An Early Birthday Present

This weekend, I turn 32 {ugh, it sounds old}, but I already got the best birthday present ever earlier this week when I ran into the one and only Jimmy Graham at Nordstrom downtown.  Ahhh!!! I still can't believe it.  My coworker had tipped me off that he was shopping there {I owe her big time}, and since I was already on my way to the bus, I decided to stop in to see if he was still there.  He was :)  After creepily pretending to look at clothes for way too long {seriously, how long could I be looking at men's Gucci clothes without drawing suspicion}, Jimmy finally paid for his purchases and was about to walk out of the store when I walked right up to him and said "Excuse me, but is it awkward to ask for a photo with you?"  He turned around with that big infectious smile and said "No ma'am, of course not".  Total southern charm.  I handed him my camera, claiming his arms are longer than mine {in reality, my hands were shaking too much}, and he snapped a few selfies of us before heading out.  I wanted to say something clever {how's the knee?  see you at camp next week! here's my number......} but I was so in shock and awe that I simply said "Good luck this season!" to which he turned around, smiled, and said "Thank you."  I ran out of Nordstrom practically skipping, my hands shaking and the biggest smile on my face.  It's so unlike me to just go up to a stranger like that and ask for a picture, but since I said at the beginning of the season last year that I would be dating him soon, I figured I at least had to start with a hello.  Baby steps :)

So with that amazing story, I leave you for a few days to celebrate my bday with friends, family, and Jimmy {ok, and the rest of the team as well}.  Have a great weekend - and Go Hawks!!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Black Bean Tostadas with Cilantro Sauce

This past weekend I wanted something easy to make for dinner that would go with the hot weather that was predicted. What better for hot weather than Mexican food, right??  {ok, so maybe popsicles or salads or fresh fruit are better, but whatevs}.  I found these Black Bean Tostadas with Cilantro Sauce on my Pinterest board and immediately ran to the store to buy the ingredients.  You guys - they are sooooo good - and so easy!  The longest part was cleaning out the Cuisinart between pureeing the black beans and blending the sauce.  They can be customized with your favorite tostada/taco toppings, and the crunchy tortilla makes them perfect for cutting up and eating with your fingers.  I cut the recipe below in half and only had enough for one night of leftovers, which I immediately regretted.  Next time, I'm eating these all week long :)

Black Bean Tostadas with Cilantro Sauce

Ingredients
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
Salt & olive oil
2/3 cup sour cream {or greek yogurt}
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves {or more}
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
4-6 flour tortillas

Toppings - arugula/lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, feta/cotija, lime wedges, green onion, avocado, etc

Instructions
1. Puree black beans, chili powder, cumin, cayenne in blender or food processor, adding a bit of oil for consistency and salt for flavor.
2. Puree sour cream, cilantro, garlic, and salt in blender or food processor, adding more of what you like for flavor.
3. Preheat broiler.
4. Place tortillas flat in oven.  Broil about 3 minutes each side until just crispy.
5. Spread black bean mixture on tortillas and top with favorite toppings.  Drizzle with cilantro sauce.

Serves 4

adapted from Pinch of Yum

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Brother!

Happy 30th Birthday to my baby brother!  I know 30 is going to be a great year for you - and I'll finally get the sister I always wanted! :)  But since I'm stuck with you for now, I just want to say thanks for being such an incredible little brother and best friend to me.  You're someone I look up to and admire every single day, and I'm so proud to call you my bro.  Here's to you, kid, and to turning 30.  I think you'll be awesome at it :)

Love you brother!!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Saturday afternoon I had an extra ticket to the theater, and who better to take than Erika?  We headed down to a showing of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, neither of us knowing anything about the show, but both of us spent our time laughing our heads off and absolutely loving it.  The show is hilariously funny, and the actors were perfect.  After a quick stop to visit with Ashley next door, we headed down to Purple Cafe for a glass of wine and some much needed girl talk.  It's rare lately {naturally} that I get to spend some uninterrupted time with my bestie, so it was nice to spend the afternoon just like old times.  Though that doesn't mean I can't wait to get my hands on that little Linnea as humanly soon as possible :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Pie Bar

Friday night, after what seemed like forever since we'd gotten together, I met up with Leslie for a night of dinner and drinks.  Since the weather had turned stormy {in July??} she suggested we head to Pie Bar in Ballard for some comfort food and whiskey.  Perfect :)  They have savory and sweet pies along with delicious cocktails, so it was right up my alley.  I went with the Chicken Pot Pie and the Root Beer Old Fashioned, and there was not a crumb left on my plate {or a drop in my glass, for that matter}.  It was so delicious, and definitely hit the spot.  We decided to share two slices of pie for dessert {Chocolate Rum Mousse & Ballard Bumble Berry Crumble} and while it was way too much food, it was so worth it.  We hit up a few more spots in Ballard before we called it a night, and it was so fun hanging out with this girl and making plans for some upcoming adventures - we definitely need more nights like these :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Putt Putt Night

I can't believe I haven't posted these pics yet, but since I get to see Leslie tonight {yay!} I thought it was high time to share.  A few months back, the Napa crew got together for happy hour and catching up.  At one point in the conversation a few of us started reminiscing about Drinks on the Links and I mentioned we had to go again soon.  We all kind of looked at each other, realized we had nothing else going on that night, and piled into Cullen's car to head out to Interbay and relive our glory days {or....... something like that}.  We bought a few pitchers, picked our favorite color balls, and headed out on the course, where we competed and laughed for hours.  I love spur of the moment shenanigans like this that end up being some of the most fun nights and greatest memories.  It's a good group of people, I tell ya :)

 hole in one!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Girls Night

Last night, all the girls got together to check out Erika's brand new deck - basically, an awesome excuse for wine, appetizers, and lots of catching up :)  It's rare we find an evening that everyone's free, so it felt extra special to hang out with all the ladies {and a few littles} - we even snuck in some ice cream sundaes to celebrate some recent birthdays.  The rosé was flowing, the food was so good {crab quiche! cheese! olives!}, and Calvin made sure each girl felt extra special with a big ol' sloppy kiss.  I love these summer nights where we can lounge around outside without sweaters and the sun stays out past 9 - it makes me so thankful to live where we do with such great friends.  Can we do this every night?

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Cucumbers, Lemon, Dill, & Feta

This past weekend I was looking for something simple and flavorful to make that would be easy as leftovers for a few nights this week.  I've been craving fresh veggies and light flavors, and looking at my Pinterest board I came across this recipe that completely fit the bill - Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Cucumbers, Lemon, Dill, and Feta.  It combines some of my favorite flavors, has a bit of pasta {which you know I love} and was perfect to grab from the fridge and scoop into a bowl when I got home after a long day at work.  While I ate it as a stand alone meal, it would be great as a side dish with some grilled fish and fresh fruit - it would also be very appreciated and simple to bring to your next potluck.  I have a feeling I'll be whipping this one up all summer long :)

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Cucumbers, Lemon, Dill, & Feta

Ingredients
1 cup orzo, uncooked
1 - 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped red onion

For the Dressing:
3 Tblsp olive oil
3 Tblsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tblsp fresh dill, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper

Instructions
1. Cook orzo according to directions.  Drain pasta and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking and to wash away some of the starch.  Let cool.
2.  In large bowl, combine orzo, chickpeas, cucumber, feta, dill, and red onion.
3.  In small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients, adding salt & pepper to taste.  
4.  Drizzle dressing over salad ingredients.  Toss well to coat.  Serve immediately, or chill in the refrigerator.

Serves 4

adapted from two peas and their pod 

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Dinner with Ashley {Maggie Bluffs}

I hadn't seen Ashley in forever {seriously, it's been waaaaay too long} so last Friday night she met me in Magnolia and we had dinner at my fave, Maggie Bluffs.  It was a beautiful summer evening, so we sat outside on the patio, drinking wine and eating some yummy salads while catching up on the exciting and mundane of each other's lives.  I love introducing this place to people who have never been there - she even was taking pictures before dinner to capture the view {that view never gets old :)}.  It was so fun catching up with Ash - she always has such good insight to things and gets so excited when you tell her happy news.  We definitely can't wait as long to get together again - and hopefully next time it will be in their brand new house {fingers crossed}!!!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Maddie!

Happy Birthday to that pretty lady in the middle!!  You're always there to give great advice, to tell my secrets to, to encourage my dreams, to go on random adventures, and to share a bottle {or two} of wine with late into the night, laughing until we cry.  Thanks for being such a dear friend - I don't know what I'd do without you!  Have the best birthday, Maddie!!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

photo from the super talented marina koslow

Dixie Chicks {Happy Birthday Merith!}

Happy Birthday Merith!!  I've known this lady since I was 5, and it's crazy to think that we've been friends for that long.  I'm a lucky lady :)  To celebrate Mer's bday, Erika, Laura, and I went with her last week to see the Dixie Chicks live in concert.  It was a total high school throwback :)  As the show was starting, a few sprinkles started hitting our heads, but we didn't let it deter us as they were playing our most favorite songs from long ago.  By the time the sun went down, we were completely drenched, but didn't have a care in the world as we danced like crazy people {ok, maybe that was just Erika and me} and sang to all their hits.  It was one of the most fun nights I've had in a long time, and I'm so happy we got to spend time with this lovely mama-to-be.

caught a snippet of one of my faves :)

Happy Birthday Merith!  Love you!!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Roaming the Garden {Hydrangeas}

When you walk up to my house this time of year, the thing that sticks out the most are the huge hydrangeas next to the front door.  They're hard to miss :)  The first year I had the house, I barely noticed them {maybe I was too awe struck by this crazy garden?} but ever since we trimmed some huge rose bushes around them, the hydrangeas get plenty of sun and are thriving.  At first I thought there was something wrong with them - the outside flowers were so pretty but nothing was blooming in the middle - but after seeing others like this and searching the web, I realized mine are Lacecap Hydrangeas that only bloom around the outside of each flower.  Now that I know they're not completely misshapen, I appreciate these beautiful blue, purple, and pink blooms even more.  They are a welcoming and happy sight to walk out the front door to each morning :)

 out the front door

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Mondello + Visitors

Last week, mom and the ladies {Patti, Julie, & Kim} spent an afternoon in the city {they'd never been to UVillage!} before meeting up with me for drinks and dinner.  I always love having visitors over, and it's so fun to show off my 'hood to people who have never been.  Since the weather was a little drizzly, we headed into Magnolia Village, where we started off with drinks at Oliver's Twist {you really can never go wrong there}.  After a quick drink, we headed over to my fave, Mondello, where we were treated like queens in the otherwise quiet restaurant.  The owner/waiter is apparently a friend of the ladies' favorite restaurateur up north, and once he realized we knew "Alberto" we immediately received the best service {including free dessert and a note in Italian to take back to Alberto}.  It was such a fun evening showing these special ladies one of my most favorite neighborhood spots, where you always feel like family and keep coming back time and time again.  I think they're ready for another visit :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Gracia

David has been singing the praises of Gracia, a new Mexican eatery in Ballard, for months now, so when we decided to go out for dinner and some catching up, I knew that's exactly where I wanted to go.  We sat at the bar next to the kitchen where we watched plate after plate of delicious and inventive food being made.  These are not your averages tacos.  We ordered several items to share {I think the quesadilla was my fave} along with some much needed margaritas,and snacked the night away, catching up since it had been several months since I'd seen him.  We can't let it be that long again, but the next time we get together, I'm happy to try out Gracia again to see what other deliciousness they have in store for us :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Mariners Game {Fireworks Night}

A few weeks back I took Dad to the Mariner's game as a late birthday gift, and mom got to tag along as well.  They hadn't been to a game yet this year, so I sprung for the good seats and we got there early to take in the beautiful July evening.  The game was good - lots of home runs - and the M's won!  Which, let's be honest, doesn't happen that often when I go to the game :)  We stayed after the game for fireworks night, which is quickly becoming my favorite Mariners game to go to.  We had perfect seats to watch the fireworks over the Safeco Field sign, and sat back to take in the "America" themed show {it was the 4th of July weekend, after all}.  It was such a fun night with the parents, and it made me anxious to get back out to a few more games this year before summer flies by.  Who's with me?

 dad's new jersey - i'm jealous!

 mariners win!

xoxo,
stephanie marie