An Ultimate Girly Weekend

Last weekend, one of my bestest girl friends from Seattle came and stayed with me in San Francisco for four days, and it was awesome.

As we get older and lives take each of us on our own journey, the more “busy” everyone becomes. Each of us are caught up in our own affairs – boyfriends, workouts, grad school, long work hours, different cities or states – and it all makes it difficult to see very much of your best friends. So, it was a true gift to spend four nonstop days with this particular BFF in my new city.

Thursday we had the ultimate girly evening – shopping at one of SF’s best clothing boutiques, Ambiance, fantastic sushi at Umami in the Marina, followed by a late evening viewing of The Help, which is so, so, good! As an avid book reader who likes to watch the movie version of the books I read, it was hands down the most satisfying book/movie combination I’ve ever seen.

Friday we picked up another one of our BFFs from college who was in town for one night and hit the city for a fun house party with my San Francisco girl friends followed by an 80s cover band and a late night slumber party with gossip and midnight snacks. (A novelty I haven’t experienced since college). Life needs more slumber parties with girl friends!

Pre-80s band night drinks at my Cait's with old and new friends

Saturday we enjoyed a fabulous brunch and Bloody Mary’s at a friend’s house, traveled out to Tiburon for my first COLD experience at Sam’s on the waterfront, and went on a silly scavenger hunt in the North Beach neighborhood of SF, which was hands down one of my the most fun nights and the most laughing I’ve done in awhile. We sprinted (literally, sprinted) through the streets of North Beach, dodging other teams trying to spray us with whip cream, and trying to find all the funny items on the scavenger hunt list (Snookie look alike, or an “off duty prostitute” and capture them with our iPhone. If you live in SF, you must check out CLASH (California League of Adult Scavenger Hunt) and sign up for your own scavenger hunt (they do them every weekend).

We had to cross "Sausage Fest" off our scavenger hunt list,
so we found a sausage store and had a dance fest. Get it?  

In between all those plans, we drank a couple glasses of wine, had lots of girl talk, went on many walks and worked out together. It was just such a special time for me to have one of my BFFs experience my new life with me and show her around my new city. I look forward to having weekends like this with her every year! Love you, Kristen! xoxo

 

Currently Feeling: Extreme relief after finishing all my work for both jobs and turning my vacation responder on – I’m a free woman for three weeks!
Currently Anticipating: A White Party at a winery tonight with all my Seattle friends and lovers.
Currently Loving: My new hair color and fancy straight style (temp). Love getting my hair done.

You will always return

When my parents visited at the end of July, the three of us took our very first trip to Napa Valley – something I’ve been wanting to cross off my bucket list for quite some time!

I read somewhere that local legend says “Napa” translates to “you will always return,” which is true! Since my trip with my parents, I’ve been to Napa Valley three times. I’m totally in love – with dozens of beautiful estate wineries, world-acclaimed restaurants, HOT sun and cute little towns only an hour away from San Francisco Bay, it’s my new happy place (although Maui is still at the very tiptop).

I thought I’d share two short posts about Napa Valley – first THE WINE (of course) and second THE FOOD (cause it’s seriously drool worthy).

The first day my parents and I were in Napa, we rented bikes at the popular Napa Valley Bike Tours in Yountville. We had a bit of a bummer experience, but I would still recommend using the bike rental place. Just don’t start your bike tour at 2:30 p.m., make sure you check what wineries are open or closed, and bike straight up and back on Highway 29 instead of using their bike loop maps. Despite the pitfalls we ran into, biking through Napa was so pretty and warm! I totally experienced one of those “life is grande” moments while peddling under the trees on a quiet side road with birds singing and views of vineyards.

The second day, we drove all the way up to Calistoga then worked our way back (a highly recommended approach). There are literally dozens of beautiful wineries to stop at along the highway that links Napa (the city) to Calistoga. It’s hard to make it to all of them, and hitting three to five in one day is a FULL day, so expect to visit Napa over and over if you want to visit all the wineries.

We went to Sterling Vineyards, which has a gondola you have to ride to the top to wine taste. It was really fun and something you won’t find at any other winery!

We also visited Chateau Montelena, the winery that put Napa Valley wines on the map when their 1976 Chardonnay won a blind taste test in Paris. This winery was my all-time favorite! They had a splurge-worthy Cab that was $135 a bottle, but was hands-down the best wine I’ve ever tasted. My parents picked up a bottle to save until their 30th anniversary in four years. I’m already marking that date on my calendar with a big red star so I can just happen to be home when they pop that bottle.

We also made a stop off at Castello di Amorosa – a huge castle winery, which was my dad’s fav. I’ve been told Sterling and Castello are “tourist traps,” but still think everyone should visit them once!

Let me know when/if you make plans to visit Napa, and I’ll share all my favs with you. By this time next year, I should be an expert!

Currently Feeling: That usual pre-vacation stress. Why is it so difficult to get ready for vacation?
Currently Anticipating: My first Girls Dinner (San Francisco edition) on Wednesday!
Currently Loving: My new homemade popsicles – post on them coming soon!

Hippee

This past weekend I pumped up my bike tires out of the tired winter slump and bought myself a little bike basket! I’m so excited! Mostly* because the basket will fit my bag (with my laptop) or grocery bags (and Trader Joe’s is within bike-riding distance), meaning less driving my car and more exercise to get to coffee shops for work or to run errands. Win, win!

When I texted a pic of my new basket to one of
 my BFFs, she called me a "Hippee." Ha!

I accidentally bought too much at Trader Joe’s my first go at bike riding home with my goods. Like a 30-pound bag of stuff! It made the front of my bike “top heavy,” and my balance was all thrown off. It was a treacherous ride home! Lesson learned: bike riding my groceries home will not only be great exercise, but it will decrease my over-spending too! Yippee!

*Partially because I see more bike riding time in my future this year while living in a less rainy and cold city.

Currently Feeling: Great after burning k-cals on the elliptical tonight – I’m excited for all the group classes at the new fitness center I joined (across the street from my house).
Currently Anticipating: Figuring out my Fourth of July plans! Lake Tahoe might be on the horizon… it’s weird to try to make plans with a bunch of people you don’t know very well for such a big holiday! Normally I would have been the one planning a cabin trip or joining best friends at a lake house… oh comfort zone, you’re by-and-by.
Currently Loving: The seven-layer bean dip I made (with carrot chips instead of tortilla chips)!

The Last of the Summericans

This last weekend *officially* marks the end of Seattle’s summer… we’ve been toying with Fall a little earlier this year, which has meant a wetter, grayer August than usual. I’ve pulled out my jeans a little earlier…shut my window and turned on my heat a little earlier…drooled over Fall clothes a little earlier.  It looks as if an Indian summer is not in the cards for us this year. What I think about that has to do with a lot of bleep bleeping bleeps, but, I digress.

In my final farewell to summer, I donned my bathing suit and drove straight out of the rainy day forecast to spend a four-day weekend with best friends at a cabin three hours east of Seattle. Hello, Lake Chelan (for the third time this summer)!

I sunbathed enough to finish an entire 400-page book (awesome) and probably drank enough wine to fill up the lake with wine instead of water (awesome squared).

Chelan is a well-known wine country in Washington State – home to more than a dozen estate wineries with sprawling green hills and views of the water. If you live outside of Washington and ever decide to take a trip to Seattle, you have to schedule in some wine tasting – in Woodinville, Yakima, Walla Walla, Chelan – or wherever you can make it out to. We’re famous for our wine, yo!

As for me, I’m starting to realize there’s nothing I’d rather be doing in life than wine tasting in the sunshine. Call me a product of my environment, if you will.

My goal of the weekend was to slow down, take it all in, turn off work e-mail and laugh with friends, soaking up every minute of sun possible – hopefully enough to last me until next summer. That’s what we do around here parts – tick the minutes away in dark bars and on mountain slopes until the sun cracks through eight months later. It might leave us Vitamin D deficient and desperate for beach vacations, but that’s Seattle for you.

What else we do – fill our time up with tons of fun plans to get us through the gray and rain. I have a full plate coming up these next couple months and into 2011…a trip to San Fran, Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, a bacon cooking class, a Girl Power Hour anniversary party, the return of trivia nights, a BIG out-of-the-country vacation (Australia and New Zealand) in January/February to save for, and a goal to get back into snowboarding with the purchase of a new board and my first season’s pass.

Lots of exciting things on the horizon – and that always makes me okay with the end of summer.

Currently Feeling: So glad to be back at hot yoga now that the weather has cooled down.
Currently Anticipating: Finally seeing “Eat, Pray, Love” tomorrow with a group of gals I don’t get to see very often. Judge me if you will – but it’s one of my all-time fav books!
Currently Loving: Red grapes. I can’t get enough these days!

Since I’ve been gone…

I’ve been fluttering around this town (and others) in a state of independence, slowly spinning and spinning into a place where independence starts to feel like a whole, and dependence starts as an itch, slowly creeping into my brain here and there.

I danced under the streetlamps and in front of a fan on high, trying desperately to beat the heat – to beats from a main stage, rock music filling the streets of Seattle.

I learned to hail cabs in New York City, danced until my feet hurt, spent 1 a.m. in Times Square trying to find myself on the jumbo screen, walked the spirals up Frank Loyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum, sat under a tree by myself in Central Park and secretly stole pictures of couples lying on blankets kissing cause it was all too damn cute and reminded me of a place I was once at.

I picnicked and barbecued at the beach, watched the sun set, and found a new love for hippie reggae beats, which now follows me in headphones to work every week as I walk underneath the shadows of buildings downtown, discovering that there really is no better way to start your day than with a walk in sunshine and no better way to end it than in a bathing suit, people watching at the park.

I rocked a review, scored a raise, and successfully pulled together a conference and a local tech event that I planned all by myself – all while floating rivers and roasting marshmallows over a campfire on the weekends. I’ve let go of summer traditions in the past, and created my own traditions that include just me this time, and some with new friends.

I grilled salmon, churned strawberry frozen yogurt made from scratch, and picked tomatoes and basil from my garden in large quantities. I indulged in quail, rabbit with plum sauce, pork belly buns, watermelon gazpacho, German chocolate cake, and a few birthday cakes too. I enjoyed too many dinners with girls, happy hours on patios, and wine tasting that I care to admit.

I had a closure dinner with an ex, talking over months gone past as if nothing had ever changed, except one very important detail.

I’m independent now.

And underneath it all, I’m healing and the itch of dependence - of someone and something that makes me smile, laugh and want to hold hands and spend all my time with – is starting to take shape again.

And I might have even found someone I want it to take shape with.

Currently Feeling: So strange this week – tired, out of it. Is it the full moon?
Currently Anticipating: A bevy of trips coming up (and possibly a BIG one). Stay tuned for details.
Currently Reading: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger.

In the limelight

Two weekends ago, I had planned Sunday dinner at my parent’s house. Turns out their neighbors were having a wedding shower for their niece, whom I grew up with as a child in the neighborhood. The wedding shower was set in their backyard – an overgrown, garden oasis in full bloom with a European touch – a shabby chic chandelier hanging in a tree, lights strewn throughout each bush, candles hanging from each post in a white-picket fence, beads and bobbles glittering on the tables and pictures of the bride and groom clipped in branches of the trees. It was a perfect summer night for a glass of white wine and a neighborhood gathering.

And the spread- Oh the spread! Halibut with mango salsa, sweet potato mash, strawberries and candied walnuts tossed in spinach and balsamic, Brie cheese baked in puff pastry with raspberry jam and two jugs of iced tea. While everything was amazing, there was one salad in particular that tempted me back for scoop after scoop – a recipe I immediately picked up and then brought my own version to the bachelorette party I was at last weekend. I’m telling you – this salad is amazing, and the only thing you’ll need to bring along this summer to barbecues with friends (well, that and some sangria, perhaps).

The secret ingredient? Newman’s Own Light Lime Vinaigrette – a rare salad dressing that I scoured FIVE grocery stores to find. But it’s the peanut butter to this salad’s jelly! You have to try this:

By the way – did you know quinoa is pronounced KEEN-WAAH, and it’s a “grain” that was cultivated more than 5,000 years ago by the Incas. Here’s why you should eat it: compared to other grains, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc than wheat, barley, or corn, and it’s been linked to preventing and treating diabetes, breast cancer and more. (It’s also gluten free). Hello superfood!

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I’m in love with quinoa – but I’m absolutely obsessed with this lime vinaigrette! Next stop – a recipe I found on the site for the dressing – Scallop Ceviche w/Watermelon & Cucumber.

I love summer cooking!

Do you have a quinoa go-to recipe? Share it with me, lovelies!

Currently Feeling: Excited for a desk/space change at work – I love event the slightest bit of change.
Currently Anticipating: A cooking party at a new friend’s house tonight and Girl Power Hour on the patio at Joey Lake Union tomorrow!
Currently Needing: To ditch the book I’m reading and get a new one – I haven’t been reading cause it’s too slow-paced!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.