Canlis

I can't believe it's been a full year since John passed away.  There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him, wondering "what would John do?" or wishing I could take him out to happy hour and ask his advice.  Since last Thursday would've been John's 50th birthday and since we weren't able to get to Canlis with him last year, the 5 of us {Nicole, Cullen, Leslie, Delila, and myself} headed out for a birthday dinner there to celebrate our dear friend.  We all got dressed up in our fancies and after a pre-dinner cocktail in the bar, we were escorted to our corner table with a view for our close to 4 hour meal.  We had a fabulous time eating, drinking, laughing, and reminiscing about John, and I know he would've had an amazing time with us {even if he would've had to wear a suit :) }.  We brought along Dave the Minion in honor of John, and when Mark Canlis stopped by to say hello, he took to Dave right away.  The food, of course, was amazing and the company even better, and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate John than with good food and the people he loved.  We miss you, dear friend.

 cullen, me, & nicole

 leslie & delila

 mini corn on the cobs + taquitos

 geoduck + fennel & canlis salad

 orecchiette + lamb ragu, foie gras + figs, & dungeness crab + polenta

 black cod + tomatoes + artichoke & filet mignon + peppers

 japanese style cheesecake + plum sorbet

 after dessert macarons with a serving for john that our sweet server left us {which we of course ate - he wouldn't have wanted us to let that go to waste!}

We love you John - happy birthday!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Day Trip to Bremerton

Last weekend after months of planning, Nicole, Leslie, Cullen, and I made the trek out to Bremerton to visit Delila's new house.  It was the most perfect summer weather to head out on the ferry for a quick day trip to her new digs, and I felt like a tourist taking pics on the deck along with everyone else {Seattle is just too pretty!}.  When we got to Delila's, we were greeted with cocktails and a beautiful dinner that we gobbled up on her super cute back patio while we all gave updates on our lives and reminisced about old times.  After dinner we wandered down to the ferry dock where we came across a very interesting concert for Rock the Dock, then made our way over to a sports bar where we grabbed a beer and chatted more before it was time for me to leave the group for the evening ferry home.  It was a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and I'm so excited for Delila on this next adventure!

 the mountain was out and lookin' good

 cullen was ecstatic when he found out you could walk in the fountains

a blurry full moon on the ride home

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Mariner's Reunion

Last Wednesday, part of the old crew from work got together for a mini-reunion at the Mariner's.  The sun was shining as we met up for a few pregame drinks outside at The Lodge and was still going strong as we headed into the stadium on the first full day of summer.  We ended up spending the entire game wandering around the stadium to each little standing room only section, catching up with everything in each other's lives and reminiscing about all the good times {we've had a lot!}.  The Mariner's come from behind victory was icing on the cake to this fun night out with friends.  Here's hoping we can do it again soon!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Flamingo Island

No, I'm not talking about the next exotic locale I'm heading to or a new exhibit at the zoo.  Flamingo Island is what I titled the painting I made!  Ok, let's back up.  Ever since I purchased my home I've hated the eye sore that is my electrical box.  My laundry room is on the way to the bathroom, so anyone that heads through there sees the ugly box on the wall.  I've had every intention of covering it with something but couldn't find the right thing, so I decided to just make something myself!  I invited myself over to Delila's a few weeks ago for an afternoon of wine and painting with her and Nicole - who better to teach us the ins and outs of abstract painting than an actual real life artist?  She set us up in her light-filled studio with glasses of wine and a plethora of paints and brushes and put us to work.  I started out not knowing at all what I wanted to do, got frustrated halfway through when I hated it and wanted to start over, then ended up absolutely loving the final product.  Watching Delila's process really helped me to realize how much thought goes into something so random-looking and abstract, and that if you don't like a part, you can always paint over it.  Its funny how every time I look at the painting I see something different - a cat, a wave, the Space Needle - but the colors remind me of flamingos and tropical islands and happy spaces, and I'm so happy with how it turned out.  And painting?  It's so fun!  Though I'm no artist {clearly} I'm eager to get back to that easel and see what else I can come up with.  Such a great afternoon spent with friends :)  And Happy Birthday Delila!!

 i was pretty happy with the first layer, but kept going :)

 drawing in charcoal to create shapes

 nicole and her masterpiece

 my empty ugly laundry room

it fits perfectly

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