Runners

I am constantly amazed and impressed with the people in my life.  Last year I ran my first Half Marathon thanks to my friend and SK sister Jenna, who inspired me by her own Marathon Journey.  Today, she ran the Chicago Marathon, her 2nd Marathon since setting out.  She also flew halfway around to do it, coming all the way from her new home in Australia. She was joined her running buddy Rich and they were able to cross the finish line together. Additionally (though they didn't know each other) my friend Krissy also ran the Chicago Marathon, her first Marathon.

Locally, my friend Matt ran his third Half Marathon today (the Biggest Loser Half in Seattle) and has a new PR of 2:21 (unofficial); I remember encouraging him to come and run his first 5k with me last year and I'm amazed at how much he has pushed since then.  His wife/my friend Becky also ran her first 5k today, the start of another runner, perhaps?

Congratulations to all of you, what amazing achievements!!!  Thank you for continuing to inspire me and all the others you have touched on your journeys!

Golden Tidbit:

Wings. For your shoes. Only $12.95 at Shwings.com

Golden Quote: "The thirst you feel in your throat and lungs will be gone minutes after the race is over.  The pain in your legs within days, but the glory of your finish will last forever." -Unknown

Back Pain

Many of you may have noticed no post last Sunday. That's because I hurt my back. Brushing my teeth. Yup, dental care is that dangerous. Ok, not really, but that single act pretty much put me out of commission most of the week (think inability to sit, stand, walk or bend). After a visit to both my new chiropractor and my doctor, I am on the road to recovery. A whole lot of "take it slow" is involved, and if you know me you know that practically impossible. My loving fiancé has tried to make me rest, relax and take some time to heal, and to his credit, I'm trying.

I'm also about to set out for almost 8 weeks straight of travel; airplane seats, hotel beds, standing and walking.  Which means I see a lot of stretching, weekend relaxation, and unfortunately for me, staying away from running for the time being.  If anyone has some low impact yoga or stretching they can recommend, I'm all ears.

Golden Tidbit:

If you've got to ice your injury, you might as well do it in style, with this Gold Satin Ice Pack for just $11.25

Golden Quote: "Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine." - Lory Byron

Thunderbirds

I got to go to my first Hockey game this weekend thanks to a very generous invite from some amazing friends (thanks Paul & Krystal!) and our seats were in one of the Suites!

Many of you might not know this but my fiance is a HUGE hockey fan so he was pretty excited for this. (Sidebar: He's a Dallas Stars fan but LOVES anything hockey related)  It was also the Season opener which happened to be against the Portland Winterhawks. Having never been to a Hockey game, other than knowing about occasional fights breaking out, I didn't really know what to expect. It. Was. Amazing. I can absolutely say that Hockey in person is soooo much better than Hockey on TV, but I'll probably be able to appreciate it more now.

We even had a visit from Cool Bird, the Thunderbird's Mascot (I might have been overly excited for this). After letting all the kids in the neighboring suite and ours take their pictures, I got my shot:

I didn't get to see any fights but I did get to see a tie which meant overtime and a shootout. Final Score, 4-3, Thunderbirds win!

I hope this isn't the only game I get to see this season, and after taking a look, tickets are really reasonable (starting at around $16, check out your options here). There were a ton of families at the game, so a pretty awesome, reasonable priced family friendly evening, complete with crowd chanting (in this case, PORTLAND SUCKS!).

Golden Tidbit:

These are the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia (XXII). Not so much an item to buy but an amazing award for athletes who are literally the best in the world at what they do. The last time Team USA won a gold in hockey (ironically) was beating Russia in 1980 at Lake Placid, NY.

Golden Quote: "Goaltenders are 3 sandwiches shy of a picnic. From the moment primitive man lurched erect, he survived on the principle that when something hard and potentially lethal comes toward you at great velocity, get the hell out of it's path." - Jim Taylor

12th Man Tailgate

We had the chance to tailgate before the Seahawks/49ers game started (we didn't have tickets, but sometimes that just doesn't matter) and what a great pre-game show our fans gave!

If you haven't heard of Cornhole, get to know it (here).  Begun in Ohio, this game has quickly spread in popularity, and in just our tailgate lot we found these 3 sets:

They were also giving out Richard Shermam masks, and we happened find a lone Seahawks cupkae so of course this had to happen:

Also, it appears that we now hold the new Guinness Book World Record for loudest game: 131.9 decibels, nice job 12th Man! (Also largest Seahawks game attendance at 68,338!)
Update: apparently there was a reading of 136.6 decibels in the 3rd quarter, but I don't know if that was official....

Golden Tidbit:

Why wouldn't you want a Gold game coin?!? Get yours from the Seahawks Pro Shop for $34.95

Golden Quote: "Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that." - Bill Shankly

Seattle Wedding Expo

I promise that this blog won't turn into a wedding blog, though after two weeks of wedding related posts I can see how you might doubt me. Don't worry, I can't think wedding all the time. Today I dragged took my fiance to the Bride's Club Seattle Wedding Expo, which really served as his first exposure to wedding planning and everything that comes along with it.  He's a trooper.

When we walked in they asked if you were the bride or groom and then literally stuck identifying stickers on you so all the vendors know who to target; smart.  I actually think it was smart for us to go before picking a date, venue, anything, because you go in with an open mind.  That said, we're particular people and we could tell the vendors who just weren't going to mesh with us (I'm looking at you, 2 photographers with the urban vintage hipster booths). There were DJ's, event planners, photographers, caterers, venues, even a balloon guy!  And of course the requisite "If you sign the contract today, you get X % off the already special Wedding Expo price" and I saw a few brides who came prepared for that.  Again, smart.  All in all, while interesting, I guess I expected more booths, and more selections. But that's me, I like options.  Fiance, on the other hand, would like the one and be done.  This is what planning is all about.

There was a single Ice Sculpture guy (Ice Works NW), which I have to say was pretty cool, and probably why he ended up being the only photo I took while at the expo.

If you are a bride-to-be don't fret, there's another one in January. (click here) We also did the 2-for-1 deal so $15 for both tickets.

Golden Tidbit:

This is for the guys.  Inspired by the Tux places I saw at the expo, I know my male readers might need an addition to their wardrobes for that dressy occasion. Obviously a Gold Bow Tie is the way to go. After all, Bow Ties are cool. ($9.95 on Amazon)

Golden Quote: "Everyone has a plan - until they get punched in the face." Mike Tyson

Stationary

I've been in a stationary mood lately but can't seem to find just the right one. (I'm sure part of this stems from the beginning of wedding planning and invitations happen to be on the mind.)

I have a local go-to friend who does my usual custom cards for me (one of those so-good secrets I'm just not ready to share her yet, sorry guys!). This is also in keeping with my intention to send an actual piece of mail/package every week and so far, I've been keeping up pretty well.  I think finding more of the right stationary will help kick me off into the holiday season. (Again, who doesn't love getting real mail?)

Set of 8 + envelopes from Haute Papier for $18

Set of 6 cards + envelopes from Missive for $12

Set of 10 cards + envelopes from Papyrus (by Crane & Co) for $19

$4 each from Hello Lucky

I'd love to hear from you guys though; where do you go for your cards and stationary?

Golden Tidbit:

This Gold Foil notebook is the perfect place to jot down your notes or keep a sylish to-do list! Available from Carde Blanche for just $8 

Golden Quote: "I like writing letters and receiving letters. It's a shame that we've lost the art of letter-writing and saving correspondence." - Elizabeth McGovern

Arts and Crafts

As you know (if you're a regular reader) I moved into a new office a few months back (Read here about the original ideas).  I promptly had every intention to decorate and, well, it hasn't happened.  Since I travel often in my job, I can go for weeks at a time without seeing the inside of my office.  That unfortunately means that decorating has fallen to the back of the line of Very Important Things I need to do list.  I did go out and buy some picture frames when I first moved offices and had great intentions of painting them Gold.  This is kind of what I had in mind:

But all gold frames with black & white prints and white matting, and little more space between them, leaning more this direction:

This weekend I finally had the chance/time to paint the frames and I have to say, they came out very well. (Please note: I am by no means a DIYer, ask anyone who knows me. I'm very proud of these.) Also a thank you to Stef & Charles for providing the garage space to make it happen!

I used Rust-Oleum "Specialty Metallic" in Gold; just a few passes and it dried to the touch in less than 30 minutes.  The one at the top had been a dull gold, and the other a Mahogany color.  When I finally get the prints done I want to put in them I'll post a finished pic.  I'm actually looking for some much larger frames to do the same with (my office has very large walls) but but haven't found a frame that is both large and ornate enough to satisfy the look I want.

Golden Tidbit:

I just happened to be browsing at West Elm this week (I can't help it, it's only 4 blocks from my apartment!) and found these completely by accident and I'm so glad I did.  I'm in the place where I should be saying to myself "hey, you should just leave it there and register for this sort of thing" but I just can help myself.  Really, could you?  I didn't think so.  Only $29 at West Elm

Golden Quote: "The best decisions are always made at the last minute.  Just know what the last minute is." - Holly Hunt

Charming Charlie

My friend Becky asked me to go check out a new store that she'd heard about through a few friends - Charming Charlie.  So we dragged our friend Krystal with us and piled into the car for a short shopping road trip.  Think of a store that sells fashion jewelry. And handbags.  And some inexpensive fashion clothes.  And watches. Oh, I can't forget all the scarves.  All very, very affordable.  It's laid out in color groupings, which makes shopping for anything specific much easier.

Well Accessorized

An overview from the store

Game plans: Always good so you don't go crazy and blow too much money on all the gorgeous/fun/trendy stuff that catches your eye.  I wear a lot of black (and gold) so my main goal was to get pieces with color.  Krystal was looking for layering pieces and Becky wanted to update her professional look.  Jewelry really is a great way to change your look even if you wear a similar style during the week.  It's the best way to take a simple outfit to the next level.
Tip: Bring friends who will be honest with you and know your style & wardrobe preferences; this will help you slim down your purchases less painfully before you get to the register.
Bonus tip (courtesy of Krystal): When shopping for necklaces, wear a shirt that has a neckline similar to the majority of what you wear.  Try on ALL the necklaces in store. You'd hate to get your purchases home only to find out they don't work with your wardrobe!

Part of the haul before thinning to the final purchase (red tags are clearance!)

We spend almost 2 hours in this place, and I could have easily spent more. The only problem is it's in Puyallup, and its the only store in the state.  I hear that they are working on getting online ordering ability established, and hope they do soon because that's save me a trip back down to the south end.

Golden Tidbit:

Snagged these great gold earrings for just $8!! Ladies, I know it's a long way down (and for my PDX gals, there's one in Hillsboro!) but believe me, it's well worth the trip!

Golden Quote: "I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny." ― Coco Chanel

15 Must See Movies

There are some movies that you just think of as classics.  Not the Academy Award stuff (necessarily) but the movies that you feel everyone should see, probably has seen, and you are pretty much in disbelief if someone tells you they haven't.  The kind of movies that elicit the, "Oh my God, how have you not seen this before, you have to go watch it now" kind of movies. This happened to me today when my Fiance told me he had never seen "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".  I grew up with that movie, and consider it one of those movies that I assume everyone else watched too.  With this discovery comes a pressing desire to tell you what the other classic movies are that you might not have seen but absolutely should. (not included in this list are movies that I truly assume everyone on Earth has seen, like The Matrix, Top Gun, Back to the Future and Independence Day).

1. Fifth Element
2. Shawshank Redemption
3. Princess Bride
4. Four Weddings and a Funeral.
5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
6. White Christmas
7. Michael
8. The Usual Suspects
9. Fried Green Tomatoes
10. Boiler Room
11. Ever After
12. A Beautiful Mind
13. The Never Ending Story
14. 12 Monkeys
15. Twister

*Honorable mention goes to Idiocracy and Sweet Home Alabama.

Golden Tidbit:

Obviously you are going to need some popcorn to go with your movie watching.  How about some Gold Mine Popcorn, available for $10 at Sun Snacks

Golden Quote: “The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.” 

― Alfred Hitchcock

Engaged

Here I was thinking that my 33rd birthday I would just be another year older, and boy was I wrong.......

I got Engaged!

Yep, you heard that right.  It was a total surprise, and only in looking back did I realize I should have known.  He proposed on the way to my birthday dinner, in an Uber (how Seattle Metropolitan, right??) and when we got the the restaurant, a huge group of all our friends was waiting to surprise me!  We got to celebrate our engagement with our nearest and dearest friends and having everyone there just made for a night that I know we won't ever forget.
*Also a big THANK YOU to our friend Charles who took that amazing picture of us!

Golden Tidbit:

I'd like to thank the staff at E.E.Robbins in Belltown for making this absolutely gorgeous ring into a reality.  Sorry guys, this is a custom, one-of-a-kind and I'm the lucky gal who has the only one!
(Also, a ring box with an LED light in it to light up the ring? Amazing.)

Golden Quote: "I have an engagement ring, which is my favorite accessory." - Jules Asner

It's NSale Time!

In case you missed it, this is one of the busiest summer weekends Seattle has: Seafair, Torchlight Parade, Torchlight half & full marathons, Capitol Hill Block Party, UFC fight at Key Arena,and I'm pretty sure there was a Mariners game thrown in there somewhere too, just for good measure.

In other important Seattle news, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is happening now.

I went a few weeks ago during Preview and man was it worth it! A few classics, and some just for fun:

1. Halogen Back Zip Blouse in Ivory

2. Olivia Moon Reverse Collar Sleeveless Blouse

3. Halogen Stretch Poplin Shirt in White

4.  Wit & Wisdom Skinny Jeans

5. Enzo "Presley" Bootie

6. Wit & Wisdom Itty Bitty Bootcut Jeans

Prices don't go up until August 5th so get yourself over to the sale!!

Golden Tidbit:

I'll admit it, I'm not a huge hot sauce fan, but sometimes I need just a little Kick. I found this and couldn't resist (obvs). Get your own here for just $1.49

Golden Quote: "Shopping is a woman thing. It's a contact sport like football. Women enjoy the scrimmage, the noisy crowds, the danger of being trampled to death, and the ecstasy of the purchase." - Erma Bombeck

Awesome things you probably don't need

In browsing Pinterest earlier this week, I realized that there is a plethora of products that while useful, you probably don't need.  Some of them are pretty amazing and I'll say it; I wish I had thought of them.  So enjoy, and maybe you'll find a new gadget or product you don't really need but have to have. Kind of like reading SkyMall.

Egg Minder

Ever been shopping and thought, "gosh, I wonder how many eggs I have left; should I buy more now?" Thanks to GE, in partnership with Quirky Product, they have solved your problem.  The Egg Minder keeps track of how many eggs you have as well as when you put them in there (oldest egg and how long it's been there/how long until it's not fit to eat). It links to an app so you can check your egg status from anywhere. It's still in development, Price TBD.

Drumbrella

Next time it rains in Seattle, maybe you should pull out your Drumbrella. Oh yes, an Umbrella Rain Drum.  Each piece of canvas has a different elasticity that will produce a unique sound as the rain falls on it.  Also still in development, it's obviously geared towards the Seattle tourist market (Remember; Seattle natives never use umbrellas)

POP Retro Handset

Do you feel the need to take your Smartphone back into 1985?  Or are you afraid that your Smartphone is emitting radiation and you want to protect yourself? Then this Gold POP Hanset is perfect for you.  This Gold one is a limited edition and available for just $50

Portable Fireplace

In case you need to create a mood wherever you go, or if you are always a little chilly, I present to you a Portable Fireplace. Currently available on Overstock.com for $199

Golden Tidbit:

I know I can't be the only one who wants to cover my food in Edible Gold Spray Paint. The brand Ess Lack is featured in the pic above but it's not yet available in the US.  Instead, I'll recommend Chefmaster Edible Spray available from Amazon for $11.52

Golden Quote: "It costs a lot to build bad products." - Norman Ralph Augustine

Celebration packed weekend

As you may have noticed the Kitchen Sink didn't post this Sunday. I was lucky enough to be celebrating some pretty incredible events and the day got away (as it sometimes does). We celebrated my Boyfriend's 30th birthday and attended my good friend Paige's wedding. What a celebration filled weekend and we were so lucky to be surrounded by amazing friends and fantastic weather the whole time. Make sure you take the time to celebrate, both the big and small, because those are the times you truly will remember years from now!

Golden Tidbit:

When celebrating a birthday there is no better way than with golden taper candles. Elegant and.... Gold! A great way to start your celebration, available for only $4.00 (+ shipping)

Golden quote: "Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!" -Amanda Bradley

Summer Reading

Have you guys seen the weather we've been having? These are the days and weeks that we wait through 9 months of rain for, and they are well worth the wait. We were lucky enough to spend some time on a friends boat yesterday, and it was pretty much perfect, like the rest of the week has been.

A word of advice; even if you think you've applied sunscreen everywhere make another pass.  I managed to get a little burn but it's a painful reminder of how sneaky summer can be.

I also enjoyed some vacation time this week which meant I finally got some good reading in.  I'm a huge bookworm but sometimes it doesn't feel like there's enough time to add a good book into everything else going on during a day.  Being able to just get lost in a good book is my idea of perfect relaxation.  I actually picked up on an old series this week that I had read literally years ago: the Ender Quintet.  I read Enders Game back when it first came out and it's as good now as it was back then.  I'm already half-way through book three, and always looking for more books to add to my summer reading list!

Golden Tidbit:

I'm a fan of owning pysical books, and would love to build a huge library some day.  In the meantime I'm pretty partial to this Gold Kindle.  From Amosu Coutore, it can be yours for only $1900!

Golden Quote: "The more that you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss

Train Travel

We're traveling via the 'ol Railroad today to start our vacation. Granted, this railroad has wifi and we're sitting in business clas, so a little different from the "classic" train.  We're heading to Portland for a mini vacation; really just a few days away from everything to relax, take a break and pretty much do nothing except eat, drink and quietly compare everything to Seattle.  That's pretty much what a vacation is all about, right?

We took the 7:30AM Amtrak train this morning, leaving from King Street Station:

But the real treat is inside......

King Street Station

The King Street Station originally opened in 1906, and a restoration was just completed in April of this year; truly a sight to see.  The ceiling used to be hidden by acoustical tiles (see here) which were removed during the restoration to reveal the incredible detail you see in that picture. (More info about King Street Station restoration project here) 

Union Station

We had to make a quick Starbucks run before boarding and got to pass Union Station on the way, which I've heard is equally impressibe inside.  We'll be passing through on the way back so we'll have the opportunity to see for ourselves.

Narrows Bridge

Once on board the train, we settled in to our spacious Business Class seats and relaxed to take in the impressive scenery.  Above you see a shot of the Narrows, we tried for a shot of Mt. Rainier as well but it just didn't want to turn out.

Golden Tidbit:

Although not available for purchase (at least not the original), there's only one appropriate tidbit for today's rail post; the Golden Spike driven at Promontory Point. 

Golden Quote: "Railway termini are our gates to the glorious and the unknown.  Through them we pass out into adventure and sunshine, to them, alas! we return." -E. M. Foster

Wedding Guest Etiquitte

It's June and that means that wedding season is in full swing. This means gift buying, attire planning and celebration to be had for close friends and family!

We were lucky enough to attend a wedding of some good friends last night who included this sentiment on the toasting glasses: 



When attending weddings I have my own set of wedding ettiquite rules that I use, which are pretty common sense, but always a good idea to review for the season. 

• What to wear: Since a wedding is a celebration, not something to mourn, black is a color I won't wear.  Red is also on the no-go list; nothing should take attention from the bride & groom, and red pretty much does that (shades of pink and maroon are fine, but bright fire red seems..... inappropriate). I personally believe it goes unsaid that white is a huge and obvious no-no. Unless of course the invite specifies colored attire.
• What to give: If the Bride and groom have registered, I tend to stick to it.  You know they want/need the items since they've taken the time to list them. I have recently seen a rise in the use of a site called Honeyfund.com which allows you to contribute to the couple's honeymoon (airfare, hotel upgrades, excursions, etc) so they can enjoy their first time away as newlyweds.
• How to toast: Try to keep your toast genuine, heartfelt, and to wishing the couple many years of love.  We've all been at the wedding where the embarassing college or pre-couple story cropped up in a toast and it makes the whole room uncomfortable. Keep the sentiment true to your good wishes for the couple, everyone will admire your thoughts.
• Bonus - Social Media:  In today's age of social share everything instantly, the desire to post pictures of the beautiful wedding is overwhelming. Know your couple.  They may want to be the ones to post the first pics of their special day. Conversely, they may provide a wedding day hashtag to encourage posts (example: #smithwedding).  I've even seen wedding pic sharing apps so that all the pictures the guests take are in one place.  If you aren't sure, ask someone in the bridal party.

Golden Tidbit:

Sometimes you need just the right accessory to complete the perfect wedding guest outfit.  I was browsing at H&M last weekend and found a Pyrite necklace that let me to this Etsy beauty. I've been thinking about picking up something like this for a while, so it was pretty perfect timing. For just $25 what a bargain!

Golden Quote: "Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that." - Michael Leunig



Fathers Day Gift ideas

Happy Fathers Day! In honor of all the Great Dads out there (mine included!) here's some gift ideas that don't include Ties and socks.  Let's be honest, dads have more than enough of those. (also, great gift ideas for guys in general, we all know that can be tough sometimes).

Meat Skewers from the Grill from Ipanema

Meat.  On a Skewer.  What dad wouldn't like that? Take dad to the Grill from Ipanema (in belltown) or get a gift certificate.  While I haven't eaten here myself, I've heard amazing reviews from friends.

Woodinville Whiskey

Available at amny local retailers (from Safeway to Wine World), Woodinville Whiskey is one of the few Whiskeys made close to the Seattle area (but not the only one in the state).

Get Dad a walking food tour of Pike Place Market. Small groups, fewer stops mean a better background and bigger bites! Chek out Seattle Food Tours for more info

Golden Tidbit:

Today I'll be attending a friends Graduation party and I'm very excited for him.... however, he's graduating from UW (yes, my rival college).  It was requested that I wear Purple, which I don't own, so of course I'll wear gold. and bring some Cougar Gold.  What else could be the appropriate start for College rivalry? Available at QFC & Costco locally, and also online from the WSU Creamery for $20 (cheese, in a can, shipped to you.  Pretty amazing!)

Golden Quote: "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me." - Jim Valvano