Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest I feel most alive surrounded by trees and breathing in the fresh mountain air.
When I am not working you will most likely find me spending time outdoors, volunteering with my church and exploring this beautiful planet with my family.
This is my place to share my passion for life and to encourage you to take time to find the extraordinary in your life.
Valentine's Day with a little one is a game changer. Typically, it falls during the week which makes getting a babysitter a challenge. Going to fancy restaurants with an active toddler is not as appealing as it once was with a sweet little infant who slept through the entire meal. Early bedtimes often make for quiet evenings spent at home. So instead I have made it a goal to go on a date with my Valentine some time in the coming month.
This past Summer, we enjoyed a spectacular meal at Hama Hama Oysters with Outstanding in the Field. The meal was one of the highlights of our Summer and we were privileged to enjoy Sea Wolf Bakers bread right before their brick and mortar opened. Seven months later, we finally paid a visit to their retail shop and enjoyed a few tasty treats on a slow Saturday.
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a floral arranging class where I learned the art of the hand bouquet from Cozbi Hultz, floral Designer and Owner of CJP&CO. I learned how to use my hands to create a bouquet of appropriate scale, proportion and beauty. I have always had a strong affinity for gorgeous blooms so being able to work with them for an evening was a real treat for me. There is nothing more fun than learning from an expert and walking away bursting with inspiration.
One of my new year's resolutions was to spend more time photographing the everyday moments. I typically reminder to bring along my camera when we go on an adventure, but I want to do a better job at capturing some of our quiet moments at home. These are the days I will fondly reflect on when I am old and I want to have a photographic record of some of these times spent tougher.
With a young child it is easy to get caught up in the cycle of meals, laundry, errands, cleaning repeat. This year, I wanted to make it a point to break the daily grind and really celebrate those moments where we don't just spend time together, but really connect. Baking has been one of those moments for us and it has been so rewarding to see Jasper's growth and confidence in the kitchen. He is always ready to get right in there, get his hands dirty and act like he 100% knows what he is doing. I am in such awe of his confidence and self love. Being around him makes me feel like I can conquer the unfamiliar and unknown one day at time.
Well it happened, we finally got a real bonafide, school was canceled, more than three inches of snow fell snow storm. Whenever we see snow in the forecast we first get excited and then usually become skeptical because the white stuff never seems to show up. This time it wasn't really talked about or expected and then bam, Monday morning we woke up to a Winter Wonderland.
On a rainy afternoon, I made my way over to Cafe Trophy to participate in the first ever Trophy Workshop presented by Marabou Design. It was a delightful afternoon filled with sweet treats from Cafe Trophy, the opportunity to learn a new skill and a chance to meet a few creative ladies who live in the area. I have always wanted to learn how to do modern calligraphy, so I jumped at the chance when I saw Brandy would be teaching a class in such a fun and intimate setting.
