Winter = Cold

Winter in Colorado = Snow... and lots of it... especially when you find yourself 9600 feet above sea level.

As such, it only makes sense to wear some cute winter garb on your wedding. I've already mentioned in an earlier post my fun Coach Juniper Boots that I nabbed from Marshall's for only $99! Now picture white gloves, faux fur stoles, capes & white coats.

Well that keeps me warm yet stylishly fun, but what about my bridesmaids. I don't want them freezing! So I thought ivory pashminas and ivory sweater knit boots like these or navy ugg style boots to match the dreeses like these! <-- update: yep I def just bought those navy boots for Lauren and Amanda! Woohoo!

Bridesmaids

My bridesmaids are few... my 2 sisters. They are the most important women in my life and it only makes sense to have them standing at my side when I utter the most important words of my life.

Shopping for dresses for them has not been an easy task. 1 sister is 27, slender, short, petite... tiny... teensy - get it? The other is 11 going on 21, a tween, yet full figured, young, tom boy meets pink fluff, she's an enigma, she's kinda like me.

A dress that looks good on one does not look good on the other. That's okay. I honestly don't need matching dresses.

Amanda chose this yesterday. It's cute on her and perfect... though she wants lapis over marine... do I oblige?

The dress Amanda chose in both Marine and Lapis. It's cute and fits her age. I found a matching shrug that looks adorable with it.
Lauren's 1st choice at the moment
A Dress I fell in love with but was not what Amanda liked best. Maybe Lauren will like it? It's so me, but I'm not the one to be wearing it.

Let them eat cake!

Wedding cake is something that came with my sister's venue. She was lucky. Now that I see cakes at a minimum are $5 per person, I have to wonder if cake is even worth it. Who pays $5 for a slice of cake that was sitting in the fridge for days before consumption. I suppose I will be paying this hefty price... why, because it's tradition. Because we'll be taking some cheesy pictures with it. Because everything with wedding in the description are a rip off. So on top of this hefty price, we are also charged a set up and take down fee of $50. Yey me!

Both these cakes were done by Katy of Sugar. She is a highly recommended and one of the only bakers to do wedding cakes in town. I like the idea of both cakes but I don't like the color of the snowflake cake. She recommends a 3 tier cake of all white and ivory. There would be snowflakes on the bottom and top tiers and mountain and tree piping on the center tier. I like it, but at $6 per person + $50 set up fee, I don't know if it's worth it. I know my cousin is a baker. I know it's lots of hard work, but lets face it... at the end of they day, it's a freaking cake! Made with eggs, and flour, and sugar, etc... it's not made of organic eggs and milk, it's not made of fillet mignon, it's not made of precious metals. Why is it so expensive?! That ends up being $350 for a cake... a cake.



I suppose in the end, one has no choice. This wedding is giving me sticker shock and I do not like it!

4th of July Weekend

Paul came home... it was his birthday... then the Argentina game [insert sad face here], then hot BBQs, then pool time.

Here are some of the few pics we took.

The line to get in - good thing we were early

Vamos Vamos Argentina!

NY1 & Univision were there

Mate outside while we wait

Blowing the vuvuzela

What happens when you get there late

Group pic

A dad & his son

Some BBQ pics: Volleyball, soccer, food, etc...

Yes those are nude girls on their cake

A sweaty pair

Morcilla & Chorizo mmmmmmm

Camping with the fam

Camping with anyone can be stressful. Especially when they aren't seasoned campers. Camping with 11 people is even more stressful. Make 5 of those people from another family... even more stress. Now lets say that 4 of those people are under 18 years of age and 2 are between 19-21. It becomes a mess.

But, it all worked out in the end. We went swimming at the beach before the rest of the clan arrived. We roasted marshmellows, had BBQ food, went rafting, played football, went fishing, and went on the lake with rented canoes. It was a good time.

Driving home past the lake after dropping the gear off at my Mom's

Our set up - Lauren & Bryan's Green tent and My Mom's blue one

Resting after 2 hand touch football in the sweltering sun

Fishing at the lake

Amanda entertaining herself on the long trip

This boy loves everything nature... and I love that

Can you tell who is excited to get on the road?

Yeah, that car was packed tight

Sequim, WA

No I don't know why... I read books... they take place all over God's beautiful earth. And sometimes I get attached... to places I've never been.

I want to live in Sequim. Maybe not forever... but for a while. Because it seems... well amazing.

On a map you can find Sequim in northern Washington. For all you Twilight fanatics out there... it's east of Port Angles. The soaring Olympic Mountains grace the city’s southern border and the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca create a northern boundary. How can that not seem amazing?

Sequim is home to many many commercial lavender farmers. They are only rivaled by France. The climate is one to be admired. Despite it's PNW location, it averages less than 15inches of rain per year due to it's location (near the mountains) and can be considered a desert.








I'm dying to attend the Sequim annual lavender festival. To see the lighthouse. Live there... maybe?

Fish

I know this will not please many people ... particularly the chefs, cooks and green police, but I have to share.

The east coast has had a heat wave this week - and boy was it hot. In addition, my apartment's water just dried up. No, I still don't know why. I got home to my hot apartment and waltzed into the kitchen not knowing what to eat when I remembered Paul's mom telling me she has cooked fish in the microwave at work for lunch.

I know I know... Microwaves cause cancer, take away from the texture of food and are simply not a cooking tool. I know I know!

But it's 98 degrees in my apartment, I'm hungry, and I have almost no water coming out of my sink. So I searched in my freezer for some frozen talapia I purchased from BJ's wholesale. Yes, they are individually wrapped. Yes, I know this isn't green. Yes, I bought them anyway. Yes, it's helped to reduce fuel and waste in my home. Does it offset? I don't know.

Anyway, I sprinkled some lemon, pepper, salt, and olive oil on my defrosted fish, threw it in the microwave for 2 minutes and it was great. You would never know I didn't put it in the oven for 15 minutes. You'd never know it took me a total of 4 minutes to throw it together. I paired it with a tomato and onion salad (my fav!) and some bread sticks. Instant dinner and I only had to wash 1 fork, 1 knife, 1 cutting board, 1 bowl and 1 small plate. (I soaped them in my kitchen sink but after frustration ensued do to the non existent water pressure, I rinsed them in the bathroom sink).

A yummy cheap dinner that took minutes and didn't increase the temp in my already sweltering home.