HAPPINESS IS...

My Halloween Costume: Daenerys Targaryen from Game Of Thrones

Happy Halloween! Game of Thrones nerds, I think you might appreciate my costume this year. I was Khaleesi Daenerys Targaryen. Mother of Dragons.

Hal and I usually do couples costumes. But this year, he chose to do a group costume with his boys. Then after I got my costume together, he changed his mind and ended up costuming solo. I begged him to be Khal Drogo, my sun and stars. Especially since earlier in the year, Hal was the one who suggested the idea in the first place. But he didn't want to go shirtless in frigid Washington. Understandable, but still. I wanted to be the moon of his life!

After family fun at my folks' house on Saturday, we drove back up to Seattle around 11pm to attend the most epic Halloween party thrown by some fellas in Hal's motorcycle club warehouse. Hundreds of people were dressed up in intricate and outrageous costumes. There was a marching band, Burning Man style art sculptures, and a large interactive wall of fire (yes, I tried to hatch my dragon egg). And while we're on the subject, I made the egg out of styrofoam and approximately 800 brass push pins.

My ego loved being Daenerys for the night. Groups of men were chanting "Dany! Dany!" whenever I walked by. Girls were approaching me on bended knee to kiss my hand. "It's a pleasure to serve you, my Khaleesi." When I got home, I yanked off the itchy wig and seriously contemplated dying my hair platinum blonde. I still am.

Friends, what were you for Halloween?


{Images by Christopher Bachmann}

DIY - Herb Firestarters

We're planning to build our first fire of the season tomorrow so we can have a warm and inviting home for the neighborhood trick-or-treaters! Although it does little to heat our house, a roaring fire is my favorite kind of ambiance.

I'm thinking about making these herb firestarters with dried orange and apple peels, cloves, cinnamon sticks, rosemary and lavender inside a coffee filter. Stephanie shares the full details on her blog. I bet they smell incredible.


{Images by Henry Happened}

Cider & Cocoa Inside Apples & Oranges

I'm a big fan of serving food inside food. Like soup in a bread bowl. Cheese fondue in a pumpkin. And now these two treats have been added to my list: cider in apples and hot cocoa in oranges, two cozy fall drinks I'm dying to try. Don't they look tasty?


{Images 1. and 4. via Newly Loved by Love By Serena; 2. 3. and 5. via A Subtle Revelry by Jocelyn Noel Photography}

Owls, Fairies, Dragons & Walter White

A few peeks into our weekend...

1. We decorated owl cookies with Oreos, M&Ms and candy corn. My mom always finds the cutest crafts. 
2. My brother, sister-in-law and niece dressed as Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell. I've never seen Ayana so happy. 
3. The dragon is a hint to my costume which I'll reveal on Halloween. Can you guess who I was? UPDATE: click here to see!
4. My tribute to Breaking Bad, a no-trace pumpkin carving of Walter White. Of course, it took me 2 hours while everyone else was done in 20 minutes, but hey, that's the price of being a perfectionist. Here's how it looks illuminated.

How was your Halloween weekend? Did you dress up?

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Boo! Are you attending any Halloween festivities over the weekend? We'll be at my family's haunted house for a day-of-the-dead dinner, revealing costumes and carving pumpkins!

Have an spine-chilling weekend, friends. Here are a few spooky links...

Skull salt and pepper shakers.

Bat-tastic fashion.

8 tasty trick or treats.

A sweet n' sour n' spicy poison ivy cocktail.

Top 5 scary movies - have you seen them all?

What to eat on Halloween morning.

6 last minute costume ideas. 

Realistic quick-spun cobwebs.

24 beautiful black cats.

The cutest costumes for kids at H&M.

Free Halloween printables. 

Boo inside a cake!

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• Classic Halloween Flicks
• Brainstorming Costumes
• White Pumpkin Candles 

 

{Images via: 1. Photo Like Graph; 2. Julianne Woodbury; 3. Studio Claire; 4. Carissa Miss; 5. Fashion Lane; 6. Quintin Gonzalez}

Keeping Food Fresh Without A Fridge

With the idea of preserving food longer and more naturally, Jihyun Ryou has created these modern wall shelves to keep edibles fresh without refrigeration. He calls it his Save Food From The Fridge project.

I personally can't stand wasting food. Yet every month, I find myself throwing out spoiled items from the refrigerator. And ours isn't even full-sized! These smart and functional designs are absolutely brilliant, don't you think?

Now if only he can come up with a shelving unit that reminds us when our leftovers go bad! 


{Images by Jihyun Ryou} 

A Visit From Bailey In My Dreams

I've been missing my Bailey a lot lately. Got myself a cute pair of black kitty flats in her honor. It's been almost 4 months since her passing and my eyes still water when I think of her. Does that ever go away?

But something amazing happened to me the other night. She came to visit me! In my dream, I felt something jump on our bed. I bolted upright to find my curious little kitty walking across the down comforter, bounding over to the window ledge. I gasped and woke up Hal beside me (in my dream). "Look love, look! It's Bailey!" Hal rubbed his eyes and mumbled out a "whoa". She leaped off the sill into my open arms. I breathed her in and gave her a few good long snuggles.

Then I really woke up. With a huge grin on my face. But what's even more strange? I grabbed my phone from the nightstand to check the time and a voice recorder app was open. The app I downloaded specifically to capture an audio file of Bailey's purr a few days before she passed. Here it is...

BAILEY'S PURR

I had completely forgotten about the recording. Did I accidentally open the app in my sleep? Did her paw step on my phone? Ha. I don't know, but I was ecstatic. I had been trying to reach her in my dreams for the longest time. And she finally came through! Hearing her purr was the ultimate reassurance of her presence.

Have you ever gotten a visit from a deceased pet? I'm so curious if this is a common thing. Has anything like this every happened to you?


{Image via 24 Media}

DIY - 3 Things You Can Make With Dried Gourds

Bracelets. Vases. And drums! All from a dried gourd. Mad props to Caitlin, who's brilliant mind came up with these three fun projects for fall. Now I'm wishing I picked up a few extra gourds at the pumpkin patch!


{Images by Merrythought}

Geek Chic Style With VSP & Nine West

I've worn glasses for as long as I can remember. I'm that blind. Of course, back in the day, they were unpopular. Before I got contacts in high school, I used to "forget my glasses at home" and sit in the front of the class so I could read the board.

Between then and now, glasses became trendy and I'm doubting geek chic style will go away any time soon. I've grown to love my astigmatism, because the right frames can complete any look. I had fun pulling together two fall outfits around the super cute Nine West specs above. Which ensemble is your favorite, brown or black?

As much as I'd like to own more than one pair, let's get real. Glasses are expensive, especially designer brands where the lenses are thick and the prescriptions are strong, like mine. I don't know what I'd do without my VSP vision insurance which covers a huge chunk of the cost, including the eye exam. It's pretty sweet to be able to get insurance for a fashion accessory, right?

My most recent frames are vintage (similar to the glasses in my kid pic!), but I'm ready for a new pair. Do you wear glasses? Or do you have perfect vision and wish you wore glasses?

P.S. Don't forget to enter the "Style with a Vision" Pinterest sweepstakes to win a Nine West shopping spree and 1-year of free vision care from VSP Direct!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep Happiness Is running! 


{Brown Frames Images: 1. Nine West Frames; 2. Ilia Lipstick; 3. Madewell Sweater; 4. Boticca Gold Studs; 5. Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow; 6. Patricia Nash Handbag; 7. Tory Burch Jeans; 8. Miss Dora Sequined Flats}
{Black Frames Images: 1. Nine West Frames; 2. Cityscape Umbrella; 3. Madewell Sweater; 4. Sass & Bide Leather Jeans; 5. Aerie Scarf; 6. Nars Lipstick; 7. Fox Embroidered Clutch; 8. Madewell Boots}

 

Octobers

Me too, Anne. Me too. I hope you have a Octobery weekend doing Octobery things. I'll be taking it easy, resting up, taking a walk in the park, doing a little cleaning, a little baking, and DIY-ing a vital prop for my H'ween costume. How about you? This time of year always feels so fleeting to me. For those of you in cooler climates, get out and enjoy this beauty if you can.

Here are your weekend links...

8 fashion essentials for fall.

A great list of autumn activities.

I'm thinking about baking ginger cookies.

How to have fun with bobby (and his pins).

What do you think of the Stella McCartney jewel bag?

Turn your photos into a wallet.

The trailer for the new Wes Anderson film.

This season's IT hat. 

Love this DIY branch coat rack.

A sweet idea for a double date.

 

And some posts of mine you may have missed...

• How To Tie A Head Scarf
• An Off-The-Grid Writer's Retreat
• DIY - Bouquets of Autumn Leaves 

{Pre-edited image by Renato Tano}

An Outstanding-In-The-Field Inspired Wedding Table

Remember my post on Outstanding In The Field? The culinary event where strangers gather from all over the world to have a meal together in a remote natural setting? This was Emily and Rob's inspiration for their wedding. They definitely pulled it off. I love how they used the natural curve of the road.

Of course, they happen to be the power couple behind Foodzie and they got some help from Katy Oursler, an Outstanding In The Field location scout, but still. I'm impressed.

Someday, somewhere, I hope to create this style of dinner on my own. Who wants an invite?


{Images by Hugh Forte}

Questions For You - What Is Your All-Time Favorite Meal?

As the weather cools down, I'm craving warm comforting foods for dinner. So here's my question for you...

What is your all-time favorite meal?

My answer... If you know me at all, this one's easy. Mac n' cheese. Plain or fancy, with herbs, veggies, gorgonzola, spices, truffle oil, or all of the above. A close second would be raclette. Mmm, cheese.

Now you!


{Image by Verses From My Kitchen}

The Pumpkin Patch

According to my Instagram and Facebook feeds, it looked as if everyone and their dog went to a pumpkin patch over the weekend. We're having the loveliest fall weather here in Washington. Sunny, crisp and colorful.

My family and I met at the Spooner Farms Harvest Festival to pick out some pumpkins for our annual Halloween party. With a sticky caramel apple in hand, I found a perfectly shaped orange pumpkin with a flat side for carving. My mom favors the uglies and topped off our wheel barrow with all sorts of warty ones. And of course, a little baby pumpkin for my 18-month old niece. We are SET.

Have you picked any pumpkins this year?

Hand Carved Book Letters

Love these hand-carved book letters, don't you? They're from Nordstrom, of all places. I'll take a R, A and a D, please.


{Images via Nordstrom}

West Coast Road Trip 05 - Gleneden Beach to Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria

By the time we left Salishan, we were ready for lunch. Just as my stomach began to grumble, we drove by dairy heaven, the Tillamook Cheese Factory! I heard the angels sing.

We sampled their cheeses and ordered sandwiches with a side of mac n' cheese from their cafe. This is when the angels sang off key. The bread crumbled apart and the mac n' cheese tasted like the kind you get at KFC. If you ever find yourself at Tillamook, skip the cafe.

Following the 101, stopped in Cannon Beach, Oregon. To me, one of the most beautiful beaches on the west coast. Maybe it was the 75 degree warmth upon my face, the shallow tide pools reflecting the sun, or my barefoot feet in the sand, but this place made me feel alive.

It may also have to do with those rocks. Do they look familiar to you?

GOONIES! One of my favorite movies as a kid. This is the beach where Mikey, Chunk, Mouth, Andy, Stef, Brand and Data emerge after finding the loot on One-Eyed Willie's pirate ship.

30 minutes north in Astoria, we found a few more Goonies film locations: the county jail, complete with bullet holes in the prop Jeep parked outside, and Mikey's house, where a Jewish family lives who kindly allows nosey film nerds to Truffle Shuffle in front of their gate.

Eventually, we arrived at our final resting place. Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria, which rests on the 100 year-old cannery pilings 600 feet into the Columbia River. We were warmly welcomed with complimentary wine & cheese and given the key to the top floor corner suite with insane natural light. From our balcony, I couldn't imagine a better place to watch the sun go down.

When we were ready for dinner at T. Paul's Urban Cafe, the front desk summoned a chauffeur to drive us to the restaurant in one of Cannery Pier's classic cars!

Freshly baked cookies were waiting for us back at the hotel. We snuck more than a few up to our room and snuggled in bed to watch a movie. Guess which one?? I think Cyndi Lauper was the soundtrack to my dream that night.

Bright and early the next morning, we took the hotel bikes out for an invigorating spin along the boardwalk. And rode back for a blissful chocolate orange body wrap and aromatherapy massage at the spa. Cannery Pier treated us right! 

Before leaving Astoria, we browsed the Maritime Museum and one final must-see monument. The Column! It's a Roman tower that sits atop Coxcomb Hill, commanding a stunning 360 degree view of the countryside, the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River. 

Of course we had to climb to the top. All 164 dizzying steps. 

We left Astoria on a high. It might just be my new favorite small town. A few more sleepy hours north on the 5, and we were back home, sweet home.

Thank you, friends, for following along on our road trip up the west coast. It felt like you were in the back seat the whole time!

West Coast Road Trip 01 - Los Angeles to the Madonna Inn
West Coast Road Trip 02 - San Luis Obispo to the Trees of Mystery
West Coast Road Trip 03 - Legget, California to Wildspring Guest Habitat
West Coast Road Trip 04 - Port Orford, Oregon to Salishan Resort


This post sponsored by Cannery Pier Hotel. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep Happiness Is running!

West Coast Road Trip 04 - Port Orford, Oregon to Salishan Resort

From Wildspring, we continued up the 101, driving slowly through the small coastal towns. When we entered the Siuslaw National Forest In Florence, the view got pretty spectacular. If we had more time, we would have stopped at America's largest sea lion caves. I almost made Hal turn the car around, until we saw the breathtaking Heceta Head Lighthouse vista point further down the road and pulled over to snap some pics. The sea lions were sunning themselves on the rocks below, barking up a storm.

On the mid-Oregon coast, you'll find 40 miles of sand resulting from millions of years of wind, sun, and rain erosion, the largest amount of coastal sand dunes in the U.S. Some dunes tower up to 500 feet above sea level! Naturally, we had to see this natural phenomena with our own eyes.

Using the Roadtrippers app, I discovered the world's first sandboard park was right off the highway. Originally, we were going to rent a board for Hal and let him do his thang. But the dune buggy was calling my name and I wanted in on the fun. They called it a "tour", but it felt more like the wildest roller coaster we've ever ridden! Our driver was hardcore. He gave us goggles to wear, but every time I opened my mouth to scream, I ate sand. We had to smile and laugh with our lips covering our teeth. We left Sand Master Park dirty and dizzy and ready for round two.

Just south of Lincoln City, we arrived at our next hotel, Salishan Resort in Gleneden Beach. I fell right in love with the zen-inspired 70's architecture. It sort of reminded me of the mountain lodge we stayed at in Snowbird, Utah. We oohed and ahhed over our ultra luxe canyon suite and immediately hit the dueling showers to wash off our second skin of sand before dinner.

Is this not the coolest indoor mid-century pool you've ever seen? It's open 24-hours!

Salishan has quite a beautiful golf course and ocean-front spa, but we didn't get a chance to experience either. The funny thing about road trips.. you feel the need to wake up early to get the most out of the daylight. But on this particular morning, we slept in (gasp), splurged on room service, ate breakfast in bed, and lazed around in fluffy robes. 

Before leaving the area, we tooled around Gleneden Beach doing silly things like this. Tomorrow, we'll be in Astoria, the final leg of our adventure! Stay tuned...

West Coast Road Trip 01 - Los Angeles to the Madonna Inn
West Coast Road Trip 02 - San Luis Obispo to the Trees of Mystery
West Coast Road Trip 03 - Legget, California to Wildspring Guest Habitat
West Coast Road Trip 05 - Gleneden Beach to Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria


This post is sponsored by Salishan Resort. The content and opinions are all my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep Happiness Is running!

West Coast Road Trip 03 - Legget, California to Wildspring Guest Habitat

After our adventures in the Redwood Forest, we waved goodbye to California and greeted Oregon with anticipation. This portion of the coastline is phenomenal. It very much reminds us of Big Sur, with it's dramatic winding cliff top views of the ocean.

The photo above is an outtake from our unsuccessful self-timer experiment!

In Port Orford, the oldest town on the Oregon coast, we checked off one thing on our must-see list. The Prehistoric Gardens! Remember my desire to visit a dinosaur park? My dream came true. We spotted the (very happy) T-rex from the 101 and slammed on the brakes.

The dinosaurs themselves were a bit cartoony and we weren't allowed to climb the life-size replicas, but I couldn't complain. The fact that this park still remains, is a miracle. So many of these quirky vintage roadside attractions have been torn down over the years. The park has been owned and operated by the original sculptor's family since 1955.

12 miles further north, we arrived at WildSpring Guest Habitat, a luxury boutique bed & breakfast eco-resort. This place is unreal, friends. There are 5 cozy cabin suites on the property, each one fit for royalty with radiant-heated floors, slate tile showers, feather beds and scented candles. We stayed in Earthsea, named after the Ursula Le Guin fantasy series.

At the communal guest hall, there are complimentary snacks, drinks, games, puzzles, and a 500+ dvd library. That night, we made ourselves some hot cocoa, cozied up in bed, and watched Return of the Jedi. Ewoks in the Redwoods, yo! 

In the morning, we woke up to an impressive home-cooked breakfast buffet waiting for us in the kitchen. Bellies full, we explored the grounds and walked the labyrinth in quiet contemplation. There's a beautiful energy in these woods. The cabins are surrounded by 5 acres of ancient Native American forests. 

Around every corner was a new surprise. Whimsical signs and faces in the trees. Animal figurines here and sun god sculptures there. From the open air spa, there's an incredible view of the ocean. 

We had a nice long chat with WildSpring's owners, Dean and Michelle. Fascinating people, these two. Following a long-held dream, they fell in love with the Oregon coast and left their house in the Hollywood Hills to build this enchanting retreat together from scratch. Their story and dedication is truly inspiring. 

Meet Miss Scarlett. She adopted Dean and Michelle (smart cat) and is now queen feline of the WildSpring kingdom.

It was difficult to leave such a magical place, but the road beckoned. We mosied around Port Orford for awhile, visiting art galleries and admiring the picturesque waterfront. And after many goofy attempts, we finally mastered the self-timer.

Tomorrow, we're getting dirty in the sand dunes! Stay tuned...

West Coast Road Trip 01 - Los Angeles to the Madonna Inn
West Coast Road Trip 02 - San Luis Obispo to the Trees of Mystery
West Coast Road Trip 04 - Port Orford, Oregon to Salishan Resort
West Coast Road Trip 05 - Gleneden Beach to Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria

This post is sponsored by Wildspring Guest Habitat. The content and opinions are all my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep Happiness Is running!

West Coast Road Trip 02 - San Luis Obispo to the Trees of Mystery

From the Madonna Inn, we ventured up the 101, slowly making our way up to San Francisco. Due to time constraints, we couldn't take the 1, skipping out on Big Sur and Monterey, two of my favorite Cali towns. But we've driven that route before and didn't feel like we were missing out.

We did, however, quickly pit stop in Santa Cruz for a beach boardwalk stroll, a few arcade games, and a (not-so-flattering) photo booth strip!

We arrived in San Fran just in time for an intimate dinner gathering hosted by Hal's long-time friends. It was so great to catch up for a few hours and meet their little babes for the very first time. My college roomie, Nicole, kindly let us crash at her house for the night and took us to The Grove, their neighborhood mountain lodge-inspired cafe, for a delicious breakfast before she and her husband jetted off to work.

An entire week could have been spent in SF, but we were merely passing through. It was time to reach our next highly anticipated destination, the Redwood Forest.

180 miles northwest of the Bay Area, we stopped in Legget, California to drive through a 2,000 year-old tree! This was on our must-do list. We learned that coastal redwoods and sequoias have a very shallow root system and trees continue to live and grow even if their heartwood is damaged.

A bit further up the 101, we came across the famous One Log House. The inside felt like an Airstream. I could have totally lived there. It was about the size of my old studio apartment in Santa Monica. 

At last, we made our way into Klamath, California, to stop at one of our new favorite roadside attractions: the Trees of Mystery (in a deep, booming announcer voice)!

It was late, so we got thai take-out and checked into Motel Trees across the street, an awesome vintage time capsule, untouched since the 70's. Each room has different forest, meadow, or nature-themed wall mural. It smelled a bit like my grandparents' house, but that's part of the charm.

Bright and early the next morning, we were ready to hike the groomed interpretive Trees of Mystery trails. The 50-ft tall Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue Ox welcomed us at the entrance.

We rode the SkyTrail gondola 571 feet up through the forest tree tops. It's not every day you get to look down upon the majestic redwoods. 

I'll leave you with a poem we found painted at the base of the world's largest cathedral tree, a group of nine trees growing together as one. Several weddings take place here each year...

Here, sown by the Creator's hand 
In serried ranks, the Redwoods stand 
No other clime is honored so 
No other lands their glory know

The greatest of Earth's living forms 
Tall conquerors that laugh at storms 
Their challenge still unanswered rings 
Through fifty centuries of kings 

This is their temple, vaulted high 
And here, we pause with reverent eye
With silent tongue and awestruck soul 
For here we sense life's proper goal

To be like these, straight, true and fine
to make our world like theirs, a shrine 
Sink down, Oh, traveler, on your knees 
God stands before you in these trees

-Joseph B. Strauss

Tomorrow, we'll venture into Oregon! Stay tuned...

West Coast Road Trip 01 - Los Angeles to the Madonna Inn
West Coast Road Trip 03 - Legget, California to Wildspring Guest Habitat
West Coast Road Trip 04 - Port Orford, Oregon to Salishan Resort
West Coast Road Trip 05 - Gleneden Beach to Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria

 

West Coast Road Trip 01 - Los Angeles to the Madonna Inn

Hi friends! I've missed you. We're back from our epic 1-year anniversary road trip up the west coast. If you'd like to follow along on our adventures, I'll be sharing a few photos every day this week.

As you know, we flew down to Los Angeles for my a capella group's 15-year reunion. The weekend was so jam packed with mixers, rehearsals, performances, and after parties, I had no time to take photos in LA. So we'll begin this photo journey at our first official stop: Santa Barbara.

After cleaning out Hal's storage unit and packing up his SUV, we hit the road, heading up the 101 to visit his alma mater, UCSB. He showed me the house he lived in as a student for dirt cheap... on a bluff overlooking the ocean! Next door was the sweetest little park, Window To The Sea. We sat on the swing while he told me stories of his crazy college days. 

Hal suggested spending the night in San Luis Obispo at the Madonna Inn, a legendary landmark hotel he remembered staying at as a child. It's quirky, offbeat and nostalgic... just my style!

There are 110 themed rooms, each one individually decorated in 60's kitsch, many with rock walls and waterfall showers. Their names say it all: Barrel of Fun, Caveman, Love Nest, Jungle Rock, Old Fashion Honeymoon, Safari, Oriental Fantasy, and the list goes on and on. We were given the key to Carin, a sunny round room with two balconies. Private, romantic and very (very) pink. There were glitter walls and bronze cupids. I felt like a Disney princess.

Wrapping ourselves in candy striped towels, we took a quick dip in the pool before the sun went down.

We enjoyed a fireside pasta dinner at the Copper Cafe and toasted to our travels in the Silver Bar cocktail lounge while the Cal Poly Swing Club entertained us with "Madonna Monday" lindy hop. The entire evening was lovely and surreal. An eccentric rose-colored dream.

Tomorrow, we'll be driving to San Fran. Stay tuned!

West Coast Road Trip 02 - San Luis Obispo to the Trees of Mystery
West Coast Road Trip 03 - Legget, California to Wildspring Guest Habitat
West Coast Road Trip 04 - Port Orford, Oregon to Salishan Resort
West Coast Road Trip 05 - Gleneden Beach to Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria


This is post is sponsored by Madonna Inn. The content and opinions are all my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep Happiness Is running!