Merry Christmas!

Santa Nina and I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  We'll be taking some time off to celebrate the season and be lazy, but we'll see you in 2018!  We hope you have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday with those you love!

Happy Holidays!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

First Christmas

Since Christian is on his way to Sweden to celebrate Christmas with his parents, we decided to celebrate ours last weekend.  It involved a few of our favorite things, including wine, Thai food, Nina, and sweatpants on the couch, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.  While I got him a mix of cocktail fixin's to make our very own homemade drinks, he blew me away with thoughtfulness by getting me a crystal tealight holder made in a town not far from where he grew up that emits the most beautiful halo of light when all lit up.  It was a pretty great holiday celebration and made me excited for the rest of the season ahead!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Humans

I had seen some ads around Seattle promoting The Humans, the 2016 Tony Award winner for best play, and after many weeks of trying to find the right time to go, we finally headed to the Seattle Rep on Friday night to see it.  We made a date night out of it with dinner at Crow {one of my faves, and a must if you're going to the Center for a show}, then headed over to the theater to check out the show.  The 90 minute production takes place during a family Thanksgiving dinner in an apartment in New York City.  Without giving too much away, the show is incredibly real and raw, hilarious and heartbreaking all at the same time {we seriously walked away with the comment "it was just so.....real"}.  The original Broadway cast was superb and it made you feel like you were watching a playback of your own family interactions.  Being used to seeing musicals, I wasn't sure how I would react to sitting thru the play, but from the very beginning I was absolutely in love with the characters, the stage, the dialogue, and the interaction that the whole show flew by way too quickly.  If you get a chance to see this beautiful show, I'd highly recommend it.  You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be thoroughly entertained :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Tenth West

Saturday morning we decided to try out a new to us brunch spot within about a block of Christian's house - Tenth West.  This tiny hidden gem is a cozy neighborhood spot only open for breakfast and lunch, and every plate that passed me had me instantly drooling.  We both got scrambles and a big french press of coffee, and served with a hearty portion of potatoes and crispy baguette slices, it was the perfect lazy Saturday morning meal.  I can't wait to go back and try just about everything on the menu - my new goal is to become a weekend regular :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Kami!

Happy Birthday Kami!  You are one of my oldest and dearest friends, and I can always count on you for a fun time, a great laugh, and the best dance moves around :)  Hope you have a fabulous day my friend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Christmas at The Fairmont

Can you believe that Christmas is only 10 days away?  The season is going by way too fast, but I was still able to find time for happy hour at The Fairmont earlier this week with my coworker.  We've been talking about Christmas drinks there in The Terrace since last year so we finally made it happen, heading out early from work to sip on some holiday themed cocktails {the Holly Jolly margarita was delish} and enjoy the gorgeous tree that lit up the lobby.  Even though the holiday is rapidly approaching, it's nice to take time out to actually enjoy it - that's really what it's all about, right?

Have a happy, holiday-filled weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

What Unites Us

One of my most favorite people to follow on Facebook is Dan Rather.  The 86 year old former anchor of the CBS Evening News is a voice of reason in a world that can seem overwhelming at best, so when I read months ago that he was going to be speaking about his new book, What Unites Us, in Seattle, I instantly bought tickets.  Last week, David and I ventured to the U-District to watch a discussion with Dan about the state of the world, his views on our country, and why he's optimistic that we'll pull through.  He's unabashedly emotional when talking about the state of our world today, but reminds us that we have endured and overcome far worse in our country's history.  As we listened intently from the church balcony, I was moved by his conviction and emotion and storytelling - after all, he's seen a lot in his days.  In closing the talk, the moderator mentioned that he could tell talking about this really moved him, and Dan's perfect response through a cracking voice was "of course it moves me.  I'm an American to my core and I don't apologize for that".  Damn right, Dan.  Walking out of the church, I felt inspired to educate myself and do good in the world, and I cannot wait to dive into his essays to learn more about one of my faves. 

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Holiday Inn

This past weekend Mom and I had our annual holiday show, shopping, and dinner date downtown.  This year's show at the 5th was Holiday Inn, which was incredibly charming and got us into the holiday spirit.  After the show, we wandered around downtown browsing in a few shops, then once we saw how long the lines were at the restaurants downtown, decided to head back to Magnolia for one of our favorite {and often forgotten} dinners - grilled cheese and tomato soup at Olivers Twist.  Paired with some garlic truffle popcorn and an old fashioned and gin & tonic, it was the best way to end our fun holiday outing.  I love this time of year and continuing this tradition with my Mama is one of my favorite things :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

My Week with Nina

Last week Christian was out of town for work, so I was tasked with taking care of Nina for the week.  We spent our mornings watching the sunrise on our quick walks, then spent our evenings exploring Magnolia and all of the Christmas lights before snuggling in for some TV watching and early bedtimes.  This girl loves to cuddle, and I already miss waking up to her wet nose in my face.  Luckily, she's all mine again starting next week - I can't wait!  Here are a few pics from our week together :)

 cookie?

 sleeping in

 not letting me leave

getting a little too comfortable on our last night together

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy 80th Grandma!

Happy 80th Birthday Gram!  I'm so happy we got to celebrate the amazing woman you are last night!  I hope the celebrations continue today for 80 great years, and I hope you know how loved and cherished you are every single day.  I love you, and Happy Birthday!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Sunrise Walk

This past week I've had Nina at my house, which among other things has gotten me up earlier in the mornings to take her for a walk before I go to work.  We've been blessed with some pretty great winter weather - cold and dry - and Tuesday morning we stumbled upon the most beautiful sunrise as we were walking around the hill.  This picture doesn't do it justice, but everywhere was bathed in orange as the sun was rising - I even walked past a woman sitting on the hood of her car just watching the gorgeousness.  If I'm rewarded with mornings like this all the time, I'll walk Nina every morning :)

Happy Friday!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Home on the Range

After the epic Seahawks victory on Sunday night, my bro and I both took Monday off of work to recover hang out.  We spent the morning making breakfast and being lazy with Nina before heading to Interbay to test our old skills at the driving range.  He has a tournament he's prepping for and I was being supportive {even though it was freezing!} so we got a bucket and practiced until we couldn't feel our fingers anymore.  After the range, we headed to his favorite spot, Pagliacci's, for a quick lunch before he had to head back over the mountains and I headed home to Nina.  It was a fun and relaxing day off with the bro that I wish I could redo every week :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Sunday Night Football

Sunday night my bro and I headed down to the Clink for our very first Sunday Night Football experience, where the Seahawks were taking on the Philadelphia Eagles.  We didn't have high hopes for the outcome of the game, but it was a beautiful, chilly night in Seattle and after starting out with a few beers at The Lodge next door, we headed into the stadium to make sure we didn't miss a thing.  To our {and pretty much everyone else's surprise} the Hawks dominated from the beginning and never looked back.  The energy in the stadium was playoff level - I haven't heard it that loud in forever with the 12's really bringing their A-game.  While we ended up with an awesome victory, it was even better that I got to share the experience with my bro, who was loving the game and the attention his poncho was bringing.  I'm feeling optimistic about the rest of the season, but without wanting to jinx it, I'll just say Go Hawks!

 sunday night football bus with carrie!

 poncho hermanos

 chris pratt raising the 12th man flag

 meeting up with dj at halftime

hawks win!

xoxo,
stephanie marie