The Walrus and the Carpenter

I should begin this review with a disclaimer that my expectations for this place were very high and it is up there on my "places to eat before I die" list. I've heard people raving about The Walrus and the Carpenter for years and have watched some of my role models including Anthony Bourdain (RIP) and Andrew Zimmern dine in this beloved Seattle establishment. Are you excited yet? Yes, well, stay with me as I tear down my formerly high expectations.

Crater Lake National Park

Finally made the trek down to the beautiful Crater Lake this past summer! Years back I thought crater lake was formed by a giant meteorite but it turns out that it was an imploding mountain which is pretty hardcore. While we were only here for a day, we were able to see quite a bit of the park. I would recommend starting at the visitors center then working your way around to each viewpoint...

Exploring Oregon - Bend Addition

A couple of weeks ago...wait, I suppose it's months ago now (yeesh) Lewis and I happen to be between jobs at the same time. Now, normally I would be in super-anxiety mode in this situation but we somehow set aside those new job jitters and decided to take advantage of the time off to finally check out Bend, OR.

Exploring Astoria

Most people know it as the home of The Goonies, others as a retreat to soak up the sun in the summer, whatever your associations, the quaint, sea shanty town of Astoria is definitely worth a visit.

My Top Posts from 2016

While most people would agree that 2016 was filled with disappointments; for me it was a year of accomplishments, fulfilled dreams, and personal growth. I finally visited the Pacific Northwest for the first time ever in January and it was everything I expected it to be and more. I got out of my stressful dead-end job in a city that I hated and moved across the country to a place we only dreamed about living and what once seemed so out of reach was now just part of our daily lives. I made some pretty tasty recipes along the way, and then had the crazy idea to totally overhaul a blog I had been working on for over four years with a new name and a new website. I am beyond grateful for all of the memories I made, the people I've met, little pieces of this world that I have been lucky enough to see, and I believe now more than ever that all of the experiences I've had (the good and the bad) have all happened for a reason and I am, for perhaps the very first time, exactly where I am supposed to be.

I sincerely hope that all of you had a great year, and if it wasn't so great, I hope you find the courage to better your situation, chase a dream, or discover your purpose in the year to come!

Most Popular Posts, starting from top left:

- Roasted Cauliflower Chickpea Soup
- Roloff Farms

- Top Round Steak Stew with Parmesan Cheese Dumplings

- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

- Easy Summer Appetizers

- Sauerbraten with Spatzle and Cabbage

- Our 3,000 Mile Journey

- Roasted Radishes with Orange and Thyme

Our 3,000 Mile Journey (and some tips for going on your own adventure)

Now that we're settled into our new home, I finally get a chance to reflect on everything that went on these past couple of weeks! Looking back on it now it seems like a dream, did we really ever live in Houston TX?! As you can see from the route we chose, we were able to see a good chunk of the country, there were several factors that determined our route, we knew we wanted to hit up Waco, TX and see Joanna Gaines's Magnolia Market and my best friend lives in Colorado Springs, so both of those were a must-see and pretty much determined the path of the trip.

Being the overly organized, list making obsessed person that I am I started planning this trip pretty much as soon as we found out Lewis got the job (and even before that I was fantasizing). We are lucky enough that his new job does provide relocation assistance but we still wanted to keep it as cost effective as possible. Factoring in gas (for two cars), lodging for 4 nights, food, truck cost, and supplies, we estimated the cost at $2,600 which isn't too shabby for moving across the country.

Some things to keep in mind if you're planning a road trip and some stuff we learned along the way:

-Start pricing out moving trucks as soon as possible. I compared the top competing brands on a daily basis and I noticed the prices would fluctuate anywhere from $50-300. I ended up going with Penske because they had the highest customer satisfaction ratings and they gave me a huge discount for being a AAA member.

-There are tons of Apps available to plan your trip and what sights to see along the way, Roadtrippers and Furkot are my faves. There are also Fuel calculators such as THIS ONE that give you an estimation of gas costs AND tells you where to get the best prices.

-We chose to pack a cooler full of snacks, drinks, and food in order to save some money, plus traveling with a dog limited where we could eat out.

-I debated booking the hotel rooms in advance but it's actually a good thing I didn't because we failed to reach our goal the first day. What I recommend is discussing with the group what goal you are comfortable with setting that day and then book a hotel online no later than 2pm that day. You should always be able to find a room unless there's a special event going on in that city.

Our first stop was Magnolia Market in Waco, TX. You might remember the first time we went there during our trip to Austin last year but this was our first time seeing the new silos! It was truly an amazing space but man it was HOT, too hot to really stay there and enjoy it unfortunately. Our first night we stayed in Midland TX, yes, Texas is so unfathomably MASSIVE we didn't make it out of there within the first day.

After FINALLY escaping Satan's butthole, New Mexico was a very welcomed sight to behold and it genuinely surprised me with it's beauty! I'm not really sure what I expected... tumbleweeds? Roadrunners? It was a stunning land of vast fields and sloping mountains.

Our second night was spent in Colorado Springs, Co. where I saw pretty cotton candy skies and had dinner with my best friend and her husband (still in denial that most of my friends are married now...does that mean I'm getting old?!)

The next morning we explored The Garden of the Gods which was a little crowded due to summer break but still pretty manageable (and they allow dogs which is awesome).

Our next destination (aka our longest day) was Coalville, UT we drove over 8 hours and didn't get in until 11:30pm. Then, after a close call trying to squeeze the truck out of a tight parking space, I snapped some cool pics of these beautiful thistles (Braveheart anyone?) and we headed off to OR!

Our final stop was a super cute town called Baker City, OR. It was as if I stumbled upon Stars Hollow, I expected to be served coffee by Luke Danes and buy some apples from Taylor Doose. We stopped at a local diner and had dinner in the park - it was by far my favorite part of the trip.

The following morning (MOVE IN DAY) we stopped by the Oregon Trail which is about 15 min. outside of Baker City. It was a cool little museum filled with fun interactive displays and historical accounts of what life was like on the trail. None of these things even compare to seeing the tracks for yourself in person, standing in the very spot where people traveled hundreds of years ago.

After nearly having a heart attack and fighting hurricane force winds, we finally made it to our new home right outside of Portland, OR. I still cannot quite grasp the concept that we are here, after countless years of research and uncertainty, we finally did it! Of course, it would have been a lot less attainable without the help of our amazing parents who have put up with our restless spirits and assisted us in many moves across the country. I cannot express how amazing it feels to finally realize what it's like to belong somewhere and I can now confidently say that I LOVE where I live and I truly hope everyone is able to achieve that in their lifetime.

PS - If you would like to see a video compilation of our journey I posted it on the Facebook page :)

Fashion Friday: How to Pack If You're a Fashionista

Let's face it, there's packing for a regular person and then there's packing when you're that person, I am the later. Sure I'm only gonna be gone for a week but who knows what the weather is gonna be like? Will I be bloated that day? What if that outfit doesn't match my mood that particular morning? What can I say, it is both a blessing and a curse. Over the years I have learned what and how to pack in order to be efficient but also meet my fashion needs so take a deep breath, and let's start packing!

Here are a couple of tips I've learned along the way:

-Pack at least two outerwear items, it can be two jackets in the winter or in this case it was a denim and a utility vest for the summer months. This allows you to reinvent an outfit plus if you wear one of them on the plane, it doesn't take up valuable space.
-Choose pieces that are easy to mix and match with other items, like a plain black jumper or a striped dress.
-I always try to pack only 2-3 pairs of shoes usually a pair of sandals for the summer, comfortable sneakers, and maybe some pumps if you're gonna find yourself in a formal setting.

For accessories, I usually go with one large statement necklace then I try to keep it pretty classic for the remaining items. Bringing a couple of scarves is always a good idea because they can double as hair accessories. To store the necklaces I always either place them in Ziplock press'n seal or use a hair clip to separate them and prevent tangling.

For swimming outfits I brought a cover-up that could also be worn during the day with a short and some jean shorts.
All in all we're gonna be gone for a week and I packed the following items:
-1 pair of jean shorts
-1 black jumper
-1 black skirt
-1 striped dress
-4 shirts
-2 vests, 1 denim, 1 utility
-1 two-piece bathing suit
-1 coverup (also can be worn as a kimono)
-1 pair of black gladiator sandals
-1 pair of flats

For the carry on:

-I always keep the necessities in there, lip gloss, hand lotion, perfume, gum, etc.
-I also keep my makeup bag (which should be a see through baggy and I just realized that after I took the picture) it's always nice to have if you need to touch up or say...you fall asleep on the plane and you smear your winged eyeliner halfway down your face (don't be like me).
-Not pictured - a snack bar. I JUST realized you are allowed to take snacks into the airport!! Do you realize all the money I could have saved by not buying those $5 Kind bars in the airport store?!

To roll or not to roll?!
This has been an ongoing debate, personally I find that rolling my clothes does not save space, especially for my husbands clothes which are thicker and bulkier than mine. I found the the fold method works best for me, I usually place the heavier items on the bottom then add everything else and fold the pants on top, like THIS.

What are some of your packing tips?

Grand Canyon West Adventure & Touring Tips

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to cross something off my bucket list! My amazing family, (my Aunt Gin in particular, you know, the one I'm always bragging about in reference to her mad culinary skills) flew the gals of the family out to enjoy a trip to Las Vegas! It had never really crossed my mind to see this town, being terrible at poker (and pretty much all other gambling related things for that matter) I wasn't really sure how I would occupy my time here but I was pleasantly surprised at all there is to do for us non-gamblers.

Considering the chances of me actually being in this neck of the woods ever again are roughly 1 in a million, I HAD to see the Grand Canyon. I think people often shy away from this because they think it's super far away or it will take up too much time but we were really happy with our bus tour and how organized everything was. The one we chose included a stop by the Hoover Dam, Eagle Point and Guano Point, as well as breakfast and lunch for around $100. Here's how it went down from beginning to end...

We actually booked our tour last minute (like, the night before) which I would not recommend but in this case it worked out perfectly.
They pick us up from our hotel around 6am and then we were off!

The drive out to the Canyon was about three hours but we made a stop at this place called the Hoover Dam (you might of heard of it) which was amazing in the morning light! The remainder of the trip flew by - the tour guide provided some background of Nevada/Arizona and I also got to take a much needed nap. The West rim of the Canyon is owned by the Native American instead of the American government (which means less touristy stuff) so that was a contributing factor to why we chose this particular tour.

Our next stop was Hualapai Ranch which was slightly corny but it was nice to visit with the horses and explore the dessert landscape up close.

Skywalk and Eagle Ridge was the next adventure, it was an extra $35 to go out onto the Skywalk and you weren't allowed to take you're own pictures out there so I personally decided to sit that one out - you can get plenty of good views for free in the surrounding area.

One thing that shocked me was how far people were willing to go for a selfie! You could see a group of teens nearing the edge trying to cram everyone in with the selfie stick - darn youths!

You grow up seeing pictures of the Canyon but like most things, nothing prepares you to seeing it in person. I was amazed at the shear size and vastness of it all not to mention the surrounding landscape was like nothing I've ever seen. I would highly recommend this tour, it was affordable and I felt that I had more then enough time to explore the canyon. We arrived back to our hotel around 4pm which still left plenty of time to catch a show and go out at night.

Some things to remember:

-Make sure to check the weather before leaving the hotel. For some reason I thought that the dessert would be hot at all times so I was the odd one wearing shorts in windy 45 degree weather.

-Wear hiking shoes and/or sneakers with a good tread. I wore very comfortable shoes but they had flat bottoms which made climbing rocks/cliffs somewhat terrifying.

-This tour provided us with plenty of food and water but you might want to be prepared and bring some water of your own just in case.

-Carry cash for tipping the driver/tour guide. You don't have to but it's just a courtesy.

Still day dreaming about the Vegas trip - pictures from the city will be up soon!

Viva Las Vegas

Hello everyone! I have some exciting news, in three days I will be sitting on a plane to Las Vegas! If you told me I would be doing this a year ago I would not have believed you - as a person who doesn't gamble and tries to avoid large crowds as much as possible I don't particularly fit into the "Vegas" lifestyle, however when your entire family wants to take a trip, you go no questions asked. Don't get me wrong though, I am SUPER pumped about seeing the live performances, the strip, and tasting the food - not to mention I get a chance to cross something off my bucket list and see the Grand Canyon! When one is packing for such a trip, I knew there had to be a fair amount of sequins involved (let's face it, I am always looking for an excuse to wear something shiny) but I also needed to add some comfortable sensible things for the day trips.

Where to Explore/Eat/Drink in Seattle

So after YEARS of dreaming and discussing we were finally able to take a trip out to the Pacific Northwest. It's been so long I'm not even sure when or how our obsession started - all I remember is the hours spent pouring over travel books at Barnes & Noble and scanning through endless amounts of Reddit forums and Pinterest boards.

Since I currently work for a hotel we were able to get some pretty awesome deals and keep the costs semi-low so we agreed it was time. We had no reference other than what we had read/seen online so it almost felt like we were traveling to another country (which it pretty much is compared to the southern US). Like always, I took an infinite number of pictures so I decided to break up the posts a bit so this is just a general overview of what we did, places we ate, coffees we drank, and sites we saw. even though we only had one full day, I felt we were able to hit up all of the things on our list.

THE TIMELINE

Flew from Dallas to Portland then drove to Seattle (about three hours) for an arrival time of 4pm on a Friday Afternoon.

SPACE NEEDLE

Our hotel was right down from the Space Needle and about a mile from Pike Place. We were able to walk down to the Monorail and take it straight to the market.

PIKE PLACE MARKET

While most of the vendors were beginning to shut down, it was kinda nice experiencing it for the first time in this peaceful state. The ideal time of day we came to find out is first thing in the morning (around 8-9) you get to see everyone setting up and you still beat the crowds.

Where we ate:

-Pike Place Chowder
There's a line outside for a reason. I would recommend getting the sampler, but my personal favorite was the scallop chowder. The crab roll is also good but it doesn't even compare to the quality of the soups.

-The Pike Brewing Company
Grab a cold one and take a load off at this underground brewery. Sample the local smoked salmon and chill out in their BEER LIBRARY if you're not feeling the restaurant scene. You're welcome.

-Make sure you stop by one of the produce stands and try some Washington apples! Our favorite was their new Opal apple.

-Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt
HOLY CRAP. This stuff is amazing, it's as if an angel in heaven sneezed and this fell down in a creamy delicious blaze of glory...alright, that might not be the ideal description but my point is, you gotta try this stuff! Their flavors vary from season to season but we tried the lemon cheesecake and marionberry.

-The Crumpet Shop
Nothing says cozy on a damp winter day then tea and crumpets! We ordered a steaming hot cup of English Breakfast with the honey walnut crumpet.

GUM WALL

This somewhat disgusting monument of epic proportions is one of those things you just gotta see - I didn't realize just how close it was in relation to Pike Place, there's also a cool little coffee place called Ghost Alley Espresso nearby that's worth a gander and a gulp.

FREMONT

As if Seattle wasn't cool enough already they decided to build a freaking troll sculpture under the Aurora bridge! It was SO cool driving up that hill looking up into the troll and the Fremont area itself seemed like a super cozy harbor town worth exploring.

PIONEER SQUARE

Seattle's first neighborhood, this square offers a variety of restaurants and bars. It was pretty quite on a Sunday morning, but we were still able to get a killer cappuccino at Caffè Umbria.

I am by no means an expert of Seattle and I definitely could've spent more time there and discovered new things but these are a few good starting points if you have limited time there like we did. I will be posting a lot more from our vacation including a Portland post, more about where we ate and an entire post dedicated to coffee so stay tuned!