The Grass is Greener

Rockin Out Tuesday-St. Vincent

2012-01-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

I love pretty much every song that I have heard from St. Vincent. CB introduced them to me and I was hooked. Surgeon is such a good song and it's on my running play list. Their song Cruel is another favorite and it made it on Pitchfork's 2011 top tracks. The music video to Cruel is insane.

2012 highlights so far

2012-01-06T17:13:00.000-08:00

::Photo::

I have a whole blog post dedicated to 2011 that I am still working on. It has a cool video that I am making to go along with it. This weekend I will hopefully post it. Promise.

The post also gives an overview on how back in August I began to feel like I was suffocating and it was time to make a change. I hired a therapist. Best decision of my life.

Oh and how I ever made a change. I stopped letting fear control every aspect of my life.

I quit my job a couple of days ago and I was scared out of my mind. I also accepted a job at a much smaller company where I can grow in my career. I am so excited and scared beyond belief.

Yesterday, my therapist let me know that I was progressing and that I would no longer need to see her once a week but once a month instead.

2012 is going to be pretty much the best year of my life. So much growth and change and I am so anxious to see how it will all pan out.

Own it

2011-12-30T16:51:00.000-08:00

My therapist is always telling me to own my story, to stop apologizing for decisions that I have made or that I plan to make. At first it was a hard pill to swallow but I have come to embrace it.

In these past several months I have made huge changes in my life and I have stopped feeling guilty all the time. It has been so liberating.

I love owning my story. Love it.

::photo::

Splitscreen: A Love Story

2011-12-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

A love story shot entirely with a phone. Simple and perfect

Splitscreen: A Love Story from James W Griffiths on Vimeo.

Empire State of Mind

2011-12-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

I saw this amazing video the other day and it made me think about my NYC trip. I loved every minute of being there, and the video just reminded me about how special of a place NYC is. I'm making plans to one day live there.

One of my favorite moments was visiting the Empire State Building. The art deco building is breath taking and the views are over whelming. I do feel that the views from the Rock are better but if you have an option to do both, you should.

Enjoy this little video, maybe it will inspire you to visit NYC.

A Year in New York from Andrew Clancy on Vimeo.

Delancey

2011-12-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

Oh heaven help me if there is a pizza in front of me. I have no control over myself and could eat more than my share, which results in me feeling guilty and strangely weird from all the cheese.

But not any more.

The first time I had a pizza from Delnacey, I didn't feel an ounce of guilt. In fact, I felt nourished and healthy. I kept thinking how is it that I feel so good after eating a pizza?! I've now become a pizza snob.

The ingredients are local, organic and fresh. Perfection. I'm also madly in love with the ambiance of the restaurant. I always feel so comfortable when I am there.

Love that Molly's husband had a dream and made it happen. You can tell that they have poured their hearts and souls into the restaurant. I am all about making dreams come true these days. So refreshing.

The only downfall is that because it is so dang good there is always a wait. We waited for an hour and 15 minutes. It was worth every minute.

Blow your mind

2011-11-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

I'm sure some of you have already seen this video, but just in case you haven't, I'm here to share it with you. I love the dude in the video, the homey feeling I get from watching it and the genius way to peel garlic. I can not wait to try this.

How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds from SAVEUR.com on Vimeo.

Rockin Out Tuesday- M83

2011-11-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

If you know anything about me, you know I'm a concert junkie. There is something about the rush of a concert that I can't get anywhere else that keeps me hooked. Whenever I see that a band will only be playing for an hour, I have high expectations that it better be near-perfect. This past weekend's sold-out, one hour M83 concert nailed my expectations. It was beyond perfect. The energy was insane, the set list was brilliant and they rocked out hard. You could tell that they loved what they were doing and were excited to be there to perform. They fed off of the crowd's energy and kept it going. It was completely dazzling.

M83 is a French indie pop band, created and led by Anthony Gonzalez who is insanely adorable and beyond gracious. He was supported by a four member band who rocked out as hard as he did, each part of a balanced formula for dream pop perfection.

They started the show with a figure wearing a monster mask that I am pretty sure was supposed to resemble something from Where the Wild Things Are. The crowd went wild as stars lit the background and the band started playing "Intro." They continued to build up the show with songs from a variety of their past and current album. Every song was immaculate and dare I say sounded better than their album recordings. Gonzalez would stop every once in a while and engage with the crowd by telling them how thankful he was for them and even said "This is the best crowd I've ever performed for in Seattle!" They had played an earlier sold out show that night at the same venue and I caught the tail end of it. He was spot on about the later show being much more engaging and responsive.

They ended the concert with "Couleurs" that created a massive dance party both in the crowd and on the stage. At the end of the show and before the lights were turned back on, Gonzalez high-fived the front rowers and made a heart shape with his hand as he left the stage.

As I made my way back to my car, I kept thinking about how perfect it was and was washed over with nostalgia. I lucked out by buying my tickets for $15 in July since they were going for about $150 on craigslist that night. Maybe it had to do with their 9.1 rating of their new album Hurry Up, We Are Dreaming on Pitchfork?

Last year, when Gonzalez announced that he was working on a new album that was going to be "very, very, very, epic" his confidence paid off. It is completely epic. Go ahead and be blown away.

Go figure

2011-11-12T23:58:00.000-08:00

Do you know what happens when you start blogging less? You start to live more. Or at least I have. I no longer feel the panic of needing to do something so I can blog about it. I just started to do things to do things. My reader also has over 1000 unread items and I don't feel guilty about it.

So wanna know what happened to me? Glorious things have happened.

I've made new friends who I have scheduled dates with every week. My calendar is jammed packed with hanging out sessions with people that I love. New friends are the best, you know who you are!

I have more time to study for the GRE and it's actually insanely exciting that I'm going to open a new chapter in my life.

I all of a sudden have tons of time to work out. Getting up at the crack of dawn to work out makes me happy. Who would have ever thought? Definitely not this girl!

I've gone to concerts and I even have dance parties in my living room. It's the best.

I've joined two book clubs and have a new obsession with Gossip Girl. So good.

But the best part is that I am happier. I feel so much more alive. At different times, blogging made me unhappy, I just felt like I wasn't getting any where with it. I mentioned this to a friend and her response was genius, "If it doesn't make you happy, stop. Besides it's just a dang blog."

Stopping for awhile actually helped me realize that I really love to write, and I missed it. I just don't need to let my blog determine how awesome I am. So what if I only have about 100 readers and not 1000? I now like the idea of having a more intimate readership, it works for me. Thank you 100 readers for sticking around, you are rocking my blog world.

I am so damn awesome.

And super hot too....

Aimee would be so proud.

Rockin Out Tuesday- Justin Bieber

2011-11-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

Go ahead and judge, but I would be a liar if I said that I didn't like the Bieber. Matter of fact, I dance around the house to his music quite often. The sad part about my little obsession is that my husband loathes him and will leave the premises as soon as Justin Bieber starts to yell out that he needs someone to love.

I also really like Selena Gomez and I am currently obsessed with Gossip Girl. No wonder I get along so well with teenagers.

Go ahead, you know you want to watch his music video, I'm not here to judge. It's ok to indulge in teen heartthrob music every once awhile. Besides he has killer dance moves. And his hair....OMG his hair!

PS: I heard a glimpse of one of his holiday songs, and loved it. I just refuse to listen to holiday music until after Thanksgiving.

National Museum of American History

2011-11-07T23:07:00.000-08:00

Our time in D.C. was really short so we had to pick one museum that we wanted to visit the most. After Kelly and Travis briefed us on all of the Smithsonian that we could go to, I voted for the National Museum of American History.

I loved every minute that I was in there. It just got better and better with each exhibit. We spent a good chunk of our time there. I also love the idea that all Smithsonians are free to enter, I'm pretty sure if I lived in D.C., I would spend a lot of time there.

Seriously, you will not be disappointed at all with the National Museum of American History. They have really cool things like Dorthy's ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz and the American flag that inspired the Star Spangle Banner. The whole entire time I was in complete awe. It was just really cool to see things from the beginning of American history.

I also really loved seeing the First Ladies dresses and Julia Child's kitchen. I'm obsessed with both and I was like a little girl in a doll shop. Ever since the beginning of my obsession with Julia Child in 2009, I have hoped to see her kitchen at the Smithsonian. When Kelly mentioned that it was there, that sealed the deal for me.

Really, if you are ever in D.C., you should visit. There is something for everyone.

Restaurant Week

2011-11-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

Every Spring and Fall, some of the most amazing restaurants in Seattle host an event called Restaurant Week. I have found some of my all time favorite restaurants by attending this event. The menu is prefixed (you can choose from 4-5 options) and is a three course meal for $28. It's seriously the best way to experience amazing food for an amazing deal. Appetizer, main course, and dessert!

After an extremely stressful week for both CB and I, we rewarded our selves by going to this event. I sent CB a list of my top 10 and he made the pick. Surprisingly, he picked the only Italian restaurant on the list, he is not a huge fan of Italian food.

I loved everything about Cantinetta; the atmosphere, the food, and the service were all divine. The pasta is made on site and their ingredients are local and organic. If you go, save room for dessert and try the Zeppole with Nutella and Ginger Sugar.

Restaurant Week is long gone and if you missed it you should check out Dine Around Seattle. You will get the same experience as Restaurant Week, but there are less restaurants on the list.

Happiness

2011-10-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

Although last week was really busy, I had a ton of good moments that I have looked back on that made me laugh and smile.

Highlights:

Having friends over for dinner and losing track of time because the conversation was that good.
Teaching the Old Testament to High School student is epic. There were alot of "oh snaps" and "things are about to get real" said this past week and it made me chuckle and shake my head. I had their undivided attention the whole time. I'm pretty sure it was all the drama.
Seeing old friends and their twins that I have not seen in over a year. Holy cow, kids grow up fast and in no time I won them over. I think it was the introduction to Angry Birds.
Meeting with my nutritionist and having things finally click with me. I love her, she is helping me change my life.
Getting a fab haircut. I will never have thoughts again about cheating on my hairstylist, even if I want a haircut in a pinch. Rob is the best.
Eating at Mr Gyro twice in one week. Bliss.
Seeing Robyn with my lovely friend Michelle, and dancing the night away next to a fabulously dressed gay guy. The dude had serious moves and I was envious of his sparkly vest.
Running! I haven't done it in awhile and it felt so good.
Going to my friend's annual harvest dinner. Amazing food and good people to hang out with. My favorite event of all of Fall. I look forward to it every year.
Hanging out all Saturday with a chica that I have been dying to become better friends with. She is just as awesome as I have always thought she would be. Her kids are adorable and I loved trying to teach her toddler how to fist pump.

What are some highlights of your past week?

Bakery Nouveau

2011-10-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who is nuts over the pastries at Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle and I had to know for myself how good the goods were. I am pretty much in love with Honore in Ballard, and had a hard time imagining anything better.

On a perfect sunny Seattle day, I made my way over to West Seattle to eat my way through Bakery Nouveau. Their almond croissant is amazing but Honore wins with the macaron competition. I just felt that Bakery Nouveau's macarons were far too large. Nonetheless, they still tasted good.

umm manicure anyone?

If you ever find yourself in West Seattle, make a stop at Bakery Nouveau and get their almond croissant and maybe try their pain au chocolat and let me know how it is. So worth the visit. Then make your way over to Alki Beach and get lunch at Spud Fish and Chips. Also, don't forget to soak up the view! I am a sucker for amazing views and West Seattle has one of the best of Downtown.

Capitol

2011-10-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

What an insanely busy week! I really miss blogging and hopefully I can catch up this coming week. I want to still share all the details of my lovely trip.

I have always thought that our US Capitol Building was beautiful and grande. It is massive and I was in love with the details of the building. Travis explained the different wings and some of the history to it. Did you know that the statue on top of the building is actually a lady? Her name is Freedom. I actually thought it was a dude.

We didn't have a chance to go in because we decided to make our way to the National Archives to view the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of the United States before the lines got too long. I was completely fascinated by seeing these documents and a couple of times I had to remind myself how old they were. I was impressed with their immaculate penmanship and how well they were perserved. Although, the Declaration of Independence was a little harder to read than the other two. The rotunda that houses them is beautiful and is surrounded by paintings that depict important events from the history of our country.

last evening of Summer

2011-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

On the last evening of Summer freedom for me, C.B. and I drove to my favorite beach to soak in a beautiful sunset and bid farewell to Summer.

It was a rather warm night and the beach was packed with families and fisherman. Beach volley ball games were taking place and the last BBQs of the season were being held.

The Puget Sound was full with stand up paddle surfers and sail boats. It was such a breathtaking view. I asked a fisherman what he was fishing for and he said salmon and he had caught a few already.

I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. If you ever have a chance to visit Seattle, Golden Garden is a must see.

Library of Congress

2011-10-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

This past week I got a call from my mom asking me when I would blog about our trip because she is dying to read about it.

So here we go...

We spent a couple of days in D.C. before we headed to NYC and stayed with my dear friends Kelly and Travis. Travis just finished an internship with a congressman and became our unofficial tour guide. Man, he was so full of knowledge, I felt so lucky. My only regret is that I didn't get the chance to take a picture with them.

They picked us up at Union Station and it was go time. Union Station is so stunning that I was in complete awe. It is seriously so beautiful and once again I forgot to take a picture of it. One day I will go back and and just sit and stare at its beauty.

Our first stop on our tour was The Library of Congress. The outside of the building is majestic with it's statues and beautiful details. The inside was even more stunning with the mosaics and murals on the walls.

I have always wanted to see the main reading room and seeing it in person far excedes any picture. In order to read in the reading room, you have to obtain a library card and have a research purpose. One day, I would love to do just that. I was envious of the stories that Travis shared with us about seeing the special collections and getting special tours of the building.

Have you ever been to the Library of Congress? What did you think?

Identity

2011-10-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

I was asked a couple of months back to speak about life in the Middle East and being an Arab. While I agreed to it, I had no idea what to say. You see, there were points in my life when I decided to not identify myself as an Arab and tried my best to distant myself from that part of my identity.

Being an Arab wasn't always easy and sometimes it was painful. After living 12 years in the Middle East my family moved to the South, to a tiny town in Louisiana. I was a peculiar person and people knew that. I spoke Queen's English and was far from the typical blonde haired girl. When people would ask me where I was from and I would tell them I had just moved from Jordan they would get this confused look on their face and say "Oh you are an A-Rab?" And not only was I an "A-rab" but I was also a Mormon. Oh heaven help me.

I remember coming home one day and asking my mom what a Sand N*&#* meant. With a horrified look on her face she wanted to know where I had heard that. When she explained it was a racial slur used for Arabs, I was hurt. I had done nothing to be called that. So began the journey of me slowly pushing my Arab identity away.

Then 9/11 happened and I became more bitter. When I first heard of the attacks, I hoped that an Arab was not involved. When I found out that was the case, I was angry. All of a sudden all Arabs were horrible people.

So I went off to college and changed my major 5 times. I finally settled on Middle Eastern Studies/ Arabic. It just felt right and I was finally once again embracing my Arab Identity. I had Arab friends and went to get togethers. I began to remember the things that I loved so much about Arabs.

While I was in NYC, I had the chance to go to Gotham Comedy Club and see the Arab-American Comedy Festival. It was the first time in a long time for me to be surrounded by a large amount of Arabs. I am pretty sure there were a total of 5 white people and my husband was one of them.

I could not stop laughing, it was the best 2 hours I have spent in a long time. We saw Aron Kader (who happens to have a Mormon mother and an Arab father and is adorable), Said Durrah, and Dean Obeidallah, just to name a few. They joked about having large families, our obsession with food, and how the clash of Arab/American culture can be hilarious. It made me home sick for the Middle East and I suddenly wanted to hang out with Arabs nonstop.

When I finally spoke about being an Arab, I was excited and I shared so many fond memories. I told them how Arabs love their families and have huge families, I have 11 aunts and uncles and a whole slew of cousins. If you ever visit, they will have a massive feast prepared for you and it will be the best food that you have ever eaten. They love to have parties just for the heck of it and are constantly dancing and singing. They will also give you the clothes off their backs, even if they are as poor as dirt.

I'm an Arab and I am in love with that fact. Now I just need to find an Arab community to hang out with here in Seattle. Any one have any suggestions? Maybe the dudes at Mr. Gyro can direct me to the right path.

Inspire

2011-10-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. -Steve Jobs

Rockin Out Tuesday- The Flaming Lips

2011-10-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

Ok so here is the deal. Right before I left for my NYC/DC trip I saw The Flaming Lips at the fair. I know, at the fair. It was unreal.

The back story. I have always wanted to see them in concert. Not particularly because I am obsessed with them, but I have heard that they perform an INCREDIBLE show. Like blow your mind out of this world incredible.

So one morning I was reading my emails at 6 AM (I know, way too early!) and I got an email from Amazon Local that they had a deal for The Flaming Lips at the Puyallup fair concert series for $15. What the heck, I bought two tickets.

I really was not sure what all to expect. We drove about an hour to some town I have never been to and I hoped for the best. We paid some kid $5 to park in his yard, it was cheaper than paying $20 for parking at the fair grounds. Ghetto Fab.

You guys, this concert was unreal. My mouth was literally open the whole two something hours we were there. They had giant confetti filled balloons, streamers, smoke, laser lights, the whole works. If you can think of it, they had it! On stage they had an entourage and some dudes wearing a sunshine and worm costume. It was so bizarre. During the opening, the lead singer even crowed surfed in some crazy bubble suit that he put on. They even preformed a song using an i phone. What? So cool. The point is, this was UNREAL. They rocked the heck out of it and it was at a fair. Not some huge concert just for them, but at the fair! And they were so excited to be there. Modest Mouse, you should take lessons from them. Ok?

Do you see him crowd surfing in the bubble?

The concert basically went down like the following video but with a smaller crowd.

If you ever have the chance to see them, do it! Please forgive my awful phone pictures.

Smore Cupcakes

2011-10-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

While I was away on the most fabulous trip, I was featured on one of my favorite cooking blogs, Two Little Chefs. Two Little Chefs is run by two lovely ladies and one of them happens to be one of my most treasured friend. Some of my most fond memories have been shared with Kelly, and I am so so lucky to have her as a friend.

The recipe that I shared is my favorite cupcake from Trophy Cupcakes located here in Seattle. Jennifer, the owner of Trophy, shared the recipe on Martha Stewart and I was out to make them as soon as I could. While they don't look as grande as Trophy's, they tasted just as good! I altered the original recipe just a tad bit because there was not enough graham crackers for my liking.

If you want to make these fab cupcakes using my notes and instructions, visit Two Little Chefs and let me know what you think! Also, try out this recipe that Kelly and I created while I was visiting her.

Rockin' Out Tuesday- Phantogram

2011-09-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

Phantogram is another band that I saw at Bumbershoot that I have become completely addicted to. They are also from NYC and at times I find myself wanting to move to NYC just for the amazing music that comes from there. CB agrees with me too!

They have so many good songs to choose from, but one of my favorites is "When I'm Small". Also madly in love with her haircut.

Speaking of music, have you guys heard of Spotify? It's my new favorite thing and if any music lovers out there want an invite, let me know. SO so in love.

One Day

2011-09-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

The other day while I was driving home from work, I heard a commercial by Sono Bello that made me grip the steering wheel a little harder and my eyes began to burn with tears. Basically the commercial was of this girl who said how much she hated her body and she couldn't be in a swimsuit or shorts in front of others because she was embarrassed of herself. She then said that she went to Sono Bello and they were able to fix her, she was now beautiful. She said that she now doesn't feel ashamed and because of her fixed body, all her friends went to Sono Bello and asked for the Sarah package.

I am that girl who has insane body image issues who is fighting a long hard battle. It makes me so angry to know that society/media/WHATEVER has told me and you that we need to be fixed. We have been told that we can't be happy, we can't be good people and we should be ashamed of ourselves because of our images. The sad thing is that from the age of 14, I have believed them, every single word.

One day I hope to have the life that Emma Thompson has described. Go here for more info on the Endangered Species Summit.

Bumbershoot Love

2011-09-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed with music and it is all CB's fault. Every month we go see at least one band play, sometimes two. The majority of the time, I have no clue who they are, but leave the show confessing my undying love for my new discovery.

Every year with out fail, we go to Bumbershoot, a Seattle based music and art festival. This year, not a single band that I saw, I had heard of before. Usually, I know a band or two, but this year it was all new stuff. It really is a great way to force yourself to discover new bands that you might have not have spent much time on before.

I left with a couple of new favorites and I have played them non-stop since then. School of Seven Bells is a band from NYC that has a mixture of dreamy sounds and danceable beats. "Windstorm" was their opening song and I was instantly hooked.

I'm also madly in love with Ale's haircut.

Dear Blog

2011-09-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking about quitting you. I just don't have much to say any more, I'm drawing blanks all the time. I'm sure my 80 something subscribers can find something better to read.

I am down in the dumps...