Desert With One 'S'

You know you're on vacation when you...

• consume pumpkin pie, pizza, a frappachino, an In N Out burger, plus chicken & waffles all in one day 
• don't set an alarm to wake up
• binge watch Riverdale season one
• smell that National Park smell : )

Joshua Tree National Park is basically a jungle gym in a desert, surrounded by a lot of Dr. Seuss-looking trees. Spanning two deserts (Mojave & Colorado), the park is a rock-climbers paradise with more than 5,000 identified climbing routes. The Joshua trees were named after the prophet Joshua since the limbs mirror a prophet's outstretched arms. We'd recommend walking the 1 mile loop at Hidden Valley, driving through both sections of the park, & stopping at the Cholla Cactus garden.

If you're looking to stay nearby, consider this unique air bnb off the beaten path. About 15 minutes from the entrance of the park, this spot was so quiet, serene, & private. We left the curtains open & enjoyed an amazing sunrise over the desert fields. The pizza mentioned in the diet above was from Pie for the People - we ordered the "David Bowie." So good.

I can still feel the sun's rays,

SJW

California Dreamboat

Mr. Fleece passed his final actuarial exam this year & was officially recognized as a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society! That's right, he can put the initials "FCAS" after his name. Cue "For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow..." Notably, this milestone indicates hundreds of hours of studying behind him. Behind us! There were some rough days & nights in the height of his studying phase. Lots of worn out zombie looks on his end & feeling lonely & unimportant on my end. But just like our four years of long-distance dating, we managed & got through it! I'm proud of his work ethic, intricate mind for learning/understanding/retaining, & his growing self-discipline through it all. He really is quite a catch. 17 year-old me knew how to spot 'em.

This week we attended the recognition ceremony in Anaheim, CA & while he sat through a bunch of seminars & sessions, I was free to explore on my own (with a $50 per diem in hand!). We tacked on a side trip to Joshua Tree National Park on the front end, & I thoroughly enjoyed the days to myself where I could meander at my own pace. I hit up Fullerton, Laguna Beach, & downtown LA. I wasn't expecting to enjoy Orange County as much as I did. The weather helped of course, but really, I had no idea how beautiful & majestic the landscape was. Don't think I'd actually want to live there - traffic really is what they say. Although listening to the La La Land soundtrack while driving down I-5 was pretty stellar.

In honor of Mr. Fleece,

• My love for you is endless, like a perpetuity.
• Since the first time I saw you, my interest in you has compounded continuously.
• If you put 5 red, 4 yellow, and 3 green balls in a vase, what's the probability of you coming home with me tonight? 

SJW

Travel Bug Bites

The travel bug got me, bit me, & now I'm icing it down on my couch in rainy Seattle. 

In just this year, I've been to all parts of the U.S. & then some. Hawaii. Washington D.C. Upstate New York. Portland, OR. Kiawah Island in South Carolina. Spain. France. Italy. Most recently Orange County, California. Plus, we're still toying with a ski trip to Whistler, B.C. & have plane tickets to Texas for Christmas.

What a whirlwind! But we're young, we don't have children, & we can get the time off of work - so we're making the most of it. That said, it's really nice to have a home & spend time in it. To pour a bowl of cereal instead of consulting Yelp, to enjoy your own mattress & pillow, to have your cute pup by your side. 

Yes, we had a marvelous time but don't let the pictures trick you. Travel isn't a glamorous escape from real life - you can still get sick, you can still feel restless, you can still get bug bites.

Traveling gave me time to think & now my mind is a swirlin' with ideas,

- SJW 

Corner Piece with Extra Frosting

My parents did a great job about making birthdays in our house extra special. I got to choose the dinner menu, presents were a given, & more often than not a really fun party was approved. I have a lot of great childhood memories, but the birthday parties definitely make the highlights reel. That time when we made Pocahontas vests out of brown paper bags, we had a tea party & decorated hats, a dress up party where everyone got a disposable camera as a party favor, a Halloween party, an obstacle course that included climbing up in the treehouse, a sleepover, a Bubblegum blowing contest....One year I remember I really wanted KFC for dinner, one year I think I just had Mr. Fleece & a few other friends over for cake & ice cream, another year I had an "S" party where everyone wore stripes/sweaters/skirts/socks etc.

It's different to think about now that so many of my friends have children. A birthday is certainly a celebration for the child, but in a way it's another milestone for the parents too. Moms still remember the day they gave birth, & quite frankly, their lives changed a lot too. So on this birthday, I'm cheers-ing to my parents. Thanks, Miriam & Darryl! For everything.

Blowing out the candles,

SJW

Black Cats & Witch Hats

A fan of pep rallies, theme parties, & clever DIY reinterpretations, here are my favorite Halloween ideas this year! From classic movies & Pixar characters to food & animals, there's a lot of inspiration & creativity on display.

Forest Gump & Jenny

Lady & the Tramp

They nailed it!

Love this one!

Gumball machine :) 

Funny!

An all-time classic.

Pixar lamp!

Characters from UP

Super cute & easy!

Clever :) 

They nailed it!

So creative!

Fun group idea!

So cute!

Squirrel!

Greek yogurt :) 

Fun couples idea. 

To the only time of the year when I eat Heath bars & Almond Joys, 

-SJW

Three Times the Charm

Or is it third time's the charm? In this case, perhaps both. By God's grace we own & manage two duplexes in Lower Queen Anne. Our story is unique in the fact that within five years, we've lived in three of the four units. To have only moved twice, all within 20 feet, & without the need of a U-HAUL truck, is unheard of, not to mention kind of ridiculous. Our address has changed three times now, but we're still holding strong to Aloha St. We think we've landed the best unit of the four & hope to stay here at least a couple more years. We're looking forward to an extra bedroom, an open layout, french doors out to the patio, & a turquoise kitchen! Still living small in just 600 square feet, but there's a fair amount of storage & the place is just so darn cute.

After just having bar stools & a breakfast nook, an actual dining table is really nice!

Kitchen & Living Room

French doors & art collage.

Bright colors & mirrors help brighten the space.

Mr. Fleece installed a new dishwasher for us!

Spacious bathroom.

Standing shower. W/D is to the left. 

Our goal is to have a functional kitchen using vertical storage space, spices near the stove, & clean counter space.

View from the front door.

Doors to bedrooms in back right.

Simple bedroom. 

I like having carpeted areas again.

Our bikes, books, & games are all hidden behind the curtain.

Large covered deck!

Love having a garden & grill. 

Playing duplex roulette,

- SJW

P.S. There really is a second bedroom (office + game room), but as I feared, it's become a bit of a junk yard/waste land at the moment. So no pictures for now!