I love food and I love coffee so I'm always in the mood to try new things and explore new places...

A dear friend of mine suggested Bustle which is located in Queen Anne. From outside I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in to find a spacious room glowing with natural light. I absolutely loved it!

Now onto coffee. They have house syrups, how fun is that! The flavors include lavender, maple lemon and vanilla bean caramel which is the syrup I had. My latte' was fabulous and best of all my barista was a corky lil' thing who was full of smiles and quick wit. Unfortunately, they really didn't have too many baked goods BUT Macrina (my fav) was a few stores down. With a short walk and a baked good in my belly, I was a happy girl by the end of my visit.

In conclusion, stop by my wonderful new find.

My Business is to create it doesn't matter if it's a work of art, or a taco, or a pair of socks;

just create something new, and there it is...

it's you, out in the world outside of you.

And you can look at it, or hear it, or read it, or feel it...

and you know a little more about you,

a little more than anybody else does.

ps I love you

OOOOO HaPpy dAy!

Days like today make me realize why I live in Seattle.

When you have a gorgeous day in Seattle,

you never know what surprises may come your way....

Gasworks park is the perfect place to go to on a sunny day. Seriously, people flock to it! It's a beautiful location... you have the city, the Space Needle, the water and lovely green grass. As you walk the winding path up to the top of the hill you will typically see people with kites, couples nestled in the grass, students reading, children playing, boats sailing...... BUT today I saw ballerinas. If you look closely at the 3rd photo I posted you will see them. Ordinarily, ballerinas do not just hang out and dance around Gasworks so this was a very random but amazing site to see.

I'm so thankful for the sun, smiling faces and great friends to share random moments with.

Style Me Pretty you've done it again! Look at how vibrant and fun these table numbers and invitations are! I'm telling you.... You know when a wedding is going to be fun is when you open the invitation and it's filled with the excitement of the big day. In my book, every detail matters. Even down to the stamps you choose. You may think I am putting too much thought into it, but all you detail peeps like me know what I'm talking about. It's the details, the personal touches, the thoughtfulness that I love and appreciate.

More detail gems to come...

http://http://www.stylemepretty.com/2010/02/15/diy-wedding-by-amy-and-stuart/

Ohhhh memories.... Macrina Bakery holds so many fond memories of my college years. Pretty much every Saturday morning my girlfriends and I would hop into our sweats and stroll on down. The french style bakery is filled with local artists paintings, the sound of people chattering and the smell of delicious pastries. It's a small and intimate place that makes you feel as though you're somewhere far away. It's always been a nice escape. I actually think it's an ideal way to start a weekend....a nice walk, a warm mocha and a slice of fresh fruit coffeecake. I love it because each of my friends has their favorite....dill scone with cream cheese, rocket muffin, buttermilk biscuit with jam... that I know they'll order each time they go in.

Now that I think about it, it was like our Central Perk. If you've ever watched Friends you'll know what I'm talking about. Each time we are all back together in the city, Macrina is always a must. It's a place we've shared stories, secrets, tears, laughter and great food. If I ever left the city, I would truly miss it.

For me, a relaxing Sunday afternoon consists of walking around Freemont Market with an iced latte' in hand, friends by my side and large Jackie O shades to shield me from the glorious hot sun. I have a smile just thinkin' about it .... "-) This Sunday was indeed one of those days... minus the sun.

There are so many great markets in the city, but Freemont is by far my favorite. I am a loyal patron to a few vendors - two furniture knick knack ladies and one lovely lady who sells jewelry she's recreated from vintage finds. My jewelry maker goes by the name Orange Box Jewelry. I just love love LOvE what she does! Unfortunately, the pictures don't do her any justice. Next time you're at the market pop by her booth or if you're not close by below is her website.

http://www.orangeboxjewelry.com/

Not only did I come away with fantastic finds from the market, but I got some creative inspiration. I have some exciting projects in the works - StaY PoSteD! eeeek!!! It's gonna be good!

This week I was looking at Seattle Metropolitan magazines "Best Breakfasts" issue and realized that there are so many great restaurants in the city that I've never been to. So my new mission is to try a new restaurant at least every other week. My first stop was Portage Bay Cafe. They are deemed the best waffles in the city because of their great toppings bar. So of course all morning I talked about how excited I was to have some great waffles but once I got in the door I just wasn't feeling it. As usual I scanned the room to see what others had ordered. My neighbor seemed to be enjoying her meal so I pulled the ol' "I'll have what she's having" line from When Harry Met Sally and got The Classic Benedict with Salmon. I've never had eggs benedict before, but wow it was delicious! The portions were huge so you should definitely come with an appetite. Everything was so good and best of all it's organic. They really mean what they say "Eat Like You Give A Damn" because they put a lot of thought into where they get their food, how they prepare it and how it tastes. Check em' out! I'm definitely going back... I still have to try those waffles!

Bon Appetit!

Who doesn't love a little flare? .... Especially to your beautiful do? You obviously don't want to take away from a fabulous hair day, but on those ordinary days where you just need a bit sunshine and surprise.... you can add one of these hair pieces in to make your day and everyone else's a lighter sweeter.

The stylist is Oh My Deer. You can check out her items for yourself at : http://ohmydeerhandmades.blogspot.com/

I absolutely LOVE her stuff! It's feminine, soft, daring and sassy. This darling gem has some great accessories for hair, shoes, and more. She actually does some really creative stuff for weddings, which I'll be posting soon. So try something new today - let your creativity run wild by making your own accessory or go to Oh My Deer to purchase one of her fabulous items!

I love to craft if you haven't noticed "-)

I made these aprons for some of my girlfriends recently. I was inspired by the adorable aprons at Anthropologie. I really enjoyed making them and now that I have the hang of it I hope to make more. For those who haven't received one yet, be on the look out.

A good cupcake is hard to find... BUT I have indeed found the bEst cupcake at one of my favorite places - Trophy Cupcakes! My favorite flavor is snickerdoodle and oh.my.gosh it's heavenly. The buttercake is so moist and the frosting melts in your mouth. Each day they feature new flavors so there's always something new to try!

Enjoy!

http://www.trophycupcakes.com/

If you are ever in need of some inspiration...check.out:

http://www.stylemepretty.com/

Style Me Pretty is a fantastic wedding blog that not only gives you great ideas for your big day, but you can use their table arrangements and decor ideas for parties at home. I am obsessed with mixing different colors and textures. Don't be afraid of pattern and especially don't be afraid if everything doesn't match! I love it when a table has personality and these photos definitely show that the not only the tables are full of life and fun but so is the party!

The three different arrangements of photos have one major thing in common - their use of nature! The greens, bright yellow, dusty cream and browns create a great palette for creating a rich event. If you're able to use the outdoors, accentuate your surroundings and build upon what you already have around you! It's a great way to save money too "-)