Off to Wine Country

This weekend could not come soon enough, and I cannot wait to pack my bags, get on the plane, and arrive Sunday morning in Sonoma!  Mom and I are heading out for the majority of next week to celebrate both of our bdays {because why not?} and I cannot wait to spend our days sipping wine, eating delicious food, and sitting out in the hot, hot sun.  It's going to be an amazing few days, and I cannot wait to tell you all about it when we get back!  Cheers!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Brother!

Happy birthday to the best little brother a girl could ever ask for!  I'm so proud to call you my brother, and more importantly my friend, and I'm so thankful to have you in my life {despite what I said when you were born :) }.  I know 30 was an awesome year for you, and I bet 31 will be even better!  Thanks for always being there for a laugh, a cry, and a "wtf?!?!" convo - you really do get me, kid.  Here's to you and your 31st year - may it be the best one yet!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

photo by the insanely talented kamriell

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals

Last Friday night Leslie took me out for an early birthday present to see Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals at the Pantages Theater in Tacoma.  I can't even count how many times I've seen Ben over the years - from the first show at the Key with Suze when we were about 16 to Red Rocks in college to a quick trip to Chicago to see him with Leslie.  I can go years without listening to his music and get right back into it the moment he takes the stage, feeling all the feels with his amazing voice and passionate guitar playing.  And at 47, he's lookin' gooooooooood :)  Thanks for a great night with one of my most famous performers, Leslie!  He really is amazing!

 beers before the show

 i forget how close the mountain is when you're in tacoma!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Pantry {Great Pizza at Home}

A few weeks back Mom cashed in on her Mother's Day present and we headed to The Pantry for "Great Pizza at Home", one of their small, informative, and totally awesome cooking classes that you have to be very quick and lucky to get a seat at.  We were the first to arrive at the classroom behind Delancey and were instantly greeted with smiles and a glass of wine.  Mom always talks about wanting to make pizza at home, so I thought this would be a perfect present so we could learn the tricks of making great pizza.  When the rest of the class {there were only 14 of us total} finally showed, we quickly got down to work with our lovely instructor Laura to learning how to make the best pizza possible.  We made way more than I thought we would - dough, sauce, even homemade ricotta - and she taught us tips and tricks to truly impress.  Towards the end of class when we each had a perfectly round dough, we had to go up to the front of the class to top our pizza with only 4 toppings - and sauce and cheese are considered toppings!  Laura's rationale?  Your palate can only handle 5 flavors at a time and one should be that amazing dough we just spent so much time making.  Mom went with a classic tomato sauce, aged mozzarella, pepperoni, and mushrooms, and I went with what I called the "Not First Date Pizza" made of homemade ricotta, fresh mozzarella, red onion, and chunks of garlic.  After the pizzas were cooked, they were sliced into tiny slices so everyone could try each pizza {we ate a lot of pizza}.  I may be a tad biased, but I think ours were definitely up there among the best, and with the dough they sent home with us for the freezer, I'm excited to try a few more combos at home.  I'm so glad I got to spend the evening making pizza with my mom, and I'm glad she trusted me to take her on this fun adventure for the night :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{a full lawn at yoga}

{fun home - definitely one of my faves}

 {making use of leftover blueberries}

 {treat yo'self sunday}

 {meal prep}

 {sunday night dinner}

{dave matthews wine + dmb playing in the background}

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Summer at SAM

Happy Friday!  Don't you just love summer weekends?  The sunshine is making it crazy hard to concentrate at work, but I feel like that means I enjoy the weekends even more.  Last Saturday I met up with Leslie, Nicole, and friends for the first weekend of Summer at SAM's yoga at the Olympic Sculpture Park.  It's one of my most favorite summer activities in the city {and free!} and I'm so happy it's back again for another year.  If you need me on Saturday mornings, chances are you can find me here :)

Have a great weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Frelard Pizza Company

Last Friday night I joined Stefanie and Ryley for a last minute pizza date out.  It seems like forever since I've hung out with these two, so when Stef suggested we take Ryley out for dinner after work, I jumped at the chance.  Frelard Pizza is one of the best places to take little ones - they have a designated play area for the kids, lots of outdoor seating during the nice weather, and some of the best pizza in town.  Stef and I shared the Caesar salad and a half Staple & Fancy {pepperoni, pineapple, and jalapeno} and half Salsiccia pizza {Italian sausage & fennel} and paired with some cold beer at an outdoor table, it was the perfect Friday evening catching up on life and watching Ryley run around.  This little kiddo has such a fun personality - I love that he chose to sit next to me when we got to the restaurant - and I love having conversations with him and listening to his stories.  It was such a fun and relaxed night out that I hope to replicate all summer long :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Inaugural Sail

The day after the 4th, I was convinced to stay the day and help Dad take his new boat out for it's inaugural sail.  He bought the Macgregor sailboat this past winter and due to weather, being busy, and low tides, had not taken it out on the water yet for a spin.  The afternoon of the 5th was looking pretty decent for a ride around the bay, so after about half an hour of attempts to wriggle it off the trailer {with the help of cousin Jeff} we were finally out cruisin' on the open water.  For that first ride we didn't put up the sails, but we did motor about along Bay View with Mt. Baker in the background for about an hour before reaching an awaiting audience at the cabin.  Despite my previous hesitations about the boat, you can tell by the pics how happy it makes my dad, and I see many lazy summer afternoons in our future spent sailing around the islands on this newest little toy.  Thanks for letting me ride along for the first sail, Dad! :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Maddie!

Happy Birthday to one of my most favorite people in the world!  Mads, I love that you're always up for an adventure, a good meal, a long reminiscing talk, and the biggest laugh whenever I need it.  I love every minute I get to spend with you, whether it's hiking a mountain, traveling the world, learning how to cook, or just snuggling with Zelda on your couch.  I know this year is going to be extra special for you, and you deserve all the happiness in the world!  Happy birthday my love!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

pic from her hubby's bday this past winter

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