Happy Birthday Abby!

I can't believe it, but this amazing young lady is going to be a teenager tomorrow {remember when she was this little?!?}.  Abby - I'm so proud of the person you are becoming.  You fight for what is right and what you believe in, and you are a strong and passionate young woman who I just know is going to do amazing things.  If the rest of your generation is like you, I think we'll be in good hands :)  Happy 13th Abby!  Keep being you!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Urban Hiking {Coffee Run}

Sunday afternoon, after a very rainy and lazy Saturday, we decided we needed to get out and get some fresh air as the clouds were {mostly} parting and the sun was starting to come out.  Our destination {which is becoming a habit} was Cafe Hagen for my favorite iced chai and some homemade bread to bring home.  While we dodged a few sprinkles here and there, it was a gorgeous day to be out for a walk and admiring all the new spring blooms that are very happy after a lot of sun and a good dumping of rain.

can you spot the space needle?

the cutest little library

pretty sure this one didn't even realize we were gone

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Oscar Fashion

Though the Oscars felt pretty boring this year {no music, no jokes, no movie trailers}, I did find some of the fashion to be pretty amazing {and colorful!}.  In a year where we've been homebound and living in sweatpants 24/7, it's fun to see beautiful dresses and fantasize about a day when we may get dressed up again {though maybe I'll start with jeans before ballgowns}.  Here are a few of my favorite red carpet moments from Sunday.

Zendaya

Carey Mulligan

Angela Bassett

Halle Berry

Regina King

Alan Kim

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{friday night takeout}

{family walks}

{raindrops on tulips - is that how the song goes?}

{spring!}

{rainy day friends}

{rainy saturday happy hour at home}

{wet dog}

{managed to get all 4 paws on the bed but not her bum}

{chorizo scramble}

{oscar night nachos}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy Birthday David!

Happy Birthday {yesterday} David!  Though I miss seeing your face in person {who would've thought we'd be on the second round of quarantine birthdays?}, I cherish our daily chats, crossword competitions, important news recaps, and the general consensus that we are basically the best {#pillowtalk}.  Cheers to you dear friend, and here's to hoping we get back to matching outfits again real soon {like above circa 2012}.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Oscar Weekend

With the combo of being "stuck" at home during quarantine, too many streaming services, and a delayed awards season, I was able to watch all 8 Best Picture Oscar Nominees this year from the comfort of my own home {whether it was out of intrigue or boredom we'll never know}.  Here's my list of what you must watch, what you can skip, and who should win on Sunday night.  Cheers!

Frances McDormand is quite possibly one of my most favorite people {that I don't know}- I adore her.  Her performance in Nomadland is moving, heartbreaking, and absolute perfection and this movie following modern day nomads in the Southwest will leave you thinking about it long after it is over.  Examining human relationships and resilience, this is one I would definitely recommend to everyone.

I absolutely loved The Trial of The Chicago 7, a true story that takes place in 1968 around the Democratic National Convention and feels incredibly relevant today as it was back then.  The acting is superb and the story intriguing, and it's one of my top picks for most entertaining and watch-worthy of the bunch.  

Unfortunately I don't have a lot of great things to say about Mank.  I couldn't get into this story about Herman Mankiewicz trying to finish writing Citizen Kane in the 1930's as it bounced around all over the place, and while I typically enjoy a black and white movie I think this one could have benefitted from a bit of color.  Unfortunately, my least favorite of the bunch.

Judas and the Black Messiah tells the true story of an FBI informant infiltrating the Black Panther Party and the internal struggles he faces when his allegiances are called into question.  An important story that again feels as relevant today as it was in the 1960's, this one will leave you angry, questioning, and ready to take action for social justice.

I had really high expectations going into Promising Young Woman and while overall I liked it {I think} I found myself at times confused and a little lost.  It's a tale of revenge but left out {or glossed over?} some important details that I think would've helped the movie flow better.  Carey Mulligan, however, is fantastic and while it wasn't my favorite of the bunch, I'd still recommend giving it a watch for it's important commentary on social issues.

What would you do if you suddenly lost your ability to hear?  That is the question asked in Sound of Metal, a heartbreakingly beautiful story of a heavy metal drummer who faces that exact battle.  Through the twists and turns of Ruben's journey you find yourself rooting for him, yelling at him, and empathizing with the painful decisions he must make.  A truly beautiful film.

Sir Anthony Hopkins is a genius and his portrayal of a man with dementia in The Father is so raw and real you feel everything right there with him.  At first I wasn't entirely sure what was real and what wasn't, which I later realized is the point of the movie as you are living life through Anthony's eyes.  A heart wrenching and beautiful film, this was one of my faves of the bunch {but bring tissues!}.

Trying to capture the "American Dream" is the premise of Minari, a beautiful film that follows a Korean family trying to start a farm of their own in 1980's rural Arkansas.  But is it easier said than done?  With the threat of it all being taken away, I found myself rooting for the Yi Family and their persistence through the toughest and most heartbreaking of times.  Definitely one of my faves of the bunch and one I'd highly recommend to all!

Have you seen any of these?  Which was your fave?  

xoxo,

stephanie marie

All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough

Confession - I almost exclusively use Trader Joe's frozen pie crust.  It's so easy, tastes delicious, and on more than one occasion I've been asked for my recipe :)  However, when I knew I wanted to make a pie for last weekend's bbq and didn't want to make a special trip to the store, I decided to venture into the art of homemade pie crust with one of my faves, Smitten Kitchen.  I found her recipe for All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough in her first cookbook that used just a few key ingredients I always keep on hand, and in no time I had two perfect little cubes of pie dough, one for my Lemon Meringue Pie and one to keep in the freezer for later.  While I'm not saying I'll never buy the Trader Joe's crust again, this one definitely was delicious and easy and it's nice to know that a homemade pie crust is right at my fingertips whenever the need arises!

All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tblsp sugar

1 tsp salt

16 Tblsp {2 sticks} unsalted butter, very cold

1/2 cup ice cold water

Instructions

1. In a large, wide-ish bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut butter into medium sized dice and scatter piece over flour mixture.  Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until the largest pieces of butter are the size of tiny peas, working quickly to avoid warming the dough.

2. If butter has warmed up too much, place the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes to cool it down again quickly {cold dough is key}.  Drizzle water over the flour-butter mixture and using a flexible spatula, stir it together until an uneven mess forms.  Knead the dough and any loose bits together, working quickly to not warm the dough.

3. For traditional 2-crust pie, divide the dough into two and wrap the separate pieces in plastic wrap.  Chill in the fridge at least 1 hour.

4. When ready to make your pie, dust counter generously with flour, place dough on it, sprinkle with additional flour, and begin rolling out into a large round until it is at the desired size.

5. If you need to bake the crust before the rest of the pie {like I did for my lemon meringue}, bake at 400 for 50-60 minutes until desired doneness, covered in foil with pie weights or beans to prevent bubbling.  Let cool.  If baking the crust with the rest of the pie, follow instructions.

***Dough keeps in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for longer.  To slowly defrost, place in fridge the day before you need it.

Makes 2 pie crusts

adapted from smitten kitchen

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Rooftop BBQ

Saturday afternoon we invited Mom & Dad down for a rooftop bbq to celebrate an almost 80 degree April day in Seattle.  Christian made a delicious spread including goat cheese stuffed peppers and his famous flank steak and grilled onions and I whipped up a lemon meringue pie that we enjoyed with some yummy local beers and wine while taking in the glorious sunshine and pretty views.  It was fun seeing the neighborhood come to life with people having rooftop and backyard get togethers and Nina was so happy to have some of her favorite people come visit her.  I'm hoping this sunshine sticks around so we can do more of this as often as possible :)

passed out after all the excitement

xoxo,

stephanie marie