Thriving in Ballard...

And...I'm a Castell

2011-08-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

July 30, 2011 was a very special day. One I will never forget, our wedding. Our day was absolutely perfect in every way. We had beautiful weather with great friends and family in attendance. I

3 more days...

2011-07-27T12:55:00.001-07:00

Until J and I get married! I've been waiting for this day my entire life, and it's here and I couldn't be any more happier. I found the perfect man in every way and I feel so fortunate. I think he's pretty lucky to land me too. The plans are together, the guests are placed, the candy is ready, the programs are carefully put together and the bride and groom are nervously awaiting the "I do's."

Bachelorette ME.

2011-07-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorite images from my recent trip to Lake Chelan to celebrate my upcoming nuptials. Just ME, in the grass at Lake Chelan Winery. I'm like an angel.

Stephanie, Me, Makaela at our second winery. Such a beautiful day for wine tasting!!

Most of the girls at my party except Kristi, Pamela and Megan. We are sooo pretty!!

My favorite teaching friends....Anna, Lindsay, Me and Makaela.

And here's my Matron of Honor Kristi. She is a new mom and this was her first wine after having the baby!

Two weeks and a couple days!

2011-07-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

Wedding Favors

2011-05-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm on the hunt for fun wedding favors. I just can't see myself spending hundreds of dollars on something that our guests might enjoy for a bit, then toss out 2 days later. I've thought of making fancy drinks in glasses, candy bags, beer glasses, soap, and other STUFF. But that is all it is to me, STUFF. What creative ideas do you have for me?? I need help. Thanks!

Booked

2011-04-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

10 nights in Kauai!!! Our honeymoon is booked, I can NOT wait until we get the heck out of Seattle and lay on a beach. The only things I will need to worry about: sand in my swimsuit, Pacifico or ChiChis, chicken or fish for dinner, sunburns, massage on the beach and well I can't think of anymore worries right now. Yay for weddings and honeymoons!

Dreaming....

2011-04-06T11:08:00.001-07:00

of a honeymoon this August!!

I CANNOT wait to spend 10 days in Kauai, a dream come true with my J.

Our Foster Puppy

2011-04-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to foster a puppy? Well J and I were presented with that opportunity on Saturday morning. This angel, Gretta, was rescued from a pit bull fighting ring in Kent. She's part frenchie/boston terrier. She's cuddly, cute and fun most of the time. Since she's a 5 month old puppy she requires lots of extra attention. Luckily I'm on Spring Break to give her that love and J is really good with puppy training. Today is our last day, she was quickly adopted by a couple here in Seattle who we think will be great for her. It's been a fun weekend with her. An extra bonus...we get to watch her again for 2 weeks at the end of this month while the couple gets married in Maui. I wonder if Boris will miss his little girlfriend in the meantime??

Ocho Cooking

2011-03-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

J and I at a friend's house for an Ocho Cooking Class with Chef Tara Ayers. YUM, YUM, YUM!!! My personal favorite was the Sherried Mushroom Toast. If you haven't been to Ocho, please go....you will love it. Thank you to Marcy and Kyle for hosting such a fun event.

Summer's on my Mind

2011-03-20T19:56:00.001-07:00

It's a Sunday in March...all I can think of and wish for is a Sunday in June. There are so many reasons why I can't wait for a Sunday in June! Here are a couple of reasons: 1) Sunshine, 2) Weddings, 3) Laying in the green grass, 4) No more national board work, 5) Summer break, 6) Lunch breaks with J everyday. The list could go on. Please June, come soon.

Monday Flowers

2011-03-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

What a special guy I have!! I was surprised at school Friday afternoon with flowers, cheesecake, Pelegrino, fruit and J while on my lunch break. He's such a sneaky, clever man...he told me he was having lunch with his sister. Anyway, I loved coming to work on a Monday to pretty flowers on my desk. This sure makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks J! XX

Saturday

2011-03-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday afternoon and I'm racking my brain trying to decide what music we will play at the wedding. I know there are traditional songs during the ceremony, but I want something different. I want the wedding music to reflect James and I. What are some good songs to walk down the aisle to?

Our Wedding Website

2011-03-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

These two beautiful people are getting married July 30, 2011

Do you want to know all about James and I??? Maybe how we met or how he proposed or who the special people in our wedding are??? If you do...Check out our wedding website.

www.theknot.com/ourwedding/SarahJensen&JamesCastell

That's all for now...xo

Thankful

2010-11-24T19:43:00.001-08:00

I'm Thankful for...
James and I in Leavenworth, October 2010

Sarah, Scott, Dad, Phil, Mom for family portraits at Bellevue Botanical Gardens, Summer 2010

Cousins Pam and Sean, Leavenworth Oktoberfest 2010 Half Marathon. Thankful for these two!

Phil, myself, and Scott.

This Thanksgiving I am so thankful for many things...James, FAMILY, brothers, my home, a job, my health and happiness. I just thought I should share a few of the people in my life that mean the most to me. Have a Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Engaged...

2010-11-21T21:33:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I got engaged! James is the most wonderful man I've met, I feel so lucky and fortunate. It was such and IS such an exciting time in my life right now. I'm starting to look at venues, color schemes and themes. So much to plan and look forward to.

A cozy room

2010-07-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

Soooo I moved into my condo over a year and 1/2 ago. I wanted to paint and make my place extra special to me, but I have found so many other things to occupy my time with. National boards took a lot of time, boyfriends take time, trips, work, exercising, happy hours, etc, etc...So when I got back from Hawaii last week I decided it was time to paint. My goal was to finish painting my room before leaving for Chicago next week. It's hard picking colors...after many attempts at sample colors I finally picked one I loved. Here's a picture of my cozy bedroom...I LOVE IT!!

Week 2 of 16

2010-07-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

Well it is official...I'm on Week #2 of 16 training for my 2nd half marathon. Leavenworth 1/2 Marathon...here I come!! I will be running 13.1 miles Oct. 2nd with my cousin Pamela and her husband Sean. I heard this is a real fun run, like people dress up in bavarian costumes or others chugging beers along the route. I cannot wait!! Here's to some excellent summer training.

Tango Lesson #1

2010-06-30T11:19:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to ME! I spent my birthday doing some extra special things including...Lunch with friends, Ride the Duck, Happy Hour on my patio, dinner with my parents, and TANGO LESSONS!! Let me tell you about tango lessons...dancing with style, form, and movement is challenging. I can usually go out on a dance floor bumping Drake and bounce around like an idiot and get away with it. At Premier Ballroom that is not accepted. My mom and dad have been attending dance classes for awhile now and have become great at the hustle and rumba, they even have their own slippy dance shoes. Well long story short...I moved up and down the line of dudes trying some simple (as the instructor said) steps. I got the basic steps down for tango, but James has mastered them. He and I have been practicing in our living room and pretty much anywhere we can show it off at. Hopefully we will be back again for more dance lessons. If anyone wants to go, let me know. It's pretty serious though...NO LAUGHING. Here's a picture of us before we got out on the dance floor. I wish we had an after picture, my face wouldn't be all smiles.

Happy Wedding Danette and Jonathan!

2010-06-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was one of my neatest teacher friend's wedding. She and her husband Jonathan got married in Snohomish at a place called Lord Hill Farms. It was a great venue and lots of sparkly twinkle lights. LOVE twinkle lights!! The rain luckily stayed away for their special day and the air was warm.
James was my date for this wedding. The day of he asked me, "Will I know anyone?" NOOOOO, he wouldn't know a single soul. James is one of those guys who will talk to anyone and be happy anywhere he is (amazing quality #106). Turned out that him and I were dancing machines on the dance floor. We were voted cutest couple and best dancers. What an accomplishment on our part!!

These are some of my favorite Sunnyside teacher friends, minus Danette, Tori and Corinne. Tiffany's little girl, Aubrey, was the cutest little girl. Her and James danced, laughed and ate cake together. Funny!!
And here we are...Cutest Couple!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Hedge!!

House Hunter

2010-06-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Dear World,

I'm ready to move into a house. Preferably in a neighborhood that is quiet and peaceful. Condo living sure can be great at times, but I really would love a house of my own and not listen to people doing crazy things all around me! Last week, I went on a driving tour of West Seattle looking at the various neighborhoods. It seems that West Seattle might just be perfect.

Thanks!

The photo posted is a house I looked at...SUPER cute, but not in the most desirable area. I walked into the backyard to see about a dozen beat up, junker cars on the other side of the fence. NOT my idea of an inviting backyard. However, the inside is lovely.

Who knows what the future holds...but I'm pretty sure it is a bright one.

The ONE!

2010-06-12T12:49:00.001-07:00

I just LOVE this one...

Dogs

2010-04-15T15:35:00.001-07:00

What a good dog!! This is my boy's dog named Boris. He's such a HAM!! I've always wanted a dog, but I don't feel like I could ever be home enough for one. Voila...now I have a dog to play with.

I'm thankful for sunny days, parks, dogs and good company.

90ish days!

2010-02-16T17:04:00.000-08:00

Things on My List

2009-09-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a busy back to school week for me. I've already decided it was time to start a written to-do list. It seems like there are a thousand and one things to do each day and I'm forgetting so many important things. It would be horrible if I missed someone's birthday, a meeting, a shift of work or even a class.

This year is going to be a busy year. I have signed up to do my National Board Certification for teaching. This is a big, time consuming project that involves a lot of reflecting on my teaching. I look forward to learning more about me as a teacher, but I also look forward to finishing this whole process in the Spring.

Wish me luck with this busy year! I'm off to add more to my list.

Woodinville Wine Tasting

2009-08-16T16:47:00.001-07:00

Yesterday afternoon was a beautiful day. I decided to try out some local wineries. My first stop was to Senoj, a great winery that I have enjoyed over the last year. I got to talk to the owner and friend of mine, Jason Brown. He poured me some great wines. I ended up purchasing a bottle of the 2006 Passport. After that I walked over to the Smasne Release Party where I met up with one of the winemakers, Bart. Again we had great conversation, wine, and snacks. I ran into an old high school friend who didn't seem to remember me. Weird?! For our last stop I walked to Davenport Cellars. Davenport Cellars is a brand new winery and they were tasting three excellent wines. We purchased the Snowflake wine because it has a little bit of a spritzer taste to it. Very unique! Now it's time to set aside some time to enjoy the wines!

4.1 mile walk home

2009-08-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

A Thriving Team

2009-05-11T20:19:00.001-07:00

This evening I met my really good friend Rosanna for cupcakes, coffee and bike team stuff. Our super cool team, Seattle Tailwind, is thriving as well. We just introduced a new sponsor to our team, LiveDay1. With this sponsorship, we should be building up a new website to keep our members, community and sponsors informed. Check them out!
Anyway, I'm thankful that I get to work together with Rosanna on Seattle Tailwind. This is our 2nd year with the team and hope there will be many more years to come. I've met many great friends through Tailwind! If you know of any women who are interested in becoming a part of our team, let me know. We welcome cyclists of all levels and encourage them to discover their true potenial through cycling with a great group of gals.

March Challenge

2009-03-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

I signed up for the Wenatchee Duathlon which takes place March 29th in you guessed it...Wenatchee. This is all part of my plan to be thirty, flirty and thriving by June 24th! My dad and I signed up to compete against all the other crazy folks. Him and I plan to finish the race, hopefully not last place. So in my evenings I've been running, biking and then running again. I have to get my legs used to this kind of exercise...uhhh!! Today's workout was a stretch and strengthen day.
Good news...I have a chance of placing in the top of my age category. Last year not one person competed in the 20-29 women category. Sweet!!!
Anyway, wish me luck. I also wish my dad luck as well as him and I challenge ourselves before landmark birthdays.

No more of THIS...

2009-03-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

You know it's been a rough couple of weeks when your desk looks like this....white board markers everywhere, more coffee cups than necessary, flowers on my desk with bugs crawling on them, and papers strewn across my desk needing to be scored. Please help clean my desk...

Blizzard Confessions

2009-01-20T19:26:00.001-08:00

This weekend I was reminded by my buddy Dave about how delicious Blizzards from Dairy Queen are. We sat at Taphouse before the OAR concert and talked about the nearest locations. It is determined that White Center and Issaquah are two of the closest spots. Man, what happened to the days when DQ was always so close to my house or college?
So if all goes well this week, we will be making the trek to White Center and getting a yummy Heath Bar Blizzard to satisfy my blizzard attraction.

Running like crazy

2009-01-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

I'm getting myself in shape to run Seattle's first Rock and Roll Marathon. I plan to do this in celebration of my 30th birthday. By then, I will be in tip-top shape and ready to run like crazy.

Today I went for a little run from my home out to Golden Gardens with my friend Makaela. We figured it was about a 5.5 mile run. It's so nice to run with a buddy and I'm glad Makaela is my buddy. Michelle, you're next.

Can't wait for my next run.

Snowed in...cabin fever begins...

2008-12-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

Since I've been snowed in, I've taken many snow walks! This was one my neighbor, Celina, and I took yesterday. We treked up to Greenwood Ave for breakfast before the Seahawks game. I love my phone (many people think I'm addicted to it, I'm not) and was trying to get game plans in order for that afternoon out in front of Chocolati Cafe.
Later that evening Celina, Jesse and I went to St. Andrews for dinner and then ran across 99 for a beer at Uber. This snow is beautiful, but I'm ready to get back to school and enjoy Christmas with my family.

Senoj Release Party

2008-12-20T22:56:00.001-08:00

(Lindsey, me, Heather, Amie) (Erin, Kristi, Lindsey, Amie, Heather, me)

(Amie and I) We like pouty faces and happy faces!

This was a great night at Senoj winery. It was a release of their new wine...so good. I was able to work the door that night with Kristi (we were tough bouncers). Anyway, it was a good night with my good friends mainly all from school. I will make sure and NOT post videos of dancing from this evening. Anyway, good times, I always look forward to Senoj nights.

Some of my favorite pictures

2008-12-20T22:37:00.000-08:00

Ahhh and Marcy and I playing in the snow...but she cut herself out somehow. Whoops!

Happy Wedding to Rosanna and Brian. You're a hot bride Ro!! Love you!!

My friend Jason and I at Zig Zag...that's a great place for drinks if you haven't been.

Oh that's me in New York at Babo eating pasta and drinking wine. YUM!

Naked City Brewery opening night with Noelle, Jeff, me, Rosanna and Brian

Seafair 2008 aboard the Spirit of 76 with our new friends from CA

Happy Halloween from ME! Ha.

Some crazy concert I went to with Kristi...Super Diamond!

Tequila shots for Grandma's 75th birthday in Colorado. Woo

Hopefully you've enjoyed some of my favorite pictures since I have not been keeping up with my blog. Last post was in June...gee, that's a long time ago. Anyway, these are some (just a couple) of my favorite memories from summer and fall.

A really cool thing I accomplished this summer...

2008-12-20T22:33:00.000-08:00

The Kirkland Triathlon with my friends Julia, and Kristi! I have always wanted to compete in a triathlon and so I made it my end of summer goal. This past September I completed it with some good friends from school. I spent a lot of time swimming, biking and running with these girls. I really do not like swimming...not my favorite. Luckily Julia has a golden retriever named Cody that swam with me and was always checking up on me. How sweet, I want a dog now. Anyway, I have signed up for another one next summer in Spokane with my friend Meg. Looking forward to doing it again!

Senoj Estates

2008-06-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

Recently some good friends of mine opened a winery in Woodinville, Senoj Estates. Lindsey, the tasting room manager, works with me at Medina Elementary. In the above picture she is pouring a taste of their Passport wine.
This was their very first opening of the winery. Many people came to this event; more than expected. As you can see, the lighting in the back is amazing and they do a very good job at keeping wine poured and appetizers out. Kristi is signing their guest book.
This is just a funny picture because my big yellow purse and Ryan's "Game Over" shirt really stand out in the photo. Kristi also looks sweet signing the book again.

I think I've been to Senoj Estates every weekend for events....Pre-Launch Party, Lindsey's Birthday, and Sex in the City Viewing Party. I hope to be back many more times in the future. If you would ever like to come along with me, let me know. The winery is hidden amongst the Warehouse district in Woodinville. However, many small wineries are tucked along with Senoj (Paige Cellars, Mark Ryan, etc).

Stumbling Goat Bistro

2008-05-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

Last night I went out on a little dinner date with my neighbor. I've always wanted to try Stumbling Goat Bistro up on Greenwood Ave. It is very close to my home. We walked in and asked us if we had reservations...No. Luckily, they had a table for two ready for us near the window.

Once we sat down and glanced at the menu, we figured this wasn't going to be our new favorite restaurant. The food was pretty pricey, and the selection was not fantastic. We decided that we would order wine, cheese and a salad to split. The salad was interesting, I felt as if I was chewing on leaves from my forest in Snohomish...furry, crunchy, spiky, bitter, and oh soo much more. I ate a big piece of fern that looked like a snail, it was actually good. The wine and cheese were just fine.

We walked out of Stumbling Goat Bistro about an hour later and went next door to the Cort House Tavern. There I had two Miller Lights and watched the crowd. Good times!

Oh we made one final stop. We went to visit our friends Adam and Brandi for late night Happy Hour at Anthony's in Ballard. Did you know they have a Happy Hour buffet for free once you sit in the bar and order a drink? Pretty cool idea, I guess it gets crazy in the summer there.

Ryan goes Skydiving

2008-05-05T15:46:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UoSAhrpRTA

For some dumb reason I can't remember how to embed this youtube video into my blog. I'm going crazy trying to get it to work. So intstead, I'll share the link with you all.

My good friend, Ryan, went skydiving this last weekend in Arizona. Kristi, his wife, was very worried about him jumping. So when she got the phone call Saturday afternoon telling her that he landed, she was very happy.

What a fun opportunity. I'm not sure I'll jump out of a plane anytime soon. YIKES!!

Positivity...

2008-05-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Well last post I wrote I was a little bummed out. I'm doing great now. This last weekend was especially fun! I spent the whole weekend with Kristi and Jessica (other fun friends too).

On Thursday Kristi and I worked Clif bar downtown for the art walk and May Day celebration. (I'll post pics when I get them) Such a great time, ran into some friends and really just played.

On Friday I was able to meet up with my coworkers for happy hour. After that I headed home and watched 27 Dresses with Jessica. We went to Best Buy first and picked up a great new cd, Leona Lewis. Doug loves track #1...haha!!!

Saturday was spent working Windermere Cup. What a rainy day for Opening day of boating season. Dang. Anyway, at the end of our shift we were about to go across the bridge to get to the Clif truck. Unfortunately the bridge was going up as we got there, "Closed for the next three hours." What?? we were in trouble....Until this nice police officer offered us a ride to the other side in his car. So, I got to ride in the back seat of a cop car...YES!!!! Anyway, nice guy, tried to hook me up with one of his cop buddies. Haha!

Saturday night was especially fun. Kristin, Kristi and a bunch of other friends all went out to Fremont and Ballard until the wee hours of the morning. Didn't get up the next day until 10:30 dang....But Sunday was a beautiful day and I was able to get outdoors and enjoy the weather.

Hope your weekend was just as exciting as mine? I'm looking to buy a new camera so that I can post photos. :) Oh, I'm off to Spring Fever Training...better go.

Happy Cinco De Mayo.

My Life has changed...

2008-04-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend has been very hard for me (luckily Mom and Dad let me stay over for the weekend). I am going through a whole lot of emotions right now and trying to occupy my time with my great friends. I am so lucky to have some amazing friends that care so much about me...Kristi, Rosanna and Jessica!! Thank you for being such wonderful friends and keeping my head up during this time. LOVE YOU!! I am looking forward to some better days this week, and a trip to Las Vegas this weekend.

Take a few minutes to watch this

2008-04-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is a video that my friend Erin sent me. This is a very powerful reminder of how lucky we are to have a God of strength who saves us and protects us from all things evil; he has chosen us and all we have to do is choose him. It takes a few minutes to watch, but it is worth it. It is the song Everything by Lifehouse.

Spa Getaway for me

2008-04-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Spring Break baby!

Today Kristi and I are packing things up to head to Portland, Oregon. Yep, this is our amazing Spring break plan. We have booked a Riverside Suite at Hotel Avalon and will spend all morning/afternoon on Friday in the spa (Spa Chakra). Reading the reviews on Yelp, it sounds like a fantastic, relaxing place. The bad part, we won't be downtown. However, it is only a ten minute drive and they have a driver that we can call to drop us off and pick us up whenever. Soooo....I plan to drink several glasses of wine and enjoy my last few days of Spring Break. I'll let you know how it is when I return. Oooh, I need to check the weather....let's hope it's a nice, sunny day. 70 degrees? Please....

Relaxation begins....NOW!!!

The Fitflop, is this real?

2008-04-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

So Rosanna sent me this great Victoria Secret ad. Her and I plan to get the FitFlop for Las Vegas in April. We are going to be doing a lot of walking, so why not get longer, leaner-looking legs--just by walking around. Stay in shape and multitask your fitness with a sexy, sporty look. Oh heavens, what will they come up with next?

Another new baby born!

2008-04-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about this one(well I'm excited about all babies, ha)...my friend Danette just had a baby girl, Lillie Claire. She looks like an angel. Today I am venturing over to the Eastside for a visit with Danette and Lillie. Congratulations Danette and Jonathan!

My new favorite site

2008-04-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

So lately, I have been really watching what I eat. I am going to Las Vegas at the end of this month and planning on a super exciting summer, so I want to make some real healthy eating choices. I've been following this great website called Eat Like Me on Self.com. Criston Dillon is a registered dietician and blogs her food. Here's the website if you're interested in checking it out: http://www.self.com/health/blogs/eatlikeme. I have a RSS Feed for this blog so I can plan my meals like hers each day. Yum! Time for my wild berry smoothie and english muffin. By the way, I will be avoiding broccoli at all costs.

ABC

2008-04-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

Alright, since I'm on Spring Break and I woke up early...I'll post the ABCs of Me. I am sure they aren't too exciting, but heck.

A - Attached or Single: Single, like I don't have a boyfriend now
B - Best Friend: Kristi
C - Cake or Pie: Coconut Cake
D - Day of choice: Friday
E - Essential Item: Water
F- Favorite Color: Green
G - Gummy Bears or Worms: gummy bears
H - Hometown: Snohomish
I - Indulgence(s): Cheese plate and bottle of wine
J - January or July: July
K - Kids: 22 six and seven year olds in my class
L - Life is incomplete without: good times with family and friends
M - Marriage Date: NA
N - Number of Siblings: 2 brothers
O - Oranges or Apples: Oranges
P - Phobias or Fears: Sirens, can't stand the sound of them
Q - Quotes: "Make good choices," I say this more than 10 times a day while at work. Maybe I should start incorporating this quote in my own life.
R - Reason to smile: I'm going on a Spring Break Spa Getaway very shortly!
S - Season: Summer
T - Tag Three Friends: Who wants to post this on their blog, Brian?
U - Unknown fact about me: I have shin splints
V - Very favorite Store: Banana Republic
W - Worst habit: I pick apart my thumb when I am in stressful situations
X - X-ray or Ultrasound: NA
Y - Your favorite food: Pasta with a delicious sauce
Z - Zodiac: Cancer

Happy 30th Birthday Kristi

2008-03-26T21:02:00.001-07:00

My best friend Kristi turned 30! To celebrate this monumental day in her life, she had a Wiggin' Out Party. What a creative, fun way to celebrate a birthday that you are sort of uneasy about. Everyone who came to the party wore a wig. One guy wore a women's wig, a bathrobe, slippers and panty hose (wow)! Our friend Tyler thought a good wig would be to take hair out of his girlfriend's brush and glue it to his head, sort of like a comb-over (funny). Anyway, everyone looked great...the fridge was full of beer...and the snacks were needed. I attached a photo of the teachers from my school that came.

My favorite CD right now...

2008-03-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

This cd is really my favorite! If you haven't listened to Sara Bareilles, I encourage you to do so. I know the radio stations play Love Song way too much, but she has so many other great songs. A couple of my favorites are City and Gravity. Each time I have some quiet time, Sara B is on my ITunes. Oh and I got to watch her open for James Blunt a few months ago in Seattle.

Yay for new music!

Ocho for Two

2008-03-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

I decided to try out a restaurant, Ocho. It's this great little spot in Ballard on Market Street. There isn't much advertising on the outside so you could easily miss it. Once I got in around 8 the place was packed. Luckily I snagged bar stools about 20 minutes into the wait. Ocho is a Spanish Tapa's place. There are no menus, the menu is a big blackboard on the wall (my eyes had a hard time reading the items). I chose some tasty tapas. My favorite had to be the deviled eggs with pickled asparagus. But wait, the mushrooms on a baguette were just as good. Anyway, I ordered a few small plates and drank some red. If you haven't been to Ocho, try it out. It's a great romantic date spot!
Ocho
2325 NW Market St (between N 24th Ave & N Ballard Ave)
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 784-0699

2008-03-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this dinner?

2008-03-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Oh my! This is a New York photo. I went to Bobby Flay's restaurant, Mesa Grill. While waiting for our table we had a couple very tasty margaritas. I asked the bartender what her suggestion was for dinner and she suggested the pork tenderloin. Looking at the menu at the table, I had a very hard time choosing. Hands down though, I had to go with her pick. That masterpiece you are looking at it the pork tenderloin. OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! It was Heavenly, I was in love. I could only eat one and 1/2 of the pieces of meat though, very filling. What you can't see is the delish tamale. I don't like tamales, but the one he made up for me was amazing. My mouth is watering now just thinking about this. Take me back! Anyway, I hope to post more of my spectacular New York meals on here. Stay posted!

Baby Aubrey has arrived

2008-03-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

It has been ten days since my good friend Tiffany has had her baby. Tiffany and I were friends in Marysville, we taught together. Anyway, her husband and her had their first baby. She sent some wonderful pictures of Aubrey and this is my favorite picture. Congratulations Tiffany and Shane, I hope I can hold her very soon.

oh hai!

2008-03-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

Crazy about this... http://icanhascheezburger.com/. It is a bit weird if you ask me, but he looks at this site hourly to see what new LOL cats are posted. The first LOL cat I have posted cracks me up.
Oh and I know that Brian really likes the site too. Next time you're bored, check it out.

Shame on You...

2008-03-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

....shame on me, fool me twice. Dammit, why can't I learn my lesson????? I'm sorry to tell you Mr. Broccoli, but we're through. Everyone else may love you and you may love everyone else, but you're just not for me. We're just not compatible. I used to love you. I especially loved you when you danced in the Fusion Noodles all spiced up; dressed yourself up in a little ranch dip. You're quite the catch, so don't be so hard on yourself. You'll find more who'll love you and won't mind the way you twist and tie up their guts and bloat them to hell. You'll forever own a part of my taste buds. However, I won't say good-bye...I know I'll see you again. Instead I'll say take care of yourself dear Mr. Broccoli. Someday we'll cross paths again and, who knows, maybe you won't make me want to lie down on the floor and curl up into a ball. Until then Mr. Broccoli........

(as I was researching information on broccoli and stomach pains, this came up in my search. So I tweaked it a bit, and posted it on my blog. Thank you to the first author!)

I think a few of my closest friends can understand my pain and remember seeing me at my worst with broccoli. No more, no more, no more!!

Movie Party

2008-03-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

Saturday night we attended our good friend Terrence's house party. Terrence is always known to throw some really fun themed parties. This theme was a movie party. We were told to dress as a character from a movie and be able to explain it to people at the party. When Cam and I showed up, everyone could figure us out. Can you?Yes, Cam dressed as Polly Bleeker and I was Juno from the movie Juno. I thought that we did a great job pulling it off. Looking at my belly scares me, it's quite large and definitely not me. I love Cam's yellow shorts, they are hot!!
Rosanna joined us at the party too. Can you guess who she was dressed as? King Kong! She was trying to scare the baby out of me? I was making sure that I had plenty of Vitamin C in my system that night.
Haha!! What a bunch of dorks!
Well turned out that Cam and I weren't the only ones with the GREAT idea. The girl on the left had the Sunny D, the girl in the middle had the best shirt, but I definitely had the best belly (thanks Jessica). Terrence (back left) ordered the exact Bleeker shirt online, nice! The guys were going to do a late night run around Greenlake in their outfits, that would have been hilarious.

Anyway it was a great party and it was fun to see everyone's costumes. A lot of girls came dressed as Audrey Hepburn! Can't wait for the next themed party.

Sick Day

2008-02-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

Well it is the week after my mid-winter break and I'm sooooo sick! I worked the past few days, but I came home last night with no voice and then woke up this morning with no voice. How can I teach like this?

Therefore, today is a sick day. On my sick day, I like to clean the kitchen, clean my room and pick up the house. But I think I'll go lay down now. (sniff)

The View From Times Square

2008-02-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

I was surprised with a trip to New York as part of my Christmas present. I had never been to New York so this was a real amazing experience that he gifted me. I always thought I could get to places in New York by walking and walking a lot! Well I was mistaken and quickly learned the importance of the Subway. I will tell you more and post more pictures soon...but I found this one and couldn't resist!

Winter Hiking

2008-02-26T19:16:00.000-08:00

Discovery Park, February 23, 2008

Seattle has had the most gorgeous weather lately. I haven't seen the sun around here for a long time so we had to take a day and go for a short hike. I think others had the same idea as us!

I love this photo.... nothing is ever easy with Cam. He chose to hike through the huge rocks and steep muddy cliffs. Luckily I didn't fall or get swept away with the ocean current. He didn't have the camera out as I was telling him it was dangerous or I'm going to fall....so he had me re-enact my drama!

As you can see it turned out to be a Spring Hike. This is the view once we finally got down to the beach. I was happy to wear a t-shirt, jeans, and sunglasses!!

This is a nice view of the sound from the Daybreak Star, Indian Cultural Center. There were many sailboats out (you can't see them with this photo).

I can't wait to go back again!!

San Diego and a Lunar Eclipse

2008-02-22T09:19:00.001-08:00

On my way home from San Diego Wednesday evening the pilot of our flight told us to look out the window to see the Lunar Eclipse. So...I got up out of my seat and went to the other aisle and got an amazing view of the Lunar Eclipse. I am not sure I've seen many Lunar Eclipses before, so I thought this was a great way to end my vacation.

Speaking of my vacation, I had a great time in San Diego. I went to visit my good friend from when I was a little girl, Erin. Erin has a husband, a 3 year old boy, Gavin and an 18 month old girl, Avery. Erin is a wonderful, laid back, amazing mother. Stefan, her husband, is in the military so she doesn't get to see him all that often. But when he was around this weekend, I was able to get to know him a little better.

Anyway, the first day I was there we went to Sea World. I had never been to Sea World before, but if Gavin is thankful for Shamu (he prays for Shamu) then sure enough I had to visit Shamu. I took many pictures of our outing, but my camera was stolen from my baggage so I am sorry you won't be able to see my photos (I'm not a happy passenger). My favorite part of Sea World was probably watching the dolphins or seeing the Shamu show.

The next day we went to La Jolla. I swear if I ever move to San Diego, I hope I get to live in La Jolla. The town is so cute and quaint. We spent the afternoon going through shops and entertaining the kiddos. Gavin and Avery love hiding behind all the clothes and playing in dressing rooms. My favorite shop was http://www.francescascollections.com/index.jsp. I got the coolest blue buckle shoes! At the end of our day we ate some delicious gelato, I posted photos I took with my phone (that didn't get stolen).

Finally on our last day, the rain came out. It's funny because San Diego people don't do anything on a rainy day. Haha! But we went out anyway and walked around the Gaslamp District, downtown. I found myself two white shirts! Yay!!

Thanks Erin, Stefan, Gavin and Avery for having me over. I had a wonderful time! I can't wait to come again. Maybe next time I can bring Cam with me. :)

Cam's Christmas Party

2008-02-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

This year I got to attend a great Christmas Party with Cam. It was a New York themed Christmas party at the Sheraton Hotel, downtown Seattle. The whole floor we were on had themed rooms/location with Coney Island (popcorn machine, cotton candy, pinball), Times Square, and another cool New York location. Anyway it was a fun time and I can't wait for next year. I was introduced that evening to many of Cam's work buddies and a fun drink called Cranberry White Cosmo....yum!

After the party we headed to Cam's sister's house. They had a wild party going on, and we joined right in.

Wacky Hair Day at School!

2008-02-21T09:31:00.000-08:00

This is a photo from Wacky Hair Day this year. It is always fun to get crazy and wacky with the kids in my class. Thanks to Kristi's great idea on a wig and fake eyelashes, I looked spectacular. By the way, we had the same wigs and eyelashes....

It's a Start

2008-02-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

Since I love reading everyone else's blogs and websites, I thought it would be a good time to start my own. So let's hope I can figure this thing out and start posting some of my adventures and thoughts.