Trunk Club

I've shared in the past that I'm a big fan of Stitch Fix and every time I get a box Patrick and I talk about how great it would be if they had a Stitch Fix for men. Enter Trunk Club. I originally heard about it while listening to This American Life and it sounded similar to Stitch Fix so we gave it a try! The main difference is that instead of a set five items, your personal stylist sends as many clothes as you want. In the two boxes that Patrick has received there were about eight shirts, three pairs of pants, a pair of shoes and a couple of sweaters or blazers. They are anticipating that you won't want to keep it all but want to give a lot of options. The prices are also higher than what I have paid with Stitch Fix but the quality and brands are all top notch.

For us, Trunk Club is a bit too pricey to receive once a month but I think a few times a year it's a great chance to get a few high quality staples for Patrick's closet.

PS. Trunk Club was recently bought by Nordstrom which I think is a good sign!

Introducing...

Myles Patrick Hillis! Mylo for short. Born on Saturday, July 20th at 6:19pm. The happy family is doing great! Jason and I eagerly rushed over after shooting a wedding and got to pop in for a few minutes and snap a few photos. 

Mylo's arrival was a bit of an ordeal, but I'll let Teresa tell you all the story later this week. For now, they are resting and enjoying being a family of three! 

Happy Birthday, Patrick!

Today is Patrick's birthday!

We had a great weekend celebrating with family and friends in Tacoma and Seattle. On Saturday we went with our niece Kenedee, and her parents, Ryan and Kasi, to "Zoo Lights" in Tacoma before his birthday dinner. I had never been before, it's quite the hot spot for holiday festivity! It was awesome to see Kenedee wide-eyed at all the beautiful light displays. After Zoo Lights Kenedee changed out of her warm bear suit into her Christmas outfit for Patrick's party -- I know I'm biased, but isn't she the cutest!?

This year has been such a wonderful one for Patrick what with becoming an uncle and establishing himself in a new career, we have so much to be thankful for.

Here's to the year ahead and all the adventures it will hold. Happy Birthday love! xo.

Movember is here!

So by now I'm sure you've heard of "Movember," in which thousands of men across the country grow mustaches during the month of November to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically efforts to combat prostate and testicular cancer. Well this year Movember has found it's way into my household and Patrick is well on his way to a full blonde mustache in his hopes to raise awareness and money. While I'm usually a fan of facial hair (ie scruffy beard), I'm putting up with this particular mustache for the sake of a good cause this month! If you're interested in supporting his efforts (he's competing against his colleagues!) click here. 

PS. The "handlebar" mustache to the left was from our trip to Prague two years ago, at least he's not growing that back! ;)

On Making it Work Long-Distance

Over the five and half years that Patrick and I have been together we've had two extended periods of time where we were in a “long-distance” relationship. The first was when we were dating/engaged before Patrick moved from Seattle to join me in Washington DC. And the second is now. You may have been wondering why I spend so much time in Oregon? It’s because Patrick works in Portland full-time.


For us, living apart is a choice that we made (and continue to make) based on a desire to establish our careers and be close to family in Seattle. I joke with Patrick sometimes that “we never chose the easy way” because we tend to seek out adventure and have a high tolerance for risk in our lives. Sometimes this works out well and we high-five each other for living life by our own rules. And sometimes life gets really hard and we have to push through to achieve an outcome that we are committed to.

Keeping in mind that we are by no means experts (nor do we want to be-- ugh), here are a few things we’ve learned along the way:

Funny faces during FaceTime :)

-  Be intentional about the time we do spend together. Because we only are together on the weekends, it’s easy for all of our time to get filled with social engagements, family dinners, happy hours with friends, etc, etc. It is essential that we block time for just the two of us since we don’t get this on the weekdays. We’ve tried to spend one entire weekend a month just the two of us (Cannon Beach and the Willamette Valley were two of my favorites!).

- We both hate talking on the phone and Patrick is not a fan of Skype but we have learned that consistent Skyping/FaceTiming/phone calls are a must. Sharing the little details of each other’s day can feel mundane but is really what keeps us connected throughout the work week apart. Patrick does love FaceTiming with Rafa (our kitty) though, go figure. ;)

- Recoginze when you’re overwhelmed. Sometimes I start to get annoyed and short with Patrick and unless I take a step back and can acknowledge, “yes, this is hard and it’s getting to me” I tend to let things bottle up. It is HARD living apart and it's good to keep some perspective.

Patrick put this up on the bulletin board.

- Have a sense of humor about it. It's important to not have every conversation be super serious or "planning" for future activities since we don't get to have as many of them as we'd like. One thing I love about P is his ability to keep things light and make me laugh even when things get rough.







I’m fresh out of new ideas at this point though, would LOVE to hear any tips from you all out there about how to keep a relationship strong from far away!

Four Year Celebration

Today Patrick and I celebrate four years of marriage - my how time flies. It seems like just yesterday that we were at the alter saying "I Do" and now we have a Bachelor's Degree in marriage! On the other hand we've packed a lot into our little marriage so far - we've lived on three different continents and both coasts of the US, held seven different jobs between the two of us, earned an MBA (I count this as my accomplishment as well :) ) and became aunt and uncle for the first time.

Back when we were in premarital counseling during our engagement our pastor asked us if we could describe, in one word, what we would like our life to look like in the next five years. We both gave the same answer: adventure.

So, here's to the next adventure baby, there's no one I'd rather live life with. xo

(photo by JKOE of course)

Tacoma: Washington's Hidden Gem

Tacoma is Seattle's gritty cousin to the south. Over the past 10 years the city has undergone a major transformation and is well worth a visit for both locals and those visiting the NW. My husband Patrick is from Tacoma and we spend quite a bit of time down there and over the years I've grown very fond of the "City of Destiny."  Check out some of my must-see highlights below:

Jog or Walk the five mile loop at Chamber's Bay Golf Course (home of the 2015 US Open!). This place has a Scotland look and it's also a great workout with lots of hills.

Have a drink at 1022 Restaurant/Bar. This fabulous tiny bar on the hilltop in Tacoma was recently written up in the NY Times. Their custom cocktails are unique and interesting. I especially love the lavender coconut concoction.

Stroll the Waterfront in Old Town and stop off for some great afternoon seafood at Katie Downs or the Spar.

Check out the beautiful Dale Chihuly designs at the Museum of Glass and catch dinner downtown at the Pacific Grill or Indochine

Grab a latte at Satellite Coffee (their motto is Coffee in Tacoma that Doesn't Suck, ha) and enjoy the gardens at Wright Park.


Tacoma friends, what am I missing?


(photos via, WA Golf Guide, Patrick, Katy Downs, Vacation Gals, Flickriver)

Snoqualmie Falls

For my birthday, Patrick and I spent the weekend at Snoqualmie Falls, less than an hour’s drive east of Seattle. Being that I’ve lived in WA state my whole life, I’m ashamed to say it was my first time visiting this stunning waterfall! We were spoiled rotten at the Salish Lodge which is perched directly above the falls. I would highly recommend the lodge for a romantic weekend away or a girls spa weekend -- every single room includes a wood burning fireplace and a Jacuzzi soaking tub for two! 

We had a wonderful time soaking away our stress in the spa, eating delicious food in the Attic bar and Restaurant (try the smoked salmon hash for brunch, to die for!), and walking around taking in the natural beauty (amidst the rain of course!)

Definitely want to go back in the summer to do some hiking!