Ski to Sea 2014

This weekend Mr. Fleece participated in the PNW's annual Ski to Sea event near Bellingham, WA. He supported one of the nine Peak 7 teams in the Downhill Skiing portion of a seven leg relay race (cross country skiing, downhill skiing, running, road biking, canoeing, mountain biking, sea kayaking). 

"Downhill" doesn't give the whole picture, since he had to first hike UP 1,000 feet 

in snow boots carrying his skis...

He finished his section in 36 minutes. Pretty great for a guy who hadn't gone skiing at all this season. 

Starting his leg:

Finishing his leg:

He's awesome. 

SJW

Back to business

Upon returning from vacation, Mr. Fleece & I have decided to buckle down on some general life practices.

This has played out in four distinct ways:
1. Stewarding our garden space

BEFORE: lots o' weeds

So yeah, we have an awesome garden space that many Seattlelites long for - & we need to start using it well. Plus our neighbors are avid gardeners & we want to be all things to all people. If they plant herbs & spend time outside, we want to plant herbs & spend time outside. Making progress - we finally weeded & plan to plant seeds this week!

2. Managing our finances
Gulp! Being financially responsible is difficult. We've been failing at it for the past year & half. Not knowing where all your money goes & spending with an entitled + frivolous attitude is just as dangerous as struggling with debt or greed. God's graciously showing us what we think about money reflects what we think about god. So each week we've decided to categorize our weekly expenditures through mint.com & track everything on an Excel spreadsheet- already this has been incredibly helpful to keep us more aware & accountable. [no fun photo for this one]

3. Meal planning
I'm not great at cooking nor meal planning. Our meals don't have much variety & I often get overwhelmed trying to map out what we need to purchase each week & what meals we want to make. Mr. Fleece &  I decided Tuesday will be the night we talk through our meals for the next week & go grocery shopping. Again, it's been really helpful to actually plan each meal & not just buy cauliflower because I think it sounds healthy & then never use it & have to throw it out compost it because it got moldy (for some reason this happens a lot).

Fun change we made to our kitchen to create more space!

4. Exercising
Mr. Fleece gifted me with one month's worth of free Barre classes. I've been taking early morning classes at 6:00 a.m. three times a week & have really enjoyed it. For better or worse, I've realized working out the first thing in the morning is often the only way I'll get a workout in. It's definitely difficult to wake-up, but always worth it : ) I will forever love group fitness!
We also went on a stellar hike to Mason Lake. It was probably my favorite hike - filled with steep trails, boulder fields, & SNOW!

Slowly growing up,

SJW

They call it grand for a reason

Last week Mr. Fleece & I flew down to Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit my best friend, ALC & her husband, TAC. They are a fantastic pair that love Jesus dearly. 

It was a trip filled with meaningful chats, service with their local church body, 

daily ABQ living, & of course, green chile. 

Our favorite part was road-tripping & camping at the Grand Canyon.  

Clearly, this was an excellent idea.

 The landscape is stunning & the geological history is phenomenal.

We camped for two nights & hiked about six miles one day. Note - If you leave your campsite unattended, huge black ravens will eat your wheat thins. 

All in all, a very fun & refreshing trip. 

Best Friends Forever,

-SJW

Per Miss Rhode Island's suggestion

Question: Describe your perfect date.

Miss Rhode Island: That's a tough one. I'd have to say April 25th. Because it's not too hot and not too cold. All you need is a light jacket. 

Well, Miss Rhode Island wasn't too far off - today was a perfect date for a date.

Mr. Fleece & I walked to Kinnear Park, brought a book about hikes near Seattle so we could plan out future dates, swung on the swings, & topped the night off with Tup Tim Thai. 

Yours truly,

Mrs. Washington

(SJW)

Embracing my swavy

I've met so many curly haired ladies since moving to Seattle. I'm not sure if it's simply because the straightening fad is finally over or if their curls are drawn to the PNW. My friends RB & EJ are curly haired roommates & swear by the book "Curly Girl." I quote - "it has truly changed my life." : ) 

These ladies suggested I might have swavy hair, defined as:

- hair that seems straight but could be encouraged to wave

- a natural shine

- a slight bend at the ends of your hair depending on the length

- hair that holds its shape when layered

- curls that fall vertically

- a low to no frizz factor

- a spring factor of 1 to 2 inches - (natural curl to curl pulled to it's full length)

Well, I'm inviting my introverted curls out to play. For the next week I'm going to follow the regimen outlined in the book. I'm going to:

- use a sulfate-free shampoo & conditioner
- dry my hair using microfiber towels
- apply styling mouse
- use a diffuser to blow dry my hair

I'll report back about the experiment. 

-SJW

Knick-knack nook

"Elizaveta" is my new go-to Pandora station. This song is a frequent visitor & like any good guest, got me thinking. Over the years I've had my fair share of collections - things I liked, things I loved, things I really shouldn't have purchased. 

Here's a glimpse of my current "collections": 

I. Unique cutting boards

My parents have had a pig cutting board for as long as I can remember so I was very giddy when I found one for myself : )  

II. Brass figurines

For whatever reason, I really like these guys. Retro, simple & mid-century modern. 

P.S. this reminds me of my mother's & my brief obsession with Christopher Ross belts a few years ago. 

 III. Owl figurines

I've been fond of owl figurines specifically for quite some time...so much so that I hosted an "Owl" themed party complete with hoo-mmus & owl cupcakes. Since then, I've tried to parse down my collection so as not to overwhelm Mr. Fleece. 

IV. Funky jewelry holders 

Who knew antique muffin tins & old-timey cheese graders would make perfect earring holders?

 This necklace holder is from my college roommate - a souvenir she brought back from Italy : ) 

Apparently I like animals & accessories, so this new addition was a pretty clear must have...

(My friend made this!!) 

Here's to my animaly, retro, colorful, whimsical taste...which I think is code for eclectic : ) 

Keeping my thrifting eyes peeled,

-SJW

W.E.R.L the recent ins & outs

WATCH: I still have not seen Frozen. How this is the case...I'm not too sure, but sadly it's true. Because I want to remedy this situation as soon as possible, let me know if you'd like to watch it with me in the near future!

EAT: A few weekends ago my friend JA & I ate brunch at Tallulah's, a cute spot right around the corner from her house. The mod/retro vibe was the perfect backdrop for our friend date & to top things off we enjoyed some freshly baked cookies down the street at Hello Robin. Let's just say if I were ever to start my own foody business - it would be an exact replica of this brightly decorated cookie bakery : )

 READ: I couldn't put "Divergent" by Victoria Roth down & am now enjoying the Ernest Hemingway love story in "The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain. Oh the joys of a good book!

LISTEN: Jasmine Thompson is my new favorite - she has an incredible voice & has done a bunch of covers. I've been loving her song "Run" off of her album Under the Willow Tree.

What's your W.E.R.L?

-SJW