Thursday, April 29, 2010

elephant

I love elephants so it's only natural that I LOVE this:



















image via design crush

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Friday, April 23, 2010

vote please!


















Please vote for the Bardessono Project in  Napa which my office/firm designed.  It opened last year and was  recently awarded LEED Platinum.


See pictures of the hotel at HERE at the Bardessono website.


Click HERE to vote for Bardessono for the AIA Seattle What Makes It Green People's Choice Award!  Thank you!

Monday, April 19, 2010

tpw in the pnw

This past Saturday The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond had a book signing at Third Place Books up here in Seattle.

image from Scott Kelby
 
When her cookbook first came out last year I was hoping hoping hoping she was going to make a book tour stop here, but she didn't.  I've been obsessed with her blog (and her) for the past year or so, relying on her recipe posts to plan many a meal.  When I got her book for Christmas I was so excited and read it that night.  
Earlier this year she posted on Facebook that she was planning another book tour and holy shiet she was stopping in Seattle.  I knew I had to go.
Friday came and I checked the Facebook page and saw a comment that we needed tickets to get our book signed and that Third Place Books had started giving out those tickets in the beginning of April.  I figured I'd be out of luck to get a coveted ticket and debated all Friday and Saturday if I wanted to chance the drive up there. 
Finally Saturday night came, it was 630, and I figured it started at 5, if I headed over then, maybe everyone would have gone and I'll be able to just pop in and out real quick.  I was still reasoning with myself as I left the house (not bothering to change out of my lay-around-the-house-clothes into I-may-possibly-meet-someone-famous-if-I-can-stand-the-wait-clothes) that if I showed up and it was ridiculously packed I would just leave.  When I got to the parking lot it was relatively empty and I thought I was in luck.  As I walked up to the store a girl was walking out with her book so I asked how bad the wait was and she said an hour... so I thought I can do an hour.  Then I walked in and noticed the bookstore was actually on the second level and the second level parking was PACKED.  uh oh.  I went and got a ticket.... J... "what letter are you on now?"  "E... almost F"  uh oh.  

















I took a quick walk around the store and found a gap through the shelves and I COULD SEE HER!!!


















At this point, besides wishing I had changed my clothes and maybe put on some makeup, I wished I had brought my zoom lens!!!  Though I did feel slightly stalker-ish peering over a bookcase taking pictures of her and random other fans.  
I called Jason to let him know the status and we decided I should just stick it out since I was there.  I found a seat at a table in the food court and started my wait and facebook play by play.
As I was waiting they had a great swing band playing and I was able to eat dinner.  Then I noticed the Pioneer daughter walking around, and thought, well if I don't stay til J is called (I think they were still on F at this point) I should get her daughter's signature so at least I have something besides stalker photos to show!
























She was so cute (and super tall)!  So polite!
I waited and waited, bought a new knitting book, and waited and waited.  The swing band played two sets and then they were gone... after 3 hours, it was finally the J group!  Woo hoo!  I jumped into line and suddenly felt nervous.  I was about to meet  a celebrity!  The line slowly moved forward and soon I was next!  
Five seconds or so of random chit chat (who knows what I said) and she signed my book and we took a picture (man I wished I had changed my clothes)!

















Even after five hours of signing and smiling and posing and chatting she was still just as pleasant as if she had just started!
My first celebrity encounter and it was The Pioneer Woman.  I couldn't have been happier.  It was worth the four hour wait!

29 by 30 update

29* things to do before turning 30 - gives me a a little under a month!

(i think with the economy in the state its in... all items below that cost money may have to be put on hold til things are more stable)
1. visit at least 5 "middle" states (1. indiana, 2. michigan, 3. illinois, 4. ohio) (i dont know if im going to get one more "middle" state in!)
2. go rock climbing
3. pay off all loans (loan one paid off - dec 2008, car loan paid off - july 2009)
4. start licensing exams (i may need to shoot for completing my idp forms first)
5. read the pillars of the earth (160 pages to go!)
6. cook lasagna from scratch
7. buy flowers for myself at least once a quarter (nov - tulips, dec - christmas tree, march - daffodils, april - daffodils, july - lavender, dec- christmas tree, jan - daffodils, feb - tulips)
8. save money (so far so good!!)
9. make an amigurumi
10. work out at least 3 times a week 
11. treat myself to a massage at least once a year
12. take at least one international vacation (2.5 week cambodia trip starting now)
13. take a pottery class
14. bike the burke-gilman trail
15. spend a day in west seattle
16. do a real detox (dr natura... cant say it did much)
17. knit a scarf (closer to achieving this one thanks to Cassie)
18. purge the closet (dressers & shoe racks too)
19. visit the olympic peninsula (really went to the Olympic National Forest, but that's close)
20. go to whistler
21. go fishing
22. have dinner at canlis (really the company holiday party, but i say it counts)
23. visit the capilano suspension bridge (planned for June - a month past the big 3-0, but I think it should count)
24. watch a live nfl game (steelers would be good, but id settle for the seahawks)
25. learn how to turn (all the way around) on a snowboard (still not a pro, but i made it!)
26. go camping
27. buy a gift for no reason for three friends
28. use my dutch oven at least once a month (at least when its cold)
29. get a kitty (a kitty turned into a puppy)

30.  start a garden

*I've decided to add things to my list that I've done recently to make up for some of the things that won't get done before the big 3-0.

scarf

I did it! 
I finally knitted my first scarf!

















Thanks to Cassie, mom of Darwin's blog friends Baby Rocket and Hootie, who sent me a scarf knitting kit!  I have another item to cross off my list.  I've got under a month left and don't think I'll be able to do half of what's left on the list, but I'm one goal closer!  I've even started a second one!



Friday, April 16, 2010

Monday, April 12, 2010

garden progress

Things are growing!

















The basil is slowing coming up.

















The parsley is coming up really fast!

















I planted a little container of arugula inside to see how that'd go and they are growing as well (the seeds I started outside aren't progressing as quickly).

















I added a chive and oregano starter to the rosemary pot, though my chives look a little limp.

















The mint got a new resident... meet Finbert!
The other seeds I planted outdoors in the beds aren't growing as quickly as the seeds I have inside.  The arugula is starting to poke through but the butter lettuce and spinach aren't as visible.  Hopefully things warm up and they'll start to grow!  
The wildflowers are just starting to break through too and the broccoli is still kicking.  


I read a copy of All New Square Foot Gardening last week.
























I wish I had read it and done a bit more research before I started my bed.  Oh well.  Next year.  Or if the seeds I planted the other week don't grow, it'll get started sooner!