August Goals

I'm linking up with The Tiny Twig to share my August goals.

This summer has been one for the books. It's my husband and I's first full summer in Seattle together that we haven't been wedding planning, and it's been a dream. Last summer we were DIYing every free moment we got, and this one we've had space to explore, hike, swim, road trip, stumble onto spontaneous outdoor movies and just enjoy each other. It's been a really sweet season and I'm looking forward to more adventures to come in August. 

Goals:

1. Bike to a brewery. This summer my mom gifted me her 1977 motobecane road bike, and it has been my favorite mode of transportation. We've biked to ice cream, happy hours, dinner, and really love these dates. One of my goals is to go a little farther, maybe with a group of friends, and spend the day wine tasting or at a brewery. Summer at it's finest. 

2. Visit Canada. I have a trip planned with my husband and in-laws to visit my husband's side of the family there. I'm excited to see the tiny town my mother-in-law grew up in, visit with new family, and explore this country.

3. Celebrate our one year anniversary (September 1st, but we're going away the weekend before) in Coure d'Lane, Idaho. We're excited about a lake weekend away to celebrate.

4. Possibly welcome our new nephew! My sister-in-law is due in early September, but he could very well arrive in August. I cannot wait to meet this little one.

5. Figure out Twitter. I just joined, and am excited to explore further and see what it's all about. Do you tweet? Leave your twitter handle in the comments and let's connect!

6. Make homemade ice cream. Coffee ice cream is my jam, and I want to use the ice cream maker we got as a wedding present to make our own. Can't wait for this one.

What are your August goals? 

Weekend Highlights

Summer weekends are like gold around here. We are guaranteed to be celebrating a birthday, baby, engagement, or wedding because that's just the season of life we're in, and because all good things happen in the summer. My husband and I both enjoy a full social calendar and we live for the full to the brim weekends with lots of reasons to celebrate.

Last weekend I co-hosted a baby shower for my sister-in-law, Robyn, who is due in only a few weeks! She's having a boy and we are all over the moon excited to meet him. 

I made these "wishes for baby" cards for guests to write a note to Robyn or the baby on. They are watercolor blue ombre with black calligraphed lettering. So easy and fun to make, and they make a sweet gift for a mom to be.

Anniversaries are big in our family. On Friday Daniel and I celebrated 11 months of marriage (yes we are that couple that celebrates month anniversaries) and went out to one of our favorite Seattle restaurants, Black Bottle.

Delicious small plates (think bacon wrapped scallops, ceviche...) and great drinks. The white sangria is amazing.

I cannot believe we are about to celebrate one year of marriage. More on that later, but everyone told us the first year was the worst and we have actually had the opposite experience. We've have the best first year. If you're newly engaged, don't believe the negative hype! The first year doesn't have to be all fights and miscommunications. It can be fun, easy, and carefree. Everyone's relationship is different and everyone has a different first year, but you certainly don't have to expect the worst. You can expect good things too. We have loved this first year and I am almost sad not to be officially newlyweds anymore, but I am also looking forward to the future because I know, as always, the best is yet to come.

Friday night perfect-date-night continued, and after Black Bottle we got Molly Moons ice cream on Capitol Hill, and happened to stumble on a huge, thousand person, outdoor movie showing of Bring It On. We sat in our fancy date clothes on the grass, eating our ice cream and watching this movie along with half of Seattle. It was perfect timing and really, really fun. Such a highlight.

Saturday was the baby shower and birthday party for some of our sweet friends, Whitney and Will. Leaving one party early to arrive at the next party late like we do on summer weekends. Whitney has an amazing garden and gifted me with the biggest zucchini I have ever seen.

Excited to make a few (thousand) loaves of zucchini bread with it. 

Inspired to "bake", I whipped up this batch of gluten free chocolate chip cookies (from a box, thanks to Betty's Crocker's easiest mix ever), and got to use my new Anthropologie measuring spoons.

Sunday was errands/chores/shop work day, and ended with this:

Daniel and our friend Tim back flipping into Greenlake at sunset. Perfect end to a perfect summer weekend.

Long live summer. Excited for August and all that is still to come.

Guest Posting on Gracious Lady

I'm guest posting today over on Gracious Lady on weddings that don't go as planned and advice for brides-to-be. (Spoiler alert: dancing this first dance, choreographed to Beyonce and in the pouring rain, was the highlight of my life.) Read the full feature here.