I’m not usually the type to enter a giveaway that requires votes, but this one was too fun to pass up! Just before we left on our trip, our friends as Assemble posted about a local Seattle jewelry studio called With These Rings that is hosting a giveaway for a couple to have a custom wedding band making session. Who lives in Seattle, needs wedding bands soon, and LOVES making things from scratch?! This girl.

This is where I need your help, though. I was a slacker on getting Erik and I entered until the very last day – and votes are only open until May 30th (thats next Thursday!) Here’s what I need you to do: visit the With These Rings facebook giveaway gallery and either Like or Comment on Erik and I’s entry. Easy peasy, right?

Since this a local giveaway, we have a real chance of winning with your support. I think this would be such an awesome thing for Erik and I to get to do to celebrate the next chapter of our lives, after the Navy, and after all this long distance BS. Plus, erik had my engagement ring custom designed and i think it would be awesome for him to get to have the same opportunity! A teensy little vote?! please?!

xoxo

I found this portrait that I took of my Grandma back on St. Patrick’s Day. She’s my only remaining grand parent and such a wonderful spirit.

Lisette Wolter-McKinley is a local Seattle photographer who we’ve recently met through our Seattle Bloggers group. Go visit her lovely blog Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary and enjoy her gorgeous photos!

As always, check out all the other (always gorgeous) sets over at Rebekah’s blog, A Bit of Sunshine.

As B and I prepare to go on our trip, we are busy packing, planning our itinerary, finding the perfect travel gadgets and finishing up everything at work.

Pulling out my travel gear though has caused me to reflect on all the amazing places in the globe that I have experienced. Where have you gone and loved?  What’s your bucket list trip of a lifetime?

I am hoping to take some time to learn new things on this little adventure.  I wonder what this trip will teach me?

Hey everyone! While the cats are away, this mouse is happy to do a little guest posting. I’m Sandra and I blog over at Raincoast Cottage about art, photography, film and the creative process. In other words, anything that inspires, challenges or entertains.

I also love to travel. I’ll go anywhere, anytime. And one of my favorite things to do when traveling is to visit art museum.

Here are my top tips to make your art museum visit a highlight of your vacation. (I’ve used MoMA,  the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, as an example but these tips apply to ANY art museum).

Ready? Let’s go!

DO check the museum website for free admission times. We’re all on a budget when traveling, right? (MoMA is free on Fridays from 4pm-8pm. Better than the U$20 ticket price. But get there early – it’s popular!)

DON’T bring a backpack or a bag larger than 11×14” as you may be required to check it. Why waste time in line ups?

DON’T use a flash camera. Some galleries allow still photographs but most will not allow any flash. This includes your iPhone or android.

DO bring a small notebook for sketching or taking notes.

DON’T expect to see everything – pick and choose ahead of time or ask at the information desk when you arrive.

DO rent/borrow the audio tour device. (They are free at MoMa but at other museums or galleries you may have to pay a small rental fee). Context is everything – you need the background info. And if you have kids, they often have audio tours just for them.

DON’T get in the way. Stay out of other visitors’ line of sight. Don’t block their view!

DO take a break when you feeling overwhelmed. Grab a drink or a coffee. (Café 2 on the second floor at MoMA is excellent).

DO visit the museum gift shop. You don’t need to buy anything – it’s fun just to browse and get inspired. (The MoMA bookstore is on the second floor, MoMA’s flagship shop is in the museum by the main entrance and MoMA design store is across the street).

DO buy postcards of your favorite artworks rather than coffee table books to save space, weight, and dollars.

So do you have any other tips to share?

[butter dish]

[s&p shakers]

[pendant]

[spoon rest]

 [stacking vessels - not new but always catch my eye]

What instant heirlooms are you coveting these days??

This palette for summer entertaining (with the added bonus of being able to reuse for the wedding)

This rope tub from the Container Store. Patio ice bucket, blankets for outdoor movie night (can you tell I’m feeling summer in my core)

A simple but INSANELY beautiful arrangement of garden lilacs. From Martha, of course.

My friend Lexy painted these votives. I just bought a couple similar ones from Target to play with for colorful centerpieces, and I may DIY the rest with this technique so cut down on costs. (Lexy also just found out she’s having a baby GIRL. Go leave congrats!)

DYING over this Canned with Love Stamp. Want to put it on my birthday list, but I will have already canned so many things before August, I’m not sure I can wait.

You can find me on Pinterest here and D on pinterest here. Leave your pinterest link in the comments, we’d love to be friends!

The {plant} babies are growing!  The other day I told my small group girls that I could not wait to eat my plant babies.  Although several of them only heard “eat my babies” which caused 15 minutes of hysterical laughter about cannibalism.

Salads, here we come!

Look at the babies:

Three things we think are invaluable to growing inside:

1.  Grow Bulb:  Did you know we have many hours of clouds in the spring?  So, we took out our normal bulb in the dining room and replaced it with this grow light.

2.  Warming Mat:  This guy sits under the trays and warms the dirt!

3.  Fancy Soil from Sky Nursery.  Its organic and specially mixed for growing seeds indoors in flats.  Plus, when you heat it with the warming mat, it makes your house smell like very healthy and wet compost.  YUM!

How are your babies looking?  What are you planting this year?  Anything you love growing from seed?

When B and I learned that a new store was moving in, we jumped at the chance to head over and check it out.

Ballard Consignment hides treasures behind the bright red storefront.  I mistakenly assumed this would be like any other antique store in town.  wrong!

The place is huge! Over 8,000 sf, on two floors.   The shop was full of amazing items from every decade.  Best of all, unlike other shops I have been in where I feel like one wrong move will cause an avalanche, this place was SO well organized.  Furniture, lamps, housewares, and rugs were all set up in small rooms throughout, showcasing each piece.

When we stopped by a few things caught our attention, including this saturn lamp B was in love with!

:

Since we love this shop, we thought you might too!  Especially you locals on the hunt for vintage!  B and I were excited when the owners offered you readers a special discount coupon. Just right click, save the coupon, and print it out! It’s good all year and their inventory rotates quickly.  Stop by!  If you do, Comment and let us know what made its way home with you!

First – my Blogger Bride is starting over at Engaged and Inspired tomorrow. I’ll be sharing stories and inspiration every Tuesday from now until the wedding, so thats where most wedding stuff will live. I’ll give updates here when those go up but would love for you to follow along there as well. Tomorrow is just an introduction to say “hi!”

Second - this article from A Practical Wedding on long distance relationships and wedding planning is SO SPOT ON. If you’re in a long distance relationship and needing encouragement, or you want to imagine what its like for Erik and I to plan a wedding from 3,000 miles away, this pretty much hits it perfectly.

Third – These fun photos from the Wedlocks event that my bridesmaid Dana and I went to this weekend. Loved the neon hair stuff photobooth backdrop. I picked up a bunch of cards for day-of hair and makeup, but if you have any recommendations local to Seattle, I’d love to hear them.