Just Stopping By...

...to wish you all a very Merry Christmas (or Happy Hanukkah!)

In just a few minutes, Jeremy and I will be packing up the car and our puppy so we can head up to my parents' home in Bellingham.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and travel safely!

One last thing...

if you're looking for one more dish to complete your holiday meal, I highly recommend The Pioneer Woman's Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries. I made these sprouts last night and they turned out perfectly. Very simple and very delicious.

Not to mention festive red and green!

Until next week!

xoxo, Merry Christmas.

Brittany's Hipsterness

Happy Belated Easter!

This past weekend Jeremy, Buoy and I hit the road and drove the 250 miles up to Bellingham, WA. It's a bit of a drive, but well worth it to see my family and spend the holiday together.

The love of my life. Shhh. Don't tell Jeremy!

Saturday turned out to be the most beautiful, sunny day. Brittany, my parents, and the two pups (Buoy and Beau) spent the day at the Farmers' Market in Downtown Bellingham and then took a beautiful hike up to Fragrance Lake. Brittany helped me document the trip by using her super-cool-slightly-hipster iPhone App. I can't remember what's it called but "Hipster" is definitely in the title. (I remember that much). But look at the awesome photos she was able to take!

There was an unlimited supply of adorable children to playing with bubbles.

The Farmers' Market had an amazing selection of locally grown produce. (So very Northwest of you Bellingham!)

I couldn't resist these Hazelnut Chocolate Bavarian Pretzel Sticks. They were basically a fresh pretzel stuffed with Nutella. Delicious.

After the Farmers' Market we took the hike that leads up to the very serene and lovely Fragrance Lake. Buoy is quite the swimmer and we were all hoping he could teach puppy Beau to love the water. Instead Beau just waited for Buoy to bring back the stick.

Beau standing ready for Buoy's return.

"Yay Buoy! Thanks for doing all the scary swimming!" -Beau

Happy Dogs, Happy Brittany.

Until next time Bellingham!

A Weekend in Bellingham

Good morning November! It's officially my favorite month of the year :) To start things off right, I will be sharing with you all the great weekend I had up in Bellingham, Washington. Hopefully it will inspire you to take a little drive up North!

As most of you know, my sister is a sophomore at Western Washington University, located in beautiful Bellingham. As you may also know, my parents recently retired and moved to the same town. Bellingham is about 90 minutes north of Seattle, an hour south of Vancouver, B.C. By the time you get up there, you see as many British Columbia license plates as you do Washington state. I've visited this gem of a town about 5 times and each time I find new things to do and explore. Bellingham is one of those places you can only experience in the Northwest. From downtown you can be hiking in the mountains, visiting the San Juan Islands, skiing on Mt. Baker, or shopping in the historic Fairhaven district all in less than 30 minutes.

On Saturday morning Jeremy and I packed up the car with an extra set of clothes, Jeremy's guitar, and Buoy. It was pouring rain all the way through Seattle, but by the time we got to Bellingham the sun was actually out! We stopped at Britt's apartment first and picked her up for lunch. The three of us (and Buoy) drove down the hill to Fairhaven. What an adorable spot! I've included a couple pictures so you can get the idea. All old brick buildings, bookstores, tea shops, cafes, and art galleries...Fairhaven seriously looks like it belongs in some little English or Irish town. We ate lunch at the Colophon Cafe, an adorable little spot where we were able to sit out on the patio. It is on the bottom floor of the bookstore and faces the Farmers Market. This is the spot for delicious soup, quiche, sandwiches, and hot apple cider!

After lunch Jeremy and I headed up the mountain to my parents' house, where we explored a bit and then headed down to Lake Whatcom for a hike. The lake is huge and surrounded by beautiful homes. With the autumn leaves covering the trail it was the perfect afternoon activity! Buoy loved it as well because he knows Lake Whatcom means lots of time to swim.

Saturday night ended with watching the USC v. Oregon football game (I don't want to talk about it), and beef stew my Mom always makes on Halloween.

Sunday morning before we left town, my family all got together for breakfast at Avenue Bakery. The bread here is delicious and they use incredibly fresh eggs and bacon. I definitely recommend this spot. Although, if you're only in Bellingham for the weekend Diamond Jim's is the spot for a classic diner breakfast.

I could make a number of great recommendations to anyone visiting Bellingham, but I'll spare you a million details. Just go! It's a great town with great food and unbeatable outdoor adventures. Not to mention, you always have a place to stay!