Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 2013



"Who would have thought it possible that a tiny little flower could preoccupy a person so completely that there simply wasn't room for any other thought." - Sophie Scholl

 photo DSC_2165.jpg

Saturday was grey, it rained, there were a few sun breaks and then I walked through the rainbow known as the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.  It's stunning, its color breathtaking and even with the sky above 100 shades of grey, the ground was dancing in technicolor.

 photo DSC_2179.jpg

It was wet and muddy and I hesitated going due to the weather.  The rain started as I merged on the freeway heading an hour and a half  North and the sky was thick with dark clouds.  I was a week late getting up to the tulip fields but I knew if I waited another week the massive blooms were sure to be diminished.  Last year I hit the perfect time just as the daffodils were waving their final goodbye and the tulips were commanding all the attention.  You can see last years daffodil post here and tulip post here.  I was smitten after last years visit and the thought of missing it this year, well I just could not miss it, rain or shine.

 photo DSC_2264.jpg


"The nature of This Flower is to bloom."
- Alice Walker

 photo DSC_2282.jpg

Being a bit later in the bloom I happened upon a slightly different landscape, more pinks and purples. And the puddles that pooled between the rows revealed a new perspective,  a peaceful, mirrored reflection.

 photo DSC_2291.jpg

I have come to love these tulip fields rain or shine.

 photo DSC_2319.jpg

 photo DSC_2353.jpg

A quick video with some of my favorite shots of the day.


I left with a few bundles to savor some Spring color at home.


 photo DSC_2259-1.jpg
I will dedicate this post to all of you, remember to bloom where you are planted, no matter the weather.  Find a cute pair of rain boots, look for the sun breaks and enjoy all the colors in the rainbow.



Photos taken at Roozengarrde Mount Vernon Washington

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Pacific Ocean Gratitude.

Last weekend we spent four wonderful days at the coast, beach combing, getting caught in the rain, taking in a low tide, wild crafting on the beach, celebrating a friends birthday and standing in awe of a breathtaking sunset.  We were grateful. 

The Long Beach peninsula is about 4 1/2 hours from our house and it's lovely.  We have no cell reception, no tv, and while you can find just about everything you need at Jack's Country Store, you feel remote, incredibly relaxed and completely removed from the rest of the world. 

It was good.


April 2013 LB from Wendy on Vimeo.

Thank you to our friends who joined us and a big THANK YOU to our friends who so graciously offer their beach house to us for a much appreciated getaway.

All you need is love, ...and the beach every once and a while.

Have a lovely day.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Peace be with you Boston.

We just returned from a long weekend away, completely unplugged with no cell reception, no t.v. and no stress to the horrific events in Boston yesterday; my heart is heavy.

Prayers to the victims, their families, those who witnessed this terrible event, those helping the ones in need and my friends and family living in the Boston area.

 photo DSC_2059.jpg
Peace be with you all. ♥♥♥

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Date night at the corner of delancey and essex ~ and our first giveaway!

I can not remember how I heard the praises of delancey in Seattle, I know I read about it recently, somewhere.  I remember thinking we must go, followed by I just started Weight Watchers and seriously pizza was not going to help me achieve my goal, but it sounded fabulous.  So, two weeks go by at WW and I have lost five pounds and all I can think about is delancey.  The photos on their fb page imprinted forever in my mind the balls of soft dough rising, the wood fired oven,  the fennel sausage, the vintage industrial look of the place.  The reviews, stating superb, excellent, the freshest ingredients with just a tad of mozzarella.  Amazing thin crisp crust pies reminiscent of the pizza mecca in Brooklyn.  The reviews, all the same each visitor standing on their own soap box and shouting with mouth watering details.  And just as they were all in agreement of their love of delancey they also agreed on the only downside, the wait.  Apparently the wait is significant a hour, give or take thirty minutes, seemed to be the general consensus, but aren't all good things worth the wait?   I mean if I were going to make pizza at home it would surely take longer than an hour and I could easily pick up the phone and order from the fast food pizza chains.  But I am 100% confident those chains resemble nothing even close to the culinary expertise of the much celebrated delancey.  So we decided to go Saturday night, we knew there may be a wait and we were prepared to stick it out.

We arrived in Ballard around seven o'clock and when we turned on NW 70th Street we wondered, for a moment, if we were in the wrong area.  Most of NW 70th Street is filled with cute little bungalows and just as I glanced to the right I spotted it.


 photo DSC_1911.jpg

It's location is unassuming and small I was thrilled not to see a line out the door and jumped out of the car to put our name on the list, while Clyde parked.  I followed another gal in who was seated right away and for a split second I danced a little happy dance that we would soon be next.  When the host came back she quickly brought me back to reality, "the wait for two is an hour and a half".  Oh those words stung, but I was prepared I put our name on the list and wondered what we would do in this cute little neighborhood for 90 minutes.  I thought to myself, should we leave and come back?, should we go scour the Village on Holman Road?  She soon suggested we could wait in the bar next door and she would call me when our table was ready.  I went back outside and waited for Clyde to return.  We decided to head into essex, the bar next door, for a pre-dinner drink and let me tell you it was wonderful.

 photo IMAG1447.jpg

essex is cozy and warm and oozes, "we love what we do".  This is not your typical neighborhood bar but after only a few minutes inside and a quick glance at their menu you can only wish this bar was in your neighborhood.  Think local, think handcrafted.  They make as many of the liquors as they can and have selected only the finest other brands to carry, no Bud, or Bacardi here.

We sat at the bar and had the best time.  The staff was fun and engaging  and watching them prepare the drinks was a real treat.   Their drinks are creative and innovative and being not much of a drinker I am already looking forward to going back and trying something new.  Last night I had a Americano ~  Campari, Sweet Vermouth and Soda while Clyde had a wonderful Rye Beer.

 photo IMAG1444-1.jpg

Sitting at the bar is paramount if you can, watching them mix drinks was so fun and Clyde and I were both intrigued by one we saw being prepared and we decided to try it.  The Alondo ~ Gin, Elderflower Liquor, Chartreuse,  and Charred Rosemary, served in a vintage, silver champagne goblet. It was showy and I was so glad I had my camera on hand to capture it's preparation.


Alonzo cocktail from Wendy on Vimeo.


Before we knew it, it was time for dinner.  We walked through the back of essex, right in to delancey, and were seated in a very full dining room.  We chose two pizzas, the Margherita, and the Sausage, made with their house made fennel sausage.

 photo DSC_1910.jpg
I'll be eating lettuce for the rest of the week, but it's all good.

Yum, they were so delicious!

Simple, fresh, bursting with flavors and the crust was equally crispy and chewy.

Pizza perfection!

Worth the 20 minute drive from Edmonds and completely worth the wait. When you go, be sure to put your name on the wait list at delancey's and then go enjoy a cocktail at essex.  And by all means sit at the bar, it's just so much fun.  I guess I'm on the soap box now, and speaking of soap...

...but wait it's not just a shameless plug, it's a giveaway!  "GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED"

 photo DSC_1449.jpg
I promised and it's finally here, my first giveaway.

I am giving away a four pack of our wonderful handmade soap. 

How to enter:

1. Check out all of our soap on our Etsy shop at Vintique and Handmade

2. Then leave a comment below, on this blog post, about a new soap scent you would like to see us create.

3. Post about this giveaway on your own blog or facebook page and leave a link in the comment section.
_______________________________________________________________________________

The first winner will be drawn at random and a second winner will also be chosen if we pick your soap scent, we will send you a four pack of the scent you suggested, when it is ready.

This giveaway will run from April 7th through April 15th 2013.

The winner(s) will be drawn on Monday April 15th and announced on Tuesday the 16th, good luck!



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...