Scenes from the Weekend: Hood River Style (yes, again)

On Thursday I headed down to Hood River to soak up a little more Hood River Summer goodness. Surprised? Didn't think so. Anyway, let's get on with this.

When I got to town I met Beth and we went to Lampoei's, which is this really amazing Thai Food truck, to grab some (of the best) Thai Food and take it down to the river to enjoy while we dipped our toes in the cold water and read for a little bit.

After the river, we met our friends Sarah and Launa and headed to White Salmon to Henni's Kitchen for an amazing, leisurely dinner complete with lots of small plates, wine, and amazing main courses. We sat outside, chatted and watched the sun go down, which made girls night extra amazing. After dinner we grabbed a quick beer at Double Mountain before calling it a night.

Friday morning I woke up early, walked downtown to Ground for some breakfast. On my walk I ran into Dustin's parents which was a fun surprise. After breakfast I walked across the street to the TREW gnaRV (pop-up-shop), said hi to a few of my guy friends who were working the morning shift and bought myself a new sweatshirt which I can't wait to wear all the time when the weather gets a little cooler.

I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon working alongside Beth and Marissa at Dog River. After work I met up with Josh and Sarah, who made me a delicious dinner (chicken with chanterelles and an awesome organic salad). I also got to spend some quality time with my favorite dog, Kiva, during dinner. She's the sweetest ever.

After dinner we met up with friends at Double Mountain and then sat outside at the Pub for the rest of the night.

Saturday morning Beth and I met up with our friend Abby at River Daze Café for breakfast sandwiches on their homemade English muffins (YUM). After which we walked around, visited the TREW pop-up-shop so Abby could get a sweater, got juice from the Juice truck and then ran into our friend Ashley. She suggested we make an impromptu trip down to the river for an hour and we obliged. We ended up swimming in our bras and underwear and drinking PBRs for a little while before heading back into town. It was really spontaneously fun.

^^Beth and Abby in the River^^ 

When we got back to town I had to go change and get ready for Katie and Josh's final wedding-related-party at Katie's mom's house. Katie told me I should bring a plus one since I likely wouldn't know many people there, so, since Beth was working, I invited my friend Greg to go with me. Apparently I did not adequately prepare him for the awesomeness of the wedding (I said it would be in White Salmon, it was in Mill-A; I said it was a wedding reception, there was no dancing or other traditional wedding-related-events; I didn't say anything (or know anything) about the chickens or totally legal-weed-grow-operation, or the people who would judge him for windsurfing etc.), but the food was awesome and there were drinks and it was fun to hang with Josh and Katie, so it was all good. Plus, now we both have a really good story and probably he will never go anywhere with me ever again ;) ha! I definitely deserve that.

 ^^Greg and I in front of the weed and the chickens, because, I mean, how could we not?^^

^^Josh and Katie^^ 

After the wedding we grabbed a drink at Celilo to re-class-it-up before the decline that went like: Waucoma Club, Pint Shack, Ladies dance party at Jack's, the coolest ever Chinese restaurant bar/dance club (I loveeee Jack's!). While at Celilo we saw some friends who joined us for a drink and the rest of the night I just kept running into more people which was so much fun!

Sunday there was breakfast at the Riverside Grill followed by Beth, Tonya and I heading to Rasmussen Farms and then to the Hood River Lavender Farm to pick flowers. Afterward I met Marissa and Zara for a few minutes, then headed to Stevenson to see Jessica, her husband and sweet baby before driving back to Seattle.

 

 ^^Rasmussen Farm's U-Pick flowers^^

^^Beth and Tonya with their lavender^^ 

^^The Columbia River Gorge as seen from the Bridge of the Gods on my way back to Seattle^^

 

I probably say that all of the weekends in Hood River are my favorite, but this one was definitely up there. It was so packed full of good people and fun times. I'm in love. Take me back? 

 

It should also be noted that I successfully spent 6 days in a row with Beth. She's moving to Boise in a week and a half and I hate hate HATE to see her go. I'm going to miss her so much (I mean obvi I'll still see her, but probably not AS often). It was good to get almost a whole week together, celebrate the end of summer and make lots of memories. I'll be back to the Gorge soon for her going away party and Hood River Hops Fest. I can't wait (minus the whole moving thing which I may be in denial about a little bit)! #ILOVEITTHERE



Alki Beach Labor Day Staycation

Remember how my BFF, Katie, got married back in May at the courthouse? Well this weekend her and her husband, Josh, rented a house on Alki Beach in West Seattle and invited some of their besties to spend the weekend with them celebrating.

Friday after work I headed to West Seattle to claim a bedroom and hang out with everyone for the night. We chatted, walked down the beach to find some dinner, failed miserably, admired the sunset, took bowl-sized-shots of warm Patron at El Chubacabra, then ordered pizza back at the house. We played Taboo and chatted until bedtime.

Saturday morning I woke up early thanks to the sunlight coming through the blinds in my bedroom, opened the window and took a deep breath of the air that smelled like the real beach. It was magical. After I got out of bed, Katie, Kelly and I took a walk down the beach to get some coffee and check out the picnic shelter where Katie and Josh would have their reception/BBQ later that afternoon. After we got our coffee we walked over to the shelter to find some people had already set up a party at the same site. Katie decided she would go talk to them and let them know that she had booked the shelter and surrounding tables starting at 3pm. I was terrified to go over and talk to these people (who we later decided were likely gang members, no joke) so I, being the best BFF ever, let Katie go by herself. When I saw things weren't going so well for Katie I walked over and discovered that the parks department had double booked the space. It turns out the people already there were having their annual picnic and Katie was having her wedding reception. We eventually worked out a compromise and they agreed to move to two tables and a big grassy space Katie (but not them) also had booked on the other side of the sidewalk, which was super considerate of them. But gang confrontation at 10am on the day of her reception wasn't really what we had hoped would happen, ha! But thankfully it all worked out fine.

  I took this while avoiding confrontation like a good bestie ;)

We spent the rest of the day grocery shopping, prepping food (I got put in the basement with the guys making coleslaw, we crushed it!) and getting ready for the reception.

The wedding reception/BBQ was awesome. About 60 people showed up, we sat in the sun, admired the view, and ate pulled pork sandwiches. It was low stress and perfect.

 

After the reception was over, we spent the rest of the night at the house with a bunch of our friends catching up, listening to music, and of course taking more Patron shots.

Sunday, everyone but Katie and I were wanting to stay at the house and nurse their hangovers, so Katie and I bought some snacks and headed to the Colman Pool in Lincoln Park.

The pool is a beautiful, heated, salt water pool that looks out over the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. I was so happy to be there. We jumped off the diving board, perfected underwater handstands, saw some of Katie's old preschool students and Katie taught me to swim. I actually swam (without freaking out, and without dogpaddling) for the first time ever. It was the most amazing thing. I was the happiest! So nostalgic.

After a few hours at the pool we headed back to the house, cleaned up a bit and went to dinner at Duke's Chowder House. Afterward a few of us grabbed a beer at a bar on the beach before heading back to the house and going to bed.

Monday was all cleaning up, me convincing the apartment garbage truck man to let us stick our rental trash in his truck after we missed the regular trash man (because it was Labor Day and we didn't think they would be working), heading to our respective homes, and me laying on my couch finishing the last episodes of Orange is the new Black for the rest of the day. It was a really wonderful, relaxing weekend with good people. Staycation success for sure!

Katie and Josh's Wednesday Wedding

Yesterday I got off of work at 2, picked up Katie, took her to get her bridal bouquet, took her to my house and we got ready for her wedding. You guys, yesterday Katie got married!

After Katie's mom met us at my apartment and we had fixed our hair and makeup, and had a few sips of pink champagne, we drove to the courthouse downtown Seattle.

The only time Katie freaked out all day was when we were sitting in terrible i5 rush hour traffic on the way to the courthouse. Josh called her and said that they were waiting, and ohmygoshwhyarentyouhereyet?! And there was a moment of "I'm not going to make it to my own wedding" panic, but otherwise things were happy and totally smooth.

When we finally got downtown I dropped Katie and her mom off, found a really lucky parking spot on the street, sprinted up a hill in my dress and heels in the pouring Seattle rain while being laughed at by a parking attendant, and made it in time for a few pre-wedding pictures.

the wedding party: me, Katie, Josh and the best man, Will 

Katie and Josh right before they said "I do"

 



After waiting a few minutes the judge took us up to the top floor of the courthouse where there was an incredible view. She performed a short, sweet ceremony and it was perfect.

After everything was done at the courthouse we headed to Staple and Fancy for and incredible multi-course dinner.

The dinner was a special chef's menu served family style. We started dinner with bread, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar while we sipped on delicious drinks. The first real course was a ton of appetizers which were all interesting and totally delicious (think: white fish crostini, chilled asparagus and ramp soup, house made ricotta with peas, etc.). We then had a pasta course which consisted of a clam pasta and a chicken ravioli. The third course was the most amazing pork any of us had ever tasted and not-at-all-fishy bass. Before we left we enjoyed wedding cake, which was topped with Katie's grandmother's cake topper from her 25th wedding anniversary. It was just all so fun, low-stress, and perfect.

I'm so happy for Katie and Josh (my new best-friend-in-law ha). Hooray!!

P.S. This might sound totally weird but Wednesday weddings are awesome, and it somehow seemed extra special. I also loved that there were only a few of us there so we all got to really enjoy each other's company. Katie and Josh decided they wanted to "elope" a few months ago, after they started planning a bigger wedding and decided it was too much stress. They chose yesterday (Wednesday, May 15th) because it's their two year dating anniversary and they're heading to Ecuador this weekend, so that trip can act as a honeymoon until Katie's grad school schedule calms down a bit.

BELLINGHAM

This weekend I went to Bellingham (which, if you're not from Washington, is a really pretty college town about an hour and a half north of Seattle) with my oldest, bestfriend Katie, who just got engaged and asked me to be her maid of honor, whoot!, for a wedding-fun-filled weekend with her other two bride's maids.



Katie and I at Suzie's house before our night out

 



We drove up Saturday afternoon and instead of spending the night looking at wedding magazines, Katie decided we should go out. We were all onboard and spent the night acting like college kids, a la dinner at Boundary Bay Brewery, bar hopping, dancing, and eating biscuits, gravy and bacon at a diner after the bars closed. I did this all in a sweatshirt and glasses, because (a) I am super fancy, and (b) I was completely unprepared to go out. #idontcare

Needless to say, I think we're getting too old for things like that because Sunday was a complete bust. We lounged around Suzie's house, complained, watched movies, ate McDonalds, and finally made it home in the evening. And I have no desire to do that again for a long time. But, BUT! it was a really fun change of pace and I'm so glad I got to have a fun girls mini-vaca.