Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!  Here are a few fun pics from Christmas around my little home.  I'm taking some time off to spend with the family getting ready for the holidays and getting my Mama up and running :)  I'm excited for cookie baking, sleeping in, Seahawks watching, and lots of Baby Jack snuggles.  Here's wishing you and yours a very merry and peaceful holiday season!

 a cute new present from mom

 a festive new doormat

 my favorite fabric tree next to my bed

 the closest i have to christmas glassybaby's

 a new ornament we picked up in sweden

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Eden Hill Provisions

Tuesday night David took me out on a Christmas date to Eden Hill Provisions, a new spot on Queen Anne we've both been wanting to try.  We each started out with duck fat bourbon based cocktails {trust me, they were delish} and after a bit of back and forth, I decided on the burger while David went with the brisket.  Everything was very yummy in this cozy little spot and towards the end of our dinner we were delightfully surprised when a festive group of men with Santa hats on squeezed into the restaurant and started singing Christmas carols to us!  It was such a happy and cheerful end to our dinner and got me even more excited for the holidays ahead.  Thanks again David!

xoxo,
stephanie marie 

A New Front Porch

This summer all I wanted for my birthday was a new front porch.  The original boards were getting beat up and in some places I was sure I was going to fall right through, so one Saturday in August Mom & Dad came down to deliver that wonderful present.  While Dad & Christian got to work ripping out the old boards and cutting the new, Mom went to work painting my hallway {something she's wanted to do the whole 6 years I've lived there} and I put on my "supervisor" cap, running around snapping photos, grabbing boards and tools, clearing out all the ivy that had accumulated under the porch, and giving advice/opinions when solicited.  After hours and hours of backbreaking work, my old saggy porch was transformed into a shiny new and beautiful work of art {and it's safe, too!}.  This truly is one of the best presents I've ever gotten since I get to see it every single day when I come home, and after a quick coat of paint {see last photo} from when the house got fully repainted in the fall, it looks almost too pretty to walk on {almost}.  Thanks again Dad, Christian, and Mom for helping making my house even prettier than before!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice

I know we're not having the crazy winter storms it seems the rest of the country is having, but it's cold enough here to want to curl up with a big bowl of soup on the couch to stay warm and cozy just about every night.  A few weeks back after the Thanksgiving gluttony I was looking for something warm and comforting but also guilt-free and I came across Half Baked Harvest's Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice, which sounded just about perfect.  This vegetarian soup was full of such delicious flavors and a breeze to put together with lots of ingredients I already had on hand and in no time I was doing exactly what I wanted, curled up on the couch with this big bowl of soup {and a glass of wine, of course}.  If you're looking for something warm and delicious {and a little lighter} before the next holiday coming up, I'd highly recommend whipping this one up - you won't be disappointed.

Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice

Ingredients
2 Tblsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Tblsp yellow curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3/4 cup dried red lentils
Salt
1 can {14oz} full fat coconut milk
2 cups baby spinach
2 cups cooked basmati rice
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
Naan, for serving

Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat.  When oil is shimmering, add onion and cook 5 minutes until soft.  Add ginger, garlic, and sweet potatoes and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the curry powder and cayenne and cook another minute.
2. Add broth and lentil and season generously with salt.  Bring mixture to boil over high heat, then reduce to low.  Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until lentils are soft and sweet potatoes tender.
3. Stir in coconut milk and spinach and cook 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add cilantro.
4. Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro with naan on the side.

adapted from half baked harvest

Serves 5-6

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{ladies party prep}

 {lots of dirty wine glasses = a good party}

 {christmas card writing}

 {naps by the tree}

 {dinner at frelard}

 {the sun shining for a brief moment}

 {my fixed yard!}

 {bacon & cream cheese croissant from the cutest bakery in magnolia - yum!}

 {sunday night stew}

{stew + real housewives}

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy {I've Got Water!} Friday!

Happy Friday!  And more importantly, I have running water again!  Though I miss all the time with C and Nina, it's nice to be home and have all of my stuff in one place.  I'm getting all that decorating done that had been put on hold and am excited to host the ladies tonight for our annual holiday get together!  Other than that, this weekend should be filled with finishing up Christmas shopping, sleeping in, and feeling extra grateful for running water {and an amazing boyfriend}.

Have a great weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Monday Night Football

Let's talk about a happier Seahawks game than last weekend's, shall we?  When brother couldn't make it to the Monday Night game on December 2, Christian graciously stepped up to join me for the battle against Minnesota at the CLink.  The weather was perfect - one of those cold winter evenings that was dry and calm - and we headed down to the stadium early to grab a beer and some dinner before the game.  To my surprise {and delight} Dave Matthews raised the 12th Man Flag and got the crowd pumped for another way too close victory by the Hawks.  It was fun introducing my sweetie to Monday Night Football and even better watching the Hawks win once again!  Now that they have this past weekend's loss over and done with, I'm ready for a great end to the season and playoff time!

 dave & pete

 xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Gram!

Happy Happy Birthday Gram!  I hope you have the most wonderful day and are able to relax and celebrate with friends and family!  I wish I was there to celebrate, but can't wait to see you over the holidays and toast to you then!  You are one of my {and Nina's} favorite people and we love you so much!  Cheers to you!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Holiday Weekend in the City

Since I'm without water at home and living out of a suitcase for the time being, Mom suggested that Saturday night we get a hotel downtown and make it into a fun holiday staycation.  We started out the day with a {pre-planned} showing of Mrs. Doubtfire at the 5th Avenue with Christian and Maggie {so hilarious and entertaining} then after a bit of shopping, we headed down to Steelhead Diner to meet up with Miriam for a festive dinner in the Market.  After our yummy meal they dropped us off at the Sheraton Grand downtown where we dropped off our bags in our room and immediately hit up the hotel bar for a glass of wine.  After finishing our drinks we headed back up to our room for some facemasks and a chick flick before finally falling asleep after a long day.  Sunday morning we woke up and had a lazy morning in the hotel with coffee and breakfast sandwiches before heading out to UVillage to cross some more things off of our holiday shopping list.  After a quick lunch at Frelard Pizza and a stop at Trader Joe's to pick up groceries for the week, Mom headed back up north while I settled in to C's house for another few days before I can go home.  It was such a fun weekend with mom, and even though our original plan of a girls weekend at my house fell through a bit, we definitely turned lemons into lemonade and now have a fun new tradition to keep!  Thanks again Mama!

xoxo,
stephanie marie