Beth's Birthday Gurlcation

Last Friday, after the longest week in the history of weeks, I drove to Portland after work to meet Beth and Marissa for Beth's 25th Birthday celebration. After lots of planning we decided the celebration should take place at The Nines. So, we booked a beautiful room, with one king bed (yes, just one, please & thanks), ate the best meal of our lives complete with surprise champagne at the  hotel's rooftop restaurant, and took some time to enjoy the view of downtown slash take some a ton photos all over the place.

After that was all said and done it was only about 10:30pm so we decided to walk around to find another drink. And another drink we did find. We found one at this club. Like, people grinding, rap music playing kind of club. Then, after a few minutes when we decided maybe that wasn't the place for us, so we wandered until we found the most magical bar of our lives. PURE MAGIC! It was full of super nice hipster-types (and here I thought I didn't like the hipsters) singing and dancing to the top 40 songs we all jammed out to in high school and college. Score. It was the most non-threatening, fun, dance-on-the-tables (truth), drink a tallboy of PBR, kind of dance party. The three of us left sweaty at 2am. And then got Voodoo Doughnuts. And then walked back to our hotel holding hands.

Gurlcations with B+M are my favorite thing. I could not have asked for a better night (well, maybe minus rude, end of the, guy-friend texts, rawr #guysruineverything).

So, obviously, here are (just) a few (crappy quality, iPhone) pictures of the fun:

Selfie in the Hotel before Dinner #obvz

 

Waiting for the elevator:

Beth and Marissa with their champagne:

 Beth and I at dinner:

Our second favorite place in the hotel (our most amazing comfortable bed was our first):

 

 

Beth and Marissa on the roof (aren't they pretty?!)

The three of us on the roof, after dinner, before everything else, phot cred to some random man who wanted to be our friend:

re-do

This morning I did it again, hopefully for the last time ever, but it's out of my hands at this point and all I'm left with is a fading anxious feeling.

I completely blocked so much of the summer bar exam out of my mind that when I got to Tacoma early this morning I suddenly had a flood of emotions and anxiety and memories that weren't there before. It's confusing to me how I block things out. Maybe if I would have remembered all of the fear and anxiety and awfulness I would have started studying earlier than I did this time around. Maybe not though.

I got to the convention center early, not feeling particularly ethical, found a corner and huddled up on the floor clutching my paper cup of black coffee and re-reading my professional responsibility outline for the 100th time until it was time to go in to take the test.

When I finally went into the room I forgot about the awful proctor, and the exam passwords, and the anxiety and fear, and the thirst, and how long the whole thing feels when you're in the middle of it and you just want to be done. But this time instead of rushing through, only looking for the finish, I took my time and I typed and made notes and thought about my answers until there were only 2 minutes to go. I'm not sure how I did (because clearly, it's hard to gauge these things) but it's over. And that feels good.

The most random things filled with my favorite people

Well it’s been a minute, hasn’t it? I just haven’t had much motivation with work (which has been so, so amazing) and a million appointments all the time and studying for PR and dreaming of warm places (Fiji maybe?!) and spending more time than usual with my most very favorite people #happyheart.

I was able to make it back to Hood River two weekends in a row recently (one of which was super spontaneous). Those trips were filled with so much goodness. I missed it there. And, AND guys, I get to go back again for Beth’s birthday (at which point I will have re-taken that darn ethic’s portion of the bar and hopefully be done with that for good). I reallyyyy can’t wait. Friend time is the best time.

So, because I should be studying right now (I’m getting more coffee smell even more saturated into my hair by the minute sitting here in Zoka, so I guess I should spend my time here more wisely), and because I’m still feeling a little bit of a loss of things to write about on the internet (so many thoughts, so little I’d like to share (weird)) here are some poor quality iPhone pictures of good quality people for you:

Marissa and I at Henni’s for dinner while in White Salmon during one of my trips (p.s. that place is seriously amazing):

Josh and I later that evening – REUNITED AT LAST:

Josh and Marissa (matching hoodies, ain’t no thang):

Dave and his overalls, me delirious from spontaneously driving 5 hours and arriving at a house party in Hood River at 11pm (good choices), and Beth who later regretted this picture – sorry for posting it on the internet… and instagram -  oh, and someone’s hand holding a chip photo-bombing/starring:

Lisa and I getting some Friday afternoon happy hour while I should have been studying for the bar. No worries, we spent the whole next day camped out at Zoka: 

My favorite Uncle and I at his surprise 70th birthday party (which I loved so much, best day):

And don’t worry, I also cut my NASTY LONG hair (seen above) and then to celebrate, Marissa and I took some double selfie shots and then ate tacos…

Oh, and in the midst of all of that Valentine’s day happened, for which Dustin got me a wine aerator, and for which I ate guacamole and my heart was happy:

Friends>Internet.

NYE 2012

The night of New Year's Eve 2012 was a good night. I unfortunately had to work during the day (oh the perks of being the new person on the team). But don't worry,  Dustin and I left work early to nap and prepare for our evening, which for me meant putting on lots of sparkles and hairspray, and for Dustin it meant getting the watch I bought him for Christmas re-sized.



At 8pm we met our friends at the Stumbling Goat Bistro, a super cute restaurant in our neighborhood we had been wanting to try for a while. When we found out that they were having a delicious looking pre-fixed, three course dinner, with a wine pairing, we convinced our friends to meet us there before heading out on the town to ring in the new year.

I wish I would have taken pictures of the meal, because everything was perfectly presented, delicious, and the wine pairing were great. But I didn't, so you'll just have to imagine my truffle razor clam chowder, my truffle parsnip gnocchi with shaved winter truffles, and my coconut cake.

After dinner we headed next door to a divey bar, where we intended to stop for one drink. But, before we knew it, we were drinking cheap champagne and ringing in the new year. Needless to say Dustin and I walked home after that. And, thinking ahead and being super smart, I put boots and leggings in my car to change into for the chilly walk home #genius

I think the night turned out so well because neither Dustin or I put any expectations on it. Just a low key, but fun (and delicious) night. I'll try to keep that in mind for next year. That and the warm clothes in your car thing.

Cheers to the new year, friends!

the best christmas eve

This year Dustin and I stuck around Seattle for Christmas. Coincidentally, so did our friends Art and Amy, which meant that we got to spend Christmas Eve together. And I'm so glad we did because it was one of the best Christmas Eves either Dustin or I can remember.

We went ice skating and I was REALLY bad at it, but still had a total blast:

On the way home from ice skating we decided to make a pit stop to walk along the water and see the "clam lights" at Coulon Beach, on Lake Washington.
 

Then, when we were almost back to Art and Amy's, we drove by the Seattle Great Wheel which was all lit up in red and green lights for Christmas. None of us had been on the giant, waterfront Ferris wheel yet, so per Dustin's request, we decided to take pit stop #2 and ride the great wheel.

After that we were all starving, so we snacked on some cheese and crackers when we got back to Art and Amy's apartment, and played rock band while dinner cooked (I was the singer and I was maybe really bad at it). Amy made salad and a delicious Cornish Game Hen dish, and I made tiramisu for desert. Obviously we lingered after dinner (until around Midnight) to chat and enjoy a few festive drinks.

It was great! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend as well!!

(and in case you are curious, here is a recap of the other things I did on Christmas eve: stood in line for an hour to get into the seafood market to buy food for Christmas dinner, fought the insane crowds at whole foods, bought Dustin stocking stuffers (which I put off until Christmas eve, of course), and made this pasta dish for lunch with prosciutto instead of chicken (verdict: delicious)).

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.

a few December things

A few weekends ago Dustin and I went to his co-worker's wedding. I was obviously really excited, since I love weddings. We got dressed up, got in the car and drove over to Greenlake. When we got inside the wedding venue, we signed the guest book and then were almost immediately hearded outside, through the rain, toward the lake.

 

Guys, it was an outdoor wedding ceremony. In December. In Seattle. SURPRISE!

 

Needless to say it was unexpected, freezing, the pastor took his time doing his thing, and AND to top it all off... the groom was good friends with one of my ex-boyfriends from college #soawkward  

 

After we got back inside we had some food, a few drinks, avoided my ex boyfriend at all costs, chatted with Dustin's co worker, had a generally great time, watched the bridge and groom cut the cake, and then snuck out. 

After sneaking out, we decided to head down the block and grab a drink before heading back to our neighborhood. Since we were all dressed up, you know!

When we finally got home and parked, we still weren't ready to call it a night, so we went to the little French place across the street (where I demanded Dustin take me for my 26th Birthday). I ordered mushrooms and wine. Dustin had a beer.

We got home, put on SNL and I promptly fell asleep on the couch #standard

But not before THIS happened...

 

The next day Dustin and I braved the Sunday, Christmas season crowds to get some things for our VERY FIRST Christmas tree. Never again. Target at Christmas time is a zoo. We were both exhausted by the time we got out of there.

 

After Target we went back home, took a deep breath, bundled up, and walked two blocks in the rain to the Christmas Tree Stand. We chose the smallest, cutest tree they had, sipped some cider to warm up, and then carried our perfect tree home in the rain. 

Now we're working on adding presents and avoiding Target until at least the new year. Have I mentioned that online shopping is my new best friend? I just hope all my presents get delivered before Christmas.