baby, you're a firework

Best friend points to those of you who heard K. Perry's voice upon reading this post title.

What are some of your amazing Fourth of July weekend plans?! Mine is full of BBQs, new friends, sparklers, and hopefully this cake.

Here's a song that I immediately slipped into my summer playlist: 

Milo Greene — "1957"

 A great one to sing along to while you gaze at these images from some of my favorite photographers that just scream summmmmmer...

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Happy Fourth, everyone!

three months in

Korinne, Allie, me, Stacey

I've offish been in Seattle THREE months this week! 

And I have super cute friends to prove it. 

See? See? See?
Yes, today's Friday Finds are real, live people.

But I must pause here and give photo credit where it's due: Ahnika Johnson

And if you go follow her blog, maybe she won't get mad at me for blatantly plagiarizing the photos she forced us to pose for to prove that she had cute new friends too. 
I kid, I kid.

And might I just add a comment about how soouuuups pale I am these days?
Didn't realize it until I saw this picture.
Oh how I miss Santa Barbara sunshine. 
Good thing vampire is "in" right now. And I am—and will forever be—on Team Edward.
Go ahead and do yourself a favor and click on that link.

anti-Rebecca Black day

Just because this song is so off-the-charts awful, I'm doing a Friday Finds post on Saturday. I really know how to stick it to her, don't I?

While my sister is back home in Santa Barbara visiting, where it was over NINETY DEGREES this week, I've been waking up at 4 and 5am to steam milk and pull ristretto shots while it rains outside in Seattle. 

This leaves me with one large desire to go climb a mountain and...

Take. It. All. In.

both via fuckyeahhiking

I also want to go here. Need to go here.

I know ya'll are probably busy using your spring-form pans twice a day every day, but in case you need an actual use for them, they double as as seedling planter. And hellooooo...perfect for Spring!

And speaking of Spring, I'm really into bringing the great outdoors...inside lately. So these wood piece alphabet magnets are right up my alley. And you could convert them into more permanent wall fixtures too.

I'd say I'd try to make this places in America print on my own, but let's not fool ourselves...

 These embroidered book covers by Jillian Tamaki are breathtaking. Girlfriend's got TALENT.

Love you all...anyone do anything fabulous yesterday that they are dying to tell me about? I'm all ears. Especially if it was in the Pacific Northwest. Especially if it involved sunshine. And hiking.

it's late...but it's still Friday...

I'm sitting in bed at 10:30 on a Friday night listening to Imogen Heap's instrumental album, Ellipse. A candle is lit. Chocolate chips are involved. When I start to feel like I'm drowning in my tendency to be a homebody, I'm reminded that tomorrow, I'm running my first "official" 5K, so I need some good sleep tonight. In the meantime...these are neat and have kept my eyes entertained over the last week...

 Enjoying this photography community that shares pictures of their unique "tea times." It's called What Does Your Tea Time Look Like? Granted, I submitted an image, and they didn't want it. You win some, you lose some.

I've had this song looping all week as well...it's fitting this season of life beautifully:

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

 

Amos Lee—"Violin" from the album Mission Bell. The family I nanny for owns it and it's become the background music for a lot of Uno games and art projects.

I've been attending hot yoga classes at Sutra Yoga (thank you, Groupon) in Wallingford, and this pose has me all sorts of inspired. 

I've also been drooling over Marco Suarez's landscape photography. Have yourself a look-see. He creates breathtaking work.

Highly interested in this Northwest architecture home tour going on in the Seattle area.

 Planning on touring the Theo Chocolate factory next week at some point. I'm a teensy bit picky (only a teensy bit) when it comes to chocolate...and Theo has never let me down. Soup excited about this.

Also of note...Emme and I are going to Bainbridge Island on Sunday. Big thanks to the Erickson family for gifting us with ferry passes. Going to have a photo heyday.

a little Thursday on Friday...

This Thursday was First Thursday in Seattle! I had had quite the busy day, so I decided I needed some alone time. But not the kind of alone time where you sit by yourself in your room with just a glass of wine and the third season of Friday Night Lights (that was Wednesday). Nope—I'm talking about the kind of alone time when you last minute decide to pay $7 for parking in downtown Seattle for an hour in a 6-story ramshackle building filled to the brim with art galleries and private studios. I can justify parking knowing the actual event was free. The Western 619 Ave building is so lovely. I hope they never tear it down.

Here is just a sampling of the works I was able to see...

The quirky and amazing photography of Lucien Knuteson

Oil on canvas by Carol Schwennesen

Oil paintings by KEENOY

 Oil paintings by Stephanie Lindsey

Original letterpress by Constellation Co.

it's 29° outside, but that's okay because...

...it's Friday! They're always the best...remember? Remember?

taken from the top of the water tower in Volunteer Park, Seattle

Seattle Neighborhoods—art block & typography by Gemini Studio

It's been snowing this week! But only enough to make these little windowsill-sized guys.

 

 

Splashes—photography by Alexandra Zaharova & Ilya Plotnikov

Hipster Disney characters...this last one is my favorite.

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors hail from East Nashville, TN. And I think they are the next big thing. I first heard them on Brite Revolution, which is a fabulous music discovery site and production label that brilliantly doubles as a way to support great causes like Blood:Water Mission, International Justice Mission, and Project: AK-47. Check. It. Out.

But the REAL reason why it's the best day is because I just picked up the McGraw's at the airport. Gonna try to convince them to stay in Seattle for a while...wish me luck :)

Lo Lo & I back in the 70s

Fridays are the best days

I remember as far back as Kindergarten my dad telling me what has now become his own personal adage:

"Fridays are the best days."

Maybe that was just his kid-friendly version of "TGIF," but either way it's true. And I haven't questioned it since. 

And maybe unemployed Fridays don't quite have that edge of coolness that they do when you have a M-F job, but I still smile when I wake up and realize it's the proverbial end of the work week. Friday is really just a state of mind, after all.

Anyhow...my blog has typically been a more personal blog, where I share my own writing, thoughts, recipes and photography. But I also wouldn't mind it being a place to share other people's things that I love or find otherwise entertaining. So I'll do that once a week. Call it Friday Finds...Fun...or F-ing Awesome. It doesn't matter to me. I'm open to any great alliterations you can offer me.

I just hope that you all enjoy it. :)

Happy Friday everyone! 

"Into the Heavens"—photography by Catherine Jamieson

Fellow Seattle-ite Moorea Seal's amethyst rings

Art on Globes—"Rock My World"

toilet paper roll art by Anastassia Elias

Street art come to life by Michael Aaron Williams

Kate O'Connor embroidery on handkerchiefs—hilarious

 Scar Jo for Moet & Chandon — could I adore her more.