It's all coming together...

Getting settled in my new place in Queen Anne has been an ongoing process. Thank goodness the unpacking madness has subsided. Now onto decorating. Last week my mom came to visit from MN and helped me make some of my design vision for my place into an actual reality. We scoured every store imaginable for the perfect pieces to bring everything together, from antique shops, to the Goodwill, to Target. Where we eventually landed can only be summed up by pictures, as there is definitely not one cohesive style throughout my place - which is exactly how I wanted things to look. I love color (not super bright obnoxious in your face color.) I love flowers and floral patterns (there is a fine line here as many floral patterns can also hedge on being a bit "country" for my liking.) I love the feeling of using the various antique furniture that I've collected over the years, finding new ways to use the pieces and showcase various elements. I've started to embrace open space and the idea of less clutter - which has also been a plus for feeling more organized.

The last room to come together was the bathroom. I've gone through three bath mat options (who would've ever thought this would be so hard,) and opted for a bright colorful combination from Target. I originally snubbed the "uber girly" bath mat during my mom's visit, but after an inspiring conversation with Katie and Kelly (my TN lasses for the weekend), I'm so glad I went with this look.

Let me know what you think about everything, or better yet, plan a visit out to Seattle to take a peek for yourself!

xoLK

Behind my bed: a collage of prints, letters, and a mirror. My antique desk overlooking Highland Drive, and a collage on the wall. One of my favorite purchases: an old globe. Nestled below antique scenes of Paris.My kitchen with the antique shelf. Love the while cupboards and pink tile!

My own Everest...

Today I ventured out on a solo mission to hike Mount Si. Last weekend I got my hiking shoes (old Asics) dirty with the first hike of the season, when my mom and I hiked Little Mount Si. I've never hiked the "bigger" Si by myself. Hiking just seems like one of those activities that you do with someone else. You sweat together, you stop for water breaks together, you comment on the amazing view together. It's a together thing. However, today, I discovered how much fun hiking solo can really be. Here's what I loved: going my own pace (a combination of walking, running and wobbling), stopping when I want for a drink/snack, passing groups of men hiking with all of their equipment, etc. Below are a couple of pictures I took from the mountain. It was a bit foggy/cloudy, which made for a perfect hiking temperature. Now (as I type this) I'm feeling the soreness set in from the pounding of 8 miles on my joints...

Half way up the mountain...the rolling clouds were beautiful.

From the top. On a clear day you can see Mount Rainier.

Closing Thoughts...

The weekend is coming to a close and I have so much I could write, but I think this will do:

“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.”
~Bob Moawad

A Girly Movie and Shopping, my perfect evening

Last night I attended an advance screening of "My Life In Ruins" - me, and my two non-Greek coworkers hightailed it into downtown Seattle to wait in line with over 100 Greek Seattlelites. I felt like I was an unwelcomed guest in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" as we were slowly herded into the theater. The promoters were pulling out all the stops for this production, (I opted not to grab a free "greek yogurt" upon entering.) Overall, the movie was sweet, with a bit of cheesy humor. The scenes of Greece's historic architecture were phenomenal and a reminder that I should add this destination to the list of places I want to visit.

After the movie I accidentally wondered into JCrew just as they were closing and fell in love with their current summer line. JCrew always has such a great mixture of prints and fabrics, with elements of girly flare weaved into their clothing. If budget were not an issue I could've instantly purchased almost everything in the store. Here are a couple items that stood out for me:

First, the necklace looks like sugar crystals and is far more exquisite in person. Second, I've always been a huge fan of layering (done well, done right.) Sometimes I can look bulky if I layer too much. However, the lightweight material of the floral shirt coupled with the lime green sweater and shrunken summer blazer, makes this layering combination look very chic. Lastly, I'm a huge fan of t-shirts, and frankly have somewhat of an addiction to buying them because they're great for work, play and everything in between. I love the idea of pairing this basic t-shirt with this type of printed skirt. You can play with the accessories (my favorite part) to dress this up for the office.

What kind of summer clothing are you looking forward to wearing? Anything I should be thinking of?

who are you and who will you be?

So after a brief hiatus from the blogging world, I’m back and ready to fully commit again. A couple quick things to cover off on before diving in:

1. I moved. Just me and my things (antique furniture and small tv) have moved and are settling into my new place in Queen Anne.
2. After months and months of hard work, my Search team at WaggEd launched, Bing...Microsoft’s new consumer search engine.
3. Summer in Seattle has finally arrived, and I love living in the city.

Now onto specifics, I’m currently settling into the most darling 1940’s apartment near Highland Park (or Kerry Park as some would call it.) Pictures will shortly follow. I’ve been in love with all things “old, antique, vintage” for quite some time (I’m really an 80 yr old woman living in a 26 yr old body). The chandelier in the living room and pink and white tiling in the kitchen are by far the most charming features of my place. Once I’ve fully unpacked – because this seems to take forever – I’ll provide a full tour of my new digs. Or if you’re lucky to live in Seattle, swing on by!

Bing Bing Bing – has finally launched. Microsoft’s new consumer search engine is actually THAT cool, and I’m not just saying it because there was blood/sweat/tears involved in getting this product out the door. Please check it out and let me know what you think: www.bing.com.

Summer (big sigh) is here, and it’s worth every swear word uttered at the days of constant rain and wind out here. There is nothing that compares to running in Queen Anne overlooking Mount Rainier, the Space Needle, the city skyline and the marinas below. And the best part is – everyone around QA has a dog. I swear one day I will actually scoop up someone’s pup when they’re not looking at make a run for it…

Girls on the Run

This afternoon I signed myself up for something I've been wanting to do for years - "Girls on the Run" - a curriculum based, experiential learning program that utilizes the power of running to provide 3rd-5th grade girls to: Celebrate their bodies, Honor their voices, Recognize their gifts and, Activate their power! In a nutshell, I'm going to be participating in a 10wk program that guides and trains girls together to walk or run the non-competitive New Balance Girls on the Run 5k event during the beginning of June.

I can't tell you how much I love this age group, thinking back to my "Girl Power" days in high school. (Kat, I believed you were a lucky volunteer for this program.) Needless to say, it is so important for girls this age to be surrounded by positive female role models. The thought of going back to 5th grade gives be heartburn. I can only imagine the multitude of issues young girls today are dealing with - we certainly didn't have Britney/Paris/Lindsey in 1992 (did we?)

The first training meeting takes place on 4/27, and I'll be sure to share more thereafter.

Here comes Peter Cottontail...

Yesterday while taking a somewhat "relaxed" approach to celebrating Easter (meaning, I boiled some eggs and made egg salad sandwiches,) I started to really miss the celebrations of Easter past when my sistter and I were younger. I remember being so excited for Easter morning, almost too antsy to sleep. I wanted to be the first one to find where my Easter basket was hiding. There were only several hiding locations throughout the house (behind the couch, by the piano, behind the counter downstairs...) When I finally found a basket, I'd immediately know if it was for Ashley or me because mine would always have the "older and cooler" gift inside, whether it be lipsmackers or a babysitter's club book. Sometimes if I came upon Ashley's basket and she had something that I really wanted, I'd make a quick switch before she discovered what was originally hers.

So while missing my family yesterday (and an Easter basket) I boiled some eggs, thought two seconds about coloring them for fun, and then made egg salad sandwiches for dinner. I'm vowing to appropriately celebrate Easter next year - might even make a church appearance.