at Crow, we headed over to McCaw Hall to our balcony seats for the evening show.  I loved how it was different from a traditional ballet {the sets were so bare and modern, which added to the effect} and the dancers played the characters perfectly {our favorites were the Pleasure Superintendents}.  I absolutely love getting to spend an evening at the ballet, and to see something truly different and modern like this made me realize that I need to make this more of a habit - a date to the ballet is always a good night in my book.

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Staple & Fancy {Delila's Retirement}

A few Saturdays back, us girls got together to celebrate Delila's retirement!  It's so exciting that she's finally taking this leap - so many good things are happening for her right now and I couldn't be happier.  Nicole, Leslie, Delila, and I decided to get fancied up and head to Staple & Fancy to try out the Chef's Tasting Menu {seriously, it's the best deal in the city} and as we were presented with course after course after course of beautiful and delicious food, we sipped on some wine, caught up on each others lives, and made plans for the future.  After our fabulous dinner the night was still young so we headed down the street to Percy's where we closed down the bars with more cocktails and even more laughs.  I love these girls and am so happy they are a part of my life - now on to the next adventures!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  My meditation this morning said that instead of celebrating a holiday, celebrate you :)  I'm gonna take that to heart with a few simple things I love today - a soy vanilla latte, yoga, and a big glass of wine on the couch.  I encourage you to do the same :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{starbucks + space needle = very seattle}

 {sunny days + little shoots}

 {checking out a new to me theater}

 {early}

 {moss + boots + raking leaves}

{spaghetti + grammy's}

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Susannah!

Happy Birthday to one of my most favorite humans on the planet - I love you Susy!  I know this is going to be the most excellent year for you, full of love, laughs, and lots of adventure.  Having you in my life brings me so much joy and to think back on all of our amazing times together makes me so smiley.  Come home soon so we can have Friends marathons and dance parties in the kitchen :)  Have the most fabulous birthday, my love!!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Groundbreaking

I don't talk much about work here, but since I'm coming up on my 10 {yes ten!} year anniversary, it's fun to show stuff that make you proud to be a part of something pretty special.  Last week I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for our new Research building in downtown Seattle.  They've been talking about this building since the day I got there {yes, ten years ago} and the fact that we finally broke ground last week is super exciting.  Though my job can be frustrating and stressful and overwhelming on a daily basis, the fact that our mission every day is ultimately to eliminate pediatric disease is pretty amazing, and definitely a good reason to get out of bed in the morning.  Attending events like this make me proud to say I work there and have spent almost a third of my life there {yikes} and though it drives me crazy, I can't imagine myself anywhere else at this point in my life.  And with lots of growth and exciting innovations ahead, I can't wait to see what this next chapter in our institute will bring.  If you want to see more about the day, check out the video here:

 the bus i bought way back when

the future home of building cure

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Bai Bai Bai

While there were some great Superbowl commercials this year, featuring everything from immigrants and beer to feminism and acceptance {that Audi one really got to me}, there's nothing like a funny commercial to make everyone stop and listen.  And the song?  I think it may just catch on ;)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Three Cheese Bacon Dip

I know you're just dying to find out what the 3rd place dip at DAP this year was, so here you go!  I made this Three Cheese Bacon dip, and if you're a bacon lover, this one's for you.  I found it on Lovely Little Kitchen, which is fast becoming a favorite site, and it was so quick and easy to throw together.  It's loaded with bacon and lots of cheese - how did this not win?!?!?  There definitely was not much left by the end of the game which is always a good sign, and if you're looking for a crowd-pleasing dish to make for your next get together {why is football season so far away?!?!?} look no further than right here.

Three Cheese Bacon Dip

Ingredients
8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, sliced thinly {reserve 1 tsp for garnish}
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled {reserve 1 Tblsp for garnish}
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus 1/4 cup more for topping

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In large bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, green onions, salt, pepper, garlic, bacon, and cheeses.
3. Put in oven save baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese and bake 30 minutes.  Top with remaining bacon and green onion and serve with crackers, potato chips, etc.

adapted from lovely little kitchen

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Dip-A-Palooza 13

{most creative dip name - "i built a fence around this guac and i'm going to make you pay for it"}

This year's DAP was extra special, as it was my 10th year in attendance!  Time flies, eh?  We all met up at Holden & Lisa's new fancy digs with a quality selection of dips to sample.  Some were creative, some were generic, but all were delicious and this was one of my hardest voting years yet!  When I was called up on stage at halftime and announced as the 3rd place winner, I was pretty pleased with myself that I whipped up a top 3 finish with minimal effort :)  It was an all ladies top 4 this year, and Lisa took home the trophy with an amazing dessert dip reminiscent of Samoa Girl Scout cookies {seriously, it was delicious}. There were lots of little ones running around, and it was fun to have 2 TV's going with the game so people could walk around and have plenty of dips while not missing a bit of the action.  Like Aaron said, I've been in the top 3 or 4 for as long as we can remember, and fingers crossed that one of these years I will come out on top.  If not, at least I know I'll be well fed on Superbowl Sunday :)

my buddy for the day

a deserving win

xoxo,
stephanie marie