Fairweather Fan

This year I’ve decided to make football my most favorite thing in the world.

Well, that’s a lie. I decided to make hanging out with my friends, tailgating and eating pulled pork and hot dogs underneath tents in parking lots while playing ring toss and sipping on BLs my most favorite thing in the world. (Shocker).

It started with my purchase of a super cute girls Seahawk’s jersey for 75% off at the final game of the season last year. I’m a sucker for a sale!

And of course with my newly minted (literally mint green) jersey comes the necessity to wear it AS.MUCH.AS.HUMANLY.POSSIBLE.

Enter the best fairweather fan out there. I fairweather with the best of them, yo!

Go Seahawks!

What's under that poncho?

Mexican Seahawk poncho brigade

Mmm dinner after tailgating all day. What was I thinking?!

P.S. After this Sunday’s opening day, I can already tell football season is going to be the death of me.

Go Hawks!

Currently Feeling: Amazing after a 9:15 p.m. power vinyasa hot yoga class – it was pretty difficult, but SO glad I sucked it up and went!
Currently Anticipating: Ignite 11 tomorrow night (my favorite event in ALL of Seattle). Have you been to an Ignite event in your city? If not, you should!
Currently Loving: Hot and sweet mustard. On ham and cheese sandwiches. Mmm. (A great substitute to mayo too!)

Five little updates on July

Well hello there, July 16th. Where have the last two weeks gone? Been busy soaking up the sun that finally came to Seattle – and as my GChat status says, “The summer sun makes me irresponsible.” Less time for blogging and computer playing, more time for outdoors, friends and barbecues. The best time of the year!

Life has been trucking along quite nicely these days – I’ve got a few little updates for you.

I finished my 30-day challenge – you can read my somewhat wrap-up thoughts here since they were the same for the last two weeks of the challenge. I was a couple days shy of the complete 30 days. It was tough to make it to class every day the last two weeks cause I became super burnt out. But for the most part, I did it! So, I’m back to boot camp a couple days a week, and hot yoga a couple days a week. I’m also walking to work now that the weather is nice! Two miles – 45 minutes of walking a day – so it’s been a great addition to my workouts.

Me putting the last star on the challenge board

My Fourth of July holiday weekend was one of the best ever. Choosing Lake Chelan over Seattle turned out to be the best decision I could have made since Seattle gifted everyone with grey skies and rain for the holiday. Meanwhile, I hung out in my bathing suit, drank BLs on the beach all day and finished the evening up with a crazy dance party boat ride to watch the Chelan city fireworks. Lots of funny pictures and memories of the weekend that, unfortunately, don’t belong on the Internet. Good times were had by all.

Left: All the girls at the beach. Center: Boating it. Right: Wine tasting on our way back.

My summer garden is rockin’ and rollin’. I had to upgrade my basil plant because I used it so much, I dried the first one out and killed it. So, I purchased a bigger and better one. I have basil for days! My favorite summertime dinner meal these days has been some whole wheat pasta tossed with olive oil, garlic, fresh mozerella, tomatoes and basil from my garden – finished with salt and pepper. Mmm. Someone told me our summers in Seattle don’t usually last long enough for peppers or strawberry plants, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed there. And I have a couple tiny green tomatoes that I’m watching with much love!

Caprese pasta - my summertime staple!

Turns out my work is sending me to New York City for the BlogHer 10 conference the first weekend of August. I’m super, duper excited and geeked out to meet so many bloggers and make some (hopefully) lifelong connections. I’ll get to hang out with Doniree for the first time, which I’m fantastically excited about. I feel like I’m the only 20-something blogger left in this world that doesn’t know her personally. I’ll also be hosting a fun Sex and the City walk through the city with a Kindle giveaway at the end. I think it’s going to be a fabulous, successful event, so that pushes my excitement that much further. Have I mentioned lately how much I love my job? By the way – this will be the first time I’ll have visited NYC while 21 and over. Trouble to be had! NEW YORK…. These streets will make you feel brand new…Big lights will inspire you…Let’s hear it for New York, New York, NEW YORK.

Can you think of a better event?! Excited!

I’m heading over the mountain pass again this weekend for a bachelorette party for one of my high school girl friends – lots of longtime girls of mine will be there. I hang out with all 10 of them about twice a year, so this should be interesting and fun. We’re starting off with a night out in the tiny town our cabin is in, wearing ugly bridesmaid dresses. (Thank you, Goodwill, for mine). We’re also floating a river Saturday in intertubes and then heading back out in matching tie-dyed tank tops with nicknames on the back. Mine? G-Spot Je-Spot. Yeah. That’s right. High school nickname I can’t seem to freakin’ get ride of. (For no other reason than my name being Je Anna). Should have some fun stories and pictures to share with all of you. Happy weekend!

Currently Feeling: A little bit of a nervous belly.
Currently Anticipating: Relaxing this weekend in the sun before a SUPER busy work week next week. Time to recharge!
Currently Loving: The new Eminem CD. Seriously – it’s so good. He amazes me, and brings me back to memories in high school when I used to listen to his first CD, all at the same time.

Fireworks, sunbathing & girls

I’m heading out for the weekend to Lake Chelan – a popular summer spot in Washington State – for the Fourth of July! It’s one of my girl friend’s birthday, so I’m road tripping it over the mountains with my best friend, a cooler full of bevs and flipflops on. I’ll finally get to wear the bathing suits I bought a month ago and haven’t been able to prance around in yet cause this summer has been gloomy thus far.

This will be the first year in forever that I’ve spent the Fourth of July outside of Seattle, and I have to admit that I’m going to miss the rooftop patio parties and fireworks on Lake Union like you would not believe. But I’m looking forward to a girly weekend of boating, sunbathing in 80-degrees, reading mags and laughing.

Hope all of you have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

God Bless America!

Thank you for sunkisses

The sun finally came out again in Seattle this weekend. We’ve been under mud and sogginess for a record amount of days this May and June. I forget it’s supposed to be summertime until I read other people’s blogs about wearing sundresses and making watermelon Mojitos, then smoke starts to come out of my ears a bit.

Thank you, Seattle. For finally bringing me a fantastic first weekend of summer filled with barbecues, patios and friends. A weekend where I could put on my new bathing suit (even if all I did was wear it under my shorts and tank top for a whole day). It still had that awesome, it’s summer and I’m living in my bathing suit feel.

Thank you, for a weekend that started out with an amazing art show for the Greenwood-Phinney Art Walk. A friend was showing his drawings at one of the coolest, funkiest retro spaces I’ve ever been to – The Greenwood Collective. Each room in the building held different artwork and the artist – photography, paintings, sculpture. We listened to a rad DJ, drank [free] beer out of a keg and even sat in on “Art Camp for Big Kids” where we made a light switch cover out of fabulous paper and Mod Podge. If that isn’t the most random start to a Friday, I don’t know what is. Even better – I wrapped it up by dancing to Michael Jackson vs. Prince night with three of my high school girls and a gaggle of other friends. My heels now have that “I’ve danced all night in a bar” grime all over them, but the amount of fun I had makes up for it.

Thank you, Seattle, for gracing me with warmth for a good friend’s graduation barbecue on Saturday. It was my first grilled hamburger of the summer and worth the ketchup and mustard stain on my shorts (and every calorie). I caught up with some friends I don’t see very often and later sat on a sun-soaked patio for pitchers of cold beer. It was an exhausting, fun summery day that left me with sunkisses on my shoulder, full to the brim and in bed by 9 p.m.

And finally, thank you Seattle, for not only another amazing day on Sunday, but for giving me two of the best friends a girl could want. Sunday Funday for the gals… raspberry vodka with lemonade slush on a patio overlooking a lake and boats, and a pitcher of sangria followed by individual nachos “Ponchos” at one of our favorite neighborhood bars, Laredos. I mean, whoever thought of creating a nacho dish where every single chip is covered with just the right amount of beans, cheese, guac, and sour cream (topped with an individual jalapeno) is GENIUS. Pure genius, I tell yah. Are you single?

Currently Feeling: Bummed to miss out on Ignite Seattle tonight, (are you going?), but totally needing a night in. After yoga, of course!
Currently Anticipating: Doing the grocery shopping and catch up for my week that I never got to yesterday.
Currently Reading: “The Tender Bar” by J.R. Moehringer. After 10 pages, I could already tell I was going to love it.

Rethinking the whole barefoot and pregnant thing

Saturday I attended Seattle Fashion Week for the first time with part of the Girl Power Hour Power Team… we got all gussied up and hit the town in bright, springtime dresses. I felt like a princess, not only were we given front row VIP tickets, but Vera Wang was showing her Spring and Fall 2010 line at the show (her first time ever in Seattle!)

I’ve never been to a legit fashion show before, and I’m not much of a wedding girl. But, of the fabulousness of these dresses was just unbelievable. From the fabric, to the feathers and sashes, to the buttons down the back. Everyone of her dresses took my breath away. I am now fully on the Vera Wang bandwagon and rethinking the whole “I don’t know that I want a wedding/I’ll just do it barefoot and pregnant on a beach.”

Sound the alarms!

Currently Feeling: Wide awake after an 8-9 p.m. workout and downing a Diet Coke. Awesome. I really aught to work on this staying up too late on a Sunday night thing.
Currently Anticipating: The start to another super busy May week – I hope the weather holds out!
Currently Wanting to “Feel This Week:” Good at my job.

Finger Mustaches

I went to work this morning with a little remnant of half a mustache on my finger.

Totally worth it.

Cinco de Mayo was silly and fun, per usual.

Sometimes, I think about things I want to be reincarnated as in my next life. Mexican is definitely on my list. Such amazing food, people and culture.

Ole!

Currently Feeling: A little underwhelmed by Top Chef Masters – bring on the original Top Chef, it’s so much better!
Currently Anticipating: Sharing this totally awesome class I took tonight with all of you. (Stay tuned!)
Currently Loving: The Chinese Chicken Salad from Nordstrom’s Cafe. One of the best salad’s I’ve had! (And I’m not a salad person).

Miami yeah, yeah…South Beach, bringing the heat

Party in the city where the heat is on.
All night on the beach til the break of dawn
Welcome to Miami (Bienvenido a Miami)

Whew buddy. Want to have a good time – take a vacation to South Beach.

Last Sunday, after a few glasses of wine to calm my flying nerves and some sleeping pills (Michael Jackson told me it was a good combo,) I flew to Miami with three of my best friends for an impromptu vacation. A month ago, I was out with said friends, one of whom was flying to Miami for a work trip. He didn’t want to go alone, three of us thought it sounded like a good time, so we bought tickets and planned to cram out entourage into one room for four days (platonic cuddling acceptable). Nothing like a beach vacation in April to make the rainy Seattle spring a little more bearable. I packed enough skimpy party dresses, bathing suits and sandals to last three weeks, threw in a couple beach books, kissed Stella goodbye, (she’s my stand-in boyfriend) and flew off with my partners in crime.

We stayed at the infamous Foutainebleau hotel (five stars for decor, two stars for food and service), and embarked on what has been one of the most epically fun vacations I’ve had in a long time. If we weren’t laughing, drinking BLs on the beach, mixing cocktails for the hot tub, or eating sushi (if you want one of the best meals of your life, go to Sushi Samba), then we were shaking our booties at some of the swankiest clubs in Miami and having 5am dance parties in our hotel room. I’ve got some incriminating video and photos that will only stay between the four of us.

It’s not the money, the place, the weather or the clothes; it’s friendships and laughter that make life worth living – I will giggle about this trip for many years. Tell me I’m flying to Saudi Arabia with these guys, and I’ll pack my Kaftan in a red hot minute. (Thank you Pirate Eye, Squirrel Trickster and The Proposition. You know you who are. Cabana Jeanna loves you long time).

Oh, by the way, did I mention we partied at a bar with Snookie, The Situation and the entire Jersey Shore cast?

True story.

What’s the most epic vacation you’ve ever been on?

Currently Feeling: Ready to start the work week! I cleaned like a mad woman, and made dinner from scratch and chili for lunch. All while having my own dance party. What, what!
Currently Anticipating: Good friends and a glass of wine tomorrow at Union for Seattle Restaurant Week.
Currently Loving: Brussels sprouts. With olive oil, and salt and pepper. Can’t get enough. Tell me a great brussels sprout recipe if you have one!

Get me out of this damn castle now, Mario

I was talking last night to one of my girl friends about how sometimes Halloweens are more trouble than they’re worth – it takes you forever to pick out a costume, and there doesn’t seem to be a single Halloween party worth going to (or one that you’re invited to at least).

But not this year – this year I had my costume picked out well in advance, and the Halloween parties were lined up left and right. It seems everyone was in the Halloween spirit this year, and my weekend was a tiring, awesomely fun two days filled with keg cups, beer-filled Mario mustaches, pizza, bathroom lines, an itchy wig, wine, dancing, lots and lots of laughter, great costumes and most importantly, great company in my old friends, new friends and lover.

Once again, my dear madre came to my costume rescue, with only a week’s notice this time. The Thursday before Halloween, I spent six hours in my mom’s company, getting fitted and sewn up into the wee hours of the night. (She even cooked me my absolute favorite homemade dish of all time, Hamburger Gravy). Now if that isn’t true motherly love, I don’t know what is… so here I am, Princess Peach with my Mario, finally rescued from the castle.

You can catch full photos and details on my Halloween in my Whrrl story here.

Currently Feeling: A little back ache coming on – what is with desk chairs? I’m switching to a ball.
Currently Anticipating: A week with virtually ZERO events! I need to catch up.
Currently Loving: Catching up with a high school girl friend last night. It was a three hour chat that we desperately needed!

Friendships for what they are to me, what they could be, and what they aren’t

Today I wrote a guest post for Just a small town girl… The blog author, Mandy, runs a series every Friday called “Lasting Impressions” for stories about best friends, lost friends, childhood friends, celebrating friends – basically anything you want to write about friendships. I wrote about how special my friendships are to me, and how hard they are to let go. And the dilemma I feel faced with a lot lately – How do you let a friendship be for what it is in the past and what it might never be in the future?

You can go over to Mandy’s blog to read my post, or yah know, don’t. After all, guest blogging allows me to be a little bit more anonymous, and therefore honest since not everyone reading knows me, so if you want to leave me floating in Mandy’s anonymous part of the blogosphere, that’s fine by me.

xoxo
Je

Another single bites the bullet

Congratulations Winston and Tara Evans!

I brought out my boobs, just for you, to celebrate your day.

Feel special.