Things I'm Liking!

It's been awhile since I've done this! I have quite the collection of bookmarked "things I like" so here are a few at the top of my list! Hope you're staying cool and having a great summer!

 photo via Design Sponge via Studio Choo

 I love these biodegradable dip-dyed paper cups from Design Sponge! Looks easy enough!

Photo via How About Orange

What a great DIY from How About Orange! Stenciling fabric with freezer paper!

 Photo via ...love Maegan

I've never been able to braid my own hair...could someone do this for me? This is a great braid featured on ...love Maegan

 Photo via Make and Takes via Little Birdie Secrets

This is a total "Why didn't I think of that?" moment! Awesome DIY for a wipe-off board from Make and Takes.

Seattle Food Shots

I know I keep going on about the food in Seattle, but OMG the food in Seattle! We found some new favorites like creatively flavored popcorn at Kukuruza, salted caramel cupcakes at Yellow Leaf Cupcake Company, and amazing doughnuts at Top Pot. We ate dinner at the Pink Door, an obscurely located restaurant, identifiable only by its pink door. Every so often during dinner a small acrobatic performance takes place; it's hard to explain but is definitely something one should experience. And of course the food was delicious!

Meet FareStart

FareStart in Seattle is an incredible organization that offers a 16-week culinary program for homeless and disadvantaged men, women, and children. Students in this program learn culinary arts alongside some of the top chefs in Seattle and beyond. They serve the public in the FareStart restaurant, and there is an incredibly high job placement rate for students who complete the program. FareStart also helps students learn to manage finances and provides housing and transportation during the program. 

Diners can visit the restaurant Monday-Friday for lunch. It is closed in the evenings for catered events, weddings, etc. Thursday evenings the restaurant is open for "Guest Chef Night," when a popular chef works with students to prepare a three course wine and food pairing menu. Besides the amazing goal and mission of FareStart, they prepared one of the most unique and tasty meals we had on our trip to Seattle! Programs like this should be in ALL cities!

As a table we shared crispy tofu nuggets with sweet chili dipping sauce, crostini with goat cheese and fig spread, seared wild salmon cakes with Asian slaw and lemongrass vinaigrette, and freshly made donuts with chocolate sauce and ice cream for dessert. Mom had the turkey sandwich and I had a vegan field roast sandwich. Delish!

Tillicum Village

One cool and crisp evening in Seattle, we took a ferry to Tillicum Village on Blake Island. Native Americans used to inhabit the island and now it's a showcase featuring dinner, a performance discussing the history of the island, and plenty of freedom to explore the beautiful property. The views were breathtaking and the salmon bake was the best I've ever had. 

The Thomas Douglas Experience

The Seattle restaurant empire created by Chef Thomas Douglas is out of this world. He owns twelve restaurants around the city and we experienced some of the most delicious food I've ever had at our two favorites, Dahlia Bakery and Serious Pie. Dahlia Bakery is small but packs big flavor. The coconut pie, made-to-order donuts, and butter pecan chocolate cookies were our favorites; we ate there three times! Serious Pie may very well be my favorite pizza thus far in life. The restaurant is small and seats community style, meaning you might end up making some new friends! The pizza is baked in a beautiful wood-fired oven and comes out perfectly chewy yet crispy and cheesy. I had the buffalo mozzarella with San Marzano tomatoes on both our visits and it was out of this world! Words cannot express how SERIOUS this pie is!

Seattle Randoms

We were lucky enough to be in Seattle during the Urban Craft Uprising. It was like a DIY blogger and a traditional arts & crafts fair had a baby. There were so many creative and out-of-the-box ideas! I had hoped to see Jill Bliss, but unfortunately she had to cancel last minute. We finished the afternoon walking around town marveling at the Space Needle (it's smaller than I expected) and taking in the beautiful city of Seattle.

The View from Seattle

My first trip to Seattle was incredible. We arrived at the hotel, tossed down our things, and headed straight for the Pike Place Market! It didn't disappoint. Fresh seafood, gorgeous veggies, and colorful flowers lined booths nestled in between restaurants and shopping galore. It was Saturday, so the place was packed! I bought some purple and pink petunias that smelled heavenly. We had a delicious lunch at Lowell's overlooking the bay (fish tacos and burrata beans) and I was introduced to Pike Place Brewery's Naughty Nellie (yum). Beecher's Cheese is across the street from the Market and cheese lovers visiting Seattle must visit! You can taste samples while watching them make cheese through a giant glass window. Or, grab a grilled cheese sandwich or cup of homemade mac and cheese. I'll be back soon with more Seattle stories!

Meet the Plants

Weekend Shots

What a fun 4th of July weekend!

I love ice like this! Tastes like tiny snowballs!