This is Thirty Something

Hold my beer, I got this.

Who were you again?

Sometimes it is hard to keep track of all your family members.
Okay, really it’s not, unless you are part of the Duggars family on 19 kids and Counting.
However, you might get tired of pointing out to friends and coworkers who each person in your wedding album is.
Here is a cute idea to bypass that.

It also just makes for a cute photo
and who knows, maybe in 50 years you won’t remember their names.
Now, you will have a good reference point.

West Elm needs a Groupon

There is a blog I follow, written by a girl in Texas.
She is adorable and gorgeous and each time she posts I realize we have more in common than just those two traits.
(Kidding)
On the serious though, we have a lot of the same taste when it comes to decor and shopping.
In fact, we even wore the same wedding dress!
Although, she removed the bow
(Which was my favorite part!)
Remember that bedding I coveted at Z Gallerie back in April?
( I am waiting for a sale because it was $$$)
 She just did a post last week…. about how she loves that SAME bedding, but won’t buy it till it goes on sale.
Apparently we are both woven from the same bargain threads.
She also has big feet ,the same Ikea bookcase as me and a husband who’s beard grows in red, just like Steve’s!
But wait, it gets even creepier.
We use the same hair spray, face wash regimen AND bought the same winter coat last year. 
Although, we are the same height, I am unfortunately not a size 2 like she is.
 Damn it.
Anyway, she talks about West Elm a lot on her blog.
We have never had one around here, until now!
 I was beyond excited to find out we had a store opening this year in Seattle.
Time to go shopping!
Here are a few items that will definitely be on my wish list this holiday season:
Striped Bedding in Grey & White

Silk Sheer Paisley Panels

White out Lamps

Assorted sizes Convex mirrors

Manzanita Candelabra

Wishbone Thanksgiving Platter
Have you been to the new West Elm yet?

Renton’s Finest Halloween Bash

The Hubs and I decided to have a Halloween party this year.
We haven’t had a lot of our friends over to our house since we moved in and thought it would be a good way to have a pseudo housewarming.
After a month of planning and spending hundreds of dollars on decor, food & drink, I sat staring at the guest list on my computer.
 The RSVPs for NO, were definitely outweighing the Yes’s.
I was worried and anxious.
I love hosting, but there is that whole ” What if no one shows up?” thing that hangs over my head that always makes me question why I signed up for this!
Why didn’t we just go to someone else’s party?
Then we wouldn’t have to clean… or make lil’ smokies, or mow the lawn.
This is when my better half steps in and reassures me that people WILL COME and if only 5 people show, it’s still a party.
 I am glad at least one of us is a glass half full kind of person.
As the day went on though, I got promising phone calls and texts and slowly I realized things were coming together and there was going to be a decent crowd.
Flash forward to 11pm and we have about 50 people crammed in our house.
I would say that was a success.
Here is the house “before” the party.
Trust me, you don’t want to see the “afters”
I am still cleaning.
 In fact, when I opened my make up carrier to get my mascara out this morning, I found a Jello shot wrapper… with remnants of Jello still inside.
Thanks, who ever did that!
I bet you thought you were pretty cleaver!
Our cute little house
My cat pumpkin

The hub’s pumpkin

My sister’s pumpkin

Gaga Pumpkin
The main floor

Homemade Sangria

The upstairs
The downstairs
Fire pit outback
 
Since, I was having such a good time myself, I forgot to make a lap around each floor of the house and snap action photos.
 I am missing pictures of a lot of people.
The sacrifices of a hostess I suppose.
Let the party begin!

Our neighbor showed up dressed as a woman

Keepin it local with the Rainier
(Which btw tastes like crap. I had to enlist some folks to drink it, so I could have the empty cans)
Here is GaGa with the soda cans. I hate Diet Coke though.
Hope everyone had a great Halloween this year!

A Halloween Wedding

I think fall weddings are beautiful.
There are so many directions you can go in for a Halloween theme too.
 It doesn’t have to be plain old black and orange.
You can “Martha” it up a bit.
Here are some inspiration photos I found
Cleaver Invitations

A spooky candy buffet

Nicely done Nightmare cake

Black and white striped ribbon to die for!
LOVE the dress

Elegant Halloween decor

Thank you cards? lol

Adorable chair sashes

Fall leaves
Would you ever have a Halloween wedding?

In the spirit

This month is full of birthday parties!
Over the weekend, I went out for a girls night on the town to celebrate another birthday of a friend.
First we went to dinner at Barrio in Capitol Hill.

It was delicious.
Totes reminded me of Matador ( which I LOVE)
All the drinks and all the food looked fabulous.
I had the Butternut Squash Sopapillias and Apple Spinach salad.
I will definitely go again.
The service was great as well.
The only complaint I have about the restaurant was finding the front door.
Perhaps my blonde is sinking in, but we could not figure out how to get inside the building.
It was like a fortress.
Me, Angela & Danica

I also made a cake for the birthday girl.

My fancy drink

Barbie leg

Barbie leg

Barbie Leg
Our Art Walk through Capitol hill
After dinner we headed to Julia’s for a show at La Faux.
I hadn’t been there before and it was pretty impressive.
The headliner of the evening was Shangela who apparently was the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race show. Which I have never seen.
He was amazing though.
I Wish I had some pics from the performances but I didn’t have the greatest seat in the house.
I also had two kids under the age of 8 sitting next to me.
Not sure they belonged there, with all the gyrating hips,but they seemed to enjoy singing along to all the songs!

Caramel apples

Not the most practical treat.
Surprisingly difficult to eat.
Top heavy, sticky mess.
Jaw breaking, teeth under stress.
But I still love you,
 my tart apples wrapped in a sweet caramel dress.

AND
did you know they made these now?!
What a life saver

Meatball Problems- Shut your mouth you dirty little hamster part 2

As some of you may remember, last Halloween Steve and I had planned to dress as Snooki & Pauly D.
Things got crazy, we ended up skipping the festivities and the hard work of ordering accessories online went by the way side.
Fortunately, a friend of mine decided to throw her husband a Surprise Thirtieth Birthday party Zombie style.
We decided it would be boring to just dress as plain old dead people.
So we brought the Staten Island dump back and went Jersey on it.
The fine Guido & Guidette couple

The dead spread

The zombie girls

The zombie boys

Inebriated Wii dancing

Group shot

The birthday boy & his wife

This photo pretty much sums up the night.
In retrospect the hair was a little more Amy Winehouse than Snooki, although they really seem to be interchangeable persona’s I suppose.
Maybe Amy would have been more fitting though, given her current situation.
Too soon?
They told me to go to rehab…

Burlap ain’t just a sack no more

Check it.
Gone are the days of storing produce in your cellar.
Gone are the days of endangering your ankles as you speed hop across the grassy knoll with your kicks tangled up inside a bag.
It’s the year 2000 ( in Conan voice)
and burlap isn’t just for tubers.
It’s for furniture and everything in between.
Durable? Yes.
Itchy? Maybe.
But, style ALWAYS trumps comfort… doesn’t it?
Yeah, I see you hiding those Louboutins.

Would you put burlap inside your house??
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