Happy Labor Day!

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Scenes from the weekend

Because it's always fun ...

Looking up at a pre-monsoon sky;

Spending quality time with your sorority lil sis when she comes to town;

Reaching yet another mileage milestone;

Eating dinner at your favorite Thai restaurant;

Taking in an exciting baseball game;

Seeing the feline use the fiance's clothes as a bed;

And making the best of a heatwave poolside.

Check out more of my photography here.

Hey now, you're an all-star

As a lifelong baseball and Seattle Mariners fan, attending the Futures Game, Home Run Derby, FanFest and All-Star Game at Chase Field was a dream come true. Even though the American League lost, it was still fun to be in such an electric atmosphere with baseball fans from around the country.

Five for Friday: Fun in progress

There's lots of fun (to me) ish going down this weekend. Getting started on another design project, finishing up my first week of working out and making progress on my latest furniture revamp are all on the agenda. I'm trying to convince the fiance to check out The Hangover Part II, but he's totally anti. I've heard it's pretty much the same storyline, but I laughed my ace off (and still do) at the first movie.

Here's to a non-sucky weekend!

1. Danika's gorgeous overlays

2. Kate Spade's expanded tabletop collection

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

3. Kelly's Skinny blog

4. Megan's boob paintings for breast cancer

5. Google's Les Paul Doodle

[My guitar solo]

More Five for Friday awaits here.

Five for Friday: Well-rounded weekend

There's something for everyone this weekend. Live shows, sporting events, hiking, movies and design projects are right up my and the fiance's alley. Do you have anything fun planned?

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1. Good music comes to those who wait

After postponing their December concert in protest over a crappy venue (thank goodness I'm not the only one who despises the Clubhouse), No Age comes to town for a Sunday show at The Trunk Space. I've loved the L.A. noise rock duo for a while, and I can't wait to see them perform live for the first time.

2. The Apple Cup of men's basketball

It's a big game for the Cougs, who not only look to beat rival UW in Pullman, but gain ground in the Pac-10 standings. WSU (14-6, 4-4) is coming off a close loss to Arizona. The Fuskies (15-4, 7-1) are atop the Pac-10 and ranked 17th in the nation. GO COUGS!

3. Oscar buzz

We saw previews for The King's Speech before Black Swan in early December and it looked promising then. And that was before the numerous awards and nominations. Plus, I'll take any opportunity to watch the hotness that is Colin Firth for two hours.

4. Back to nature

Taking advantage of the fabulous Phoenix weather before it's 110 degrees outside is a must and what better way than a hike in the North Mountain Preserve. It's pretty cool living in a city with mountains in the middle of it.

5. Paper chase

We are the proud owners of an all-in-one printer, something that was on my Christmas list. My mom gave us money to put toward one, and we finally picked it out last weekend. A trip to Staples for photo paper, cardstock and calling card paper, and I'll be printing to my heart's content.

Five for Friday: Friends, football + fun design

Was it just me or did this week fly by? I guess that's what happens when the dust finally settles. It was nice to catch up on laundry (I know ... What a fabulous life I lead when I'm happy to make a dent in the dirty clothes pile), sleep and creative projects, which were all casualties of the crazy past few weeks. What do you have planned this weekend?

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1. The inn is open for business:

The fiance and I are hosting high school/college friends Sarah and Spanky for a second weekend as they return from their Mexican cruise. You can bet I'll be living vicariously through them for the next few days. We had a blast taking them to our "spot" last weekend. Sarah's former Gonzaga coworker and her roomie (who live up the street from us) stopped by, too. Yeah for meeting new people, especially those who have Pacific Northwest origins.

On a related note, we've had more friends and family stay with us in the 11 months we've resided in Phoenix than the entire three years we were in Fresno, which proves Valley of the Sun > Central Valley.

2. Happy Birthday, baby:

As if my nephew's first birthday wasn't special enough, my brother asked me to design the invitations. Not only was I completely stoked because it's for such a special occasion, but I'm always happy to create some graphic goodness. 

I have two of the four samples I'm submitting to him and my sister-in-law almost finished and hopefully, I'll be able to complete the project this weekend. It's also another step in the right direction, which is something I can't wait to share with you all.

3. DIY printshop in the works?:

Maybe after Sunday. We didn't get a chance to check out printers last weekend, so it is priority number one after the fiance gets home from work today. I'm still undecided between a Canon and an HP. The fiance is pretty set on an HP, so we'll see. Any recommendations?

4. Packers' bandwagon: Reservation for one:

Even though the Seahawks were eliminated from the postseason last weekend, I'll still be glued to the TV on Sunday. I've decided to support the Green Bay Packers for the rest of the playoffs kind of by default, considering I could never cheer for cheaters (Jets + Steelers) and a team (Bears) that employs Jay Cutler as its quarterback. Plus, I can totally get on board with a state that prides itself on cultivating delicious dairy products and incorporating faux cheese into game-day fashions.

5. Painting procrastination:

If time permits, I need to make a trip to Home Depot to pick up spray paint. I've been delaying a project I started way too long ago because I ran out of my go-to transformation-in-a-can.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... Sort of

It's been difficult getting into the Christmas spirit this year in the AZ, considering it's been in the 70s and 80s. As someone who was born and raised in the Northwest, I associate the holiday season with cold, sweater weather, not sun-drenched, breezy days that require air conditioning. The fiance and I also decided to forgo having a tree and decorations since we're spending Christmas in Washington.

So it's easy to see why I'm not lining up to go caroling or baking batches of cookies. At least that's how I felt until yesterday. The fiance and I were walking around downtown Phoenix after leaving the Food City Tamale Festival (which was so fun and yummy). I had heard of CityScape and suggested we go exploring to see what the new retail and restaurant area was all about.

Imagine our surprise at the sight of an outdoor ice skating rink in the middle of the complex. It was almost surreal. And of course we had to partake. The rink was modest and the ice not well maintained, but skating along to Christmas music was a blast. 

And it got me thinking. As much as I can't wait to be home, in the cold, celebrating with my family, I appreciate the different experience that Arizona provides. Because there's not too many other places one can ice skate in 78 degrees.

 

 

Five for Friday: Laying low

This is the last weekend the fiance and I have down time for the rest of the month, so hanging out around the townhouse is in order.

1. Befores and afters: It's still in the mid-90s around these parts, but I refuse to let the hot weather stop me from starting and finishing a few painting projects any longer.

2. Work it out: My journey to a healthier me is full-speed-ahead and exercising on the weekend is ideal thanks to less gym traffic.

3. Cover up: The fiance and I are making an IKEA trip to see if the doors for our bookcases are available. I'm not getting my hopes up because they haven't been in stock the past three shipments. Wish us luck.

4. Saturday's finest: The Cougs are steadily showing progress and their effort in the previous two games has given me hope for the future. No. 17 Arizona comes to the Palouse on the heels of a loss. Perhaps an upset is in the cards?

5. Quality time: It seems the fiance and I have been going non-stop with work, charity golf tournaments, concerts and more concerts, so the opportunity to relax together is welcomed.

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Seen live: Phantogram + Josiah Wolf

Friday's Phantogram show was amazing. The electronic rockers are just as good live as they are blaring through my laptop speakers.

Rips Ales & Cocktails was the perfect setting for the intimate concert, which had hot beats, an energetic crowd and stellar sound. I even got to meet Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel and the opener, Josiah Wolf, afterward.

I'm convinced Phoenix's indie music scene is more and more legit with each show I attend and the people here are even cooler as evidenced by the rad individuals who took me under their wing.

I attended the show solo since the fiance was out of town playing in a golf tournament. I've gone to concerts by myself before and I've always met solid people, and this time was no exception.

Our post-concert journey took us to a dive bar complete with a taco truck, a DJ who was spinning R. Kelly and Notorious B.I.G., cheap drinks and good conversation. A great end to the evening.

Next on the concert calendar: Land Of Talk (who I saw last October in Visalia) on Tuesday and Sleigh Bells on Wednesday. Let the sonic adventures continue.

Check out more of my concert adventures.

50 states: Hello, Pullman. Remember me?

The fiance and I had an amazing time in Pullman this past weekend. The improvements to the campus and town were modern and pretty, but a lot of the fun stuff is still the same. The buildings, stadium and grounds received a much-needed face lift, but special places like the Coug and Cougar Country thankfully remain untouched.

The most spectacular of makeovers was the CUB. When I attended WSU, the student union building was nothing to write home about. Now, it houses a bar, two-story bookstore, flat-screen TVs with comfy chairs and couches and countless dining options. Needless to say the current students are spoiled.

We stayed in the fiance's old dorm, which the school has turned into a hotel while the building is being renovated. For $160 including tax, we got the room for two nights, four meal vouchers to our old dining hall and day passes to the Rec Center. Not only was it reasonably priced and conveniently located right on campus, but the nostalgia of staying in the residence hall was more than worth the price.

It was great catching up with old friends, patronizing a lot of my favorite college spots and finally witnessing a football win in person. Although it didn't feel like much of a victory, considering the team should've dominated Montana State from start to finish, it was nice to be back in Martin Stadium.

A lot of people make fun of Pullman because it's located in the middle of nowhere, but after being away for four years, my decision to attend college there was reaffirmed this past weekend. It may not have the fancy trappings of big cities, but it's a true college town and one that will always have a place in my heart.

GO COUGS!