seattle!

Hello from Seattle! I got in on Friday with no flight delays and only minor technical difficulties (I somehow became confused by arrival times when I thought that Seattle was only an hour behind instead of the two it actual is. derp). Bri picked me up from the airport, and we went straight to Ray's to meet with Kimmie for drinks and dinner. We enjoyed the view (seen below! whoa), shared calimari, and had dinner (Bri and I both had the fish and chips, Kimmie had the salmon burger). It was so great to finally meet everyone in person! Both ladies are as sweet and gorgeous in person as they are on their blogs.

Afterwards, Kimmie went home to her adorable children, and Bri and I walked around Green Lake enjoying the views and snacking on frozen yogurt.

How cute are Bri's shorts? Super cute. I was a little bit more boring but I'm glad that my sandals were comfortable enough for the three mile loop. Afterwards we went to a little dive bar where we shared a pitcher of cider with Bri's friend Ash and had an all around great first night.

The next morning, we started the day with doughnuts from Top Pot - I had an apple fritter and Bri had a maple bar. We spent part of the morning walking around Pike Place Market. It is crazy in there! Fish are flying, and all sorts of flowers, vegetables, and fruits are being sold. Bri and I picked up some local cherries - they were so so good.

We went down to the gum wall and made sure to add our DNA as well ;) Afterwards I went to go get a little ride from Rachel, and see the original Starbucks. The line to get a drink went around the building so we didn't go inside as I'm sure a drink there tastes the same as every single other Starbucks in the world.

Shirt: J.Crew Factory [exact]

Skirt: J.Crew Factory [same style]

Purse: Coach [current style]

Sandals: Target [exact]

Afterwards, we boarded the ducks. I was so excited! When Chris and I were up in the Wisconsin Dells last week, we both were discussing how much fun it would be to ride on them, so I was happy Bri suggested we go (apparently even as a native Seattleite she loves riding on them). As touristy as it is, it was a great way to see a lot of the sights, plus the weather was beautiful so what better way to enjoy it than on a boat!

^^when I win the lottery, I'm buying a floating house. and a yacht to park next to it.

We then tried on some glasses at the Warby Parker pop up shop, and had lunch at Mod Pizza (SO GOOD). We did some digging at Nordstrom Rack, and then perused the denim section at Nordstrom. I have several goals for shopping this trip - a dark wash pair of skinny jeans that aren't jegging tight, and a bag for school. I tried on these jeans at Nordstrom. They were on sale for around $110 but I didn't want to spend a large portion of my budget the first day so I put them on hold to just see if I found something I liked even more. For dinner we went to Bri's parents' home for dinner. They are such great people and so welcoming. We hung out by the pool, had a great dinner of steak and salad made from Bri's garden, and watched the amazing sunset from their back porch.

^^ work it girl. such a model :)

This morning we woke up bright and early (...9 AM) and met up with Emily, a reader and soon to be consistent blogger ;) We ate at The Burgundian - Bri had the delicious chicken and waffles, I had a french toast/ gruyere /ham / jam sandwich, and Emily had the strawberry french toast. Brunch may be the best thing that has ever been invented. I'm so glad Emily contacted us - she's a real doll and an avid thrifter. She even found her amazing purse on the street. THE STREET! Now that's being resourceful.

From there we went and drove through this city's UW, and then went and did a little bit of shopping in U Village. We specifically went there to go to Madewell, which was having a 40% off sale selection promotion. I tried on this dress but in a dark grey, but as always, it was too short when it was sitting correctly at my waist. I did get super lucky when I found these jeans in the sale section, marked down to $60, plus another 40% off! After some initial consultation with Bri, I also purchased this dress at full price. I've really wanted a simple and very comfortable dress I can wear to school in numerous ways, and this one felt really great on. I had about $160 left in my school budget, so with the purchase of the dress, I would have just enough money to buy these pants the next time Banana Republic has a 40% off full priced items promotion. We also stopped at J.Crew to try on a few things as they were also having a 40% off sale items. Bri found some amazing printed jeans you'll see on her blog in a few days, and although I really liked this jacket, I may see if I can't wait it out to go just a bit lower. Afterwards we had to stop at Fran's Chocolates because duh.

And those were my first 48 hours in Seattle :D