Field Trip: Seattle Urban Craft Uprising

This past Saturday Samantha and I made the short trek to Seattle to take part in a show that we have loved for some time. The Seattle Urban Craft Uprising show is always fun, inspiring and full of new items to buy! This year was no exception and we came home with some cool handmade products that we are really excited about! 

The show is one featuring 150 plus handmade vendors and bills itself as Seattle's largest indie craft show. We have some favorites that we look for year after year, and new ones that we are excited to check out. What we brought home this year looked very different from last year!

A company that I was really curious and excited about is Render Skincare. It's a line of skincare products made from tallow and real essential oils. Yup, tallow is made from rendered beef fat, but if you take a peek at their website you see the care in which the product is made, and really the sense behind using it. We bought small jars of both the whipped and regular and can say it's really soothing, smells wonderful and we are even more excited about it after trying it! It's one that I think we will be following and buying even more of in the future!

Another item we brought home is a Loome tool, to use for crafting tassels, pompoms and other small fiber arts. You might think this is something we could do on our own, but did you see that necklace? And the tool looks amazing, with a website that has a wealth of ideas, videos and resources. We are super excited to use this and maybe this will be the craft of the summer! 

Another booth where we were drawn in by the vendors (and their gorgeous setup) was Hillockburn Farm. Sam ended up buying a gorgeous smelling soap, while I already wish we would have picked up a Vegan Body Balm. Yes, I know this might be curious in light of what we already bought. I'm open to a lot of options, and this one comes in a handy container making it portable! 

We had so much fun at the show. Talking to people in line, meeting vendors, being inspired. I would highly recommend a visit. Even if you aren't much of a shopper there is much to see there! The next show is the Winter show coming on December 2 and 3rd. Will we see you there? 

Field Trip: June Downtown Night Market

School is out for the summer so it's time to put those plans from our Intentional Summer calendar into action! One of the first things on the agenda? The first Night Market of the summer! 

This event came complete with a Roller Disco that had Bellingham's own Roller Betties available to give pointers and help with anyone needing it! Samantha happened to have a pair of skates that we had found at Value Village so she brought them along. Thanks to her sweet friend Octavia she had some help getting around the rink! 

There was a little area where you could drink if you are over 21, and the area was complete with music provided by DJ Polous! Steve and I had a drink and La Croix while Sam took her spin. 

Then it was time to check out the rest of the Market.  One of our favorite entertainers, Jules the Juggler was doing his act to a huge crowd. After spending time being impressed and laughing at the same time it was time to check out the offerings of the food area! 

All the food was great, though we decided to start with dessert first! Steve, Samantha and I started with a Coco Whip treat with a waffle! It was so good, and we were able to feel good about it since it was somewhat healthy! It was so fun to get to try something different thanks to the Market bringing in food trucks! (we did follow up with pizza and gyros, so it wasn't all treats!) 

Our daughter Kate and her boyfriend Nick made a special trip down just to get a box of some of their favorite macarons from Alexandra's Macarons from Seattle. We were familiar with her sweet little bus from a trip to the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall (another fun summertime event!). And how cool to have her here in our town! 

Then it was time to dance! And dance and dance! There was a second DJ down on the street who had everyone moving. Sam's friends brought out their two microwaves (don't ask!) and things started shaking! Being out in the night air, with a view down the street to the water was just the thing to kick off the summer! 

We all had a ball, from Steve and I to our daughter who is 17. We ran into friends from all areas of our life, from my gym, to neighbors, to co-workers. Besides being a fun night out it was a way to feel connected with our community. Going to these events make me feel like we are a part of Bellingham in a bigger way. The Night Market is held on every third Friday, May thru September. And if you would like to keep up with other events and all the other things Downtown Bellingham has going on (Downtown Sounds is another summer event we will be taking part in!) check out this link here! 

Deep Thoughts: An Emptying Nest

There's something new in my life that I have been working around. Our firstborn moved out on Mother's Day weekend and ever since life has been a bit bittersweet. We are very happy for her and her situation. Happy that she is moving forward in her life and moved out with her boyfriend who is wonderful. She is only minutes away so we can see her. 

And yet, she's gone. there is a room with a plant and a mirror in it. There is a table for four, that now seats three. There is one less daughter to bug when things are quiet, or I need a vote on my outfit. 

So, things have been bittersweet. And we knew this was coming. So we have been filling the time with more dates, with getting outside. With hobbies and market walks and reading. 

And the good? Watching our girls get together outside of us. This past Saturday Kate and her boyfriend Nick took Samantha to Seattle Meowtropolitan, Seattle's first Cat cafe. They took her to lunch and took care of everything. This is the amazing part! Watching your girls decide to hang out together and enjoy one another is what we have always hoped for! 

Kate has also reached that stage that we had always heard would come. She thanks us for the things we have taught her. She ask us questions and now actually listens to the answers. This is the good stuff! 

So, how do you get thru this new stage? Leading up to it make sure you make time for your family. Know how fleeting your time with your kids is. And when they are ready? Let them go. And allow yourself time to feel sad about it. Make sure that it doesn't get out of hand and take care of yourself and get out there doing things that make you happy. This new stage will become your new norm. And it will be good. I promise. 

Anyone else been there? Or contending with this themselves? Tell me if you have any tips to share! 

Field Trip: Moondance Sea Kayak Adventures

For my birthday Steve gave me the gift of a half-day trip out with Moondance Sea Kayak Adventures! We had decided some time ago that experiences rather than things were the way to go these days as far as gifts go. And he is all about helping me find content for the blog! (it appears to be a win-win for us both!) It was a perfect outing on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend for Steve, Sam and I and the weather was glorious which was a definite plus. 

I met the owner of Moondance thru our mutual friend Morgan Henry of Momad Productions. Kristi Kucera recently did one of the Morning Jam talks, giving us all an overview of Seaweed Foraging which you can hear if you find the link here. Seaweed Foraging is another kayaking trip you can take with her company if you choose.  She's an easygoing, calm, and funny person who mixed well with us and the two other couples during our introduction to the kayaks, equipment and the overview of our day. 

I have been in a kayak maybe twice since living here, which is really a crime as we are surrounded by water. Having someone run us thru the basics, and take us out on a tour was really a great way to get a comfort level around a really great outdoor activity. I was a bit nervous, but Kristi made it easy and we all felt there was little to worry about. 

We all figured out how to get ready, putting on our pfd's, the spray skirts, and stashing our gear in waterproof bags. Once we figured out how to get in and out of the kayaks without tipping them, then how to use the paddles we were on the move. 

Leaving from the beach at Wildcat Cove, we followed the coast toward Bellingham so that we could check out the coastline and look for wildlife, plants and see what there is to see. There is something serene about being on the water in that way...once the three of us got ourselves together. There is a some coordination when you have three to a boat! Then we headed to the beach on Chuckanut Island and took a little walk around checking out the views, the tide pools, and stretching our legs. 

Then it was back to the water. It was an easy paddle back to Wildcat Cove now that we were a bit more coordinated. Our half day adventure was over so quickly, we think we could easily do a longer trip! A trip we are considering booking now for later in the summer is the Bioluminescence and Sunset one! This gift was a perfect adventure that I hope will lead to more! 

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Be Right Back...

Hi guys! It looks like I took a vacation what with the three day weekend! Working on a new post that will be up next Monday! Hope you are having a great week...see you soon!