The Weekend {In Pictures}

{pre-thanksgiving dinner}

{wednesday night thanksgiving prep}

{sunny morning walks}

{that time of year}

{wondering where her plate is}

{how does she get herself in these positions?}

{foggy morning}

{oatmeal with leftover cranberry sauce}

{sunday afternoon yoga}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Thankful

It may seem like there isn't a lot to be thankful for in 2020, but if you look close enough there are so many things to be grateful for in this crazy, weird year.  This year I'm giving thanks for my quarantine buddy, reconnecting with old friends, zoom dates, a cozy home to work from, sweatpants all day everyday, no commute, funny and kind coworkers, democracy, takeout orders, vaccines, virtual yoga classes, FaceTime Fridays, streaming services, wine, Trader Joe's, and snuggles, but most of all I am so grateful that those I love are healthy and happy.  That sure makes us the lucky ones, and even though we'll be celebrating the holiday apart it will make it even better when we can all hug again very soon.

Have a safe, happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Masked Traditions

Saturday afternoon Mom & Dad went out for a drive to do a quick masked drop off of Christian's birthday present and when I mentioned that it would be a perfect day to put up my Christmas arch, Dad filled up the truck with cuttings from their yard.  Wearing masks around those you love, staying socially distant and being outside when it's freezing is hard, but it's worth it to have quick meet ups with the parents and to get my house lookin' good for the upcoming season.  I think this may be the best {and quickest} arch yet :)  Thanks Mom & Dad - so happy we got to see you!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

facetime friday

picking up quarantine essentials

so sad to be left alone

costco dinner

how does she end up like this?

sunny saturday yard work

happy to support one of our favorite local spots

reubens!

lazy sunday morning

always make sure to have ingredients on hand for my favorite tomato soup

sunday night yoga

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy Friday

Happy Friday!  It's a crazy time right now {and the same if not more anxiety-ridden than last spring} and it's made even harder with the holidays starting next week and not being able to see our loved ones like normal.  It's ok to be sad and struggle with this time {I know I am} but it's also more important than ever to hunker down and be a little lonely to ensure that our loved ones are around for many years to come {and feel free to take a cue from Nina and just hide under the bed}.  It's definitely time for some self-care, so head out for a long walk, take that online yoga class, indulge in that fancy bottle of wine, put up your Christmas tree - why not??  It's so important to take care of ourselves and do things that bring us joy to make sure we're healthy and happy when the time comes to hug those we haven't seen in awhile again.  Sending you lots of love and grace this weekend :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Zoomin'

One of the things I miss most about pre-pandemic life {though who am I kidding - the list is long!} is going to see live events and speakers.  It's one of the things that I love about living in a big city - there's always a concert, book tour, show happening in town.  Luckily so many places have been able to pivot to online events, which in some ways is even better because we get to listen to speakers and authors that wouldn't normally make a stop in Seattle on their tours.  I've always loved going to events at Book Larder in Fremont {remember Ruth Reichl last year?} and have loved signing up for their Zoom talks which are free and bring some awesome speakers {including Molly Wizenberg, above, last summer and Thomas Keller just last week, below}.  I set up my computer screen, pour a glass of wine, and snuggle up in my comfiest chair to listen to these talks that I wouldn't normally get to see in person {I doubt Thomas Keller had Seattle on his list of places to stop for his newest cookbook!}.  I'm already looking forward to a few online talks coming up in 2021 {specifically Ibram X. Kendi and Dr. Ruth!} and am actively searching out more to keep me busy in the upcoming winter months.  I hope long after the pandemic is over that online events are still a "thing", allowing us to experience these talks wherever we are.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Banana Pudding

It's no secret that Christian loves banana cream pie so for his birthday this year I tried to switch it up with a recipe I found last summer for the famous Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery.  The recipe actually makes a huge amount, so I made us a smallish portion {above} that we couldn't even finish between the two of us {it's delicious but so rich!}, then left the remaining pudding mixture separate so we could make small individual puddings throughout the week.  It was so simple and quick to put together {minus refrigerator time} if you have the right ingredients on hand, and next time we're able to be in a crowd I'd highly suggest whipping this up - perhaps a summer bbq??

Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding

Ingredients

14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups ice cold water

1- 3.4oz package instant vanilla pudding mix

3 cups heavy cream

1- 11oz box vanilla wafers

4-5 ripe bananas, sliced

Instructions

1. In medium bowl whisk together sweetened condensed milk and water.  Put pudding mix in another bowl and slowly whisk in liquid until there are no lumps.  Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour or up to overnight.

2. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip heavy cream on medium speed until it starts to thicken, about 1 minute.  Increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form {do not over-whip}.

3. Carefully add pudding mixture to whipped cream and mix on low until blended and no pudding streaks remain.

4. Layer your pudding!  Using either a trifle bowl or large glass bowl {or individual serving bowls}, layer with pudding, a layer of wafers, and a layer of sliced bananas.  Continue until you reach the top of the bowl, ending in cookies and bananas.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4-6 hours, or until you can't wait any longer.  Best if eaten within 12 hours of assembly.

adapted from magnolia bakery

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Celebrating Christian

Though no one is excited about a quarantine birthday {even though everyone is getting one this year!} we tried to make the best of it for Christian this past rainy and cold Saturday.  We started the day with a family walk through the leaves before it started raining, then ran some errands before snuggling up on the couch for a night in.  We got takeout from one of our fave burger spots, Eden Hill Provisions, and ate at home with some homemade margaritas and a showing of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie :)  We ended the evening with some more shows and a late walk with Nina during a break in the rain, and even though it wasn't the most elaborate or fancy birthday, I'm so happy I got to celebrate with C for the 4th year in a row doing some of our favorite things {takeout and Netflix}.  Next year I promise we're going to do it up big!! :)  Happy Birthday Christian!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{facetime friday is my favorite event of the week}

{friday night dinner}

{her days on the bed are few and far between}

{avocado toast}

{sleepy girl}

{grey walks}

{watching daddy while hunting for bunnies in the leaves}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Christian!

Happy Birthday {tomorrow} to my most favorite person!  Christian - I am thankful for you everyday, but especially now and the past 8 months of this crazy world we live in.  I know it's not what we expected for 2020, but I cherish our talks, debates, laughing until we cry moments - there is no one I'd rather have on my quaran-team than you :)  Cheers to a brand new year full of long walks, snuggles, rooftop happy hours, Netflix marathons, homemade cocktails, health, and plenty more laughs.  I love you!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Urban Hiking {Halloween Edition}

Halloween afternoon, with the sun shining and no trick-or-treating to look forward to, we decided to go for one of our long walks around the city.  We did basically the same route we did back in July - down to Westlake {where we stopped for Starbucks}, around South Lake Union, then down Eastlake, where we happily found a houseboat open house that we used as an excuse to visit the houseboat dock {how can we get one of those houseboats??}.  After crossing the University Bridge we headed over to Northlake, where the sun beating down on us felt warmer than the end of October but the beautiful leaves reminded us we were firmly in fall.  We made it back through Fremont then up north Queen Anne back home, where we ran into early evening trick-or-treaters hitting up some inventive candy chutes in the neighborhood.  It was about 9 miles all the way around and felt great to get out in the sun and fresh air on one of my favorite loops in the city.  Where to next?

xoxo,

stephanie marie