Block Party

Last Tuesday was National Night Out, where the neighborhood gets together, shuts down the street, and has a big ol' party.  This year we snacked on everybody's delicious potluck fixin's, including desserts from the local Japanese bakery, pulled pork sandwiches, and fresh corn on the cob.  Ed wheeled down his cooler full of beer, the kids drew with sidewalk chalk on the street, and the adults all sat around drinking, eating, and making new friends.  But the coolest part this year?  The firetruck came!  They parked at the end of the street, and all the kids {and a few adults} ran down to try on the gear and climb on the truck.  The firemen were extremely kind and patient with them and gave all the kids a turn play on the truck.  After they left and the people with the littlest ones had to go home, a few of us {ages approximately 30 to 80} sat out in the street with a final beer making plans for more parties and inviting everyone over to each other's houses.  It's one of my favorite days of the year, hanging out with the people I see everyday {and some I'd never met!} and it makes me so happy that I have neighbors that have each others backs and actually want to hang out with each other.  I think it's time to invite a few over more than once a year :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Birthday Weekend {Wine Tasting & Mondello}

After visiting the museum, we decided to head down the road to Charles Smith Wines Jet City, a place I've been wanting to try since it opened.  We only had about 45 minutes until they closed, but we each still decided to go with their tasting flight of 8 wines for $10 - a pretty great deal.  Their wines are some of my faves {mom and I visited them in Walla Walla and they always make great gifts} so it was fun to try some new ones and get to see their gorgeous space with views of Mt. Rainier and the planes flying in and out of Boeing Field.  After downing our tastings, we headed back to Magnolia for dinner at my favorite neighborhood haunt, Mondello. We stuffed ourselves with pasta and more wine, and after the waiter said I couldn't possibly be older than 25 [thank you, sir}, he brought out some complimentary tiramisu with a candle to make a wish.  It was a perfect birthday celebration to ring in "25" - hoping this year is the best one yet!

Thanks Mom & Dad for making my birthday so special!!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Birthday Weekend {The Museum of Flight}

A while back I had semi-jokingly told my parents I wanted to go to the Museum of Flight for my birthday, but as the day approached, I realized it would be a pretty awesome place to go {and we were all very excited about it}.  So Sunday afternoon, the parents and I headed down to Georgetown to check out this awesome museum, which houses some of the coolest artifacts of aviation in the world.  We climbed aboard an Air Force One used by Nixon & Kennedy, an old Concorde, and one of the very first Dreamliner's in existence.  And there was so much more!  It was cool to see the history of airplanes and space shuttles and basically anything that can take flight {even cars!}, and there were several parts of the museum that we didn't even have time for that I can't wait to go back to.  It was a really fun way to spend my bday with two of my most favorite people in the world, acting like a tourist {and sometimes a kid} in my city :)

 we all know this is my favorite thing to do at museums

 yesssss.....

 

taking this one for a spin:)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Birthday Weekend {Yoga & Brunch}

Saturday morning I woke up bright and early to meet Nicole for outdoor yoga at the Olympic Sculpture Park to celebrate my bday.  It was a bit overcast with a slight breeze in the air, which was actually perfect weather to be outside practicing our sun salutations {hot yoga is definitely not my thing}.  I've been a few times this summer, and it's such a serene and beautiful place to practice that I always leave feeling energized and refreshed for the week to come.  After yoga, we headed up the street to Boat Street Kitchen for some much needed bloody mary's and the most delicious brunch I've had in a while {both our plates were licked clean}.  We spent the meal catching up on all the exciting things going on in our lives and vowing to make plans for this fall to keep the fun going.  It was such a great morning that I want to replicate over and over again all summer :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to the greatest Mama in the world!  You truly inspire me everyday with your love, your silly laugh, your awesome stories, and your generous spirit.  You're the greatest role model and the bestest friend, and I'm so lucky you're mine.  Can't wait to celebrate with you this weekend!  I love you, Mom!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Birthday Weekend {Monsoon}

My birthday weekend got off to the best start on Friday night when Maddie and I headed out to my absolute favorite for dinner, Monsoon.  The weather was gorgeous and we wanted to head somewhere we could sit outside, and since neither of us had been to their new-ish rooftop patio, we decided to give it a whirl. Note - they do NOT have the same menu upstairs!  Imagine our disappointment when we found out that the catfish was not available on the patio, but after consoling myself with a delicious glass of rosé, we decided it was a great opportunity to try something new {do they even have anything else there?!?!}.  We got a variety of things to share, including some steak with heirloom tomatoes and some amazing curry prawns, and we stayed out long after dark drinking, eating, and having the best time.  Afterwards, even though we were stuffed, we headed across the street to Hello Robin for some birthday ice cream before heading back to her place for another glass of wine with Ashley.  I love spending time with this lady, and add in my favorite restaurant and it was the absolute best way to start off an amazing weekend :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie