little black journal

Oh, my, it was a full one but a good one…the highlights:

watched our dancer-friend Donna perform an amazing piece entitled ‘Paper Chase’ at Velocity  |  drank wine, ate cheese, and had a very involved discussion about cars at the Tin Table with Shane, Jack, and La V  |  cut down and decorated what I think might be our best Christmas tree yet  |  ate cherry pie at a little ho-dunk diner in North Bend  |  made egg-nog, spiked it, drank it  |  attended a lovely choral concert at St. Mark’s cathedral  |  ran myself ragged trying to get all 13 of my little preschoolers to assemble ‘Advent paper chains’ in Sunday School this morning  |  sat in a cafe and scribbled in my sketchbook  |  unwound from all the busy-ness with out latest Netflix pick and some quality couch-time with Shane.  and…whew!

t.g.i.F!!! This week has felt exceptionally long, even though it was about the same as any other week, with work and work-outs and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner, since we haven’t grocery shopped for nearly two weeks. I’ve definitely been battling a case of the day-in, day-out doldrums, and am seeing how routine can be so exhausting… But enough of the pits – my weekend has begun and I am looking forward to an evening with the ladies tonight, a some time set aside for art-ing with a few kids from our church tomorrow morning, perhaps delving into Harry Potter book #2 tomorrow afternoon, and then a living room dance party or two with Shane and our brand-new X-Box Kinect. Oh, and pie. Sometime, somehow, there will be homemade apple pie. T.G.I.F. indeed.  (In fact, I was so happy to get off lightrail and wave goodbye to the work week that I had to snap a pic…)

Whoa – where have the past two days gone?  It was a busy-but-fun kind of weekend, as we hung out with friends, cheered on our Giants, and partook in Halloween festivities.

Shane and I spent Friday evening at Lounjin Cafe up in the U-District, hanging my artwork on their walls for a month-long showing.  It was a last-minute request, made through a connection from my show at the Q Cafe last July, but I was happy to oblige, and let a few of my pieces see some daylight after months of being stuck in my upstairs closet.  Check it out if you’re in the ‘hood – and order a glass of Sake!  Art is often best paired with a drink.

Saturday morning brought book club, and some quality time with the ladies.  Books are often best paired with coffee, so I was content to sit around a table at Espresso Vivace and sip my perfect latte, while discussing Little Bee and watching the rain fall outside.  One of those I-love-Fall kind of moments…  After book club, I jetted home to finish up my costume preparations for that evening’s Trunk or Treat party, taking place at our church.  We had volunteered with our community group to decorate a couple of cars and dress up for the mobs of sugar-hungry kids that would be attending.  The rail foiled our plans for being outside, but we took over the cafe space adjacent to the church and made our vision come to life indoors.  We had agreed on a Wizard of Oz theme, and were proud to have all of the characters represented, from the Tin Man to the Good Witch to Dorothy herself.  I was the Cowardly Lion, and Shane and Jason rocked their Lollipop Boy outfits – it was certainly an evening to remember (though the image of those two Lollipop Boys might be better off forgotten…).

Today was surprisingly, wonderfully sun-shiny, so we took advantage of the weather and headed over to Discovery Park after church to take a walk with the Rust clan and enjoy what may be our last moments of clear skies for awhile.  The G-man played in puddles, Shane and Jason chatted it up about taxes and the latest ballot measures, and we all shuffled through the fallen leaves that served as reminder that November is just around the corner.  Hard to believe how fast the past couple of months have flown by.

And tonight was spent at home, taking in the Giants win with our fellow fans, eating bowls of hot soup and slices of pumpkin pie as scores of Trick-or-Treaters came to the door in their costumes.  Kinda sad to see October come to an end, but it is definitely going out on a very, very good note.

It was a cold, wet weekend in Seattle, but, in true Northwestern form, I didn’t let that get me down.  We spent Saturday night keeping tradition alive, taking part in our third annual dumplings-making/pumpkin-carving party. I believe I may have eaten more dumplings (as in, 15?) than I actually made (as in, 0), but I had a good excuse for my lack of participation; I was in the living room watching THE GIANTS WIN A SPOT IN THE 2010 WORLD SERIES! There was much celebration as Wilson struck out that very last batter – I believe I even witnessed a joyous embrace between Shane and Jack at some point, though they will likely deny it. With our stomachs full of dumplings and our faces plastered with victorious grins, we were ready to focus our energy on our pumpkin-carving bonanza. I spent the next hour elbow-deep in pumpkin guts, but ended up with a nice little haunted house jack-o-lantern to show for my efforts, while Shane basked in baseball glory with his SF logo. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang worked on the props for our Wizard of Oz-themed car decorations, for next weekend’s ‘Trunk or Treat’ (stay tuned for photos of the group decked out in our scarecrow/lion/tin man/Dorothy outfits).  It was a lovely, cozy evening among friends, complete with hot apple cider and long bouts of laughter. I love Fall…

Today I tried my hand at being one of the guys, and spent the day with some fellows from work, tailgating and then cheering at the Seahawks game. Not gonna lie – when the guys mentioned drinking at 10 am, I was hoping they meant mimosas, but it turns out I can drink Coors Light for breakfast with the best of them. The game was fun (much credit to Shane for teaching me how to hold my own in a conversation about football), and I was incredibly thankful for our covered seats as we watched rain pour down on the field.  It was cool to see the Seahawks win, and surprisingly easy to get swept up in the energy of the crowd.  Still, it felt dang good to get home, slip into my sweats, and curl up on the couch with my hot cup of tea.

And that’s the stuff that Fall weekends are made of…

Yes indeed, I turned another year older yesterday – I am now the big 2-9 (the number some how feels smaller if you insert a hyphen between the digits).  We have a big weekend-long birthday bonanza planned a few weeks from now, in celebration of Shane’s, La V’s, and my birthdays (all in October), so I was happy to lay relatively low yesterday and save up my party energy for a later date.  But still, the day was filled with several special moments, much to the credit of my thoughtful husband and very special friends.

We started the day with breakfast at Geraldine’s, feasting on French toast and eggs and bacon and endless cups of coffee with several friends.

I decided to set aside the afternoon for some ‘me-time’, and headed up to Lynnwood to check out a spa I’ve heard lots of good things about.  I spent almost three hours moving from the soaking pools to the tea room to the various heated rooms, repeating the cycle multiple times.  It really felt like relaxation in its purest form, and I headed home feeling rejuvenated and cleansed.  Turns out I may have been wrong all these years, when I told girlfriends who were making time for facials and massages and pedicures that “I’m not really a spa person”.  Shane’s birthday present to me was a generous gift certificate to a different Seattle spa, so I’ll be digging further into my “spa philosophy” in the weeks to come.   I’m always looking to become a more well-rounded person, after all…

Saturday evening, we dined on Thai food in Capitol Hill with Jason and Nancy, and then headed right around the corner to meet up with several other people at our friend Karen’s dessert party/fundraiser.  Karen is quite possibly the most talented dessert-maker that I know, and so it was a double-bonus to be able to feast on her “chocolate profiterole topped with red wine raspberry sorbet and a blackberry compote”, while also contributing to her upcoming trip to Tanzania to visit Brian and Nicole.  Well-done, Karen!  The look on La V’s face says it all…

Enjoying so much goodness all in a single day had me beat by the time 10 pm rolled around, so I was happy to spend the remainder of our evening at home, catching up on Project Runway and cozying up on the couch with my very favorite person.  Being spoiled is exhausting!

Jason asked me at dinner last night to list my three biggest highlights of the past year, and I feel so blessed that it was hard to pick just three.  28 was good to me.  And I’m thinking/hoping/planning that 29 just might be even better.

The past couple of days have been perfectly chill and weekend-ish.  Sad to see them come to an end…  We spent Friday night with a couple of neighbor/friends, eating peach pie, watching a movie, and getting caught up with each other’s goings-on.  As darkness comes earlier and earlier, I see lots of weekend movie nights in our future – this is a good thing.  I like a fancy night out on the town, but I love an evening spent lounging on the couch.

I was up early(ish) on Saturday to kick off the day with a run, and for the first time in awhile, I felt like I flew through my 3-mile loop, rather than trudging through it.  Shaved 20 seconds off my best time for that route (woot!).  I’m wondering if the aforementioned peach pie had anything to do with this sudden burst of energy?  I was so happy with my progress that I decided to counteract it with a trip out to Red Hook Brewery to meet up with Shane, Jack, and La V for lunchtime burgers.  Shane and Jack had taken advantage of the sunshine and made the 25-mile trip on their bikes (stopping only once on the way for a wine-tasting detour – I’m so proud of them…), but since I’m not really the cyclist-type, I was happy to hop in the car to meet up with them.  We scored a perfect table out on the patio, where I could soak in the surprisingly warm rays of September sun.

Saturday afternoon, I dropped Shane off at Lakewood so that he could play a round of disc golf with Jason and the G-man, then parked myself at nearby Dubsea Coffee for a latte and some ‘me-time’.  I was totally impressed with the quality of the cafe’s space – I think I’ve found a new way to occupy my time while Shane is tossing frisbees.  Lots of natural light, rotating art exhibits on the walls, and a ceiling painted the most perfect shade of turquoise.  I found a cozy little table by the window, pulled out my book, and was completely in my element.

Saturday evening I pleasantly surprised Shane by asking him if he wanted to head out for a late-night cocktail (something ‘out of the ordinary’ for us…).  We headed out to Tavern Law – a little bar in Capitol Hill that we’d heard has a cool speak-easy vibe and killer cocktails.  My gin/lime/cranberry/lavender/egg white concoction was delicious, and Shane’s gin/Lillet/apricot/Absinthe drink was right up his alley.

Today was spent mostly at home, watching the Giants beat the Padres (holla!), cleaning up the house, and doing a bit of yardwork.  I was happy to find that the plant I thought I’d killed during the mini heat-wave we had a few weeks ago is actually sprouting some new leaves. With a little more work and some TLC, I’m hopeful that we’ll have a lovely, flourishing backyard by the time next summer rolls around.

We’re wrapping up the evening with a bowl of ice cream and a crappy movie (anyone seen Date Night?).  All-in-all, a rather perfect couple of days.

Happy, happy Friday!  Looking forward to another chill weekend at home.  And we’re off to a perfect start – just pulled a lovely peach pie out of the oven and we’re heading out the door in a few minutes to share it with friends. Shane and I have committed to taking advantage of our plan-free day tomorrow and doing ‘something out of the ordinary’, but we’re not sure yet what that is – I’m hoping it involves dessert.  Or maybe a good foamy latte.  Or a new pair of shoes.  So many possibilities…  Other than that, I’ll be working on an art project or two, getting caught up on the latest episodes of Project Runway, and taking one final stab at sprucing up our backyard planter beds before Fall officially sets in.  And I suppose I should get around to sewing the missing buttons onto my two favorite coats – looks like t-shirt weather is gone, gone, gone…  But pie weather is definitely here, so I’m still a very happy camper.

Bon weekend!

Woot!  I slipped out of the office early when no one was looking and so my weekend starts NOW.  Shane and I have a relatively plan-free weekend at home ahead of us, which I usually look forward to as a chance to run errands/do housework/get ‘caught up’ (what does that mean, anyway???), but I’ve firmly decided that this time, I will enjoy the break and not dwell on tasks that should get done.  Then again, I am obsessively compulsive about making lists, and find an unhealthy amount of satisfaction in checking things off said lists, so I’m indulging my neurotic tendencies and have made a list of things to do, without actually getting anything done.  I’m hoping the next three days will look something like this…

* Sit in a cafe with a latte and read my unbelievably good book.

* Buy a watermelon.  And eat it.  Just ’cause.

* Watch the sun set.  Preferably over water.  Or mountains.  Or the silhouette of downtown Seattle.  I’m not picky.

* Sit on our back porch and drink a glass of white wine.  Or two.

* Enjoy the flowers we have growing in our garden.  Just in case summer is on it’s way out (which is a fact that I am consciously choosing to deny).

* Remind Shane that I love him, and that quality time with him means more to me than checking anything off of any to-do list.

Ready, set, RELAX…

Oh, this weekend was so perfectly ‘weekend-ish’, full of good food, good times with friends, and a good dose of relaxation.  I didn’t have my camera with me at all over the past couple of days, but my handy iPhone captured the highlights:

Shane and I celebrated the end of the work week Schnell-style, and met at a bar downtown for some Happy Hour action.  Penn Cove mussels, garlic fries, and frothy pints of beer – these are the reasons it’s called ‘Happy Hour’.

We spent the rest of the evening with our friends Jason and Nancy, feasting on Jason’s tasty home-baked pizzas.  This one was my favorite – olive oil, onions, avacado, arugula, mmm…

Saturday morning was my monthly book club meeting with the ladies – which means a latte and buttermilk biscuit.  I’m afraid the book is secondary, really.

We spent Saturday afternoon at my office’s summer picnic, eating burgers and putt-putting a round of mini-golf.  Turns out I am terrible at mini-golf, but Shane can putt like a pro.  Go figure.

After church this morning, Shane and I headed over the Ballard Farmer’s Market.  Seemingly endless rows of fresh produce, brightly colored flowers, and locally made specialty foods.  And mini-donuts.  Let’s not forget the mini-donuts.

And finally, an afternoon spent doing some shopping, followed by a quiet Sunday evening at home.  Did some housework, some reading, and a yoga session that I will pretend can counteract the french fries, the pizza, the buttermik biscuit, the burger, and the mini-donuts.  Right.

This weekend was indeed full of bliss, with just the right balance of relaxation and productivity, a smattering of self-indulgence, and lots of time spent hanging out with Shane, who I’ve missed in the midst of our busy schedules.  After a morning run down by Lake Washington yesterday, I decided I had earned the right to a big ol’ breakfast and convinced Shane to head over to Both Ways cafe with me (easiest sell I’ve ever made).  This is one of our breakfast faves in South Seattle – a cute little spot tucked away on a quiet corner near Seward Park, offering solid breakfast fare, complete with perfect buttermilk biscuits and extra creamy lattes.

We caught up with each other over eggs, bacon, biscuits, and coffee, then headed down to Southcenter to catch the early showing of Inception.  It felt a little strange to be heading into a movie theater at 11 am, but when we discovered that shows before noon are offered at ‘pre’-matinee extra-discounted prices, I got over it (you all know I love a good deal).  Shane I spent the rest of the afternoon doing some shopping, napping, and then capping off our lovely day with pizza at Tutta Bella and ice cream at Full Tilt (insert happy sigh of satisfaction here).

I spent the evening with some girlfriends, taking part in what has quickly become a fun tradition for all of us.  Every few months, we each dig through our closets, pull out those items we love but just don’t wear anymore, and gather at La Verne’s house to swap clothes, accessories, and lots of laughs.  It was a fabulous evening, and I think we all walked away happy with what we had scored at our ‘free boutique’.

(photo courtesy of La Verne)

Today was heavier on the ‘productive’ side of things, with a couple of hours at the office and a couple of hours out working in the yard, but the evening couldn’t have been more relaxing, with a Rum and Coke in hand (Shane is trying his hand as bartender these days) and the Giants vs. Dodgers game on TV.  I’m not sure where my recent affinity for baseball came from (maybe out of need for a reason to veg?), but stretching out on the couch with Shane and cheering on the Giants has become one of my most favorite evening pastimes.  And as an added bonus, I think Shane falls a little deeper in love with me each time I spontaneously jump off the couch and let out a “woot!” in favor of his team.

All in all, an utterly fantastic weekend (unless you’re a Dodgers fan – hehe…).