my new favorite

MNF - Friday style.

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:43:16 -0800

I have a lot to say. My work life has been filled with exciting and engaging new clients (yeah, I’m looking at you Swink Style Bar & Urbanspoon!). I feel as if I’m being tested in new and exciting ways — and some that just freak me out.

However, as I continue to move forward with my social media life I can’t help but miss producing events. So I’m opening the door to participating and organizing some events in the next year — large or small, nonprofit or for profit — make me an offer!

In non-work news. Here are a few of my favorite Friday things:

Trace Bundy - Canon in D (got weddings on my mind)

I’ve been on a hunt for a new laptop bag for almost a year. Just can’t find the right one, or the right one is $500. Here is my current fav and yes — it’s $$$, but she is sooo pretty.

And finally a sunny winter day in Seattle so pretty — you have to leave your computer to go stand in it. Here I go!

Enjoy the weekend.

I haven’t been updating this blog recently because...

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:22:46 -0800

I haven’t been updating this blog recently because I’m planning a wedding. My fiance & I sent out our save the date video announcement to family & friends last week (see above).

Although both Ken & I are techie types, we decided to stick with a very simple (and free) google site that connects to our Google Docs for easy RSVP forms, calendar/scheduling updates, and we could get the site up and running fast.

There are a lot of great options to create a beautiful & informative event websites:

Want to see our site? Check it out — www.lauraandken.com.

What a crock!

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:18:00 -0700

Fall is one of my favorite seasons — the chill, the boots, the excuse to eat food from a crock pot. So this weekend, we went to Goodwill, and bought a West Bend vintage crock pot — so cute. Here is my fiance Ken’s newest — delicious creation.

Cassole of Farro & Chicken Sausage

1 cup of Farro
1/2 cup white beans
14 oz chicken sausage
3/4 butternut squash cubed
3 small onions
4 cups of chicken broth
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon Marjoram
1 teaspoon of sage

Directions:

Brown sausage and butternut squash in a deep fry pan. Toss in sage & marjoram . Cook until browned (they don’t have to be cooked through). Throw browned squash and sausage into crock pot.
In the same browning pan, caramelize 3 small onions along with thyme. Throw it into the crock pot.
Put Farro, chicken broth, and white beans into crock pot. Pinch of salt & pepper.
Cook for three hours on medium or high.

Enjoy.

How to use Social Media to Plan & Celebrate Your Wedding

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:38:00 -0700

Ken and I are planning our wedding, and as with any event there are a ton of decisions to make. Although sometimes there is tension, in general, we have our true values in common.

One thing we have in common — is a love of technology. There are a ton of sites & vendor to choose from, including paid and free options. As a social media & events consultant I was excited to use all of these resources to celebrate my own event on and offline. Here are social media tools we are using for our wedding:

Building a Wedding Website.

Tool: Google Sites.

Why?

Well, luckily I’m tech savvy, but even more important — my fiance is a web designer. We wanted an easy site structure that we could just add content too. So there are lots of great wedding site vendors to use if your not in love with someone who knows html.

Extra hint: Treat yourself to a custom domain name. We’ll use it for our wedding blog and then continue to update it as our personal blog site.

Buy a domain at: Dotster or Go Daddy

Social Group for your wedding party or intimate family

Tool: Facebook Group

Why?

Our Facebook group is private and includes just our parents, and my bridal party. This is a group that will allow me to deal with more specific details of planning, and to get advice from a small group to help me make a decisions.

Also, I’m planning a wedding in upstate NY when I live in Seattle, so social media is a great way to involve several people in conversations.

Couple’s Twitter Feed

Tool: Twitter

Why?

We’ve had a twitter handle for quite a while, but this will be a great way to ping our guests with last minute details & instructions.

Dance Mixes - First Dance. Dinner Music. Reception.

Tool: Spotify

Why?

There are a great number of sites (like here & here) to get lists of wedding songs for every moment of your special day. Spotify is a great way to find all of the songs, create playlists, and choose your favorites. Give it a try.

We will give you a sneak peak of all our sites once they are completed. Stay tuned.

A little bit of enthusiasm. . .

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:59:00 -0700

Last night Ken and I went to a concert at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. I have seen the band — by my calculations — at least 25 times in my life. My first show was while I was in high school. One of my favorite things in the world is to bring a great picnic, sit in the grass & watch a show.

I went early to stand in line before the gate opened. At first, I felt a little silly. I’m not a kid anymore. I couldn’t help but wonder, is waiting in line for a band something a grown woman should do? [Note: last week, we waited in a line for a movie about a wizard school, so…]

But then I thought, what else is there to do in the world, but get excited.

We should all have things in our life that are worth:

Getting up early for
Staying up late to see
Driving a long way just to spend the day
Paying too much to experience an expert’s work
Losing your cool to make someone laugh
Breaking something apart to put it back together as something new.
Crying because it makes you so happy.
Running home to tell someone about it.

Enjoy your life. Have a great weekend.

what i like about my life

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 23:35:43 -0700

in no particular order. . .

i like that I’m recently engaged and building a relationship that thrills me.
i like that I drink champagne without a special occasion needed.
i like that my current consulting clients are also my friends.
i like that my fiance said, “I’d like to take a break from my computer life and work with children.” always room to re-invent yourself.
i like that I have lights on my deck that remind me of an inner-city Italian restaurant.
i like that I have family & friends whom I adore, and I mean I adore them.
i like blogs with pretty things, and friends who send me magazine subscriptions (just because they know I like them).
i like that my sister calls me on her way to work.
i like that my parents are riveted to the Tour de France (and will be going to see it for themselves).
i like summer. (even though it hasn’t felt much like summer in Seattle.)

Too many blessing for one person to hold. Have a good weekend!

My new favorite -- man!

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:52:00 -0700

Well, Ken is not new to me, but he is…by far, my favorite guy.

After 7 years, my partner Ken & I are engaged. He proposed in California over the 4th of July, and I am thrilled.

So now I’m trying to learn how to keep & create multiple blogs that I can update:

My New Favorite
A new professional consulting site (TBA)
A New Laura & Ken wedding site. (TBA)

Advice is welcome. How do you manage multiple blogs with work, life, & love?

Happy 4th of July

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 11:11:46 -0700

This 4th of July I am celebrating with my best friends from across the country in San Francisco! Tonight we will celebrate with Malini & Garrett’s wedding in Joaquin Miller Park. I can’t wait.

My new favorite list — the Berkeley edition:

Favorite Couple:

Places to stay in Berkeley:

Hotel Shattuck Plaza. The rooms are clean, reasonable price, and you cannot beat the amazing location making it easy to get around without a car.

Berkeley eateries:

Gather: Good local & organic food. Nice wine selection. A killer tofu sandwich special.
Jupiter: Malini & Garrett invited everyone for pizza and beer. The back patio area was lovely and a great place to hang with a large group. Pizza was also delicious.

Favorite new airline:

Virgin America. We flew the very short flight down from Seattle, but their direct tv service and wifi made the trip even more enjoyable. Ken was able to work on his summer school class curriculum, and I was able to watch the Daily Show. Everyone wins.

We will post pics and more in-depth reviews of some wineries just north of San Francisco in a few days. Until then, enjoy the sun and have a great 4th of July weekend!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Mon, 30 May 2011 11:01:00 -0700

Happy Memorial Day. Ken and I enjoyed a lazy weekend with our new grill, and a lovely meal of lamb & beef burgers w/ caramelized onions and goat cheese, corn on the cob & grilled veggies. Delicious.

Then, we went hiking yesterday at a local park, just outside of Seattle in Woodinville called Lord Hill Park. It was a muddy walk, but nice to be outdoors. Then we stopped by the new Novelty Hill winery. A beautiful modern space. We will be back for a glass of wine out near their bocce court this summer.

A beautiful pic, Ken took of our sweet snail friend with one antenna! Everyone has obstacles to overcome. Let the summer begin!

Sweet Summer Lovin & Salads.

Sun, 22 May 2011 11:53:27 -0700

Ken and I are trying to eat a mostly veggie lifestyle. Both of us, at different times in our lives (mainly college), were vegetarian and now for spiritual and health reasons we are trying to make it a staple of our lives.

Honestly, it is pretty easy for us. It gets even easier when Mark Bittman’s around. Here are 101 salads for our summer dinners. We will try each one (even those, that don’t sound that good — for example, I’m not a big fan of sweet & salty together). However, I’m putting my stereotypes aside and giving it a go. I’ll keep you updated on our progress.

Want to eat with us? Post a comment.

Me Dress Pretty One Day

Fri, 20 May 2011 22:58:00 -0700

It is a goal I give myself at least once a year — and always fall short — I will:

“Have a better professional and casual style that expresses my personality & my beauty.”

Who is with me? Here are a few pics from pinterest. Follow me or start your own boards!

Too Cute. Too Cool.

Tue, 10 May 2011 18:34:53 -0700

Too Cute. Too Cool.

Ken & I have a big focal wall in our living room. Right...

Tue, 10 May 2011 12:58:09 -0700

Ken & I have a big focal wall in our living room. Right now, we have a big branch with birds on it. Yes, insert Portlandia here.

Next, we are doing giant cloud prints. We’ll share the finished product, but for now — a little cloud inspiration.

Poweraid day!

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:31:00 -0700

It is Saturday morning. The sun is shining and I am feeling strong. Here is a little inspiration to get you on the same page:

A few months ago, I did an Ignite Seattle talk. It was so...

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:11:38 -0700

A few months ago, I did an Ignite Seattle talk. It was so exciting. The format is 20 PowerPoint slides (forwarding automatically every 20 seconds) for a 5 minutes presentation.

My talk was on leadership & compassion - thought I would share it here! Enjoy.

Happy Spring

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 11:18:28 -0700

We don’t really celebrate Easter here in our family, but spring — spring is definitely worth celebrating. Yesterday we prepped our veggie garden and today we are treating ourselves to a lovely quiche brunch. Happy Spring.

If Heaven exists, I’d be able to move like lil buck...

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 08:41:22 -0700

If Heaven exists, I’d be able to move like lil buck — and Yo Yo Ma would provide my soundtrack. Fantastic art clash. Magic.

Pin a Rose on Your Nose

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 08:31:00 -0700

I have a blog…I’m not a big writer. However, I’m thrilled by beauty, innovation & design, so a blog seemed like a good virtual space to decorate. My friend Britt turned me onto Pinterest. I’ve just started filling my boards, but I’m already hooked. Need a quick morning hit of beauty - this is it. Happy Earth Day.

Birthday wishes

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:19:06 -0700

Yesterday was my birthday. My partner Ken whisked me away for a night at a beautiful resort. Now, I’m back at home and I here are my current birthday wishes.

Great shoes. I will have three pairs of fantastic - can’t wait to wear— them shoes this year. This is a good start (& it’s Vegan!)

Stylish hair - not just pulled into a pony, but if it is a pony, its a fab pony.

Great jeans that make my petite legs go for miles.

Less Stress this year.

Happy Day.

No time for talk

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:55:01 -0700

Life is wonderful. Spring is on its way. My birthday is this week. Work is an exuberant challenge. So yeah, everything is great.

Enough talk. Just wanted to get back in a habit of posting beautiful things. So here is a start.

I’m going to make my own welcome mat like this one:

I’m loving my new:

Saw a fantastic show a few weeks ago that i can’t stop thinking about:

Found a new online crush:

& all in all…loving life. Have a great Tuesday everyone!