This is a picture of me on a bridge, among the trees, wearing sporty shorts in Seattle.
This picture tells you a few things:
I’m not in a kitchen. I’m really excited about not being in a kitchen. My sister let me borrow her running shorts so I didn’t have to wear my bright purple yoga pants…. and I’m wearing a fashion scarf because I want to look cute even when I’m hiking four miles up a mountain.
Aaand.. I have several versions of this picture where my arms are raised too high, exposing a little belly. I’ve spared myself the shame of sharing those.
Let me show you what my Seattle times look like. Wanna see? Rad.
That’s my little sister Lauren, my Mama, and my big sister Launa.
When the four of us are together, we laugh… a lot.
Ps- cat butt.
We laugh and we joke about eating ice cream for dinner…. then we eat ice cream.
ps- Crown Royal on top of the fridge.
We eat ice cream while my mom tells us the story of how she was a door to door saleswoman for like… three hours.. until she had a panic attack and quit.
Meet Lauren’s cat Charles. He’s quite the gentleman.
Launa loves to garden. More than once I found her out back riffling through the apartment building’s commnity garden.
She planted tomato plants for the apartment. So sweet… she’s also dang pretty.
Chives and lettuce. Could someone please make some Buttermilk Ranch so we can tame this garden?
Can I show you more pictures of plants? Are you annoyed yet?
These are my favorite flowers. Hydrangeas. They make me want to get married. I dunno… hard to explain.
We went for a hike.
We went for a four mile hike up a mountain…
past some gorgeous waterfalls…
… and up and up and up thousands… no millions of stairs.
My sister stopped for text message breaks. Is that normal?
After over two hours of lugging my thighs up that mountain, we made it to Lake Serene, where…
I promptly sat my ass down and devoured this bag of M&Ms. Fact.
Also… I don’t want to talk about my hair. At all.
Is that a chipmunk? Dang this little guy was cute. I threw him an almond and he was ready to take me home to meet his family. He was smitten.
Are those hunks?
I threw almonds at them. I didn’t get the same response.
Just hunks.
Oh!
I stopped by the Cakespy Shop!
At Cakespy, everything is cute and most things are pink. Also… farts and rainbows meet.
Jessie of Cakespy is so sweet and lovely. She painted a battle between cupcakes and pie on her shop wall. She’s also tiny… and I felt like a giant.
Then Lauren and I ate Ice Cream at Molly Moon’s. Get Out! So crazy good!
I also can’t get over how crazy pretty this girl is.
This Goat Milk Blueberry Frozen Yogurt made my life. Also… sorry to creep you out with my weirdo bendy finger.
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I ALWAYS smile reading your posts, truly. How I wish I could be not so far from Seattle, egh…
You and your family are so beautiful! And so happy!
By the way, love the new design of your site – it’s as lovely as you!
dude, “ps – cat butt” had me rolling!!! I confess, that was totally what i was thinking as soon as I saw that picture lol.
glad you enjoyed your stay here in Seattle! Next time you’re here there needs to be some sort of pot luck in your honor. We’ve got a great food-obsessed community up here :)
i would LOVE a pot luck. yes yes yes!
Thanks for the post/photos, if you have more, please don’t hesitate to put them up! I spent 25 yrs there and miss it, especially how absolutely to-die-for beautiful the summer weather is!
Your sister is totally allowed to stop for texting breaks, especially if she’s getting reception in the middle of nowhere!
riiight!? crazytown!
Like, OMG! Thank you for making a visit to my store part of your awesome Seattle visit. It was such a pleasure to meet you, my friend! You and Lauren are veritable rays of sweet sunshine in the world.
What a fun post! Seattle is so much fun this time of year. Hopefully you’ll be able to see some outdoor music while you’re there? That is if you can pull yourself away from Molly Moons… I’m not sure I could. Yummm…
Your family is so beautiful Joy! Your sister Launa has the most gorgeous locs. Looks like fun times were had by all.
hahah I have the same weirdo bendy fingers. makes playing guitar difficult. :p I love your posts. :)
Lovely photos – I love Seattle!! Many a good day trips there (I’m from Vancouver, BC).
Yeah, Seattle my home town! That reminds me, one of my summer goals is to find and try Molly Moon’s, heard great things about it. And the Lake Serene hike looks fabulous too…fun to learn more about my own hometown.
I have a similarly creepy bendy finger!! Weird comment for such a great post right….hahaha your blog helps my days of a desk job a little happier!! Thanks for the smiles!
Great Pacific Northwest family pictures – such wonderful fun! I was just at a wedding featuring gorgeous hydrangeas all purple and white! I got excited as they are my favorite flower, too!
Seriously need to head over to Pillsborough for the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had in my life!
i love your zest for life and your posts always make me smile!!! You do know what a great blessing you are right?? stay precious!
Your writing makes me smile. I think we should be friends. Just saying… But seriously, you and your sisters are gorgeous! Glad you had fun in Seattle!
P.S. I will have to try that almond trick next time I pass some chipmunks/cute boys. Let you know how that works out…
Man, your pictures make me miss Seattle even more! I was born there and 1/2 my family lives there. Gorgeous place, nice people, delicious food, and loads of fun! Am now planning to take my girls there next year. Have you gone to any Ethiopian restaurants? I’ve heard that there are some good ones in Seattle. Have a great time and please tell your sister that I love her hair!
Hydrangeas make me think of weddings also. My Nana in PA had them next to her old house and when I was a little girl I thought I would use them in my wedding bouquet. She passed away, and the house sold, and I had to pick wildflowers instead since hydrangeas do not grow well in MT. But I still love them! And your blog :)
I have several comments I’d like to make about your “notes from Seattle,” but I’ll refrain because I have not a lot of time and I’d like to not spend it on you. I just want to know, though, the “reaction” you got from those hunks on the beach, what was it? Did they throw rocks back instead of almonds? Just wondering. Thanks.
D
What a lovely trip!
I Love you posts. I open my email every day and save yours till last.
I use it as a little treat for myself. Sad,I know.
Whatever you do ,don’t stop.
That would realy make me sad.
If you ever get to PA. you are welcome at my house anytime.
My husband is an old shit but thats what happens when your over sixty.
Woah! Joy, these are some amazing photos! Sounds like you had a blast! Haha about the almonds and chipmonks! =p Wish it could work out like that..the CakeSpy Shop and Molly Moon’s icecream look awesome! Hope your enjoying your summer with your sisters and mom! =)
Ooh! I miss Seattle so much. I now live in Boulder, and it is just not the same! Thanks for the visual flashbacks. :)
That makes me wanna go and visit Seattle straight away!
I am sooo jealous that you went to cake spy! Being as I am in MN, I can only dream of going. I’m a faithful devotee to the blog (as I am yours) and Jessie’s artwork is just the sweetest! Glad you had fun on yr trip :)
Yum. The pictures and the treats are delish! I am going to Seattle next month! My First Time…I expect it to be quite an event! I can’t wait to try Delancey and maybe eat that exact ice cream cone!
Oh Joy!
You are such an adorable CRACK up!
LOVED seeing pics of you out of the KITCHEN and HIKING up that MT!
Glad you didn’t run into a BEAR!
Can you believe I just forked out $50 for BEAR SPRAY!!!
Who spends $50 on BEAR spray?!!!!
Someone who LOVES to HIKE…but is petrifiiiiiiiiiiied of BEARS on the trails up here in WA!
Delighted you enjoyed your fun trip to Seattle!
Next time…pop over to Bainbridge Island and I’ll bake you up a Chicken Pot PIE!
xo
WOWZA!!! Those look soooo darn good. You are genius, I would not have thought to combine the two, but I think they are a perfecto combo!!!… How do you bake like this and stay so fit? I’m quite jealous..
I have a weirdo bendy finger, too! I always have a hard time teaching guitar because I play an A (three strings in a row) with one finger instead of three…….YIKES!
Great pics! Thanks for sharing the great Washington State and your family with us, your readers. You go, girls!
I realize I’m a dork for noticing this but…I totally spied the silver, flower IKEA bowl that sits prettily on my coffee table too. I know. It’s rad.
Love your blog…thanks for being simply & fabulously real!
Rock on.
How fun! I loved the pics. I love the Ross bags… I’m an avid shopper of Ross, if I get the chance. Also, I love hydrangeas too and had them at my wedding, and as part of my bouquet. Where I live now, they grow wild all over and are just so beautiful. I used to live in the Seattle area. Lovely, lovely pics. Thanks.
I love this story.
seattle is so close to me – vancouver BC but seems like an exotic land thru your stories and pix :)
We visited Cakespy when we were in Seattle last week, also!! Jessie was so sweet, and we loved browsing her shop. After that, we stopped by Dahlia for a sweet treat (well, several sweet treats!) Sounds like you enjoyed your visit as much as we did, even though we never made it to Molly Moon. Now I need to catch up on all your posts that I have missed, beginning with Rainier Cherry Brown Betty!
FUN! Love your humor. We all need it to get through the day, right?
Next time you’re here, would you consider hosting one of your awesome speakeasies for all of your Seattle fans? We’d love to meet you! If you bring the baked goods, we’ll bring you bourbon. Please?
yes yes!
Yay my hometown.
And double yay molly moons. best ice cream ever.
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