Whistler and Other Goodness

Last weekend Dustin and I went to Whistler, BC, with our friends Art and Amy. It's a little over a 4 hour drive from Seattle (maybe more depending on the line at the border and traffic), so we left directly from work on Friday afternoon.

When we got to Whistler, it was snowing!! (Side note: this was particularly exciting because it has not snowed at all in Seattle this winter). When we got there we were all hungry and excited about the snow, so we quickly went to our rooms to drop off our things then met back up to grab some dinner. We were staying right in Whistler Village, so it was super convenient to be in the middle of all the awesome shops and restaurants.

Dustin and I outside our Hotel right when we got to Whistler - it's SNOWING! 

After dinner we grabbed a few drinks at one of the nearby bars. I was being a total baby and was super tired around 11pm so we called it a early night and headed back to the hotel.

The next morning everything was BEAUTIFUL. It was sunny with a little fresh snow covering everything; we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Dustin and I grabbed coffee in the village before meeting up with Art and Amy at the Scandinave Spa.

Me in the village

The Scandanive Spa was amazing and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Whistler. It might have been the most beautiful place I've ever visited. We took advantage of the baths while we were there, which none of us had done before. The outdoor area is completely silent and you go from a warm bath, a sauna or a steam room (where you sit for 15 minutes), into an icy cold bath or shower (for 15 seconds), then you go relax by the outdoor fireplace or in a solarium which looked out into the beautiful, snowy surrounding mountains, before repeating.

At first being totally silent and disconnected (no cell phone, what?!) was really difficult, but after the first round of hot, cold, relax, I felt peaceful and relaxed. It was an amazing experience.

source

(because there were no pictures allowed -- just imagine lots of snow on the mountains and a light dusting on all of the trees around the pools, swoon)

 

After the spa we were all ready for lunch. We grabbed Flat Stanley (side note: my co-worker's nephew sent her Flat Stanley for a school project where she was supposed to color Flat Stanley and take him places and take pictures with him. She took a few pictures with Stanley, but was running out of ideas, so, we printed out 3 more Flat Stanleys for my co-workers and I to take to our various weekend destinations with us. I made my flat Stanley a ginger (with a moustache), put him in a Canadian tuxedo and a beret and took him to Canada with me) from the hotel and headed to Earl's where we had lunch and a round of drinks.

 

Dustin was a little jealous of our love...

 

After lunch we walked around the village for a while before stopping for more drinks with Flat Stanley (don't worry, we also took Flat Stanley to places like the Olympic circles, the gondola, etc. for some 1st grade appropriate pictures). We MAY have had a little too much posing with Flat Stanley...

 

Apparently Flat Stanley and I BOTH like beergaritas, who knew?

 

That night Dustin and I went to a free Nas concert (part of the World Ski and Snowboard Festival) where I re-lived some of my favorite high school jams. We were really far away and it was pretty cold out, so we didn't stay for the whole thing, but I mean, who needs Coachella when you can go to a free rap concert in the snow in Whistler? (just kidding, totes jealous of all the kids at Coachella).

 

 

The next day we had a lazy morning, we walked around and found crepes to eat for breakfast, I got a coffee, then we hit the road to head back to America.

 

Amy, Art and Dustin in Whistler

 

It was a pretty awesome weekend.

 

I haven't been feeling too great since I got back, though. I think I have some severe allergies going on (runny, faucet nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, cough, sinus pressure, tired, you know, the works). Despite that, though, my week has been super happy. My friends Lisa and Natalie moved into a gorgeous apartment just a few blocks away from me and I couldn't be happier. I love the idea of being able to pop over, even if for just a few minute, all the time. Also, my friend Beth was in town for a few days this week (Yay! the only thing that could have made me happier than having Beth in town would be if Marissa could have joined as well)!

 

 

The first night she was in town, we went to dinner at the Latona pub with Beth's friends from Boise, and then went to see the Gaslight Anthem play a show at the Neptune. The other night we had low key a girls night complete with lots of episodes from the first season of Girls, a bottle of wine, painting our nails and eating ice cream. It was perfect. 

 

And now, I'm looking forward to spending the weekend in Seattle, hanging out with some of my favorite people and trying to feel completely normal (and not stuffy) again.

 

Happy Friday, friends!





Weekend trip to Hood River (April 2013 edition)

Last Friday after work I hopped in the Corolla and drove myself down to Hood River for a weekend of fun with my favorites.

When I got there I immediately headed to Marissa's to spend a few minutes with her and Z before heading downtown to meet up with the rest of the crew for a few drinks.

 Me, Sarah and Beth at the Pub

 

It was so fun to be able to see so many friends so soon after I got into town. Yay for Hood River night life!

 

The next morning, after a sleepover with Beth in her tiny new apartment (which I love), she and I met up with friends (Sarah, Josh, Ashley, Phinney, Faith, Huggy, & Tonya to be exact) for breakfast at the Riverside Grill. We had bloody marys and eggs and the whole thing made my heart ridiculously happy.

 

#foodporn

 

After breakfast, Beth and chilled out at her apartment for a while. She hung some pictures on her wall while I offered moral support (best friend award, right here), we played music videos on youtube (A$AP Rocky!! #sogood), and got dressed up in our FOREVER SUMMER outfits (despite the rain... screw the rain!). Hawaiian shirts (and my new sunnies) are my new jam, by the way.

 

After we were dressed, we ventured out for fro-yo and we even dropped some off with Dana and Marissa at work. Because, I mean, just because you have to work doesn't mean you shouldn't get to enjoy some forever summer fro-yo love.

 



#FOREVER SUMMER #froyofairies
Beth and I at Parts+Labour

 

We also went to Ground to see Mo's artwork on the walls, and get some coffee from her and Calvin.

 

Mo, myself and Calvin behind the counter at Ground, where I worked on and off for 7.5 years

 

And we got a beer at Double Mountain, which I've decided is 100% the happiest place in the world. Take me back, please.

 

Beth with our beers at Double Mountain

 

Finally it was time to BBQ at Josh and Sarah's, so Beth and I went to Rosauers and got some steaks and beer to take with us.

 

We spent the evening hanging at their house, eating meat and drinking beers, chatting with some of our favorite people and having an epic all girls dance party for hours. I can honestly say it was the best night I've had in a really long time. I even got bruises on my knees from dropping it lowww. Whoops!

 

Marissa and I poppin' our Ps and droppin' it low!

 

The next morning I went to breakfast with Beth and Cole at Nora's Table (which is my new, very favorite breakfast spot in Hood River. Guys, it's soo good).

 

I got the chicken and waffles with some poached eggs. It hit the spot. And, after breakfast, when Beth and I dropped off Cole, he gave me a kiss through a parking receipt. Take that, Beth! It was magical.

 

 

 After that I hung around town for a while before finally heading back to Seattle. It was the best weekend with the best people. I love Hood River!! Take me back, please.







A Sunny, Western Washington Weekend

This weekend was super fun-filled. It started with post-work-sunny happy hour with Lisa which turned into us meeting Dustin and some other friends for dinner and more drinks in Greenwood.

Lisa, Holly, Me and Kristen (the ladies of the group) at the House Sports Bar 

Saturday, Dustin wanted to take his new car out for a day trip, so we picked up our friends Art and Amy and headed up to Anacortes.

Dustin and his new car in Anacortes 

In Anacortes we grabbed some beers and a snack, walked around for a bit, and then hopped in the car and headed south.

me and some random man in Anacortes

We pulled over at Deception Pass to admire the beautiful views and take some pictures. I would love to head out there this summer and make our way down to the beach below the bridge. How fun!

 

 Deception Pass

Amy and I at Deception Pass 

After driving a bit further we saw some go-carts on the side of the road. It was totally random and kind of ghetto, but Art and I decided to ride the go-carts while Dustin and Amy watched. My go-cart totally died mid race and the guys working the track had to come save me. It was all pretty funny, I was smiling the entire time. And now my leg is really sore from holding down the gas petal - I think that might mean I need to exercise more? Whatever...

 

After go-carting we drove south a bit further and we ended up in Coupville. We parked and walked down to the water and explored a bit. It was still totally beautiful outside and we all wanted to soak up the last bit of sunshine (seriously, days like this in Seattle are SO few and far between).

 

After our walk we went to Toby's Tavern for a few pounds of delicious muscles, fries and beer. Mm! For a random, divvy little bar they had surprisingly good seafood.

 



After we finished up at Toby's, we decided to head up to the Oystercatcher for the second half of our dinner, and we all agreed we made a great decision. The Oystercatcher was absolutely delicious and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is in the area.

Dustin, Art, Myself and Amy at the Oystercatcher

 

We ended up riding the ferry back to Mukilteo and driving back to Seattle late Saturday.

Sunday Dustin and I went to our friends Dan and Kristen's for Easter lunch (HAM!) and mimosas in the sun. It was a great end to a super fun and sunny Seattle weekend.

SIX things

Greenlake on Saturday (I love that sunnier days are less rare lately)

 ONE

I read this quote earlier and it totally resonated with me. Does it with you too?  

We are the girls with anxiety disorders, filled appointment books, five-year plans. We take ourselves very, very seriously. We are the peacemakers, the do-gooders, the givers, the savers. We are on time, overly prepared, well read, and witty, intellectually curious, always moving… We pride ourselves on getting as little sleep as possible and thrive on self-deprivation. We drink coffee, a lot of it. We are on birth control, Prozac, and multivitamins… We are relentless, judgmental with ourselves, and forgiving to others. We never want to be as passive-aggressive as our mothers, never want to marry men as uninspired as our fathers… We are the daughters of the feminists who said, “You can be anything,” and we heard, “You have to be everything.”   - Courtney Martin

 TWO
Speaking of things that resonate with me lately, I finally watched the season 2 finale of GIRLS last night. Adam running to Hannah at the end? I loved. I have so many feelings about that show. If you want to discuss, I'm totally game.

 THREE
I made a trip to Ikea this weekend in an attempt to furnish my new apartment with very necessary things such as a mirror and a table. Can I give you all a piece of advice? NEVER go to Ikea hungover. Or by yourself. And hungover, by yourself? Never, ever. Just trust me on that.

That being said, I made it out alive with a mirror and a dining table and a whole bunch of other things too. Ikea is good for inexpensive mid-twenties-apartment-furnishings. I feel like I'm nearing a stage of life where Ikea will no longer be the (acceptable) go-to for furniture, but for now, it's affordable and easy. So, I went with it.

 FOUR
While I was having a nightmare of an experience at Ikea on Saturday, Dustin was buying a new car. It's totes fancy (I'm both a little obsessed and a lot jealous). It even parallel parks itself. The Corolla is feeling so inadequate since Saturday. But, to make it feel better, I did buy the new Justin Timberlake cd for it to play while driving. That man can do no wrong (except for the whole marrying someone who isn't me thing).

P.S. #sogood

 FIVE
I had some really great friend time this weekend. Friday night I "raged" with Lisa. So fun hanging with her all night. Saturday evening I went to Kickin' Boots in Ballard for dinner with my friend Kate. If you didn't already know this about me, I love BBQ. And Kickin' Boots was awesome. I'd totally recommend it. And while you're there, get the Bourbon + Bubbles (bourbon, lemon, sugar, sparkling brut, orange lace) - even if you don't like Bourbon (I don't), it's fantastic. Trust me.

 SIX
This is how I felt basically all weekend.

Bring on the week!!
I hope you are all having a fabulous Monday.
xo

 

another awkward OOTD and also, I moved!

Because I know you guys loved the last one so much, I'm back with another totally awkward (and totally boring) OOTD post, work edition. Yay?

 

Luckily today, when I went to take my bathroom selfie, there was no one around, so I quickly snapped two shots before exiting the bathroom, thus avoiding another hide in a bathroom stall and feel awkward maneuver. 

 

shirt (I got at h&m in London about 5 years ago) | jeans (citizens of humanity) | shoes (steve madden) | watch (michael kors) | glasses (warby parker) | badge (c/o Microsoft)

#fancyasfuck

Like I said before, black shirt, black shoes, jeans. Standard. Boring. You get it.

But, next week I have some purple pants and a special zebra jacket planned, so you might have THAT to look forward to. #shitsgettingcrazy

Anyway, enough of the REALLY boring stuff I wear to work. This last weekend I moved into a new apartment. It's about a block and a half from Greenlake and I'm in love. 

It's a totally tiny one bedroom, in a small, brick building with only 12 units. The interior of the apartment was recently gutted and totally re-done, so it's pretty fancy by Rebeka standards.

 The new kitchen ^^^

 

Even though it's tiny, I'm LOVING my new kitchen. I'm also loving being reunited with all of my things that were previously in storage. It's crazy how happy having my own space, with my own things makes me. Hooray for exciting change.

Because it's been a few years since I lived alone, I need to go to Ikea this weekend to get things like a small table (where I can eat my meals, I mean, not that the coffee table/couch set up isn't working for the time being, but you know, I feel like I should act like more of a grown-up than that), some new kitchen utensils, and some bathroom storage stuff. It's all very exciting. That being said, I would greatly appreciate you all crossing your fingers for me in hopes that I don't get crazy crowd-induced-anxiety at Ikea. I think I can... That place can be nuts.

Anyway, I've missed you all. What have you been up to lately? Fill me in, please.

xo



most awkward OOTD post ever

When I got to work today this e-mail from Lisa was waiting for me:

My work day so far:

Got to work. Checked email.  Checked Facebook.  Checked Pinterested.  Was like Rebeka should start a blog about her work outfits.

Then I was like WAIT Rebeka has a blog... I need to check it out.  Then I checked it out. YEY FOR NEW UPDATES! And then I was like Rebeka should start blogging her daily outfits still to help me out.  And then I was like I need to tell Rebeka.  She needs to stop being so dedicated to work and get online. 

That is all.

So, I mean, what else could I do but go take a selfie in the bathroom at work and you know, only get one shot in before someone else comes in, quickly hide my phone and pretend like I'm not taking a picture of myself in the bathroom (with my iPhone, at Microsoft, shame), look at it, immediately think I look awkward and fatter than I do in real life, duck into a stall, try and wait the person out so I don't have to post an awkward pic of myself on the internet, meanwhile more people come in, I decide that I can't wait everyone out just to take another, say "meh," think "maybe if I duplicate myself it will distract from the awkward" (no) and post it anyway.

This is why I could never be a fashion blogger.

So, let me present to you my OOTD:

shirt (forever 21) | jeans (paige denim) | shoes (old steve madden) | watch (michael kors)  | bracelet (gift from marissa)

SURPRISE!! Canadian Tuxedo! Because I like to play a fancy little game called different day, basically the same outfit. Also, #alldenimallthetime #totesfancy

Microsoft is super casual so usually I wear blue or black skinnies, black flats or heels, and a denim top or a sweater (usually black) to work. Also, have I mentioned lately that I'm ready for warm weather? Bring on the dresses!
 

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: