Time to pack...

We fly out on Sunday morning and have not even taken the suitcases out of the guestroom closet.

I can think of hundreds of other things I should be doing right now, instead I'm sitting at work DREAMING of Maui with zero concentration on what needs to get accomplished before I leave for a week and a half.


by Violator3
This photo may represent Steve and I when we refuse to depart from the Hawaiian Islands. However, my dress looks nothing like the one in the photo and Steve is wearing a khaki linen suit.

hope everyone has a wonderful {relaxing} weekend!
And for those of you that are traveling to Maui, please don't stress when it comes time to pack.

The Sweet Spot

Is oh so sweet, but definitely oh so painful. As a wedding gift from my dear friend Lisa Beth Spry, she gave me the gift of sugaring. Sugaring is similar to waxing, but consists only of sugar, lemon juice and water rather than the substances used to make hot wax. I have fairly sensitive skin, so waxing was pretty much out of the question for me. Spry is a huge fan of sugaring and now may have me hooked. For me, the pain was pretty intense and at one point (during the 45 minute procedure) thought I was going to have to stop, but I made it through alive and feel good today.



I highly recommend Sweet Spot in Fremont for anyone interested in hair removal.

Just add Diet Coke

To a box of chocolate cake mix and you've got a delicious chocolate cake!

No eggs, no oil and no water needed.
Directions:
Combine the chocolate cake mix and can of Diet Coke
Bake as directed on box





To maintain the "healthiness" of the cake, add fat free cool whip rather than frosting.

I didn't believe Steve the first time he made this recipe, but I've made it a few times since and have received excellent reviews.

:: Weekend Getaway ::

Our trip up to Victoria, BC was PERFECT and traveling by seaplane is definitely my new favorite form of transportation. It's simple and gets you to your final destination much faster compared to car, train, boat, etc PLUS it's beautiful! Even with the gray skies, it's so fun to look out the window and see familiar landmarks up-close.

Saturday morning, we flew to Lake Union from Kenmore (7 min flight) and then flew from Lake Union to our final destination of Inner Harbor, Victoria (45 min flight). On the way back yesterday, we received special treatment from a few of my sisters friends at work and enjoyed a scenic flight to Bedwell Bay, Vancouver, picked up four passengers and then headed back to Lake Union and then on to Kenmore (after a private tour of downtown Seattle from the sky).

If you ever decide to make the trip up to Victoria, I would definitely recommend staying overnight and booking your room at the Inn at Laurel Point - beautiful rooms and VERY reasonably priced.

Things to do and see in Victoria:

- Experience the Royal BC Museum

- Take in an IMAX movie at the museum

- Walk around the grounds of the BC Parliament Building

- Walk through Inner Harbor

- Check out the lobby (or stay the night) at the beautiful Fairmont Empress Hotel

- Explore the shopping along Douglas St. and Government St.

- Have a drink or watch a hockey game (no thanks on the latter) at the Sticky Wicket

- Walk through Chinatown

Almost two full days and one night was plenty of time for us to spend in Victoria, but we would definitely like to go back up during the Summer months and enjoy more outdoor activities like kayaking, bike riding, etc.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the weekend - enjoy.





















* I'll share a few more fun photos from inside the museum later

Leaving on a Seaplane

Courtesy of my sister Megan, Steve and I will be flying to Victoria, British Columbia tomorrow moring on Kenmore Air (Megs employer for the past few years) for a weekend of relaxation. I'm thinking this is exactly the relaxation we'll need before we take off for Maui next weekend.

Photo taken by Megan Coffey

I haven't been to Victoria since I was a kid and I don't really remember it so I'm looking forward to exploring a new city. We're both most excited to a) experience a flight on a seaplane and b) to take photos, but to be honest, I'm a bit concerned considering the maximum luggage weight per person is 24 pounds - this could be an issue.

What are your plans for the weekend? Whether you're spending it with a loved one or friends, I hope it's a good one.

Did you know?

That the best time to purchase a new mattress and box spring is at the end of February?
If no, then you are right there with me. I had no clue about this until two weeks ago when we went to Macy's to test out beds. Apparently, all of the new beds come out in March so the lowest prices are in February. Considering, I had one of the best nights of sleep last night on our new Sealy Posturpedic "Moon Scape" Plush Euro, Pillowtop Mattress with Memory Foam bed last night, I figured it was a smart tip to share with all of you. I don't think I've ever owned a "new bed" other than my crib or trundle bed as a child so this was a big step. Another tip I'd like to add is that you have the option for either a low-profile box spring, which is usually 5.5 in. or a standard which is 9 in. We went with the low-profile because the mattress is so thick and we didn't want it the height going over the end of our sleigh bed...and I'm short and didn't want to have to leap into bed.

Here's the bed - I would have taken a photo of the actual thing, but our room is a mess.

And here's the new duvet cover (from Crate & Barrel) that we received as a gift two weeks ago, but used for the first time last night - love it! And can't wait to get the matching pillow shams.

A little something for our wedding guests...

I will say it over and over and over again, but there are not enough words to express how thankful Steve and I are for our family and friends that will be making the trip out to Maui for our wedding in the next few short weeks. When we began planning our wedding, almost a year ago, we didn't predict the economic downturn that would be occuring and quickly reaized that we were planning a destination wedding during the hardest economical time most of us have ever been through. When we tell people that we have 105 guests making the trip out to Maui for us, they're shocked, as are we. We are so excited for the weeks ahead and as a tiny gesture of our thanks, we mailed out the below envelopes to all attending guests this past week.

The little "care package" of sorts includes:
- Personalized luggage tags
- A personal brochure (made by Steve and I) with important details about Maui, the wedding, etc.
- A helpful brochure from Maui Kannapali Villas, which is where most guests will be staying and where our welcome BBQ will be held on Wednesday night.

The countdown continues...and so does the snow...

I woke up to snow and freezing temperatures this morning. And to start my week, in an attempt to scrape the snow off of my windshield, I locked my keys in the car, along with my purse and cell phone, while it was running!! Usually, Steve leaves for work before me, but thankfully he was still home so he was able to unlock it with my spare. I don't mind that all of this happened and laughed instead of getting upset BECAUSE two weeks from today, I will be waking up to THIS!

Seafood Lovers Delight :: Cioppino

One of my goals of 2009, was to test out new recipes - well, last night I did just that. I made something for the very first time and received an excellent review. And not to toot my own horn, but it was one of the best seafood dishes I've ever had.

There is a bit of a story behind this choice for a meal. A couple of weeks ago, I took advantage of the Southwest Airlines 3-day sale and purchased tickets to San Francisco for Steve and I as his birthday present. I wasn't going to tell him about this gift until we celebrated his birthday in Maui, since it's three days after the wedding, but I slipped and forwarded him an email in which I had explained to a friend that we were heading to the Bay Area at the end of April for a few nights. That said, I figured a San Francisco style dinner was in need, so I immediately contacted the best amateaur chef, that I know, in San Francisco, my dear friend Jackie and asked what the best San Francisco themed dinner recipe she had. She immediately suggested Cioppino and I began working out my Whole Foods shopping list.

The recipe Jackie suggested came from All Recipes. I did some further research and made a few tweaks from other recipes I found.
3 tbsp butter
Half of a large onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 large can of crushed tomatoes (~2 cups)
1 can of chicken broth
1/2 cup clam juice
4 bay leaves
2 tbsp dried basil*
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/2 lb cod, cubed
1/4 lb bay scallops
1 lb small clams
1/4 lb calamari, cut into small rings
1/4 lb crabmeat - ask the Seafood specialist for the largest pieces.

* All seasonings were purchased in the Whole Foods seasoning section - very chep way to go. I suggest the seasoning serving size to be based on taste - so, add a little and test it out.

1. Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large stockpot, add onions and garlic. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onions are soft.
2. Add tomatoes to the pot (break them into chunks as you add them). Add chicken broth, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano and wine. Mix well. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
3. Stir in the shrimp, cod, scallops, clams, calamari and crabmeat. Bring to boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes until clams open. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with warm sourdough bread!





The total time this took from start to finish was about an hour. The most time consuming part was probably the trip to Whole Foods, which I didn't mind at all.

With the leftovers, we plan on having it over linguini this weekend.