this journey to

Little Brother's Senior Ball

2009-06-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

My brother, Brad and his adorable girlfriend, Maddy, went to her Senior Ball this past weekend. They looked like models! I wasn't there to witness photoshoot, but thanks to Melissa, I was still able to oooh and ahhh over each shot. I loved her dress and the flower in her hair!

My sweet brothers :)

House Hunting

2009-05-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Some people have babies on the brain. Or weddings. Or shoes. Or the next chore on the list. All that is on my mind lately are houses! I seem to be drawn to the old charmers...I mean OLD. Like built in 1900-1924 old. I know, I know....outdated plumbing, wiring, etc... but there is just something about a house with personality, right? This is the one I can't keep out of my head....

Isn't she sweet?

Barnwood Beauties

2009-05-13T10:11:00.001-07:00

For Mother's Day, I arranged a photo collage on one of my Mom's entryway walls. One of my favorite finds were the barnwood frames I found online. They added a lot of texture and fit well with our family beach photos - not to mention they were very cheap (each was under $10!)

Pretty Enameled Bottles

2009-05-06T16:48:00.001-07:00

I wonder how hard this would be?

Find instructions here. Then let me know how it goes.

:) just kidding. I'm adding it to my do to list and will keep you posted.

Photo: Women's Day

chocolate cake...

2009-05-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

with a few {or maybe an entire box} of candles.

Perfect for Mom's birthday celebration earlier this week. Isn't she cute?!

Dinner, tissue paper flowers, streamers, balloons and close family...

I took on the responsibility of making dinner and about an hour before everyone was about to arrive, I was crossing my fingers everything turned out - since there were hardly any left overs, I think it was a hit!

Summer Corn Soup

with Cremè Fraîche and Crostini

In my mind, I imagined using sweet corn straight from the cob, but since we aren't quite into corn season, I used the frozen variety for now.

1 bag frozen corn

1 can creamed corn

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 quarter sized drizzle of olive oil

1/4 c. carrots, chopped

2 small shallots, chopped

2 teaspoons garlic, chopped

1 cup milk or cream

generous salt and pepper

Combine frozen corn, creamed corn and stock in a Crock Pot on LOW (I'm sure you can use a pot on the stove, but Mom has all these fun things I haven't had the honor of owning quite yet!).

Heat oil. Add shallots and stir gently until translucent. Add carrots and garlic for a minute or two. At this point, I pureéd the shallot, carrot and garlic mixture with about a cup of the corn mixture. It made it a bit thicker and creamier, although I don't think it's necessary. From there, I added a bit of cream to make it silky (it was a party after all!).

Finished with a dallop of Cremè Fraîche and drizzle of basil infused olive oil. To make Crostini, you can use any kind of baguette, thinly sliced, brushed with olive oil and lightly toasted. I served mine in stemless martini glasses....because I felt like it!

Mixed Greens with Roasted Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette

with Pears, Candied Pecans & Crumbled Goat Cheese

Okay, so I lied.

I didn't use "mixed greens", but it sounded romantic, didn't it? I used what I had, which was a head of Romaine, and it worked well too.

Roasted Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette

This recipe was adapted from a salad I loved very much from The Plantation House - I never officially learned how to make the dressing, but this is how I imagined it to be and was happy with the result.

1 medium apple, any variety, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

salt & pepper

1/2 c. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake apples until soft all the way through and slightly golden brown. Set aside.

In a blender (or food processor) blend vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in blender (I drizzled about a quarter of the amount at a time and blended really well in between each addition). Add baked apples. Blend until smooth. Toss with greens, top with pears (or apples), goat cheese (or blue) and candied pecans.

I'll be back soon with recipe for Roasted Artichoke, Garlic & Ricotta Ravioli and Portabella, Prosciutto & Parmesan Ravioli in a light cream sauce with fried sage...

oh yes, and the most important part....

the recipe for this beauty (not a beauty because I made it, but because it's chocolate and anything chocolate is beautiful!!) will be on it's way shortly!

Logic of a 4 year old

2009-04-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Mel for the recounting of this funny conversation from the other day...

Connor was deciding who would be invited to his birthday party (6 months away mind you) and wasn't being very kind "I don't like her....she won't be invited to my birthday!"

Mike, trying to help, responded “Remember who’s watching! Do you know who’s watching all the time?”

Connor replied, “God” with a roll of his eyes.

We chuckled impressed that this was Connor’s first response.

“Who else is watching?” Mike asked again.

“Jesus” said Connor with a slighter eye roll.

Getting a little frustrated that this wasn’t going where he intended Mike pressed on “There’s one more person…”

to which Connor hesitated and then proudly exclaimed “Moses!”

We all laughed and left it at that...

Name changing....

2009-04-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

For awhile, this blog was intended to keep family and friends informed on the happenings of out lives in Maui since the distance made it difficult to keep everyone in the loop. The other purpose was a bit of an online journal since my black leather book was lost somewhere in the shuffle and I never seem to find the time to label all of my photos with the appropriate captions/stories.

Now...since we have made the move back to Washington and have our friends and family integrated back into our lives, this blog becomes...well, a little pointless.

I have decided to keep it to share the things I would with a friend over a cup of coffee...dreams, inspirations, amazing people, things that make me laugh, the recipe that was a complete hit at the girl's get together last weekend.

I invite you to come on in, warm your tootsies by the fire and enjoy, my friend.

It's been awhile....

2009-04-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

So I've fallen off the blogging band wagon...but I think my reasons {excuses} for not blogging may be validated since a lot has been going on:

finished work, trained the new hire and handed all of my responsibilities over - a HUGE relief. I didn't realize how unhappy I was sitting in a dungeon for 9+ hours a day alone in my dark little corner. I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders after I closed the door in on that experience.
relaxed with my family for the last week...one of the first times I was actually given the opportunity to enjoy Maui without being on call for work.
packed, cleaned, organized and shipped all of our belongings home (thanks to Dad and Mel for checking all 47 inches of Mike's gigantic TV on the airplane and thanks to Mom and Doug for taking home seven 50.5 pound suitcases which included golf clubs and a guitar) I am still wondering how everything made it!
tearfully waved goodbye to Maui...it was hard to go, but knew it was time.
stopped in Kauai for two days to relax with Mike....it was cold most of the time, but when the sun peeked out, it was gorgeous and we were able to reminisce about the adventures and memories we made in the past year.
took a red eye from Kauai -> LA -> San Jose -> Caltrain to SF -> to surprise the heck out of Lindsey {got ya girl!} The four of us (Lindsey & Scott, Mike & I) had a great long weekend that included a Giant's game, a night at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay (where we drank hot chocolate from the hot chocolate bar while listening to a bag piper and sitting around a bonfire), made dinner, played cards, and were able to relax and catch up.
moved to Yelm with my Mom and Doug - we are living in their "apartment" above their garage - it's huge with a waterfront view so although we are a bit far into the boonies, we are lucky to have such a beautiful place to live. Not to mention...I get to see my Mom everyday!
we finally met our new niece! Her name is Payton Starr and is the sweetest little thing. Amy and Jason are doing a great job and the three of them make an adorable family.
we bought two cars in the last week - both great deals....now we are just keeping our fingers crossed that they last us for awhile.
I start work back at the Tides tomorrow... they generously were able to fit me in, but there are quite a few days I am on call, so I am looking for some other supplemental income in the form of one or more of the following: starting an Etsy shop, baking cupcakes for weddings, helping Mike's dad sell his awesome antiques, help some of my friends plan their weddings....hmm....we will see!

Reasons why I had a great week...

2009-02-20T16:18:00.001-08:00

1. Last Friday, Mike handed me a copy of the movie the Big Lebowski...puzzled...I'm thinking something along the lines of "well I guess we could watch it on Valentine's Day...not quite what I was thinking but what the hell?"

"Open it!" he says, laughing.

His laughter is furthered by my sqeals of delight when I discover the gift certificate for a trip to the spa at the Ritz and a massage while he was going to be working the next day. It was HEAVEN!! Thanks love xoxo

2. Sunday, my friends from home arrived - we stayed up late talking about funny memories, life, dreams...

3. Monday, my handsome boy took me out to dinner at Lahaina Grill ... and on the way {after sulking about my lack of pretty things to wear} ... he stopped at one of my favorite dress shops and made me pick out a new pretty dress! We continued on to a delicious dinner while sipping Bellinis and stuffing ourselves with King Crab Raviolis. A day before my birthday...just the two of us.

4. Tuesday, I woke up and looked at myself in the mirror. I thought I may look a teeny tiny bit older, but nope just same old me, with one more year under my belt. Although my appearance hasn't changed much, I'm amazed at how much my life has changed after one little year. Oh yeah and this was a good day because I got to have a pzookie for dessert. mmmm.... I think this may have been the first year I haven't blown out any candles though.

5. I ate Ben and Jerry's Mint Cookie Ice cream yesterday.....for dinner :)

6. I am constantly inspired by little things in this blogging community - I find sweet recipes, am touched by the power of prayer, learn how to make great things out of very little and appreciate those of you who take the time to follow along with my journey.

Happy <3 Day!

2009-02-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

“Live with intention.

Walk to the edge.

Listen hard.

Practice wellness.

Play with abandon.

Laugh.

Choose with no regret.

Appreciate your friends.

Continue to learn.

Do what you love.

Live as if this is all there is.”

Sending lots of love and aloha your way!
xoxoxoxoxoxo

a

Photobooth + Champagne

2009-02-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, we were rockstars.

Kauai: the garden isle

2009-01-27T23:04:00.000-08:00

Kauai was magical, breathtaking and all around a wonderful trip. We {read: Mike} met this great couple on their honeymoon at the Ritz pool and who happened to be traveling to Kauai the exact same days we were! The four of us completely clicked and were inseparable. Ben and Jenny live in Nantucket for the summers and have this awesome catering/concierge company, Enjoy Nantucket, to allow visitors or summer vacationers to sit back, relax and enjoy! We are already planning future adventures and can't wait for what is next!

We started our first day in Kauai relaxing by the pool, having a few Mai Tai's (and "munchies"!) at happy hour and watching the sun set over Nawiliwili Harbor (I still laugh like a school girl at the name - No Willy Willy!). We then ventured out to a pizza place a few minutes up the road - we had great food, good wine and perfect company.

The next morning, Mike and I wandered around the Marriott's beautiful grounds and ate breakfast doing the crossword puzzle and looking out over the glittering ocean. Ben and Jenny kindly invited us to ride along with them (in their Mustang convertible, no less) exploring the island. We headed up to Wiamea Canyon, a little bit of a drive up the coast. It was a vast canyon with helicopters cruising around checking out the view. My three words of advice - 1)do NOT buy snacks from the nice man in the visitor parking lot even if they are wrapped in cute packages (I wish I had a picture of the look on Ben's face after he ate a fried banana chip!) 2) Don't talk very loud and don't you dare laugh - it is kind of like being in an art museum and people will look at you as if you are interrupting their view by giggling...ooops 3) the ride down the hill is amazing! Make sure you have your camera handy and be prepared to be awed.

We cruised through a few cute towns and stopped at a farmer's market for....citrus! Any kind of citrus you can think of - oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit and our favorite...tangelos! Had lunch at a hippy stand along side the road - wraps, tacos and curried veggie plate - yum! The coffee shop (where we all made small talk with the barista to slide our way into the bathroom) had delicious desserts that we munched on as we assumed our respective positions in the Mustang - Ben: Driver. Mike: ShotGun. Jenny & Amber: in the back freezing our asses off but laughing the whole way.

We continued our journey up the other side of the coast to Hanalei Bay where we jumped out and felt the sand between our toes....then continued up to the Sea Cliffs where I'm sure we can all agree the best part was the banana bread we bought from a hippy lady in a beach parking lot. Does it seem like we ate a lot? We did! Oh yea - there was a great waterfall alongside the road too!

It was a wonderfully relaxing trip and although short, memorable nonetheless. We are now back to real life: working and doing laundry!

I am sitting here listening to the rain trickle down the gutters and I can't help but think of home. I have listened to and been comforted by the sound of rain for as long as I can remember. I know some can't stand it, but I can't help but smile.

Love and miss you all,

Mercedes, Kate Hudson and band aids...

2009-01-15T20:51:00.000-08:00

Hi all, remember me? I'm back!! I've had one day off in about 20 days and I am feeling it. Don't feel sorry for me, though. My last few weeks have been SO much fun! We hosted the Mercedes Benz PGA Championship Tournament at the Plantation Course and my opinion of golf has greatly improved. When people ask if I golf, my response is usually something along the lines of "Nope! I drink beer and drive the cart though!" Which really, when it comes down to it, isn't true. First I don't drink beer (unless it is an occasional Mexican beer). Second, Mike would NEVER let me drive (I always told myself it was because he is a gentleman, but come to find out he thinks I'm a terrible driver - thanks dude, love you too). Anyway, being up close to all of the action (I'm not sure if golf and action actually go hand in hand, but you get the gist) was really cool. I spent most of my time in the Sky Boxes positioned around the 18th hole - there were moments when the golfers were putting in when it felt like the entire world stopped rotating on it's axis - you could almost hear the heartbeat of the guy on the green. It was unlike anything I've ever experienced.

I went through almost an entire box of bandaids - some for my blisters from running up and down the stairs and many for the other various clumsy things I did...

Mike of course loved it too and am pretty sure he has big dreams of being out there one day. He had a couple very exciting moments - after Geoff Ogilvy (the winner) putted his ball into the 18th hole, he threw it up in the stands - straight into Mike's hands! He looked like a boy who had just been handed the keys of his very first car - awestruck. We then tracked Ogilvy down and had the ball signed - pretty cool keepsake!

While Mike was drooling over the golf pros, I was drooling over the celebrities that come along with any major event. I laughed at Luke Wilson (who played in the ProAm) while he told me the story of showing up to his practice round with two different shoes on (apparently had too much to drink the night before?). I waited excitedly for Katherine Heigl to attend my ProAm Dinner (she never showed!) but many other celebs did - the cast from Entourage, some of the guys from Desperate Housewives, Michael Bolton, John Elway and a few others I didn't really know, but recognized nonetheless. I did end up with leis that Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn wore at the pool that day (I didn't sniff them or anything creepy like that, I promise). Although I felt like I was walking through an issue of People magazine, it was hard to tell they were anything special. They are fairly normal people. Short normal people with really expensive shoes. But more than anything - normal.

The ProAm Dinner

We managed to sneak away one night catch a few minutes of a gorgeous sunset and for Mike to dip his fishing rod into the ocean. Heaven!

On Friday night, we dressed up and went to the Mercedes PGA Gala Event at the Ritz. The dinner was wonderful (especially the modern s'mores for dessert) and Mike was excited to see Steve Winwood. We were in the front row and this guy looks really old - I kept trying to back up in case he had a heart attack and landed on us. He somehow pulled through and got everyone rocking.

The pool at the Ritz (aka: where Mike works)

My S'mores dessert

Steve Winwood

Well, I'm off to my VERY normal life of unloading the dishwasher and ironing my clothes for tomorrow.

I send my love!

Snow, Mistletoe & Maui Christmas

2008-12-28T18:21:00.000-08:00

Ahh...what a fun week! I'm still recovering from wedding celebrations, good times with old friends, Christmas brunch, Christmas dinner, Christmas dinner again, family and sitting on Santa's lap! The photo above is our celebratory overly-priced drink in the airport waiting to go home to snowy Seattle. The first night, my Mom & Doug picked me up and we headed out to Yelm to spend a little time together and drop off some of heavy luggage I was dragging around. Mike headed out to meet up with all of the boys - they were at Brett's bachelor party in Auburn. I was VERY excited to see snow as we trekked our way out to Yelm. My Mom laughed at me wearing thin yoga pants and flip flops off the plane - it was all I had!! Thankfully, she quickly

bundled me up in sweaters and socks. I kind of felt like Alfie's little brother in "A Christmas Story" - thanks for watching out for me, Mom!!

The next day, I ran around with the girls from the wedding to get mani/pedis in the Harbor. I then watched Kate go from "girl who has been running errands, is crazy-busy and is late for her own wedding rehearsal" to "I'm smokin hot and still have five minutes to spare" in about 10 minutes flat. Yep, atta girl. It was a really fun night, and we had the rehearsal dinner at this cute little restaurant on Broadway in the Theatre District of Tacoma - Over the Moon Cafe. The wedding was the next day - filled with snow! The gorgeous candle-lit church twinkled as we all walked down the aisle. The reception was at McCormick Woods Golf Course and was decorated with red holiday ornaments in hurricane vases complimented with fresh garlands and glittery pine cones.
That weekend, I had Christmas brunch with my family and was excited to discover "Santa" brought me a Kitchen Aid Mixer!! Actually, all of the gifts I received this year were very generous and thoughtful - I appreciated and loved them all. I felt terrible because many of my gifts I bought online and had them shipped directly to the recipients - unfortunately due to the snow, almost every one of them didn't make it!! Good job, Amber. We then headed out to Yelm to a wonderful and delicious Christmas dinner. My Mom slaved away making this gorgeous dinner - complete with baked corn and sweet potatoes with maple pecan sauce. YUM! Meanwhile, Mike went with the boys to the Seahawks game - his first and only game in the stadium this season. Before we knew it, it was time to pack and head home to Maui. Grammie braved the snow and ice and crack of dawn hours to deposit us safely at the airport - way to go Grammie! The trip was so much fun and exactly what I needed. It was rushed and was a bit stressful trying to see everyone, but for the most part, I think everyone understands. Christmas in Maui was simple and sweet - filled with profiteroles (thanks to Will) and Christmas leis made of various local berries. Ruthie, Will, Mike and I enjoyed Opah and Steak for my first Surf 'n Turf Christmas dinner. We then played cards until my eyelids couldn't stay open and headed off to bed. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas with warmth, laughter and joy.

A day at the beach in December

2008-12-14T10:54:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving, out on the town and of course...the beach!

2008-12-09T22:42:00.000-08:00

Wow - it's been awhile since my last post. I almost feel rusty at all of this blogging stuff!

Life here has been good... kind of like a ship on the ocean...back and forth, back and forth...same story different day. I've been fairly content lately - maybe because after battling work, I'm officially able to go home (next week!). Mike and I are gearing up for our important roles in our friends' wedding December 20th. Mike gets to wear a tux - a bit of a change from his normal "dress up" outfits (cargo shorts and a "nice" tank top!) and I'm wearing a cute black dress. The wedding will be in the couple's church and then to McCormick Woods Golf Course for the reception. It should be really fun!

I'm looking forward to zip ups and jeans (I don't think I'd ever imagine I'd be saying that!), Christmas decorations (there are hardly any here), seasonal lattes, family and friends. I miss the Harbor and even the rain (ha! There I go again...!). Can't wait!

Here are some photos from the past few weeks -

Out at our buddy's birthday

Thanksgiving

It was Jocelyn's (Auntie Ruthie's daughter's birthday on Thanksgiving) - she wasn't thrilled with her ice cream cake after the big dinner!

Ruthie, Will, Mike and I went to see Ulalena (Hawaiian Cirque de sole) and then we went to dinner at Leilani's and had the BEST chocolate cake...yum...

More soon*!

Love,

*Soon does not have the same meaning as the amount of time that passed since my last post :)

Happy Tuesday!

2008-11-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

Aloha and good morning! It is absolutely pouring here...I could definitely curl up with a good book, a soy cappuccino and some jammies in front of the fireplace. I hear Black Butte calling my name....Unfortunately I'm in slacks and a dress shirt, sitting in my over-air conditioned "office" (aka "the janitor's closet") taking a little break from reading the millions of emails that were dumped in my inbox. Oh yes, the joy of working! Am I allowed to retire yet? Haha.... anyway...

*****

This weekend was pretty fun even though it was only one day-- I went with my Aunty Ruthie to cook for the fire department and to scope out the dudes...for the next single friend I have come to visit of course! Ruthie was sure to tell the boys that I was very taken and if they wanted to hang out with me, they had be interviewed by Mike first. Thank you Aunty Ruthie! Mike and I then went to Airport Beach to find more beach glass...seriously this kid is obsessed with finding it. I think it's pretty cute and we have a really good collection going. My favorites are the light blue and Mike likes the dark ocean blue pieces. I'm trying to think of something cool to do with it...any ideas are welcome!

*****

I found this really cool home store online-- it's called Jamali Garden Store and has tons of really cool garden pots, glass vases, candles, shells, decor ideas...

That's all I have to report for the moment! I hope everyone is well and can't wait to see you in December!

Love,
a

Is it really November?

2008-11-13T21:45:00.000-08:00

What a week! I had one of my good friends in town from Seattle this past week. Lauren and I were biology lab partners at UW and just hit it off. We would meet up for dinner on rainy dark days in Seattle and study, catch up on life and dream about our futures. She is such a doll and an absolute sweetheart to be around. We went to lunch, coffee, a few dinners, she came to "Girl's Night", she made us fresh squeezed margaritas in stemless martini/margarita glasses she brought us as a housewarming gift and we talked and talked and talked. She was a little ray of sunshine who came to Maui and somehow made it a sunnier place to be.

I had weddings, corporate events, and golf tournaments like crazy last week-- of course I have a visitor and things get crazy...that's just how it is. Lauren played assistant for some of the weddings and was a huge help. (Note to self: find permanent assistant).

We did go to the beach and Mike went out finding more sea glass and shells. He was really sweet all week entertaining and taking care of "his girls".

Right now, he is making us fish for dinner and I'm trying to occupy myself from seeing the blood and guts-- gross.

Mike & "The Fish"

I had a meeting today with my favorite linen lady, Debbie from Pacific Event Group and we spent the morning dreaming about some of the gorgeous ideas we have for the Mercedes Benz Tournament Pro Am Dinner in January. January? Two months away? It does not feel like November...at all. I'm not complaining in the least, but after spending 22 years in Washington experiencing a full blown fall season, it's weird being somewhere where today looks like any other day at any point during the year-- 85 and sunny. It's beautiful but sometimes I secretly hope the skies will just open up and pour!

Halloween

2008-11-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

We went out in Lahaina for Halloween-- apparently a "must see" and don't get me wrong, it was entertaining, but I don't think we will be back any time soon! Mike dressed up like Michael Jordan and I was a lobster (my friend Erin was a French chef with a knife). Obviously our costumes were a bit last minute, but it's kind of our style. As we walked up and down Front Street, I kept thinking "my parents would be so proud..." as I was wearing 3x as items of clothing as most of the other girls. Yikes. There were even completely painted costumes, like I said, interesting but probably not in a real hurry to go back!

Anyway, as I was running through the park tonight, I watched the sunset over the ocean- it looked like mango sorbet...or maybe passionfruit sorbet....mmmm sorbet... ha- I was supposed to be on a run! You get the point- the sky was gorgeous!

Something strange happened the other day-- I reached that point where I realized I was "local". First moving here (8 months ago as of November 1st!) there was this constant feeling of being under the microscope from locals-- my skin wasn't as dark as some because I am usually sitting at a desk 9 hours a day and there was probably that look in my eye of wonder and excitement that comes with anything new- i.e. tourists. It hit me though-- my once friendly wave in traffic has become a laid-back "shaka" or "hang-loose". I not only know when there is a south swell, but that it also means all of the surfers are going to call in sick in order to catch that perfect wave. I know the days when the market gets it's fresh shipments in and that buying a gallon of milk for $5 is a steal. I know that Auntie Ruthie has the "aunties" over for choir practice on Tuesday nights and there is quite a bit of singing, ukulele playing and more importantly wine! I know that baby Ella and her mom or dad will be walking the neighborhood about the same time I get home everyday and she loves to say hi with drool dripping down her chin.

My once schedule-filled, media-pressured, over-analyzed life has become so simple. When we're tired, we sleep, when we're hungry, we eat, when we want to go out, we grab a few beers and head out to Hui E to watch the turtles and sunset. Boring? Probably, but I like it. People don't need (or have) a lot here and what they do have they are willing to share. It's pretty simple but it makes the things we have (each other, family, friends) seem that much more special. It is something I hope stays with me.

Mike is doing well (except for his poor Seahawks!) and seems to be a favorite "pool boy". All the older ladies like to flirt with him while their husbands are golfing. I sit across the pool and as he shoots me "please rescue me!" looks and I can't help but laugh. He's so cute :)

I made us lemon Jidori chicken with wild rice and roasted butternut squash for dinner tonight and am debating about pulling the second pan of pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting out of the freezer. Yumm...if you haven't made pumpkin bars yet this season, you have to! I substituted the oil for applesauce and just a little oil, I was thrilled with how they turned out. I brought the first pan to work and they were gone in 15 minutes, so make extra!

love,

Where have the past few weeks gone?

2008-10-28T22:15:00.001-07:00

A lot has happened since I've lasted posted....geez where have I been? Busy I guess. My mom and Doug came into town two weeks ago and it was fun seeing them. We BBQ'd one night at their villa and they came up to the restaurant for dinner another night. Although I was crazy busy with weddings and the LPGA, I was happy I was able to see them as much as I did. The last day, I went and sat out at the pool with my mom...it rained the whole time but she was bound and determined to get a little sun before they left. So we sat and froze our bikini bottoms off!

That was the same week Mike and I had about 40 friends and their families in town for Matt & Angela's wedding at the Plantation House. They are crazy, but it was great to have people to go do things with. The wedding was...umm....well let's just say that it's a Hawaiian blessing to have it rain on your wedding day and they were VERY blessed. The funniest part is that ten minutes before the wedding was scheduled to start, it stopped raining and the sun came out. I'm thinking "Perfect! I knew it would stop raining!" Dang was I fooled! We started the ceremony and everything was going well and not a drop had fallen from the sky....we have the whole wedding party down the aisle and lined up. The bride takes ONE STEP outside and the clouds

open up and completely dump buckets... her perfectly curled ringlets in her up-do were dripping by the time she made it half way down the aisle. Of course it rained throughout the entire ceremony and stopped exactly as "you may kiss your bride!" was announced. Perfect. Where do I enter for the "Wedding Planner of the Year" Award?

The LPGA Kapalua Classic was also happening (see why I haven't been around?) the same week (in addition to 6 other weddings and corporate events). It was a lot of work, but fun to be up close to what everyone else thought of as a big deal. Mike is definitely the golfer of the two of us. I was relieved to have it end.

By the time all of my craziness slowed, everyone had left! We did get to spend one last day with our friend Chris fishing in Lahaina Harbor. I read my book and waved to the little kids coming in off the cruise boats and the boys tried to catch the "big one". Nice try guys...I think fishing must be a big joke...just an excuse to hang out and drink beer. **shocked** :)

I'm sure there are some things I've missed, but we're heading out for a walk around the neighborhood and I'd better hurry before someone changes his mind!

Love,

Amber Mae

Happy Birthday Kristin!

2008-10-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Kristin! It was her birthday yesterday and the sunset was gorgeous-- her own little painting in the sky!

Sushi & Fishin'

2008-10-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

We have had a fun week preparing for 40+ family and friends coming to town. The larger part of the group is in town for Matt & Angela's wedding at the Plantation House (the first wedding I've planned on Maui where I actually know the bride and groom!) which will happen at sunset on Monday. My Mom and Doug are also in town to celebrate their 5th (?) year anniversary! It feels like yesterday her cake was delivered from the bakery and it showed up baby pink (supposed to be ivory!) so I covered the thing with flowers and voilà a baby pink cake with flowers. Hahaha..

Anyway...we went to our favorite sushi place Sansei and sat at the sushi bar--YUM! Complete with Starfruit Dessert.

One night Mike wanted to go night fishing, so he folded the seat down in the 4runner and made me a bed-- it even had throw pillows!

He backed it up right to the edge of the water and we played cards and watched the moon set while we waited for the little bell on his fishing pole to ding and tell us there was a fish on the line (for the record-- the only time it "dinged" was when an eel stole the octopus bait from the hook). The moon sank into the horizon just like the sun does. Is this completely normal and I'm the only one who's never seen it?! It happened at midnight and was one of the coolest things!

Maui with a dash of Seattle...

2008-10-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

Well it's raining here...not really raining but more pissing rain. The kind that doesn't look so bad from the window as you dash out to your car, but leaves you panting and dripping because the wind was blowing and it made the rain come at you sideways ensuring every inch of your white blouse gets soaked. Very funny Mother Nature! She has quite the sense of humor especially since I was just getting a file from my car before heading into a meeting with my ALL MALE management team. Hahaha...

Life here is good. We are in that comfortable sway of a routine...for now. I know mid-October is going to get crazy with the LPGA coming to town. I am really excited to have Mom & Doug in to visit ( I just hope it doesn't rain too much for them!). We will have a bunch of friends from the Harbor here to celebrate a friend's wedding-- that I got to plan!

It's funny because it's October and I haven't seen a SINGLE pumpkin. What's up with that?! They apparently don't have pumpkin patches here. Maybe they carve pineapples instead...I'll have to wait and see.

I hope everyone is doing well and just wanted to check-in and say hi!

Love,
a

Mike caught Maui!

2008-09-22T21:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was pretty laid back-- we started Thursday night by heading down to Hui E (a residential road in Napili) and out on the black rocks to try Mike's fishing pole. We didn't catch anything besides a gorgeous sun set and the rocks of Maui (he lost his hook under the rocks and it looked like he was catching the biggest fish ever!)

Reelin' in the sunset!

Friday night we went to Ruth's Chris, had great dinner complete with champagne (it was our 7 year 9 month anniversary-- just an excuse to go out!) and then we went to see My Best Friend's Girl. I liked it and I heard Mike laughing even though he claims "it was okay".

Saturday we both worked, but after Mike was done, we went down to Chang's Beach in Wailea to hang out and celebrate Hanalei's (Mike's buddy from work) daughter's birthday. She turned 4 and it was very much a true local style birthday party on the beach. All the tanned locals sat in beach chairs, the bbq never seemed to stop producing fresh oysters, teriyaki beef and Portuguese sausage, and the kids ran around bare-foot collecting baby crabs in their beach pails.

Our introduction to the group by Hanalei was great-- "HEY EVERYONE TURN AROUND!! This is Mike and Amber...and that's....the family!" Our night was filled with stories, jokes, and ukulele playing. I even saw a handful of shooting stars! Long after the sun sank into the sky, we drove home by the light of the moon.

Sunday-- Go Hawks!

A few pictures I forgot to post from our "adventure" to Hana.

Black Sand Beach, Hana

Bamboo Forest

Alongside the road were these little fruit stands-- you put money in the box and take what you'd like!

These are a few of my favorite things!

2008-09-16T23:47:00.000-07:00

Mike and I just got back from yummy Thai food and Barnes & Noble... fun little Tuesday night date!

Some of my favorite things at the moment-- some from here and some from there--

-The best chocolate mint brownie you will EVER eat! They are from Big Island Candies--yum !

-Anything from West Elm- kind of modern home store- ha! If only had a home! I still like the style.
-Ironwoods beach AKA Secret Beach-- When the sun was setting later, we would come down and collect shells and beach wood to fill a glass vase on our kitchen table

-Connor's 1st day of school picture-- PRICELESS! He's going to love seeing this picture in his senior year yearbook!

Love you all! xoxo
a

$40 Cheeseburgers in Paradise!

2008-09-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys-- this one's a doozey!

We woke up Saturday morning and decided to head over to the other side of the island to check out the Bamboo Forest on the way to Hana. The hike was gorgeous! We cruised on the winding Hana Highway eating PB&J, listening to good music and taking in sweeping ocean views. We went all the way to Hana, stopping at the black sand beach (SO cool!) but decided to head back because we didn't want to drive the road back in the dark-- if we only knew!

About 15 minutes from Hana, the car broke down! Along side the road without cell reception, we discover that somewhere along the winding roads, our battery holster broke and dumped battery acid all over. Some very nice tourists picked us up and gave us a ride back into Hana to try and find some help.

My first thought was to call Auntie Ruthie-- she called a friend of a friend (not surprised at all!) and he was coming to pick us up to help give the car a jump. Uncle Kenny rolled up in his beater with a toothy grin to take us to the car. We filled the battery with distilled water (apparently supposed to replace the spilled acid) and sure enough the little 4runner springs to life! Woo Hoo!! We say our goodbyes and try to put the car in reverse-- it dies again!

By now it's dark, we head back into town and start walking through the little town trying to find somewhere to stay. If Uncle Kenny didn't have 8 kids, he said we could stay there-- we understood! We went to every cottage and inn without any luck because there was a big relay that had happened earlier in the day.

Tired and hungry we stumble into the Hotel Hana Maui-

- $495 for the night! We didn't have any other option and I had a feeling we would need a good night's sleep if we had to deal with car troubles the next day. We talked her down to $295 and ordered $40 worth of cheeseburgers from the fancy restaurant to take to our room.

We decided to make the best of everything and talked about snuggling into bed, eating dinner and watching TV to take our minds off of everything as we rode the golf cart to our room. Ha! We get into the room-- huge with a gorgeous bathroom, lounge furniture on it's private lanai but NO TV! I'm sorry, but c'mon $295 and no TV-- what a joke!

We took showers, wrapped up in the hotel robes, climbed on the giant bed with our cheeseburgers and wine glasses of Coke playing Scrabble until we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore.

The next day we went through two batteries, a rental car, 7 hours on the winding "Road to Hana", a new alternator and a few Costco hot dogs, but we finally made it home safe and sound by about 11pm.

In the many hours as the observer of all these local guys bent over inspecting our car, I've made a few realizations:

1. I had never met a single one of these people before, yet they all gave up their weekends, advice, gas and spare parts to help us- two white kids from the other side of the island. The most rewarding part of this adventure was experiencing first hand the Hawaiian culture and traditions of taking care of each other as if you were family.

2. Hawaiian men must be identified by their butt cracks instead of their faces-- you could tell the age, experience, and almost personality of each of them by the crack that hung out of their shorts. I guess since most of the weekend they were bent over our car, I had nothing else to look at, but still...I think I'm on to something here!

3. We have all been in situations where we have driven by people who were stranded along side the road and not stopped to offer help because we were rushing to some event and were late or been put in situations where we know we could have provided help and chosen not to because of selfish reasons-- I know I have. I'm thankful and humbled by the people who decided to stop their busy lives to help us. There was nothing in it for them-- but for whatever reason, they reached out their hands and helped us. The next time you are in one of these situations, remember that the people you could potentially be helping are someone's kids, grandchildren, sisters, brothers or friends.

Home Sweet Home!

2008-08-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

Mikey and I made the trip back home to the Harbor for Labor Day weekend and it's been so much fun already!

We flew into to Seattle late Wednesday night with a gorgeous view of Quest Field and the Space Needle. Mom and Doug were waiting right outside the terminal for us-- a long drive from Yelm, but it was great to see them!

Mom and I had a fun day shopping on Thursday while Mike went golfing with the boys. Things are pretty much how we remember them, except everything is a bit bigger and faster than I remember.

The Strouds hosted a traditional luau for us (minus the poi!) on Friday night. Great fun that ended in a dance party complete with props from the fridge. Who ever knew Rafter could dance with Costco-sized salsa like that?

Yesterday, Mom, Grammie and I cruised around Tacoma in "Big Blue" shopping, eating and getting our nails done. My mom is quite possibly the best driver in the world- horrible when it comes to parking between the lines (she prefers right ON the line). Love you!

Later we met up with some of the sweet girls from the Tides to enjoy a few glasses (or a bottle) of wine. With our pink cheeks, we continued onto Dad and Melissa's Salmon Bake. I haven't seen most of the people since I was little so I was getting a lot of those "I think that's Amber, but I'm not sure" looks. When Connor wasn't in the bounce house, I had a little shadow. He's grown a foot and I'm pretty sure I can almost wear his shoes!

Today we're off to Bumbershoot to see the Stone Temple Pilots--

Love & Aloha!