Friday Roundup

Happy Friday and Happy Halloween!! Do you have big plans for the weekend? Mylo is dressing up as superman and we are going to attempt "trick or treating" with some friends tonight (please hold off rain!).

Hope everyone has a great weekend-- here are some links to get us started:

It's not too late! 13 fun ideas for Halloween (candy corn jello shots!).

Cute last minute Halloween costumes.

And a gorgeous DIY mermaid costume for next year.

OK Go's CRAZZZY new music video.

Asparagus pee: finally getting to bottom of why some people can smell it and not others. :)

Seattle is getting a cat cafe!

Interesting: health benefits of eating peels, stems and rinds.

Smart phone addiction is real.

This looks delicious and pretend-healthy, right up my alley.

Anybody out there participating in Dinovember -- seems like a fun idea.

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Binge-Worthy: Peaky Blinders

So Patrick and my current TV obsession is a new Netflix show (originally produced by BBC) called Peaky Blinders. It's set in post-WWI Birmingham, England and stars Cillian Murphy. It has gangster drama, romance, suspense and interesting cinematography. Definitely recommend it! And season 2 comes out soon with new cast member staring Tom Hardy!

What's Your Ideal Honeymoon?

Since I'm in Bali this week, I thought this would be a great topic for us.

Jason and I spent five days in San Diego for our honeymoon. We had to get back quick to photograph a wedding the following weekend!

I have to say, there's something to be said about a short relaxing trip. We knew we'd be exhausted after the wedding so our goal for our honeymoon was to go somewhere we could relax, with a short flight, where we knew we'd go back again so we would be content to sleep in and lay by the pool the whole time, without feeling like we were missing out on anything. We had a great time, but didn't love the hotel we stayed at. We ended up back in San Diego just a few months later for work. We stayed an extra night and booked a room at The Hotel Del Coronado, which I'd highly recommend. If a beautiful old hotel isn't romantic enough for you, listen to a couple of their ghost stories and you'll be cuddling all night long.


What's your ideal honeymoon spot? 

Maybe it's where you went, or where you're planning on going, or maybe you have a dream spot for some time in the future. A second honeymoon? I'd love to hear in the comments!

I know lots of couples planning their weddings now, and I'm sure they'd all love some ideas!



Photo of Jason and I in Perth, on a fun, yet not super romantic trip.This is what happened in the next moment. 

Easy Autumn Chicken Recipe

I was looking for a new recipe to roast a whole chicken and stumbled across this Kitchn recipe for the "Best Chicken Recipe of All Time." AND it comes from Jaime Oliver who is one of my favorites (I was addicted to his cooking shows when we lived in Ireland). So I tried it out on Sunday and I must say it does not disappoint!

It's a pretty unique recipe being that it includes a lot of milk, a cinnamon stick, lemon, garlic and sage, which to me don't necessarily belong together. But it turned out very creamy and filled the house with a lovely fall cinnamon vibe. Patrick loved it and it took me less than 15 minutes to prepare so I will definitely be making it again!

Here is the basic recipe as outlined by The Kitchn:

1. Brown a whole chicken in copious amounts of olive oil or butter.
2. Pour in some milk, two lemons' worth of zest, a cinnamon stick, and fresh sage leaves. Scatter in a handful of garlic cloves in their jackets.
3. Bake for 90 minutes.
4. Pull apart and eat.

It's really that easy. I baked mine in a cast iron pan uncovered and the top got really crispy which was awesome. I saw the Kitchn recommends baking it covered for a while. I also used whole milk which made it extra creamy but I'm sure 2% would work perfectly.

Happy fall cooking! This is my favorite time of the year to be in the kitchen. 

What should I do with my globe?

A few months back Jason came back from the garage sale of neighbors who are clearly way cooler than we are with PF Flyers, a great leather jacket and an a vintage globe which has been living on top of our record player ever since.

I decided to do a little sleuthing and with the help of this globe guide, I discovered it was made sometime in the late 70's (Between French Somaliland becoming Djibouti in 1977 and Ellice Islands became Tuvalu in 1978). Don't laugh at me, we all know I'm a huge dork. No one should be surprised that I just spent 20 minutes searching a dusty globe for small counties and island nations that gained their independence in the 1970s. 

I do like how it looks as it is, but I've always wanted a way to mark the places we've been. Here are a few options I've seen, what do you think?

I love this light  idea. I could illuminate the places we've been and brighten up our room at the same time.



I could fingerprint the places we've been....

And I really like this partial chalk-board painted idea- you can still see the countries...

OR

If completely wreck it, I could just turn it into the Death Star and invest in one of these.  :)

Monday Motivation

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Friday Roundup

Happy Weekend! I've been looking forward to this one for awhile. I'm spending my Friday finishing up some work and packing a suitcase and taking off on a sister adventure. I'm meeting my sister, Stephanie, in South Korea and we're jumping on a flight to Bali. I'm really excited. I haven't seen my sister in months. I'm also looking forward to unplugging for a bit. Apart from sending the essential "we're still alive" emails, I plan on pretending I live in a pre-internet/cell phone world for a week. I've scheduled a few posts while I'm out. Fun stories and photos to come!

I'm looking forward to long flights and beach reading. Oddly enough, I'm leaving Seattle taking a book set in Seattle and a book by a Seattle author.

Check out this Parks & Rec themed wedding shoot...someone please do this for real. I want to shoot it!

James Blunt's apology

Love this ring

Incredibly impressed by this guy, a Rwandan orphan now a freshman at Harvard.

Once again, Jennifer Garner is awesome.

Wondering what to be for Halloween? Take this quiz to find out! (Teresa got Hipster, I got Cat)

This Downton parody looks hilarious.

Oops!

This would make a wonderfully welcome Halloween prank.

Marcel the Shell is baaaaaaaaack! 


Also, the photo above is a coffee shop in Korea! 

Covers and Covers

I'm on a kick of listening to cover songs. It started with Mary Lambert's album and her beautiful voice sining the 80's classic "Jesse's Girl". And have you heard Aretha Franklin's version of "Rolling in the Deep"?  From that, a playlist was born.

I've loved covers since before I realized it. I knew the cover version long before I heard the original "Killing Me Softly". I was shocked one day circa 1997 when The Fugees' version came on the radio and MY MOM STARTED SINGING ALONG!  How did she know the words?!?  I was amazed to discover it was a Roberta Flack cover.  While I love the originals,  Ryan Adam's "Wonderwall" and Youth Group's "Forever Young" are two of my favorite songs. 

Above, an amazing cover that isn't available on Spotify, and below, I give you a mix of covers from the past and covers I've found more recently. Some are amazing, some are nostalgic, some are a little silly. Here you go!

I feel like we've come full circle, from the days where rap was known for it's sampling of songs of the past to 2014, when everyone is scrambling to post their acoustic versions of Kanye on Youtube. We live in crazy times. 

Look who is walking!!

Mylo walking! At 15 months he's a late walker but as you can see we couldn't be more proud. So fun to see him accomplish these little milestones. Love you Butter!

3 Reasons to Get Married By Someone You Know

My favorite ceremonies to watch, are the ones where the officiant clearly knows and loves the couple getting married. In the photos above, the groom's collage roommate performed the ceremony (he'd gotten ordained online). This was the guy who was closest to the couple from the first "Does he like me?" "Should I call her?" moments, all the way through the ups and downs and finally to the altar. The stories were heartfelt and hilarious. Also, I loved that throughout the rest of the day, the friend/officiant was treated as a member of the bridal party, included in the photos, etc.

Here are three reasons why you might consider having someone know you well perform your ceremony. Maybe that is someone who's ordained already, a pastor or rabbi, but maybe that means considering having a friend or family member get ordained in order to perform your ceremony. OR- consider doing both, if you're set on having a religious officiant, you might consider having someone who knows you do all but the official parts. We've seen this work well on a few occasions.


Here are my 3, fairly simple reasons:

1. They KNOW you! And all your guest want to too! A well spoken friend can speak to who you are as a couple, giving your guests better idea about who you are and what is important to you as a couple. Especially for couples who have pretty separate groups of friends and families who haven't spent much time with the two of you, this is a great way for them to get to know you as a couple. 

2. They won't make any crazy mistakes. Once we shot a wedding where the officiant kept getting the grooms name wrong. Really! I'm not making this up! All through the ceremony. Wrong name.  Obviously, that's an extreme example, but it is fairly obvious and impersonal to have an officiant speak in generalizations about marriage. 

3. They're in it for the long haul. In most faiths, the idea of having a rabbi or pastor marry you isn't just for the purpose of signing the official documents. This person would have been meeting with you before the wedding, offering you counseling and support, and they'd be someone you could come to after you were married. If you're hiring an officiant just for the day, you're missing out on all of that. Who is the person you'd regularly seek out for relationship advice/support? Someone who's relationship you respect. A parent, grandparent or mentor? Perhaps they are the person who should be officiating your ceremony. 

Images Studio JKoe

Munchery Food Delivery

Hey Seattleites! Have you tried out Munchery food delivery yet? They started in San Francisco and recently opened up delivery in the Seattle area. Patrick and I tried it out last week and I have to say we were really impressed. Local chefs design the menu and each day you can go online or use their app to choose one of about 10 entrees and 5 sides to have delivered directly to your house or work. They are all under $10 and the portion sizes were big enough to feed us and Mylo. There are tons of healthy options and for every meal purchased they donate a meal to those in need. Win-win.

If you want to try it out, use this link for $10 off your first purchase. I think we are going to do it again this week!

Monday Motivation

Friday Roundup

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? Fall feels like it has officially arrived in Seattle. Time to break out the boots, tea, and scarves! Here are some links that have made me smile or inspired me this week.

Amazing video of six second graders being treated to a $220 seven course meal. 

Costa Rican hotel in the trees.

Crazy pumpkins

Great parenting advice for toddlers (and those who have to endure their tantrums in public places).

Made me laugh.

Super cute idea for plain white walls.

This rang true to me.

Stunning autumn photography.

Great news! Gotta break out my coloring book today.

These interviews were inspiring for me this week. Which led me here for more inspiration.

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Herringbone Subway Tile

Plain, horizontal, white subway tile is becoming a "classic look" now that seems to be a staple in most remodels. We have it in our kitchen and bathroom currently (we rent) and it gives a clean, new look to the space. Lately though I've been loving the look of placing the tiles in a different way or using different grouting or colors for the tiles. My parent's just redid their kitchen with a matte black subway tile which still looks classic but brings a fun element to the kitchen. Herringbone placement of the tiles is also one of my favorites. What do you think? Stick with the classic or do something unique?

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Handwriting Bracelets

I just stumbled across these on Etsy, as in 5 minutes ago. I was in the process of writing another post, but this just caught my eye. Basically, you send in a handwriting sample and they make it into a beautiful piece of jewelry. This could be a great way to honor or remember a loved one who isn't with you on your wedding day. OR an adorable gift for a groom to give his bride! Or if you're looking for a gift for your mom, sister, etc...The opportunities are endless.

Both photos are from the shop Silverhandwriting.

Weddings aside, I this is just a sweet personalized gift in general.

Pumpkin Spice

I am not a fan of the Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks. Yep, I said it. Did you see John Oliver this weekend ranting against them? Hilarious. I would however, be more interested in drinking something a little more natural like this. Have you ever tried to make one at home?

Monday Motivation

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PS. It's Columbus Day :)

Friday Roundup

Happy Friday! I'm off to lunch with Teresa. It's another one of those weeks where I'm taking Friday afternoon off, yet I'll be spending Saturday in my office, working away :). I've really been trying to get into autumn. Each morning it's cooler and I'm excited to pull out a sweater I haven't seen in months. We'll see how long the enjoyment lasts, before the dreariness sets in. But for now, I'm happy and here are some things that have made me smile this week.

My current favorite necklace, made by the ladies above :)

Therapy Cat

DIY Scarves (that are super easy!)

Carlton does the Carlton! And for a minute, all is right in the world.

If you're looking for something to do in Seattle, check out the Japanese Garden in all of it's autumn splendor.

Google's camel cam

It's beginning to look a lot like Halloween...Scary movies available on Netflix 

Some thoughts on aging 

Congratulations to this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner. She's 17! And here she is talking to Jon Stewart. 

I want to do this! (But not with legos.)



Photo by Jason in Ethiopia

What kids eat for breakfast around the world...

Nearly every morning since he turned six months old Mylo has eaten the same thing for breakfast, oatmeal with fruit and a whole milk. We make it up for him and then just pour it on his high chair tray and he goes to town eating it with his hands. It's pretty messy but he loves it and it fills him up. 

It wasn't my intention to have such a strict routine but I eat cereal every day which is a bit too hard for him to manage (he can't really handle a spoon yet) and so it just sort of became a habit. Did you see this article in the NY Times about what kids eat for breakfast around the world? I thought it was fascinating and the photos of messy haired toddlers were adorable. The one above is of Saki in Tokyo, and below is Tiago in Sao Paulo. 

Photos from NY Times

Wedding Wednesday: Roundup

We're pretty much at the end of the 2014 wedding season. All of you just marrieds, sit back, relax, exhale- you're done!

Here are a few fun ideas I've seen around the web for all of you working away at planning your weddings for next year...

Make the most of a rainy wedding day

Creative guest book ideas

Tips for the best cocktail hour

Elegant garden wedding

Great photo booth ideas (this is in Spanish, I understood about a sentence of it,  but no need to read, just look at the great photos!)

Naked cakes

Unique letterpress invites

Rose gold + moganite ring

Art deco headpiece ideas

Personalized vintage wedding posters

Cookie bar

Image Studio JKoe

Wonderful Weekend in Cannon Beach

We had such a great (and unseasonably warm!) weekend in Cannon Beach last weekend. Each time we go there I love it even more, it really is a magical place. Patrick's brother Jordan and his wife Tiffany joined us for one night and we had a great time hiking with them in Ecola State Park. As you can see, the views were incredible.

It's so fun to see Mylo growing up and experiencing new things like crawling on the beach, playing in the water, and "hiking." He absolutely loved the ocean and beach and was crawling around like a mad man. Can't wait for our next trip to the Oregon coast.

PS. Cannon Beach two years ago and last spring for my 30th.

Jenny's Favorites: September Edition

Jason and I were all over the place this month and here are the things that kept me comfortable at home and on the road. 

1. TEA! While living a tour bus with a couple of guys from across the pond, I got in the habit of having MANY cups of tea every day. English Breakfast was the preferred blend and I've now brought that home with me, it's a perfect habit to take on this time of year, especially since my little yellow

tea kettle is so bright and cheery. 

2. I've started to break out the sweaters, I just bought a sweater stone and it really is a miracle worker. In the evenings, you'll find me watching Netflix and de-pilling my sweaters. 

3. Music! You might have caught my fall playlist, here's one more song I fell in love with while on tour with Ed Sheeran, listening to him sing it most nights, "Little Bird". 

4. I've been wearing a cute little elephant charm. An elephant with its trunk up is a symbol of good luck. For me, elephants are a symbol to remember (they never forget, right!), specifically to remember to be thankful to remember all that I have that is good in my life, and there is a lot. Also, I don't read too much into necklace symbolism, so mainly, I just like elephants, they're cute, I like how their trunks feel grabbing a treat out of your hand and they have great eye lashes! 

5. I've shared my love of PF Candles before, this month, I've been into Sweet Grapefruit and Neroli & Eucalyptus. Especially after reading this article on citrus smell tricking you into cleaning. 

6. Books! This month I've been focusing on Gandhi's autobiography, it's kind of a brick, but I'm enjoying it.  If you're looking for a good fall read, I'd point you towards a few classics that I find especially great for the autumn months: Anne of Green Gables (Anne has a couple of great quotes about fall and the depictions of leaves and fall scenes are enough to make anyone appreciate autumn even if just for a few minutes),  Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger is a little more accurate to how I feel in the fall- depressed and questioning God and life, but maybe not quite as much as Franny :)

7. The Citizen of Humanity Rocket jeans were my uniform for the month of September, and will probably continue to be for the rest of the fall. I love these pants. They're comfy, don't stretch out, and are a good jean to be dressed up or dressed down. 

Monday Motivation

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Friday Roundup

Happy Friday! Hope you have fun plans for the gorgeous weekend ahead. We are going down to Cannon Beach and I cannot wait to see the ocean and eat yummy food.

Here are some links to get us started:

Gone Girl comes out this weekend!!

Jenny sent me this and it made me laugh.

Interesting.

This new children's book looks hilarious.

40 Reasons to be Happy

Gorgeous rugs, drool.

Hipster Kids Halloween Costumes (IRA GLASS!).

Food for thought regarding parenthood and it's effect on marriage.

This looks like a lovely fall cocktail fete.

Fascinating look at the CIA Starbucks.

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Toddler Tunes: Caspar Babypants

Did you know that the lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America, Chris Ballew, now makes baby/toddler music?! He lives in Seattle and goes by the stage name Caspar Babypants. His songs are so much more tolerable, and even enjoyable, than other "baby music." Myles is OBSESSED with his songs and will sit quietly in the car listening or dancing for an hour or so (win!) when we play Caspar. Patrick and I are a little ashamed to admit that we get pretty into some of the songs ourselves, My Flea Has Dogs, is one of our favorites.

If you are in Seattle check him out in concert, he seems to play most weekends!

FUN IDEA: Group Photo

Whenever we're going to be shooting at a venue that we know has a good vantage spot from above, we suggest doing a group photo with all of your guests. Crowd surfing on top of them is optional, but highly recommended :)

Discuss with your photographer in advance if this is an option at your venue. If it is, typically the best time to do it, is right after the ceremony. After the recessional, typically an officiant would give the guests some sort of instructions, inviting them to continue the celebration wherever cocktail hour is, etc. Just have him/her instruct your guests over to the spot where you want them and in just a minute, you'll be able to capture a photo of you and ALL of your friends and family.

You can see more images from Barclay & Makenna's wedding here.