-Kylee Noelle-

Minty Watermelon Lime Popsicles

2013-06-19T10:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Wednesday!

Today I'm over on The Inspired Room sharing a recipe for some delicious watermelon fruit pops (along with a printable recipe card!). These make the perfect refreshing summer treat. Click here for the recipe!

graduate: sister edition.

2013-06-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

My little sister Courtney graduated from college with an interior design degree a couple of weekends ago and I couldn't be more proud of her! It's so crazy to think that we are both college grads. From babies to graduates in a flash!

A rare photo of all of us (aka the best family ever).
So happy to be able to call my sister one of my best friends. She's the most hilarious, kind, beautiful person I know. Seriously don't know what I'd do without her!

I am just the luckiest in the sibling department. Love them both to pieces.

Love this guy too, of course.

Congrats on graduating, Court! May all your interior design dreams come true.

Lily

2013-06-14T11:29:00.003-07:00

Hello! I've been meaning to post some pictures of my parent's precious new puppy, Lily. She is just the SWEETEST thing. Lance and I are insanely jealous, but alas, since no pups are allowed in The Cave, we shall have to put puppy dreams on hold. For now, we will just cuddle Lily (and Jack!) every chance we get.

She is an Australian Labradoodle and will stay smallish (around 25 lbs). Everyone adores her, including Jack, although I'm pretty sure she is the alpha dog around their house. Jack may be bigger but he can be kind of a pushover (but I'm sure he just considers himself chivalrous!).

Just look at THAT FACE!

It is love...

She KILLS me with her cuteness. Don't you just want to squish her?! Sigh. If you need even more puppy happiness you can see more (lots more!) Lily pics on my mom's and Jack's blogs...here and here.

snippets of this life. lately.

2013-05-20T13:46:00.003-07:00

Lately I haven't had time to blog, but I have been able to snap some photos. So here are some pictures of happy moments from the past couple of weeks...

hair

2013-05-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

So really–who actually gets their haircut every 4-6 weeks? Who even has time/funds for that? I mean, I hack at my hair a little sometimes with my dull hair-cutting scissors. Does that count? And while we're admitting things, I may have used boxed dye a time or twenty. Also one time I did a really bad thing to my sister's hair involving an at home bleach kit. She's probably still traumatized.

(cue hairstylists with pitchforks)

Okay so all that to say my ends are repulsive and I'm bad at making hair appointments. Maybe a little public self-shaming will do the trick...

HEY KYLEE–YOU'RE HAIR IS DISGUSTING AND GROSS AND NOBODY LIKES THAT SO HOW ABOUT YOU GET IT CUT.

another weekend

2013-05-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

We have had some good weekends lately... This past weekend was no exception. We had friends visiting from Portland and the weather was glorious! We spent the days people watching at Greenlake, dining out for way too many meals, reconnecting with good friends and potentially ruining those friendships by playing Scattergories (apparently elephants count as "things in the sky")...

P.S.try squeezing limes for seven margaritas sometime. It's fun and totally not time consuming or anything ;)

Portage Bay Cafe

2013-05-08T10:34:00.001-07:00

One of the first posts I ever did on this blog declared my love for breakfast and nothing has changed. It's still by far my favorite meal to have out and Lance still could take it or leave it. However, there is one place we can both agree on for wonderful breakfast/brunch...

Enter Portage Bay Cafe: featuring local, organic & sustainable food, a fruit topping bar, flavored mimosas, eggs benny... It's usually crowded and might cost a little more than your average breakfast, but it's well worth it, especially if it means I can get Lance to agree to a morning out!

weekend snapshots

2013-05-01T13:32:00.001-07:00

Snapshots from last weekend.
There was ring-crafting and chocolate fondue at our (in)RL meetup...
There were ferry rides at night with gorgeous city views...
Pizza and wine and movies were had...

the best day

2013-04-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the best day, as oftentimes the simplest of days are. We both had the day off and so we grabbed a couple of books and set out on a picnic. The weather was subtly beautiful, 65 degrees and cloudy. We had a grassy field all to ourselves that overlooked the mountains. It was wonderfully silent other than the soft chirps of wildlife and the occasional rumble of an airplane overhead. We spent hours sprawled out on our blanket reading and snacking. It was effortless and peaceful–the epitome of "our element". As we packed up to leave we both felt an overwhelming sense of calm. Rare is the day where we have nothing planned or looming over us and when we do have that time, far too often we fill it with a screen or an item on the "to do list". Yesterday was a clear reminder of the value of getting away from it all and taking time to rest.

Lunch lately. {Favorite Veggie Panini}

2013-04-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

This has been my absolute favorite panini combo lately: Eggplant, red pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, goat cheese and fresh basil. And this is coming from someone who is not typically an eggplant fanatic :)

this is what happens

2013-04-24T12:13:00.002-07:00

Is this how it happens? One day (okay, every day) you are mistaken for a 13-year-old and then suddenly you just wake up and there are wrinkles under your eyes?! You find a stray gray hair on your younger-than-you husband's head? All in the same day? I'm telling you---25 is this magical number that pushes you to the edge of this steep precipice and there's no turning back. AGE IS UPON US.

I guess my one-time tanning and years of non-moisturing, SPF-avoiding, and sleeping in makeup are catching up to me. Goodbye fountain of youth, it was nice splashing around in you while I could.

free as can be

2013-04-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

FREE! I AM FREE AS A BIRD! Usually I have to work late into the evenings at one of my nanny jobs, but for the next two weeks I am off by 5pm every day. Yeah spring break! It has been a dream so far. I pick up Lance from work and say preposterous things like, "we should do something fun tonight!", instead of my usual "see you at bedtime!". We can do things like walk outside in the daylight, go out to dinner, or meet up with friends. I can actually plan and cook a real dinner. We can watch a WHOLE ENTIRE movie. I even had time to write this blog post! The possibilities have been endless. I feel like a whole new me and it's only been two days of this blissful schedule...

Yesterday we went for this glorious weekday walk and even though it was windy and a little bit cold, it was so wonderful to see the sun. Sun rays are these mystical things that Seattleites only get to see once in a blue moon so we get really excited when they stream down and even more excited when we actually feel their warmth. If the temperature gets even one degree over 59 there are suddenly thousands of people wearing shorts and tank tops swarming usually empty parks and beaches. It's fun. This wasn't the case yesterday though, because it was cold. But we were all mesmerized by the magical sun rays. But don't worry, it rained/stormed a little while after our walk. Wouldn't want anyone to think we were turning into socal. I certainly wouldn't want that (never change, Seattle!). Pretty soon I'll be begging for fall to return, but for now I'll soak up those spring rays and like it.

hello spring

2013-04-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Well, spring has officially sprung! Pink and white blossoms EVERYWHERE, temperatures in the 60s... I'm loving it!

Speaking of sun and lovely weather...it is always about this time of year that I decide I hate living in the cave. It's THE WORST to go from a bright and sunny day (after dreaming of things like blended margaritas on your nonexistent porch), to a dark, dreary and dreamless apartment. For what it's worth we actually love our apartment (other than the light issues) and have a killer deal (they haven't raised our rent in the 3 years we've been here!). So we are holding onto it while we save, save, save! Our number one requirement for our next place is that it be full of gigantic windows that allow an abundance of light to pour into every single room. No more pressing our noses up to the lone window in the cave, straining our eyes to catch a glimpse of what the weather is like...

easter weekend

2013-04-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Happy (belated) Easter! We had the most gorgeous weather this weekend. Hooray for spring! Lance and I are so blessed to have two wonderful families and we got to spend the weekend with both them...

^Lance's parents came to town on Friday and we spent the day hiking down to the lighthouse on the beach at Discovery Park.

^The perfect day to stroll the beach :)

^On Saturday my extended family came to town and we picnicked (again at Discovery Park). Jack was livin' it up.

^Speaking of Jack, he won PureWow's pup of the year over the weekend. Obviously, right? ;)

^On Sunday we went to church to celebrate the reason for the day, the risen Christ! I went once in the morning with my family and again in the evening with Lance because he had to work during the day (sad face).

^Sibling pic. We'll just pretend Luke doesn't look taller than me here. I swear he grows an inch every week.

^Brunch with my fam.

^Jack and his cousin Luna got to hang out for the second time in their lives over the weekend and they seemed to warm up to each other by the end of it. Here they are wishing they could have some Easter ham...

Well, so long Easter weekend! You were great...

Fox Love {Gather}

2013-03-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

1) Fox Feather Pillow 2) Foxy badge 3) Fox Gift Tag 4) Fox Portrait Charm 5) Fox In The Leaves Tray 6) Cuddlesome Fox Stuffed Animal 7) Fox Blanket 8) Fox Woods Laser Cut Stationery

Of all the woodland creatures, I'm pretty sure foxes are my favorite. I want all the foxes.

Actually my whole family is going a little fox crazy at the moment. We've gathered the MOTHERLOAD of fox-themed products and each shared some of our favorites on our own blogs. See more foxy goodness at my mom's blog and EVEN MORE at my sister's blog. You're welcome fox lovers, you're welcome.

Over the weekend.

2013-03-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we had a girls day in the sweet little town of Snohomish with my mom, sister and grandma. It was a glorious, sunny day! We had lunch and walked around all the adorable shops. So many cute stores! We'll definitely be back.

Then we went to Anthropologie where my mom decided she needed this fox. We talked her out of him and into some clothes instead, but I won't be surprised if he shows up at her house anyway. She was a little bit obsessed and carried him around like a baby for awhile. It was slightly embarrassing.

Also, can I have this bed? I've said it once and I'll say it again, Anthro bedding is always a dream.

After Anthro we had dinner and margaritas. The perfect ending to our girl's day.

On Sunday after church we set up a festive little spring brunch (more photos here!).

Oh, and Jack was there too...

And then on Sunday night my sister and I ferried back to Seattle! Weekend=success!

snippets of this life. lately.

2013-03-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

//My sister and I have been on a quest to find new coffee shops that are good for working at. Fresh Flours = success.

//Jack lounging at my mom's.

//Egyptian Ratscrew.

//Little brother=not so little. He's already passed my mom and sister in height. I'm next!

//Speaking of my brother, he has the cutest book. The cover itself makes me want to read it and I know nothing about it. I might steal it. And my moms succulent, well, I might steal that too.

//Perks of going home on the weekend: dads who bring you breakfast and coffee in bed.

//Lance and I house-sat again this week. I cannot even describe how crucial he was to keeping me sane and the kids happy. Glad I picked someone who children seem to adore...

//The beginnings of some delicious enchiladas.

//Go purchase this. Like, now.

H A P P Y W E E K E N D

SUNNY DAYS ARE COMING. I CAN FEEL IT!

2013-03-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

There comes a time every year in the Pacific Northwest where the sun decides to show up every so often. I'm often asked how I survive with the "awful" weather here. While I always honestly answer that I love it, after months of what seems like endless gray and drizzle, there is something truly magical and exciting about those early signs of impending sunshine...

Insta-Scrapbook

2013-03-04T16:58:00.001-08:00

Just the usual Instagrams featuring a lot coffee and food. I like coffee. And food. And Instagram...

Also, I completely spur of the moment started redesigning my blog and then ran out of time to finish it. Typical. So please ignore anything that looks crazy or is not working properly!

my instagram username: @kynoelle

What 25 Feels Like

2013-03-01T12:16:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday I turned 25. Twenty-five, two-five, 25. No matter how many times or ways I say it/write it, it doesn't feel real. I still remember when any age with a two in front of it sounded ancient. And now I'm on the down slope to an age with a THREE in front of it?!

I thought people were supposed to have life figured out by this age. Little did I know, there was such a thing as a "quarter-life crisis". I'm pretty sure I'm having one. Right on schedule. My head is spinning and there's often a paralyzing fear that I'm not meeting everyone else's opinions about what I should or should not be doing at this point in my life. Sometimes I get so worried about the expectations of others that I forget to evaluate whether or not I'm meeting the expectations I have for myself. Am I making the best decisions for me? Am I fulfilled and leading a purposeful life?

When I step back and take peer pressure out of the equation, I breathe a sigh of relief because I feel good about where I'm at and where I'm headed. That's not to say that I have everything figured out, but I'm okay with a little unknown. I just need to keep reminding myself of that and stop having those momentary quarter-life freak outs. :)

ANYWAY, my actual day of birth was lovely and calm. No age-related freak-outs (mostly thanks to my sweet husband and his omniscient ways!). He planned a day that was just what I needed, taking the day off of work and surprising me with breakfast in bed and some beautiful roses.

In the afternoon we went for a walk at Gasworks Park. It started raining and so we ventured over to get gelato from our favorite place, which we had been avoiding since July after we took the gelato-love a little too far over the summer... I predict we won't make it seven days now that we've re-experienced it!

Oh, and as if the day hadn't been enough already, we ended it at a fancy schmancy restaurant. What I thought was going to be a boring run-of-the-mill Wednesday, turned out to be pretty special thanks to that guy I married. I'm a little bit spoiled. ;)

So, thanks Hubby! It was fun!

Winston

2013-02-27T16:06:00.001-08:00

This weekend I had to say goodbye to a faithful friend. Long before our dog Jack, there was our sweet Westie, Winston. We got him when I was 7 years old and he lived a long and happy 18 years with us. He was a gem of a dog, perfect in every way. I cannot fathom what life would have been like growing up without his companionship. We all loved him dearly and it was harder than I could have possibly imagined to say goodbye when he passed away this weekend. Thankfully he was able to leave us peacefully in his bed at home next to my wonderful parents who have done so much to love and care for him as he aged over the past couple of years.

Love you precious Winston! We miss you!

Today in B&W

2013-02-18T21:50:00.000-08:00

Some silly snapshots from our day today. In B&W.

(Happy President's Day)

Pinned it. Tried it. Loved it.

2013-02-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

Hello! So, as I'm sure is true with many of you, Pinterest is one of my go-to awkward moment fillers. You know, those few minutes between a class, or in a waiting room, or maybe right before bed. I don't necessarily devote time to it, it just fills those times where I don't really know what else to do. I love, love, love using it to pin recipes that I want to try. Most of the time I just look at my recipe board for inspiration when I don't know what to make for dinner and throw together something "inspired" by one of the images on the board, but other times I'll actually set out to legitimately follow one of the recipes.

Every so often I hit the jackpot and find something wonderful and so I'm going to start regularly sharing the best of the bests with you! Because, honestly it helps to have someone confirm that something among the thousands of pins actually tastes good.

>>>You can find me on Pinterest here.

P.S. We try to eat only organic, whole foods when we are at home. So, although I don't always pin such recipes, I usually substitute any ingredients accordingly.

1. Jamie Oliver's Scrumptious Spanish Chickpea and Chorizo Soup. This soup was a bit of a process and usually I don't choose things with so many steps, but believe me, it was worth it (plus it lasted for several days and was even better each day!). Also unusual for me, I pretty much followed the recipe exactly and even went out and bought the ingredients specifically for it. It was so flavorful and definitely lives up to the "scrumptious" in it's name.

2. Grilled Zucchini Roll-Ups. We made these for little Superbowl Sunday appetizers, minus the lemon (only because I didn't have any!). You really can't go wrong with goat cheese in my book. They were a hit!

3. Baked Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Olives, Feta and Sundried Tomatoes. I did without the sundried tomatoes, again because I didn't have any, but I'm sure they would have made an excellent addition. They were perfect combination of salty and sweet!

4. Roasted Zucchini, Black Bean and Goat Cheese Enchiladas. Again, the goat cheese. Perfection.

5. Baked White Cheddar Mac n Cheese w/ Kale & Bacon. I've already mentioned this on the blog before, but it deserved another mention. Only because we have already made it more times than I can count. We usually avoid cow's milk (we use almond milk instead!). But no...for this recipe we're alllll about the whole milk ;)

Throwback Thursday. Valentine's Day Edition.

2013-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's Valentine's Day. You know, that one day a year that you're supposed to show the person you love that you love them. In case you forget to on other days, this day will make up for it, right? Okay, so it's a little silly. It's ridiculously commercial. But I still like it.

I did a little digging and found some photos (above) from our first Valentine's day after we got married. [ETA: I just noticed I also used one of these pictures in last year's Valentine post. I had completely forgotten! I guess next year I will have to get more creative...] This was one of the only Valentine's Days that we've ever gone out to a semi-fancy dinner. At the time we were living in my parent's gigantic house in Oregon while it was for sale (my parents had moved up to Washington). My grandparents and sister also lived there so we decided it would be nice to get out of the house for the evening and so we did!

It's funny looking at these photos now. My hair was short. My dress was short. I'm pretty sure I had a pink streak in my hair. Lance had a scraggly beard(??). It's crazy to think about who we were then versus who we are now. So completely and utterly different, yet still so very the same. I can't even explain it, but it's a good thing. I promise.

And now the lovey-dovey-valentiney part. I can't even put into words how blessed I am to have this man as my husband. I am so grateful for his patience, devotion, and easy-going nature. I don't think I could imagine a more perfect match.

So, Lance, I love you dearly! Thanks for being my Valentine for the 9th(!!!!) year in a row. Here's to 99 more! xoxo, Ky

Lately. Mostly nothing. Just Lately.

2013-02-13T12:07:00.000-08:00

A few photos that were hanging out on my phone from the last couple of weeks...

//We date sometimes because we're in love.//

//I accidentally went on a shopping spree when I had to vacate my apartment for fire alarm testing. Along those lines, is there a magical age when you are no longer allowed to shop at Forever 21? I hope not.//

//Coffee is even more delicious when made in my mom's new kitchen.//

//He's comfortable.//

//This past weekend we reorganized my mom's pantry and I'm in love with it. Anything well-organized is my weakness. Blog post coming soon!//

//Pretty skies and an awkward selfie. The usual.//

//In case you didn't realize, Valentine's day is upon us, so we made a garland and decorated my mom's mantel.//

//Boots with the fur, sweatpants, the bachelor and a glass of wine are an alright way to end a long day.//

//Why yes, my desktop is always that cluttered, thanks for asking.//

//Fun with play-dough at church.//

//It rains here. A lot.//

//A major reason for my busy days and lack of blog posts lately is that I have been working on redesigning and reorganizing The Inspired Room blog. It's *mostly* done with only a few things that aren't quite right that we are waiting for someone to work out. Hopefully it's way easier to navigate now! Check it out here.//