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