Lake Chelan Wedding

This past weekend, we shot a wedding at Karma Vineyards in Lake Chelan. The night before the wedding, most of the bridal party was evacuated due to a wildfire in the area.

This is a GREAT example of a couple who dealt with a lot of stress in the 24 hours leading up to their wedding. Some plans were changed, some guests couldn't make it, but at the end of the day, you wouldn't have known, they looked amazing and it was a wonderful day of celebrating!

Hayley's hair and makeup people ended up canceling last minute but bridesmaids stepped up and her hair and makeup were flawless.

More than that, these guys chose to forget the little details of things that were changed last minute, and chose to enjoy the day. Because, really, the only thing that can wreck a wedding is if the couple chooses to stress out instead of enjoying it. When you're saying "I do" to the person you love, that's really all that matters.

And, in a lemonade out of lemons situation, the wildfire made for a really unique sky and beautiful photos.

More photos are on the JKoe Facebook Page...

Beginner Mistake in the Kitchen

I recently read this article from over at The Kitchn about the one mistake beginners make in the kitchen and I am definitely guilty! They say that the best way to ruin meat or other things that are frying/grilling is to move them around too much. I'm generally an impatient person so it's hard for me not to check on whatever I'm cooking. Also there is something about "stirring" that makes it feel like things are moving along even if they aren't. I was very diligent last night when browning chicken breasts not to move them and they turned out great-- what a great tip!

PS. I definitely want to try the chicken recipe that they recommend, looks amazing.

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Friday Roundup

Happy Friday! It's supposed to rain here in Seattle, and I'm pretty giddy to be honest. This weekend will be one of our first in town this summer and I'm excited to just meander around and see this movie with Patrick. Hope you have a great weekend!

I'm totally using his mantra as soon as I can "I'm too old for this."

"I'm an obstetrician and I failed at breastfeeding."

Love this house and it's rugs.

Have you listened to the Gilmore Guys fan podcast?? #nerdalert

"Home Goal" list aspirations.

22 food hits from the 90's--- homemade gushers!!

Thinking about taking a trip here this winter....

20 songs to breast pump to (why didn't I think of this?!).

Montreallalone...

I'm heading home from Montreal today after a lovely impromptu couple of days relaxing and exploring Montreal solo. I'm realizing I've never actually been on vacation by myself before, and honestly, I'm still not sure whether I'd do it again on purpose. It wasn't meant to be a solo trip, Jason was supposed to be up here for work this week, but plans changed last minute and he was needed in Seattle instead. In my head, I'm already referring to this trip as "Montreallalone" Get it? Hehe.

It's been a crazy month of projects, and I was really hoping to have a couple of days with Jason. Even though he would have been working, we would have been away from the rest of our busy lives and the endless to do lists. But it seems I was meant to be alone for a few days instead. As you might be able to guess by this, somewhat atypical, overly introspective blog post, a couple days alone with my thoughts might have been exactly what I needed.

Mainly, I need to stop worrying. In the course of a few hours, I went from worrying about what I would do all alone for 3 days now that Jason wasn't going to be joining me in Montreal, to worrying that 3 days alone in Montreal wasn't enough time to do everything I wanted to! It's like my brain doesn't know what to do with itself if it isn't fixated on worrying about something.

One of my favorite things about travel, is the ability to see your life from a distance. Somehow, looking back at all the things I need to do when I'm home doesn't look quite as daunting from far away. I love feeling refreshed and just a little homesick, just enough to make me look forward to going home. A break from my reality always leaves me in a better state of mind, relaxed and ready to tackle life without overly obsessing about the things I cannot control and more appreciative of the people that I missed while I was in Montreal all alone.

Vacation Fun: Flash Tattoos

We are home from vacation and had an amazing time at Priest Lake last week! I can't wait to share more pictures but in the meantime I had to post about our fun little vacation accessory, Flash Tattoos! I got these for a gift in the spring and threw them in my bag at the last minute to try out on vacation. There were a ton in the package and we girls cut them all up and used them as rings, bracelets, arm bands, anklets, etc. With multiple sunscreen applications and swimming they didn't last the full 4-5 days but we enjoyed them for a while and they came off really easy. I think little girls would love these too! 

PS. Beyonce just designed a set of Flash Tattoos-- next time!

Friday Roundup (On Saturday, and all the way from Canada...)

Welp, it's Saturday. I'm a day late with the roundup. But I have a good excuse. I'm in Montreal! Really! It was a super last minute work trip. I took a red eye last night. I'm now sitting in a cute little coffee shop, trying to pretend like I'm a native. Which means I'm attempting to speak the little French I remember and pretending like I haven't been wearing the same clothes for over 24 hours. The good news is, soon I'll be able to check into my hotel. Also, I have a few days here to sightsee. Any and all recommendations for what to see, do and eat in Montreal are appreciated!

I will definitely be seeking out some Poutine later today :)

Dog shows, back in the day, like WAY back in the day.

This was a great week for music in 1995, check out the top 10 singles. 

BEAUTIFUL photos 

You're better off as a nerd in middle school. Who says? Science! 

Definitely going to check out Warby Parker's pop up shop at Nordstrom. 

Urban gardening

Stop sign in Montreal image via flickr

A Beautifully Quirky Southern California Wedding

Here are a few photos from Cynthia & Wesley's wedding in Santa Ynez last weekend. I LOVED this couple's attitude towards their big day. They set out to create a fun weekend for family and friends and filled it with details that were uniquely them. Jason and I are always encouraging couples that we work with to put they own style into their wedding. Everyone has already been to the cookie cutter wedding, do something different. And these guys definitely did.