Meeting Jen Lancaster

Posted in Adventures by mszerwo

Two Fridays ago I had the honor of meeting my favorite author, Jen Lancaster, in real life!

Geeking out before the main event!

Seattle lucked out and Jen was in town as one of the many stops on the tour of her new book “I regret nothing.” We haven’t been so lucky in previous years with her previous tours and I’m glad this was our year.

Jen on the cover and in real life! Check out that priority signing ticket!!

My dear friend Megan and I are big fans, so we pre-ordered the books and arrived at the University Bookstore extra early. We scored front row seats to the action and watched as Jen was interviewed by Seattle Times’ columnist Nicole Brodeur. They covered all sorts of topics — Which book is Jen’s favorite? Where does she find inspiration for her writing? How did she tear her Achilles tendon? — Jen read a passage from the book — about her visit to to Italy and the ordeal of finding espresso — and she even pulled a couple of the audience “bucket list” items and commented on them. Sadly, one of my six (or so) submissions didn’t get pulled. I was really hoping she’d read the one about her: “Go out for a drink with my favorite author.” Alas, she didn’t. Instead, Megan and I went to dinner afterward.

Chatting away!

After the hour or so conversation, Megan and I hustled and ended up being in the very front of the autograph line! We spoke with Jen like we were best friends. I gave her a blog card and it’s possible that she’s even reading this post RIGHT NOW! ACK!!! There is also a chance that she sees hundreds of crazy fans each night on her book tours and filed my blog card in the trash. I’ll stick to the wishful thinking though, that she’ll follow this blog and will be in touch next time she’s in Seattle for longer than a few hours!

New BFFs!!

I haven’t had a chance to start the book yet, since once I do, I know I won’t be able to put it down! I’d highly recommend picking up or checking out one of Jen’s books. My favorites include: The Tao of Martha and Such a Pretty Fat. Her fiction books are good too. Not as good as her non-fiction, but definitely enjoyable, relatively quick reads!

Jen and the Megan’s

Have a great week!

11May2015

Our SoCal spring break

Posted in Adventures, Baby Michael by mszerwo

With a husband still in school, our vacations typically rotate around school holidays. And while we’re off on a different vacation I’ll tell you about soon, here is a better-late-than-never recap of our recent spring break trip to Southern California.

We started off with a much-overdue trip to Disneyland and had a magical time. It has been at least 10 years since my last trip there. A lot of sights seemed familiar, but a lot seemed very new too.

Disneyland!!!

We arrived as the park was opening and went on nearly every ride that we could. (There are a handful of rides—most of the cool ones and any that have the word “mountain” in them—that pregnant ladies can’t ride. Thanks, baby.) We ended up staying nearly 15 hours and by the end of the evening, we were exhausted! Yet, we can’t wait to get back there!

We met Pluto! (We were there just before Easter, hence the ears)

Cruisin’ through the “jungle”

Princess time at the castle

An all-you-can-eat BBQ feast in Frontierland

Storybook Land canal boat ride

We found several City Halls (a vacation must for me…) Here is Toon Town’s City Hall!

One of the mountain rides Michael and I couldn’t go on

Brandon found a bench! (Another vacation “must” for us…)

We took our time travelling up the coast, with a visit to Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame. We happened upon a filming of a magic show called “Don’t Blink.” We couldn’t find it online, so I’m not sure if it really exists. If you’re familiar with it, let me know. And watch for us in the background. I’m in a long, flowy pink dress! Next time we’re going to go on one of those tour buses of celebrity homes.

“Don’t Blink” filming

…And hung out with Shrek

Saw one of Brandon’s hero’s stars

Who is one of both of our hero’s stars? (Get it?! Jeopardy!)

And a stop in Ventura for lunch and a stroll along the beach with one of Brandon’s aunts.

Ventura Beach. I do love the coast!

Rock sculptures at Ventura beach

We spent the evening and following morning in Santa Barbara, exploring the courthouse and the stores and seeing some more family. We didn’t spend enough time there, and we definitely hope to return sometime soon.

The view from the wharf in Santa Barbara

We continued our voyage north, to Solvang, to visit Brandon’s grandpa. Solvang is a quaint town with shops, restaurants and winery tasting room after tasting room. We didn’t drink wine on this trip, but we have in the past and we definitely will in the future. Solvang is in the Santa Ynez valley and there are tons of wineries and tasting rooms there.

Solvang!

Glamour shots outside of the Santa Inez mission in Solvang

I hope to have some quality writing time soon, so don’t be a stranger and come back soon!

12Apr2015

Montana Dreaming: votes needed!

Posted in Adventures by mszerwo

It’s not very often that I ask for your help, so take action on this request, eh?

My sister-in-law Jessica is an excellent filmmaker and recently entered the Real Montana Wildlife and Scenery contest, with her one minute video featuring Montana’s amazing wildlife or fantastic scenery.

She’s in the running to win $2,500 (first place), $1,500 (second place), or $1,000 (third place).

You can vote once each day, up until the April 21 deadline. I’d recommend you do so.

Here is the video:

Vote for Jessica’s film: Montana Dreaming

And here is the link: http://theaudienceawards.com/film/montana-dreaming33418

Happy voting and thank you!

If this piques your interest for all-things Montana, check out my post from their wedding and my first adventure in Montana last summer.

31Mar2015

National Walking Day {2015}

Posted in Adventures, Holidays, Wine Wednesdays, Workouts by mszerwo

Tomorrow is a big day! In addition to Wine Wednesday and April Fool’s Day (prank ideas here!), it’s National Walking Day!

I’m a big proponent of walking and you know I’m going to celebrate this national holiday by tying up my shoes and strolling.

I’ve been a diligent FitBit wearer for nearly three years (I’m on my third iteration. The design keeps improving!) and I recently earned the Nile Badge for walking 4,132 total miles, the length of longest river in the world.

My much-deserved Nile badge for my thousands of steps

If you’re in downtown Seattle tomorrow, you should join me at the Union Bank on 5th and University from noon – 1 p.m. for a big, fun walk. KING5 is one of the event sponsors, so you might be able to get your 15 minutes of fame in at the same time as your physical fitness!

Date: Wednesday, April 1
Location: Union Bank on 5th & University, Downtown Seattle
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Happy walking!!

16Feb2015

Happy Valentine’s Day to us!

Posted in 2015 Resolutions, Adventures, Holidays by mszerwo

I hope you had a great weekend! I know I did! And how exciting… we have ANOTHER day off!

Selfie at the bottom of the Falls!

For Valentine’s Day, Brandon and I headed east of Megan’s Island to Snoqualmie Falls.

Snoqualmie Falls is one of Washington state’s most popular scenic attractions. More than 1.5 million visitors come to the Falls every year. At the Falls, you will find a two-acre park, gift shop, observation deck, the Salish Lodge and the famous 270 foot waterfall.

It was beautiful this weekend and the scenery and fresh air were so nice! So nice that I got a little photo-happy. Enjoy!

Snoqualmie Falls from the main viewing platform

Snoqualmie Falls from the bottom

The path to the lower viewing platform

The Snoqualmie River

My valentine, posing down by the river

Driving from Snoqualmie to North Bend

We stopped by Scott’s Dairy Freeze after our trip to the Falls and kept it pretty low-key for dinner. (Don’t worry. We have some great meals from the Barefoot Contessa’s How easy is that? cookbook. Remember that New Year’s resolution we have?)

We did celebrate a few days early with these delectable pink Rice Krispie treats. They were so good and easy to make! And I can’t stop munching on the leftover SweetHearts!

Special Valentine’s Day Rice Krispies treats

Our outdoor time didn’t stop there. With spring seemingly here (Punxsutawney Phil was WRONG!) we cleaned up the yard, washed the cars and explored Seattle and Megan’s Island. More on that later this week!

14Jan2015

{Wine Wednesday} Washington wine: WTF?

Posted in Adventures, Drinky drinky, Exploring Seattle, Wine Wednesdays by mszerwo

Are you interested in learning more about Washington wine?

My friend Zach at Vine Trainings is starting a new set of wine courses, targeting different wine growing regions and varietals. For the low cost of $45 per class, you’ll get to taste some great wines, talk about the most exciting growing regions, and even discuss the history of the industry.

When: Monday, Jan. 26, 6:30 p.m.

Where: Grub on Queen Anne, 7 Boston St, 98109

Why: Everything is better with wine, especially learning about wine while drinking it!

Read more about my experience with Vine Trainings on the Island!

11Jan2015

2015 resolutions

Posted in 2015 Resolutions, Adventures by mszerwo

Up until a few days ago, I hadn’t given my 2015 resolutions much thought. I was too busy enjoying the holidays, trying my hand at new desserts, and snuggling the cats, catching up on TV.

But now we’ve packed up Christmas and vacuumed away all traces of the tree, and it’s time to be thinking about the next 300+ days and my goals.

So, here we go.

Do more. With a full and part-time job and this flourishing little blog, you might think this seems silly, but hear me out. I want to be more in the present. Be a little more flexible with my schedule and be up for those impromptu happy hours, casual dinners or TV show watching parties.

Walk more. Along with all of these things, I’ve upped my daily step goal (I love my Fit Bit!) to 11,000 steps daily (unless I work out at barre or with Tracy Anderson in my living room). I started this at the beginning of the month and I’ve done quite well.

Drink more. I saw an interview that Gabrielle Union gave recently, where she mentioned that her beauty secret is drinking a gallon of water each day. I’ve been doing a good job at increasing my water intake, but I also read that a gallon is unrealistic. I’m also going to focus quality over quantity with my booze drinking. We are in four wine clubs now and our wine cellar is bursting at the seams. Rather than wait for a special event to uncork our “expensive” bottles, we’re going to celebrate the ordinary and open them whenever we feel like it. Maybe tonight!

Eat more. Every year we end up with a new approach to food (2014, 2013, 2012) and 2015 is no different. This year I’m pairing my love of the library with our meals and trying out a new cookbook each week. We tried out Pure Flavor last week and started Dishing up Washington today, with the RN 74 beef bourguignon and tonight we’ll make the Hot Cakes s’more chocolate chip cookies. We’re going to try and cook around three recipes from each book. Along with cookbooks from the library, we also have many cookbooks at home that will get more exposure in the kitchen. Hopefully we discover some new recipes and have some fun!

Be more. I found this on Pinterest and thought it pretty much summed up my hopes and dreams for 2015. Lofty yet manageable, still pretty lighthearted and with an emphasis on the things I like: creativity and adventure.

Cheers to 2015!

4Jan2015

2014 in review

Posted in Adventures, DIY, Food, Photos, Q13 by mszerwo

After a nice little break from the blog, spending time with friends and family, I’m BACK!

Here is our year in review: 2014 was a great year for the us, a year full of great wine, great food, great company and a whole lot of adventure.

We started of the year with a New Year’s Day flight north. Way north. We spent the first few days of the year in the Arctic Circle, in the town of Bettles, to see the Northern Lights. (More here.)

Watching sunrise (about 11 a.m.) inside of the Arctic Circle, in Bettles, AK. (Sun set around 1 p.m.!) Yes, our jackets are lines with wolf fur. No, they’re not ours.

From there, we had many more travel-required adventures for wedding celebrations: to New Orleans, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Flathead Lake, Montana, and Portland!

It wasn’t just wedding travel this year. We just returned from a pleasure trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. The trip was the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure: we tanned ourselves on the beach, snorkeled with manta rays, photographed a lot of Green Sea Turtles, opened the second-largest telescope (at nearly 14,000 feet on the world’s tallest mountain!), hiked the lava flows at the national park, and used our Northern Lights training to take night time photos of the world’s most active volcano. (I’m working on the blog post now!)

Here are some photos from the trip, to start your thinking about traveling someplace sunny and warm on this dreary winter day:

We spent the first part of our trip here, at the Mauna Lani hotel. It was gorgeous!

Our first sunset on the Big Island

Sunset from our manta ray snorkel tour boat, outside of Kona

Sunset from almost 14,000 feet, at the Mauna Kea observatories

One of many turtles (and turtle photos) we saw on our trip

Black sand beach on the sound end of the Big Island

Macadamia nuts for days

In August, I was featured as a ‘lifestyle blogger’ on one of Seattle’s morning television programs on Q13. Watch the clip here. It was another great adventure and hopefully the first television appearance of many.

In addition to this blog and my day job, my part-time baby business, Little Britches Bakery, is flourishing this year. I shut down the website last spring and instead started selling via Etsy, seeing a great jump in orders this past year. Now it’s time for the shameless plug: if you’re shopping for new parents, check out Little Britches Bakery!

2014 was the year of the pizza for those of us on Megan’s Island. We finished Fatto a Mano (our wood-fired oven) in August and love, love, love it. We’ve perfected our foccacia and pizza crust recipes and will be trying out other dishes in the oven this year.

Finished pizza oven with Geroni-gnome, our watch’gnome’

A wonderful shot of the flames leaping toward the pizza

That’s about it for 2014. We’re closing the chapter on another stellar year for us and we’re looking forward to an even better year in 2015. I hope it’s a great year for you too!

Cheers to 2015! Thanks for reading!!

28Nov2014

Shopping small

Posted in Adventures, Exploring Seattle by mszerwo

Today marks the start of the Christmas shopping season and I’m posting this from an outlet mall far, far away from Megan’s Island. This is the sixth or seventh year of this tradition and even though I’m not shopping for a new big screen TV or any presents really, I love spending this quality time with these friends, even if it is way too early in the morning.

I’m not against big box stores or easy ordering on Amazon, or even the medium-sized stores, but this year we’ve made a concerted effort to “shop small” when shopping for presents. We’re about halfway done with our holiday shopping and I’d encourage you think small when you shop this year.

To make shopping small easier for you, I’ve decided to highlight several businesses owned by some of my favorite people. Bookmark these links for the future, to shop beyond just the holidays!

Bottle and Bull

Bottle & Bull. This new Kirkland restaurant, run by my favorite restaurateur couple Jessi and Chad, opened this week. Stop by to fuel your shopping adventures or pick up a gift card to put in someone’s stocking! Experience the travels of Ernest Hemingway through your palette, eating and drinking your way through the cities that Hemingway loved to frequent; Havana, Paris, Florence and Pamplona (where he discovered his love for bull fighting!) to name a few.

Coloring Nature

Coloring Nature. My friend Cari and her husband own this organic landscaping company. Beyond landscaping, they offer holiday wreaths, succulent logs, floral design, corks, and occasional classes. You can find Coloring Nature online and at the Fremont Sunday Market.

Coloring Nature

Coppersmith Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy is my favorite physical therapy clinic for all that ails me. In fact, I’ve been a loyal customer for more than 30 years, since the clinic is owned by my parents. If you have physical therapy needs, I highly recommend you head to Coppersmith PT! (Thanks for being blog readers, Mom & Dad!)

Dailey Method. The Dailey Method is a unique combination of ballet barre work, core conditioning, muscle strengthening, yoga, and orthopedic exercises. Owners Brenda and Michelle are killer yet magical instructors and they offer online purchasing options as well as gift cards. They even feature local businesses (like Little Britches Bakery) in their lobby. Extra shop small points for the Dailey Method!

Davenport Cellars. I love myself some wine and Davenport Cellars is run and owned by two of my favorite winemakers. Not only are their wines fantastic, their price point can’t be beat. My “favorite” bottle of Davenport flips on a weekly basis, from the Cab-dominant Continuity to the Merlot-dominant RHD. I have recruited several friends to join the Davenport wine club and I’d encourage you to head over to Woodinville, taste some wine and support Washington winemakers and this small business.

Davenport Cellars

Style By Wendy helps those who feel outdated, frumpy, or insecure to discover more confidence in their closet. Whether it is a closet clean-out, creating outfits with your clothes, personal shopping, or determining your color wheel, Wendy makes you feel good about yourself and what you wear every single day.

Libby’s Paper Party Hats

Libby’s Paper Party Hats. My dear friend Libby (and future business partner, if everything goes as planned!) makes paper party hats, banners and more, selling her wares on Etsy. Libby’s paper party hats are beautiful and crafted with talent and love. I received a my very own University of Washington-themed paper party hat for my 31st birthday. It’s great, isn’t it!?

Me & my dead duck friend. Hat from Libby’s Paper Party Hats! Thank you, Lib!!

Little Britches Bakery. Shameless plug right here! Little Britches Bakery is my part-time gig and my creative outlet. It isn’t a real bakery, instead its completely inedible, practical and completely usable baby gifts that look like your favorite bakery treats. (They’re “too sweet to eat,” get it!?) You should for sure follow Little Britches on Etsy, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and think of Little Britches next time one of your friends announces a pregnancy. I ship anywhere in the US and offer completely customizable baby gifts!

My Little Britches Bakery onesie cupcakes

Vine Trainings. The perfect party: you, your friends, and some delicious wines. My friend Zach teaches Vine Trainings classes, including a minimum of seven wines, several hours of personalized and hands-on instruction, and a whole lot of fun. All you need is seating for 10-12 people and somewhere for the wine glasses! Prices start at $35/person, and the specific wines and styles are customizable and negotiable. I wrote about Vine Trainings earlier this year.

Our Vine Trainings set up

Seafood Lover’s Pacific Northwest. I may link to Amazon, but you can find this at a local independent book seller. (We bought our copy at the University Bookstore.) This is my friend Karen’s first book and she set the bar high for her upcoming projects! Her book is great– it has a little bit of everything: recipe, recommendations, lore, and more! The book has inspired Brandon and I to explore the well-known gems and the diamonds in the rough that we had no idea about. After hearing about all of Karen’s oyster experiences, I’m going to give them another shot! Spoiler alert: we bought extra copies for Christmas presents!

Seafood Lover’s Pacific Northwest

I have several photographer friends and would recommend any and all of them. Here are the local Seattle-area photogs: Erin Schedler Photography, Kristi Waite Photography, and Mike Fiechtner Photography (you’ll see our wedding photos on the home page!).

Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday and I hope you take some time to “shop small” this holiday season!

14Nov2014

{Gone Pinning} Big Island bound!

Posted in Adventures by mszerwo

Brrrrr! The polar vortex is back and Seattle is pretty chilly these days. We’re staying warm by dreaming about the sun and planning the itinerary for our December trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. We’ll be splitting our time on both the Kona and Hilo coasts and we’ll likely spend a night in the volcano part of the island.

Here are some of the exciting excursions that we have in mind. Click on the photos for more information:

We’ve secured a twilight tour of the Gemini telescope and we’re SO excited about it! The stars are going to be amazing!!

Gemini telescope at Mauna Kea Observatory

The manta ray dive company we heard really good things about is unfortunately not operating while we’re in Hawaii, but we’re looking at alternative tours! This looks so cool!

Manta ray snorkel tour

We’re planning on seeing a lot of lava on our trip. These sights are pretty awesome in photos like this and I’ve heard they’re even better after dark. We’re looking into night-time tours now!

Lava meets water

This is where Captain James Cook moored when he visited the Island in 1778 and where he died the following year. The snorkeling here, at Kealakakua Bay, is reportedly some of the best in the islands. This link also has what appear-to-be great tips for the Big Island:

Captain Cook monument

I’ve never seen so many unique sand beaches in my life! We’ll hit up the black sand beach and the GREEN sand beach! Green!!! How fun!

Green Sand beach

I’ve discussed the sites, and now it’s on to the food. This link has some great suggestions and we’ll definitely hit up this malasada place. (Brandon loves them!)

Malasadas! Yes, please.

It’s not a true vacation of ours without a visit to a winery. The Volcano Winery will do!

We love wine! This one appears to be an award winner!

We’re still taking recommendations, so share some of your favorite tips for fun on the Big Island!

Megan's Island

Welcome to my island!

Category Archives: Adventures

Meeting Jen Lancaster

Our SoCal spring break

Montana Dreaming: votes needed!

National Walking Day {2015}

Happy Valentine’s Day to us!

{Wine Wednesday} Washington wine: WTF?

2015 resolutions

2014 in review

Shopping small

{Gone Pinning} Big Island bound!