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