1, 2: Weekend trip to Portland with a couple of gal pals 

3, 4: Evening commute home 

5, 6: A weekend of cleaning and organizing 

7, 8: Stuck in the sand while clamming at Ocean Shores (ha!) and a lazy Sunday

(Photos via Instagram)

I went out early this morning to cut a handful of daffodils for my desk. Came back from brunch and noticed this little guy decided to bloom early.

Spring is right around the corner, and I am so very much looking forward to its arrival.

Seattle Great Wheel and Pacific Park at Santa Monica Pier via Instagram.

. . . . .

I am such a sucker for Ferris wheels. There's something so nostalgic and wholesome about them, and they instantly remind me of hot and humid late summer evenings. I'm not sure why exactly, but it's the image and feeling I get whenever I encounter one.

This past summer, Seattle got its very own Great Wheel. I haven't had the chance to ride on it, but just seeing this ginormous circular structure plopped right on top of Pier 59 makes me feel so giddy and happy. It makes the city look complete.

And while I was in Orange County this past weekend with friends, I got to see another Ferris wheel at the the historic Santa Monica Pier. A vintage design that's both lovely and colorful.

Spring in Seattle, at Greenlake via Instagram.

. . . . .

Wow. Excuse me while I dust off the cobwebs around here. It's been a while.

So many things have happened lately, so much I want to share, yet so much that I don't know what to share. Do you ever get that feeling?

Life has been going at a pretty fast pace for me. I'm running along with it, and it's great, but at the same time trying to find little breaks here and there to catch my breath.

Speaking of running, a few of my friends and I participated in the Nordstrom Beat the Bridge this past weekend. It's a run that fund-raises money to help the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The event has several different courses (1 mile fun-run, 4 mile walk, and 8K race), and this was my second year running the 8K (4.9 miles). What I like most about this run is that you have approximately 20 minutes to "beat the bridge" at the 2-mile mark before it goes up. The first time I did this, I was a few minutes too late and had to wait on the "left behind" side for the bridge to go back down. Sad, I know. This year, my goal was to both beat the bridge, and run under one hour. Beat the bridge I did, and finished the race with a time of 55:57. Most likely the highlight of my weekend, muscle aches and all. 

How's May going for everyone?

Happy May Day everyone! How is the weather in your neck of the woods? Seattle's been on this wet-on-weekdays, dry-on-weekends pattern lately. I'm not complaining too much, but I'm looking forward to more consistent sunshine that's for sure.

I snapped these photos years ago (circa 2008), when I acquired my first DSLR. My old college campus has rows of cherry blossoms along The Quad, and every spring when the flowers bloom, it's one of the most prettiest sites on campus. (See more lovely shots of UW from Rachel here and here.)

Since I can remember, I've always been surrounded by sewing. My mother is an excellent seamstress. Growing up, I've watched (and helped) her turn yards of fabric into dresses, jackets, pants, bags, and even stuffed animals.

This summer, I am determined to learn this trade from her. And would love to own these shears and thread cutter in the process.

I told her that I want to take up sewing and she needs to teach me. Her response:

"Before you learn how to sew, you must first learn how to fix."

Via Instagram.

. . . . .

Have you ever looked around your bedroom and noticed the little things that make your room, well, you? They could be something big and bright, or small and subtle. Either way, they're the things that make your room feel comfortable and familiar.

My room is pretty much all white. White walls, white furniture, white bedding, white curtains. It's a simple color and easy to pair with other colors. But what I love most about a white palette is that it allows all the ordinary, or semingly mundane, things to stand out.

My sheets and duvet cover are white, but the edge of my pillow covers have gray leaves. An empty mobile hangs from a corner of my ceiling, always subtly swaying and spinning to the room's natural airflow. The collection of W magazines that I've yet to read, stacked next to vintage Fortune magazines that I've yet to look through. And the warm presence of Charlie next to me as I reluctantly wake up every morning.

A few weeks ago, a couple of my friends and I spent a glorious and sun-filled weekend in San Francisco. I had been keeping a small stash of original Polaroid film in my fridge since the day I found out they were no longer in production, and promised myself that I would use these precious packs of film sparingly. Well, after three plus years, I was finally down to my last two packs (just 20 exposures!) and decided to splurge.

One of my favorite things about San Francisco is that they have a huge food scene. I mean, don't get me wrong, Seattle is pretty up there with eateries, but it's more of a slow and steady culture. SF kind of engulfs you right off the bat and gives it to you in one big blow. So you can pretty much guess what my friends and I did all weekend. We ate (Fisherman's Wharf)...and ate (Ferry Plaza Farmers Market)...and ate (Smitten Ice Cream). I also got to meet the lovely Mindy, and we bonded over lunch at The Slanted Door.

We rented a car and drove quite a bit. It wasn't fun being stuck in traffic, or having to pay toll, but hey, it sure made us feel like locals. And I have to say, these photos are a little bittersweet to look at. Bitter because it means no more 10-pack, original Polaroid instant film, but sweet because I couldn't have thought of a better trip to use it on.

Gasworks Park overlooking Lake Union and Seattle, May 2008.

. . . . .

I bought a lounge shirt a while back because this was printed on it:

A kiss is a lovely trick, designed by nature, to stop speech when words become superfluous.

And today, found out through a random link on Merriam-Webster that it was spoken by the lovely Ingrid Bergman. This quote is listed as #1 on the site's Top 10 Favorite Quotations About Words. Pretty darn cool.

So, I'm sending all you lovely readers e-kisses to wish you a late-but-better-than-never wonderful new year! Muah!

One of my favorite prints from Abby Powell Thompson, purchased at Little Winter 2010.

. . . . .

I don't know what it is, but around this time of year, I always feel like I'm on autopilot. Maybe because all the activities and busyness that come with the fall season slowly drain and suck the energy out of me, leaving me to feel more passive about my surroundings. Which is how I've been feeling lately. My body is still here, doing the normal things that I'm accustomed to, but my mind is in a bit of a wandering state, neither here nor there. Not exactly dead, but certainly not sparkling either. Like it desperately wants to find something that will make it feel alive again, but it's unsure of what. Maybe it's one of those things that will make sense and click once it sees it. And by it, I mean me.

Any tips for getting rid of the pre-winter blues?